Strength Training, Shredding Body Fat, and Increasing Testosterone and Sex Drive | Charles Poliquin

He argues that different athletes respond best to different programming styles (e.g., high variation vs. patient, steady progress), and he maps this to neurotransmitter “dominance” patterns as a practical framework for choosing training variables.

He says a self-report questionnaire (the Braverman test) is the most accurate practical tool he’s found, noting that repeating it introduces bias because people learn the questions; he also emphasizes that true “complete dominance” is rare and that limiting factors (e.g., low GABA or serotonin) matter.

He recommends gotu kola for reducing loose skin/connective tissue after major weight loss, claiming results often appear only after a long delay (a “saturation point”), and mentions a compounded topical gotu kola cream can work faster than oral use.

He stresses controlling variables like fasting duration, time of day, recent workouts, alcohol, and even aggressive massage, and he criticizes doctors who make definitive claims or prescriptions from a single biased lab draw.

He frames “normal ranges” as potentially misleading and prefers “optimal” targets, using morning glucose and HbA1c as examples; he also highlights a reactive insulin test (after rice cakes and jam) as a way to stress-test pancreatic/insulin response.