Growth Hormone (HGH) in Bodybuilding – Uses, Side Effects, and More

Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is one of the most critical and beneficial hormones in the human body. Also known as Somatotropin, HGH is responsible for many processes in our development and growth, including the stimulation of IGF-1 (Insulin-like growth factor 1). It is also one of the most beneficial to the bodybuilder and athlete.

HGH gives you an edge, whether for performance enhancement, physique enhancement, or simply wanting to retain a more youthful appearance. There’s much more to growth hormone than we can get from an anabolic steroid; they are very different indeed, and you’ll want to know EXACTLY how, what, and why HGH can benefit you before making the big decision to use it (did I mention it’s also unbelievably expensive?)

HGH is used by both males and females – with virtually the same benefits and side effect profile – to improve body composition and muscle growth, to aid in healing and recovery, to improve athletic performance, and even for anti-aging effects. So, is HGH something that will benefit you? Read on to learn everything there is to know about Human Growth Hormone!

Medical disclaimer: The following guide is based on personal experience and does NOT promote the illegal use of steroids (PEDs). Consult a healthcare professional before using PEDs.

What is HGH?

Although HGH is a hormone, it’s a very different hormone from testosterone and other hormones we are familiar with when using anabolic steroids. HGH is NOT an anabolic steroid at all. It has nothing to do with steroids, and that’s something we need to be clear about from the beginning.

HGH is called Somatotropin, a peptide hormone naturally produced in our body. As you might guess from its name, growth hormone is critical for its effects on growth. But there’s a lot more to HGH than that… HGH is a complex hormone; once you understand its primary functions and effects, you can see what makes it appealing to bodybuilders and athletes.

HGH has multiple medical uses, and more potential uses are being researched all the time, ranging from the treatment of debilitating conditions right through to more therapeutic and anti-aging purposes.

Treatment of HGH deficiency is one of the main medical uses for synthetic growth hormone. HGH is also used to help with muscle wasting-related conditions like HIV, where the patient can otherwise struggle to maintain and gain lean muscle weight. Victims of burns are potential beneficiaries of HGH as well due to its excellent ability to promote collagen synthesis.

Anti-aging is another area where HGH can have some powerful benefits, and it is one of the reasons many people will choose to use HGH regardless of whether they are bodybuilders or athletes or not.

Once you know the basic concepts of the role of HGH in the body, you can quickly see how this could benefit people who want to gain some muscle, lose fat, improve their physique and body composition, and potentially have some anti-aging effects.

A Quick Look at HGH

• Other Names: Somatropin (generic), Somatotropin, Genotropin, Humatrope, others.
• Primary Use: Medical treatment for growth hormone deficiency (GHD), Turner syndrome, and muscle wasting in HIV/AIDS. Off-label use for anti-aging, fat loss, muscle growth, and performance enhancement.
• Administration: Injectable form (subcutaneous or intramuscular). Typical Dosage: Bodybuilding/anti-aging: 2-6 IU/day (split into 1-2 doses). Half-life: ~3-4 hours (requires daily injections for sustained effects).
• Cycle Length: 6-12+ months (long-term use required for noticeable results). Often stacked with insulin (for muscle growth) or testosterone (for synergy).
• Benefits: Increased lean muscle mass (subtle but sustainable), enhanced fat loss (targets visceral and subcutaneous fat), improved skin elasticity and wound healing, anti-aging effects (reduced wrinkles, increased energy).
• Side Effects: Joint pain and numbness (carpal tunnel syndrome), water retention, insulin resistance (risk of type 2 diabetes), tingling in extremities, organ enlargement (heart, liver, kidneys), acromegaly (abnormal bone/growth of hands, feet, and face), increased cancer risk (due to IGF-1 promoting cell proliferation).

Note: HGH is not a steroid but is widely misused in bodybuilding and anti-aging communities. Its effects are gradual and require long-term use, making it expensive and risky. Bloodwork (monitoring IGF-1, glucose, and thyroid levels) is critical. Misuse can lead to irreversible health complications.

HGH History and Overview

HGH’s primary medical use in humans is to treat growth hormone deficiency. HGH has been found to provide significant life-changing benefits to clinical patients who suffer from HGH deficiency, including:

• Increased lean muscle
• Improved bone density
• Decreased body fat
• Improved cholesterol and cardiovascular health

The FDA only approved HGH for human use in 1985. It was extracted from human cadavers in the earliest stages of HGH use. But when degenerative brain disease was found in deceased HGH patients, that form of HGH extraction was ceased, and biosynthetic HGH was developed and used for medical purposes.

While a slower-release form of HGH was developed nearly 20 years ago, its production was deemed too expensive to continue, and to date, it has not been looked at again. Such a product would have made it possible to inject HGH once every few weeks rather than daily as we do now.

Mechanism of Action

HGH affects every tissue in your body. Its primary purpose (as you’d expect from its name) is to promote growth. HGH is critical in the early stages of life for the growing human.

HGH will stimulate the production of IGF-1 – an anabolic hormone that is highly beneficial to us as bodybuilders. Your body secretes enough growth hormone from the pituitary gland to provide for the body’s necessary functions. Taking exogenous HGH amplifies these mechanisms of action substantially.

Two peptides mainly control the natural release of HGH:

• Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH)
• Growth hormone-inhibiting hormone (GHIH)

But other factors contribute to HGH release:

• Sleep
• Exercise
• Nutrition

Exercise itself may stimulate the release of growth hormone. But it will not be at the level you can achieve through external use.

Once HGH is circulating, its growth effects will:

• Boost the amino acid uptake from the blood
• Increase cellular proliferation
• Reduce cell death

HGH targets four primary cell types:

• Bone
• Muscle
• Nervous system
• Immune system

Effects of HGH (Benefits)

Unlike anabolic steroids and most other PEDs, HGH appeals to people with little to no interest in bodybuilding and performance. Some like to use it to feel good and keep their skin and hair looking healthy. Others use it to promote recovery and injury prevention.

HGH provides a range of benefits that you won’t find with any anabolic steroid. This can make it a valuable addition to any steroid cycle. HGH’s benefits extend beyond physique enhancement and include benefits to the joints, skin, bones, recovery, sleep, and mood. Unlike testosterone, which most steroids are based on, HGH is not a male hormone, and that means females can use HGH just as equally as men without the negative effects that steroids cause.

Growth hormone is very useful for experienced steroid users who have achieved a high level of physique enhancement and where further growth or progress seems to have come to a halt using steroids. The addition of HGH can propel the advanced bodybuilder beyond existing limits when used in combination with powerful steroids.

The main specific benefits you can see with HGH include:

• Strengthens the joints, tendons, and bones
• Improves recovery
• Promotes growth of lean muscle tissue
• Increases energy
• Decreases body fat and improves the metabolic rate
• Achieve a tighter and harder physique

Bonus benefits of HGH include a noticeable improvement in skin health and better sleep quality, which will greatly contribute to recovery and overall well-being. Genuine bodybuilding use of HGH requires higher doses and stacking with AAS to get ultimate results. Here’s just some of what HGH can do:

Recovery

Promoting recovery is one of the best benefits of HGH. You can experience these recovery benefits even at lower doses because one of the core functions of HGH is to build, repair, and maintain muscle. Repairing muscle after exercise damage or injury is achievable amazingly well by HGH, beyond what we see with anabolic steroids.

Fat loss and metabolism

All HGH users will notice how lean they can become. HGH can stimulate lipolysis so fat is more efficiently broken down into fatty acids for energy use. It’s known that higher-weight people have a reduced output of growth hormone and that growth hormone plays a critical role in reducing and redistributing body fat^[1].

Muscle growth

The signals that HGH sends to the muscles instruct them to grow, but we can only see the true potential for muscle gains when stacking HGH with anabolic steroids. With HGH promoting cell proliferation, nitrogen retention, and protein synthesis, it’s the perfect partner to AAS in promoting the substantial growth of lean muscle^[2].

Anti-aging

Improved skin, nail, and hair quality will make you look younger and healthier. This is a nice bonus benefit for bodybuilders who use HGH. Growth hormone stimulates collagen synthesis, crucial for keeping the skin strong and plump.

Connective tissue repair

The healing, repair, and growth of connective tissue is an aspect of HGH that makes it appealing to those without an interest in bodybuilding. These potential anti-aging effects have led many to think HGH could be useful in slowing down some inevitable declines in collagen production as we age. However, this effect of HGH is also hugely useful to bodybuilders. Recovery will be enhanced significantly, while tendons, joints, and ligaments can strengthen, making them less prone to injury and supporting more intensive, heavier workouts.

HGH Dosing and Administration

When planning out your HGH dosage, always keep this in mind: When you increase the dose, you increase the risk. Yes, we can say that about steroids and any drug, but there’s an upper limit with HGH where real health risks are virtually guaranteed, and you don’t want to mess with that.

What does this mean for you?

To a certain point, HGH is highly beneficial for many of us. But too much of a good thing can be hazardous when it comes to HGH, so just like any other PED, you’ll want to find the right balance between reaping the benefits and increasing the potential short and long-term side effects.

Doses

Therapeutic and clinical doses of HGH are always at the lower end. Medical use aims to replace the growth hormone level that the body should produce. In most cases, this will be up to 3iu daily for males, ranging from less than 1iu up to 2iu for females. Let’s look at the ideal doses for performance uses of HGH:

Beginner

Low doses of HGH can be very effective for the new user or those just wanting to experience some benefits (like better skin, hair, recovery, and sleep) without going overboard. 2iu is an excellent introduction to HGH and will allow you to evaluate the benefits and downsides.

Intermediate

A standard male dose, which we could also call intermediate, is 4iu. You’ll get all the desirable benefits at this dose: Fat loss, better recovery, improved skin and hair, good sleep, and synergy with anabolic steroids. Many men never see a need to take more than 4iu daily.

Advanced

For proper mega muscle growth for hardcore bodybuilders, men take doses of up to 8iu. Besides the increased cost, the risk of all potential side effects increases at this level.

Female

Women typically take between 1iu and 2iu daily, similar to female clinical doses. Some females take up to 4iu, but at this level, females need to be aware that enlargement of areas like the jaw can occur – something that will be far more prominent on a female face than a male. In either case, HGH will need to be used for 12 weeks at the bare minimum – but for true muscle gains with HGH at its full potential, females will be looking at a cycle of at least six months.

It’s not unusual for females to want to use HGH purely for aesthetic reasons because of the anti-aging properties of HGH. Potential benefits for the skin and hair are a top priority here. A low dose of 2iu daily is sufficient in these cases. Fat loss is also more easily achievable at this dose, with well-controlled side effects for most women.

Women will often use HGH at low doses for many years to burn fat, maintain an ideal weight, enhance muscle tone, and the above-mentioned anti-aging effects. Women must be careful when it comes to avoiding higher doses, especially when planning to use HGH over several years. Any potential growth of feet, hands, and other external features would be noticeable and not likely desired by most female HGH users.

Dosing schedule, half-life, and cycle length

HGH needs to be used relatively long to get the most benefits. I would aim for a minimum of 12 weeks if muscle growth is your primary goal; otherwise, it’s not worth the cost. For fat loss, general rejuvenation, recovery, and other low-level benefits are your goal? Eight weeks can work, but aim for at least ten. However, those using HGH with a longer-term outlook will look at using it for six months and beyond. Yes, it gets very costly, but that’s why I always say growth hormone is only for THE most serious of users.

Blasting and cruising are other methods of using HGH. This helps you shape different parts of your cycles to specific goals (usually when stacking HGH) but also reduces dependence and the risk of developing issues with the thyroid and blood sugar (but remember that there’s no guarantee you’ll avoid these risks completely).

HGH can be injected either subcutaneously or intramuscularly, and the half-life differs very slightly between the two. Either way, HGH has a very short half-life – just under 4 hours for sub-cut injections and just under 5 hours when injected IM. But if you want maximum bioavailability (and who doesn’t?), then subcutaneous injections are the way to go – they have up to 75% bioavailability compared to around 63% for IM injections.

Low HGH doses are usually injected once daily. If you’re taking doses of 8iu or more, splitting it into two daily injections is not unusual. Avoid injecting in the hours before sleeping because that is a time when your body is ramping up its natural growth hormone production. I like to inject after breakfast (after eating some carbs) – this can help avoid fatigue or drowsiness.

Likely results

Results from HGH are very dose-dependent. They’re also dependent on what, if any, other compounds you’re using it with. This is just some of what you can expect at the basic level when taking HGH:

• You’ll notice exceptional recovery, even better than what you experience with anabolic steroids. So, when combined with AAS, HGH will significantly speed up that muscle repair process, allowing you to get back to training quicker.
• You can expect your mental clarity and outlook to improve. We don’t often hear about this, with people focused almost entirely on the physical effects. But HGH can improve your state of mind, making you feel awake and focused.
• Fat loss will come more straightforward, and you’ll find it harder to GAIN fat. Yes, your diet will significantly affect how much fat you could lose, but if you’re dieting and doing regular cardio, you can’t help but drop fat on HGH.
• Sleep quality will be enhanced substantially. You’ll feel more rested and get a better night’s sleep. This almost certainly contributes to the overall improvement in mental well-being as well.
• Your steroids will work better when stacked with HGH. You’ll be able to build more muscle faster, get leaner, and gain more significant strength.

This is why most of us want to use HGH at all, but I can’t state enough times: To make it all worthwhile (including the cost), you must ensure you’ve maxed out what you can do naturally and with gear before thinking of adding HGH to the mix.

HGH Cycles

How you use HGH will depend on what you’re trying to achieve. It’s common for people to want to use it for the longer term – 6 months or more to reap the whole range of benefits HGH offers. Again, you can’t consider that without planning the cost of this high-priced product because every week you use HGH can cost a substantial amount. And you’ll want the best quality HGH to get the expected results.

As I often like to repeat, HGH works beautifully in synergy with just about any anabolic steroid. And for many of us, that’s what we’ll be building a cycle around because HGH will take what your steroids do to another level. Most males will take 4-6iu daily for best physique results, with women only needing a lower dose to get some nice muscle, recovery, and fat loss effects.

HGH is not a fast-acting substance. You will not see instant or even somewhat fast results with it, so it must be used at longer cycle lengths if it will be of any benefit. Short cycles of HGH will be of little to no use. Therefore, whether you’re a beginner or very advanced user, you will not want to use HGH for any less than eight weeks, but twice or three times that time is considered optimal; otherwise, the effects of HGH may not have enough time to develop.

HGH cycle for men

The results men can expect will again heavily depend on the purpose of use. We can use HGH for muscle gain and strength. Still, just how much you gain will vary considerably. Unlike standard AAS cycles, you can’t put a figure on expected gains with HGH because it will enhance your steroid cycles rather than acting as a standalone muscle builder.

So, what are you guys saying about HGH?

Thousands of experiences, comments, and reviews are written yearly by guys using HGH. Mostly, I see a very positive overview from just about everyone. One exception – when bunk HGH is used (and that happens often), results will be disappointing. But you go into HGH expecting that, and that’s why we try to buy the good stuff or don’t bother at all.

I wanted to highlight a few comments: “HGH takes a while to start to notice fat loss effects.” I think this is prudent to point out. Don’t expect a magic fat-loss formula even when stacking HGH with the best AAS. But with patience and solid work, you will get leaner over time. You’ll hear a lot of guys saying they get LEANER on HGH. So you’re steadily putting on muscle and less likely to gain fat.

Importantly, holding on to muscle is where HGH also excels. At 4iu/day taken five days per week, one male user noted: “The lower dose is just leaning me out a little and helping to hold muscle.” I should point out that 4iu is a moderate rather than a low dose and is an excellent dose to balance benefits and risks.

And I can’t ignore the benefits of HGH on sleep and recovery because it’s such a huge reason for using it. Comments like: “I was waking up after 6 hours and felt like I had 9-10 hours” really clarify just how much HGH can have you sleeping and feeling better mentally.

In short?

There is no template for the results you can get with HGH due to the many variables involved. But if you’re used to using AAS (as you should be), expect those results to improve exceptionally.

HGH cycle for women

Females will use HGH for a range of reasons – either for its skin and anti-aging benefits and better sleep or for proper fitness and physique results. Women can expect similar results and outcomes to male users of HGH in terms of rejuvenation, recovery, and fat loss.

So, what are females saying about their experiences with HGH?

• Virtually all females are noticing improved sleep quality. Waking feeling refreshed, and the resulting improvement in muscle and overall recovery for those training regularly.
• Clearer and healthier skin and thicker hair are other common positive comments you’ll read about from women. This is a nice bonus but generally not the sole reason females will use HGH.
• More effortless fat loss is a notable positive effect for females. Women who are dieting and doing regular intensive cardio workouts find that HGH makes it possible to move fat more effectively than naturally.

Low-dose HGH helps older women decrease visceral body fat[3]. These benefits are experienced on just 2iu/day, a recommended female dose. It’s worth noting that many women will use HGH for long periods – 6 months or more.

While the positives outweigh negative experiences about HGH, some females note that they feel tired. This is the opposite of what we should be feeling – better mental clarity and more rest. Individual response, HGH quality, dosage, and hard dieting are all potential culprits of increased tiredness and other unexpected side effects.

Beginner HGH cycle

Using HGH is mainly limited to more advanced users, so while beginners are unlikely to go with HGH in the early stages of experimenting with steroids, there may be the occasional person who wants to give it a go. Beginners who want an all-around result of muscle gains and fat loss will look at stacking HGH with a testosterone ester like Testosterone Cypionate. HGH should be used for at least 16 weeks at 4iu daily to get the full benefit, with testosterone at 400mg weekly for the second half of the cycle only.

Intermediate HGH cycle

Those ready to add another compound to the above stack will be well served to use Trenbolone, a more advanced and potent steroid that will considerably add to the mass gains you can achieve. During this cycle, HGH will enhance the effectiveness of both Testosterone Cypionate and Trenbolone Enanthate. The total cycle length can last up to 6 months (24 weeks) if desired, depending on how you tolerate HGH and any side effects. At the very least, this cycle should be run for 16 weeks to allow time for HGH to work.

Intermediate users can increase the HGH dose to 6iu daily, with Trenbolone Enanthate and Testosterone Cypionate at 400mg weekly. These are both long-lasting steroids, which makes them ideal for a longer cycle. Like HGH, Trenbolone also increases IGF-1, making this combination a perfect match for mass-gaining and fat-loss goals.

Advanced HGH cycle

Trenbolone is perhaps the most advanced anabolic steroid one can use, so it should also be included in any advanced cycle with HGH. The difference with the most experienced users will be the addition of a dedicated cutting steroid such as Anavar and optionally the addition of a lesser known but very powerful hormone called T3 (Cytomel), which is highly useful near the end of the cycle to help reduce body fat to the leanest possible level.

This fat loss and cutting cycle is appealing as a pre-contest stack and also uses Trenbolone plus Testosterone; however, testosterone in this cycle is used only at support levels, with Trenbolone taking on the primary anabolic role. Water retention will also be minimized or prevented by using testosterone at a dose of 100mg weekly. This cycle can run for up to 24 weeks, with the compounds split between different parts of the cycle. HGH will be used for the entire cycle as its slow effects will have plenty of time to kick in, with a dose of 6iu daily.

Trenbolone at 400mg weekly and Testosterone at 100mg weekly are useful in the last half of the cycle, with Anavar and T3 only included in the last third of the cycle; for a 24-week cycle, these two compounds would be used only for the final eight weeks. An Anavar dose of 80mg daily and T3 at 75mcg daily will serve the pre-contest user extremely well in obtaining a hardened, very lean physique with minimal body fat by the end of the cycle.

HGH vs. Other PEDs

HGH is such a unique substance for performance and/or other health benefits that it could not (and should not) be directly comparable to anabolic steroids, SARMs, or most other PEDs. But we should weigh up HGH compared to an exciting investigational drug called MK-677 and some other peptides of interest.

HGH vs. Peptides

HGH itself is a peptide hormone. But there are thousands of known peptides in the human body. Did you know? There are more than 7000 natural peptides that we currently know about^[3]. Peptides, at their most basic, are just strings of amino acids (the building blocks of protein).

Peptides are responsible for all sorts of functions in our body, and although HGH is probably the most well-known peptide, it’s entirely dependent on two other peptides in our body. The natural release of HGH from the pituitary gland depends on these two peptides:

• Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH, Somatorelin, or CJC-1295)
• Growth hormone-inhibiting hormone (GHIH or Somatostatin)

Both of these peptides will stimulate the release of growth hormone. They do not provide you with a direct form of HGH, as is the case when you take HGH itself.

By taking GHRH in its pharmaceutical form, you get a more even and steady release of HGH. This contrasts with the spike in HGH that can occur when taking pure exogenous growth hormone. Somatostatin, the growth hormone inhibiting hormone peptide, prevents a blood sugar increase by inhibiting the release of HGH. This peptide will essentially decrease the effects of HGH – downregulating its cell proliferation effects.

HGH vs. MK-677

MK-677 (Ibutamoren) has been hailed as an exciting alternative to HGH injections.

Ibutamoren is a research chemical that is classed as a growth hormone secretagogue. It can stimulate both growth hormone and IGF-1 and increase their levels significantly. MK-677 can do this without serious side effects. When we think of the possible side effects of longer-term or high-dose HGH use, there’s no doubt that HGH is the riskier of the two to take.

MK-677 will increase your appetite to a higher level than HGH. HGH can undoubtedly raise your appetite, but I’ve found that Ibutamoren does it more so – but this may be an individual response. Most of us who want to gain muscle can welcome increased appetite. However, if fat loss is your primary goal, MK-677 can present some issues.

It’s little wonder, then, that the bodybuilding community has taken notice of MK-677. Countless people ask: “Should I use MK-677 instead of HGH?” Well, for one, MK-677 is going to be a lot cheaper than HGH injections. You can also do away with the injecting because MK-677 is taken orally. Don’t like injections and money is tight? Then your decision is probably easily made: MK-677 is just a more accessible PED to use with fewer serious health risks.

HGH vs. Anavar for Women

There’s one anabolic steroid above all others that is considered best suited for women to use: Anavar. It is a powerful cutting steroid and an oral steroid, and compared to most other anabolic steroids, it comes with a milder androgenic effect on females when used at lower doses.

Just like HGH, Anavar has a direct impact on the metabolism, and this translates to powerful fat burning. Anavar is a very fast-working steroid, and it is likely to result in faster and bigger muscle gains in women using it for that purpose. It is also only used for 6 to 8 weeks, while you’re looking at many months of HGH use to get acceptable results.

It can come as a surprise that Anavar, for women, despite being a steroid hormone, can cause fewer side effects than HGH. At low doses, many women can avoid virilizing side effects with Anavar. While HGH has a different side effect profile, most people will still experience some of them, even at lower doses.

Finally, we can’t compare HGH and Anavar without discussing the cost. HGH is probably the most expensive compound to buy, and the fact that you need to use it for months on end to get decent results adds to that cost. It can easily set you back many thousands of dollars to a 4-6 month HGH cycle.

Anavar is one of the more expensive anabolic steroids, but an investment in an Anavar cycle is not likely to cost you anywhere near that of HGH. Depending on your source and quality, you’re probably looking at hundreds of dollars per cycle rather than thousands for HGH. For many women, cost alone will be the determining factor when choosing to use either HGH or Anavar.

Stacking HGH

If you’re looking for performance results from HGH and not simply its cosmetic and lifestyle-enhancing effects (which are still very beneficial to us), then it’s widespread for HGH to be stacked with anabolic steroids and other PEDs.

HGH is a brilliant, supportive, and synergistic hormone to use with steroids due to the excellent synergy they have and differing mechanisms of action. Why add HGH to a steroid cycle? HGH will enhance and build upon the effects of steroids, helping you to get even more out of a cycle.

In short, HGH makes your steroids work BETTER. You can use it in any cycle: Bulking, cutting, recomp, etc. HGH will go with the flow of where your other PEDs take it.

But there’s this:

Growth hormone is what I consider to be an advanced compound and one only to use once you’ve maxed out your natural potential and when you’re struggling to make further advancement with your anabolic steroid cycles (including at higher AAS doses). HGH can provide that extra push-through; the results will speak for themselves.

Stacking HGH for a male

Men who stack HGH have a long list of anabolic steroid options. Depending on your specific goals, these will often be the most popular steroids, like testosterone and Trenbolone for bulking cycles and Anavar or Winstrol if you’re on a cutting cycle. For the most hardcore fat loss, Clenbuterol (which is not a steroid) is sometimes stacked with HGH. Deca Durabolin and Anadrol are other steroids that males will stack with HGH.

When stacking HGH with any steroids that aromatize, men should take extra care to reduce the risk of gynecomastia developing with the more pronounced growth of breast tissue being caused by HGH. A dose of 4iu daily of HGH is standard when stacking it with steroids, although some men might choose 6iu. The minimum time frame for HGH use is 16 weeks, but 24 weeks is recommended for best results. The stacked steroids will normally be added to the second half of your cycle.

Stacking HGH for a female

Many women can use only HGH and see good results regarding fat loss, skin and hair health improvements, and even some muscle gains. Longer-term, low-dosage use of HGH is generally safer for women than using steroids.

There are no risks of developing masculine features as with steroids, but women need to be cautious of not over-using HGH to the point where the hands, feet, and other parts can start to become noticeably enlarged. For more advanced fat loss and muscle gains, some women will stack HGH with Anavar, which is considered the most female-friendly steroid.

Here are just a few of my favorite stacks that include HGH:

HGH + Testosterone (bulking stack)

HGH will enhance and compound upon the physical results of testosterone – more muscle, strength, better fat loss, and recovery. A simple stack is the best way for a male AAS user to start using HGH.

Benefits:

• Lean muscle gains
• Fat loss
• Quick recovery
• Enhanced mood
• Improved skin, nails, and hair

Dosing:

• Weeks 1-16: HGH 4iu daily
• Weeks 8-16: Testosterone enanthate 600mg/week

Possible side effects:

• Water retention
• Joint pain/discomfort
• Gyno
• Hair loss
• Acne
• Testosterone suppression
• Increased blood sugar
• Carpal tunnel syndrome

Results

Testosterone will enhance muscle mass, reduce fat, and substantially improve recovery. Combined with HGH, these benefits are going to be compounded upon. Gains of 20 lbs are possible, and water retention should be controllable through diet (low sodium).

PCT

Standard PCT for testosterone suppression is required. Clomid, Nolvadex, or Enclomiphene taken for 4-6 weeks is usually sufficient.

HGH + Trenbolone (lean bulking stack)

Trenbolone also increases IGF-1 substantially, and HGH will only increase how the muscle responds to all this additional IGF-1. This is a hardcore cycle for advanced users because Tren has some severe side effects to deal with.

Benefits:

• Huge gains
• Fat loss
• Big pumps
• Huge strength
• Hard, defined physique
• Muscle fullness
• Rapid recovery

Dosing:

• Weeks 1-16: HGH 4iu daily
• Weeks 6-16: Trenbolone Acetate 150mg/week

Possible side effects:

• Testosterone shutdown
• Cholesterol increase
• High blood pressure
• Liver toxicity
• Gyno
• Water retention
• Night sweats
• Acne
• Hair loss
• Anxiety, anger, paranoia, and other mental effects
• Tren cough
• Joint pain

Results

This stack is all about lean muscle gains. Tren is a superb recomp AAS that won’t cause water retention, and Tren’s effects should offset any HGH-induced water retention. Muscle gains, therefore, will be maintainable post-cycle with little weight loss. Expect a hard, defined physique, fast recovery, some fat loss, and incredible strength.

PCT

Trenbolone can suppress testosterone levels for many months and sometimes years. Regular PCT will rarely be able to restore testosterone production sufficiently, and long-term TRT or cruising of testosterone is required.

HGH + T3 + Anavar (cutting stack)

HGH is an excellent accompaniment to a cutting steroid like Anavar. Cytomel (T3) raises your metabolic rate. HGH promotes fat loss directly, while Anavar dries out your physique and provides extra strength gains. Both compounds will work to preserve existing muscle while cutting and dieting.

Benefits:

• Fast recovery
• Fast fat loss
• Muscle preservation
• Hard, dry physique
• Vascularity
• Improved hair, skin and nails

Dosing:

• Weeks 1-16: HGH 4iu daily
• Weeks 9-16: Anavar 25-50mg daily
• Weeks 11-16: T3 tapered dose starting at 25mcg day, increasing by 25mcg each week to max 75mcg, then decreasing by 25mcg each week to end at 25mcg in the final week.

Possible side effects:

• Testosterone suppression
• Natural T3 level suppressed
• Cholesterol increase (mild)
• Liver toxicity
• Water retention
• Joint pain
• Carpal tunnel

Results

Super fast fat loss is the name of the game in this stack. Moving those stubborn pounds around the waist is easier if you’re lean. Anavar is going to dry the physique and enhance your definition and vascularity. Recovery times will be exceptional, allowing you to work out more regularly and intensively with little downtime.

PCT

Some users can recover adequately from Anavar without PCT. If PCT is required, a standard Nolvadex 4-week cycle is sufficient.

HGH PCT

HGH will have no impact at all on your testosterone levels as a man, so if you’re used to using anabolic steroids and dealing with suppressed or shut-down testosterone by running PCT, then you’ll be relieved to know that this does not apply to HGH use. But it doesn’t end there. HGH is, after all, a naturally occurring hormone, and by providing your body with an external source (and usually a higher amount), you might wonder if this affects your natural growth hormone function.

Does using HGH shut down your natural production of growth hormone? No, it doesn’t – and we shouldn’t think of it in the same way as testosterone. In one study on prolonged use of daily HGH injections in children for up to 36 months and at least 30 months, withdrawing HGH resulted in fat gain, a slower metabolism, and a negative balance of nutrients, including nitrogen. However – it was found that the dosing was not a factor, that the prolonged use of HGH was the critical factor, and that withdrawal symptoms “do not involve the suppression of hormone secretion.”

With all this said…

Since we almost always use HGH for performance purposes alongside suppressive compounds like AAS, you’ll almost inevitably need to plan a PCT cycle anyway – it just won’t have anything to do with your use of HGH.

HGH Side Effects

For all its unique benefits and the fact that this is a hormone we naturally produce, HGH sure does come with some significant risk factors when you use it exogenously. Taking too much HGH and taking it for extended periods can potentially lead to some severe and scary health issues.

If you’re brand new to HGH, I can’t recommend enough: Start at a lower dose and only ever increase the amount slowly. While some side effects of HGH are things you can see or feel, others can be completely invisible until it’s too late.

Short-term side effects

The list of possible short-term side effects caused by using HGH at performance doses is quite long and can range from the mere annoying to the more concerning effects that can impact daily life more seriously.

It’s important to know, especially for anabolic steroid users, that HGH is not an estrogenic or androgenic hormone. Hence, all of those familiar steroid side effects are generally not going to be issues with HGH. In short, this is a completely different type of hormone with a different side effect profile. And side effects are not going to be gender specific for the most part, as is the case with steroids. Females can use HGH and expect a similar experience to male users.

Many HGH users will experience pain in the joints, muscles, and/or nerves. Some will develop carpal tunnel syndrome, where a nerve that goes into the hand is compressed due to swelling. This can cause tingling and numbness in the fingers, pain, and hand weakness. HGH is known to cause water retention, with the wrists being a common problem area. This is the source of the development of carpal tunnel syndrome.

HGH users often report headaches and other symptoms similar to flu. These are usually very short-term and often subside within a short time of starting HGH use.

Gynecomastia can be a surprising side effect of HGH and is often not expected, as we associate it with anabolic steroids. HGH-caused gynecomastia comes about for different reasons and as a result of HGH working alongside estrogen. Sensitive individuals can develop gyno with HGH even with estrogen levels low. Estrogen can be blocked with a SERM drug like Nolvadex, which will mitigate this side effect.

At higher HGH doses, your thyroid can start being affected with the onset of hypothyroidism. For this reason, many HGH users will also include T3 in the cycle, as this is a thyroid hormone.

If you’re going to be including anabolic steroids in your HGH cycle, be aware of this: HGH is highly likely to magnify and speed up some steroid side effects where growth is involved, like gynecomastia due to the way that HGH promotes cell division and tissue growth.

Long-term side effects

Little is known about the extent of possible long-term side effects that could be caused by prolonged HGH use. However, there are areas of concern that are highly likely to cause issues for you if you intend to use very high doses of HGH. The potential for cancerous tumor growth is a real possibility if someone uses HGH at high doses and over a long period.

Liver damage can also become a long-term adverse effect after sustained HGH use. Medical bodies often list enlargement of the heart as a potential side effect and one that can certainly become a long-term problem. Taking HGH for performance purposes may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Both conditions can turn into lifelong problems that could shorten your lifespan.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is mainly considered a short-term side effect, but in rare cases, it can lead to nerve damage, resulting in permanent loss of sensation in the hand area. This is also a dosage-dependent side effect that you can avoid by using HGH sensibly.

Very high HGH doses can lead to the unique side effect of organ enlargement and enlargement of the hands, feet, and jaw area. These effects are a logical result of taking much more HGH than the body will ever need: You are supercharging the growth effects of hGH, which is its fundamental purpose in the body.

HGH joint pain

Even though human growth hormone is well known for its benefits for strengthening joints and tendons, one of its side effects can be joint pain in some people, as well as muscle pain and general aches and stiffness. This can come about for two reasons: New connective tissue growth (we might have called these growing pains when young) and due to the water retention that HGH can cause, which mostly happens to the ankles and wrists.

It’s essential to be aware that pain in the joints while using HGH in the early stages isn’t a sign that the joints are damaged but is a side effect of the repair and growth process that HGH is stimulating. Joint pain from HGH use is usually a short-term side effect in the earliest stages of using it and, in most cases, will disappear quickly as the growth and calcification process completes. When a high dosage of HGH is suddenly taken, joint pain can be more severe. This side effect can be minimized by starting at a lower dosage to allow your body to adjust.

Water retention and swelling

Water retention and swelling are side effects many anabolic steroid users will be familiar with. However, they take a slightly different form from HGH. The wrists and ankles are most commonly affected by water retention, resulting in a noticeable swelling of these areas, which can hamper your movement.

Carpal tunnel syndrome can sometimes develop on the hands due to the compressed nerve. This can cause tingling and numbness in the fingers. These side effects are much more likely at higher doses of HGH. You can reduce your risk of fluid retention by not suddenly taking high doses of HGH; instead, your tolerance to HGH needs to be built up as part of your dosage schedule.

Organ and tissue growth

Extremely high doses of HGH can bring about severe consequences. HGH can cause an enlargement of body parts and organs. The hands and feet, as well as the jaw area, can become noticeably larger. The internal organs can also grow dangerously large. All of this can lead to serious health impacts and stress caused to vital organs.

Hypertrophy (size increase) and hyperplasia (increase in cells) are at the core of HGH’s functions. The body regulates how much these processes occur by controlling how much HGH is released. Taking external synthetic HGH supercharges these processes, so it is vital that you are not taking excessive amounts – the body will not know when to stop growing, and this is where you get your organ and tissue growth complications. Fortunately, most users will moderate HGH dosages enough to avoid these serious side effects completely.

Women-specific side effects

Women can use HGH without any concerns about virilization. HGH is not an anabolic/androgenic steroid and can not cause masculine traits to develop. Just like in men, long-term and/or high-dose use does put women at risk of bone, tissue, and organ enlargement. Since women are smaller than men, any size increase in the hands and feet (for example) can appear more pronounced and noticeable than in males.

When used at sensible doses, HGH is well tolerated by most females. It is well worth pointing out that women don’t have to worry about masculine traits developing when using HGH, as is the case with anabolic steroids.

Is HGH safe?

When using any substance for bodybuilding or performance enhancement purposes, safety can never be assured as this is outside any approved medical setting, and rarely are there studies available to prove the safety or harm that HGH may cause over the long term. Everyone is different, and your current health status, age, and other factors will make your experience different from that of the next person.

Long-term risk factors are known simply because of our understanding of changes that high doses of HGH cause in the body. Type 2 diabetes can develop when too much HGH is taken over long periods. This is due to increased blood sugar levels that come about by HGH’s ability to tell the body to favor fats as energy at the expense of carbohydrates. In this instance, we can certainly say that HGH is not safe to use at high doses for prolonged periods.

HGH’s safety largely comes down to how you use it. Is it safe at low doses? Few people will have issues in that scenario. Most users, especially males, will be stacking HGH with anabolic steroids that come with a much higher health and safety risk.

HGH Supplement

HGH is no doubt a powerful and effective hormone to include in a steroid cycle. With its benefits beyond muscle building or fat loss, all males and females can benefit from HGH. Its effects on healing and recovery are often the sole reason people want to use HGH.

So, how can you get these wide-ranging effects from any other product, avoiding the HGH’s risks and side effects? The best alternative I have found to date is HGH-X2 Somatropin.

HGH-X2 is a legal and safe alternative to Somatropin, a human growth hormone (HGH) form. HGH is well known for its ability to promote lean muscle gain and fat burning, but using real synthetic HGH puts your health at significant risk if it’s not undertaken precisely and carefully. HGH-X2 naturally stimulates the release of HGH instead of directly injecting synthetic HGH into the body.

The benefits of HGH-X2 cover wide-ranging areas. They include all the benefits we can expect from growth hormone optimization, including helping to reverse the natural decrease resulting from aging.

Expect good quality muscle gains with HGH-X2 with no water retention or bloating. HGH-X2’s effects on fat loss shouldn’t be underestimated, and the goal of fat loss often leads people to use growth hormones. HGH-X2 speeds up fat loss by making it more efficient to use stored fat as energy.

This helps improve the muscle-to-fat ratio while decreasing recovery times so your downtime between workouts is reduced. As HGH is also beneficial for a range of other health aspects, there’s the potential for improvements in skin health and benefits for bone strength, brain and organ health, sleep quality, and mood.

Somatotropin is a human growth hormone used to treat some medical conditions, and it is also popular with bodybuilders. But it comes with side effects, and even though it is not a steroid and the HGH side effects are mostly not of the same nature that we get with anabolic steroids, synthetic HGH for bodybuilding purposes is a risky choice.

HGH-X2 is all about eliminating the risk while providing the same benefits, with the major goals of this legal HGH alternative being to deliver quality muscle gains, fast fat loss, and quicker recovery times. HGH-X2 does this by naturally stimulating the release of human growth hormone without you having to use any synthetic hormones. If you decide to try HGH-X2, I recommend buying it here.

Where to Buy HGH?

Buying HGH is not like buying anabolic steroids. Real, pure-quality HGH can not be produced in underground labs due to the massive costs and complexity. However, many Chinese labs appear to be manufacturing high-quality HGH, which is sold as generic. Buying from such labs is a gamble; you’ll want to know the source before handing over money.

Pharmaceutical grade HGH for sale

Even though HGH is an approved pharmaceutical medication in many places around the world, getting your hands on pharmaceutical-grade HGH is not easy. It’s also a very expensive drug, no matter where you get it from.

As expected, getting high-quality HGH pharmaceutical-grade products should be your priority. While generics are available on the black market, these can also be very difficult to come by. Unfortunately, even generic HGH can be of low quality, so there is never a guarantee that you will receive a pure, fully-dosed product, no matter what it says on the label or how much you pay.

The source of most generic HGH often sold as pharmaceutical grade is China. True pharmaceutical-grade HGH will come with a very high price tag, while Chinese generics will often be half to one-third of the cost.

Anyone who has used genuine pharmaceutical-grade HGH will usually say it was well worth their investment. The high price is justified by the high-quality HGH that delivers the expected results at the proper dosage. After all, HGH is something you will be using for many months, so if you’ve bought a questionable generic version and are disappointed in your results, you’ve not only wasted a lot of money but potentially several months of a cycle.

There are many brands of pharmaceutical-grade HGH. The best and most trusted ones include Humatrope, Zorbtive, Omnitrope, Saizen, Norditropin, Serostim, Genotropin, and Hypertropin. Expect to pay $1000 or more for any of these genuine pharmaceutical-grade HGH products.

Reminder: Buying and using pharmaceutical-grade HGH without a genuine prescription from your doctor to treat a diagnosed illness is illegal. Importing and purchasing HGH in any form can put you at risk of authorities, which can lead to prosecution.

Underground lab HGH for sale

Due to the difficulty and expense involved in obtaining genuine pharmaceutical-grade HGH, the generic versions that you come across will come from underground labs around the world. As mentioned, many of these are Chinese, but some may be manufactured in other locations, such as Mexico.

Underground lab HGH comes with many risks, not the least of which is the under-dosing of the formula. It’s not uncommon for a vial of HGH from one of these labs to contain 50% or less of actual HGH in the formula; this means not only will your results be drastically reduced, but you won’t know exactly what you’re injecting into yourself.

If you’re a regular anabolic steroid user, you’ve probably grown used to buying quite good quality steroids from underground labs. Most of those products are very usable and often dosed accurately. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same about underground lab HGH.

The expense of manufacturing HGH leads the labs to take shortcuts to ensure their profits. Although this cheaper HGH is very tempting when you’re on a budget, most users will find it much more worthwhile to save money and wait until they can afford genuine pharmaceutical-grade HGH.

Availability of HGH

Because the process of manufacturing pure quality HGH is expensive and complex, there are only a tiny number of manufacturers, and those are the ones selling their pharmaceutical HGH to suppliers. This is the reason why legitimate pharma-grade HGH is so expensive; no doubt it will be the most expensive PED you’ll ever use.

The Chinese generics of HGH will tempt you; after all, they can be considerably cheaper. Few generics will ever be as good as real-pharma HGH regarding dosing and purity (generics are known to be underdosed AND overdosed).

These days, one of the most popular HGH kits is Riptropin, a rebranded generic HGH known to be of high quality. It’s probably as good as you can get with a generic brand. It comes from China, so you’ll need to ensure you get the right product and that it is not counterfeit using this brand name. If you can source legit Riptropin, you’ve found a quality generic and probably saved a few dollars, too.

Is HGH legal?

HGH is only legal to use with a prescription for medical purposes. In the US and many other countries, using, buying, selling, or manufacturing HGH for performance purposes is not legal.

HGH is also banned in the same category as anabolic steroids by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and most other sporting bodies worldwide. Because HGH is a naturally occurring protein in the body, it’s one of the more difficult PEDs to detect in doping tests.

Accurate testing for HGH in athletes is not as straightforward as detecting most anabolic steroids or other PEDs, and urine testing can not be used to detect HGH. Instead, doping tests must be completed using bloodwork. A specific test has been created to detect HGH in athletes, called the Human Growth Hormone (hGH) Biomarkers Test, which focuses on detecting levels of IGF-1 and P-III-NP.

Typical pricing

HGH is not a cheap substance to buy. The cost alone will often rule out HGH for many guys who would love to try it. Cheap generic kits (often called UGL) can cost as little as $100. Anything about $200 is considered expensive for generic HGH kits. There is one exception to this. As I mentioned, Riptropin is a highly regarded rebranded generic, and a 100iu kit (10 x 10iu vials) can be found for $400. Typically, genuine pharma-grade HGH kits can cost anywhere from $600 to $800, sometimes up to $1000 or more.

HGH FAQs

Is HGH a steroid?

HGH is a hormone, but it is not a steroid hormone. The pituitary gland produces HGH and influences bone and muscle growth, among other functions. Although it can promote muscle growth, it does so in different ways than anabolic steroids.

Does HGH start working immediately?

HGH requires patience to see results because it takes many months to see its full benefits. HGH cycles are recommended to be at least three months in duration and often up to six months for maximum benefit.

How much HGH do I need to build muscle?

Your HGH dosage will mostly depend on whether you are using steroids with it and what goals you have. Males will need to take up to 8IU daily to see maximum muscle growth with HGH when using it with steroids. This requires using HGH for several months to maximize its full potential.

Does HGH burn belly fat?

HGH is not considered a fat burner, but its anabolic and metabolic properties can help promote some fat loss as long as you aren’t consuming excess calories. For true belly fat-burning benefits with HGH, it can be stacked with a cutting steroid like Anavar.

How much muscle can you gain with HGH?

Your muscle gains using HGH will heavily depend on which (if any) anabolic steroids you stack it with, as this is the most common strategy. HGH will compound upon the anabolic and muscle-building effects of steroids. Using a powerful bulking steroid with HGH could see you gaining 10-20lbs of muscle in a standard cycle.

Is HGH legal to use?

HGH is not legal to use for performance or bodybuilding purposes or any use outside prescribed medical settings. All off-label prescribing of HGH is illegal in the United States and most other countries.

Can women use HGH?

Yes, one of the big benefits of HGH is that women can use it without the virilization that comes with using anabolic steroids. Women will get similar benefits from HGH to men, but females will usually take a lower dose. They will focus on improving muscle tone, fat loss, and HGH’s anti-aging effects that can improve the appearance of skin and hair.

What can you stack HGH with?

HGH is almost always used in a stack because that’s where it is most useful. Steroid users will often stack HGH with Anavar for cutting and fat loss stacks. For muscle building and strength stacks, Testosterone will be included, as will more potent steroids like Trenbolone. HGH can significantly enhance the effects of anabolic steroids due to its ability to promote tissue growth.

Is HGH good for bulking?

HGH can be combined with just about any anabolic steroid and used for any goal, including bulking. HGH won’t give you huge gains but works synergistically with your steroids to maximize results. It also improves your results and performance by improving recovery, enhancing joint and bone strength, and boosting energy.

Is HGH safer than steroids?

HGH is generally considered less risky than most anabolic steroids, with less chance of severe side effects. This only applies to sensible use of HGH, though, including moderate doses and not using HGH consistently over periods of years – as this is where very serious health impacts can come along. However, the majority of users will find that HGH is safe to use as it’s a hormone naturally produced in both females and males, making it equally suitable and effective for all genders, unlike anabolic steroids, which are mostly very harmful to women.

What are the negative effects of HGH?

HGH, when used appropriately at moderate doses for limited periods, does not come with the severe side effects that we see with most anabolic steroids. Some people will experience negative impacts, mostly joint pain, headaches, and flu-type symptoms. Some people won’t experience any negative effects at all when using HGH. More serious side effects are likely to occur at very high doses or when HGH is used continually for years, and this is to be avoided.

Why is HGH illegal?

HGH is legally used in medicine to treat some conditions relating to growth. Still, when it comes to performance enhancement or bodybuilding, it is not legal to obtain or use without a prescription. In the US, HGH is not listed in the same way that anabolic steroids are, but it’s still banned for use outside medical settings and in competition.

Does HGH affect mood?

Men who use anabolic steroids are often concerned with increased aggression and mood changes as a side effect, but HGH works differently from testosterone. HGH itself can help improve mental well-being and mood when used at sensible doses. Negative mood changes are a potential side effect with higher doses of HGH, as are potential dependency and withdrawal issues, but this is not thought to be common and is rarely even listed as a side effect. It is likely these possible impacts only affect people who use HGH at very high inappropriate doses and should not affect the average user.

How to properly prepare your HGH?

To properly prepare your HGH, reconstitute it with 1cc (1cc = 1ml) of bacteriostatic water. This will give you a concentration of 10iu’s of HGH per ml (1iu HGH/0.1cc). Each 0.1cc on the insulin syringe will contain 1iu of HGH. If you take 2iu/day, each vial lasts five days.

Where do bodybuilders inject HGH?

HGH is a subcutaneous injection rather than an intramuscular injection like anabolic steroids. This makes it easier to inject for most people as you aren’t putting a needle into a hard muscle, which can be painful. Instead, the HGH injection goes just under the skin in part of the body, where you can lift a small roll of fat to inject. The stomach area will be most convenient for most people due to the thinner skin, which is easier to pinch with your fingers so you can safely administer the injection.

Final Thoughts

If you need to push past barriers and feel you’ve reached a brick wall with your progress, HGH can get you past that point and on to experience results that are not otherwise possible solely with steroids. While this makes HGH mostly suitable for more advanced steroid users, with some careful planning, beginners can also take advantage of growth hormone, which has a vast array of positive benefits and is considered generally very safe when used sensibly.

HGH is no longer the domain of the most advanced and hardcore bodybuilders. While it’s correct that you shouldn’t be using HGH unless you’ve been in the game for a while and are looking to take your AAS results to a higher level, HGH, when used correctly, can have benefits measured well outside how much muscle you can gain.

So, is HGH worth it for you?

If you don’t have a few thousand dollars to spend, then probably not. To use HGH primarily for muscle growth purposes, you’ll want a bare minimum of 12 weeks. That’s some serious cash right there. And most of us will want to continue using it beyond that time.

And there’s this:

Your HGH results will be made or broken by the quality you can buy. Again, this comes down to cost and the ability to source LEGITIMATE or top-quality generic HGH kits (of which there are very few). So, if you’ve got the resources and time to do HGH, right? I say go for it. It’s like nothing else we can use. Otherwise, stick with your AAS plan for now, and I’ll bet there’s a lot more you can get out of your steroid cycles while you wait until you’re in a position to do HGH the right way.

— Furious Joe