SARMs are a group of synthetic drugs that interact with hormones in the body in various ways to produce bodybuilding benefits. I’ll say this right here at the beginning of this quick guide though, the power of SARMs is in the stack. If you can put together the best SARMs stack for your specific bodybuilding goals, then you will notice serious benefits very quickly with some hard work and a great diet.
Now I don’t want to bore you to tears here, so I’m going to tell you everything you need to know really quickly. I’ll tell you exactly what SARMs are, how to take them (and the choices you have around capsules, liquid, or injectables).
Plus, I’ll also tell you about the top six best SARMs to use, and how to create potent SARMs stacks for cutting, bulking, fat loss, strength, and a SARMs stack that is really beneficial for females as well, as women tend to have different goals for using SARMs for bodybuilding compared to men.
What Exactly Are SARMs And Are They All The Same?
SARM stands for Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator. That means that they selectively interact the neurological androgen receptors in muscle and bone tissue, rather than more generally and detrimentally as anabolic steroids do, and they modulate those messages to increase the efficiency and results.
But that’s not the whole story with SARMs. Not all SARMs are actually androgenic, meaning they don’t replicate the effects of testosterone in the body.
Cardarine GW-501516, MK-677 Ibutamoren, and YK-11 are not androgenic, they have completely different mechanisms of action. That’s why they are brilliant for stacking with androgenic SARMs because you get great results without overloading the androgen messages in the body, which can lead to it starting to produce less testosterone.
Which Is The Best Form Of SARMs To Take?
When it comes to taking SARMs, you have four choices:
- Injectable SARMs
- SARMs powder in pills/capsules
- Loose/raw SARMs powder
- Sublingual dropper bottle suspended liquid SARMs
Each form of SARMs has its own pros and cons for use during a SARMs cycle
Injectable SARMs are tough to get your hands on, and more risky to use. Sure, they hit the spot more quickly and maybe more efficient, but they are definitely the least attractive option for most people.
SARMs powder in capsules is the brilliant solution because you’re getting an exact dose without having to measure anything. Just pop the number of SARMs pills you need to get the right dose. On the downside, SARMs capsules are twice the price of any other format.
Loose powder SARMs is the cheapest option. However, you have to weigh the powder, and you have to mix it with a liquid that will properly suspend it. This is easier said than done and can be a pain if you are consuming SARMs on the move.
Which leaves us with sublingual dropper liquid SARMs. This is where the powdered SARMs are already dissolved and suspended in a carrier liquid. You simply drop it under your tongue and let it start to soak in, then swallow. You get the whole dose, and it’s really easy to do. On the downside, it can sometimes be difficult to dose small amounts of SARMs using a dropper bottle.
Top Six SARMs For Bodybuilding
There are nine main types of SARMs, but I’m going to focus on the “big six” here for you, because they are the ones that most people use individually for a specific benefit, or stacked together for improved bulking, cutting strength, or all-round maintenance.
- Ostarine MK-2866
Ostarine is the classic original SARM. It’s also the most popular, and it’s also the mildest. Some people claim it’s not androgenic, meaning it won’t replace the role of testosterone leading to a drop in the body’s natural production.
However, that’s not 100% true. Ostarine is mildly androgenic. As with most SARMs though, its the exact mechanism of action is still poorly understood. What it does do is tell the body to maintain muscle mass. In fact, it was originally designed and tested to help old people, and people with muscle-wasting illnesses. This makes Ostarine perfect for cutting fat while maintaining your gains. But it isn’t particularly potent.
A typical Ostarine dosage is in the region of 10-25 mg per day.
Testolone is often billed as the strongest of the SARMs that you can buy, being as close to an anabolic steroid as possible in terms of its androgenic effects on the body. It’s also claimed it doesn’t have any side effects, which is obviously rubbish if it’s highly androgenic in its effects.
You can build significant muscle mass using RAD-140. It can also deliver a boost in strength and stamina, and help with recovery times as well. So for bulking and strength, it’s perfect for many people. But it is androgenic, meaning that your testosterone levels will drop and you’ll require a PCT supplement to use after it.
A typical dose of Testolone is around 5-20 mg per day.
- Ligandrol LGD-4033
Ligandrol is often described as “super Ostarine”. It’s a selective androgen receptor modulator that can protect lean muscle mass, even in a calorie deficit. It’s a strong agonist in both muscle and bone, making it great for not only protecting muscle mass but also for increasing bone density and overall strength. It’s the second most widely used SARM apart from Ostarine because of its flexibility.
But unlike Ostarine you can actually build muscle because it is more androgenic. It, therefore, does deliver some HPTA testosterone suppression at the end of a cycle. In studies, Testolone drops have been up to 50%, but this is unusual. However, you should be aware that you will need a PCT supplement when using it at anything but the lowest dose.
A typical dose of LGD-4033, one of the best SARMs for bodybuilding, is between 2-10 mg.
- Andarine S-4
Andarine is often used for cutting. It shows high levels of affinity with delivering fat loss, as well as preserving muscle and bone mass in a calorie deficit. However, that’s not the whole story, and because it’s androgenic it can also increase muscle mass if you are eating the right diet and really working out hard.
So it’s a very versatile member of the SARMs family, and can be used perfectly in a maintenance stack, where you want to cut fat, maintain muscle, and even develop a little bit. It’s also good for increasing energy and endurance levels, and helping to tone muscle because of its main sensibilities, making it incredibly flexible to use in any phase.
Typically, Andarine is dosed daily in the region of 10-50 mg per day.
- Cardarine GW-501516
Cardarine is one of the most flexible SARMs, even though it’s not actually one at all. In fact, its mechanism of action is completely different and is actually that of a PPAR-Delta modulator. So it’s not actually in the SARMs family at all, but it’s always sold and marketed with SARMs because they are almost always used together.
Its strengths are in creating energy and increasing endurance. It does this by reducing glucose utilization while releasing fat for energy more readily, you will burn fat, and have a significant spike in energy. That’s why Cardarine is known as “energy in a bottle”, and why athletes and sportspeople have regularly been caught using it. It’s perfect for putting into any type of SARMs stack.
A typical dose of Cardarine is in the region of 2-20 mg per day.
- YK-11 (alphanumeric name only)
The last of the top six best SARMs for stacking is YK-11. Like Cardarine, it’s not actually a member of the SARMs family at all. It’s closer to being a new synthetic anabolic steroid that’s milder and has fewer side effects than a true anabolic steroid.
It’s a partial agonist of the androgen receptors, but not in the same way as SARMs. It stimulates the release of follistatin, a key protein that is used in muscle development by the body. There hasn’t been any human testing on this drug though, and the method of action is hypothesized, so it is completely untried scientifically. But it definitely does work and is rapidly becoming one of the best SARMs for bodybuilding that’s widely used.
A typical daily dose of YK-11 for bodybuilding is between 5-10 mg per day.
SARMs Stack For Cutting
The best SARMs stack for cutting will be one that combines at least two SARMs that help to together protect muscle by telling the body to burn fat, even in a calorie deficit where the body would usually start to burn muscle first.
This is the best SARMs stack for cutting:
- 20 mg Ostarine
- 10 mg Cardarine
- 5 mg Ligandrol
- Cycle length is 10 weeks
- PCT supplement required if using Ligandrol
You could cut out the Ligandrol if you want milder muscle protection and fat burning capability. If you want to not only protect your muscle mass but also gain some, then keep the Ligandrol in. However, because of its potency, you could dose it as low as a couple of milligrams per day.
SARMs Stack For Bulking
Next up is the best SARMs stack for bulking. This is where you are focusing on building muscle mass and not worrying about cutting fat at this point. It’s all about bulking up and developing denser and more defined muscle using the following:
- 10 mg Testolone
- 10 mg YK-11
- 5 mg Ligandrol
- 5 mg Cardarine
- 8 week cycle
- PCT supplement definitely required
You will definitely need a PCT supplement because of the strong anabolic effects in Testolone and Ligandrol. Nolvadex will probably be okay, but at the doses prescribed above, you may find that you have to use Clomid, at least at the start of your post cycle recovery.
SARMs Stack For Fat Loss
Cutting is crucial to showing off your gains and the tone you have developed. Cutting phases tend to be shorter than bulking because you don’t want to eat into your gains too much, or stop your continual development.
The best SARMs stack for fat loss will therefore be potent and allow you to lose a significant amount of fat in a single cycle:
- 5 mg Ligandrol
- 15 mg Andarine
- 10 mg Cardarine
- 10 week cycle
- PCT supplement required
If you want something slightly milder, you can swap out the Ligandrol for Ostarine. Dose that at around 20 mg per day instead if you do make that swap. If you use Ostarine instead, then you probably won’t need a PCT supplement at all either, and the milder Nolvadex will certainly be all you will need.
SARMs Stack For Strength
Building strength is something that is great to do before you go into a major bulking phase. That way you have developed the traits you need to push through and hit personal bests, bulking up rapidly and developing tone.
To the best SARMs stack for strength will be allowing you to do that rapidly, using the following SARMs:
- 10 mg Cardarine
- 10 mg Andarine
- 10 mg YK-11
- 8 week SARMs cycle
- PCT supplement not needed
I’ve said that the SARMs stack here won’t need a PCT supplement. However, Andarine is mildly androgenic and can drop T levels in some people, so you may need to run some Nolvadex in certain cases if you spot early signs of T drop.
SARMs Stack For Females
Females are slightly different when it comes to SARMs. Their bodies don’t react in the same way, and they just don’t need the same doses as men do.
The best SARMs stack for females will be slightly different. Also, the goals of women are slightly different as well. It’s usually about developing tone, cutting fat, building strength, and is usually very little about building muscle.
So this is often cited as the best SARMs stack for female bodybuilding goals:
- 5 mg Ostarine every other day
- 2 mg Cardarine daily
- 5 mg Andarine every other day
- 10 week SARMs cycle
- PCT supplement not needed
Put all that together and you will cut fat, build strength, and develop a little muscle tone as well. This can happen if you work hard in just a single 10 week cycle.
Using PCT (Post Cycle Therapy) Treatments With SARMs
When it comes to PCT (post cycle therapy) treatments for using the SARMs, it’s all about whether the SARMs are androgenic, and how your body reacts to that.
In some studies, testosterone levels were seen to drop significantly. Human studies using Ligandrol showed a drop of up to 50% in some fit middle-aged men. But that wasn’t typical.
However, you should look out for the signs of testosterone level drop, especially when using something highly androgenic like Testolone:
- Feeling Lethargic
- Feeling Depressed And Blue
- Not Feeling Sexual
- A Drop In Sperm Volume And Production
- Shrinking Of Testicles
- Potential For Development Of Breast Tissue
It’s that last one which is important. If you allow your T levels to drop for long enough to develop breast tissue, that won’t go away on its own and will require surgery. That’s why is vital that you build in a PCT supplement.
Nolvadex will be fine, and you can shorten your cycle, or cut down the SARMs doses if you start to feel the signs of testosterone drop one cycle. If things are really bad, you can boost your testosterone production far more rapidly and dramatically using Clomid instead, because it’s a far more powerful anti-estrogen medication than Nolvadex.
Can You Believe SARMs Before And After Photos?
I wanted to give you a word of warning here on those SARMs before and after pictures that you will see online.
Most of them aren’t genuine. A lot of them are stock images, and you simply have no idea what the truth is about the claims made.
So if you see someone trying to claim that they are genuine before and after photos, be skeptical. SARMs before and after can be dramatic, but you really need to work hard for yourself to see the real results you will get.
Just be realistic is my advice. You will notice results after a single SARMs cycle. But you’re not going to turn into the Incredible Hulk, or cut 20% of your body fat in a single cycle, it’s going to take two or more cycles to really start seeing results alongside hard work and a superb diet.
Where To Buy The Highest Quality SARMs
So I want to finish this quick guide , by telling you where to buy SARMs that are 100% pure and safe to use.
What follows is three detailed SARMs reviews of the vendors that I’ve found who offer high-quality SARMs with purity guarantees, and a full moneyback guarantee, allowing you to experiment with SARMs with complete peace of mind.
1. Science.Bio
For me, these guys are probably the best USA based SARMs seller out there right now. There are several good reasons for that:
- They test the SARMs for purity and publish the results on the product page
- They have a full moneyback guarantee
- Prices are really good
- They sell SARMs in a liquid sublingual liquid format which is easy to use
Their product range is also one of the largest I’ve seen. Not only do they sell the top six best SARMs for stacking that I’ve outlined in this guide, but they also sell some really rare and new ones like ACP-105.
In terms of pricing, Science is the best value out there for sublingual dropper bottle SARMs.
To give you an example, Cardarine, pure energy in a bottle as far as I’m concerned, retails at just $34.99 for 1000 mg of raw powder, and $44.99 for 600 mg of liquid, dosed at 20 mg/mL.
2. Swiss Chems
Swiss Chems actually confuse a lot of people because they think they are based in Switzerland. They are not, they are actually based in the heart of the USA.
They sell raw powder SARMs that they package up into perfectly dosed capsules. Just like Science, this is imported Chinese SARMs, which may change soon as supplies are drying up due to the ban on export in China.
So what you’re getting from Swiss Chems are high-quality powdered SARMs in easy to dose capsule format. You will pay a little extra for this though, but put together you’re getting the following:
- SARMs that are tested for purity
- Perfectly dosed and convenient SARMs capsules
- Full moneyback guarantee
In terms of pricing, you will pay a significant amount more for the convenience of exactly dosed capsules. As an example, the classic Ostarine costs $113 for 60 capsules, each dosed at a perfect 10 mg.
3. Proven Peptides
Last on my list of SARMs reviews, and when it comes to knowing where to buy SARMs, definitely vendors that should be on your list, are Proven Peptides.
They are based in the USA, and have the following key reasons to buy from them:
- The SARMs they sell are actually made in the USA
- They sell high-quality sublingual SARMs in liquid dropper format
- Prices are still reasonable for the quality you are getting
- Independent third-party lab testing is done on every batch
Although slightly more expensive because you’re buying high-quality SARMs made in the USA, prices are still reasonable for the sublingual SARMs in dropper bottles that they sell.
To give you an idea of the pricing and dosing let’s look at RAD-140 Testolone. A 15 mg dropper bottle, dosed at 15 mg/mL costs $44.99. Not cheapest, but you definitely get really high-quality SARMs that will deliver the best possible results.