Some SARMs are great for bulking, while others clearly aren’t. For many people, it’s a RAD-140 MK-677 stack that works best to build significant lean muscle mass. But there’s a lot of misconception out there about what MK-677 exactly does.
What I have put together here is a complete guide to using MK-677. We will cover everything you need to know right here. We will talk about exactly how it works in the body, and what results in MK-677 produces. People get confused about whether it’s a bulking or cutting SARM, so I’ll explain exactly why that is.
We will cover using MK-677 for bodybuilding generally as well. Dosage, powder or capsule decision, cycling, stacking, and side effects. All that, plus a discussion on when the best time to take 677 is, as well as where you can actually still find MK-677 for sale as SARMs supplies become less certain.
What Is MK-677 & Is It A SARM?
At the very heart of the misunderstanding around what MK-677 (Ibutamoren) is, and how it works, is the fact that most people class it as a SARM. SARMs are Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators. They literally do what they say. They selectively modulate androgen receptors, primarily in bone and muscle tissue while avoiding other areas such as the prostate.
They work by mimicking testosterone. So the body receives more signals in muscle and bone tissue from this mimic’s testosterone and therefore develops increased anabolic results in muscle and bone tissue.
On the downside, it means that because the body is under the impression it has an excess, it starts to lower its own testosterone production. That’s why androgenic SARMs lead to testosterone drop towards the end of a cycle.
Here’s the thing though, MK-677 isn’t a SARM at all. It doesn’t work in the body in the same way at all.
So although it’s classed in the same way, this is purely for marketing. It’s not androgenic and doesn’t have the same side effects.
But that’s great news. Because it means you can get the benefits of its effects without stacking up worse and worse androgenic side effects (testosterone drop).
How MK-677 Ibutamoren Works
Now you know that it’s not a SARM, let’s explain to you how MK-677 works in the body to produce the effects it does. For me, because it’s not anabolic in its side effects, and because of the muscle growth and other effects it produces, is one of the most exciting bodybuilding research chemicals around right now.
MK-677 is actually a growth hormone secretagogue, classed as a selective, non-peptide agonist of the ghrelin receptors. This means its effects are produced from binding to GHSR receptors in the body.
It works by mimicking a hormone called ghrelin. This increased activation of the GHSR receptors leads to a change in several key areas. These include appetite, memory, cognition, body rhythm, mood, and muscle growth.
Part of this interaction can stimulate significant muscle growth. This interaction raises levels of human growth hormone (HGH). This elevation then also lifts levels of another crucial muscle-building hormone called IGF-1.
Put all that together, and we have the following significant and potent bodybuilding potential:
- HGH is made in the pituitary gland. It’s moved around the body to muscle tissue when needed to stimulate repair and growth. It also helps with bone strength and density as well.
- HGH isn’t released steadily. It spikes during sleep and after exercise. This means that using MK-677 to elevate this spike will significantly help your body at crucial times during a bulking cycle.
- Elevated levels of HGH also stimulate better use of protein in higher volumes. It therefore indirectly helps to modulate the protein needed to build strong muscle tissue.
- The elevation of HGH levels also leads to an increase in the production of IGF-1. This is another hormone that is crucial to strength and muscle mass gains. It works by mediating the muscle-building effects of HGH.
- Elevated levels of ghrelin also lead to an increase in mood and appetite. It was found in many studies that when people get depressed, an elevation in this hormone kicks in. When it elevates it produces better mood and appetite, as well as helps to build strength. So it feels like ghrelin is a bit of a body and mind protection system.
As you can see, there are some pretty fundamental things going on when you elevate levels of ghrelin, either in reality all through the artificial messages convincing the body that’s the case when you take MK-677.
In fact, getting more specific to bodybuilding, these are the benefits you could expect:
- Significant increase in lean muscle mass size and ability to grow rapidly
- Denser and stronger muscle growth
- Can protect muscle mass during calorie deficit
- Produces higher energy output levels
- Can regulate and improve your sleep
- Improves your appetite
- Boosts your mood
I just want to quickly touch on the point about improving your appetite. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing, depending on what your goals are.
Let me tell you, within a day of starting an MK-677 bodybuilding course, you will notice your appetite increases dramatically.
Unless you have a great diet that takes advantage of this to bulk, and you counter the calorie intake withstand shall and constant gym routine to build muscle and strength, then you will start to keep excess calories as fat.
But for bulking, it’s superb. Because as long as you’ve got what you are eating under control (no rubbish), you will fuel your body incredibly.
Is It Best To use MK-677 Capsules Or Liquid?
SARMs have always been available in several formats, and it can be difficult to work out which one is best for you. However, this situation has simplified a lot recently due to the lack of SARMs supply. Injectables and loose powder are almost unobtainable now.
This leaves you with a choice between using MK-677 capsules or sublingual liquid format. Even if you could get loose powder, I wouldn’t advise it. Although it’s cheap, it’s a real pain to deal with. It’s difficult to dose correctly, and it doesn’t taste great.
So let’s look at the sublingual dropper bottle format first. Affordable, widely available, and pretty easy to take. However, it can be tough to get the dosing right, and the liquids out there don’t taste great either.
For me, capsules are the best overall format. They can be slightly more expensive than liquid, but the dose is precise, you don’t have to weigh anything, and there’s no dealing with loose powder or foul-tasting liquid.
Dosing Guide: Best Time To Take MK-677
When it comes to discussing an appropriate MK-677 dosage guide with you, it all has to be anecdotal. That’s because no SARMs have ever been through proper human trials for any purpose. We are reliant on MK-677 bodybuilding use for anecdotal evidence of the dosage range that produces the best results.
The general consensus and I agree with this from personal use, is a daily maximum of 20 mg.
At the low end, if you are a beginner, or you are stacking it, then 10 mg is the advisable dose instead. Although I have seen people discuss using it at doses as high as 30 mg, I’ve never seen anything to suggest that such a high dose produces better results than 20 mg.
In terms of the best time to take MK-677, again, that’s going to be anecdotal. It appears to have a half-life of around six hours. So you could dose it once per day in the morning, which means it will be in the body after your daily workout, but not at night.
Me, I personally work out in the afternoon. So I take it one hour before I hit the gym. That means it’s available post-workout for muscle development, and through the night when I sleep.
If you have to work out in the morning, and you are concerned, then you could split the dose 50-50. Take half one hour before you work out, and the other half a couple of hours before you sleep.
MK-677 Bodybuilding Cycle Length
Now we have talked about the dosage range, let’s talk about the cycle length you should be using as well.
MK-677 is potent. You won’t need a high dose, and you don’t want a long cycle. This is especially true if it’s your first cycle. On average, I’d suggest a typical beginner’s cycle is eight weeks. Pushed to 10 weeks by most people, and occasionally to 12 weeks, but I wouldn’t advocate that length of the cycle.
So overall, a cycle length of 10 weeks would be typical, but your first cycle on its own, and especially if you are stacking it the first time, I would stick with eight weeks.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s not anabolic. Sure, it won’t deplete your testosterone levels, but it is messing around with several key groups of hormones and needs to be treated with respect.
RAD-140 + MK-677: The Best Bulking Stack
MK-677 is used for bulking. Some people say you can lose weight using it because it up to your energy levels. But that ignores the fact it also increases your appetite. MK-677 is therefore perfect to underpin an anabolic SARM to get significant muscle growth, due not only is the SARMs, but also the increase in appetite and energy.
For me, a RAD-140 & MK-677 stack is perfect here. This is the one that I’ve used for several cycles over the past three years:
- 10 mg RAD-140 daily
- 10 mg MK-677 daily
- 5 mg GW-501516 daily
- Eight-week cycle (ten-week experience)
- Eight week gap between cycles
- PCT supplement will be needed (Nolvadex)
The RAD-140 delivers significant strength gains and muscle gains. Underpinning that is the MK-677 elevating strength and positivity, and also levels of the essential hormones HGH and IGF-1 for improved muscle growth.
You’ll also get a significant desire to eat. That can be great for your bulking cycle, but not if it’s unregulated in terms of the quality of the food, or your energy levels aren’t high enough.
That’s why I always use the insurance policy of GW-501516 Cardarine to underpin a bulking stack. “Energy in a bottle”, it will make sure that you are really ready to hit the gym hard, and will be up for burning calories with cardio on the days you are not hitting the gym.
Overall it’s an incredibly potent bulking stack. By the end of a cycle, you will see significant, pronounced, and defined muscle growth.
Your strength levels will increase dramatically over that time, and so will your endurance. You’ll feel great, and always be ready to do more.
So What MK-677 Results Are Realistic?
Look, I want to inject realism into this review of MK-677, so you don’t get the wrong idea.
SARMs are not anabolic steroids. But if you work really hard and back it up with superb nutrition, then a potent stack, especially after a few cycles, will definitely produce incredible results. You can’t expect miracles. You can’t just do the minimum and get results.
However, working out as hard as you can, three or four times per week, backed up by cardio and superb diet, then after your first RAD-140 + MK-677 stack you could feel like this:
- Significant invisible increase in lean muscle mass
- Results far above what you can achieve naturally
- Noticeable increase in strength and endurance
- Better mood and balance
- Significantly increased appetite
- Better sleep patterns
- Faster recovery times
Plus, and this is significant and overlooked, MK-677 is not androgenic. If you use it on its own you won’t need a PCT supplement and you won’t suffer a testosterone drop.
When stacked, it means you can use it with a potent anabolic SARM like RAD-140, S-23, or LGD-4033 and not suffer the overwhelming effects you would get by stacking two of those together.
MK-677 Side Effects (Including MK-677 Cancer Claims)
The main side effect that you will notice almost immediately is the increase in appetite. I’m classing that as a side effect as well as a bonus, because unless you are ready to manage that then you will put on weight. Although you want to bulk up, you don’t want to end your bulking cycle with tons of excess fat. You don’t want that soft and larger look; you want it defined and sculpted.
Now obviously you will cut after this to get to the end result, but you don’t want to make that harder. Therefore, be aware that your diet will have to be superb and controlled.
So be aware of people saying that you can cut fat using MK-677. Yes, you can on the tight control diet because it helps to regulate energy production. But this can more than be offset by the appetite increase if you are not prepared.
I also want to just mention the MK-677 cancer rumors you may read about online.
There is absolutely no evidence that using MK-677 can cause cancer. Let’s be clear though, there is a difference between causing cancer and accelerating it.
MK-677 increases levels of HGH and IGF-1. Studies have found in some individuals elevated levels of these two hormones can increase the rate at which a tumor can grow.
So if you are unlucky, and you have pre-existing cancerous cells then MK-677 use could accelerate their growth.
Finding MK-677 For Sale
Let’s finish up here by telling you where you can actually find MK-677 for sale. Let me tell you, it’s getting tougher to do. There are multiple problems that are getting worse. First, the Chinese banned the manufacturer and export of SARMs nearly 18 months ago now. So any stock is illegally exported or is coming from other countries.
Then, you’ve got the obvious problem with the pandemic. Global shipping charges have gone sky-high, and factories have closed, or turned themselves over to other industries. On top of all that, you’ve now got the problems in Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia actually have quite a large grey market pharmaceutical industries. That’s why most nootropics are now tough to get, not just SARMs.
Thankfully for me, and you, one reliable source I’ve used for years is still selling high-quality SARMs and PCT supplements.
Swiss Chems are right now selling MK-677 capsules at a really good price. For just $69.95, you can get 60 capsules, each dosing 10 mg. That’s the perfect beginner’s dose in an easy-to-use format.
UPDATE: CHEMYO Are Offering High Quality SARMs Right Now
With so many SARMs companies going under right now, due to the global conditions for manufacturing them, exporting them, and the legality around them in the USA, I’m so glad that Chemyo are not only still going, but seem to have good supplies again.
The quality of the SARMs they sell is high, with purity reports available to view. I’ve used these guys so many times over the years that, got a bit concerned last year because stocks dried up, but thankfully my latest order arrived quickly and has worked a charm.
In terms of MK-677, Chemyo offer an incredible product. High purity, and dosed at 25 mg/mL. A full 50 mL dropper bottle, your pages $70. In the current climate, I’m telling you that’s an incredibly low price.
For RAD-140, you’ll be paying $70 as well. Dosing 10 mg/mL, that’s a great deal for a 50 mL large dropper bottle. They offer 11 different types of SARMs right now. You just have to be aware that some of the research chemicals are very similar to existing ones, but may have slightly different names.
For example, GW0742 is a PPAR Delta modifier, in exactly the same way as Cardarine is. So if they haven’t got Cardarine, then this will do instead. If you can just quickly research the differences, and switch out the different ones, you’ll get the same effects even though they aren’t the “classic SARMs” that everyone has known for years.
But generally, they sell all the main types of SARMs, with good availability and prices, free shipping over $100 in the USA, and I’m telling you the purity is back and is better than pretty much anything else out there right now in terms of liquid.
SARMs Alternative: CrazyBulk Legal SARMs Alternatives
If you can’t get the SARMs, or you don’t want to use them right now, then there are few alternatives. But hell, you don’t want to go back to natural bodybuilding if you have been using anything. If you are natural bodybuilding and are considering SARMs, but can’t get them, then Crazybulk is definitely a fantastic gateway to getting some of the effects without having to go down the road.
They are legal SARMs alternatives that are named are constructed in a similar way. Not as potent, but you will get a similar set of effects.
Overall, the positives of using these alternatives are:
- Completely legal to use
- Offer significant benefits over natural bodybuilding
- Will increase endurance, recovery, muscle growth, and fat burning
- Rapid free global shipping and a moneyback guarantee
The cons of these legal SARMs alternatives are:
- Not as potent as SARMs, even if stacked
- Aren’t much cheaper than SARMs
TESTO140 is their RAD-140/150 all-natural alternative, that produces a significant energy output, can increase testosterone and improves muscle growth.
IBUTA677 is there alternative to Ibutamoren MK-677. It’s a lean growth enhancer, that changes metabolism, and improves recovery times. It costs just $69.99, which is a great deal right now.