41 yr old recent experience with RAD140 - Update 1

Sven42

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Hi,

I just wanted to give an update on my experience with my first PED cycle of RAD140 and the testosterone suppression + PCT (3 weeks in and feeling great).

Background:
  • 25 years natural bodybuilding (obviously not after this)
  • Height - 5' 7”
  • Weight pre-RAD140 - 77kg (lean around 10-12% BF)
  • Weight end of RAD140 cycle - 79.5kg (leaner than 10-12% BF)
  • Weight 3 weeks into PCT - 80kg (maintained BF percentage)
Cycle:
  • Week 1 - 5mg RAD140 / 10mg MK677
  • Weeks 2-9 10mg RAD140 / 20mg MK677
(+ on cycle liver support)


PCT:
  • Nolvadex 20 / 20 / 10 / 10
  • Cardarine 10mg ED
  • MK677 25mg ED
(+ liver support + Ashwagandha; Tongkat Ali; DAA; Tribulus; Boron; ZMA; D3)


Side effects:

I've had no real side effects, except a slight upsurge in libido.


Blood work:
  • I did blood work in March but not pre-cycle, which was my mistake as I’d been through a really stressful 6 weeks, death of a parent etc prior to starting the cycle in October.
  • March test levels were 735.
  • I took blood work again immediately finishing my cycle and testosterone was at 223.
  • Ill do blood work again immediately finishing PCT, and 2 - 4 weeks later a full comprehensive blood work once levels start to normalise.
  • Libido has been great throughout (cycle + PCT), no interruptions, a slight drop the first 10 days of PCT but after that back to normal).
  • I dont intend to do comprehensive blood work until 2-4 weeks post PCT as it will not impact my recovery strategy up until that point.
Nutrition:
  • 6 meals a day.
  • Everything is weighed.
  • Im a higher carb (basmati rice, rolled oats, vitargo), low fat, higher protein type guy.
  • Nutritions on-point, its like my contest diet just more food added.
What would i do differently next time (if I do another cycle):

Apart from the pre-cycle blood work, I felt that I plateaued after week 6. I think a better strategy would be 6 weeks at 5 / 10 / 15 of RAD140, increasing every 2 weeks. From what I understand the suppression really kicks in after that 6 week point.

Ive also attached a pic of my current physique.
 

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theswede

theswede

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You should change your handle to “ripped AF”
 

Sven42

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You should change your handle to “ripped AF”
Haha thanks dude - even when doing natural shows, being lean was 'my genetic thing', building heaps of muscle isn't. I also believe maintaining a good quality higher carb diet throughout the year is essential for good insulin sensitivity and keeping a leaner look!
 
theswede

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Haha thanks dude - even when doing natural shows, being lean was 'my genetic thing', building heaps of muscle isn't. I also believe maintaining a good quality higher carb diet throughout the year is essential for good insulin sensitivity and keeping a leaner look!
Definitely man! Very interested in this as RAD seems pretty cool, especially combo’d with MK677.
 
theswede

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Haha thanks dude - even when doing natural shows, being lean was 'my genetic thing', building heaps of muscle isn't. I also believe maintaining a good quality higher carb diet throughout the year is essential for good insulin sensitivity and keeping a leaner look!
What are you macro percentages @Sven42?
 

Sven42

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What are you macro percentages @Sven42?
Probably looking around 15% fats, 50% carbs, 35% protein. If im looking to add a bit of quality I'll throw in say an extra 50grams of rice per day and analyse changes and vice versa if I think im gaining where i shouldnt, ill drop 50grams and see what happens. Protein and fat intake usually remain the same its more carb manipulation.
 
theswede

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Probably looking around 15% fats, 50% carbs, 35% protein. If im looking to add a bit of quality I'll throw in say an extra 50grams of rice per day and analyse changes and vice versa if I think im gaining where i shouldnt, ill drop 50grams and see what happens. Protein and fat intake usually remain the same its more carb manipulation.
Thanks man! I ask because I’ve been doing keto for two weeks and I’m pretty much over it! I’m flat as **** and just don’t feel well. Thinking oh heading the opposite direction and doing more what you’re doing, way less fat, way more clean carbs.
 

Sven42

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Thanks man! I ask because I’ve been doing keto for two weeks and I’m pretty much over it! I’m flat as **** and just don’t feel well. Thinking oh heading the opposite direction and doing more what you’re doing, way less fat, way more clean carbs.
In my experience, low carb diets are sub-optimal for natural lifters especially and enhanced - At the end of the day, carbs are your bodies most efficient energy source, utilising ketosis and the lipolysis process will always be suboptimal. People go keto and then wonder why when they take carbs they get fat (probably got something to do with tanking their insulin sensitivity). I think if you need to cut out a whole food source your body is not functioning as it was designed to and diets like the keto diet have no real longevity for bodybuilders, only working for a short phase e.g. pre-contest; and only then, primarily for enhanced lifters who are able to maintain performance and muscle mass.
 

Sven42

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Who’s RAD did you use?
War Torn Labz - This was the most accessible product to me at the time and came with good reviews from other users that I know well. I'm not endorsing them or saying they're the best, just answering your question :) Im sure others with more experience of SARMS could put forward other suppliers with a better reputation! For me, they did what you expect RAD140 to do (good strength gains, dry muscle gains, good vascularity, good pumps, decent recovery, good libido) and no significantly negative sides - except suppression of course - or issues with the product.
 
KvanH

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Nice review. Will follow for upcoming blood test results.
 
KvanH

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Thanks man! I ask because I’ve been doing keto for two weeks and I’m pretty much over it! I’m flat as **** and just don’t feel well. Thinking oh heading the opposite direction and doing more what you’re doing, way less fat, way more clean carbs.
I remember there being said to be a transition time where you will feel bad, but should start to feel better at some point and there on out. Can't remember the span of the time, but I would expect it to be a week at max so you should be over it at this point. But if you 'break" the ketosis the transition time expands. Might be completely broscience, but that's the kind of talks I remember. I personally hated keto diet, but it's a long time ago when I tried it and I might of very well do things wrong all together.
 
Pleonastic

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You certainly are ripped shredded. Just for clarification this was without a test base right? So rad140 only? I'm almost same age as you and trained about 20 years now. Props for you ok the results and still looking great at your age.

I've tried sarms but mixed then with steroids before so it's hard to tell what I got out of it. Hard for us gear users to accept that sarms can be very effective too. But I'd say your proof of that.
 
Pleonastic

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Haha thanks dude - even when doing natural shows, being lean was 'my genetic thing', building heaps of muscle isn't. I also believe maintaining a good quality higher carb diet throughout the year is essential for good insulin sensitivity and keeping a leaner look!
Usually good insulin sensitivity is linked to people eating lower carbs. At least I think I'm right. Not saying what you do isn't working it obviously is but yea just saying. High carbs causes your body to release more insulin to break down the sugars. Then over time you "get used" to the insulin and become less sensitive to it. So basically the opposite of what your saying. Unless I'm mixing it up....
 

Sven42

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Usually good insulin sensitivity is linked to people eating lower carbs. At least I think I'm right. Not saying what you do isn't working it obviously is but yea just saying. High carbs causes your body to release more insulin to break down the sugars. Then over time you "get used" to the insulin and become less sensitive to it. So basically the opposite of what your saying. Unless I'm mixing it up....
So this is why a carb is not a carb, ingestion timing of the correct simple carbs is important (peri-workout) and higher unhealthy fat diets (and therefore usually associated with refined sugars) cause insulin resistance. The types of carbs that cause insulin resistance are refined sugars, higher glycemic, fructose for example and consumed at the wrong times and in large quantities. People wrongly associate insulin insensitivity with high carb diets which to be honest is just broad-brushing, people not taking the time to master correct carbohydrate utilisation is the primary issue. Allowing your body to adapt to higher carb ingestion is a key factor in muscle building potential and maintaining a lean physique, as insulin is such an important muscle building hormone, with carbs playing an essential energy role - This is why i said 'quality high carb diet'; thats not an excuse for me to eat garbage, that's when you become insulin insensitive. One of my biggest issues with low carb diets is that people switch to these because they eat the wrong carbs, in the wrong amounts at the wrong times and wonder why they become insulin insensitive and dont have the physique they wish to attain. I like the headline on this study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5794245/ - FOR HIGH-INTENSITY PERFORMANCE, CARBOHYDRATES ARE STILL KING

I've also witnessed time and again people coming off keto type diets unable to adequately process carbs, and getting fatter in the process with poor insulin sensitivity. For me, any diet that cuts out an entire macronutrient is not enabling your body to perform optimally. This is another interesting study, devoid of all the fad nonsense we have to wade through on the net: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2903931/
 
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Sven42

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You certainly are ripped shredded. Just for clarification this was without a test base right? So rad140 only? I'm almost same age as you and trained about 20 years now. Props for you ok the results and still looking great at your age.

I've tried sarms but mixed then with steroids before so it's hard to tell what I got out of it. Hard for us gear users to accept that sarms can be very effective too. But I'd say your proof of that.
I've never used test as yet and want to avoid it as long as possible as I feel that at this age, once I get on that merry-go-round I will not get off (for me at least). I think it's more risk reward; I naively didn't expect the testosterone suppression I got and am keen to see how at 41 I bounce back. Is that amount of suppression worth it for me, at this juncture until hormones start to normalise I don't know! But I know I'm at or was close to my genetic limit and realise that after so long, if I want to train for gains then I need to add something to the pot - I don't believe in training to maintain, that for me is a recipe for reversibility and it's all downhill rapidly from there :)
 
Pleonastic

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So this is why a carb is not a carb, ingestion timing of the correct simple carbs is important (peri-workout) and higher unhealthy fat diets (and therefore usually associated with refined sugars) cause insulin resistance. The types of carbs that cause insulin resistance are refined sugars, higher glycemic, fructose for example and consumed at the wrong times and in large quantities. People wrongly associate insulin insensitivity with high carb diets which to be honest is just broad-brushing, people not taking the time to master correct carbohydrate utilisation is the primary issue. Allowing your body to adapt to higher carb ingestion is a key factor in muscle building potential and maintaining a lean physique, as insulin is such an important muscle building hormone, with carbs playing an essential energy role - This is why i said 'quality high carb diet'; thats not an excuse for me to eat garbage, that's when you become insulin insensitive. One of my biggest issues with low carb diets is that people switch to these because they eat the wrong carbs, in the wrong amounts at the wrong times and wonder why they become insulin insensitive and dont have the physique they wish to attain. I like the headline on this study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5794245/ - FOR HIGH-INTENSITY PERFORMANCE, CARBOHYDRATES ARE STILL KING

I've also witnessed time and again people coming off keto type diets unable to adequately process carbs, and getting fatter in the process with poor insulin sensitivity. For me, any diet that cuts out an entire macronutrient is not enabling your body to perform optimally. This is another interesting study, devoid of all the fad nonsense we have to wade through on the net: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2903931/
I'm not an advocate for keto. Nor do I believe low carb is good at building muscle. I was just saying specifically when it comes to insulin sensitivity, low carb dieters should be better than high carb ones.
 
Pleonastic

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I've never used test as yet and want to avoid it as long as possible as I feel that at this age, once I get on that merry-go-round I will not get off (for me at least). I think it's more risk reward; I naively didn't expect the testosterone suppression I got and am keen to see how at 41 I bounce back. Is that amount of suppression worth it for me, at this juncture until hormones start to normalise I don't know! But I know I'm at or was close to my genetic limit and realise that after so long, if I want to train for gains then I need to add something to the pot - I don't believe in training to maintain, that for me is a recipe for reversibility and it's all downhill rapidly from there :)
Yea sarms can be just like using real gear in many ways. Best of luck to you.
 

Sven42

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I'm not an advocate for keto. Nor do I believe low carb is good at building muscle. I was just saying specifically when it comes to insulin sensitivity, low carb dieters should be better than high carb ones.
For me the issue here is that several factors impact insulin sensitivity not just the carbohydrate-insulin chemical response, but excess body fat, excess calories, reduced physical activity, carbohydrate type etc. If carbohydrates are associated with improved energy expenditure and improved body composition through muscle building potential, and based on experience with myself and others, a better ability to perform and hold muscle when dieting (at least for naturals), higher carb diets are critical to maintaining insulin sensitivity. If you can optimally process a high number of the right carbohydrates, your insulin sensitivity is on the ball. Low carb dieters - especially when talking bodybuilding - are not necessarily more insulin sensitive as they're obviously unable to optimally process carbohydrates, they're just attempting to address one part of the puzzle and forgetting the others. I say this as no one who wants to give themselves the best opportunity to be in shape, imo, would go low carb.
 

Sven42

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I've just received my post PCT testosterone results, taken the next day following cessation of Nolvadex (20/20/10/10). Testosterone is up to 977.5. I'll wait another 4-6 weeks for everything to start to normalise before doing full blood-work.

I'll be maintaining Cardarine at 10mg per day, 2 weeks past PCT (total of 6 weeks).
I'll be maintaining MK677 at 25mg per day, 4 weeks past PCT (total of 17 weeks)

Current bodyweight 80kg. Maintaining muscle gains, strength and body fat percentage.
 
theswede

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I've just received my post PCT testosterone results, taken the next day following cessation of Nolvadex (20/20/10/10). Testosterone is up to 977.5. I'll wait another 4-6 weeks for everything to start to normalise before doing full blood-work.

I'll be maintaining Cardarine at 10mg per day, 2 weeks past PCT (total of 6 weeks).
I'll be maintaining MK677 at 25mg per day, 4 weeks past PCT (total of 17 weeks)

Current bodyweight 80kg. Maintaining muscle gains, strength and body fat percentage.
Awesome progress report brother! Thank you for doing this the correct way and thank you for sharing your results with us!
 

Sven42

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Awesome progress report brother! Thank you for doing this the correct way and thank you for sharing your results with us!
Thank you for the positive feedback :) Hopefully the complete blood panel in a few weeks mirrors the decent progress thus far!
 

Sven42

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No issues sleeping while on Rad?
No, I'd take a single dose in the morning. That said, I would never nap in the day, so I can imagine taking it at night may have a negative impact on the quality of some people's sleep.
 

Andocando

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I've just received my post PCT testosterone results, taken the next day following cessation of Nolvadex (20/20/10/10). Testosterone is up to 977.5. I'll wait another 4-6 weeks for everything to start to normalise before doing full blood-work.

I'll be maintaining Cardarine at 10mg per day, 2 weeks past PCT (total of 6 weeks).
I'll be maintaining MK677 at 25mg per day, 4 weeks past PCT (total of 17 weeks)

Current bodyweight 80kg. Maintaining muscle gains, strength and body fat percentage.
Great write up/work! You’re physique speaks for itself!! How has everything been since you’ve had some time for your body to adjust back to normalcy again? Gains wise? Libido wise? Did you get in to check your levels again?
 

Sven42

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Great write up/work! You’re physique speaks for itself!! How has everything been since you’ve had some time for your body to adjust back to normalcy again? Gains wise? Libido wise? Did you get in to check your levels again?
Thank you.

I pushed the calories (primarily carbs) up whilst on GW and post PCT, maintaining a decent body-fat percentage and getting my weight up to 81kg. I've recently started to pull the calories back slightly and should be hitting a really lean 79kg target.

As such, I feel the majority of gains have stuck really well, and noticeable on a previously natural physique.

I've conducted annual medical checks including kidney and liver functions which are sound. I didn't conduct a follow-up testosterone check as my libido has been great and I feel awesome and energetic. If it is that my libido was down in terms of numbers, I think it would potentially create a mental issue, where no issue currently exists. That said if I choose to run anything else in the future, I will get full pre-cycle bloods performed.

Analysing everything and taking into account the RAD140 suppression, I think most guys would be better-off running something like anavar (starting with lower doses,15/20mgs) a proven drug, with possibly a test base, although I'd be keen to understand whether an MK677 base would facilitate gains retention.
 

Drolball

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Good s*** bro. Got any before photos? Seriously considering a 6 week 10mg rad cycle after my cut now.
 

Sven42

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Good s*** bro. Got any before photos? Seriously considering a 6 week 10mg rad cycle after my cut now.
Hi,

Sorry I dont have any before photos although I can show my current shape now everything's cleared my system, bear in mind I'm never really out of shape, even at 74kg I looked heavier.

The discussion I did have with someone was about how guys should use the likes of RAD to add the muscle they cant gain naturally, not necessarily to get into shape. I dont believe SARMS should be used as many do, to circumvent holes in their nutrition or training, but to enhance those factors once on point (the exception being dieting for a show of course)

Here I'm sitting around 79.5kg (good lighting and good pump on for sure 😂):
7b7249d1-f01c-4e6b-b59a-d31725be0674.jpg
 
JKVol

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Op is lower than 10-12% Bf IMO. 9-10% if I was guessing off the picture. Looks good though.
 

Sven42

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Op is lower than 10-12% Bf IMO. 9-10% if I was guessing off the picture. Looks good though.
Thank you...

I agree, this is me now - Less body fat and more muscle than pre-RAD. I'd say it did what I wanted, offering additional, sustainable muscle gain.
 
AndroRage

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Thank you...

I agree, this is me now - Less body fat and more muscle than pre-RAD. I'd say it did what I wanted, offering additional, sustainable muscle gain.
Are you in the EU? Which brand of Rad did you use?
 

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