Building muscle is hard work and the longer you do it, the more your progress slows down. That leads many guys down the road of taking anabolic steroids, but there’s another option for those who want a safer option to putting on size and shedding bodyfat – Sarms.

In this article, I’ll provide everything you need to know about SARMs in order to make an informed decision on whether or not you should use them for bodybuilding.

TL;DR: Best SARMs for Bodybuilding

• Testolone RAD 140 is the best SARM for adding lean muscle mass.
• Andarine S4 is the best SARM for fat loss and shedding water.
• YK-11 (Myostatin) is the best SARM for building strength.
• Ostarine MK 2866 is the best SARM for beginners.
• Ligandrol LGD-4033 is the best SARM for women.

Comparison of the 5 Best SARMs for Bodybuilding

Best SARMs for Bodybuilding

SARMs were originally developed as a form of treatment for people who suffer from muscle wasting diseases and other ailments. Like steroids, these compounds are effective in building muscle but they do not result in the same severity of side effects.

Due to their anabolic nature, SARMs have exploded in their popularity among the bodybuilding crowd over the last few years.

Best SARM for Bulking – Testolone RAD 140

Testolone RAD 140 is a selective androgen receptor modulator that will pack on lean muscle mass fast. By selectively targeting muscle-building androgen receptors it is able to enhance the effects of your natural testosterone without resulting in the negative side effects associated with steroids.

RAD 140 is able to make muscles denser and more defined without substantially increasing bodyweight. It will also enhance training energy and focus.

At dosages higher than 20mg, some users have noted a slight increase in aggression. [1]

Best SARM for Cutting – Andarine S4

Andarine S4 has quickly established itself as a favorite SARM for cutting due to its ability to suppress Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL), which is a fat-storage protein. At the same time, it will decrease water retention and help to preserve muscle mass.

This is important as you do not want to lose any of your hard-earned muscle when you are on a cutting cycle. After a cycle with S4, your muscles will appear dry and hard.

A side effect of using S4 at higher dosages is the yellowing of vision. [2]

Best SARM for Strength – YK-11

YK-11, also known as Myostatin, is one of the strongest SARMs on the market. In fact, it has a comparable geometric structure and compound activity as anabolic steroids.

This SARM acts by inhibiting myostatin, which is a protein that is genetically released to limit muscle growth to prevent us from getting too big. This characteristic makes YK-11 a very potent muscle builder.

At the same time, it will seriously boost your strength levels. In fact, it is comparable to testosterone in its ability to build both muscle and strength. [3]

Best SARM for Beginners – Ostarine MK 2866

Ostarine MK 2866 is considered to be the mildest SARM on the market. That makes it a good jumping-off point for those who are experimenting or just getting their feet wet with SARMs.

Even though it is not as potent as SARMs such as YK-11 and Testolone, Ostarine will still provide you with some pretty impressive results in terms of both muscle gain and fat loss. Ostarine will also speed up workout recovery.

After an initial cycle of Ostarine alone, many beginner SARMs users move to a stack with Cardarine. On their third cycle, they may then advance to a more potent SARM such as Testolone. [4]

Best SARM for Women – LGD-4033

Ligandrol LGD-4033 is a relatively mild muscle-building SARM that many women have found to be extremely effective without any side effects. As well as building lean muscle tissue, LGD-4033 will also strengthen women’s bones and provide extra focus and energy while working out. [6]

Types of SARMs

SARMs are available in tablet, liquid, and powder form. They are not designed to be injected and should never be administered in this way.

These are strictly orally administered chemicals.

SARMs Tablet

SARMs tablets should not be taken sublingually (under the tongue). A number of SARMs tablets produce a slight burn effect initially.

Taking it sublingually may cause burning on the base of your tongue. Do not take SARMs transdermally, or through the skin.

Tablet form SARMs are the most convenient form of taking these chemicals. On top of that, tablets or pills have no taste.

In contrast, liquid SARMs are pretty disgusting in the taste department. A downside to tablet form SARMs is that you cannot customize your dosage.

SARMs Powder

SARMs are available in powder form, often being cheaper than liquid and capsule form. However, using powdered SARMs is quite a bit messier than the other two forms as you will have to measure out each dosage.

The best way to do this is to get hold of gel capsules and a milligram scale, along with a micro scoop.

Before beginning a cycle, you should prepare the number of gel capsules you will need in the right dosages so that you are ready to rock.

SARMs Liquid

SARMs are available in liquid form, with many people believing that this form is preferable because it gets into your system faster. There is some evidence to back this up, but the difference is not very much.

You are likely to find SARMs in liquid form than any other. The reason for this is that you are able to precisely measure out your dosage.

If you want to take 25 mg, you can easily suck that amount up into the measurer that comes with your purchase. But what are you going to do when you only have 10 mg tablets and you want 25 mg?

Cutting a pill or tablet in half can get quite messy!

Another reason that the majority of SARMs are produced in liquid form is that they can only be sold as research chemicals. Providing the product in tablet or pill form may suggest that it is intended for human consumption.

Understandably, manufacturers are more likely to produce it in liquid form in order to avoid the possibility of prosecution from the FDA.

Mechanism of Action

SARMs are selective androgen receptor modulators which means that they are able to seek out specific androgen receptors to attach to. This is the opposite of anabolic steroids, which go all over the body.

This key difference is why SARMs are much safer than steroids. When they bind to your androgen receptors, SARMs stimulate the body to create more testosterone.

Rather than relying on an exogenous source of synthetic testosterone, SARMs encourage the body to produce more testosterone naturally. As a result, there is very little suppression of testosterone during a typical SARMs cycle.

SARMs vs Prohormones

When anabolic steroids were made illegal back in 1990, there was a rush to find a legal alternative that would provide comparable results without landing you in prison. This led to the release of prohormones, which were touted to be the next big thing when it came to chemical enhancements in the never-ending quest to get big, strong, and ripped.

Now, of course, we have SARMs. So, how do they stack up against one another?

Prohormones are chemical substances that undertake enzymatic changes when they enter the body that converts to anabolic hormones in the body. They are technically known as hormone precursors.

The increasing levels of such anabolic hormones as testosterone and human growth hormone leads to increased muscle and strength gains.

Prohormones are more likely to produce unwanted side effects than SARMs. These may include acne, headaches, dizziness, water retention, and reduced libido.

The two most popular and original prohormones, Epistane and Superdrol, were banned in 2014. The new generation of prohormones is not as potent as what the originals were.

SARMs are generally safer and more potent than prohormones.

SARMs vs Steroids

Because of the selective nature of their androgen receptor activity, SARMs are a lot safer than anabolic steroids. The shotgun approach of steroids sees them attaching to organs of the body that produce some seriously unwanted side effects.

Steroids also majorly impact the body’s ability to naturally produce testosterone.

SARMs for Bulking

The best SARM for bulking right now appears to be Testolone RAD 140. In fact, a 12 week cycle of RAD 140 may give similar mass gain results as a mild dose of testosterone enanthate.

If you really want to max out your results, stack 5 mg of RAD 140 with 10 mg of MK 677 daily over the course of 8 weeks. You should follow this cycle with a 3 week PCT of Clomid. [5]

SARMs for Cutting

Andarine S4 has proven to be an effective SARM to cycle in order to get cut. As well as inhibiting key fat storage proteins, it also removes water from between the skin and the muscle to help get you peeled.

Stacking Andarine with Cardarine and Ostarine is possibly the best stack out there for getting ripped to the bone.

We suggest taking the following dosages of each compound over the course of 8 weeks for best results:

• Andarine – 30 mg per day, split into four equally spaced doses
• Cardarine – 20 mg per day, 30 minutes before working out
• Ostarine – 25 mg per day

SARMs for Strength

The best SARM for gaining strength is YK-11 (Myostatin). We recommend running an eight-week cycle of 20 mg of YK-11 each day followed by four weeks of PCT with 20 mg of Clomid.

You should start your first week of PCT during the last week of your YK-11 cycle.

SARMs for Women

The three best SARMs for women include:

• Ligandrol LGD-4033 – Best for gaining muscle
• Ostarine MK-2866 – Best for beginners
• Cardarine GW -501516 – Best for fat loss

SARMs Cycle

SARMs cycles typically last between 8 and 12 weeks. On your first cycle, go with 8 weeks, progressively increasing them over a period of two or three cycles to 10 and then 12 weeks.

SARMs Side Effects

Due to the selective nature of their androgen receptor modulation, SARMs do not result in major side effects in comparison to anabolic steroids. However, there have been some side effects noted with the use of specific SARMs.

When you take Andarine S4, for example, many people experience yellowing of their vision after a daily dosage of around 50 mg. Examples of mild side effects that some people experience include headaches, irritability, and stomach upset.

SARMs PCT

Even though selective androgen receptor modulators are much milder than steroids, some of them do still have quite a suppression effect on the body’s natural production of testosterone. Running a post cycle therapy allows you to get your natural levels back on track and it also helps stave off the effects of testosterone suppression like low virility, lethargy and heightened anger.

The most suppressive SARMs are:

• S-23
• Ligandrol
• RAD 140

The best PCT agents for SARMs are Clomid and Nolvadex. Your PCT cycle should last for between 3 and 4 weeks.

SARMs Forum

There are a number of SARMs forums online where buyers and users can share their knowledge, opinions, and advice. The biggest and most popular SARMS forum is isarms.

It features a steroids and SARMs information forum, a SARMs expert podcast, an underground source talk, and a SARMs buyer review forum.

Where to Buy SARMs (Bodybuilding)

You can buy SARMs for bodybuilding purposes from a large number of online retailers. However, many of them are questionable as regards quality.

Since the SARMs market is unregulated, there are no quality checks or guarantees on the products you are buying. That is why we recommend only dealing with the most reputable online retailers.

We recommend is Science.bio as the top retailer for SARMs. This American company has been selling SARMs since 2013 and has excellent customer feedback.

Take-Home Message

SARMs have brought an exciting new aspect to bodybuilding supplementation as they provide anabolic benefits that are similar to steroids without the negative side effects. In short, SARMs can help to fast track you on the road to getting big, strong and ripped.

However, they’re not a magic bullet and you will still need to train intensely and diet diligently. Combine those two elements with the right SARMs and your bodybuilding results will take off!