Human Growth Hormone: Everything You Need to Know About HGH

Human growth hormone can turn back your body’s internal clock, helping you rapidly build muscle, slash fat, and increase libido, all while sending energy levels through the roof, but when it comes to discussions on HGH, there are often more questions than answers.

The body naturally produces growth hormone in the pituitary gland, and, as its name implies, it is responsible for cell growth and regeneration. Increasing muscle mass and bone density are impossible without HGH, but it also plays a major role in maintaining the health of all human tissue, including that of the brain and other vital organs. When secreted, HGH remains active in the bloodstream for only a few minutes, but this is enough time for the liver to convert it into growth factors, the most crucial of which is insulin-like growth factor-1, or IGF-1, which boasts a host of anabolic properties. Scientists began to harvest HGH from the pituitary glands of cadavers in the 1950s, but didn’t synthesize the first HGH in laboratories until 1981, with its use as a performance-enhancing drug becoming popular shortly thereafter. Healthy adult men typically have just less than 5 nanograms per milliliter circulating in the blood. Healthy females can produce about twice that amount for child-bearing purposes. Levels for both sexes peak during puberty and drop sharply starting in the early 20s.

Remember when creatine was billed by the mainstream media as potentially dangerous? Now it’s the most heavily researched supplement in the world, and studies bear out the fact that it’s one of the safest and most effective supplements you can take. Medical professionals say that the dangers surrounding HGH are similarly overblown. “Complications [with HGH use] are very minimal,” says Eric Braverman, M.D., who specializes in anti-aging at Path Medical Center in New York City. “Some people experience fluid retention, and a blood sugar rise, but even these are very rare un- less you take a lot. Only a few people ever come in with big feet or big livers—from mega-doses—and they weren’t my patients. It’s very rare.”

Aside from HGH’s crucial role in building muscle mass, not all of its benefits are necessarily evident to the naked eye. HGH has been shown to slow the progression of age-related degenerative diseases, as well as increase sex drive, help maintain mental acuity, and engender a general sense of well-being. The flip side of the coin - low HGH - can result in the exact opposite: muscle loss, fat gain, low sex drive and energy levels, and a poor sense of well-being.

Two major factors that contribute to increased HGH levels are ones you can control without drugs: weight training and proper sleep. The more you exercise, the more HGH you release naturally. A recent study observed significant increases in circulating HGH and IGF-1 after intense resistance exercise in a group of trained men, but found no significant diferences in untrained men who performed the same workout. HGH is also secreted while you sleep, and studies have shown a spike in HGH levels at the onset of deep sleep, so getting the recommended seven to nine hours per night is essential to maintaining HGH. Diet is the third major factor in keeping HGH levels topped of.

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) and Post Cycle Therapy (PCT)

Ideally, HCG should not be used at all in PCT. For steroid cycles, HCG really should only be used in PCT if a mistake has been made which needs a correction.
When it’s used in PCT, the purpose is to correct testicular non-responsiveness or atrophy which has developed during a cycle. The longer the cycle, the more likely there will be a problem, and the worse the problem is likely to be.

When non-responsiveness occurs, then even after LH production is recovered the testes still do not produce testosterone in good amounts, and overall recovery is quite delayed. Losses from this steroid side effect can be severe.

A total HCG use of 5000-10,000 IU over a period of about 4-8 weeks can restore responsiveness.

It’s a poor and unnecessary plan to allow the testes to atrophy by starting HCG after the steroid cycle ends. It’s better to avoid atrophy and non-responsiveness from occurring in the first place. Further, HCG use during post-cycle therapy can impair recovery of LH production. So it’s not at all the ideal time to use it.


Instead, HCG should be used in the middle or late part of the cycle, and no later than the last steroid injection of the cycle.

The period of HCG use will typically be about 4 weeks. In an 8-12 week cycle, the 4 weeks (approximately) of use would be immediately prior to the last steroid injection. In a 14 week cycle, the about 4-week period should be in the late-middle part of the cycle. Examples would be using HCG in weeks 6-9, in weeks 9-12, or anywhere in-between.

The dosing is divided into at least 3 times per week. For example, 275 IU 3x/week provides 5000 IU over four weeks. But dosing could be daily, every other day, or 4x/week, as examples. There is little or no practical difference in results among these different schedules. It’s a matter of personal preference. The total amount taken per week doesn’t need to be any exact figure. For example it also would be fine to take 500 IU three times per week or to take 200 IU daily. Taking more than 1250 IU per week result in a 5000 IU vial lasting less than four weeks. For example, at 500 IU 3x/week, a vial lasts just over 3 weeks. This is acceptably close to 4 weeks, and ordinarily with this schedule a single vial still suffices. Much higher dosing than this gives no further results per week, and gives less results per vial.

When HCG is used according to this method, the side effects of testicular atrophy and loss of responsiveness are avoided, and recovery is complete as soon as LH production is restored. There’s then no need for PCT use of HCG, and recovery is faster as a result.

It’s worth mentioning also that in some cases, it will be better to use HCG throughout the steroid cycle rather than using it for only a 4 week period. One case is where the cycle uses only non-aromatizable steroids, such as Masteron, Primobolan, trenbolone, Anadrol, or oxandrolone. Estradiol levels drop undesirably low during non-aromatizing cycles, because testosterone levels drop very low and estradiol is produced principally from testosterone. By maintaining normal testosterone levels, HCG used throughout the cycle will also maintain sufficient estradiol levels.

Another case where it can be desirable to use HCG throughout the period of steroid use is where the user is not cycling at all, but using steroids chronically with no break.

The importance of leg workouts

One of the most neglected areas in terms of bodybuilding training is the legs. Why? The answer varies from person to person, but as many bodybuilders have said, “I find leg exercises to be a chore, and I skip leg day more often than not. I prefer focusing on my upper body anyway.” Many people probably feel that the legs are less important than the upper body because they are usually not as easily seen or noticeable.

However, in terms of bodybuilding, a symmetrical physique from head to toe is optimal. Scrawny legs are not a great look with a built upper body! Additionally, the legs should be worked out consistently for overall strength and general health. Here are some vital tips on bodybuilding training for your legs.

The calves are one of the primary areas in the legs. They are also probably the most noticeable leg area. The calf muscles can be trained with a variety of exercises. One of our favorite calf exercises is known as the standing calf raise. To do a rep, stand on a block with the front parts of your feet. Make sure that you are positioned properly under the weight bar and lower your heels a few inches. Next, steadily raise your heels back up. If done correctly, this exercise is extremely effective. A few other effective bodybuilding training exercises consist of the seated calf raise, leg press calf raise, dumbbell jump squat, and box jump.

The upper leg is another main area that should be focused on. Like the calf muscles, the upper leg muscles can be trained with many different exercises. Our favorite upper leg exercise is probably one that you are already familiar with, the squat. It is highly effective if properly performed. Some other effective bodybuilding training exercises that are recommended are the lunge, leg extension, and leg curl.

Certain cardio exercises also effectively train the leg muscles. For instance, biking up a hill or with resistance is one cardio exercise that we would recommend. Another example that we would suggest is using an elliptical machine with resistance. The key is to make sure that the cardio involves some resistance against your leg muscles.

To get the best results for your legs from bodybuilding training, you should perform some type of appropriate cardio and a combination of some of the exercises mentioned. Additionally, you should keep a proper diet and use anabolic steroids that promote the muscle buildup in the legs. Your duration, amount of weight, sets, and reps depend on if you are just beginning, or at an intermediate or advanced level. As a beginner, remember not to over train the muscles in your legs. Just like other muscles, they need the right amount of recovery time in order to develop!

The legs are often neglected in bodybuilding training for a variety of reasons. However, they should be trained for overall symmetry and proper health function.

Metribolone by HardCoreLabs - potent androgen like tren

In the world of professional sports including bodybuilding, Metribolone is considered to be one of the most potent anabolic steroids ever produced.

Metribolone, which is also known as Methyltrienolone, is commonly referred to as “Oral Tren” due to its resemblance to structure of Trenbolone. This potent and non-aromatizable androgen is highly effective even at low doses. It is believed by many that several athletes made use of this drug during the late 1990s and even cleared the doping tests successfully, suggesting its efficacy.

One will be surprised to note that Metribolone is stronger (milligram for milligram) than any active steroid sold in today’s commercial market and brings dramatic benefits even at low doses of 0.5-1.0 mg per day. However, Metribolone should not be used for a period exceeding four weeks at a stretch.

Metribolone is used by bodybuilders before the start of a competition. Since it does not lead to estrogen conversion and works best even at low doses (with no side effects), it is admired by one and all. The strong anabolic/androgenic actions of Metribolone have been utilized by medical practitioners, over the years, to inhibit the local effects of endogenous estrogens for regressing tumor growth in incidents of advanced breast cancer.

Use of low-grade Metribolone or Metribolone abuse can lead to possible progesterone related side effects. It can also lead to side effects such as gynecomastia, fluid retention, acne, oily skin, and development of breasts in men.

For steroid users making use of Metribolone, antiestrogens such as Clomid and Nolvadex are highly recommended for restoring the natural production of testosterone after end of a steroid cycle.