After a bulking phase the next step is to reduce body fat percentage so that the lean muscle mass shows though. SARMs are very effective at fat burning.
Which is the best SARM for cutting, burning excess body fat and preserving leaving muscle mass? The short answer is Cardarine GW501516.
If you wanted the ultimate fat loss benefit after bulking you would be well advised to combine SARMs to form a cutting stack.
This article reviews the best cutting SARMs and justifies each with clinical data and up to date research.
Best SARMS for Cutting – Snapshot
Here are the most effective legal SARMS to get a ripped physique and cut body fat percentage after a bulking phase.
- Cardarine GW501516 – best SARM for cutting and fat loss
- Stenabolic SR9009 – endurance and increase stamina
- Ligandrol LGD-4033 – muscle gain and avoid fatigue and recovery
- Ibutamoren MK 677 – increase HGH and muscle tissue
The 4 cutting SARMs above can be combined into a SARM Cutting stack – this stack contains every you will need for the ripped look while keeping your lean muscle growth. Combining the SARMs is highly effective for building lean muscle mass while reducing body fat. It can also help stamina, strength and recovery times.
The 4 brands above are also safe to use and do not present risks of side effects.
An Overview of Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMS)
SARMs (selective androgen receptor modulators) are experimental drugs that can boost muscle growth, increase performance and fat loss, and provide other benefits athletes crave.
Like steroids, SARMs are especially popular with bodybuilders. Their popularity is partly due to the widespread belief that SARMs work like steroids and are much safer to use.
Steroids bind with the androgen receptors all over the body. Because they are “selective,” SARMs only bind with the androgen receptors in muscle and bone tissue.
Both options can improve bone strength and enhance muscle growth. They can also offer additional benefits, such as better physical performance.
Steroids and SARMs also share the ability to cause less desirable reactions in the body. However, because the effects of steroids are more far-reaching (all the androgen receptors instead of two), they are the more dangerous option.
SARMS for Cutting and Shredding
As with steroids, some SARMs are better for bulking, while others work best for cutting. This article provides information about the best SARMs for cutting.
Before moving on, let’s get something clear. Although we acknowledge the value of SARMs, we do not endorse their use. There are safer routes to take. Although it’s easy to consider “less risk” as being more acceptable, it’s not as acceptable as no risk at all.
None of the SARMs has passed from the development stage or been tested on humans. The true value and dangers are still very much unknown. Using SARMs for anything other than research purposes is illegal.
Competing athletes also need to be aware testing positive for SARMs invariably results in competition bans. However, the brands detailed in this article are completely legal to buy and use and won’t result in a competition ban if you compete professionally.
Best SARMS for Cutting to Burn Fat for That Ripped Look
The primary aim of bulking is to improve and build muscle mass. Cutting is the process that ditches the excess fat so that you can better show off your gains.
The following four SARMs are the ones that work best for cutting. However, every silver lining has a cloud so, instead of just providing the pros, we are also going to provide the cons.
“What is the best SARM for cutting that bodybuilders use to shred body fat? The short answer is Cardarine GW501516 – but is it best used in a cutting stack to get maximum benefit.”
1. Cardarine GW501516 – Cutting and Fat Burning
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Cardarine is a performance-enhancing drug that is often mistaken for a SARM. It’s a key component of all the best SARMs cutting stacks and for intents and purposes it is classed as a “SARM” nowadays.
Like true SARMs, Cardarine is often referred to by its development code/official compound number (GW501516). It is also known as Endurabol, a name that hints at its prowess as an endurance-enhancing drug.
Bearing in mind the miss classification, it seems a little odd to put Cardarine at the top of a list of the best SARMs for cutting. However, so many people believe it’s a SARM. I think we can be forgiven for bending the rules.
It’s also worth noting that, when it comes to burning fat, none of the true SARMs can quite match its ability.
In addition to being one of the best “SARMs” for fat loss, Cardarine is also one of the top performance-enhancing drugs.
However, GW501516 was not originally developed as a fat burner or a performance booster. Its creators hoped it may become a viable treatment for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.
New drugs are initially tested on animals and, more often than not, on rodents. In the case of GW501516, it was mice.
Data from early studies revealed the drug was capable of significantly enhancing performance. The data also showed the drug was causing the mice to burn fat at an accelerated rate.
As is generally the case, it was not long before these revelations escaped the confines of the lab and reached the ears of bodybuilders and other athletes. Even though Cardarine was still only in the development stage, many athletes began obtaining the drug illegally and using it as a training aid.
Cardarine Positives and Negatives
Cardarine is a PPAR receptor agonist. Among other things, drugs belonging to this class influence blood sugar and insulin. This one can deliver significant enhancements in the ability to train.
When you train harder, you burn more calories and fat. Needless to say, this is a very favorable scenario when you are cutting.
The drug also appears to enhance fat burning in additional ways. Equally important, it helps you to burn fat without losing muscle. Again, this is exactly what athletes want when they are trying to become ripped and lean.
A negative is that it is not available in some countries.
We have placed Cardarine at the top of this list based on its abilities as a cutting aid.
The most effective legal brand is C-Dine 501516.
2. Stenabolic SR9009 – Endurance and Stamina
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Stenabolic takes the #2 spot on our list of best cutting SARMs. Its ability to help deliver a firm and shredded physique may not be quite as good as that of Cardarine but it’s slightly better than the other two SARMs on our list.
However, history is repeating itself here because, like Cardarine, although Stenabolic SR9009 is often mistaken for a SARM and is a common cutting stack inclusion, it does not belong in the SARM drug category.
Stenabolic is a Rev-ErbA ligand agonist. It does not bind with androgen receptors – none of them at all. It binds with a protein called Rev-ErbA, enhancing its capabilities.
This protein is present in the liver, fat, and skeletal muscles. When Stenabolic binds with Rev-ErbA, it boosts endurance and stamina by increasing mitochondria count.
Mitochondria are membrane-bound cell organelles that generate most of the chemical energy within the cells. [1]
By improving energy metabolism at the cellular level, Stenabolic can deliver impressive improvements to your training capability. Additionally, the improved mitochondria activity inside the muscles also enhances fat loss.
What’s more, athletes with experience using Stenabolic state the drug makes it possible to burn considerably more fat without the need to overly focus on diet.
Stenabolic was created by Thomas Burris at the Scripps Research Institute. However, as with true SARMs, this performance-enhancing drug is still in the development stage and may never be approved for human use.
Regardless of the potential dangers, many athletes obtain Stenabolic and use it as both a performance booster and cutting SARM.
Stenabolic Pros and Cons
Stenabolic has an advantage over anabolic steroids because it does not suppress testosterone. That means there is no requirement to follow a Stenabolic cycle with a post-cycle therapy (PCT).
However, some athletes stack Stenabolic with drugs that do cause testosterone suppression so the need for a PCT will still be there.
Because Stenabolic has never been tested on humans, there is no record of the kind of side effects the drug may present. However, people using Stenabolic sometimes say insomnia is one of the less desirable results.
Lack of sleep can retard muscle growth and increase the risk of injury while training, so this Stenabolic side effect could be more damaging than it appears. [2]
Although some athletes report additional side effects, Stenabolic appears to be safer than most SARMs.
3. Ligandrol LGD-4033 – Increases Pumps Reduces Fatigue
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Ligandrol (LGD-4033) takes third place on our list of best cutting SARMs and, in this case, its credentials are good. Also known as Anabolicum, Ligandrol 4033 is a real SARM and it’s very popular. Although using it is both illegal and dangerous, Ligandorl is a key addition to many SARMs cutting and bulking stacks.
Ligandrol has a reputation for being one of the best SARMs for boosting muscle growth so it’s no surprise that it is such a popular bulking option.
However, due to its ability to protect existing muscle mass while burning fat, it is also an excellent option while cutting.
Ligandrol also has a reputation for delivering good pumps and reducing fatigue while training.
Due to its outstanding ability to bind with bone tissue androgen receptors, Ligandrol is very good for improving bone strength. For this reason, it’s often seen as one of the best SARMs for women; especially menopausal ones.
Menopause is one of the main causes of osteoporosis in women, so it’s easy to understand the potential value of this popular cutting SARM.
However, regardless of its virtues as a SARM for supporting improvements in physique, training, and bone health, Ligandrol remains an experimental drug. There are risks and the true negative potential of the drug remains unknown.
Ligandrol Benefits and Dangers
Like all anabolic steroids and SARMs, Ligandrol enhances protein synthesis. It also accelerates post-training muscle recovery.
Although it has lesser capabilities than Cardarine and Stenabolic, Ligandrol can bring much value to any good SARM cutting stack.
Some athletes with experience using this SARM rate its abilities highly and report good results. Although it’s difficult to understand why this may be, Ligandrol is reputed to be particularly good at improving leg strength.
Many men using this SARM also report higher libido and improvements in sexual function. That’s hardly surprising. After all, once it hits your system, Ligandrol acts like testosterone.
We presume you already know testosterone is both the male sex hormone and a steroid. If not, you do now.
As far as side effects go, some of the most common issues appear to be dry mouth, headaches, and muscle pain. Unfortunately, there are concerns that Ligandrol may also have the potential to cause liver damage, heart attacks, and strokes.
Because Ligandrol takes over the role of testosterone, it suppresses the body’s ability to produce it. That means it would be very foolish to cease using Ligandrol without the support of a good PCT.
Doing so could result in rapid losses of muscle mass, fat gain, fatigue, poor concentration, and many other problems associated with low testosterone. [3]
4. Ibutamoren MK 677 – Increases HGH and Muscle Tissue
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Would you be surprised if we were to tell you Ibutamoren is not a SARM? If so, get ready for a shock because it’s not. It’s a totally different type of performance-enhancing drug that is commonly associated with SARMs and is a key component of many SARMs cutting stacks.
Yep! Most of the best SARMs for cutting aren’t SARMs but they do work well alongside them.
Although Ibutamoren doesn’t behave like a SARM in the body, it does influence the production of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). It also boosts human growth hormone (HGH).
IGF-1 and HGH are important hormones that play key roles in tissue replenishment and repair.
HGH is also associated with youth. Boosting its production is common practice among people who are trying to improve their physiques or look and feel younger.
IGF-1 is also a powerful anabolic hormone. Like SARMs, it influences muscle growth and bone strength.
As you can imagine, even small increases in IGF-1 can support rapid improvements in body composition. However, the hormone has another ability that makes Ibutamoren one of the best SARM cutting stack additions.
IGF-1 influences ghrelin levels in the body. Ghrelin is a hunger hormone.
By increasing IGF-1, Ibutamoren causes a fall in ghrelin that suppresses hunger. That’s a very useful knock-on effect.
During cutting cycles, athletes have to follow diet plans that provide sufficient protein and are nutrient-rich while also being low in calories.
As with any form of fat loss diet, following an effective cutting diet can be hungry work. By reducing hunger in the way that it does, Ibutamoren can make losing fat a lot less unpleasant.
Ibutamoren Benefits and Dangers
Reports from athletes who include Ibutamoren in their SARMs cutting stacks suggest its hunger-reducing effect is considerable. So, if hunger is one of the main things that hold you back while cutting, Ibutamoren is one of the best drugs to include in your cutting stack.
Some users also claim Ibutamoren helps them to sleep better. We have already mentioned how important sleep is to muscle repair and growth, so this is a highly desirable benefit too. [2]
The body produces most of its HGH during sleep so, if the reports about Ibutamoren are true, it will offer added value.
The good news is Ibutamoren is generally considered one of the milder SARMs stack options as far as side effects go. Again though, we need to point out the abilities of this drug (good and bad) are inadequately researched.
Why Use SARMs for Cutting Body Fat
Although SARMs are especially popular with bodybuilders, many other athletes use them too.
SARMs are valued for all the same reasons anabolic steroids are. Due to their reputation for being a safer option, in the future, SARMs may even become more popular than steroids.
All the popular cutting SARMs have a reputation for delivering rapid fat loss without loss of muscle mass. This is highly desirable because any attempt to burn fat without the help of appropriate drugs or supplements can cause some degree of muscle loss.
Bodybuilders invest a lot of time, energy, and money, during their muscle building and bulking efforts. Nobody relishes the idea of sweating blood in the gym only to lose some of their gains when they ditch their excess fat. The best cutting SARMs can prevent this, so it’s easy to see the attraction.
Some SARMs also improve training capability and may even provide the enjoyment of a better pump.
When you can train harder you can gain harder. In fact, like steroids, SARMs and their natural alternatives can offer untold benefits to hard gainers who struggle to make progress.
It’s not just bodybuilders who favor the use of SARMs for fat loss and a reduction in fat cells. Many fighters choose to go this route too and for all of the same reasons.
One of the biggest differences is bodybuilders are more concerned with the way they look. Fighters often have to shed fat fast to meet specific weight targets.
However, regardless of the sport (Sumo excepted), it’s nearly always advantageous to have a lean and ripped physique.
Take rowing for an example. It’s not just about the strength of the rowers. If any of them is bringing any excess baggage to the boat, it’s going to hold the team back.
Best Cutting SARMS for Women
While women can use the same SARMs as men, there are a few that are better suited for women due to their lower risk of side effects.
One of the most popular cutting SARMs for women is Cardarine (GW501516), which is known for its ability to help burn fat and improve athletic performance.
Ostarine (MK 2866) is another popular option, which is known for its ability to help preserve lean muscle mass.
Andarine S-4 is also a popular choice amongst women, as it is known for its ability to help burn fat without affecting muscle mass.
So essentially the same SARMs that work for men to lose fat and not hinder muscle building will work equally well for a woman.
Best Cutting SARMs FAQs
What are the numbers after a SARMs name?
Lots of people are curious about the relevance of the code that sometimes appears alongside the name of SARMs. In some cases, it’s not just numbers; there may be letters as well.
These codes are assigned during the early development stage. This type of assignment is common to all drugs.
The ways drugs are identified can change many times.
New drugs are often initially known by a project tag, such as “David’s analog #1.”
Later, they are given an identifying compound number. It’s this number that you often see alongside SARMs and similar performance-enhancing drugs such as Cardarine (GW501516).
In most cases, the code is a letter-number combination based on the identity of the company and the new experimental drug.
Are SARMs Legal to Buy?
Yes and no. If you are a chemist or scientist conducting research, it is legal to buy most SARMs and use them for investigative purposes.
However, if you are a bodybuilder or athlete hoping to improve performance or body composition, using SARMs is illegal. Using SARMs is also a quick route to competition bans.
Do you need to do a PCT after taking SARMs?
That depends on the SARM you use. Some SARMs cause little or no testosterone suppression, so a PCT is not necessary. Others do suppress testosterone, necessitating the need for a PCT.
When you are using a SARMs cutting stack, the dangers of testosterone suppression are greater, so it may be best to do a PCT.
There are also arguments for running SARMs alongside selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). Doing so is a good way to make sure your testosterone and sperm production stays on track.
Can you stack SARMs?
Yes. As with steroids, stacking SARMs is common practice. However, it is debatable which combinations are likely to work best – or prove to be the most dangerous. Let’s not forget that we are talking about experimental drugs. There are a lot of unknowns.
Can you stack SARMs with Steroids?
Yes. As with any other form of stacking, using two or more compounds together has the potential to increase the benefits for muscle gain and increased fat burning.
Nevertheless, plenty of people do it. For instance, it’s not uncommon to stack the Cardarine SARM with the Trenbolone steroid.
How much muscle can I gain with SARMs?
There are no hard and fast rules because the gains you make will not be solely due to your chosen SARM(s). The quality of your diet will influence your gains. So will your training regimen.
If you are stacking SARMs, the choices you make will come into it too. However, it would not be unreasonable to expect gains of up to 11 lbs (5 kg) of muscle during a 6-week cycle.
How much fat can I burn with SARMs?
Again, other factors will influence this, especially your diet. However, if your diet is right you will be burning fat already. When you bring one or more SARMs to the party, you will burn a lot more.
Do I need to use cutting SARMs in cycles?
Yes. As with similar drugs, SARMs take a lot out of your body. It’s generally best to run SARMs in cycles of no more than six weeks.
Running longer cycles will put greater strain on your androgen receptors. Apart from being unhealthy, this will also make the SARMs less effective. Many athletes use cycles of six weeks on followed by two weeks off.
Are SARMs addictive?
No. Neither are steroids. At least, not in a conventional way. However, research suggests the extra strength, energy, and confidence drugs like these provide may initiate dependency. [4]
Can SARMS burn fat and Preserve muscle mass?
Yes, using a stack of Cardarine, Ligandrol and Ibutamoren is the best way to shred fat while maintaining muscle mass.
Reference Sources
- Mitochondria: https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Mitochondria
- How Does Sleep Help Recovery From Exercise-Induced Muscle Injuries?: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34074604/
- Low Testosterone (Male Hypogonadism): https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15603-low-testosterone-male-hypogonadism
- Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Dependence: An Emerging Disorder: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19922565/
Best Cutting SARMS Summary and Conclusion
So you want to lose body fat and keep the muscle mass that you have worked hard to achieve. A cutting SARM is what is required. SARMS are safer than anabolic steroids and work just as well.
Cardarine is the SARM most effective for fat loss. Simply losing fat is not enough, you will need to keep your muscle mass and you will need to keep your strength and endurance up to spec. Stenabolic SR9009 and Ligandrol LGD-4033 are the two selective androgen receptor modulators to use here.
Next you will need to add human growth hormone into the equation – Ibutamoren MK 677 is the best SARM for HGH.
Ideally you will combine the 4 compounds to form a SARM cutting stack – each working in synergy to allow you build muscle, burn stubborn body fat and keep your strength and stamina up.