Short answer: the eight LGD-4033 (ligandrol) before and after reports below are unverified accounts of 8–10 week cycles on 5–12.5 mg a day, including one reader who saw little change; the muscle figures the original article gave were guesses from photos. LGD-4033 is one of the few SARMs with human trials: in healthy young men, just 1 mg a day for 21 days added 1.21 kg (2.7 lb) of lean mass vs placebo, but did not change strength significantly, and it lowered testosterone, SHBG and HDL cholesterol (Basaria 2013). The user doses are 5–12 times higher than anything tested.
Below: what the trials show, how to read user reports, and the reports themselves (readers’ and the original author’s), framed as what each person said, not as measured results.
Ligandrol Summary
LGD-4033 (ligandrol, VK5211) is a nonsteroidal SARM. Two placebo-controlled trials have been published, both at low doses:
| Trial | Dose and length | Lean mass | Other findings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76 healthy men aged 21–50 (Basaria 2013) | 0.1–1 mg/day, 21 days | +1.21 kg at 1 mg | Strength, stair-climb power and fat mass not significantly changed; testosterone, SHBG, HDL and triglycerides down with dose; back to baseline by day 56 |
| 108 adults 65+ after hip fracture (NCT02578095) | 0.5–2 mg/day, 12 weeks | +4.75% to +9.08% vs placebo | Serious adverse events similar across groups |
The old version of this page said ligandrol has a 500:1 anabolic-to-androgenic ratio and that people tolerated up to 22 mg a day in studies. We found no source for either: the highest published dose is 2 mg a day. Full details: LGD-4033 fact sheet.
What the studies show: realistic LGD-4033 timelines
| Time point | What was measured | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1–21 | Half-life 24–36 h; blood levels build to almost 3× the first-day level | Basaria 2013 |
| Day 21 | Lean mass +1.21 kg at 1 mg/day; testosterone, SHBG, HDL lower; strength not significantly changed | Basaria 2013 |
| Week 12 | Lean mass +4.75–9.08% vs placebo at 0.5–2 mg/day in older adults | VK5211 Phase 2 |
| Day 56 | Hormones back to baseline, 5 weeks after the 21-day course | Basaria 2013 |
| Dose studied | Who took part | Duration | What the study found | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1, 0.3 or 1.0 mg/day | Healthy men aged 21–50 (n=76) | 21 days (followed 5 more weeks) | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Lean body mass rose with dose, by 1.21 kg on 1.0 mg. Fat mass, leg-press strength and stair-climbing power did not change significantly vs placebo. Total testosterone, SHBG, HDL and triglycerides fell with dose; FSH and free testosterone fell on 1.0 mg. Hormones returned to baseline by day 56. | PubMed 2013 |
| 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 mg/day (as VK5211) | Adults aged 65 and over, 3–7 weeks after a hip fracture (n=108) | 12 weeks | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2, multicenter Lean mass (whole body minus head, by DXA) rose 4.75%, 7.15% and 9.08% more than placebo on the three doses. Serious adverse events: 4 of 28 on placebo, 2 of 29, 3 of 26 and 5 of 25 on the three doses. | clinicaltrials.gov 2017 |
Sources: the studies linked in the table.
- The trial gains are real but small: about 2.7 lb in three weeks at 1 mg. The original version of this page put larger numbers on the 8-week reports below (5–12.5 mg a day), but those were guesses from photos and have been removed; a photo also cannot separate muscle from water.
- Suppression grew with dose in the trial, from 0.1 to 1 mg. Several readers below describe lethargy and low libido at the end of a cycle, which fits that pattern.
- Water retention: several readers, and the author, say part of the gain was water, especially with MK-677.
- Liver: cholestatic liver injury has been reported in men using ligandrol products (Barbara 2020).
LGD-4033 Before and After Results (User Reports)
Editor’s note: these eight reports come from the original version of this article. They are unverified individual reports: who sent them, what was in the bottle, the doses and the results could not be checked, and the original photos are no longer available. The muscle and body-fat figures the original author estimated from the photos have been removed. The cycles are what each person said they took, not recommendations, and the outcomes are not typical or expected results.
Every person below also trained and ate for the goal, and three used other compounds, so no change can be credited to ligandrol alone. Readers can send their own reports through the contact page.
Ligandrol Results #1
This reader reported going from skinny to leaner and more muscular, mostly in the arms, shoulders and chest. The muscle figure in the original article was a guess from photos and has been removed.
Reported use: LGD-4033 alone for 8 weeks, no PCT, as the person described it; not a recommendation. Not verified.
Afterwards he reported lethargy, low mood, low energy and low libido. That fits the trial, where testosterone fell more with each dose step; 10 mg is ten times the highest dose tested in healthy men. See LGD-4033 PCT for what is known about recovery.
Ligandrol Results #2
This reader reported more size, especially shoulder width, and a large strength increase with new personal records through the cycle. He said he first felt the effect at about week two.
Reported use: LGD-4033 alone for 8 weeks, then tamoxifen (Nolvadex) for 4 weeks, as the person described it; not a recommendation. Not verified.
He reported symptoms he put down to low testosterone from about week six and said he felt back to normal within a month after stopping; no bloodwork was reported.
Ligandrol Results #3 (+ MK-677)
This reader reported a large gain in size during a bulk. Even the original article judged that a good part of it was water, which users commonly report with MK-677 and ligandrol together.
Reported use: LGD-4033 with MK-677 for 8 weeks, then MK-677 alone for 4 more weeks, as the person described it; not a recommendation. Not verified.
MK-677 does not restore testosterone: a man on 10 mg LGD-4033 plus 15 mg MK-677 for 5 weeks had total testosterone down 62% (Cardaci 2022). See MK-677 as PCT.
LGD 4033 Results #4
This reader had already lifted for some years and reported the most change in his back, chest and arms.
Reported use: LGD-4033 alone for 8 weeks at the highest dose of the eight, then tamoxifen (Nolvadex) for 4 weeks, as the person described it; not a recommendation. Not verified.
See Nolvadex PCT for what studies show about tamoxifen.
LGD 4033 Results #5 (+ Cardarine)
This reader reported a gain in weight and some fat loss. With cardarine in the stack, ligandrol cannot be credited for either, and the original weight figure was a guess from photos, now removed.
Reported use: LGD-4033 with cardarine for 8 weeks, no PCT, as the person described it; not a recommendation. Not verified.
He reported some suppression and water retention. Note that 5 mg a day is five times the dose that already lowered testosterone in the trial.
LGD 4033 Results #6
This reader reported changes in the neck, arms and abs.
Reported use: LGD-4033 alone for 10 weeks, then tamoxifen (Nolvadex) for 4 weeks, as the person described it; not a recommendation. Not verified.
He ran 10 weeks, longer than the 21-day trial in healthy men, and described the last two to three weeks of the cycle as unpleasant.
Ligandrol Results #7
This reader reported little change over the cycle, about what training alone might have given him, and no side effects. Some users describe themselves as non-responders, but how common that is has not been studied, and a product with little or no LGD-4033 in it would look the same.
Reported use: LGD-4033 alone for 8 weeks, no PCT, as the person described it; not a recommendation. Not verified.
Ligandrol Results #8 (+ Stenabolic)
This reader stacked ligandrol with stenabolic (SR9009), which has never been tested in people, and reported more size in the shoulders and arms and a leaner look.
Reported use: LGD-4033 with stenabolic for 8 weeks, then tamoxifen (Nolvadex) for 4 weeks, as the person described it; not a recommendation. Not verified.
He reported suppression symptoms, low libido and lethargy, which he said eased about a week into tamoxifen; no bloodwork was reported.
My LGD 4033 Results
Editor’s note: this is the original author’s personal account from the earlier version of this site. It is one person’s unverified experience without bloodwork or body-composition scans, not a measured result or a recommendation. The week-by-week version is in the 8-week LGD-4033 log.
The author reported taking 2.5 mg a day for 8 weeks and no PCT. For context: the trials used 0.1–2 mg a day, so 2.5 mg is slightly above the highest tested dose, and 1 mg already lowered testosterone.
Secondary Benefits
The author reported more motivation in the gym, faster recovery between workouts and higher libido for the first six weeks.
Muscle Mass
The author was bulking and reported gaining ten pounds of body weight, saying that part of it was water. Wider shoulders and back and bigger arms were judged in the mirror, not measured.
Strength
The author reported strength gains and new personal records, though less than he recalled from RAD-140. In the 21-day trial, strength did not change significantly (Basaria 2013).
Body Fat
The author reported no change in body fat during the bulk, which matches the trial, where fat mass did not change significantly (Basaria 2013).
He said he felt fine at the end of the cycle but had no bloodwork done to check; in the trial, testosterone fell with dose even at 1 mg a day.
Tips To Get The Best Results
- Expect trial-sized gains. About 1.2 kg of lean mass in three weeks at 1 mg; more in photos usually means water or diet.
- Timing: with a 24–36 hour half-life, once a day at a consistent time is enough; see when to take LGD-4033.
- Dose matters most. Every hormonal and cholesterol change in the trial grew with dose; see LGD-4033 dosage.
- Bloodwork: testosterone, LH, FSH, SHBG, lipids and liver enzymes before and after; the PCT and bloodwork planner lists them.
- Quality: only 52% of products sold as SARMs contained a SARM in a JAMA test (Van Wagoner 2017). If you buy, use a shop with batch lab reports; our current pick is in the SwissChems review.
Conclusion
These LGD-4033 before and after results are unverified individual reports over 8–10 weeks, with gains judged from photos and often including water, and several readers described symptoms of low testosterone at the end of a cycle. The trials support a smaller, measurable effect: about 1.2 kg of lean mass in 21 days at 1 mg a day in young men, and up to about 9% more lean mass than placebo in older adults on 2 mg, with lower testosterone, SHBG and HDL that grew with dose. Nobody has tested the 5–12.5 mg a day these readers used. Compare ligandrol with other SARMs in the database, or with RAD-140 in RAD-140 vs LGD-4033.
Frequently asked questions
What results can you expect from LGD-4033?
Small lean-mass gains in trialsEvidence: Trial
In healthy young men, 1 mg a day for 21 days added 1.21 kg of lean mass vs placebo; strength and fat mass did not change significantly. User reports here are unverified, judged from photos and on much higher doses.
How much muscle can you gain on LGD-4033 in 8 weeks?
Not studied at 8 weeksEvidence: Trial
No trial lasted 8 weeks in young people. In older adults after hip fracture, 0.5–2 mg a day for 12 weeks raised lean mass 4.75–9.08% more than placebo; higher user doses have not been studied.
Does LGD-4033 cause water retention?
Users report it; not establishedEvidence: User reports
Many users, including the author, say part of the gain was water, especially when stacked with MK-677. The LGD-4033 trial did not report water retention as a side effect.
Does LGD-4033 suppress testosterone?
Yes, even at low dosesEvidence: Trial
Total testosterone and SHBG fell with every dose from 0.1 to 1 mg a day over 21 days, and free testosterone and FSH fell at 1 mg. Levels recovered by day 56.
When does LGD-4033 kick in?
Within about 3 weeks in trialsEvidence: Trial
Blood levels build over the first weeks because of the 24–36 hour half-life, and lean mass was measurably higher by day 21 in the trial. One reader said he felt it at about week two.
Is LGD-4033 safe?
Not shown to be safeEvidence: Trial
It is not approved anywhere. In trials it lowered testosterone, SHBG and HDL cholesterol, and case reports describe cholestatic liver injury in men using ligandrol products.
Sources
- The safety, pharmacokinetics, and effects of LGD-4033, a novel nonsteroidal oral, selective androgen receptor modulator, in healthy young men
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02578095: Acute Hip Fracture Study in Patients 65 Years or Greater (VK5211), posted results
- LGD-4033 and MK-677 use impacts body composition, circulating biomarkers, and skeletal muscle androgenic hormone and receptor content: A case report
- Ligandrol (LGD-4033)-Induced Liver Injury
- Chemical Composition and Labeling of Substances Marketed as Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators and Sold via the Internet
- Effects of an oral ghrelin mimetic on body composition and clinical outcomes in healthy older adults: a randomized trial
