LGD-4033 + MK-677 Stack Review: Results, Before and After

LGD-4033 + MK-677 stack results: there is no clinical trial of the combination. The only documented case, published in 2022, is a 25-year-old who took LGD-4033 10 mg with MK-677 15 mg daily for five weeks: body mass rose 6% and lean mass 3.1%, but fat mass also rose 15%, total testosterone fell 62%, HDL cholesterol fell 36% and the liver enzyme ALT tripled. Each compound’s own trials show more lean mass, without clear strength gains, and LGD-4033 suppressed testosterone even at 1 mg a day. Reader results and the original author’s experience are below, with the evidence alongside.

For each compound in depth, see our LGD-4033 (ligandrol) guide and MK-677 (ibutamoren) review. To check overlapping risks, use the stack checker.

LGD 4033 and MK 677 summary

These are two very different drugs, which is why people combine them:

Sources: LGD-4033 (Basaria 2013, NCT02578095, Barbara 2020); MK-677 (Nass 2008, Svensson 1999, Adunsky 2011); WADA 2026.

LGD 4033

LGD-4033 (ligandrol, later VK5211) is a nonsteroidal SARM. In 76 healthy men aged 21 to 50, 21 days of 0.1 to 1.0 mg/day raised lean body mass with dose, by 1.21 kg on 1 mg, without significant changes in fat mass, leg-press strength or stair-climbing power. Total testosterone, SHBG and HDL fell with dose, and FSH and free testosterone fell on 1 mg; hormones were back to baseline by day 56 (Basaria 2013). It has not been approved anywhere we could find, and no Phase 3 trial is registered (NCT02578095). The older version of this page said it was “successfully going through clinical trials” and needed no PCT at normal doses; neither is supported. More in our LGD-4033 guide.

MK 677

MK-677 (ibutamoren) makes the pituitary release more growth hormone, which raises IGF-1 (FDA 2024). Over 12 months, 25 mg/day added 1.1 kg of fat-free mass and 2.7 kg of body weight in older adults, with no change in strength, total fat or belly fat, and with more appetite, mild swelling and higher fasting glucose (Nass 2008). It is not a SARM and has never been approved. More in our MK-677 review.

What you can expect from an LGD 4033 MK 677 stack

The only measured data on the combination is one published case (Cardaci 2022). A 25-year-old recreationally active man took LGD-4033 10 mg and MK-677 15 mg daily for five weeks. Researchers measured him before, during and after:

Most values returned to their starting point after he stopped, but fat mass, bone area, total cholesterol and LDL did not. His one-rep max on the leg press and bench press was higher than previously published values for trained men who didn’t use these compounds, but that was a one-off comparison, not a before-and-after strength gain (Cardaci 2022).

From the separate trials, the realistic expectation is some extra lean mass from each compound, more appetite and body weight from MK-677, and testosterone and HDL suppression from LGD-4033. Neither compound improved strength in its trials (Basaria 2013, Nass 2008). The older claim on this page, “about 5 lbs of lean muscle and 3% body fat lost without changing training or diet”, was not based on any study, so we have removed it.

Products are another variable: of 44 products sold online as SARMs, only 52% contained a SARM at all and 41% matched the labeled amount (Van Wagoner 2017).

LGD 4033 + MK 677 before and after

Editor’s note: this reader report and the comments under it come from the original version of this article and are kept as they were. The cycle is what he said he took, not a recommendation. Two claims in it are not supported by evidence: that 5 mg of LGD-4033 is too low to need recovery (testosterone fell even on 1 mg/day in the only trial in young men) and that MK-677 “acted as a PCT” (it doesn’t raise LH or FSH; see the evidence section above and MK-677 as PCT).

Let’s go over the before and after results from a person that used this stack. He sent me his results on social media and allowed me to use them on my website (sarmguide.com).

His cycle:

He didn’t have to do a PCT (post-cycle therapy) because the Ligandrol dosage isn’t high enough to be that suppressive. We talked about this earlier in the article, low – normal LGD 4033 dosages definitely don’t need a PCT. MK 677 is completely non-suppressive so we don’t have to worry about that.

Another reason that he didn’t need a PCT is that MK 677 acted as a PCT protocol. He was taking MK 677 for 8 more weeks after his Ligandrol part was done, this is great and I recommend this to everybody that wants to use this stack because MK 677 can take a while to kick in. So in the 8 weeks after the Ligandrol part, MK 677 will help us come back from the suppression and it will allow us to not lose any of the gains but instead gain some more.

The results (Before and After picture)

The before and after picture is very impressive but we have to keep in mind a few things. Lighting is obviously in favor of the after picture, his posture is also very bad in the first photo and in the after photo it’s a lot better. These things obviously affect the photo and the results may look a lot better than they really are.

Still, even if we keep these things in mind, the results are obviously very good. He gained a lot of muscle on his chest arms and shoulders. Not only that, but he also lost quite a bit of fat. He is a lot more vascular and has visible abs in the after photo.

My experience with this stack

Editor’s note: the original author’s personal account, kept as written apart from removing unsupported claims (that both compounds are “considered safe by all studies” and that the cycle needs no PCT). It is one person’s experience, not a measured result, and the cycle is not a recommendation.

I actually recently did the same cycle that the person we talked about previously in the article did.

My cycle:

The reason why the MK 677 part lasts 16 weeks is that it can take a while for it to kick in.

My results and opinion

I gained about 6-7 lbs of muscle on this cycle. Drinking plenty of water allowed me to not experience any water retention at all. I also lost about 3% body fat (went from barely visible abs to completely visible abs). Strength gains were also very noticeable. All of my lifts were going up week after week for the whole duration of this stack (16 weeks). I gained about 40lbs on my bench press, for example. The best thing, however, is that I wasn’t suppressed at all and MK 677 helped me to easily keep all of my LGD 4033 gains and even gain some more on top of them.

In my opinion, I could have gotten better results if I trained harder and kept an eye on my diet. I wasn’t training as much as I could have had, but still, I’m very happy with the results that I got. But when it comes to this stack, I think it’s an amazing stack.

Conclusion

The LGD-4033 and MK-677 stack is popular because it pairs a SARM that builds lean mass quickly with a GH secretagogue that adds appetite and body weight. The evidence is thin: no trial of the combination, and one documented case that showed lean mass going up alongside fat mass, a 62% testosterone drop, worse cholesterol, tripled ALT and lower bone density. Each compound on its own suppressed something: LGD-4033 testosterone and HDL, MK-677 insulin sensitivity. The reader results above are real reports, but they can’t tell you what you’d get. If you are weighing this stack, read the MK-677 side effects, the LGD-4033 guide and SARMs PCT first.

Where to buy LGD-4033 and MK-677

Sarmguide’s current partner shop is SwissChems, which sells LGD-4033 (5 mg capsules) and MK-677 (10 mg capsules). Our SwissChems review explains why it is our pick. Whatever the source, look for a batch-specific certificate of analysis from an independent lab.