Andarine is one of the victims of the contorted amalgamation of bro-science and exaggeration that’s peddled left, right and center on forums these days.
Any talk about the compound is greeted with fear mongering about permanent vision changes and even blindness.
‘You wouldn’t want to mess with that shit brah!’
Sigh!
We hate reading such stuff particularly because S4 has always been one of our favorite SARMS.
We have added it to multiple stacks over the years and even extended the dosage beyond normal levels to see how rough the vision sides get.
And despite facing some problems which were only temporary, we have only good things to say about S4.
To clear some air and add our two cents to this discussion, here’s a brief primer for newbies or experienced users looking to add this versatile compound to their stacks.
An overview of S4
GTX Laboratories, the Memphis based guys who are pioneering SARMS research developed GTx-007 or S4 as an investigative drug for its potential applications in treating muscle wasting & BPH.
S4 was touted to be a lot milder as compared to some of the other SARMS in development and its effectiveness in treating BPH was comparable to Finasteride, the most widely used pharmaceutical drug for the purpose.
It helped reduce prostate weight by preventing dihydrotestosterone from binding to its receptor sites in the prostate gland.
The only difference is that unlike Finasteride, it did not cause toxic anti-androgenic side effects like breast tenderness, nipple discharge or impotence.
Animal model studies conducted on Sprague-Dawley rats also confirmed that S4 helped reduce body fat, increase strength, boost skeletal muscle and prevent fractures.
This indicates that S4 might one day be a safe way to treat osteoporosis as well as muscle wasting due to terminal diseases like cancer.
The results with S4
S4 is an excellent cutting compound that helps with muscle retention as well as fat loss.
The only caveat is that the results will be a lot more noticeable if you are lean to begin with. Somewhat like the finishing compounds in AAS.
Having said that, it is also a very good compound for gaining strength and adding a hint of lean muscle mass.
Lipolysis:
Most AAS users who use S4 for the first time compare the results with a cycle of Winstrol. This means that there will be fat loss, particularly near the torso. You will look more shredded and harder. Club it with a calorie deficit diet and the results can be pretty dramatic. If you are below 14-15% body fat to begin with, you can expect to drop to around 10% if you eat clean.
Strength:
The strength increase kicks in around the second week of the cycle and while it is not as dramatic as what some other SARMS can do, it’s very noticeable. Any added strength when you are training in a deficit will indirectly help you keep your gains stable. You won’t feel weak or the weights heavier.
Muscle maintenance:
S4 will not help you pack on tons of muscle. But you won’t lose any muscle while you are cutting. This might not sound like much but when you look at yourself in a mirror after 12-weeks of hardcore diet and exercise, you will look much better with S4 than without it. The muscles look fuller and the pumps are pretty good too.
Vascularity:
S4 will definitely make those veins more pronounced. The fat loss and muscle hardening probably helps too. But the vascularity is there and it lasts all day and even post your cycle.
Tendon strength:
While this is not a desirable feature from a bodybuilding point of view, the added strength in the tendons and bones can be very beneficial to someone coming off a bulk AAS cycle.
The Side effects of S4
We bet that a lot of you skipped the main content and jumped to this part.
Cause S4 has gotten a reputation as nasty as GW501516 did due to the cancer claims.
But the fact is that the vision side effects have been blown out of proportions.
Let us explain.
- Temporary vision-related side effects: S4’s vision changes are individualistic. Some people experience these changes at doses as low as 25mg/day. Others can tolerate up to 75mg/day without any changes to their vision at all. The most prominent change is the dreaded yellow tinge. Think about it like sitting under a warm LED bulb while you are indoors. Or a slight sepia tinge to your vision when you are outdoors. This can be sporadic. The other vision related side that must be mentioned is temporary changes to your peripheral vision. Some people have difficulty adjusting when they move from a dark room to a lit one. For a few seconds, everything might appear to be dark. This might also affect your ability to drive at night. However, the chances of these side effects happening are more likely at doses above 50mg/day. Also, if you follow a 5-2 dosing protocol, there’s a lesser chance of these sides occurring.
- Painful pumps: Some people experience painful pumps while using S4. Once again, that’s comparable to Winstrol.
- Supression: There will be some mild suppression while you are on S4. But it does not require a PCT in normal circumstances. Just to err on the side of caution, do a bloodwork after the cycle to check your test and hormonal values.
Dosage and stacks
S4 is used primarily as a cutting compound and you’d rarely need to stack it with anything else.
It works great on its own. Just ensure that you get your diet sorted before you jump on to it.
Having said that, some users stack it with Ostarine, MK-677 and LGD-4033 for different bodybuilding goals.
If you are looking to cut, start with 25mg/day for two weeks and up it to 50mg/day if everything works fine.
If you get vision sides at 25mg/day, then they are only gonna get worse at 50. But always remember that the sides are temporary and you don’t need to panic.
Follow a 5-2 dosing schedule and you should be good to go.
You will not need PCT after an S4 cycle.
Closing thoughts
S4 is the closest that you can get to Winstrol while cutting. It makes you look shredded, vascular, granite-hard muscles and most importantly, lets you keep your muscle.