This article is the ultimate, full A-Z guide of RAD 140, also known by its research name Testolone, which rivals many anabolic steroids in its ability to pack on lean muscle.
RAD 140 is by far one of the strongest selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) of all time, and excels at rapid muscle growth, rapid fat burning, and improving muscle strength.
I'm actually very excited to write this article, because RAD 140 is my favorite SARM. I've gotten the best results on it, built the most lean muscle mass on it, and more. I've been taking SARMs for over a decade to enhance athletic performance, and RAD 140 is my favorite by far.
Here's what we'll cover today:
- What is RAD 140?
- How Does It Work?
- RAD 140 Dosage Protocol
- RAD 140 Cycle Examples
- RAD 140 Side Effects
- Is PCT Required?
- What Results to Expect
- …and much, much more!
So, if you're interested in learning how to shred off excess body fat, enhance your muscle building, and get the physique you've always DREAMT of, then keep on reading for more.
What is RAD 140 (Testolone)?
RAD 140, also known as Testolone, is a selective androgen receptor modulator, or SARM for short. It's one of the more researched SARMs, meaning there's a lot of clinical trials and data.
Some of the proven benefits of RAD 140 are:
- Faster Muscle Recuperation
- Improves Physical Endurance
- Rapid Increase in Muscle Growth
- Powerful Fat Burning Effects
- Increases Muscular Strength
- …and more
I'm going to cover every single RAD 140 benefit in this article, and explain what dosages to take and what results to expect, but let's first explain how it works and where it came from.
Mechanism of Action
How does RAD 140 work? Pretty much in the same way that anabolic androgenic steroids work, but with a more selective nature, so you can avoid all the adverse effects.
There's a reason why SARMs are often called “legal steroids” without side effects. It's because they were designed to mimic all the positive effects of steroids for sports enhancement, without any of the negative consequences that often come with them.
The way that RAD 140 accomplishes this, is by having a high selectivity for androgen receptors in skeletal muscle tissues, but nowhere else. It also doesn't aromatize, like testosterone would, so you can avoid too big of a hormonal imbalance, as well.
RAD 140 testolone functions by binding specifically to skeletal muscle tissues, and avoiding the tissues you don't want to grow, compared to steroids which bind to ALL muscle tissues (including organ muscle tissue), which is what gives them so many side effects.
RAD 140 vs Steroids
Out of all the research chemicals, SARMs, and compounds I've tried, RAD 140 is the closest that there is to anabolic steroids, without the adverse effects they often bring.
I'd say that RAD 140 is about 90% as powerful as an anabolic steroids cycle, but only has around 1% of the side effects due to its unique chemical structure and mechanism of action.
Steroids function by binding to ALL androgen receptors in the body. RAD 140 functions by only binding to SOME androgen receptors in the body. This small difference is what makes all the difference. It allows RAD 140 to have extreme anabolic effects with minimal sides.
History of RAD 140
Despite RAD 140 Testolone being the strongest SARM for weight loss and muscle growth, it actually wasn't even discovered until 2011, compared to Ostarine's discovery in the 90's. [R]
Here is a timeline of RAD 140 and its development:
- 2011 – RAD 140 Testolone is first discovered by researchers at Radius Health, Inc., and researchers immediately realize it shows immense promise as a drug [R]
- 2014 – Researchers discover that RAD 140 Testolone is neuroprotective and may protect the brain from age related decline disorders like Alzheimer's [R]
- 2017 – The first human study using RAD 140 Testolone begins [R]
- 2020 – Radius Health, Inc. gives the research rights of RAD 140 to Ellipses Pharma [R]
RAD 140 Testolone is still undergoing research and is currently awaiting an FDA approval to be used to treat muscle wasting in cancer patients, as well as other applications.
That being said, RAD 140 use is widespread in bodybuilding circles, for good reason.
Is RAD 140 Legal?
Is RAD 140 legal? The short answer is “yes,” while RAD 140 Testolone is still having research conducted on it, it is still fully legal to buy and sell as a “research chemical” for research use.
RAD 140 Testolone is currently classified as a “research compound” which basically means it's totally legal to buy it and sell it online, as long as you're using it for research findings. In other words, as long as you don't literally consume it in front of a cop, you should be fine.
RAD 140 is legal to buy and possess in the following countries:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- South Africa
- Canada
- Singapore
- India
- South America
- Most of Europe
In short, bodybuilding athletes are using RAD 140 in pretty much every country around the world, and the only country that it's a bit “iffy” in is Australia. That being said, I know many Australian influencers who are using RAD 140 Testolone to enhance their physical gains.
Australia
RAD 140 Testolone is classified as a Schedule 4 Prescription Drug by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which is basically Australia's version of the FDA. [R]
This means that if the Australian police catch you with RAD 140 Testolone, and you don't have a doctor's prescription for it, technically they could throw you in jail and press charges.
That being said, I have tons of friends in Australia that are using RAD 140 Testolone and other sports supplements like it to build lean muscle mass, and they've never had a problem.
Professional Athletes
While SARMs like RAD 140 are legal to buy and possess in most countries, if you're a professional athlete, you should definitely be aware that you might get tested for it.
RAD 140 is an extremely powerful compound that gives anyone an unfair advantage in weight lifting and other athletic activities, so it's no wonder it's banned from competitions.
In fact, the following organizations have flat out banned RAD 140 from competition:
- World Anti Doping Agency [R]
- US Anti Doping Agency [R]
- National Collegiate Athletic Association [R]
- Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority [R]
RAD 140 is practically as strong as a moderate anabolic steroid though, so it's understandable it's banned from competition. You can still take it, and stop within a week of getting tested though, because it will be out of your system due to such a short half life.
Just be aware that if you're a professional athlete, you may get tested for RAD 140.
Military Members
One question I often get is whether or not the military tests for RAD 140. The short answer is no, for the most part, they will not test for anabolic steroids or SARMs like RAD 140 unless they explicitly suspect that you are on them.
A standard military drug test will screen for [R]:
- Marijuana
- Amphetamines
- Cocaine
For the most part, you don't have to worry about getting tested for RAD 140 Testolone if you're in the military, unless your commander literally sees you taking it or something.
RAD 140 Benefits
Now that all the legal stuff is over with, let's talk about the benefits of RAD 140. There's a ton of clinical trials and research studies to pull from here, so there's no shortage of data.
Clinical data has proven the following RAD 140 benefits:
- Rapid Growth of Muscle Mass
- As Powerful As Anabolic Steroids
- Shreds off Excess Fat
- Much Faster Muscle Recovery
- Safer Than Testosterone Replacement Therapy
- Prevents Muscle Loss While Cutting
- Improves Muscular Strength
I can personally confirm each of these benefits, as someone who's done both anabolic steroids, and pretty much all of the SARMs out there. I felt all of these on my first RAD 140 cycle.
Rapid Muscle Building
The most obvious benefit of RAD 140 is its ability to help users pack on muscle mass exceptionally quickly. I gained a whopping 20 pounds of muscle my first RAD 140 cycle.
The muscle building effects that RAD 140 has on the body are unrivaled by any other SARM or research compound out there, except maybe for YK-11 (Myostine).
In fact, according to one study, conducted by researchers at Cambridge, found that even a measly RAD 140 dosage of 0.1mg/kg led to a whopping level of muscle growth: [R]
In this study, a mean weight gain of greater than 10% in just 28 days of dosing was achieved at a dose of just 0.1 mg/kg, with a similar effect observed at the 1.0 mg/kg dosing group.
-Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 124-129, Published Online Dec. 2 2010
If even a small dosage of RAD 140 can lead to that much muscle growth, imagine what a proper dosage of 10-20mg/day could do.
Accelerated Fat Loss
Another great benefit of RAD 140 is its ability to totally revamp your body fat percentage and overall body composition in just a matter of 2-3 months.
So, not only will you get amazing physical gains, faster muscle recuperation, and even avoid muscle loss while you're cutting, but you'll also shred off body fat, too.
Increased Strength
As if totally transforming your physique wasn't enough, RAD 140 will also help you lift heavier weights and improve your overall muscle strength. Even if you just take the absolute minimum dosage of 10mg, you will still notice huge strength gains.
One of the reasons for this is obviously the increased muscle mass, but another is that RAD 140 actually improves bone strength, too, allowing your body to take on heavier loads. [R]
My RAD 140 Review
READ MORE: 6 Amazing RAD 140 Before and After Results
If I had to review RAD 140, it would absolutely get a 10/10. I packed on a whopping 21 pounds of muscle mass, and lost 7 pounds of fat, in a 12 week cycle I did.
Here's the stats from my first RAD 140 cycle:
- Cycle Length: 12 Weeks
- RAD 140 Dosage: 20mg/day
- Goal of Cycle: Bulking
- Workout Routine: 5-Day Split
- On Cycle Support: Yes
- Post Cycle Therapy: Yes
- Muscle Gained: 21 Pounds
- Body Fat Lost: 7 Pounds
Overall, this was easily the best cycle I've ever done that wasn't a stack. Of course, you can get even better results if you stack SARMs, but for individual SARMs, this one was amazing.
Dosage & Cycle Facts
What's the best RAD 140 dosage? There isn't really an ideal dosage, but the bodybuilding community generally recommends 10-20mg/day based on the clinical evidence.
Here are the RAD 140 dosage guidelines:
- Beginner Dosage: 5mg/day
- Intermediate Dosage: 10mg/day
- Advanced Dosage: 20mg/day
You can take it in capsule form, powder form, liquid form, or even injectable form, although my favorite way is liquid. Read my guide on how to take liquid SARMs if you haven't.
I took the “advanced dose” my first cycle, which was 20mg/day for 12 weeks. You can easily get great results on just 10mg/day for eight weeks or less, but I'm a little bit extreme.
RAD 140 Cycle Guidelines
With a SARM as strong and powerful as RAD 140, it's important that you cycle on and off of it, so you don't grow a dependency on it, or totally shut down your testosterone production.
Generally the rule for anabolic agents is the same time off, as the time on. So, if your cycle is 12 weeks, you should take at least 12 weeks off the compound to reset your body.
RAD 140 Stacks
Sooner or later, you'll probably want to try a SARMs stack. This is just where you take multiple anabolic compounds at the same time, for even more benefits.
RAD 140 is an incredibly compound to stack, because it's super versatile, and excels at both building lean muscle mass, while also cutting fat, making it a great SARM for any stack.
Here's a couple of RAD 140 sample stacks for beginners:
RAD 140 Bulking Stack
Take this stack if your main goal is to improve sports performance, get stronger bone tissue, build more muscle, and generally just get bigger, stronger, and tougher.
RAD 140 Bulking Stack for 8-12 Weeks:
- RAD 140 (Testolone) – 10mg/day
- Ligandrol (LGD-4033) – 10mg/day
- MK-677 (Ibutamoren) – 25mg/day
This stack will turn you from being a scrawny nerd into the hulk.
RAD 140 Cutting Stack
If your primary goal is fat loss, and you want to do it as soon as possible, then this is the ideal stack for you. It will totally shred off any remnants of body fat, and help you build muscle, too.
RAD 140 Cutting Stack for 8-12 Weeks:
This stack is probably as powerful as an anabolic steroid stack of 300mg/week of testosterone, and maybe 20-40mg/day of Anavar. It will totally change your physique in 12 weeks.
RAD 140 PCT Guide
Does RAD 140 require PCT? Absolutely, yes. While it's certainly not going to suppress your testosterone production as much as anabolic steroids would, a PCT is a good idea.
You don't need to put anything crazy like Nolvadex or Clomid in your body (which can be harmful substances in and of themselves). Just one bottle of Testo-Max is enough.
Test0-Max has broad spectrum nature compounds, extracted from natural herbs and plants, that will naturally get your testosterone production back on track after your cycle.
When most people think of PCT, they think of Nolvadex & Clomid, but in my opinion, those are only necessary for testosterone steroid cycles, and are overkill for SARMs.
Where to Buy RAD 140
Choosing the right SARMs vendor is huge, and can be the difference between having an amazing cycle and tons of gains, or damaging your vital organs with BS fake products.
If you want to avoid liver damage and harm to your internal organs, you should absolutely only ever get SARMs from a reputable vendor that has pure products.
According to a study conducted by JAMA on the purity of SARMs supplements, literally half of all SARMs products don't even contain SARMs – and most of the other half had fillers. [R]
That's why we only ever recommend you buy RAD 140 from our #1 recommended vendor.
Side Effects
Thankfully, the side effects of RAD 140 aren't that bad. I didn't personally experience any, and most people don't, but if you have any underlying medical conditions, don't take it.
The most common side effects are very mild:
- Mild Body Acne
- Increased Blood Pressure
- Mild Liver Toxicity
To put this in perspective, Tylenol causes mild liver toxicity, and caffeine causes increased blood pressure, so these side effects are really nothing bad compared to the benefits.
Conclusion
In summary, RAD 140 is an amazing compound for improving athletic performance, building tons of lean muscle mass, shredding off fat, increasing your strength, and much more.
It's absolutely my favorite SARM, either taken by itself, or stacked with others. Whenever I do a Testolone cycle I always have an absolutely amazing experience.
If you want to buy some and try it for yourself, we recommend you only get it through an approved, vetted, and screened vendor (like this one) so you know it's legit.
