Rate my first-ever stack — 28M recomp, please be brutal

CJC/Ipa 100/200 pre-bed for 8 weeks is a textbook first cycle. No issues there. The BPC addition for the knee is fine if you're actually doing rehab for it — BPC is a potentiator, not a replacement for PT.

Good post. You filled out the template. That alone gets a quality answer from most of us. Quick reaction: the stack is reasonable but I'd push back on adding tirz to a first-ever peptide cycle. You're adding two variables (GH secretagogue + GLP-1) and if something goes sideways you won't know which one. Run CJC/Ipa alone for 8 weeks, see your response, then decide on GLP-1.

Co-signing stackbuilder. Isolate variables. Also — 192lb at 22% is 150lb lean. Your IGF at 178 is fine for your age. You don't need to stack like a 40yo with low T.

@goal_driven mainly attribution. If you drop 10lb in 4 weeks, was it diet adherence, the GH stack, or the GLP-1? All three drive fat loss via different mechanisms. You learn nothing about your personal response. Second-order concern: appetite suppression on tirz can crater your protein intake, which undermines the whole 'keep lean mass during cut' goal.

Thanks all. I've been doing PT 2x/week for the knee for 3 months, plateaued, which is why I added BPC. On the tirz — is the concern AE masking or receptor downregulation or what?

As someone who runs a lot of tirz — stackbuilder is right about protein. First 3 weeks on tirz you will not want to eat meat. At 2.5-5mg this is manageable, but if you're cutting you need to force protein even when your stomach says no. Liquid protein is your friend.

Okay I'm convinced. Dropping tirz from week 5 plan. Will reassess at week 8 based on where I am.

I'd also pull your bloodwork forward 1 week before starting, not using a 3-week-old draw. Cheap to redo, and you want a clean baseline near zero hour.

Get a DEXA at week 0, week 8, week 16. You said 'recomp goal' — it lives or dies on lean mass change. Scale + tape is insufficient for the goal you stated.

Your E2 at 24 sensitive is borderline. If you run GH sec and your SHBG shifts you may bounce around. Recheck E2 and SHBG at week 4.

178 starting IGF is normal for 28M. Expect you'll run to ~260-290 on the stated dose. If you exceed 320 you're on the edge of cautious territory for a first cycle.

@frontloader I disagree only slightly. For a first ever peptide user, starting at 100mcg + 100mcg for the first 5 days is a zero-cost insurance against idiosyncratic reactions (flush, redness, headaches). Then up to 100/200.

Don't frontload. Start full dose day one on CJC/Ipa at those numbers is fine. BPC you can also start full. Some people slow-start both — for these doses it's unnecessary.

That's actually good to know — hadn't considered the hunger piece. Might be why I was subconsciously drawn to the tirz add.

Appetite response on GH secretagogues is often overlooked — ipamorelin is a ghrelin agonist, hunger bumps for some users. For a cutter, this can be a headwind. Worth noting.

@goal_driven if the hunger is the blocker, you have options besides adding a GLP-1. 1) Time your meals strategically. 2) Use semaglutide microdose later if it's a real issue. 3) Ipamorelin at 150mcg has meaningfully less ghrelin bump than 200mcg.

One more thing: your diet at 2200 kcal for 192lb is fine for a lean bulk or maintenance. For a cut it's going to stall quickly. Before adding peptides to 'push fat loss,' consider that the diet math might just need sharpening first.

@dr_doubt fair. 2200 was my maintenance estimate. I was going to drop to 1900 after labs came back clean. Should I pull the lever on the cut first and add the peptides only if I stall?

@goal_driven that's a legit alternative sequencing. 4 weeks clean diet first. If recomp is moving, peptides become optional. If you stall, you've earned the data to add them.

I did exactly this sequencing last year. 4 weeks strict diet → clear plateau → added CJC/Ipa → broke through. Having the 'before' baseline made the peptide response obvious.

This is how the template is supposed to work. Nice thread @goal_driven, and good reading from the regulars. @goal_driven come back with an update at week 8.

Okay — revised plan: 4 weeks diet cut to confirm plateau, then CJC/Ipa if needed. BPC starts now because the knee is an independent issue. Tirz off the table for this cycle. Will follow up.

Bookmarking as an example of a well-handled 'rate my stack' post.