Copyright (c) Vigorous Steve 2021. All rights reserved.
The intellectual property rights of this eBook belong to Vigorous Steve.
No part of this eBook may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, or
otherwise.
No part of this eBook may be edited, modified, adapted, or altered in any way for unlawful or
commercial use.
Published on www.vigoroussteve.com
First Edition, 2021
Copyright (c) Vigorous Steve 2021 www.vigoroussteve.com
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Preface
Thank you for purchasing this eBook on The VigorousSteve.com Shop! Coach Steve has spent a
lot of time & effort to write this eBook to help bodybuilders, strength athletes & fitness
enthusiasts reach their goals while doing so in the healthiest way possible.
Coach Steve decided not to include references or studies to prove a point or confirm the
information provided in this eBook. Coach Steve doesn’t believe in “Cherry-Picking” studies as
evidence to support a claim. In most cases, some studies prove a particular point, while
opposing studies disprove it. Spending a significant amount of time on comparative analyses
of ALL published studies relevant to a specific subject discussed in this eBook would be
represented in a much higher sales price for the reader.
Coach Steve’s goal with this eBook is to provide quality information at an affordable price.
Providing you everything you need to know to make decisions that help you reach your goals
or solve problems related to your bodybuilding or fitness aspirations. Without going into
Medical Minutia & Mental Masturbation, which will most likely cause “Paralysis by Analysis”,
bringing your decision-making process to a complete standstill…
The contents of this eBook are based on Coach Steve’s 20+ years of personal experience in
bodybuilding, as well as 8+ years of Coaching (competitive) bodybuilders, (competitive)
strongmen or powerlifters, prescribed or self-prescribed users of Testosterone / Hormone
Replacement Therapy (TRT / HRT) as well as fitness enthusiasts, looking to improve their health
& quality of life!
In case you did not purchase this eBook yourself but found the information inside to be
beneficial for your fitness journey and contributed to developing a healthy & aesthetic
physique, please consider buying this eBook through The VigorousSteve.com Shop. Acquiring
this eBook for free through a friend, Torrent website, file sharing service, eBook website, or by
any other means other than The VigorousSteve.com Shop hurts Coach Steve’s ability to provide
for his family.
Purchasing this eBook yourself supports Coach Steve financially and allows him to produce
more high-quality eBooks, helping other people reach their goals and solve their problems. It’s
also another way to show Gratitude & Appreciation for the information that contributed to your
health, bodybuilding, or overall fitness aspirations.
Purchase this eBook: www.vigoroussteve.com/shop/
If you bought this eBook from a 3rd Party, please contact Coach Steve directly for our Legal
Team to take action against Copyright Infringement!
Contact Email: info@vigoroussteve.com
Copyright (c) Vigorous Steve 2021 www.vigoroussteve.com
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Medical Disclaimer
This eBook does not contain ANY medical advice. The author of this eBook, Coach Steve is NOT
a Doctor. The contents of this eBook, such as text, graphics, images, and other material, are
intended for entertainment, informational and educational purposes ONLY!
This eBook is not designed to render medical advice. The Contents of this eBook or The
VigorousSteve.com Website is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice,
diagnosis, or treatment.
Coach Steve takes great care to keep the medical & scientific information in this eBook &
website up to date. However, Coach Steve can’t guarantee that the information in this eBook
reflects the most recent research & medical consensus.
Always do additional research on any given topic mentioned in this eBook, on The Vigorous
Steve Website, Instagram Page, or YouTube Channel. Furthermore, consult with your physician
for medical advice and questions regarding a medical condition. Never disregard or delay
seeking professional medical advice or treatment because of something you have read in this
eBook, on The Vigorous Steve Website, Instagram Page, or YouTube Channel. Before taking any
Supplement, Herb, Drug, Prescribed or Over-the-Counter Medication, consult a physician for a
thorough evaluation of your current state of health.
This eBook does not endorse any particular vitamins, herbs, drugs, or medications, nor does it
condone the use of illegal drugs or prescription medication for off-label purposes. A qualified
physician should make a decision based on each person’s medical history and current
prescriptions. The medication summaries provided in this eBook do not contain all of the
critical information required by patients and should not be used as a substitute for professional
medical advice.
Please consult with your physician if you suspect you are ill. The information in this eBook is
not intended for medical advice. You should always discuss any medical treatment with your
health care provider.
NO LIABILITY WILL BE ASSUMED FOR THE USE OF THIS E-BOOK!!!
In case of a Medical Emergency, call 122, 911, or your local emergency telephone number
immediately! This eBook does not recommend or endorse any specific test, physician, product,
procedure, opinion, or any other information provided. Reliance on any information provided by
this eBook, VigorousSteve.com, VigorousSteve.com’s Employees, Individuals represented on the
Website by VigorousSteve.com’s invitation, or other visitors to the website, is solely at your own
Discretion!
This eBook is STRICTLY Informational & Educational!
Copyright (c) Vigorous Steve 2021 www.vigoroussteve.com
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Table of Contents
Offseason Protocols to Prevent Insulin Resistance ................................................... 6
Causes of Insulin Resistance .......................................................................................... 8
Carbohydrate Intake .................................................................................................... 8
Exogenous Growth Hormone ..................................................................................... 9
Glucose Levels ............................................................................................................ 10
Cortisol Levels ............................................................................................................ 11
Free Fatty Acid Levels ............................................................................................... 11
Symptoms of Insulin Resistance ................................................................................. 12
Rising Blood Pressure................................................................................................ 12
Rising Resting Heart Rate ......................................................................................... 13
Rising Blood Glucose Levels .................................................................................... 13
Rising Hemoglobin A1c Levels ................................................................................ 14
Daily Growth Hormone & Insulin Protocol ................................................................ 16
Daily Bolus High-Dose GH & Rapid/Short-Acting Insulin ................................. 16
Daily Bolus High-Dose GH & Rapid/Short-Acting Insulin Examples ............ 18
Every Other Day Growth Hormone & Insulin Protocol ............................................ 22
Growth Hormone & Rapid/Short-Acting Insulin Days........................................ 22
Intermediate/Long-Acting Insulin (Non-rhGH) Days .......................................... 26
Every Other Day Bolus High-Dose GH & Insulin Examples .............................. 28
Incorporating IGF-1 ........................................................................................................ 35
Incorporating Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors ..................................................... 38
Full Offseason Protocol Examples ............................................................................... 44
Additional Supplementation ........................................................................................ 55
Abbreviations .................................................................................................................. 57
Supplement Resources .................................................................................................. 60
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Offseason Protocols to Prevent
Insulin Resistance
This eBook discusses offseason protocols using Growth Hormone with
rapid/short-acting Insulin on alternating days and Insulin-like Growth Factor-1
(IGF-1) & intermediate/long-acting Insulin on alternating days when signs of
Insulin resistance become apparent. Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors (DDP4Is) can also be incorporated to prevent the metabolism of Growth Factors like
Insulin & IGF-1.
Honestly, the very large majority of bodybuilders, strength athletes, or general
fitness enthusiasts will not reach this point of Insulin resistance during the
offseason, as it requires large dosages of exogenous human recombination
Growth Hormone (rhGH) in combination with high carbohydrate intake. Large
amounts of exogenous rhGH are probably completely unaffordable for most
enhanced individuals unless they have at least 1,500 USD of disposable income
available for Growth Hormone, IGF-1 & Insulin, on top of the astronomical food
& supplement bill. Otherwise, this eBook is just a fun & interesting read!
This eBook discusses Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors (DDP4-Is) extensively,
as there’s no other application for these medications besides optimizing the
protocols discussed within this eBook. However, this eBook doesn’t go in-depth
into the inner-workings and biological aspects of exogenous Testosterone,
Growth Hormone, IGF-1 & Insulin. If you’re interested in learning about each
Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid (AAS) or peptide hormone individually, consider
purchasing the “Offseason Cycles with Bioidentical Hormones”, “Comprehensive
Guide to Growth Hormone | Insulin-like Growth Factor-1” or “Comprehensive
Guide to Responsible Insulin use” eBooks on The VigorousSteve.com Shop:
www.vigoroussteve.com/shop/
The eBooks mentioned above, including this eBook, are offered in the
“Bioidentical Offseason eBook Bundle” as well! If you’ve already purchased this
eBook, or several eBook(s) contained within this eBook bundle separately,
please contact Coach Steve directly to receive the appropriate discount on the
other eBook(s): info@vigoroussteve.com
Copyright (c) Vigorous Steve 2021 www.vigoroussteve.com
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In the Comprehensive Guide to Growth Hormone | Insulin-like Growth Factor-1
eBook, Coach Steve already explained how to prevent Insulin resistance by
timing exogenous rhGH before fasted cardio or workouts. Timing Insulin-like
Growth Factor-1 around activity alongside Growth Hormone proactively
mitigates whatever Insulin resistance occurs following a high-dose rhGH
administration.
When a bodybuilder, strength athlete, or fitness enthusiasts reaches a certain
point of overall muscular development, can utilize and afford over 6-8iu Growth
Hormone daily, while consuming an obscene amount of carbohydrates to
facilitate further progress, Insulin resistance and rising blood glucose levels
usually become the growth-rate limiting factor. Needless to say, blood glucose
levels should need to be carefully monitored as higher doses of rhGH or
moderate yet frequent rhGH administrations can lead to Insulin resistance and
dangerously high pre-diabetic blood glucose readings.
The second culprit of the progression of Insulin resistance during the offseason
is the over-consumption of carbohydrates, which results in chronically
saturated liver & muscular glycogen stores. This lowers Insulin sensitivity and
causes blood glucose levels to increase, as glucose is unable to enter the
skeletal muscle cells and spills into the fat cells of adipose tissue instead,
where it is converted and stored as fatty acids. Even if the athlete uses
exogenous Insulin to support the pancreatic beta cells’ endogenous Insulin
production in an attempt to control serum glucose concentrations, the
excessively high Insulin levels cause the glucose excess to be stored as body
fat. In order to prevent this, carbohydrate intake has to be carefully regulated,
preferably with a carb-cycling approach based on activity levels that day.
Meaning the enhanced individual should eat more carbohydrates on leg day,
compared to an arms day or rest day.
When glycogen stores in the liver & skeletal muscle cells are saturated, Insulin
receptors sensitivity, Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 (IRS-1) activity & GLUT4
translocation is significantly reduced, and glucose uptake is restricted, causing
blood glucose levels to rise. Resulting in the surplus of glucose to spill over
into adipose tissue and get stored as body fat.
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Causes of Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is a pathological condition in which cells fail to respond to
Insulin; the state is not uniquely related to Type 2 Diabetes; it also occurs in
otherwise healthy individuals. There are many causes of Insulin resistance; the
underlying process is not entirely understood in the medical field. Insulin
resistance risk factors include; obesity, sedentary lifestyle, genetic
predispositions to developing Diabetes Mellitus, various medical conditions &
certain medications. Insulin resistance is considered a component of metabolic
syndrome and can often be improved or completely reversed with lifestyle
changes, including; dietary adjustments & frequent exercise.
In states of Insulin resistance, pancreatic beta cells raise Insulin secretion to
compensate for hyperglycemia, leading to hyperinsulinemia in the
bloodstream. If left unmanaged, the condition eventually progresses into Type
1 Diabetes as the beta cells are no longer able to produce sufficient amounts
of Insulin or Amylin to control blood glucose levels. There are several ways to
assess Insulin resistance medically; elevated fasted Insulin or blood glucose
levels, elevated Hemoglobin A1c levels, or by performing a glucose tolerance
test.
Carbohydrate Intake
Bodybuilders, strength athletes & fitness enthusiasts typically only experience
moderate Insulin resistance due to chronic over-consumption of carbohydrates
during the offseason. Frequent or high dosages of exogenous Growth Hormone
or GH Secretagogues also play a contributing factor. The most potent GH
secretagogues, namely MK-677 or GHRP-6, increase appetite severely, enabling
the individual to easily over-eat carbohydrates or saturated fats, further
worsening states of Insulin resistance. GLUT4 translocation or serum Insulinlike Growth Factor-1 levels aren’t the issues for highly active bodybuilders,
strength athletes & fitness enthusiasts that incorporate Growth Hormone into
their PED Protocol. The leading cause of Insulin resistance among enhanced
individuals is mainly due to the reduction of Insulin Receptors in response to
chronically saturated glycogen stores during the offseason. Saturated intramuscular triglycerides contribute to the decrease of Insulin Receptors as well.
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Pancreatic beta cells are required to overproduce Insulin in an attempt to
maintain glucose homeostasis when liver & skeletal muscle glycogen stores
are full. However, since blood glucose isn’t able to enter liver or skeletal muscle
cells due to loss of Insulin sensitivity from saturated glycogen and perhaps
triglyceride stores, the additional Insulin promotes glucose uptake into adipose
tissue beneath the skin, where it gets stored as body fat. Adipose tissue is also
found in the abdominal cavity, where it’s located near or surrounding several
vital organs, including; the liver, stomach & intestines. This adipose tissue is
known as visceral fat and is one of the contributing factors of distended
stomachs seen in competitive bodybuilders or strength athletes. Another factor
is intestinal organ growth due to chronically elevated GH & IGF-1
concentrations and over-consumption of food during the offseason!
Once visceral fat has formed around the abdominal cavity organs, it’s very
difficult to be removed unless calories & Insulin levels are severely restricted.
Full-fasting for several days is required to remove moderate amounts of visceral
fat; several periods of full-fasting are needed to remove the visceral fat from
the abdominal cavity altogether! For more information about fasting, consider
purchasing the “Comprehensive Guide to Fasting” eBook on The
VigorousSteve.com Shop: www.vigoroussteve.com/shop/
Exogenous Growth Hormone
Frequent or high dosages of exogenous Growth Hormone suppress glucose
uptake and stimulate lipolysis in the adipose tissue by activating HormoneSensitive Lipase (HSL), increasing Free Fatty Acids (FFAs) & glycerol
concentrations in the bloodstream. By itself, elevated levels of FFAs induce
moderate Insulin resistance by inhibiting Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 (IRS-1)
activity, which can reduce both Glucose Transporter Type-4 (GLUT-4) & Insulin
Receptor density on the cell membrane. The liver subsequently converts
glycerol into glucose through gluconeogenesis, contributing to a further rise in
blood glucose levels.
Insulin sensitivity and blood glucose levels can easily be maintained by spacing
exogenous Growth Hormone injections 1-2 hours away from food containing
refined carbohydrates or fats. However, starchy carbohydrates and unprocessed
fat sources aren’t conducive to the loss of Insulin sensitivity and elevated blood
glucose levels.
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Whole foods generally require a longer time to digest and don’t contribute
much to FFAs, glycerol, or glucose concentrations in the bloodstream.
Growth Hormone also acts as an antagonist on Insulin-stimulated glucose
uptake in the liver & skeletal muscle cells. While hGH doesn’t block the Insulin
receptor directly, but reduces the cell’s response to activated Insulin Receptors
through several pathways, resulting in impaired glucose uptake. Coach Steve
recommends his clients administer exogenous Growth Hormone before activity,
to minimize or prevent these adverse effects regarding glucose management.
Glucose Levels
Exogenous Growth Hormone and Insulin administrations require you to monitor
your blood glucose levels carefully, as relatively high rhGH dosages in a caloric
surplus can lead to Insulin resistance and cause dangerously high blood
glucose levels. Once your fasting blood glucose readings reach over 100mg/dL
or 5.5mmol/L, or your post-prandial readings exceed 130mg/dl or 7.8 mmol/l in
between meals, it’s crucial to make adjustments to your glycogen stores,
carbohydrate intake, rhGH, or Insulin Protocol! On the opposite end, even a
minor dose of Insulin can cause dangerously low blood glucose levels,
especially when combined with Glucose Disposal Agents (GDAs), Insulin-like
Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), by taking Insulin in a fasted state, by taking Insulin
through intravenous injection, or on a diet which excludes carbohydrates.
It’s essential to get a fundamental understanding of how your body responds
to different carbohydrate sources, how your blood glucose levels change
throughout the day and how exogenous Insulin affects your serum glucose
concentrations in relation to your food intake, PED Protocol, and administration
technique.
Frequent or ongoing high blood glucose levels can damage the nerves, blood
vessels & organs or lead to other severe medical conditions when left
untreated. People who develop Type 1 Diabetes are prone to the build-up of
excess Ketones in the blood, an emergency medical condition called Diabetic
Keto-Acidosis (DKA). As soon as you see blood glucose levels rise towards the
top of the established healthy reference range or see readings above the
reference range, it’s time to make appropriate adjustments to your protocol and
allow blood glucose levels to return to baseline readings.
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Loss of Insulin sensitivity or Insulin resistance can be caused by high
carbohydrate intake, high fat intake, excessive exogenous Insulin use,
continuous high Growth Hormone use, or by using Growth Hormone
Secretagogues like MK-677 or GHRP-6. Daily use of a Glucometer is essential
when using Growth Hormone, GH Secretagogues, IGF-1, Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4
Inhibitors (DDP4-Is) frequently during the offseason, especially when
combining rhGH with rapid/short-acting or intermediate/long-acting Insulins
to ensure dosing is accurate.
Cortisol Levels
Chronically elevated Cortisol levels due to stress, Vitamin D deficiency & noncircadian rhythm sleep cycles have also been associated with Insulin
resistance. Cortisol counteracts Insulin; leading to increased glycogenolysis
and gluconeogenesis within the liver, reduced cellular utilization of glucose,
and increased Insulin resistance. Cortisol can also decrease the translocation
of several Glucose Transporter to the cell membrane.
Free Fatty Acid Levels
In extreme cases, commonly only seen in obesity, Insulin resistance on fat cells
results in reduced uptake of circulating glucose or lipids. Stored triglycerides
and glycerol hydrolyses into the bloodstream when Insulin resistance occurs
on adipose tissue. This leads to elevated Free Fatty Acids (FFAs) concentrations
and can further worsen Insulin resistance on the liver, skeletal muscle, and
cardiac muscle. This condition eventually results in increased visceral fat
growth & Non-Alcoholic Fatty liver Disease (NAFLD). This is the main reason
why you should never dirty bulk, as the complications of NAFLD & visceral fat
stores might prevent advanced athletes from getting pleasingly lean in the near
future! Depending on the severity of the Non-Alcoholic Fatty liver Disease, it
might take months, or even years, before the liver returns to a good state of
health!
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Symptoms of Insulin Resistance
Early symptoms of Insulin resistance during the offseason with higher rhGH
dosages alongside high carbohydrate intake, besides elevated blood glucose
levels at any point during the day, include; elevated blood pressure later in the
day or elevated heart rate before bed or upon waking.
Rising Blood Pressure
The main cause of rising blood pressure during the day is ever-increasing water
retention, induced by worsening Insulin resistance. As serum glucose
concentrations rise, Insulin concentrations rise accordingly, promoting
intracellular and Subcutaneous (SubQ) water retention. Eventually, the
additional water retention causes blood volume to rise, as the water can’t flow
into the intracellular or SubQ space. This ultimately raises blood pressure
unless the enhanced individual is already incorporating an Angiotensin II
Receptor (ARB) Blocker, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitor, BetaBlocker, or PhosphodiEsterase Type-5 (PED5) Inhibitor to control blood pressure
during the offseason. Below is a list of the most popular ancillary medications
used by enhanced individuals for general blood pressure management:
• ARB Blockers: Telmisartan (Micardis or Actavis), Valsartan (Diovan) & Losartan
(Cozaar).
• ACE Inhibitors: Lisinopril (Prinivil, Listril or Lisidigal) & Ramipril (Altace).
• Beta-Blockers: Propranolol (Inderal) & Nebivolol (Nebilet or Bystolic).
• PED5 Inhibitor: Sildenafil (Viagra), Vardenafil (Levitra) & Tadalafil (Cialis).
For more information about blood pressure management & cardiovascular,
consider purchasing the “Comprehensive Guide to Cardiovascular Health on
Cycle” eBook on The VigorousSteve.com Shop: www.vigoroussteve.com/shop/
Copyright (c) Vigorous Steve 2021 www.vigoroussteve.com
Page 12 of 62
Rising Resting Heart Rate
Another common early warning sign of Insulin resistance is an elevated heart
rate upon waking or before bed. An elevated resting heart rate upon waking
often coincides with elevated fasting glucose levels. Both the heart rate and
glucose concentrations are exacerbated by rising Cortisol levels, waking you
according to the Circadian Rhythm, or in anticipation of the alarm clock going
off. Cortisol promotes glycogenolysis within the liver, allowing glycogen to
release as glucose to enter the blood circulation to provide energy systemically.
When carbohydrate intake is high and glycogen stores in skeletal muscle are
chronically saturated, this liberated liver glycogen has nowhere to go besides
adipose tissue.
As serum glucose concentrations and Insulin & Cortisol levels rise, blood
volume increases due to water retention, which inadvertently reduces the
oxygen-carrying capacity by slightly diluting Red Blood Cell concentrations.
These factors also contribute to an elevated heart rate upon waking.
Rising glucose concentrations can cause an elevated heart rate before bed.
During the day, progressive carbohydrate intake isn’t able to enter skeletal
muscle due to saturated glycogen stores and impaired Insulin sensitivity. High
Growth Hormone use at any point during the day exacerbates Insulin resistance
further. Over the course of the day, enhanced individuals generally tend to hold
more water, which increases blood pressure & blood volume slowly, lowering
RBC concentrations and oxygen-carrying capacity, resulting in an elevated
heart rate.
Rising Blood Glucose Levels
The best method to keep track of your Insulin sensitivity during the offseason
is by measuring your fasting blood glucose levels on a daily basis. Fasting blood
glucose levels shouldn’t exceed 100mg/dL or 5.5 mmol/L, while post-prandial
and post-workout blood glucose levels shouldn’t exceed 130mg/dL or 7.8
mmol/L 2 hours after consuming a meal containing carbohydrates.
Incredibly taxing and demanding hypertrophy-specific workouts might
temporarily raise post-workout blood glucose levels beyond 130mg/dL or 7.8
mmol/L.
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Elevated blood glucose post-workout is caused by amino acids that leak from
damaged muscle tissue into the bloodstream and convert into glucose by
gluconeogenesis within the liver. In these instances, fasting and post-prandial
readings remain within the established healthy reference ranges. This doesn’t
mean that you’re losing Insulin sensitivity or inducing Insulin resistance; it
simply means you’re training too hard or long, resulting in Cortisol release,
which promotes glycogenolysis and additional gluconeogenesis within the
liver and raises blood glucose concentrations through another pathway.
Rising Hemoglobin A1c Levels
Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) forms when Hemoglobin (Hb) chemically alters
as it spontaneously reacts with monosaccharides, including; glucose, galactose,
or fructose. While testing serum glucose concentrations only gives you an
assessment of readings at that particular moment in time, testing Hemoglobin
A1c allows you to assess if serum glucose concentrations are elevated or
excessive over a much longer time.
The formations of glucose-hemoglobin bonds represent the amount of glucose
present in the bloodstream; a higher percentage of HbA1c compared to normal
Hemoglobin indicates chronically elevated blood glucose levels. The portion of
HbA1c represents a 3 months average of circulating glucose concentrations.
The unbound Hemoglobin peptide molecule itself has a Half-Life of 21 days and
an average terminal life of 120 days, while the functional lifetime of Red Blood
Cells (RBC), containing Hemoglobin, is approximately 100–120 days. This results
in minute serum Hemoglobin fluctuations over the course of roughly 3-4
months, at which point HbA1c concentrations are reasonably accurate to
determine serum glucose concentrations. Keep in mind that glucose can bind
to unbound serum Hemoglobin and the Hemoglobin within Red Blood Cells as
it absorbs through GLUT-1.
Controlled glucose levels result in normal amounts of Glycated Hemoglobin; in
healthy individuals, HbA1c makes up approximately 4.7-5.8% of circulating
Hemoglobin levels, averaging around 5% HbA1c. When the concentration of
glucose in the bloodstream rises, the fraction of Glycated Hemoglobin
predictably increases. The HbA1c test is primarily performed to diagnose the
onset of Diabetes Mellitus or to assess Glycemic control in patients with
Diabetes.
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In cases of Diabetes, PED induced Insulin resistance, or chronic carbohydrate
intake, HbA1c rises over the reference range. Otherwise healthy bodybuilders,
strength athletes, or fitness enthusiasts who use high dosages of exogenous
Growth Hormone or GH Secretagogues during the offseason might see their
HbA1c level rise to 6.0-6.5%. As HbA1c concentrations increase, glucose
homeostasis becomes increasingly important for offseason athletes.
Individuals with Type 1 or 2 Diabetes have a much higher HbA1c to Hb ratio and
attempt to keep their levels below 7% with medications.
Suppose any of these instances or a combination of early warning signs occur
during the offseason, then you need to stop daily, and frequent exogenous rhGH
administrations use and switch to an Every Other Day (EOD) approach. This
strategy is under the assumption you’re carb-cycling around activity levels
during the offseason, and you’re not 100% glycogen loaded all day every day.
75-80% glycogen loaded is more than enough to stay anabolic, get all the
protein-sparing benefits of dietary carbohydrates, recover from the intense
workout and build the most amount of muscle possible using Performance
Enhancing Drugs (PEDs), while simultaneously preventing or minimizing body
fat accrual.
Copyright (c) Vigorous Steve 2021 www.vigoroussteve.com
Page 15 of 62
Daily Growth Hormone & Insulin
Protocol
Once you’ve reached the 6-8iu territory of daily Growth Hormone use, you might
experience increased blood glucose levels after a few weeks of multiple 2iu
rhGH administrations per day. It’s imperative to continuously check your fasting
blood glucose levels when using higher dosages of exogenous rhGH. As soon
as your fasting blood glucose levels exceed 100mg/dL or 130mg/dL between
meals, it’s better to switch to every other day or bolus administration protocol!
Daily Bolus High-Dose GH & Rapid/Short-Acting Insulin
The last protocol you can try before symptoms of Insulin resistance becomes
apparent at 2iu rhGH 3-4x per day is taking your daily rhGH budget in a single
dose. Injected by SubQ, IM, or IV administration, either pre- or post-workout,
alongside 1-2iu rapid/short-acting Insulin by SubQ administration per 20g
carbohydrates contained in your pre- or post-workout meal. Once you’ve
maximized your results on 1iu rapid/short-acting Insulin per 20g carbohydrates
pre- or post-workout, you can increase the dose to 1iu per 16g carbs, then 1iu
per 13g carbs, and lastly 1iu per 10g carbs pre- or post-workout.
The main benefit of injecting a single dose of GH, compared to several 1-2iu GH
administration per day, is to limit the duration while GH is present in the
bloodstream. A single GH injection results in peak serum concentrations for 44.5 hours per day at maximum. In comparison, multiple 1-2iu GH injections
might result in elevated serum GH concentrations for up to 18 hours per day in
total. Although you’re taking a significant dose of 6-8iu rhGH in a single
administration before or after your workout, the subsequent increase in GLUT4
Receptors should allow for a substantial amount of glucose to enter the
skeletal muscle, without the need for pancreatic or exogenous Insulin.
Coach Steve doesn’t advise pre-workout bolus rhGH administrations over 8iu, as
it might severely diminish workout capacity or result in hypoglycemia towards
the end of the workout, even when Insulin is incorporated alongside Growth
Hormone.
Copyright (c) Vigorous Steve 2021 www.vigoroussteve.com
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Coach Steve also advises against bolus high-dose rhGH intravenous injections
over 8iu. If you’re using over 8iu rhGH per day, it’s advised to split up the total
dose and administer up to 4iu rhGH pre-workout and the remainder postworkout.
Exogenous rapid/short-acting Insulin helps control glucose levels, even though
high serum Growth Hormone concentrations might impair IRS-1 & GLUT4mediated glucose uptake of skeletal muscle. Since you’re continually using
muscle glycogen stores for energy production, stored glycogen depletes
sufficiently during the workout. Rapid/short-acting Insulin pre-workout
alongside rhGH, promotes glucose uptake during the workout, utilizing the
carbohydrates from the pre-workout meal, effectively maintaining glycogen
balance while keeping blood glucose levels in range.
On the opposite side, rapid/short-acting Insulin post-workout alongside rhGH
helps to keep blood glucose levels in range after the workout while promoting
glycogen storage using the carbohydrates from the post-workout meal. It also
encourages additional IGF-1 production in the liver, as serum Growth Hormone
concentrations start to peak around the same time rapid/short-acting Insulin
concentrations peak. Moderate depletion of liver glycogen stores, combined
with elevated levels of GH & Insulin, causes a reasonably high amount of IGF-1
production. To further optimize the IGF-1 production, consider injecting
rapid/short-acting Insulin SubQ or IM 15-20 minutes after injecting your bolus
rhGH dose IM, increasing Insulin sensitivity & recovery for the next 24-36 hours!
Keep in mind that you’ll have to measure your blood glucose levels 1 hour after
using rhGH with rapid/short-acting Insulin to see if your administration
protocol is sufficient to cover your pre- or post-workout meal. As rapid/shortacting Insulins generally reach peak serum concentrations around 1 hour after
administration. Taking 6-8iu rhGH along with 1-2iu rapid/short-acting Insulin
per 20g carbohydrates shouldn’t lower your intra- or post-workout blood
glucose levels below 70mg/dl or 3.9mmol/l. At the same time, this protocol
should prevent your intra- or post-workout blood glucose levels from rising
above 90–130 mg/dl or 5.0–7.2 mmol/l. If you train early in the morning and
only have a pre-workout shake or meal, then 6-8iu rhGH & 1iu rapid/shortacting Insulin SubQ per 20g carbohydrates should be sufficient to cover the
shake and prevent blood glucose levels from dropping below 70mg/dL or
3.9mmol/L.
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Don’t administer post-prandial rapid/short-acting Insulin with Meal 1 by
intramuscular injection, as the onset of action is significantly faster and might
results in hypoglycemia during the workout. Allow for at least 2 meals and a 3
hour digestion window before IM rapid/short-acting Insulin injections.
There is no way to predict how you will respond to this protocol as Insulin
sensitivity is dependent on many factors, including; sleep duration,
carbohydrates consumed during the day, carbohydrates consumed the night
prior, supplementation, liver glycogen stores, skeletal muscle glycogen stores,
IGF-1 concentrations, digestion rate of pre- or post-workout carbohydrate and
protein sources, training intensity, serum Growth Hormone concentrations, etc.
Always use a glucometer and keep a log of your blood glucose levels
concerning the amount of carbohydrates & food sources consumed, GH dosages
used, rapid/short-acting Insulin dosages used, the timing of administrations in
relation to your workout, and body-part trained during the workout.
Keep track of ALL of these variables so you can make informed decisions when
you’re aiming to perfect your personalized bolus-dose rhGH & rapid/shortacting Insulin protocol!
Daily Bolus High-Dose GH & Rapid/Short-Acting Insulin Examples
Advanced and experienced bodybuilders, strength athletes, or fitness
enthusiasts who administer a bolus high-dose rhGH with rapid/short-acting
Insulin once per day do so under the generally recommended guidelines
mentioned above. Below are several examples that mention the overall macronutrient breakdown of the diet, food sources, meal timing in relation to
workouts, and Insulin timing with regard to meals. These examples display
OPTIONAL pre-workout or post-workout exogenous rhGH & Insulin dosages and
administrations; they aren’t mandatory during the offseason. You’ll have to
CHOOSE between either pre-workout or post-workout bolus high-dose rhGH
administrations.
The athlete is approximately 120kg or 265lbs at 12% body fat, consumes
approximately 5,500 calories per day during the offseason, spread out over 5
solid meals and 1 post-workout shake or meal. Containing about 250g Protein
(P), 850g Carbohydrates (C), and 120g Fats (F) in total.
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On rest days, the athlete reduces carbohydrate intake to 500g per day while
keeping the other macro-nutrients the same, resulting in about 4,000 calories.
The athlete reached 4x 2iu rhGH administrations per day when signs of Insulin
resistance became apparent, resulting in a daily total of 8iu rhGH or a weekly
allowance of 56iu rhGH. The athlete performs daily fasted cardio to acclimatize
to the ever-increasing body weight, boost appetite, improve Insulin sensitivity,
and facilitate a bit of fat loss in the process.
rhGH: recombinant human Growth Hormone
R/S-A Insulin: Rapid/Short-Acting Insulin (Fiasp, NovoLog, NovoRapid, Humalog,
Lisprolog & Admelog, Apidra, Actrapid, HumuLin R or S, Insuman Rapid, or
NovoLin R).
R-A Insulin: Rapid-Acting Insulin (Fiasp, NovoLog, NovoRapid, Humalog,
Lisprolog & Admelog, or Apidra).
S-A Insulin: Short-Acting Insulin (Actrapid, HumuLin R or S, Insuman Rapid, or
NovoLin R).
Morning Workout:
07:00 – Waking
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C,
30F). Optional 8iu rhGH IM & Post-Prandial 7.5-15iu R/S-A Insulin SubQ (1iu p.
10-20C) (choose between Meal 1 & Post-Workout Shake or Meal). IM Insulin
administrations with breakfast aren’t advised to prevent hypoglycemia during
the workout.
09:30 – Workout: Optional Intra-Workout Shake with Essential Amino Acids
(EAAs) & High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins (HBCDs) (20P, 50C, 0F), if R/S-A Insulin with
Meal 1 exceeds 1iu p. 20C (over 7.5iu in this example)
11:00 – Post-Workout Shake or Meal: Whey or Collagen Protein mixed with
Gatorade & Oatmeal or Fruit, or Chicken / White Fish & White Rice (40P, 150C,
10F). Optional 8iu rhGH IM & Post-Prandial 7.5-15iu R/S-A Insulin SubQ or IM
(1iu p. 10-20C) (choose between Meal 1 & Post-Workout Shake or Meal). Perhaps
up to 15-22.5iu R/S-A Insulin SubQ or IM to cover Meal 2 consumed 1 hour
afterward (7.5-15iu for Post-Workout Shake + up to 7.5iu for Meal 4)
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12:00 – Meal 2: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
14:30 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
17:00 – Meal 4: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C, 30F)
19:30 – Meal 5: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F).
Optional 500mg Berberine.
22:00 – Sleep
Afternoon Workout:
07:00 – Waking
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C,
30F)
10:30 – Meal 2: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
13:00 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F),
Optional 8iu rhGH IM & Post-Prandial 7.5-15iu R/S-A Insulin SubQ or IM (1iu p.
10-20C) (choose between Meal 1 & Post-Workout Shake or Meal)
14:30 – Workout: Optional Intra-Workout Shake with Essential Amino Acids
(EAAs) & High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins (HBCDs) (20P, 50C, 0F), if R/S-A Insulin with
Meal 3 exceeds 1iu p. 20C (over 7.5iu in this example)
16:00 – Post-Workout Shake or Meal: Whey or Collagen Protein mixed with
Gatorade & Oatmeal or Fruit, or Chicken / White Fish & White Rice (40P, 150C,
10F). Optional 8iu rhGH IM & Post-Prandial 7.5-15iu R-A Insulin SubQ or IM (1iu
p. 10-20C) (choose between Meal 1 & Post-Workout Shake or Meal). Perhaps up
to 15-22.5iu R-A Insulin SubQ or IM to cover Meal 4 consumed 1 hour afterward
(up to 15iu for Post-Workout Shake + up to 7.5iu for Meal 4). S-A Insulin shouldn’t
be used after 14:30 due to a duration of action of 5-8 hours.
17:00 – Meal 4: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C, 30F)
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19:30 – Meal 5: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F).
Optional 500mg Berberine.
22:00 – Sleep
Evening Workouts:
07:00 – Waking
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C,
30F)
10:30 – Meal 2: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C, 30F)
13:00 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
15:30 – Meal 4: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F),
Optional 8iu rhGH IM & Post-Prandial 7.5-15iu R-A Insulin SubQ or IM (1iu p. 1020C). S-A Insulin shouldn’t be used after 14:30 due to a duration of action of 58 hours.
17:00 – Workout: Optional Intra-Workout Shake with Essential Amino Acids
(EAAs) & High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins (HBCDs) (20P, 50C, 0F), if R-A Insulin with
Meal 4 exceeds 1iu p. 20C (over 7.5iu in this example)
18:30 – Post-Workout Shake or Meal: Whey or Collagen Protein mixed with
Gatorade & Oatmeal or Fruit, or Chicken / White Fish & White Rice (40P, 150C,
10F). Optional 8iu rhGH IM if Meal 4 included Post-Prandial 7.5-15iu R-A Insulin
SubQ or IM (1iu p. 10-20C), but excluded rhGH (pre-workout Insulin & postworkout rhGH)
19:30 – Meal 5: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F).
Optional 500mg Berberine.
22:00 – Sleep
NOTE: In this offseason evening workout example, there is no rapid/shortacting Insulin post-workout administration, as their duration of action extends
well beyond bedtime!!
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Every Other Day Growth Hormone &
Insulin Protocol
If you’re no longer able to control blood glucose levels with a single high-dose
bolus rhGH pre- or post-workout administration, then you’ll need to switch to
an Every Other Day (EOD) approach going forward. In this case, you calculate
your weekly exogenous Growth Hormone allowance and split the total over 34 post-workout injections. Coach Steve doesn’t advise pre-workout bolus rhGH
administrations over 8iu, as it might severely diminish workout capacity or
result in hypoglycemia towards the end of the workout, even when Insulin is
incorporated alongside Growth Hormone. Coach Steve also advises against
bolus rhGH intravenous injections over 8iu. If you’re using over 8iu rhGH per
day, it’s advised to split up the total dose and administer up to 4iu rhGH preworkout and the remainder post-workout.
Growth Hormone & Rapid/Short-Acting Insulin Days
Suppose you’re currently using 6iu Pharmaceutical Grade Growth Hormone per
day and notice high fasting, post-workout, and post-prandial blood glucose
levels. Then you can divide your weekly budget of 42iu over 3-4x 10-14iu
injections instead. If you worked your way up to 8iu rhGH per day when Insulin
resistance started to manifest, your weekly budget is 56iu, resulting in 3-4x 1419iu injections. Alongside 1iu rapid/short-acting Insulin SubQ or IM postworkout per 20g carbohydrates contained within the post-workout meal.
In order to promote additional fat loss and facilitate a slight performance boost,
you can consider up to 4iu rhGH intramuscularly 1 hour pre-workout, which
shouldn’t require additional rapid/short-acting Insulin to cover the pre-workout
meal. However, advanced and experienced bodybuilders, strength athletes, or
fitness enthusiasts often prefer a pre-workout rapid/short-acting Insulin SubQ
or IM administration at 1iu per 20g carbohydrates as well. The remaining 6-15iu
rhGH is administered intramuscularly directly post-workout alongside
rapid/short-acting Insulin SubQ or IM, spaced approximately 2.5 hours after the
pre-workout rhGH and perhaps Insulin injection. This results in dramatically
elevated serum Growth Hormone concentrations for up to 7 hours, 2 days apart.
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However, the main reason for injecting a high-dose of exogenous rhGH in a
single bolus administration post-workout is to limit the duration that
exogenous Growth Hormone is active in the bloodstream. A single SubQ or IM
injection raises serum concentrations for 4-4.5 hours, minimizing the potential
to develop Growth Hormone-induced Insulin resistance. This is significantly
less compared to the 7 hours from 2x SubQ or IM rhGH injection pre- & postworkout every other day, or multiple low-dose administrations every day, which
moderately elevate GH levels in the bloodstream for up to 18 hours per day.
Another strategy, which is extremely beneficial to improve lagging body parts,
is by splitting the weekly budget out over 3 major muscle groups that you’re
trying to improve. Suppose your weekly allowance is 42iu rhGH, and you’re
trying to improve Chest, Legs, and Arms. In this example, you could break the
bolus high-dose rhGH administrations down the following way:
• Chest: 14iu post-workout, or 3iu pre-workout and 11iu post-workout.
• Legs: 18iu post-workout, or 4iu pre-workout and 14iu post-workout.
• Arms: 10iu post-workout, or 2iu pre-workout and 8iu post-workout.
In case your weekly allowance is 56iu rhGH, and you’re trying to improve Back,
Shoulders, and Hamstrings, because you spaced Hamstrings away from your
Quads and train them separately. In this example, you could break the bolus
high-dose rhGH administrations down the following way:
• Back: 22iu post-workout, or 4iu pre-workout and 18iu post-workout.
• Shoulders: 18iu post-workout, or 4iu pre-workout and 14iu post-workout.
• Hamstrings: 16iu post-workout, or 4iu pre-workout and 12iu post-workout.
Rapid/short-acting Insulin can be administered pre- and post-workout
assuming you have a fundamental understanding of your blood glucose levels
before you switch to bolus high-dose rhGH injections. In most cases, bolus highdose rhGH IM directly post-workout with post-prandial rapid/short-acting
Insulin SubQ following the post-workout meal or shake is sufficient to maintain
glucose homeostasis. While your post-workout shake or meal is digesting, the
bolus Growth Hormone injection will cause minor-moderate Insulin resistance
for as long as exogenous rhGH remains active in the bloodstream.
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Advanced and experienced athletes can consider 1iu rapid/short-acting Insulin
by SubQ or IM administration per 10-20g carbohydrates contained within the
pre-workout meal, with up to 4iu rhGH by IM administration, both 1 hour preworkout. At the same time, the enhanced individual can consider up to 1iu
rapid/short-acting Insulin by post-prandial IM administration per 10-20g
carbohydrates contained within the post-workout meal or shake, while the
remainder of the bolus rhGH is administered IM directly post-workout! In most
cases, 1iu rapid/short-acting Insulin for every 13-20g post-workout
carbohydrates will suffice as intense hypertrophy-specific workouts promote
GLUT4 translocation, which allows the muscle cells to absorb glucose without
the need for Insulin.
Suppose the weekly allowance is 56iu rhGH, and you’re trying to improve
Shoulders, Arms, and Quads because you spaced Quads away from your
Hamstrings and train them separately. You adjusted your carbohydrate
accordingly because you’re carb-cycling based on activity levels. You could
break the bolus high-dose rhGH and Insulin administrations according to
carbohydrate intake down the following way:
• Shoulders: 4iu rhGH IM & 5-10iu Insulin SubQ for 100g carbs 1 hour preworkout, 14iu rhGH IM & 7-15iu Insulin SubQ or IM for 150g carbs post-workout.
• Arms: 4iu rhGH IM & 4-8iu Insulin SubQ for 80g carbs 1 hour pre-workout, 12iu
rhGH IM & 6-12iu Insulin SubQ or IM for 120g carbs post-workout.
• Quads: 4iu rhGH IM & 7.5-15iu Insulin SubQ for 150g carbs 1 hour pre-workout,
18iu rhGH IM & 10-20iu Insulin SubQ or IM for 200g carbs post-workout.
The elevated Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations, following a
single high-dose bolus or double rhGH injection around the workout, alongside
rapid/short-acting Insulin post-workout, improves Insulin sensitivity and
glucose homeostasis in the bloodstream, the liver, brain, kidney & skeletal
muscle cells tremendously. This effect lasts for the next 24-36 hours, during
which time exogenous rhGH administrations should be avoided. To prevent
subsequent Insulin resistance induced by elevated serum Growth Hormone
concentrations from consecutive rhGH injections, keeping IGF-1 facilitated
improved Insulin sensitivity at an all-time high!
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Before you incorporate this narrowly-timed exogenous rhGH & Insulin Protocol,
it’s imperative to assess how your blood glucose levels respond to a bolus rhGH
administration by itself, without the presence of food or exogenous Insulin.
Monitor your blood glucose levels directly post-workout before injecting a
bolus high-dose of Growth Hormone. Also, confirm that your blood glucose
levels are still within the established reference range at 1, 2, 3 & 4 hours postadministration, without consuming any food or using rapid/short-acting Insulin
to cover some of the carbs (in the meal you didn’t eat). To assess how a bolus
high-dose of Growth Hormone raises blood glucose levels by itself postworkout.
By running this experiment several times during the week, following workouts
where you expect to administer bolus rhGH with rapid/short-acting Insulin and
carbohydrates post-workout, in order to improve a particular body part, you get
a fundamental understanding of how a specific body part affects post-workout
blood glucose levels differently. Each muscle group translocate GLUT4 and
modulates glucose uptake at different rates in the absence of dietary
carbohydrates or exogenous Insulin. Write everything down in your personal
blood glucose logbook and adjust your post-workout nutrition & rapid/shortacting Insulin dosing accordingly!
In most cases, a bolus rhGH administration will raise blood glucose levels
slightly in the absence of food due to lipolysis and subsequent
gluconeogenesis of the liberated glycerol backbone. These marginal changes
should drop to baseline within 2-3 hours. If that doesn’t happen, you either
don’t train hard enough, which means you won’t be eligible to utilize a
significant amount of the bolus rhGH anyway. Or, your glycogen stores are
overly saturated, and you’re impeding skeletal muscle glucose uptake,
downregulating Insulin sensitivity.
Exogenous Growth Hormone is only active in the bloodstream for
approximately 4-4.5 hours post-administration. During this time, it promotes
IGF-1 production in the liver until rhGH gets metabolized completely. Given that
carbohydrate intake is regulated based on activity levels and glycogen stores
aren’t chronically saturated, the short duration in which bolus high-dose rhGH
induces minor Insulin resistance is overwritten by exogenous Insulin, improved
Insulin sensitivity from elevated IGF-1 concentrations from the bolus rhGH
administrations 2 days prior, and GLUT4 translocation following an intense
workout.
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This statement holds true for Every Other Day administrations, either a single
bolus high-dose rhGH injection post-workout or a medium-dose & remainder
bolus high-dose rhGH injection pre- & post-workout. In the latter case, serum
GH remains elevated for around 7-8 hours, perhaps 3-4x per week, which isn’t
enough time to develop severe Insulin resistance that lasts throughout the
following days!
Intermediate/Long-Acting Insulin (Non-rhGH) Days
In order to benefit from the improved Insulin sensitivity, or at least maintain
glycemic homeostasis while serum IGF-1 levels remain elevated for 24-36 hours
following a high-dose bolus rhGH administration, intermediate/long-acting
Insulin can be used to help shuttle nutrients into the muscle cells of the body
parts trained the day(s) prior. Insulin Glargine (Basaglar, Lantus, Toujeo)
specifically has been shown to raise serum IGF-1 concentrations the most out
of all commercially available Insulin formulations. Insulin Degludec (Tresiba)
shouldn’t be used as it has a 42 hour Active Life. Ideally, exogenous Insulin is
completely metabolized, and serum IGF-1 concentrations have returned to
baseline before another high-dose bolus rhGH administration.
For more information about Insulin Glargine (Basaglar, Lantus, Toujeo)
formulations, consider purchasing the “Comprehensive Guide to Responsible
Insulin
use”
eBook
on
The
VigorousSteve.com
Shop:
www.vigoroussteve.com/shop/
In this protocol, long-acting Insulin Glargine is administered in a single dose
upon waking on days where Growth Hormone & rapid/short-acting Insulin
aren’t used. Exogenous rhGH & rapid/short-acting Insulin on lagging body part
days, and intermediate/long-acting Insulin upon waking on the developed body
part days or rest days. The generally recommended starting dose for
intermediate/long-acting Insulin is 5iu SubQ upon waking. Since it takes
approximately 1 hour for intermediate/long-acting Insulin to lower blood
glucose levels moderately, fasted cardio can be performed between the Insulin
injection and breakfast.
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Similar to your personal glucose logbook, containing baseline readings before
using exogenous Insulin, make sure you monitor your blood glucose levels
upon waking, 2 hours after meals, directly post-workout, and before bed. These
measurements will give you insight into how your blood glucose levels change
throughout the day after incorporating intermediate/long-acting Insulin into
your protocol. This also highlights at which point(s) during the day blood
glucose readings are typically the lowest.
Given that all readings are comparable to the blood glucose readings noted in
your personal glucose logbook with baseline measurements before
incorporating intermediate/long-acting Insulin, the dose can be increased with
5iu increments at consecutive administrations until individual blood glucose
readings fall towards the bottom of the healthy reference range. Frequent
measurements of blood glucose levels throughout the day allow for careful
manipulations of each meal’s macro- & micro-nutrients separately to keep
blood glucose concentrations sustained while intermediate/long-acting
Insulin remains active.
Coach Steve must emphasize that your personal glucose logbook should have
at least 1 weeks’ worth of readings before using intermediate/long-acting
Insulin directly upon waking and performing fasted cardio before breakfast.
This gives you a measurable comparison of how your readings are changing
after exogenous Insulin. Ideally, the day after intermediate/long-acting Insulin,
your fasting blood glucose levels are comparable to the baseline
measurements in your glucose log, given you had normal Insulin sensitivity
prior to incorporating exogenous Insulin. Once you’ve maximized your results
on 1iu intermediate/long-acting Insulin per 20g carbohydrates consumed over
the course of the day, you can increase the dose to 1iu per 16g carbs, then 1iu
per 13g carbs, and lastly 1iu per 10g carbs per day. These increases are under
the assumption that you don’t experience ANY symptoms of hypoglycemia at
ANY point during the day, and your 2 hour post-prandial blood glucose readings
remain relatively similar to your baseline readings in your personal glucose
logbook.
Advanced and experienced bodybuilders, strength athletes, or fitness
enthusiasts, who consume very large amounts of carbohydrates during their
offseason, yet remain around a 75-80% glycogen loaded state, might end up at
50iu intermediate/long-acting Insulin or more on their intermediate/longacting Insulin (non-rhGH) days.
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Every Other Day Bolus High-Dose GH & Insulin Examples
Advanced and experienced bodybuilders, strength athletes, or fitness
enthusiasts who administer a bolus high-dose rhGH with rapid/short-acting
Insulin on lagging body part workout days and intermediate/long-acting
Insulin on other days do so under the generally recommended guidelines
mentioned above. Below are several examples that mention the overall macronutrient breakdown of the diet, food sources, meal timing in relation to
workouts, and Insulin timing with regard to meals. These examples display
OPTIONAL pre-workout or post-workout exogenous rhGH & Insulin dosages and
administrations; they aren’t mandatory during the offseason. You’ll have to
CHOOSE between either pre-workout & post-workout rhGH administrations or
the full bolus high-dose rhGH injection by itself post-workout.
The athlete is approximately 120kg or 265lbs at 12% body fat, consumes
approximately 5,500 calories per day during the offseason, spread out over 5
solid meals and 1 post-workout shake or meal. Containing about 250g Protein
(P), 850g Carbohydrates (C), and 120g Fats (F) in total. On rest days, the athlete
reduces carbohydrate intake to 500g per day while keeping the other macronutrients the same, resulting in about 4,000 calories.
The athlete reached 4x 2iu rhGH administrations per day when signs of Insulin
resistance became apparent, resulting in a daily total of 8iu rhGH. At 8iu rhGH
per day, Insulin resistance wasn’t resolved, forcing the athlete to switch to an
EOD rhGH approach. Their weekly allowance was 56-57iu rhGH, resulting in 19iu
3x per week. Lagging body parts are Chest, Back, and Quads. The athlete
performs daily fasted cardio to acclimatize to the ever-increasing body weight,
boost appetite, improve Insulin sensitivity, and facilitate a bit of fat loss in the
process.
rhGH: recombinant human Growth Hormone
R/S-A Insulin: Rapid/Short-Acting Insulin (Fiasp, NovoLog, NovoRapid, Humalog,
Lisprolog & Admelog, Apidra, Actrapid, HumuLin R or S, Insuman Rapid, or
NovoLin R)
R-A Insulin: Rapid-Acting Insulin (Fiasp, NovoLog, NovoRapid, Humalog,
Lisprolog & Admelog, or Apidra)
S-A Insulin: Short-Acting Insulin (Actrapid, HumuLin R or S, Insuman Rapid, or
NovoLin R)
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I/L-A Insulin: Intermediate/Long-Acting Insulin (Gensulin N, Humulin N or NPH,
Iletin NPH, Insulatard, Novolin N or NPH, Protaphane, ReliOn, SciLin N, Basaglar,
Lantus, Toujeo, or Levemir, not Tresiba)
Morning Workout (GH & R/S-A Insulin Days):
07:00 – Waking
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C,
30F). Optional 4iu rhGH IM & Post-Prandial 7.5-15iu R/S-A Insulin SubQ (1iu p.
10-20C). IM Insulin administrations with breakfast aren’t advised to prevent
hypoglycemia during the workout.
09:30 – Workout: Optional Intra-Workout Shake with Essential Amino Acids
(EAAs) & High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins (HBCDs) (20P, 50C, 0F), if R/S-A Insulin with
Meal 1 exceeds 1iu p. 20C (over 7.5iu in this example)
11:00 – Post-Workout Shake or Meal: Whey or Collagen Protein mixed with
Gatorade & Oatmeal or Fruit, or Chicken / White Fish & White Rice (40P, 150C,
10F). 15-19iu rhGH IM (15iu rhGH if Meal 1 already had 4iu rhGH & 7.5-15iu R/A
Insulin pre-workout) & Post-Prandial 7.5-15iu R/S-A Insulin SubQ or IM (1iu p.
10-20C). Perhaps up to 15-22.5iu R/S-A Insulin SubQ or IM to cover Meal 2
consumed 1 hour afterward (7.5-15iu for Post-Workout Shake + up to 7.5iu for
Meal 2)
12:00 – Meal 2: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
14:30 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
17:00 – Meal 4: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C, 30F)
19:30 – Meal 5: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F).
Optional 500mg Berberine.
22:00 – Sleep
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Morning Workout (I/L-A Insulin Days):
07:00 – Waking: 42-85iu I/L-A Insulin SubQ (1iu p. 10-20C). Optional 500mg
Berberine.
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C,
30F)
09:30 – Workout: Optional Intra-Workout Shake with Essential Amino Acids
(EAAs) & High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins (HBCDs) (20P, 50C, 0F)
11:00 – Post-Workout Shake or Meal: Whey or Collagen Protein mixed with
Gatorade & Oatmeal or Fruit, or Chicken / White Fish & White Rice (40P, 150C,
10F)
12:00 – Meal 2: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
14:30 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
17:00 – Meal 4: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C, 30F)
19:30 – Meal 5: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F)
22:00 – Sleep
Afternoon Workout (GH & R/S-A Insulin Days):
07:00 – Waking
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C,
30F)
10:30 – Meal 2: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
13:00 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F),
Optional 4iu rhGH IM & Post-Prandial 7.5-15iu R/S-A Insulin SubQ or IM (1iu p.
10-20C)
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14:30 – Workout: Optional Intra-Workout Shake with Essential Amino Acids
(EAAs) & High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins (HBCDs) (20P, 50C, 0F), if R/S-A Insulin with
Meal 3 exceeds 1iu p. 20C (over 7.5iu in this example)
16:00 – Post-Workout Shake or Meal: Whey or Collagen Protein mixed with
Gatorade & Oatmeal or Fruit, or Chicken / White Fish & White Rice (40P, 150C,
10F). 15-19iu rhGH IM (15iu rhGH if Meal 3 already had 4iu rhGH & 7.5iu R/A
Insulin pre-workout) & Post-Prandial 7.5-15iu R-A Insulin SubQ or IM (1iu p. 1020C). Perhaps up to 15-22.5iu R-A Insulin SubQ or IM to cover Meal 4 consumed
1 hour afterward (7.5-15iu for Post-Workout Shake + up to 7.5iu for Meal 4). S-A
Insulin shouldn’t be used after 14:30 due to a duration of action of 5-8 hours.
17:00 – Meal 4: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C, 30F)
19:30 – Meal 5: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F).
Optional 500mg Berberine.
22:00 – Sleep
Afternoon Workout (I/L-A Insulin Days):
07:00 – Waking: 42-85iu I/L-A Insulin SubQ (1iu p. 10-20C). Optional 500mg
Berberine.
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C,
30F)
10:30 – Meal 2: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
13:00 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
14:30 – Workout: Optional Intra-Workout Shake with Essential Amino Acids
(EAAs) & High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins (HBCDs) (20P, 50C, 0F)
16:00 – Post-Workout Shake or Meal: Whey or Collagen Protein mixed with
Gatorade & Oatmeal or Fruit, or Chicken / White Fish & White Rice (40P, 150C,
10F)
17:00 – Meal 4: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C, 30F)
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19:30 – Meal 5: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F)
22:00 – Sleep
Evening Workouts (GH & R/S-A Insulin Days):
07:00 – Waking
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C,
30F)
10:30 – Meal 2: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C, 30F)
13:00 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
15:30 – Meal 4: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F),
Optional 4iu rhGH IM & Post-Prandial 7.5-15iu R-A Insulin SubQ or IM (1iu p. 1020C). S-A Insulin shouldn’t be used after 14:30 due to a duration of action of 58 hours.
17:00 – Workout: Optional Intra-Workout Shake with Essential Amino Acids
(EAAs) & High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins (HBCDs) (20P, 50C, 0F), if R-A Insulin with
Meal 4 exceeds 1iu per 20C (over 7.5iu in this example).
18:30 – Post-Workout Shake or Meal: Whey or Collagen Protein mixed with
Gatorade & Oatmeal or Fruit, or Chicken / White Fish & White Rice (40P, 150C,
10F). 15-19iu rhGH IM (15iu rhGH if Meal 4 already had 4iu rhGH & 7.5iu R/A
Insulin pre-workout) if Meal 4 included Post-Prandial 7.5-15iu R-A Insulin SubQ
or IM (1iu p. 10-20C)
19:30 – Meal 5: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F).
Optional 500mg Berberine.
22:00 – Sleep
NOTE: In this offseason evening workout example, there is no rapid/shortacting Insulin post-workout administration, as their duration of action extends
well beyond bedtime!!
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Evening Workouts (I/L-A Insulin Days):
07:00 – Waking: 42-85iu I/L-A Insulin SubQ (1iu p. 10-20C). Optional 500mg
Berberine.
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C,
30F)
10:30 – Meal 2: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C, 30F)
13:00 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
15:30 – Meal 4: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
17:00 – Workout: Optional Intra-Workout Shake with Essential Amino Acids
(EAAs) & High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins (HBCDs) (20P, 50C, 0F)
18:30 – Post-Workout Shake or Meal: Whey or Collagen Protein mixed with
Gatorade & Oatmeal or Fruit, or Chicken / White Fish & White Rice (40P, 150C,
10F)
19:30 – Meal 5: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F)
22:00 – Sleep
Rest Days (I/L-A Insulin Days):
07:00 – Waking: 25-38iu I/L-A Insulin SubQ (1iu p. 13-20C). Optional 500mg
Berberine.
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 100C,
30F)
11:00 – Meal 2: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 100C, 10F)
12:00 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 100C, 10F)
14:30 – Meal 4: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 100C, 10F)
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17:00 – Meal 5: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 100C, 30F)
19:30 – Meal 6: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F)
22:00 – Sleep
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Incorporating IGF-1
Optimizing IGF-1 production inside the liver requires that liver glycogen stores
be depleted entirely, followed by a bolus exogenous Growth Hormone
administration. IGF-1 secretion is further stimulated by glucose uptake and
glycogen storage in the presence of dietary carbohydrates and endogenous or
exogenous Insulin. This is rather difficult to accomplish during the offseason,
as carbohydrate is generally sufficient to maintain liver and skeletal muscle
glycogen stores above 75%. IGF-1 production also diminishes with age, slowly
lowering serum IGF-1 levels until the Insulin sensitizing benefits are
minimized. IGF-1 levels rarely exceed 250ng/ml after 50 years of age.
Unfortunately, the liver can only produce a limited amount of IGF-1 at any given
time, regardless of how high serum Growth Hormone levels are, as high serum
IGF-1 levels, send negative feedback for additional IGF-1 production in the liver.
It’s rare to see serum IGF-1 levels over 500ng/ml unless exogenous IGF-1 is
used. In this protocol, IGF-1 DES isn’t recommended as it’s metabolized rather
quickly; it has a biological Half-Life of approximately 20-30 minutes. However,
the following IGF-1 formulations are suitable as they have a sustained Half-Life
to improve Insulin sensitivity and reduce the requirement for Lantus on NonrhGH days.
• Increlex: Half-Life; 5.8 hours by SubQ administration.
• iPlex: Half-Life; 13.4 hours by SubQ administration.
• Chinese or Indian Generic IGF-1 LR3: Half-Life; 20-30 hours by SubQ
administration, below 20 hours by IM administration.
Exogenous
IGF-1 can be
administered intramuscularly (IM)
on
intermediate/long-acting Insulin (Non-rhGH) days as part of the pre-workout
protocol because endogenous IGF-1 concentrations have been declining after
the high-dose bolus rhGH administration(s). Meaning that serum IGF-1 levels
remained elevated due to the pre- & post-workout rhGH injection the day prior
but only remained marginally elevated on intermediate/long-acting Insulin
days. Consecutive rhGH administrations wouldn’t raise IGF-1 concentrations
further due to the negative feedback loop on additional IGF-1 production within
the liver.
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Exogenous IGF-1 pre-workout by intramuscular administration 2-3x per week
raises and sustains serum IGF-1 levels between bolus high-dose rhGH &
rapid/short-acting Insulin administrations. Promoting additional glucose
homeostasis alongside Insulin Glargine (Basaglar, Lantus, Toujeo) or other
intermediate/long-acting Insulin formulations. Exogenous IGF-1 continues to
improve Insulin sensitivity for hours after a single administration, well after
intermediate/long-acting Insulin metabolizes on the morning of the following
bolus high-dose rhGH & rapid/short-acting Insulin day.
This severely diminishes the requirement for intermediate/long-acting Insulin.
Advanced and experienced bodybuilders, strength athletes, or fitness
enthusiasts, who worked their way up to 1iu intermediate/long-acting Insulin
per 10g carbohydrates consumed over the course of the day, should decrease
the dose to 1iu per 15g carbs to assess glucose homeostasis after incorporating
exogenous IGF-1. Athletes who ended at 1iu per 13-16g carbs should reduce
the dose to 1iu per 20g carbs.
By the time a consecutive high-dose bolus rhGH administration occurs, another
20-24 hours have passed after the previous exogenous IGF-1 LR3 IM
administration. Allowing serum IGF-1 concentrations to drop to the natural
baseline, which doesn’t potentiate a negative feedback loop on additional IGF1 production and secretion from the liver, induced by another exogenous highdose bolus rhGH administration.
Following in the examples mentioned above for high-dose bolus rhGH
administrations, by splitting the weekly Growth Hormone allowance out over 3
lagging body parts, exogenous IGF-1 is incorporated in the following ways.
Weekly allowance of 56iu rhGH, with Shoulders, Arms, and Quads being lagging
body parts, while carb-cycling based on activity levels:
• Shoulders: 4iu rhGH IM & 5-10iu Insulin SubQ for 100g carbs 1 hour preworkout, 14iu rhGH IM & 7.5-15iu Insulin SubQ or IM for 150g carbs postworkout.
• Arms: 4iu rhGH IM & 4-8iu Insulin SubQ for 80g carbs 1 hour pre-workout, 12iu
rhGH IM & 6-12iu Insulin SubQ or IM for 120g carbs post-workout.
• Quads: 4iu rhGH IM & 7.5-15iu Insulin SubQ for 150g carbs 1 hour pre-workout,
18iu rhGH IM & 10-20iu Insulin SubQ or IM for 200g carbs post-workout.
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Incorporating intermediate/long-acting Insulin & IGF-1 administrations follow
these guidelines:
• Chest: 1iu intermediate/long-acting Insulin SubQ upon waking per 13-20g
carbohydrates consumed over the day, up to 40mcg Increlex, 200mcg IGF-1 LR3,
or 200mcg iPlex IM 1 hour pre-workout bilaterally.
• Back: 1iu intermediate/long-acting Insulin SubQ upon waking per 13-20g
carbohydrates consumed over the day, up to 40mcg Increlex, 200mcg IGF-1 LR3,
or 200mcg iPlex IM 1 hour pre-workout bilaterally.
• Hamstrings: 1iu intermediate/long-acting Insulin SubQ upon waking per 1320g carbohydrates consumed over the day, up to 40mcg Increlex, 200mcg IGF1 LR3, or 200mcg iPlex IM 1 hour pre-workout bilaterally.
• Rest: 1iu intermediate/long-acting Insulin SubQ upon waking per 13-20g
carbohydrates consumed over the day, 50-100mcg IGF-1 LR3 SubQ upon waking.
In case Trenbolone is used during the offseason, which is known to increase
nutrient partitioning and IGF-1 sensitivity, blood glucose levels might drop
further than expected. Coach Steve implores you to remain on the conservative
side of the Insulin to carbohydrate ratio and remain at 1iu per 20g carbs,
whether that’s on bolus high-dose rhGH & rapid/short-acting Insulin days or
bolus high-dose IGF-1 & intermediate/long-acting Insulin days. Adjust
carbohydrate intake accordingly and keep Gatorade, Pedialyte, or coconut water
on standby at all times to prevent hypoglycemia during the workout!
If everything is micro-managed correctly, then you shouldn’t require rest days
from training. On the days you take bolus high-dose rhGH & carbohydrate
complementary-dose rapid/short-acting Insulin, you’re training the lagging
body parts at maximum intensity. On the days you take bolus high-dose IGF-1
& carbohydrate complementary-dose intermediate/long-acting Insulin, you’re
training muscle groups that don’t require much further development. The
exogenous IGF-1 is in place to improve nutrient partitioning, Insulin sensitivity,
recovery, hypertrophy & hyperplasia for the lagging body-parts you’ve trained
the day prior.
On rest days, consider intermediate/long-acting Insulin at 1iu per 13-20g carbs
and incorporate 50-100mcg IGF-1 LR3 SubQ upon waking to increase Insulin
sensitivity for an extended period of time compared to IM administrations!
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Incorporating Dipeptidyl Peptidase4 Inhibitors
Incretins are a group of metabolic hormones that secrete from several organs
in response to eating. They help to promote Insulin production in conjunction
with serum glucose concentrations. Below are the hormones which are
classified as Incretins and their corresponding secreting cells & organs:
• Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1): secreted by the enteroendocrine cells of the
gastrointestinal tract & pancreas, as well as neurons in the brainstem. GLP-1
enhances Insulin secretion in response to blood glucose levels and
simultaneously inhibits Glucagon secretion.
• Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide (GIP): secreted by the gastrointestinal tract. GIP
inhibits gastric acid secretion and stimulates Insulin & Amylin secretion. It is
also known as Glucose-dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide (GIP).
Growth Factors are a group of metabolic hormones capable of stimulating cell
proliferation (hyperplasia), wound healing, and occasionally cellular
differentiation. Below are several different peptide hormones that are classified
as Growth Factors and their corresponding secreting cells & organs:
• Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF): secreted from the submandibular
(submaxillary) gland and parotid gland and other tissues of the body in
response to serum Testosterone concentrations. EGF stimulates cell growth and
differentiation in the skin.
• Erythropoietin (EPO): secreted from the kidneys in response to serum
Testosterone concentrations. EPO stimulates Red Blood Cell (RBC) production
in the bone marrow.
• Insulin: secreted from the pancreatic beta cells in response to incretins and
serum glucose concentrations. Insulin stimulates nutrient uptake in all cells of
the body.
• Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1): secreted from the liver in response to
serum Growth Hormone concentrations and secreted from skeletal muscle in
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response to strenuous workouts. IGF-1 stimulates systemic growth in almost
every cell of the body, especially in skeletal muscle, cartilage, bone, kidney,
nerves, and skin. The liver and lung cells also respond to IGF-1, albeit to a lower
extent compared to other tissues. IGF-1 also contributes to cellular DNA
Synthesis, needed for cell proliferation.
Incretins & Growth Factors are rapidly metabolized by the Dipeptidyl Peptidase4 (DPP-4) enzymes, which are expressed on the cell membrane of most cell
types. Unlike cell membrane receptors, this DPP-4 enzyme lacks the
intracellular and transmembrane part and only functions extracellularly,
cleaving peptide proteins that can’t be broken by protease enzymes. DPP-4 is
also present in the bloodstream and other bodily fluids. Besides GLP-1 & GIP,
the DPP-4 enzymes also metabolize Growth Factors like Insulin, Insulin-like
Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-2), Erythropoietin
(EPO), Chemokines, Neuropeptides, and Vasoactive Peptides.
Keep in mind that Growth Hormone is not a Growth Factor itself but promotes
Growth Factor secretion in several different organs, namely IGF-1 from the liver.
However, Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH) is a substrate for the
DPP-4 enzymes. Inhibiting DPP-4 reduces GHRH metabolism, allowing for
extended Growth Hormone production and secretion from the pituitary gland.
Oral Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors (DPP-4Is) work by reducing DPP-4 activity
on the cell membrane and within the bloodstreams, extending the Active Life
of Incretins, Growth Factors, and other substrates for the enzyme. Below is a list
of DPP-4Is which are FDA Approved, their medical names, available brands,
biological Half-Life, and their corresponding recommended dosage for
individuals with Type 2 Diabetes:
• Alogliptin (Nesina): Half-Life; 21 hours, 25mg once per day.
• Anagliptin (Suiny): Half-Life; 6.6-17 hours, 100-200mg twice per day.
• Berberine: Half-Life; 2-5 hours, 500mg once or twice per day.
• Evogliptin (Suganon): Half-Life; 33-39 hours, 5mg once per day.
• Gemigliptin (Zemiglo): Half-Life; 17.1-24 hours, 50mg once per day.
• Gosogliptin (SatRx): Half-Life; unknown, 20mg once per day.
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• Linagliptin (Tradjenta): Half-Life; 12 hours, 5mg once per day. Linagliptin is
often combined with Empagliflozin, which promotes glucose excretion through
the Kidneys. Empagliflozin is a Sodium/Glucose Cotransporter 2 (SGLT2)
Inhibitor.
• Omarigliptin (Marizev & MK-3102): Half-Life; 120 hours, 12.5-25mg once
weekly.
• Saxagliptin (Onglyza): Half-Life; 2.5-3.1 hours, 2.5-5mg once per day.
• Sitagliptin (Januvia): Half-Life; 8-14 hours, 100mg once per day. The most
commonly prescribed DPP-4I in the western world. Sitagliptin is often
combined with Ertugliflozin, which promotes glucose excretion through the
Kidneys. Ertugliflozin is a Sodium/Glucose Cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) Inhibitor.
• Teneligliptin (Tenelia): Half-Life; 24.2 hours, 20mg once per day.
• Trelagliptin (Zafatek): Half-Life; 38.5-54.6 hours, 100mg once per day.
• Vildagliptin (Galvus): Half-Life; 1.3 to 2.4 hours, 50mg once or twice per day.
SPECIAL NOTE: Several animal and human organ studies showed that Dipeptidyl
Peptidase-4 Inhibitors increased the risk of pancreatic cancer development. As
of the writing of this eBook, the United States Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA), have not reached a consensus
regarding the potential relationship between DPP-4Is and pancreatitis.
If you decide to incorporate DPP-4 Inhibitors, make sure that you experience
the effects of exogenous Growth Hormone, IGF-1, GLP-1 Receptor agonists, or
Insulin by themselves first, and how these compounds affect your serum
glucose concentrations. The next step is to incorporate a DPP-4 Inhibitor with
a short to moderate Half-Life by itself, without exogenous rhGH, IGF-1, GLP-1
Receptor agonist, or Insulin. To see how a DPP-4 Inhibitor alters your response
to endogenous GH, IGF-1, GLP-1, GIP, and Insulin secretion.
You can easily assess the changes with a serum Growth Hormone, IGF-1, and
glucose tolerance test. Once you have a fundamental understanding of how
your body responds to a DPP-4 Inhibitor with a short to moderate Half-Life, you
can re-introduce exogenous Growth Hormone, IGF-1, Insulin, or a GLP-1
Receptor agonist to assess tolerance.
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Bodybuilders, strength athletes, or fitness enthusiasts should start DPP-4
Inhibitors conservatively at HALF of the lowest range of the recommended dose
for individuals with Type 2 Diabetes. Once tolerance to the selected DPP-4
Inhibitor with a short to moderate Half-Life is assessed through careful
monitoring of your blood glucose levels, in relation to exogenous Growth
Hormone, IGF-1, GLP-1 Receptor agonists, or Insulin administrations, the dose
can be increased to the lowest effective dose for individuals with Type 2
Diabetes. Below is a list to confirm the ranges for DPP-4 Inhibitors with a short
to moderate Half-Life while using exogenous Peptide Hormones in a single
administration per day. Choose a single DPP-4I medication and do not combine
different DPP-4Is to prevent overlap and synergy of action!
rhGH: recombinant human Growth Hormone
IGF-1: Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1 LR3, Increlex, iPlex)
R/S-A Insulin: Rapid/Short-Acting Insulin (Fiasp, NovoLog, NovoRapid, Humalog,
Lisprolog & Admelog, Apidra, Actrapid, HumuLin R or S, Insuman Rapid, or
NovoLin R)
I/L-A Insulin: Intermediate/Long-Acting Insulin (Gensulin N, Humulin N or NPH,
Iletin NPH, Insulatard, Novolin N or NPH, Protaphane, ReliOn, SciLin N, Basaglar,
Lantus, Toujeo, Levemir, or Tresiba)
• Berberine: Half-Life; 2-5 hours, 500mg before bed on rhGH & R/S-A Insulin
days, 500mg upon waking on IGF-1 & I/L-A Insulin days.
• Linagliptin (Tradjenta): Half-Life; 12 hours, 2.5-5mg once per day upon waking
on rhGH & R/S-A Insulin days only! Avoid formulations containing
Empagliflozin.
• Saxagliptin (Onglyza): Half-Life; 2.5-3.1 hours, 1.25-5mg once per day 2 hours
pre-workout on rhGH & R/S-A Insulin days, 1.25-5mg once per day upon waking
or 2 hours pre-workout on IGF-1 & I/L-A Insulin days (only afternoon workouts)
• Sitagliptin (Januvia): Half-Life; 8-14 hours, 50-100mg once per day upon
waking on rhGH & R/S-A Insulin days only! Avoid formulations containing
Empagliflozin.
• Vildagliptin (Galvus): Half-Life; 1.3 to 2.4 hours, 25-50mg once per day 1 hour
pre-workout on rhGH & R/S-A Insulin days, 25-50mg once per day upon waking
or 1 hour pre-workout on IGF-1 & I/L-A Insulin days (only afternoon workouts)
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The following long-acting DPP-4Is aren’t suitable for the protocols discussed in
this eBook, as they have a reasonably extended or unknown Half-Life, which
might result in severe hypoglycemia while sleeping, especially on IGF-1 & I/LA Insulin days:
• Alogliptin (Nesina): Half-Life; 21 hours.
• Anagliptin (Suiny): Half-Life; 6.6-17 hours.
• Evogliptin (Suganon): Half-Life; 33-39 hours.
• Gemigliptin (Zemiglo): Half-Life; 17.1-24 hours.
• Gosogliptin (SatRx): Half-Life; unknown.
• Omarigliptin (Marizev & MK-3102): Half-Life; 120 hours.
• Teneligliptin (Tenelia): Half-Life; 24.2 hours.
• Trelagliptin (Zafatek): Half-Life; 38.5-54.6 hours.
Combining a low-dose DPP-4 Inhibitor with any dose of exogenous Growth
Hormone usually results in slightly higher serum IGF-1 concentrations and
minimizes the chance of Insulin resistance, given carbohydrate intake is
carefully controlled.
Combining a low-dose DPP-4 Inhibitor with any dose or any kind of exogenous
Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 extends its Active-Life and beneficial effects
tremendously! Since IGF-1 itself promotes Insulin sensitivity, while the DPP-4
Inhibitor enhances the effects of endogenous Insulin, the combination might
also lower blood glucose concentrations more than expected, causing
moderate symptoms of hypoglycemia.
Combining a low-dose DPP-4 Inhibitor with a low-dose GLP-1 Receptor agonist,
along with the recommended guidelines for individuals with Type 2 Diabetes,
is relatively safe for advanced bodybuilders, strength athletes, and fitness
enthusiasts, who have a fundamental understanding of their blood glucose
levels, in relation to food intake and activity levels.
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Special attention is required when combining DPP-4Is with Insulin as it
completely changes serum glucose concentrations compared to using
exogenous Insulin or a DPP-4 Inhibitor by itself. Since DPP-4Is reduces Insulin
metabolism, the dose-dependent effects of exogenous Insulin on blood
glucose management become much more pronounced. Simultaneously, the
duration of action also extends (far) beyond the medically established ActiveLives!
DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, COMBINE LONG-ACTING DPP-4 INHIBITORS
WITH INTERMEDIATE-ACTING OR LONG-ACTING INSULIN!!!
Reducing Insulin metabolism overnight while Lantus, Toujeo, Basaglar,
Levemir, or Tresiba are still active, which slowly lower blood glucose levels in
the absence of food, is a recipe for disaster! If you find yourself in a situation
where you combined intermediate/long-acting Insulin with a DPP-4 Inhibitor,
make sure you check your blood glucose levels every 2 hours to make sure
you’re still above the established healthy reference range. This means you will
not be able to sleep for as long as the intermediate/long-acting Insulin remains
active. Most DPP-4 Inhibitors have a 24 hour Half-Life, while most
intermediate/long-acting Insulins have a 14-24 hour Active-Life. This means
you will need to stay awake for at least 24 hours after combining these
compounds to prevent (severe) hypoglycemia. In most cases, consuming meals
with sufficient amounts of protein, low-medium Glycemic Index carbohydrates,
and moderate fats every 2-3 hours, for the following 24 hours, is enough to
maintain blood glucose concentrations. Keep Gatorade, Pedialyte, or coconut
water on standby at all times throughout this experience to restore blood
glucose levels at the first hint of hypoglycemia!!
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Offseason GH, IGF-1, Insulin & DPP4I Protocol Examples
Advanced and experienced bodybuilders, strength athletes, or fitness
enthusiasts, who administer exogenous Growth Hormone & rapid/short-acting
Insulin on days they train lagging body parts and administer exogenous IGF-1
& intermediate/long-acting Insulin on other days while incorporating a DDP-4
Inhibitor on both days do so under the generally recommended guidelines
mentioned above. Rapid/short-acting Insulin can be incorporated pre-cardio at
1-2iu by intramuscular injection. Below are several examples that mention the
overall macro-nutrient breakdown of the diet, food sources, meal timing in
relation to workouts, and Insulin timing in relation to meals. These examples
display OPTIONAL exogenous Insulin dosages and administrations; they aren’t
mandatory during the offseason.
The athlete is approximately 120kg or 265lbs at 12% body fat, consumes 5,500
calories per day during the offseason, spread out over 5 solid meals and 1 postworkout shake or meal. Containing about 250g Protein (P), 850g Carbohydrates
(C), and 120g Fats (F) in total. On rest days, the athlete reduces carbohydrate
intake to 500g per day while keeping the other macro-nutrients the same,
resulting in about 4,000 calories. The weekly allowance is 57iu rhGH; lagging
body parts are Chest, Back, and Quads. The athlete performs daily fasted cardio
to acclimatize to the ever-increasing body weight, boost appetite, improve
Insulin sensitivity, and facilitate a bit of fat loss in the process.
rhGH: recombinant human Growth Hormone
IGF-1: Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1 LR3, Increlex, iPlex)
R/S-A Insulin: Rapid/Short-Acting Insulin (Fiasp, NovoLog, NovoRapid, Humalog,
Lisprolog & Admelog, Apidra, Actrapid, HumuLin R or S, Insuman Rapid, or
NovoLin R)
I/L-A Insulin: Intermediate/Long-Acting Insulin (Gensulin N, Humulin N or NPH,
Iletin NPH, Insulatard, Novolin N or NPH, Protaphane, ReliOn, SciLin N, Basaglar,
Lantus, Toujeo, or Levemir, not Tresiba)
DPP-4I: Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors (Tradjenta, Onglyza, Januvia, or
Galvus)
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Morning Workout (GH, R/S-A Insulin & DPP-4I Days):
07:00 – Waking: Optional 1iu R/S-A Insulin SubQ. Optional 1.25-5mg Onglyza,
2.5-5mg Tradjenta, or 50-100mg Januvia DPP-4I orally.
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C,
30F). Optional 4iu rhGH IM & Post-Prandial 7.5-10iu R/S-A Insulin SubQ (1iu p.
15-20C). IM Insulin administrations with breakfast aren’t advised to prevent
hypoglycemia during the workout. Optional 25-50mg Galvus DPP-4I orally.
09:30 – Workout: Optional Intra-Workout Shake with Essential Amino Acids
(EAAs) & High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins (HBCDs) (20P, 50C, 0F), if R/S-A Insulin with
Meal 1 exceeds 1iu p. 20C (over 7.5iu in this example)
11:00 – Post-Workout Shake or Meal: Whey or Collagen Protein mixed with
Gatorade & Oatmeal or Fruit, or Chicken / White Fish & White Rice (40P, 150C,
10F). 15-19iu rhGH IM (15iu rhGH if Meal 1 already had 4iu rhGH & 7.5-10iu R/A
Insulin pre-workout) & Post-Prandial 7.5-10iu R/S-A Insulin SubQ or IM (1iu p.
15-20C). Perhaps up to 15-17.5iu R/S-A Insulin SubQ or IM to cover Meal 2
consumed 1 hour afterward (7.5-10iu for Post-Workout Shake + up to 7.5iu for
Meal 2)
12:00 – Meal 2: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
14:30 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
17:00 – Meal 4: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C, 30F)
19:30 – Meal 5: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F).
Optional 500mg Berberine.
22:00 – Sleep
Morning Workout (IGF-1, I/L-A Insulin & DPP-4I Days):
07:00 – Waking: 42-57iu I/L-A Insulin SubQ (1iu p. 15-20C). Optional 500mg
Berberine, 1.25-5mg Onglyza, 2.5-5mg Tradjenta, or 50-100mg Januvia DPP-4I
orally.
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Page 45 of 62
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C,
30F). Up to 40mcg Increlex, 200mcg IGF-1 LR3, or 200mcg iPlex IM bilaterally.
Optional 25-50mg Galvus DPP-4I orally.
09:30 – Workout: Optional Intra-Workout Shake with Essential Amino Acids
(EAAs) & High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins (HBCDs) (20P, 50C, 0F)
11:00 – Post-Workout Shake or Meal: Whey or Collagen Protein mixed with
Gatorade & Oatmeal or Fruit, or Chicken / White Fish & White Rice (40P, 150C,
10F)
12:00 – Meal 2: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
14:30 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
17:00 – Meal 4: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C, 30F)
19:30 – Meal 5: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F)
22:00 – Sleep
Afternoon Workout (GH, R/S-A Insulin & DPP-4I Days):
07:00 – Waking: Optional 1iu R/S-A Insulin SubQ. Optional 2.5-5mg Tradjenta or
50-100mg Januvia DPP-4I orally.
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C,
30F)
10:30 – Meal 2: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F).
13:00 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F),
Optional 4iu rhGH IM & Post-Prandial 7.5-10iu R/S-A Insulin SubQ or IM (1iu p.
15-20C). Optional 25-50mg Galvus or 1.25-5mg Onglyza DPP-4I orally.
14:30 – Workout: Optional Intra-Workout Shake with Essential Amino Acids
(EAAs) & High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins (HBCDs) (20P, 50C, 0F), if R/S-A Insulin with
Meal 3 exceeds 1iu p. 20C (over 7.5iu in this example)
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Page 46 of 62
16:00 – Post-Workout Shake or Meal: Whey or Collagen Protein mixed with
Gatorade & Oatmeal or Fruit, or Chicken / White Fish & White Rice (40P, 150C,
10F). 15-19iu rhGH IM (15iu rhGH if Meal 3 already had 4iu rhGH & 7.5-10iu R/A
Insulin pre-workout) & Post-Prandial 7.5-10iu R-A Insulin SubQ or IM (1iu p. 1520C). Perhaps up to 15-17.5iu R-A Insulin SubQ or IM to cover Meal 4 consumed
1 hour afterward (7.5-10iu for Post-Workout Shake + up to 7.5iu for Meal 4). S-A
Insulin shouldn’t be used after 14:30 due to a duration of action of 5-8 hours.
17:00 – Meal 4: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C, 30F)
19:30 – Meal 5: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F).
Optional 500mg Berberine.
22:00 – Sleep
Afternoon Workout (IGF-1, I/L-A Insulin & DPP-4I Days):
07:00 – Waking: 42-57iu I/L-A Insulin SubQ (1iu p. 15-20C). Optional 500mg
Berberine, 25-50mg 2.5-5mg Tradjenta or 50-100mg Januvia DPP-4I orally.
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C,
30F)
10:30 – Meal 2: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
13:00 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F).
Up to 40mcg Increlex, 200mcg IGF-1 LR3, or 200mcg iPlex IM bilaterally.
Optional 25-50mg Galvus or 1.25-5mg Onglyza DPP-4I orally.
14:30 – Workout: Optional Intra-Workout Shake with Essential Amino Acids
(EAAs) & High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins (HBCDs) (20P, 50C, 0F)
16:00 – Post-Workout Shake or Meal: Whey or Collagen Protein mixed with
Gatorade & Oatmeal or Fruit, or Chicken / White Fish & White Rice (40P, 150C,
10F)
17:00 – Meal 4: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C, 30F)
19:30 – Meal 5: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F)
Copyright (c) Vigorous Steve 2021 www.vigoroussteve.com
Page 47 of 62
22:00 – Sleep
Evening Workouts (GH, R/S-A Insulin & DPP-4I Days):
07:00 – Waking: Optional 1iu R/S-A Insulin SubQ. Optional 2.5-5mg Tradjenta or
50-100mg Januvia DPP-4I orally.
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C,
30F)
10:30 – Meal 2: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C, 30F)
13:00 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
15:30 – Meal 4: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F),
Optional 4iu rhGH IM & Post-Prandial 7.5-10iu R-A Insulin SubQ or IM (1iu p. 1520C). S-A Insulin shouldn’t be used after 14:30 due to a duration of action of 58 hours. Optional 25-50mg Galvus or 1.25-5mg Onglyza DPP-4I orally.
17:00 – Workout: Optional Intra-Workout Shake with Essential Amino Acids
(EAAs) & High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins (HBCDs) (20P, 50C, 0F), if R-A Insulin with
Meal 4 exceeds 1iu per 20C (over 7.5iu in this example).
18:30 – Post-Workout Shake or Meal: Whey or Collagen Protein mixed with
Gatorade & Oatmeal or Fruit, or Chicken / White Fish & White Rice (40P, 150C,
10F). 15-19iu rhGH IM (15iu rhGH if Meal 4 already had 4iu rhGH & 7.5-10iu R/A
Insulin pre-workout) if Meal 4 included Post-Prandial 7.5-10iu R-A Insulin SubQ
or IM (1iu p. 15-20C)
19:30 – Meal 5: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F).
Optional 500mg Berberine.
22:00 – Sleep
NOTE: In this offseason evening workout example, there is no rapid/shortacting Insulin post-workout administration, as their duration of action extends
well beyond bedtime!!
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Page 48 of 62
Evening Workouts (IGF-1, I/L-A Insulin & DPP-4I Days):
07:00 – Waking: 42-57iu I/L-A Insulin SubQ (1iu p. 15-20C). Optional 500mg
Berberine, 25-50mg 2.5-5mg Tradjenta or 50-100mg Januvia DPP-4I orally.
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C,
30F)
10:30 – Meal 2: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 150C, 30F)
13:00 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F)
15:30 – Meal 4: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 150C, 10F).
Up to 40mcg Increlex, 200mcg IGF-1 LR3, or 200mcg iPlex IM bilaterally.
Optional 25-50mg Galvus or 1.25-5mg Onglyza DPP-4I orally.
17:00 – Workout: Optional Intra-Workout Shake with Essential Amino Acids
(EAAs) & High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins (HBCDs) (20P, 50C, 0F)
18:30 – Post-Workout Shake or Meal: Whey or Collagen Protein mixed with
Gatorade & Oatmeal or Fruit, or Chicken / White Fish & White Rice (40P, 150C,
10F)
19:30 – Meal 5: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F)
22:00 – Sleep
Rest Days (IGF-1, I/L-A Insulin & DPP-4I Days):
07:00 – Waking: 25-38iu I/L-A Insulin SubQ (1iu p. 13-20C). Optional 50-100mcg
IGF-1 LR3 SubQ. Optional 500mg Berberine, 25-50mg Galvus, 1.25-5mg Onglyza,
25-50mg 2.5-5mg Tradjenta or 50-100mg Januvia DPP-4I orally.
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 100C,
30F)
11:00 – Meal 2: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 100C, 10F)
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12:00 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 100C, 10F)
14:30 – Meal 4: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (35P, 100C, 10F)
17:00 – Meal 5: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (40P, 100C, 30F)
19:30 – Meal 6: Beef, Avocado, Sweet Potato & Vegetables (40P, 50C, 30F)
22:00 – Sleep
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Page 50 of 62
Incorporating Mini-Diets
At one point, no matter how carefully you manipulate your carbohydrate intake,
your energy expenditure, and your selected Performance Enhancing Drugs
(PEDs), regardless if you’re doing daily fasted cardio or not, there comes the
point where you WILL lose Insulin sensitivity. The loss of Insulin sensitivity, or
moderate Insulin resistance, comes from the reasonably higher and frequent
administrations of exogenous Growth Hormone and chronically elevated serum
Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations.
Even if you didn’t use exogenous IGF-1, Every Other Day (EOD) bolus high-dose
rhGH injections raise serum IGF-1 for the majority of the time, eventually
leading to loss of IGF-1 sensitivity. While this might take several weeks to occur,
using exogenous IGF-1 tremendously speeds up the rate of sensitivity loss,
requiring you to cycle IGF-1 in and out in a 3-4 weeks on and 1-2 weeks off
approach.
For more information about cycling exogenous IGF-1 to maintain sensitivity,
consider purchasing the “Comprehensive Guide to Growth Hormone | Insulinlike
Growth
Factor-1”
eBook
on
The
VigorousSteve.com
Shop:
www.vigoroussteve.com/shop/
Once you’ve made all the progress you were able to make on your current
growth phase and notice you’re losing Insulin or IGF-1 sensitivity, even though
you’ve utilized the protocols discussed in this eBook, it’s time to take a break
from high carbohydrate intake and reasonably high PED intake and follow a 2
week mini-diet to reset your body for another offseason growth phase. During
the mini-diet, reduce carbohydrate intake to 50% of the carbohydrate you were
consuming on your rest days. You’ll simultaneously discontinue ALL Peptide
Hormones, including; rhGH, GH Secratagogoues, Modified GH Peptides, IGF-1,
Mechano Growth Factor (MGF), Insulin & GLP-1 Receptor Agonists. Exclude DPP4 Inhibitors (including Berberine) as well!
Ideally, you schedule this 2 week mini-diet with a Deload, where you take a full
week off from training or train with 50% intensity and volume. This allows your
CNS to recover, resolve nagging micro-injuries, and gives your physique much
needed extra rest to catch up on muscle recovery as well.
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The Deload occurs at the start of the second week of the mini-diet when
glycogen stores are already moderately depleted from a full week of
carbohydrate restriction. You shouldn’t notice a significant drop in performance
during the first week of the mini-diet; keep training at maximum intensity until
glycogen stores deplete, then schedule your Deload!
Assuming you were cycling carbohydrates based on activity level, allowing for
500g carbohydrates on your rest day, but workout days allowed between 500850g carbohydrates. During the 2 week mini-diet, you’ll reduce carbohydrate
intake to 250g per day. This is a significant drop in overall caloric intake, which
probably requires you to raise protein intake to approximately 3g per 1kg or
1.35g per 1lbs of body weight.
The examples specified in the sections above go by an athlete that is
approximately 120kg or 265lbs at 12% body fat, consumes about 4,000-5,500
calories per day during the offseason, spread out over 5 solid meals, and 1 postworkout shake or meal. Containing about 250g protein, between 500-850g
carbohydrates, and 120g fats in total on workout or rest days. Below is an
example that mentions the diet's overall macro-nutrient breakdown and food
sources that the athlete can follow during this 2 week mini-diet.
The same athlete would follow a mini-diet consisting of about 360g protein,
250g carbohydrates, and 120g fats in total. This reduces overall caloric intake
from 5,500 calories per day at it’s highest, 4,000 calories per day on rest days at
it’s lowest, to 3,500 calories per day continuously for 2 weeks. This results in an
average reduction of about 1,000-1,200 calories per day, depending on how
medium-day carbohydrate intake was designed during the offseason growth
phase. Going forward; the athletes consume 3,500 calories per day for 2 weeks
continuously, without ANY caloric increase until the next offseason growth
phase.
Mini-Diet Days:
07:00 – Waking
07:15 – Fasted Cardio
08:00 – Meal 1: Whole Eggs, Egg Whites, White Rice & Vegetables (60P, 50C, 30F)
11:00 – Meal 2: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (60P, 50C, 10F)
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Page 52 of 62
12:00 – Meal 3: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (60P, 50C, 10F)
14:30 – Meal 4: Chicken / White Fish, White Rice & Vegetables (60P, 50C, 10F)
17:00 – Meal 5: Salmon, White Rice & Vegetables (60P, 40C, 30F)
19:30 – Meal 6: Beef, Avocado & Vegetables (60P, 10C, 30F). Optional 500mg
Metformin (XR)
22:00 – Sleep
During this period of caloric restriction to deplete glycogen stores, improve
Insulin sensitivity and IGF-1 sensitivity, you can continue with your usual
Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids (AAS), Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators
(SARMs), Aromatase Inhibitors (AIs), 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors (5-ARIs),
Blood Pressure Medications, etc. However, ALL Peptide Hormones & DPP-4
Inhibitors (including Berberine) are discontinued.
If you want to restore Insulin & IGF-1 sensitivity faster, consider using 500850mg standard- or extended-release Metformin (Glucophage) before bed.
Metformin reduces gastric emptying, and the amount of glucose the liver
releases into the bloodstream. This causes a downwards effect of improving
Insulin sensitivity because blood glucose levels remain considerably more
stable following a meal with carbohydrates, reducing bolus Insulin secretion
from the pancreas directly following meals. Metformin also severely impairs
IGF-1 production in the liver with prolonged use, a far more pronounced
reduction compared to SERMs or Berberine. Serum IGF-1 concentrations drop to
as little as 80ng/mL within 2 weeks of using 500-850mg Metformin before bed.
Although this side effect isn’t desired when you’re using exogenous rhGH or
IGF-1 to improve recovery, anabolism & hyperplasia, it can be beneficial to
improve IGF-1 sensitivity faster during the time you’ve cycled off exogenous
rhGH & IGF-1 temporarily. 500-850mg Metformin (XR) before bed for 2 weeks
during a mini-diet lowers serum IGF-1 concentrations and improves Insulin
sensitivity. Over time, this increases IGF-1 & Insulin Receptor density on
skeletal muscle cells and completely restores sensitivity to baseline before
incorporating exogenous rhGH, IGF-1 & Insulin again during the next offseason
growth phase.
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Page 53 of 62
DO NOT TAKE METFORMIN BEFORE BED WHEN USING INTERMEDIATE-ACTING OR
LONG-ACTING INSULINS, OR DPP-4 INHIBITORS!!!
Once the athlete has completed their 2 week mini-diet and feels Insulin & IGF1 sensitivity has been restored, while scheduling a deload in the second week
of the diet, they simply continue their diet and training where they left off at
the end of their previous offseason growth phase. Strength shouldn’t have
declined significantly, although body weight might’ve come down by about 5%,
for example; a 100kg or 220lbs athlete might end up around 95kg or 210lbs, a
110kg or 243lbs athlete might end up around 105kg or 230lbs, and a 120kg or
265lbs athlete might end up around 114kg or 250lbs at the end of the 2 week
mini-diet.
Coach Steve must emphasize that the improved Insulin & IGF-1 sensitivity
resets your Insulin to carbohydrate ratio back to 1iu per 20g carbs. You should
be able to continue with your previous rhGH & IGF-1 dosages, but exogenous
Insulin administrations should be reduced to 1iu per 20g carbs to prevent
hypoglycemia at any point of the day. Caution is HIGHLY advised!! Once you
have a fundamental understanding of your serum glucose levels again and
maximize your results on 1iu Insulin per 20g carbohydrates, you can increase
the dose to 1iu per 16g carbs, then 1iu per 13g carbs, and lastly 1iu per 10g
carbs if required!
Copyright (c) Vigorous Steve 2021 www.vigoroussteve.com
Page 54 of 62
Additional Supplementation
Insulin sensitivity supplements can be incorporated to improve glucose
homeostasis further, reducing overall rapid/short-acting & intermediate/longacting Insulin requirement. Below is a list of recommended supplements to
sustain Insulin sensitivity year-round, which certainly should be incorporated
during an offseason with high Growth Hormone intake:
• Apple Cider Vinegar: 1 tablet of 480-750mg or 25ml (diluted) Apple Cider
Vinegar (ACV) liquid before each meal containing carbohydrates, while using
Insulin (4-6 tablets per day, 3,000-4,500mg total, or 100-150ml per day).
• Curcumin Phytosome (Meriva): 1 capsule of 500mg Curcumin Phytosome with
dinner, perhaps another capsule of 500mg Curcumin Phytosome with breakfast
& lunch when joint-inflammation is bothersome or severe (1-2 capsules per day,
500-1,000mg total).
• Citrus Bergamot: 1 capsule of 500mg Citrus Bergamot with breakfast & dinner
(2 capsules per day, 1,000mg total).
• Fish Oil: 1 capsule of 1,000mg Fish Oil with 600-800mg EPA & DHA at each
meal (4-6 capsules per day, 2,400-4,800mg EPA & DHA total).
• Magnesium Glycinate, BisGlycinate, or Citrate: 1 tablet of 50-200mg
Magnesium Glycinate, BisGlycinate, or Citrate with each meal (4-6 tablets per
day, 200-1,200mg total).
• Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol): 1 capsule of 5,000iu Vitamin D3 with breakfast or
1-3 capsules of 1,000iu Vitamin D3 with breakfast when using Vitamin KComplex supplements that already contain 2,000iu Vitamin D3 (1-4 capsules per
day, 5,000iu total)
• Vitamin K Complex (D3, K1, K2 MK-4 & K2 MK-7): 1 capsule of 2,180-2,600mcg
Vitamin K-Complex with breakfast & dinner (2 capsules per day).
• Berberine: 1 capsule of 500mg Berberine before bed high-dose bolus rhGH &
rapid/short-acting Insulin days. An optional dose of 1 capsule of 500mg
Berberine upon waking on high-dose bolus IGF-1 & intermediate/long-acting
Insulin days.
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Page 55 of 62
NOTE: Berberine isn’t required when using DDP-4 Inhibitors; these medications
are far more potent by impairing Incretin & Growth Factor metabolism, which
cascades into improved Insulin sensitivity! Keep in mind that Berberine is also
known to impair IGF-1 production in the liver; thus it should be used sparingly
and allow for the highest possible IGF-1 concentrations in the bloodstream.
While following the Protocols discussed in this eBook, avoid standard-release
or extended-release Metformin as it lowers serum IGF-1 concentrations
tremendously, even if high-dose bolus Growth Hormone is used 3-4x per week
with Lantus to sustain serum concentrations. Metformin impairs overall
recovery capacity and isn’t required to improve Insulin sensitivity when serum
IGF-1 concentrations remain elevated throughout the course of the week.
Metformin is beneficial during the 2 week mini-diet; besides that period, it
should generally be avoided!
DO NOT TAKE METFORMIN OR BERBERINE BEFORE BED WHEN USING
INTERMEDIATE-ACTING OR LONG-ACTING INSULINS, OR DPP-4 INHIBITORS!!!
Increasing Insulin sensitivity overnight while Isophane / NPH Insulin, Lantus,
Toujeo, Basaglar, Levemir, or Tresiba are still active, which slowly lower blood
glucose levels in the absence of food, is a recipe for disaster! If you find yourself
in a situation where you took standard-release or extended-release Metformin,
or Berberine before bed while using a moderate dose of intermediate/longacting Insulin, make sure you consume at least 500g sweet or white potato,
which contains around 100g carbohydrates, before bed to sustain adequate
glucose concentrations throughout the night! Suppose you used a reasonably
high dosage of intermediate/long-acting Insulin, around 1iu per 10g
carbohydrates consumed that day. In that case, you need to stay awake
throughout the night and consume carbohydrates frequently to sustain glucose
concentrations. The alternative is to consume an extra-large 4 cheese pizza,
which maintains blood glucose levels beyond what’s required to cover the
Metformin or Berberine and intermediate/long-acting Insulin! You’ll need to do
hours of cardio afterward; consider that punishment for stupidity!!
Copyright (c) Vigorous Steve 2021 www.vigoroussteve.com
Page 56 of 62
Abbreviations
Below is a list of frequently used abbreviations found in this eBook and their
full meaning:
AAS: Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Hormones
ACV: Apple Cider Vinegar
ALA: Alpha-Linolenic Acid
DHA: Docosahexaenoic Acid
DKA: Diabetic Keto-Acidosis
DPP-4: Dipeptidyl Amino Peptidase-4
DPP-4I: Dipeptidyl Amino Peptidase-4 Inhibitor
EAAs: Essential Amino Acids
EPA: Eicosapentaenoic Acid
EPO: Erythropoietin
FDA: Food & Drug Administration of the United States of America (USA)
FFAs: Free Fatty Acids
GDAs: Glucose Disposal Agents
GH: Growth Hormone
GHRH: Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone
GHRP-6: Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptide-6
GI: Glycemic Index
GIP: Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide / Glucose-dependent Insulinotropic
Polypeptide
GL: Glycemic Load
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Page 57 of 62
GLP-1: Glucagon-like Peptide-1
GLUT-4: Glucose Transporter Type-4
HbA1c: Glycated Hemoglobin Type A1c, separated from HbA0, HbA1a & HbA1b
with Cation Exchange Chromatography (CEC)
HBCDs: High-Branch Cyclic Dextrins
hGH: human Growth Hormone secreted from the Pituitary Gland
HRT: Hormone Replacement Therapy
HSL: Hormone-Sensitive Lipase
IGF-1: Insulin-like Growth Factor-1
I-A Insulin: Intermediate-Acting Insulin
I/L-A Insulin: Intermediate/Long-Acting Insulin
IM: Intra-Muscular
IRS-1: Insulin Receptor Substrate-1
IV: Intra-Venous
L-A Insulin: Long-Acting Insulin
NAFLD: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
MK-677: Ibutamoren
PEDs: Performance Enhancing Drugs
R+ALA: R+Alpha Lipoic Acid
R-A Insulin: Rapid-Acting Insulin
R/S-A Insulin: Rapid/Short-Acting Insulin
rhGH: recombinant human Growth Hormone using DNA Technology
rhI: recombinant human Insulin using DNA Technology
Copyright (c) Vigorous Steve 2021 www.vigoroussteve.com
Page 58 of 62
rhIGF-1: recombinant
Technology
human
Insulin-like
Growth
Factor-1
using
DNA
S-A Insulin: Short-Acting Insulin
SGLT2: Sodium/Glucose Cotransporter 2
SubQ: Subcutaneous
TRT: Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Copyright (c) Vigorous Steve 2021 www.vigoroussteve.com
Page 59 of 62
Supplement Resources
You can purchase the supplements mentioned in this eBook at the websites
mentioned below using Coach Steve’s 5-10% Discount Codes. If you see a better
deal elsewhere, by all means, save yourself some money in the process.
iHerb 5% Discount Code: DTV967
California Gold Nutrition Antarctic Krill Oil:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/California-Gold-Nutrition-Antarctic-Krill-Oil-withAstaxanthin-RIMFROST-Natural-Strawberry-Lemon-Flavor-1000-mg-120-FishGelatin-Softgels/71631
California Gold Nutrition Curcumin C3 Complex (BioPerine):
https://www.iherb.com/pr/California-Gold-Nutrition-Curcumin-C3-Complexwith-BioPerine-500-mg-120-Veggie-Capsules/60047
California Gold Nutrition Omega-800 Fish Oil:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/California-Gold-Nutrition-Omega-800-by-MadreLabs-Pharmaceutical-Grade-Fish-Oil-80-EPA-DHA-Triglyceride-Form-1000-mg90-Fish-Gelatin-Softgels/85180
Jarrow Formulas Citrus Bergamot:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Jarrow-Formulas-Citrus-Bergamot-500-mg-120Veggie-Caps/85557
Jarrow Formulas EPA-DHA Balance Fish Oil:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/jarrow-formulas-epa-dha-balance-240softgels/7929
Jarrow Formulas Krill Oil:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Jarrow-Formulas-Krill-Oil-120-Softgels/74793
Jarrow Formulas Vitamin D3 1,000iu:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Jarrow-Formulas-Vitamin-D3-Cholecalciferol-1-000IU-100-Softgels/40600
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Jarrow Formulas Vitamin D3 2,500iu:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Jarrow-Formulas-Vitamin-D3-Cholecalciferol-2-500IU-100-Softgels/15009
Jarrow Formulas Vitamin D3 5,000iu:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Jarrow-Formulas-Vitamin-D3-Cholecalciferol-5-000IU-100-Softgels/22926
Jarrow Formulas Vitamin K-Complex:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Jarrow-Formulas-K-Right-Vitamin-K-Complex-60Softgels/69334
KAL Magnesium Glycinate:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/KAL-Magnesium-Glycinate-400-400-mg-180Tablets/18943
Lake Avenue Magnesium BisGlycinate:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Lake-Avenue-Nutrition-Magnesium-Bisglycinate200-mg-Per-Serving-240-Tablets/96279
Life Extension Super K:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Life-Extension-Super-K-90-Softgels/90368
Natural Factors Apple Cider Vinegar:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Natural-Factors-Apple-Cider-Vinegar-500-mg-180Capsules/2534
NOW Foods Apple Cider Vinegar Extra Strength:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Now-Foods-Apple-Cider-Vinegar-Extra-Strength750-mg-180-Tablets/78990
NOW Foods Magnesium Citrate:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Now-Foods-Magnesium-Citrate-240-VegCapsules/78201
NOW Foods Vitamin D3:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Now-Foods-Vitamin-D-3-High-Potency-5-000-Iu240-Softgels/22335
Copyright (c) Vigorous Steve 2021 www.vigoroussteve.com
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Gorilla Mind 10% Discount Code: VIGOROUS
Gorilla Mind Citrus Bergamot:
https://gorillamind.com/collections/health-supplements/products/citrusbergamot
Gorilla Mind Curcumin C3 Complex:
https://gorillamind.com/collections/health-supplements/products/curcumin
Copyright (c) Vigorous Steve 2021 www.vigoroussteve.com
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