Stack 2 IU HGH with 200 mcg Ipamorelin and 100 mcg CJC-1295 at night. Combining a GHRH analog with a GH-releasing peptide produces greater GH release than either alone (Bowers et al. 1990, J Clin Endocrinol Metab, PMID 2108187), but the specific 3-to-5x multiplier for this sub-Q stack is community-reported, not established in controlled trials. You save cash compared to straight HGH.
Why stack HGH with Ipamorelin and CJC-1295
GH's lipolytic and anabolic effects are real (Møller & Jørgensen 2009, Endocr Rev, PMID 19240267), but FDA-approved adult use is GH-deficiency replacement at 0.1-0.5 mg/day titrated to IGF-1 (Yuen et al./AACE 2019, Endocr Pract, PMID 31760818); 2 IU/day for body recomposition is off-label and supraphysiologic. But it's pricey. Ipamorelin and CJC-1295 make your pituitary pump out more GH for cheap. Ipamorelin produces a single GH pulse peaking ~40 min after dosing and declining toward baseline within ~2-3 hours (Gobburu et al. 1999, Pharm Res, PMID 10496658); the exact fold-increase is dose- and assay-dependent, and the "tenfold for two hours" figure is not supported. CJC-1295 no DAC has a plasma half-life of roughly 30 minutes (Frohman et al. 1986, J Clin Invest, PMID 3093534) and only briefly extends the peri-injection GH pulse; the "three to six hours" figure overstates its duration (the 6-8 day duration belongs to the DAC version, Teichman et al. 2006, J Clin Endocrinol Metab, PMID 16352683).
You get the direct HGH hit plus bigger natural pulses. Adding peptides to exogenous HGH avoids shutting down your own production and tends to speed recovery. If you're already running 4 IU HGH alone, this adds something.
Start simple: 1.5 IU HGH morning, 1.5 IU night. Pair each with 200 mcg Ipamorelin. Add 100 mcg CJC-1295 before bed. That's 3 IU HGH, 400 mcg Ipamorelin, 100 mcg CJC daily.
Use our Ipamorelin calculator for syringe volumes based on your vial.
Core dosing ratios from research
Community protocols converge on these ratios, though dose-equivalences between GHRH-analog injections and HGH IU are not established in controlled trials. Claims that 100 mcg ipamorelin "beats 5 mg arginine stacks" are anecdotal; no head-to-head trial supports this, and 5 mg is not a recognized GH-stimulation arginine dose.
Beginner HGH Ipamorelin stack (no CJC):
| Time | HGH | Ipamorelin |
|---|---|---|
| 7 AM | 1 IU | 200 mcg |
| 10 PM | 1 IU | 200 mcg |
Total: 2 IU HGH, 400 mcg Ipamorelin. Inject subQ in the abdomen, two inches from navel. IGF-1 rises in a dose-dependent manner with GH/secretagogue therapy (Møller & Jørgensen 2009, Endocr Rev, PMID 19240267); the specific 5-10 percent IGF-1 figure and the 20 percent sleep improvement are community-reported, not from controlled trials.
Full stack:
| Time | HGH | Ipamorelin | CJC-1295 no DAC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 AM | 2 IU | 200 mcg | - |
| 10 PM | 2 IU | 200 mcg | 100 mcg |
Total: 4 IU HGH, 400 mcg Ipamorelin, 100 mcg CJC. GHRP plus GHRH produce greater stimulated GH release than either alone (Bowers et al. 1990, J Clin Endocrinol Metab, PMID 2108187); the notion that they "triple trough GH levels" is not supported by primary literature.
For pre-mixed, do 300 mcg CJC/Ipa combo nightly with 2 IU HGH. Our CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin calculator sorts it: 5 mg vial at 1 mg/ml means 0.3 ml for 300 mcg.
Some community protocols push HGH to 6 IU split three ways (2 IU each) with 300 mcg Ipamorelin per shot, keeping CJC at 100 mcg once a night. Be aware 6 IU/day is far above therapeutic GH dosing (replacement 0.1-0.5 mg/day, Yuen et al./AACE 2019, Endocr Pract, PMID 31760818). Note that HGH does not characteristically raise prolactin, and ipamorelin is selective and does not raise prolactin (Raun et al. 1998, Eur J Endocrinol, PMID 9849822).
Timing injections for max GH pulse
Dose matters, but so does when you pin. HGH peaks two to four hours after the shot. Ipamorelin's GH response peaks at approximately 40 minutes post-dose (Gobburu et al. 1999, Pharm Res, PMID 10496658), not 60 minutes. CJC drags out the pulse.
Morning: Fast 12 hours overnight. Pin 2 IU HGH + 200 mcg Ipamorelin subQ. Wait 20 minutes. Eat 50g carbs and 30g protein. Fat burn window stays open till noon.
Night: Last meal three hours earlier, under 50g carbs. 9:30 PM: 2 IU HGH + 200 mcg Ipamorelin. 10 PM: 100 mcg CJC-1295 no DAC. Bed by 11. Pulses hit deep sleep.
Always empty stomach. Fasting raises endogenous GH (Ho et al. 1988, J Clin Invest, PMID 3127426), but the precise "50 to 100 percent" boost for a fasted secretagogue injection is not established and is community-reported. With insulin or gear, HGH goes 30 minutes early.
Some users skip peptides every Sunday to "reset receptors" while keeping HGH steady; this is a community/anecdotal practice and is not research-supported.
Vial reconstitution and volumes
10 IU HGH vial? 1 ml bac water makes 10 IU/ml. 0.2 ml syringe = 2 IU.
5 mg Ipamorelin vial: 2 ml water = 2.5 mg/ml. 200 mcg = 0.08 ml (8 units U-100).
2 mg CJC-1295 no DAC: 1 ml water = 2 mg/ml. 100 mcg = 0.05 ml (5 units).
Mix Ipa and CJC in one syringe at night. HGH separate, or peptides degrade. Fridge at 2-8°C. Use in 28 days.
Our HGH calculator gives exact draws. Same for combos.
12-week stacking protocols
Beginner: 8 weeks lean out
Weeks 1-4: 2 IU HGH + 300 mcg Ipamorelin daily, split 150 mcg x2.
Weeks 5-8: Add 100 mcg CJC nightly.
30 min fasted cardio AM, 1.5g protein per lb bodyweight.
Community-reported outcomes range around 5-8 lbs fat off and 2-4 lbs muscle if you lift; these are anecdotal, not from controlled trials.
Intermediate: 12 weeks recomp
| Week | Morning | Night |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | 2 IU HGH + 200 mcg Ipa | 2 IU HGH + 200 mcg Ipa |
| 5-8 | 2 IU HGH + 200 mcg Ipa | 2 IU HGH + 200 mcg Ipa + 100 mcg CJC |
| 9-12 | 3 IU HGH + 300 mcg Ipa | 3 IU HGH + 300 mcg Ipa + 100 mcg CJC |
20 percent calorie deficit, 2g protein/lb. Therapeutic GH dosing titrates IGF-1 to the age- and sex-adjusted normal reference range (Yuen et al./AACE 2019, Endocr Pract, PMID 31760818); fixed absolute targets like 250-350 ng/ml "for gains" are a bodybuilding heuristic, not a guideline figure.
Advanced: Blast with synergists
6 IU HGH split 3x (2 IU each) + 200 mcg Ipa each + 100 mcg CJC PM. Note 6 IU/day is far above therapeutic GH dosing (Yuen et al./AACE 2019, Endocr Pract, PMID 31760818). Community-reported adjuncts include 500 mcg BPC-157 daily via BPC-157 calculator for joints, or 300 mcg TB-500 twice weekly (TB-500 calculator). These are community/vendor-derived research doses; BPC-157 and TB-500 lack human efficacy data (BPC-157 is rodent-only, Sikiric et al. 2010, Curr Pharm Des, PMID 20166983).
Off: 4 weeks half-dose peptides, then 4 weeks clean.
Monitoring and bloodwork
Baseline: IGF-1, glucose, HbA1c, prolactin. Retest week 6.
Clinical practice titrates IGF-1 to the age- and sex-adjusted normal reference range (Yuen et al./AACE 2019, Endocr Pract, PMID 31760818) rather than a fixed absolute target; the 300 ng/ml "for gains" figure is community-reported. Fasting glucose over 100? Drop carbs 50g, walk 10 min after meals.
| Marker | Baseline | Week 6 Target | Red Flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| IGF-1 | 150-250 ng/ml | 250-350 ng/ml | Over 450 |
| Glucose | Under 90 | 80-110 | Over 130 |
| Prolactin | 5-15 ng/ml | Under 20 | Over 25 |
The IGF-1 targets above are community-reported bodybuilding heuristics. Clinically, IGF-1 should be kept within the age- and sex-adjusted normal reference range rather than a fixed absolute number (Yuen et al./AACE 2019, Endocr Pract, PMID 31760818).
Weigh weekly. Measure waist, caliper fat folds. Target 2 mm off abs.
Sides and fixes
4 IU HGH bloating you? Drop to 3 IU, potassium to 4.5g daily. Carpal tunnel? Wrist splints at night, cut dose 25 percent. Numb fingers mean high IGF. Peptides balance it.
CJC-1295 is a GHRH analog and is not established to raise prolactin, and selective ipamorelin does not raise prolactin (Raun et al. 1998, Eur J Endocrinol, PMID 9849822), so a CJC-driven prolactin spike requiring cabergoline is not supported by primary literature. Tired? 8 hours sleep, 300 mg mag glycinate.
The "women halve everything" rule is not supported: women are typically more GH-resistant and often need comparable or higher doses to normalize IGF-1, particularly on oral estrogen (Yuen et al./AACE 2019, Endocr Pract, PMID 31760818).
Safeners (community-reported research doses): 250 mcg GHK-Cu daily (GHK-Cu calculator) for skin and joints. 300 mcg Semax nasal for brain fog (Semax calculator).
Diet and training
Max 500 cal deficit. 40/40/20 protein/fat/carb split. Post-HGH, 50g carbs for insulin kick.
Lift 4x week, heavy squats and deads. Community-reported strength gains such as "add 10 percent plate by week 8" are anecdotal, not from controlled trials.
HIIT 20 min 3x week, fasted mornings on HGH days.
Advanced stacks and swaps
These adjunct doses are community/vendor-derived research doses, not trial-validated. Pair with 300 mcg Sermorelin AM (Sermorelin calculator) for morning pulses; sermorelin has a short half-life (~12 min) with a GH peak at 15-60 min (Walker 2006, Clin Interv Aging, PMID 18046908). Fat loss boost: 300 mcg AOD-9604 AM (AOD-9604 calculator), noting AOD-9604 failed its Phase 2b obesity trial.
Sleep help: 100 mcg DSIP night dose (DSIP calculator). Libido crash: 1 mg PT-141 weekly (PT-141 calculator).
Broke on HGH? Triple peptides: 300 mcg Ipa + 200 mcg CJC + 300 mcg Sermorelin, split up. Weighing the secretagogue route against HGH itself? The HGH vs sermorelin comparison lays out the trade-offs.
FAQs
Covered above in frontmatter.
Run your bloods, adjust as you go, and the stack will do its job.
Disclaimer: This is drawn from research papers for educational purposes. Talk to a doctor before touching any of these compounds. Everyone responds differently, so track your own markers.
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References
- Gobburu JV, Agersø H, Jusko WJ, Ynddal L. "Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of ipamorelin, a growth hormone releasing peptide, in human volunteers." Pharm Res, 1999. PubMed
- Frohman LA, Downs TR, Williams TC, Heimer EP, Pan YC, Felix AM. "Rapid enzymatic degradation of growth hormone-releasing hormone by plasma in vitro and in vivo to a biologically inactive product cleaved at the NH2 terminus." J Clin Invest, 1986. PubMed
- Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, Gagnon C, Castaigne JP, Frohman LA. "Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone, in healthy adults." J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2006. PubMed
- Bowers CY, Reynolds GA, Durham D, Barrera CM, Pezzoli SS, Thorner MO. "Growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptide stimulates GH release in normal men and acts synergistically with GH-releasing hormone." J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1990. PubMed
- Yuen KCJ et al. "American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology guidelines for management of growth hormone deficiency in adults and patients transitioning from pediatric to adult care." Endocr Pract, 2019. PubMed
- Møller N, Jørgensen JO. "Effects of growth hormone on glucose, lipid, and protein metabolism in human subjects." Endocr Rev, 2009. PubMed
- Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, Thøgersen H, Madsen K, Ankersen M, Andersen PH. "Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue." Eur J Endocrinol, 1998. PubMed
- Ho KY, Veldhuis JD, Johnson ML, Furlanetto R, Evans WS, Alberti KG, Thorner MO. "Fasting enhances growth hormone secretion and amplifies the complex rhythms of growth hormone secretion in man." J Clin Invest, 1988. PubMed
- Sikiric P et al. "Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157: novel therapy in gastrointestinal tract." Curr Pharm Des, 2010. PubMed
- Walker RF. "Sermorelin: a better approach to management of adult-onset growth hormone insufficiency?" Clin Interv Aging, 2006. PubMed