The default GH-axis entry point: Mod GRF 1-29 100 mcg + Ipamorelin 100–200 mcg, SC, pre-bed, fasted. Pulses GH on top of the natural nocturnal release without pushing IGF-1 into supraphysiologic territory. Lowest side-effect surface in the GH family. For the deeper why-this-and-not-CJC framing, see GH Axis Playbook.
The protocol, one screen
| Step | What | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Last meal | 3 h before injection | Insulin in the bloodstream blunts GH release. A clean fasting window is the load-bearing part of this protocol. |
| Reconstitute | Per the cheat sheet | 2 mg Mod GRF + 2 mg Ipamorelin in 2 mL each = 10 mcg/u Mod GRF and 10 mcg/u Ipamorelin. See Reconstitution Cheat Sheet. |
| Draw | Mod GRF 100 mcg + Ipamorelin 100–200 mcg | 10 u Mod GRF + 10–20 u Ipamorelin in the same insulin syringe. Mixed-vial draw is fine; both compounds are stable on the timescale of the injection. |
| Inject | SC, abdomen or thigh | Rotate per the Injection Rotation Grid. Inject 15–30 min before bed. |
| Fasting window | 20–30 min after injection | No carbs or substantial calories until at least 20 min post-injection. Water is fine. |
| Cadence | Daily, 5 on / 2 off optional after week 8 | Most operators run continuous; the 5/2 pattern is a hedge against receptor desensitisation if IGF-1 plateaus. See Cycling Strategies. |
Dose-picking shortcut
- Sleep is the goal: Ipamorelin 100–200 mcg alone pre-bed often does it. Adding Mod GRF deepens the GH pulse but isn’t strictly required for the sleep effect. Full sleep- application framing (DSIP timing, Epitalon caveats, sleep-hygiene prerequisites) in the Sleep and Recovery application.
- Recovery / body comp is the goal: Mod GRF 100 mcg + Ipamorelin 200 mcg is the standard. Optional second pulse post-workout on training days.
- Visceral fat is the specific goal: Tesamorelin protocol instead. See Visceral Fat application.
What to expect
- Week 1–2: deeper sleep, sometimes vivid dreams in the first 3–5 nights. Mild hand-tingling for a few minutes post-injection is normal (GHRP flush) and resolves within 5–10 minutes.
- Week 4–6: recovery between training sessions noticeably better. Subjective “feel” tends to plateau around week 6.
- Week 6–8: first IGF-1 bloodwork (see below). If IGF-1 hasn’t moved at all, the compound or protocol has a problem.
- Month 3+: body-comp signal becomes visible if diet and training are aligned. This stack is recovery infrastructure first; body-comp returns are modest on its own.
Bloodwork bracketing
- Baseline: CBC, CMP, fasting glucose, HbA1c, lipids, IGF-1.
- Week 6–8: IGF-1, fasting glucose, HbA1c.
- Quarterly: CBC, CMP, fasting glucose, HbA1c, lipids, IGF-1.
Full per-class panel and timing rules in the Bloodwork Panel Cheat Sheet.
What stops people
- Eating too close to injection. Insulin blunts GH release; a 9pm carb-heavy snack and an 11pm injection produces nothing useful. The 3-hour fasting window is the protocol.
- Reusing needles or vial-stoppers without alcohol-swabbing. Standard SC hygiene applies. See Injection Rotation.
- Adding a second compound for the wrong reason. If Mod GRF + Ipa pre-bed isn’t producing what was hoped, the next move usually isn’t adding CJC-DAC or somatropin - it’s fixing diet, training, or sleep first.
- Stopping at the first signal of HbA1c drift. Modest drift is expected on the GH axis. It only becomes a problem if the drift is sustained and trending into pre-diabetic range.
Cross-references
- GH Axis Playbook - the deeper article on pulsatile vs. continuous GH-axis decisions.
- Cycling Strategies - when 5-on / 2-off becomes worth running.
- Reconstitution Cheat Sheet - the math companion for reconstituting the vials.
- Injection Rotation Grid - the day-by-day rotation for SC daily-cadence protocols.
- Bloodwork Panel Cheat Sheet - the lab-order companion to the bracketing above.