Advanced Recomp Stack Protocol - Retatrutide + CJC-1295 (No DAC) + Ipamorelin

Advanced Recomp Stack Quick Reference Dosing Card

What Is the Advanced Recomp Stack?

The Advanced Recomp Stack is a three-compound body recomposition protocol combining retatrutide (LY3437943), CJC-1295 without DAC (Modified GRF 1-29), and ipamorelin. The goal is straightforward: lose fat aggressively while keeping as much muscle as possible. Retatrutide handles the fat-loss side — it's the most potent weight-loss peptide currently in clinical development. CJC-1295 and ipamorelin handle the muscle-preservation side by boosting your body's own growth hormone (GH) output.

Think of it as a two-pronged approach. Retatrutide creates a deep caloric deficit by suppressing appetite, slowing digestion, and increasing fat burning. But that aggressive deficit comes with a cost: your body tends to lose muscle alongside fat during rapid weight loss. That's where CJC-1295 + ipamorelin come in — they stimulate natural growth hormone release, which supports muscle retention, recovery, sleep quality, and connective tissue repair during the deficit. In clinical trials, retatrutide alone produced 24–29% body weight reduction, but without growth hormone support, some of that loss was lean tissue.

No direct clinical trial has evaluated the full 3-peptide Advanced Recomp Stack combination. Protocols are extrapolated from individual compound evidence and community usage patterns. The rationale is that retatrutide and the CJC-1295 + ipamorelin pairing work through completely separate biological systems with no receptor overlap, making them mechanistically compatible.

Why Add CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin to Retatrutide?

Retatrutide Foundation

Retatrutide alone delivers the most aggressive fat loss documented in clinical trials: 24.2% mean body weight reduction at 48 weeks in Phase 2, and 28.7% at 68 weeks in Phase 3 (TRIUMPH-4). It achieves this by activating three different receptors at once — GLP-1 (which suppresses appetite and slows digestion), GIP (which improves how your body handles insulin and fat), and glucagon (which tells your liver to burn stored fat and increases overall energy expenditure). That triple activation is why retatrutide produces stronger results than single-receptor compounds like semaglutide.

Lean Tissue Preservation via Growth Hormone Elevation

Here's the core problem this stack solves: when you lose weight fast, you don't just lose fat — you lose muscle too. That's true whether the deficit comes from dieting or from a peptide like retatrutide. CJC-1295 (No DAC) and ipamorelin are added to counter that muscle loss by boosting your body's own growth hormone (GH) production. They work through two complementary pathways — CJC-1295 tells the pituitary gland to release more GH, while ipamorelin amplifies that release through a separate receptor. Together, they produce higher GH and IGF-1 (a downstream growth signal) output than either peptide alone, creating a muscle-preserving environment that helps offset the catabolic pressure of retatrutide's deep caloric deficit.

Recovery, Sleep Quality, and Training Capacity

Growth hormone secretagogues like CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are typically injected before bed because that's when your body does most of its tissue repair work. During a body recomposition phase, you need to train hard enough to maintain muscle, but you're eating fewer calories — so recovery matters more than usual. The CJC-1295 + ipamorelin pairing supports this by enhancing collagen production (important for tendons and joints), connective tissue recovery, and sleep quality.

Complementary Fat-Burning Pathways

Retatrutide burns fat mainly by reducing appetite, slowing digestion, and telling your liver to break down stored fat. Growth hormone burns fat through a completely different route — it directly signals fat cells to release their stored energy. By combining both, the Advanced Recomp Stack targets fat mobilization through two independent systems at the same time.

No Receptor Overlap — Why Combining Them Makes Sense

Retatrutide and CJC-1295 + ipamorelin work on entirely different biological systems. Retatrutide activates metabolic receptors (GLP-1R, GIPR, GCGR), while CJC-1295 and ipamorelin activate growth hormone receptors (GHRH-R and GHS-R1a). There is no competition or interference between them. That independence is the core reason this combination is pharmacologically rational — each compound does its job without getting in the other's way.

Advanced Recomp Stack Dosing Protocol & Schedule

Format A: Separate Vials (Standard Protocol)

The tables below show how to dose each compound in the Advanced Recomp Stack when using separate vials. Retatrutide is injected once per week and gradually increased over 20 weeks. CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are injected together daily or near-daily.

This table shows the standard 5-phase titration schedule. Start at 2 mg and increase every 4 weeks based on how well you tolerate each dose level.

This table shows the ramp-up schedule for the GH secretagogue pairing. You start with a low test dose for 2 weeks, then increase to the standard or aggressive range based on tolerance and goals.

Here's what a typical week looks like once you've reached your maintenance doses. Retatrutide is injected once (Monday in this example), while CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are injected every evening before bed, with weekends off.

Protocol Notes

• Plan on one weekly retatrutide shot plus 1-2 daily CJC/Ipa shots: Retatrutide is injected once weekly, while CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are injected together 1-2x daily. All injections are subcutaneous.
• Stay fasted around CJC/Ipa injections: Maintain at least 2 hours fasted before and 30 minutes after injection because insulin blunts GH release.
• Use a 5-on / 2-off rhythm for CJC/Ipa unless you have a reason not to: Community protocols commonly use 5 days on and 2 days off to reduce receptor desensitization (when receptors become less responsive over time) potential and manage injection burden.
• Slow the retatrutide escalation if your stomach is not adapting well: Start at 2 mg regardless of prior GLP-1 experience. Escalate no faster than every 4 weeks. If GI side effects are severe, hold the current dose for an additional 4 weeks before escalating.
• Use CJC-1295 without DAC, not the with-DAC version: The with-DAC form produces sustained GH elevation rather than pulsatile release and is not the intended fit for this protocol.
• Keep retatrutide and CJC/Ipa syringes separate and label every vial clearly: Use separate insulin syringes for retatrutide versus CJC/Ipa. Label all reconstituted (mixed with bacteriostatic water) vials clearly because retatrutide is dosed in mg while CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are dosed in mcg.

Advanced Recomp Stack Reconstitution Guide

Format A: Separate Vials

Each compound in the Advanced Recomp Stack is reconstituted (mixed with bacteriostatic water) separately. Find your vial size in the left column of each table below, then read across to see how much bacteriostatic (BAC) water to add, the resulting concentration, and exactly how much liquid to draw for each dose level. Syringe units (U) are shown in parentheses for U-100 insulin syringes.

Retatrutide

• Math verification (10 mg vial + 2 mL BAC water): concentration = 10,000 mcg / 2 mL = 5,000 mcg/mL = 5 mg/mL.
• 4 mg dose = 4 mg / 5 mg/mL = 0.8 mL = 80 units on a U-100 syringe.
• 8 mg dose = 8 mg / 5 mg/mL = 1.6 mL = 160 units and requires a larger syringe or split injection.

CJC-1295 (No DAC)

• Math verification (2 mg vial + 1 mL BAC water): concentration = 2,000 mcg / 1 mL = 2,000 mcg/mL.
• 100 mcg dose = 100 / 2,000 = 0.05 mL = 5 units on a U-100 syringe.
• 200 mcg dose = 200 / 2,000 = 0.10 mL = 10 units.

Ipamorelin

• Math verification (5 mg vial + 2.5 mL BAC water): concentration = 5,000 mcg / 2.5 mL = 2,000 mcg/mL.
• 200 mcg dose = 200 / 2,000 = 0.10 mL = 10 units.

CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are also commonly available as pre-blended vials such as 5 mg CJC-1295 / 5 mg ipamorelin. For a blend vial reconstituted with 2 mL BAC water, total concentration is 5,000 mcg/mL with 2,500 mcg/mL per peptide. Drawing 0.08 mL (8 U) delivers approximately 200 mcg of each peptide per injection.

Standard 7-Step Reconstitution (Per Vial)

1. Gather supplies: sterile U-100 insulin syringe (29-31 gauge), bacteriostatic water, alcohol swabs, and the peptide vial.
2. Wipe the rubber stopper of both the BAC water vial and the peptide vial with alcohol swabs and allow to air dry.
3. Draw the calculated volume of BAC water into the syringe using the target concentration from the tables above.
4. Insert the needle into the peptide vial and inject BAC water slowly down the inner glass wall; do not spray directly onto the lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder.
5. Allow the vial to sit for 1-2 minutes. Do not shake. Gently roll between the palms or swirl until fully dissolved.
6. Label the vial with compound name, concentration, and reconstitution date.
7. Store the reconstituted vial in the refrigerator at 2-8 C immediately. Never freeze reconstituted peptides.

Repeat the reconstitution steps for each compound vial in the stack: three separate reconstitutions for three separate vials, or two total if using a CJC/Ipa blend vial plus one retatrutide vial.

Advanced Recomp Stack Side Effects & Safety

Individual compounds have established safety profiles from clinical trials (retatrutide) and pharmacological studies (CJC-1295 and ipamorelin), but no trial has tested the 3-compound combination. The following represents the combined risk profile based on individual compound data and mechanistic considerations.

Retatrutide-Specific Side Effects (Phase 3 TRIUMPH-4 Data, December 2025)

• Nausea: 38-43% (dose-dependent; primarily during escalation).
• Diarrhea: 33-35%.
• Constipation: 22-25%.
• Vomiting: 20-21%.
• Decreased appetite: 18-19%.
• Dysesthesia (an unusual tingling, burning, or prickling sensation in the skin): 8.8% at 9 mg and 20.9% at 12 mg, a retatrutide-specific signal tied to glucagon receptor activity.
• Heart rate increase: roughly 5-10 bpm above baseline, peaking around week 24 and declining thereafter.
• Discontinuation due to adverse events: 12-18%.

CJC-1295 (No DAC) + Ipamorelin Side Effects

• Injection-site reactions such as redness or mild swelling.
• Transient flushing or warmth post-injection.
• Water retention or mild edema.
• Headache, usually resolving within the first 2 weeks.
• Mild hunger increase from ipamorelin's ghrelin mimicry.
• Transient fatigue or lightheadedness.
• Tingling or numbness in the extremities at higher GH-related exposure.

Combined or Amplified Concerns

• Stomach and digestion issues are mainly from retatrutide: Retatrutide already causes significant nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting during the dose-escalation phase. Adding daily CJC/Ipa injections increases how often you're injecting, but shouldn't make the stomach issues worse — those are driven by retatrutide's mechanism, not by growth hormone peptides.
• Water retention may be more noticeable early on: Both retatrutide and CJC/Ipa can cause mild fluid retention on their own. When running all three together, you may notice more puffiness or bloating in the first 4–6 weeks before it levels off.
• Watch your heart rate: Retatrutide tends to raise resting heart rate by about 5–10 bpm. If you have any cardiovascular concerns, monitor your heart rate regularly — especially during the first 12 weeks.
• Blood sugar effects can pull in opposite directions: Retatrutide improves blood sugar control, but growth hormone can push insulin sensitivity in the other direction. If you have pre-diabetes or insulin resistance, monitor your blood glucose more frequently when running this stack.
• Three separate peptide vials means three times the quality risk: Every research peptide you add from a grey-market source is another potential quality-control variable. Use COA-verified suppliers for all three compounds to reduce contamination and purity risk.

For combined side effect considerations when stacking, see the PepPal Side Effects Guide.

Clinical Evidence Context

In plain terms, this stack is designed to pair one of the strongest fat-loss peptides in clinical development with a GH-support layer intended to improve body-composition outcomes during an aggressive caloric deficit. Retatrutide has direct human trial data showing strong weight-loss effects, while CJC-1295 + ipamorelin is used here to support lean-tissue retention, recovery, and sleep quality during that deficit. The evidence base is strongest for retatrutide itself, while the GH-support side is supported mainly by human data on how the peptides behave in the body, published peptide pharmacology, and community practice rather than direct full-stack outcome trials.

Storage & Handling

Limiting factor: ipamorelin reconstituted stability at 3-4 weeks is the shortest window. Plan reconstitution cycles around ipamorelin stability and consider fresh vials every 3 weeks for optimal potency.

Do not freeze any reconstituted peptide. Freezing can damage peptide structure and reduce potency. Unreconstituted lyophilized powder can be stored frozen for longer-term storage.

Advanced Recomp Stack vs CagriSema vs Retatrutide Solo

Decision Guidance

Not sure which approach fits your goals? Here's a quick framework:

• Choose the Advanced Recomp Stack when body recomposition, not just fat loss, is the primary goal and you are comfortable with a more complex daily-plus-weekly injection protocol.
• Choose CagriSema when convenience is the priority and the goal is strong weight loss with a single weekly injection.
• Choose Retatrutide Solo when maximum fat loss is the primary goal and lean-mass protection will be handled through diet and resistance training rather than GH-secretagogue support.

Related Stacking Protocols

CagriSema Stack (Cagrilintide + Semaglutide)

Dual incretin/amylin weight-loss stack and the closest evidence-backed single-injection recomp alternative. CagriSema Stack Protocol

Cagrilintide + Retatrutide Stack

Combines amylin-based satiety with triple-agonist metabolic fat loss for a deeper energy-balance intervention. Cagrilintide + Retatrutide Stack Protocol

Retatrutide + MOTS-c Stack

A simpler two-compound alternative when the priority is mitochondrial support during a retatrutide-driven deficit rather than a full GH-axis recomp build. Retatrutide + MOTS-c Stack Protocol

Wolverine Stack (BPC-157 + TB-500)

If tissue repair and injury recovery are priorities alongside body recomposition, the Wolverine Stack is the most relevant complementary repair-oriented protocol. Wolverine Stack Protocol

Russian Nootropic Stack (Semax + Selank)

Useful when cognitive fog or mood disruption becomes a constraint during aggressive caloric deficit. Russian Nootropic Stack Protocol

Frequently Asked Questions - Advanced Recomp Stack

Sources & Research

1. Jastreboff AM, Kaplan LM, Frias JP, et al. "Triple-Hormone-Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity - A Phase 2 Trial." New England Journal of Medicine, 2023 Link.
2. Eli Lilly and Company. "Lilly's triple agonist, retatrutide, delivered weight loss of up to an average of 71.2 lbs along with substantial relief from osteoarthritis pain in first successful Phase 3 trial." Press Release, 2025 Link.
3. Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, et al. "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." Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2006 Link.
4. Ionescu M, Bhatt DL, Giles K, et al. "Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog." Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2006 Link.
5. Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, et al. "Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue." European Journal of Endocrinology, 1998 Link.
6. Gobburu JV, Agerso H, Jusko WJ, Ynddal L. "Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of ipamorelin, a growth hormone releasing peptide, in human volunteers." Pharmaceutical Research, 1999 Link.
7. Rosenstock J, Frias J, Jastreboff AM, et al. "Retatrutide, a GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonist, for people with type 2 diabetes: a randomised, double-blind, placebo and active-controlled, parallel-group, phase 2 trial." The Lancet, 2023 Link.
8. Hartman ML, Veldhuis JD, Johnson ML, et al. "Triple-Hormone-Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: A Randomized Phase 2a Trial." Nature Medicine, 2024 Link.
9. Ishida J, Saitoh M, Ebner N, et al. "Growth hormone secretagogues: history, mechanism of action, and clinical development." JCSM Rapid Communications, 2020 Link.
10. Alba M, Fintini D, Sagazio A, et al. "Once-daily administration of CJC-1295, a long-acting growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, normalizes growth in the GHRH knockout mouse." American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2006 Link.
11. ClinicalTrials.gov. "A Study of Retatrutide (LY3437943) Once Weekly in Participants With Obesity and Knee Osteoarthritis (TRIUMPH-4)." Identifier: NCT05931367. Clinical Trial Registry, n.d. Link.
12. Urva S, Coskun T, Loh MT, et al. "LY3437943, a novel triple GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptor agonist in people with type 2 diabetes: a phase 1b, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, multiple-ascending dose trial." The Lancet, 2022 Link.

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