The Natty Spectrum: From Natural to Superhuman — Where Do You Fall?

The Broken Binary That’s Destroying Bodybuilding Progress

I’ve watched thousands of guys trap themselves in a mental prison. They’re either “natty” or they’re not. Black or white. Natural or enhanced. This binary thinking isn’t just limiting their gains — it’s creating psychological disorders and health problems that make steroid abuse look tame by comparison.

Connor Murphy just proved this entire paradigm wrong. This guy gained 65 pounds in three years, doubled his testosterone from 340 ng/dL to 700 ng/dL in 11 days, increased growth hormone by 1500%, and he’s bigger than me — someone who’s run serious steroid cycles. Yet he can legitimately call himself enhanced naturally.

The secret? Understanding that the natty spectrum isn’t a line you cross — it’s a scale you climb intelligently.

Why Your Brain Defaults to Natty or Not (And Why It’s Wrong)

Black and white thinking is literally classified as a cognitive distortion in psychology. Yet the entire fitness industry operates on this false dichotomy. You’re either clutching your “natty card” like it’s some religious artifact, or you’ve “given up” and might as well abuse trenbolone because you already “lost your natty status.”

This creates two equally destructive camps:

The Ego-Driven Natties: So attached to their natural identity that they’ll refuse a completely healthy supplement with zero side effects purely because it might threaten their label. I’ve seen guys with testosterone levels of 250 ng/dL refuse vitamin D supplementation because “it’s an external hormone.” Meanwhile, they’re destroying their health through obsessive-compulsive behaviors just to maintain mediocre physiques.

The All-or-Nothing Enhanced: Once they’ve taken anything beyond creatine, they figure they might as well go full nuclear. No consideration for health consequences, dependency, or finding a middle ground that optimizes results without destroying their endocrine system.

Both approaches miss the fundamental truth: naturalness exists on a spectrum from 1 to 10, and the magic happens in understanding exactly where each substance falls.

The Natty Spectrum Breakdown — Where Every Substance Actually Falls

Here’s how I rate every major enhancement option on the true natty spectrum, based on mechanism of action, health impact, and dependency risk:

Level 1: Completely Natural Baseline

Taking absolutely nothing. Not even a multivitamin. This is actually unnatural in our current toxic environment, but it’s the starting point.

Level 1.25: Creatine

The gateway supplement that even the most hardcore naturals accept. Creatine monohydrate increases ATP regeneration, adding 5-15% strength and some water-weight muscle fullness. Zero suppression risk, extensively studied, found naturally in meat.

Level 2: Vitamin D and Basic Nutrients

Here’s where it gets interesting. Vitamin D is technically an external hormone — it’s converted to calcitriol, which acts as a steroid hormone affecting testosterone production. Most people are deficient, and correcting that deficiency can boost testosterone by 20-30%. Yet somehow this doesn’t threaten anyone’s natty card.

Same with magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins. These directly impact hormone production and recovery, but because they’re “nutrients,” nobody considers them enhancement.

Level 2-3: Traditional Testosterone Boosters

D-Aspartic acid, Tongkat Ali, Ashwagandha, Fadogia Agrestis. These work by stimulating your body’s natural testosterone and growth hormone production through various pathways. Connor saw his testosterone double from 340 to 700 ng/dL in 11 days using compounds in this category.

The mechanism is simple: they signal your body to produce more of its own hormones rather than providing external hormones. No suppression, no dependency, just optimization of natural pathways.

Level 4: MK-677 (Ibutamoren)

This is where things get spicy. MK-677 mimics ghrelin, stimulating massive growth hormone and IGF-1 release. Connor saw a 1500% increase in growth hormone on his bloodwork — that’s a 15x multiplier.

But here’s the key: it’s not external growth hormone. It’s forcing your pituitary gland to dump its own stores. No injections, no suppression of natural production, and the compound has been studied for muscle wasting conditions.

Yet somehow increasing natural growth hormone production is considered “unnatural” while natural testosterone boosters are fine? The logic breaks down completely. This is a perfect illustration of the Tony Huge Laws of Biochemistry Physics — the body’s response to a signaling molecule is determined by receptor dynamics and feedback loops, not arbitrary human labels.

Level 4-5: Enclomiphene

A selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) that blocks estrogen feedback at the pituitary, causing increased LH and FSH release. This stimulates natural testosterone production — often dramatically.

It’s literally used in fertility clinics to restart natural hormone production in men who’ve been suppressed by TRT or steroids. The mechanism is restoration of natural function, not replacement.

Level 5-6: Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs)

RAD-140, LGD-4033, Ostarine. These bind to androgen receptors selectively, providing anabolic effects with minimal androgenic side effects. Some suppression is possible at higher doses, but it’s typically temporary and mild compared to steroids.

The tissue selectivity means you get muscle-building effects without the prostate, liver, and cardiovascular risks of traditional steroids.

Level 6-7: Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT)

External testosterone to restore normal physiological levels. This is where we cross into actual hormone replacement, but at therapeutic doses designed to mimic natural production.

The key distinction: TRT aims to restore normal function, not create supraphysiological levels. A properly managed TRT protocol maintains testosterone in the 800-1000 ng/dL range — exactly where healthy young men naturally sit.

Level 8-10: Supraphysiological Steroids

Traditional steroid cycles using testosterone, nandrolone, trenbolone at doses that create hormone levels impossible to achieve naturally. This is true enhancement territory with significant health trade-offs.

The Arbitrary Nature of “Natural” Classifications

The more you examine these categories, the more arbitrary they become. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned caffeine until 2004. So by their standards, anyone drinking coffee before 2004 was “unnatural.” They also ban cannabis — a plant that grows naturally and has been used by humans for thousands of years.

Meanwhile, they allow:

• Vitamin D supplementation (external hormone)
• Melatonin (external hormone that affects recovery)
• Insulin for diabetics (external hormone)
• Creatine (performance-enhancing compound)

The classifications aren’t based on science or health impact — they’re based on politics, tradition, and arbitrary line-drawing.

Even more absurd: in our current environment, maintaining “natural” testosterone levels might require external intervention. The average male testosterone has dropped 30% in the past 30 years due to endocrine disruptors, processed foods, sedentary lifestyle, and chronic stress.

So if you inject testosterone to reach 800 ng/dL — the level a healthy 25-year-old had naturally in 1950 — are you enhanced or are you restoring natural function in an unnatural environment?

The Health Paradox Nobody Talks About

Here’s what really gets me fired up: the assumption that “natural” equals healthy.

Connor was an “unhealthy natty” for years. To maintain his physique naturally, he had to:

• Obsessively count every calorie and macro
• Carry a food scale to restaurants
• Never miss a training session (causing anxiety when life interfered)
• Sacrifice social relationships
• Avoid alcohol completely
• Maintain perfect sleep schedules

These obsessive-compulsive behaviors are normalized in natural bodybuilding, but they’re psychologically destructive. The stress from this lifestyle can crash testosterone levels just as effectively as steroid abuse.

Meanwhile, cutting to sub-10% body fat — considered the pinnacle of natural achievement — suppresses testosterone production dramatically. I’ve seen natural competitors with post-contest testosterone levels in the 200s. That’s clinically hypogonadal, but somehow it’s “healthy” because no external substances were used.

The Natty Plus approach allows Connor to maintain his physique year-round without these destructive behaviors. He can have a social life, drink occasionally, miss workouts when life happens, and still look better than he ever did as a strict natural.

Why Connor’s Results Prove Everything

Let me break down Connor’s transformation because it shreds every assumption about natural limits:

Starting Point: 157 pounds at 6’3″ after a 40-day fast (severely underweight)

Three Years Later: 220 pounds (63-pound gain, mostly lean mass)

Peak Natural Weight: 205 pounds

Current Advantage: 15 pounds heavier than his natural peak with similar or better body composition

The bloodwork tells the real story:

• Testosterone: 340 ng/dL → 700 ng/dL in 11 days (106% increase)
• Growth Hormone: 1500% increase from baseline
• Body weight: +20 pounds in first few months
• Body fat: minimal increase despite significant weight gain

These aren’t steroid-level results — they’re optimization results. He took his natural production from the bottom 10th percentile to the top 25th percentile using compounds that work with his endocrine system rather than against it.

The Three Rules That Change Everything

The Natty Plus protocol isn’t about taking everything available. It’s about intelligent selection based on three non-negotiable rules:

Rule 1: Relatively Healthy

No compound makes the list if it causes more harm than benefit. This eliminates most traditional steroids, which can cause liver damage, cardiovascular problems, and psychiatric effects.

But it includes compounds like MK-677, which is being studied for muscle wasting and has a favorable safety profile, or enclomiphene, which is used therapeutically in fertility clinics.

Rule 2: Non-Suppressive

Nothing that significantly suppresses natural hormone production. This is the key distinction from steroid use. The goal is optimization, not replacement.

Testosterone boosters stimulate natural production. MK-677 stimulates natural growth hormone release. Enclomiphene restarts natural testosterone production. You’re enhancing your natural machinery, not replacing it.

Rule 3: No Dependency

You can stop taking these compounds and return to baseline function. There’s no permanent shutdown, no need for post-cycle therapy, no withdrawal symptoms that leave you worse than when you started.

This is freedom from the enhanced lifestyle while keeping most of the benefits.

Where You Fall on the Spectrum (And Why It Matters)

Most guys reading this are probably sitting at a 1.5-2.5 on the natty spectrum. You take creatine, maybe a multivitamin, possibly some protein powder. You’re getting maybe 20% of your potential results.

The guys who move to 3-5 on the spectrum — adding intelligent hormone optimization through natural pathways — often see the kind of transformation Connor experienced. Better recovery, higher natural testosterone, increased growth hormone, improved body composition, and enhanced quality of life.

But here’s what most people miss: you can get 80% of steroid-level results by moving from a 2 to a 5 on this spectrum. The jump from 5 to 8-10 (steroids) gives you maybe another 20% improvement while adding massive health risks and dependency.

The cost-benefit analysis is clear. The sweet spot for most people is that 4-5 range where you’re optimizing natural hormone production without crossing into replacement therapy.

The Mental Model That Changes Everything

Stop thinking in terms of natty or not. Start thinking in terms of optimization versus replacement.

Optimization takes your natural systems and makes them function at their peak capacity. It’s like tuning a high-performance engine — you’re not changing the engine, you’re making it run better.

Replacement swaps out your natural systems for external ones. It’s like replacing the engine entirely — more power potential, but now you’re dependent on that external system.

The Natty Plus philosophy lives entirely in the optimization category. You keep your natural engine running, you just tune it for peak performance.

Interesting Perspectives

The concept of a “natty spectrum” challenges more than just fitness dogma; it intersects with philosophy, law, and even transhumanism. Some bioethicists argue that using nootropics to enhance cognitive function is no different than using MK-677 for physical enhancement—both aim to optimize a biological system beyond its default state. In competitive sports, the line is constantly redrawn: altitude tents and hypoxic chambers were once “technological doping” but are now standard. The perspective shifts when you view the human body as a malleable system. From this angle, the entire debate isn’t about “natural vs. unnatural,” but about which tools we collectively deem acceptable for self-modification at a given point in time. The most radical take is that clinging to “natural” is itself unnatural—humanity’s defining trait is tool use, and biochemical tools are simply the next evolution.

Your Next Steps Based on Where You Are

If you’re currently at Level 1-2 (basic supplements only), consider moving to Level 3 with proven testosterone optimizers. The bloodwork improvement alone will change your training, recovery, and physique development.

If you’re already at Level 3-4 and want to push further, MK-677 represents the biggest single upgrade in the Natty Plus arsenal. Connor’s 1500% growth hormone increase wasn’t a fluke — this compound consistently produces dramatic improvements in recovery and body composition.

If you’re enhanced and dealing with health issues or dependency concerns, the Natty Plus approach offers an exit strategy that doesn’t mean giving up your physique. You can transition down from replacement therapy to optimization while maintaining most of your results.

The key insight: there’s no shame in any level of this spectrum. The shame comes from lying to yourself about where you are or limiting yourself because of arbitrary labels.

Connor proved that Level 4-5 can outperform what most people achieve at Level 8-10. That’s not just smarter — it’s revolutionary.

Where you fall on the natty spectrum isn’t about your identity. It’s about your strategy. And the smartest strategy is optimizing your natural potential before considering replacement.