Russian strength athlete Andrey Smaev (also known as Russian Hulk) has become an internet phenomenon not just for his massive physique, but for his discussions about recovery and performance enhancement.
In a recent interview with Gleb Solomin, Smaev opened up about his current peptide protocol and why he’s turned to these after years of heavy training.
When asked directly about peptides, Smaev didn’t dodge the question. He clarified that he’s currently using three: “Right now, I’m using three peptides. I added a third one recently. I take them mainly for recovery.”
He specifically mentioned the most common peptides in his regimen. “The main ones are BPC and TB-500. Those are the staples for recovery,” he stated.
Smaev explained the mechanism behind peptide effectiveness: “The peptides I take help reduce inflammation. They strengthen the injured area. I genuinely feel the effect.”
For him, the need is directly tied to his training style. His workouts revolve around ex treme weight and volume.
“I train with very heavy loads. Either I do massive volume or pure strength work. With that kind of training, your joints and ligaments take a beating, especially when you push yourself too hard.”
Smaev acknowledged the physical consequences of his training approach. While talking about the psychological side of pushing limits, he stated: “You hit one big lift, then you want another. It motivates you to keep going. But afterward, something usually ends up hurting.”
He described how micro-injuries accumulate over time: “You don’t let your body fully recover. Even when you know something is injured, you keep pushing because you want that same feeling in training. Over time, micro-tears and small cracks build up. They overlap and eventually turn into inflammation.”
One of Smaev’s major concerns is the cost barrier of peptides for average people. “For professional athletes or people with sponsors, it’s manageable. If you have money, you can buy them and not even feel it financially,” he said.
But he contrasted that with the average person dealing with chronic pain: “If an ordinary person has back or knee pain, peptides might help. But how can they afford it on an average salary? No one is going to take out a bank loan just to buy peptides.”
He believes cost is the main barrier to widespread use: “It’s a breakthrough, it’s interesting. But if it were as cheap as a bottle of milk, far more people would use it.”
Smaev also touched on how peptides are perceived in the fitness world. He described the current era as a kind of “age of peptides,” pointing out that they are technically just chains of amino acids.
“Peptides are simply amino acid chains. They’re not hormones,” he stated.
He referenced a female wellness competitor who publicly said she switched to peptides while maintaining her results: “I saw a video from a girl, I won’t name her, she has her own channel and competes in the wellness category. One of her videos was basically about how she stopped what she was doing before and switched to peptides. In that video, she said her results didn’t get worse at all. According to her, nothing declined, and in theory, there aren’t even better options available right now.”
From Smaev’s perspective, peptides occupy a controversial but technically distinct category compared to anabolic hormones.
He also noted how common their use has become: “I go on Instagram and see athletes openly talking about using multiple peptides per day. It’s becoming normal.”
For Andrey Smaev, peptides represent a necessary tool for continuing his training at the highest level while managing the accumulated damage from years of extreme loading.
[Editor’s note: Quotes have been translated and edited for readability and clarity.]
