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Once you have made the choice to use anabolic steroids, you will want to make sure you adopt the most intelligent and educated approach possible. This will reduce the likelihood of negative effects while increasing the likelihood of positive outcomes, so shifting the risk-benefit ratio significantly in your favor.
Because there is so much false information regarding steroids going around, it may be difficult to obtain impartial, science-based information that is trustworthy. This comprehensive essay is intended to serve as a one-stop-shop for all you need to know to safely and intelligently begin your first and future steroid cycles.
Being in the muscle building and strength business for more than three decades has provided me with extensive knowledge of the anabolic steroid market from every perspective. I have got the answers you have been looking for to assist you in comfortably advancing through your initial bulking, strength-building, or reducing phase of training.
Before we get started, I want to make it clear that this post does not support the usage of anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids are not something to be taken lightly, and the choice to use them should not be made lightly.
It is important to think about the long-term repercussions of your choice and to do as much study as possible before putting anything to use.
The very first steroid cycle
A steroid cycle is defined as the period of time and dose during which a steroid or combination of steroids (stack) is administered to the body. When you are taking an anabolic steroid, this is referred to as being ‘on cycle,’ and when you are not using it, this is referred to as being ‘off-cycle.’
When going on your first steroid cycle, you should aim to make things as simple as possible to avoid any unpleasant surprises. The synthetic chemical you will be putting into your body will be unknown to you and you will have no way of knowing how your body will respond to the compound. It makes a lot of sense to start with a hormone that your body is already accustomed to, such as testosterone, in order to maximize results.
Throughout your first cycle, you should pay close attention to how your body responds to the medication you are taking. Conserve your energy by keeping a diary in which you document your physical and emotional experiences, such as how powerful you feel when working out and how aggressive you feel when you are not in the gym.
It is not recommended to stack steroids during your first cycle. If you have any form of negative response, you will not be able to determine which of the steroids in your stack was the source of the issue.
In order to properly use steroids, it is critical to recognize that they cannot be used in isolation. Unless you are also exercising really hard and eating in accordance with your goals, you will not be able to attain your goals, no matter how much steroids you are taking in. To put it another way, you can not expect to become swole by sitting on the sofa all day eating potato chips and dropping some garbage.
You must reduce your daily caloric intake by 500 calories each day in order to sustain a daily caloric deficit when on a reducing cycle. During a bulking cycle, you should consume 500 calories more per day than you would normally consume at your maintenance level.
Regardless of whether your aim is to trim or bulk, you should increase the intensity of your exercise when you are on a cutting cycle. When you are on steroids, you will have more energy and a higher capacity to recuperate from your workouts. Take advantage of this by increasing the number of days you work to five per week, Monday through Friday, and taking the weekends off to rest and recharge.
See also All The Different Kinds Of Steroids And Choosing The Best For Your 12-Week Cycle
What Is the Length of a Steroid Cycle?
A steroid cycle may last as little as four weeks, with the highest recommended duration being twelve weeks. One of the primary reasons why you should cycle steroids on and off rather than taking them all year is because steroid usage interferes with the body’s natural testosterone production (though there are some exceptions). Consequently, after you have completed your cycle, you must undergo post-cycle treatment in order to restore your testosterone levels to their pre-cycle levels.
When it comes to calculating the duration of your steroid cycle, it is important to consider your end objective. It is possible to be off cycle for the same amount of time as you are on cycle if you are on an intense bulking cycle. To put it another way, if you are on a cycle for eight weeks, you should follow it up with a four-week off-cycle, during which you should complete a course of post-cycle treatment.
On your very first cycle, you would embark on a very rigorous regimen. When starting off, you would want to be as cautious as possible, thus you should be on cycle for twice as long as you were off cycle. As an example, if you are on cycle for 8 weeks, you would then follow it up with three weeks of post cycle therapy (PCT).
How long should you wait between steroid cycles?
As a general rule of thumb, you should take a break from cycling for half the amount of time that you spend riding it. You will have enough time to allow your body to replenish its testosterone levels as a result of this.
You will notice that many bodybuilders will follow a two-month on-cycle followed by a one-month off-cycle schedule. It also gives you the chance to remain emotionally and intellectually rejuvenated throughout the process.
How Much Does a Steroid Cycle Cost?
The matter of cost is, without a doubt, a crucial consideration when arranging your steroid cycle. Let us look at it in terms of US dollars.
A normal steroid cycle consists of two to three vials of the steroid that is being cycled at any one time. The price of injectable steroids is typically between $50 and $100 per vial. An oral steroid bottle containing 100 pills can cost you between $50 and $100 depending on your location.
To give you an example, a 6-week cycle consisting of Testosterone (500mg per week) and Dianabol (30 mg per day) will cost you around $350, without adding the expense of post-cycle treatment.
In terms of post-cycle treatment, taking one Nolvadex pill per day for three weeks after a 6-week cycle will be sufficient once the cycle is over. It will cost you around $50 to do so.
Anavar Cycle
Anavar is often referred to be the safest anabolic steroid for beginners due to its ability to provide considerable fat reduction while still producing notable lean muscle growth. Anavar has little side effects in either men or women, which is why it has been authorized by the FDA for use in medicine.
Anavar has a number of undesirable side effects, one of which being a slight decrease in endogenous testosterone production. Rather of being eliminated, natural test levels will gradually decline. Such decreases are often reversed within a few weeks to a couple of months after the cycle has finished.
Anavar will not provide spectacular muscle growth when compared to the other substances on this list; nonetheless, if gaining massive amounts of muscle mass is not the aim, an Anavar-only cycle is often used.
The usage of just Anavar in a cycle is widespread among users who are concerned about side effects, and it is also often used by individuals who are apprehensive of using steroids in general (but opt for Anavar due to its high safety profile).
| Week | Anavar Cycle |
| 1 | 15mg/day |
| 2 | 15mg/day |
| 3 | 15mg/day |
| 4 | 20mg/day |
| 5 | 20mg/day |
| 6 | 20mg/day |
When it comes to guys, this is a modest dosage to use during the first cycle. In future Anavar cycles, 20mg of anabolic steroids may be utilized from the first week forward, and the duration of a cycle may be extended to eight weeks.
PCT: Because Anavar is such a moderate anabolic steroid, it is not necessary to do a post-cycle therapy (PCT), as users do not often experience a ‘crash’. As a result, hormone levels will normally return to normal after a few weeks of treatment.
Testosterone Cycles
Testosterone is the most often used and recommended anabolic steroid for beginning athletes. This is owing to the fact that testosterone is a powerful anabolic steroid for increasing muscle mass and strength while yet being gentle on the body. This steroid cycle will often result in users gaining 20lbs of lean muscle mass.
It is important to note that this comes at the expense of increased risk of major adverse effects in the long run. Due to the fact that testosterone is an injectable steroid, there is no hepatic strain, but cholesterol levels might increase dramatically, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
| Week | Testosterone Cycle |
| 1 | 200 mg |
| 2 | 200 mg |
| 3 | 300 mg |
| 4 | 300 mg |
| 5 | 300 mg |
| 6 | 350 mg |
| 7 | 350 mg |
During the first cycle, testosterone cypionate and enanthate esters are frequently administered in combination.
This is due to the fact that they are slow-acting esters, and as a result, they do not need repeated injections. As a result, two injections per week are adequate to maintain maximum exogenous testosterone levels in the circulation.
Instead of maintaining a consistent flow of testosterone, using fewer injections more often may induce significant rises and drops in testosterone. Increased adverse effects will come from large changes in testosterone levels (especially for beginners).
Preventing the development of gynecomastia during testosterone cycles is possible with the use of Clomid, which may be used as a SERM (Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator). Clomid is administered twice a day at a dosage of 200mg in clinical investigations. It may also be used as a post-conceptional testosterone replacement therapy to help restore endogenous testosterone production.
Alternatively, 2 x 10-20mg of Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) may be taken twice a day, which is another common SERM used by bodybuilders and can be taken twice a day. However, it is not recommended to take this during a testosterone cycle since it has the potential to raise blood pressure (due to its decreasing estrogen).
Dianabol Cycles
Dianabol is the most potent of all of these substances, and it will almost certainly result in the greatest increase in muscle growth for novices. However, it is not the most effective steroid for maintaining good health.
Despite the fact that it has some potentially harmful side effects, Dianabol is a popular starter cycle for those who do not want to inject themselves but yet want to see significant muscular growth.
Dianabol is a c-17 alpha-alkylated anabolic steroid, and as a result, it is likely to cause liver toxicity. Even more concerning is the increase in blood pressure that will occur while taking Dianabol, as a result of the increased water retention and a negative shift in HDL/LDL cholesterol levels that will occur.
| Week | Methandrostenolone Cycle |
| 1 | 20mg/day |
| 2 | 20mg/day |
| 3 | 25mg/day |
| 4 | 25mg/day |
| 5 | 25mg/day |
| 6 | 25mg/day |
This is a high dosage for novices, resulting in a higher risk of side effects in order to get greater muscular development in a shorter period of time. For beginners, the aforementioned cycle will normally result in a gain of around 25 pounds. TUDCA is often used to assist limit liver damage, while Clomid may be used before, during, and after a cycle to help avoid gynecomastia and aid in the restoration of natural testosterone levels (2 x 200mg per day).
The Most Effective Steroid Cycle For Bulking
Bulking cycles are used when a bodybuilder wants to grow a considerable amount of muscle mass in a relatively short period of time. In most cases, this is accomplished in one of two ways: The goal is to gain as much weight as possible. Alternatively, you may create lean muscle without gaining weight and maintaining a ripped and slim appearance.
According to the majority of users, the greatest anabolic steroids for bulking are:
Anadrol
Dianabol
Testosterone
Trenbolone
Deca Durabolin
Anadrol Cycles
Anadrol
Anadrol is the most potent bulking steroid on our list, providing users with significant size and strength increases while also being quite dangerous in terms of adverse effects.
Because Anadrol is an oral steroid that has cholesterol-lowering effects, the two most serious side effects associated with it are high blood pressure and liver damage.
Anadrol is not recommended for novices; however, if a person has used testosterone or Dianabol in the past and has handled these substances well, they may choose to cycle a modest dosage of Anadrol throughout their cycle.
Anadrol may be taken alone or in a stack with injectable steroids such as trenbolone, deca or testosterone to get the desired results. It is not recommended to stack Anadrol with other oral steroids, such as Dianabol, since the liver will be overworked and cholesterol levels will skyrocket as a result of the increased workload (compared to injectables).
| Week | Oxymetholone Cycle |
| 1 | 50mg/day |
| 2 | 50mg/day |
| 3 | 50mg/day |
| 4 | 75mg/day |
| 5 | 75mg/day |
| 6 | 75mg/day |
The steroid cycle described above is designed for someone who wants to build significant muscle bulk but has never taken Anadrol before. As a result, the dosages are relatively modest, allowing the body to get acclimated to the harmful substance over time.
Those who are familiar with Anadrol and who tolerate it well may opt to cycle the drug over an eight-week period, increasing the dose up to 100mg.
Anadrol and Deca Cycle
| Week | Deca Durabolin | Oxymetholone |
| 1 | 400mg | |
| 2 | 400mg | |
| 3 | 400mg | 50mg/day |
| 4 | 400mg | 50mg/day |
| 5 | 400mg | 50mg/day |
| 6 | 400mg | 75mg/day |
| 7 | 400mg | 75mg/day |
| 8 | 400mg | 75mg/day |
Deca Durabolin is a worthwhile addition to a stack if the user has already cycled Anadrol and wants to take a more powerful stack without experiencing a significant increase in adverse effects. It is a moderate compound, making it a good choice for first-time users.
The addition of deca does not significantly exacerbate the negative effects of Anadrol, even if natural testosterone production will be reduced and water retention may rise as a result of the drug’s use. Deca dick is also one of the most well-known adverse effects of deca Durabolin (erectile dysfunction). A contributing factor to this is the fact that it lowers DHT levels, which are necessary for nitric oxide generation and blood flow inside the penis. As a result, due to the fact that Anadrol is a highly androgenic steroid, it will help to avoid this and improve sexual health when compared to using deca alone.
In most cases, the sexual function begins to deteriorate about the third week of deca, which is why Anadrol is introduced around this time owing to its androgenic properties. Deca is a slow-acting steroid, and as such, it is routinely cycled for up to 10 weeks to give it enough time to reach its peak concentration in the circulation and begin to exert its effects.
Testosterone and Tren Cycle
| Week | Testosterone | Trenbolone |
| 1 | 300mg | 150mg |
| 2 | 600mg | 150mg |
| 3 | 600mg | 150mg |
| 4 | 600mg | 150mg |
| 5 | 600mg | 150mg |
| 6 | 600mg | 150mg |
| 7 | 600mg | 150mg |
| 8 | 600mg | 150mg |
| 9 | 600mg | 150mg |
| 10 | 600mg | 150mg |
| 11 | 300mg |
The testosterone plus trenbolone cycle is the most effective steroid cycle on our list for gaining lean muscle mass.
When we talk about lean mass, we are talking to weight growth that is virtually entirely composed of lean muscle tissue and no additional water weight.
Due to the aromatization of testosterone, a modest degree of fluid retention is likely throughout this steroid cycling cycle. But it will not compare to the bloating that occurs while using strong anabolic steroids like Dianabol or Anadrol, for example.
The fact that trenbolone does not aromatize means that it will only produce lean and dry increases. A person who is already thin will almost surely become ripped if they use trenbolone in combination with other steroids. Trenbolone also possesses stimulant properties, which aid in fat removal during bulking cycles. As a result, it is extremely likely that users will not only gain significant quantities of muscle while on this cycle, but they will also lose significant amounts of fat. If users consume a large number of calories in excess of their needs, tren will help them avoid gaining weight.
The disadvantage of this stack is that trenbolone is an extremely powerful anabolic steroid, which may cause significant blood pressure increases and testosterone suppression. This cycle comprises high dosages of anabolic steroids, making it only suited for experienced steroid users.
See also Ultima-Oxa (Anavar): What You Need For Your Cutting Cycle
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