Table of Contents
he optimal steroid cycles for individuals vary and are dependent on the ultimate goal of a steroid cycle. Someone wanting to burn fat primarily, would follow a completely different cycle than someone looking to build up for instance.
Additionally, since women choose not to take chemicals that may lead to virilization, the optimum male and female steroid cycles may be totally different.
We’ll go through different steroid cycles, including options for beginners, experienced users, and those wanting to bulk or trim.
Cycles for Beginners on Steroids
First steroid cycle is almost usually the best for an individual owing to the fact that their bodies have not developed any resistance to anabolic steroids yet, therefore leading to fast and remarkable body transformations.
That being said, the ideal steroid for newbies is one with little adverse effects while yet being strong enough to develop substantial muscle mass.
It’s also important to bear in mind that stacking steroids is not a recommended procedure for beginners, since mixing several substances frequently results in more severe adverse effects.
Testosterone Cycle
For many novice weightlifters, a testosterone-only cycle is the standard regimen. This is owing to the fact that testosterone causes relatively minor adverse effects while still generating substantial muscular and strength increases. In comparison to other anabolics, testosterone is thought to have one of the highest risk/reward ratios.
When it comes to results, a properly and carefully dosed testosterone cycle may help novices gain 20 pounds or more of lean muscle. Due to the androgenic nature of testosterone, it will also incite some fat loss in the body.
Compound workouts like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses may improve muscular strength by 50 pounds or more.
However, since testosterone is an injectable anabolic steroid, it is not the most user-friendly anabolic steroid to administer. Although, unlike c-17 alpha alkylated steroids, this route of entry allows it to skip the liver and reach the circulation quickly. It has very minimal liver-harming properties. Whilst oral testosterone (also known as undecanoate or Andriol) is available, bodybuilders seldom utilize it because it’s quite pricey.
Beginners who want to bulk up quickly often utilize a 7-week cycle that starts with 200mg per week for the first two weeks, increases to 300 mg per week during the following three weeks, and then goes up to 350 mg per week for the last two weeks. They often utilize testosterone cypionate or enanthate since these esters don’t need as many injections and are often easier to administer than those containing other variants of testosterone.
Below are known side effects of Testosterone (There are side effects of using testosterone.)
• hypogonadism, or a substantial reduction in natural testosterone production
• swelling of prostate
• gynecomastia
• may cause hypertension as it distorts the ratios of HDL to LDL cholesterol
• edema or water retention as it contains the aromatase enzyme
• baldness (in male)
• acne
• bloating swollen muscles
Anavar Cycle
In the bodybuilding world, anavar (oxandrolone) is classified as a cutting steroid and is often used in preparing for competition. Although it has anabolic characteristics in terms of muscle growth, they are much milder than typical bulking steroids.
Anavar’s main appeal is its fat-burning abilities, as well as its ability to rid water weight, increase vascularity, and improve muscle tone. It is also safe for women, since low to moderate dosages seldom cause virilization. Not to mention it’s an oral steroid, so there’s no need for needles.
It can help beginners build 15 pounds of lean muscle while also losing a substantial amount of body fat.
Male beginners may complete a 6-week anavar cycle, starting with 15mg per day for the first three weeks and increasing to 20mg per day for the next three weeks. As for women, they may take 10mg every day for four weeks, anything more than that may have masculinizing effects.
Below are known side effects of Anavar
• Being a c-17 alkylated oral steroid means it is metabolized by the liver once it is absorbed into the bloodstream. It’s hepatic effects are very moderate though compared to other oral steroids, thus this side effect isn’t usually a concern for bodybuilders.
• It causes abnormalities in users’ HDL/LDL by changing their cholesterol composition which may lead to hypertension although it’s doubtful that it would produce a dangerously high blood pressure reading.
• It is believed to put the heart under a little greater pressure than testosterone does. This may be because anavar does not convert to estrogen and is taken orally.
• Anavar lowers testosterone, although those levels usually return to normal within a few weeks after the drug is stopped.
Steroid cycles for bulking
Bodybuilders who want to achieve massive muscular growth use bulking cycles. As several of these are brutal on the body, they aren’t recommended for beginners and are only appropriate for experienced ones. However a testosterone-only cycle, which is regarded as a reasonably safe bulking strategy, is an exception to this rule.
Dianabol cycle
Dr. John Bosley Ziegler created Dianabol (which is now a popular oral steroid) with the goal of creating a chemical that was more anabolic than testosterone while being less androgenic.
In terms of physical strength and size, dianabol will provide comparable, if not slightly better, effects to testosterone. Some of the best things about it are; it is less likely to cause prostate issues, baldness, or acne since it does not have the same androgenic effects as testosterone.
Dianabol is considered one of the finest anabolic steroids for raw power and can help you achieve new levels of strength. One can easily put on 25-30 pounds of lean muscle in a single Dianabol cycle. As a matter of fact the ‘Austrian Oak,’ or Arnold Schwarzenegger, is said to have taken this, to help him dominate the Mr. Olympia competition.
This one though is conducive to more experienced users who have previously used a milder steroid, like testosterone. Newbies are advised against taking Dbol given its negative effects on the cardiovascular system and liver.
A 6-week Dianabol cycle is mostly recommended, with 20mg a day for the first three weeks and increasing it to 25mg a day for the remaining three weeks.
Below are known side effects of Dianabol
• It has a negative impact on AST and ALT levels in the liver and to alleviate this stress, many people take a liver support supplement like TUDCA.
• Water retention and gynecomastia are potential adverse effects of its strong estrogenic effects.
• It has a detrimental impact on cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of developing atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases primarily caused by water retention and liver activation of the hepatic lipase enzyme.
• It is necessary to use a potent post-cycle therapeutic medication to restore natural endogenous testosterone production after taking Dianabol as it collapses.
Anadrol cycle
Anadrol’s advantages are similar to those of dianabol, resulting in significant improvements in muscular growth and strength. In terms of weight gain, it is considered one of the most potent anabolic steroids available, providing slightly greater mass gain than dianabol. When running an anadrol cycle for the first time, one may anticipate to gain 30 pounds or more.
A 6-week cycle is ideal, taking 50mg per day for the first three weeks and raising it to 75mg per day for the last three.
Below are known side effects of Anadrol
• It is one of the most dangerous steroids available, producing significant blood pressure and hepatic enzyme changes and therefore not recommended for novices. Those who frequently consume alcohol or have a history of hypertension should use this with extreme care.
• Anadrol is a popular off-season gear since it’s a wet chemical that causes significant extracellular fluid retention, which may conceal muscle definition momentarily.
• Anadrol is similarly estrogenic, although this is due to direct activation of estrogen receptors rather than the presence of the aromatase enzyme. As a result, rather than taking an AI (aromatase inhibitor), a SERM (Selective estrogen receptor modulator) may be used to decrease the risk of gynecomastia developing.
• In spite of its low androgenic rating it is associated with a high number of androgenic adverse effects which may cause greasy skin, acne, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or male pattern baldness.
• A thorough and well-planned PCT to re-establish normal testosterone function is needed as it reduces testosterone levels. Absence of such may result in long-term low testosterone levels or even in perpetuity if overused.
Trenbolone cycle
In that it does not convert to estrogen, trenbolone is a particularly one-of-a-kind bulking anabolic steroid, resulting in weight growth that is almost entirely made up of lean muscle tissue.
Many bodybuilders would pick trenbolone if they could only use one steroid to alter their physique as fast as possible.
Although it is mainly used to increase muscle, it has no side effects related to water retention, leaving users with a very dry and shredded body. That being said, the weight one puts on with trenbolone will not match with dianabol or anadrol, but it is just as effective in terms of muscle tissue building. One distinction is that when users discontinue trenbolone, they typically keep the weight, while when they discontinue dianabol or anadrol, they mostly suffer water loss.
The strong androgenicity of trenbolone causes atrophy of adipose tissue as well as muscular growth. The use of trenbolone as a cutting steroid has allowed bodybuilders to lose fat faster while maintaining or even gaining muscle mass while restricting their caloric intake.
It’s ideal to do a 10-week cycle of 150mg each week.
Below are known side effects of Trenbolone
Although Trenbolone works wonders, it is still one of the dangerous steroids out there.
• Whilst it won’t cause any notable liver issues being an injectable, there would be significant changes in cholesterol levels and blood pressure due to the massive increase in exogenous testosterone, which fail to convert into estrogen.
• It will also actively suppress natural testosterone levels, resulting in low sex drive or libido in men.
• Acne vulgaris flare-ups are common as a result of overstimulation of the sebaceous glands.
• May cause hair loss as like like other anabolic steroids, it causes DHT (dihydrotestosterone) levels to increase rapidly
• It also has a stimulant impact on the central nervous system, which causes increased body temperature. In sensitive users, this may cause side effects such as sleeplessness, anxiety, restlessness, excessive sweating, and even paranoia.
Deca Durabolin cycle
Deca Durabolin is yet another powerful anabolic steroid for bulking, however because of its low androgenicity, it is best used in a stack. This is typically run alongside dianabol, testosterone or anadrol cycles. Given this, it’s difficult to judge its potency on its own. However, when users remove it from a stack, a significant change is immediately apparent.
Deca durabolin enhances protein synthesis and nitrogen retention absorption in muscle cells. It effectively transports more intracellular water into the muscles increasing muscular fullness.
Below are some Deca bulking stacks:
Deca and Testosterone Cycle
| Week | Testosterone | Deca Durabolin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 600 mg | 300 mg |
| 2 | 600 mg | 300 mg |
| 3 | 600 mg | 300 mg |
| 4 | 600 mg | 300 mg |
| 5 | 600 mg | 300 mg |
| 6 | 600 mg | 300 mg |
| 7 | 600 mg | 300 mg |
| 8 | 600 mg | 300 mg |
| 9 | 600 mg | 300 mg |
| 10 | 600 mg | 300 mg |
This testosterone and deca durabolin stack has the fewest negative effects compared to others. Once a person is already confident in taking testosterone alone, this cycle may be used.
Deca Durabolin and Dianabol Cycle
| Week | Nandrolone | Methandrostenolone |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 200 mg | |
| 2 | 200 mg | |
| 3 | 200 mg | 10 mg/day |
| 4 | 200 mg | 10 mg/day |
| 5 | 300 mg | 10 mg/day |
| 6 | 300 mg | 15 mg/day |
| 7 | 300 mg | 15 mg/day |
| 8 | 300 mg | 15 mg/day |
This steroid cycle is appropriate for someone who is already familiar with steroid usage.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and other legendary athletes from the 1970s utilized this famous steroid cycle.
Deca Durabolin and Dianabol Cycle
| Week | Nandrolone | Oxymetholone |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 400 mg | |
| 2 | 400 mg | |
| 3 | 400 mg | 50 mg/day |
| 4 | 400 mg | 50 mg/day |
| 5 | 400 mg | 100 mg/day |
| 6 | 400 mg | 100 mg/day |
| 7 | 400 mg | 100 mg/day |
| 8 | 400 mg | 100 mg/day |
| 9 | 400 mg | 100 mg/day |
| 10 | 400 mg | 100 mg/day |
Given anadrol’s severe toxicity, the relatively large doses in the above cycle indicates it was used by a seasoned steroid user.
Below are known side effects of Deca Durabolin
Deca Durabolin’s FDA clearance reflects its moderate nature, since it is considered one of the safest anabolic steroids available. However despite being FDA-approved muscle-wasting drug, using it for bodybuilding purposes is prohibited. Listed below are some known side effects:
• Blood pressure will increase, although only slightly compared to other bulking agents.
• It is well-known for producing sexual adverse effects in males, including erectile dysfunction (ED). The bodybuilding world refers to this as ‘deca dick.’. Its poor androgenic characteristics, coupled with high prolactin levels, causes ED. Nitric oxide levels, which are critical for providing blood flow to the penis, may drop when androgens are low. This can be corrected though by stacking deca durabolin with an androgenic steroid like testosterone, trenbolone, or anadrol.
• It raises blood levels of the hormone prolactin, which may lead to a decrease in male sex drive. Cabergoline, a dopamine receptor with a prolactin inhibitory action, is commonly used by bodybuilders to counteract this effect.
• Testosterone suppression will almost likely be severe. Give yourself plenty of time to recuperate after the cycle. Until natural testosterone levels return to normal, users should take a PCT and avoid taking any other steroids during this time.
Cutting steroid cycles
A cutting cycle’s primary goal is to lose fat while maintaining lean muscle mass. A good example of this is a cutting cycle with anavar and trenbolone which, as previously mentioned, is exceptional.
Other steroid cycles that increase fat burning while also boosting muscle growth are listed below.
Winstrol cycle
Winstrol (stanozolol) has an identical steroid nature to anavar, allowing users to gain modest muscle mass while still burning substantial fat, has diuretic properties, and does not convert to estrogen. It’s good and bad effects are considered by many to be more powerful than Anavar though.
As a result, users will gain a little more muscle mass while suffering from more severe negative effects. As such, it is not recommended for novices or the weaker ones.
A 6-week Winstrol cycle is optimal, with 20mg per day for the first two weeks and 25mg per day for the next four weeks.
Below are known side effects of Winstrol
• It has a high level of liver toxicity, short cycles are recommended to limit the amount of liver damage. To avoid jaundice or liver cholestasis, it should not be combined with any other oral steroids.
• Causes substantial increases in blood pressure due to the drug’s ability to significantly alter cholesterol levels. This can also be seen as a flushing and rosy complexion on the skin.
• As water serves as a cushion for the joints, water loss from the body when taking Winstrol may cause joint discomfort. This effect makes it not the best choice for bodybuilders who like to lift a lot of weights.
• It also reduces collagen synthesis, leading to an increased risk of injury and hastening the aging process.
• Suppressed testosterone levels will reduce sperm quality and quantity To allow the body enough time to recuperate, avoid frequent steroid cycles including powerful AAS like winstrol; otherwise, you may have to deal with low testosterone or infertility for a long time.
• Winstrol should be avoided by women as it has a tendency to make them more masculine.
Primobolan cycle
Primobolan is a moderate anabolic steroid that may be used orally or injected. It’s comparable to anavar in that it has minimal adverse effects while encouraging modest muscle and fat reduction. You can gain up to 10 pounds of muscle. It was commonly utilized during the golden age while dieting for a performance, however IFBB professionals use stronger substances nowadays.
Unlike winstrol and trenbolone, it is a safer alternative for users who want to do it the ‘healthier’ way. And just like anavar, it is unlikely to cause virilization in women.
Men may perform an 8-week primobolan cycle at 150 mg per day. While women may take 50-75mg per day without becoming masculine.
Below are known side effects of Primobolan
• Primobolan will induce testosterone suppression, although only to a minor extent as compared to other AAS.
• may lead to a slight spike in blood pressure, which should be tolerable for most users, particularly those who do cardio frequently.
Despite being an oral, it does not put a lot of strain on the liver since it is not a c-17 alkylated molecule. In order to get the best effects, it is often used with anavar and testosterone.
Clenbuterol cycle
Clenbuterol is a bronchodilator, not a steroid, and is used medically to help asthma sufferers breathe easier. It is often mistakenly referred to as a cutting steroid due to its anabolic properties. Fat loss and its metabolic impact on metabolism are its most notable benefits.
It activates the neurological system, which then causes burning of fat through an increased body temperature. For a few weeks, the user’s core body temperature rises, causing their basal metabolic rate to soar.
Even if the body temperature increases by one degree, fat loss is hindered until it goes back to normal which takes around 4-6 weeks thus users only use it for brief periods of time, such as two weeks on and two weeks off.
There are no known side effects for women using the same doses of clenbuterol as men since it has little impact on hormone levels.
For users, a 30-day clenbuterol cycle is ideal. For the first three days, start with 20 mcg a day and gradually increase the dose by 10 mcg every three days.
Below are known side effects of Clenbuterol
• Clenbuterol may cause cardiac hypertrophy and raise the heart rate to dangerously high levels. Gradually increase the dose to check how you’re reacting to the drug better.
• Anxiety, sleeplessness, and depression are typical symptoms linked to overactive nervous systems and an overproduction of adrenaline.
• Lowering your heart rate (using any product) may have the unintended side effect of decreasing your fat loss since it reduces or eliminates the thermogenic benefits of the substance.
Advanced Steroid cycles
Only veteran bodybuilders who are fit and have developed a tolerance to AAS should try these steroid cycles. Cycles that include anadrol, superdrol, trenbolone, or winstrol in a stack are considered advanced, since these steroids are powerful even when taken alone.
Anadrol / Testosterone / Trenbolone Cycle
| Week | Testosterone | Oxymetholone | Trenbolone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 300 mg | 150 mg | |
| 2 | 600 mg | 150 mg | |
| 3 | 600 mg | 50 mg | 150 mg |
| 4 | 600 mg | 50 mg | 150 mg |
| 5 | 600 mg | 100 mg | 150 mg |
| 6 | 600 mg | 100 mg | 150 mg |
| 7 | 600 mg | 100 mg | 150 mg |
| 8 | 600 mg | 100 mg | 150 mg |
| 9 | 600 mg | 100 mg | 150 mg |
| 10 | 600 mg | 100 mg | 150 mg |
| 11 | 300 mg |
It is the most powerful bulking cycle available to seasoned users as it contains three of the most potent mass-building steroids at the same time, resulting in tremendous raw strength and size gains. Powerlifters of all levels wanting to achieve new personal records will find this cycle to be an excellent choice.
However, since the negative effects are likely to be severe, this trio should only be used on a very limited basis.
Given the long-term effects of such drugs, we strongly advise our readers not to use such cycles.
| Week | Stanozolol | Mesterolone | Trenbolone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 mg/day | 25 mg/day | 150 mg |
| 2 | 20 mg/day | 50 mg/day | 150 mg |
| 3 | 20 mg/day | 50 mg/day | 150 mg |
| 4 | 20 mg/day | 50 mg/day | 150 mg |
| 5 | 25 mg/day | 50 mg/day | 150 mg |
| 6 | 25 mg/day | 50 mg/day | 150 mg |
| 7 | 25 mg/day | 50 mg/day | 150 mg |
| 8 | 25 mg/day | 50 mg/day | 150 mg |
This is the most powerful cutting steroid cycle a bodybuilder can use, and it’s appropriate for the most experienced users. A stack like this may be used by men in preparation for a bodybuilding tournament where very low body fat levels are awarded.
With a diuretic, fat-burning, and muscle-building cycle, users will witness rapid changes in their
body composition before their own eyes.
You should only do this cycle if you’re currently lean and want to become even more shredded. Someone with greater body fat may not benefit as much from this cycle because, although it would promote significant weight reduction, it would be harder to assess the diuretic effects.
