Pharmaceutical Name: Testosterone (as 30 mg propionate, 60 mg isocaproate, 60 mg as phenylpropionate, 100 mg decanoate)
Chemical structure: 4-androstene-3-one,17beta-ol
Molecular weight of base: 288.429
Molecular weight of ester: 74.0792 (propionic acid, 3 carbons)
Molecular weight of ester: 116.1596 (isocaproic acid, 6 carbons)
Molecular weight of ester: 150.1768 (Propionic acid phenyl ester, 9 carbons)
Molecular weight of ester: 172.2668

Brands & Products:

Organon	Sostenon 250 (Mexico, ES, GB, NL, FI, India, Russia, TK, CZ, BG)	250 mg/ml
	Sustenon 250 (PT)	250 mg/ml
	Sustanon'250' (Thailand)	250 mg/ml
	Durateston 250 (BZ)	250 mg/ml
	Durandron (o.c.) (ES)	250 mg/ml
Ravasini	Veterinary: Deposterone (Mexico)	250 mg/ml
Ttokkyo Labs	Testono'n	250 mg/ml

Characteristics:

Testosterone is the prime male androgen in the body, and as such still the best possible mass builder in the world. It has a high risk of side-effects because it readily converts to a more androgenic form (DHT) in androgen responsive tissues and forms estrogen quite easily. But these characteristics also provide it with its extreme anabolic tendencies. On the one hand estrogen increases growth hormone output, glucose utilization, improves immunity and upgrades the androgen receptor, while on the other hand a testosterone/DHT combination is extremely potent at activating the androgen receptor and eliciting major strength and size gains. While not always the most visually appealing result, there is no steroid on earth that packs on mass like testosterone does.

Sustanon 250 is a unique blend of 4 different esters of testosterone. The principle purpose of attaching an ester to a steroid is to make it more lipophillic, so that when injected intra-muscularly it can remain in the adipose tissue longer and is released in the blood-stream over time. The longer an ester, the more lipophillic it is. Sustanon 250 contain 1 short, 1 long and 2 medium length esters that are all delivered over time, which gives a quick release, but a durable one as well. You may think that this is a positive thing, and to patients requiring testosterone therapy this probably is, but to a steroid user its really not.

A steroid user will use a long-acting testosterone and inject it once a week. The end of a week is usually the time when a long-acting (7 or 8 carbon) ester has tapered down to its original level and threatens to drop below that level, giving sub-par amounts of testosterone beyond that point (eventhough the compound stays somewhat active for 3-4 weeks). With sustanon, that equal amount is divided much differently. Imagine a hypothetical situation where one take either 270 mg of a an ester that lasts 6 days, or 270 mg of a blend of different esters, 90 mg each, that release over respectively 2, 4 and 6 days, analog to sustanon. With the first one, an even amount of testosterone is released on each day. With the second one the entire first ester, half the second ester and 1/3rd of the last ester is released within the first two days. The result here is clear : the first two days one gets 165 mg, the next two one gets 75 mg and the last 2 days one gets a mere 30 mg. The levels peak much sooner, and drop off sooner, leaving you with less than adequate androgen levels as the week draws to a close.

So for use as one would use another long-acting testosterone, I find sustanon to be poor value. The price is roughly the same so I really don't see the affinity people seem to have for it. Respectively cypionate and enanthate are much better choices. I can understand the need for a fast-acting component to front-load and kick-start gains, but even then, testoviron (200 mg testosterone enanthate and 50 mg testosterone propionate) is a much better choice. Speaking of front-loading, for this express purpose sustanon may be very suited. One could probably obtain results faster If one were to use 500 mg of sustanon on day 1, then again 5 days later on day 6 and start a cycle of enanthate/cypionate at 500 mg/week on day 11. That avoids the major crash at the end of the week and makes maximum use of the fast acting esters to saturate the system.

As with all testosterones the rate of side-effects is quite high. Risks of androgenic side-effects (hair loss, prostate hypertrophy, deepening of voice) as well as estrogenic side-effects (gyno, water retention, fat gain) are real, and the use of ancillary drugs such as anti-estrogens will most likely be needed. This is something that I urge all users to take into account. Never start any cycle with testosterone without having at least a lot of Nolvadex and a few amps of HCG on hand. Testosterone is not in any way toxic, and should not give a user any problems apart from a high rate of occurrence of standard steroid side-effects.

Stacking and Use:

Because of its long-acting components, sustanon is mostly used as a form of long-acting testosterone. Much like testoviron, testosterone enanthate and testosterone cypionate. I don't find it to be the best choice for this purpose, but obviously I don't determine the trends among bodybuilders. In such use doses of 500 to 1000 mg per week are used in a single injection, with decent results nonetheless. Perhaps because 3 of its esters are notably shorter than enanthate or cypionate, so more of it is actual testosterone and less ester, eventhough the distribution is uneven. Its best use in my opinion is to start off a cycle with, by injecting twice with 5 days space, and then give it another 5 days before starting an 8-10 week cycle of testoviron, enanthate or cypionate. This should allow for more testosterone to build up and results to come much faster.

Again, because of the two medium-length and the long ester, the compound is not very controllable. So when problems occur, simply discontinuing the product is not an option. One needs to be familiar with anti-estrogenic compounds for one. When signs of gyno appear using 20-40 mg/day of the estrogen antagonist Nolvadex or 100-150 mg/day of its weaker counterpart clomid until a few days after symptoms disappear is advised. The best way to avoid such problems is running proviron or arimidex, aromatase blockers, alongside the product. In most instances I give preference to arimidex, but when concerning the use of testosterone Proviron at 50-100 mg per day may be wiser since it frees up more testosterone.

Of course the simultaneous use of an aromatase blocker will compromise your gains since it literally stops estrogen from being made. Androgenic problems can be reduced to some extent by the use of finasteride, which will stop the conversion of testosterone to its more androgenic component DHT. This may alleviate aggravated hair loss and prostate problems somewhat. Again, the blocking of such a conversion may decrease the gains made and will in any case heighten the risk for estrogenic side-effects, since DHT acts as an anti-estrogen. Proviron is also a form of DHT, so people worried about androgenic side-effects should then naturally opt for arimidex over proviron when they choose an aromatase blocker as well.

Sustanon stacks well with any compound. Usually testosterone is always the stronger compound in the stack, so whenever you stack something alongside its usually because the drug has certain characteristics. Usually this means it will be a milder drug that will allow the user a milder cycle with lower occurrence of side-effects than simply using more testosterone, without having to give up all of the potential gains. Deca-Durabolin, Equipoise and Primobolan are some of the more fitting compounds for this purpose. But naturally the king of all mass-builders stacks well with almost anything.

Pharmaceutical Name: Methenolone (orally as acetate, injections as enanthate)
Chemical structure: 17 beta-hydroxy-1-methyl-5 alpha-androst-1-en-3-one
Molecular weight of base: 302.4558
Molecular weight of ester: 60.0524 (acetic acid, 2 carbons)
Molecular weight of ester: 130.1864 (enanthoic acid, 7 carbons)

Brands & Products:

Schering

Primobolan (Mexico, Costa Rica, Dom. Rep., Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Bolivia; Berlimed South Africa)	5 mg tabs
	Primobolan (o.c.) (G, A, B)	5 mg tabs
	Primobolan S (G, NL; Leiras FI; Berlimed South Africa)	25 mg tabs
	Primobolan (o.c.) (FR)	50 mg tabs
	Primobolan Depot (Mexico)	50 mg/ml
	Primobolan Depot mites (G)	50 mg/ml
	Primobolan Depot (G, A, B, CH, ES, GR, 1, PT, TK; Berlimed South Africa)	100 mg/ml
	Primobolan Depot (o.c.) (FR)	100 mg/ml

Characteristics:

Primobolan is a well-known and popular steroid as well. Like nandrolone it's most often used as a base compound for stacking with other steroids. Methenolone however, is a DHT-based steroid (actually, DHB or dihydroboldenone, the 5-alpha reduced of the milder boldenon). Meaning when it interacts with the aromatase enzyme it does not form estrogens at all. That makes it ideal for use when cutting when excess estrogen is best avoided because of its retentive effects on water and fat. Methenolone is mostly only used in such instances, or by people who are very succeptible to estrogenic side-effects, because the anabolic activity of methenolone is slightly lower than that of nandrolone, quite likely BECAUSE it is non-estrogenic.

Because it is a widely available steroid its often used as a replacement for nandrolone or boldenone to those who have no access to Deca-Durabolin or Laurabolin or Equipoise. When stacked with a heavy mass steroid like testosterone and/or methandrostenolone it can deliver almost similar gains. Those seeking to cut will most likely be very pleased stacking it with drostanolone, stanozolol or trenbolone. Women and beginners also stack methenolone WITH nandrolone because this gives a mildly anabolic stack that is generally regarded as one of the safer stacks around in an androgenic perspective. But alas, with the nandrolone, also a very suppressive stack.

Methenolone is available as an injection or as an oral. The injection is naturally regarded as better. Its an enanthate ester which is quite long-acting and only needs to be injected once a week in doses of 300-600 mg. Because it by-passes hepatic breakdown on the first pass, it also has a higher survival rate. The orals are a lot less handy, but often preferred by bodybuilders who are afraid of needles or who are already taking one or more injectable compounds. The tabs are in a short-lived acetate form, meaning that doses of 100-150 mg per day are needed, split over 2 or 3 doses, making the tabs quite inconvenient for use. The reason doses need to be split up, unlike most oral steroids, is because Methenolone is not 17-alpha-alkylated, but 1-methylated for oral bio-availability. This reduces the liver stress, but also the availability, hence the multiple and high doses needed daily.

Like nandrolone, methenolone is very mild on the system. Probably the reason why both are strongly favored as base compounds in stacks. Methenolone has no estrogenic side-effects whatsoever, on account of its structure. Its effects on the cholesterol levels are barely noticeable. In doses of 200 mg or less (injectable) blood pressure is rarely, if at all, altered. As for hepatoxicity, long-term use will of course increase liver values but gradually and only slightly. The injections of course, since they only pass the liver once, have roughly half the liver-toxic effects of the tabs. The low liver-toxicity is accounted for that the bio-availability of methenolone is carried by a 1-methyl-group, which lessens the need for a carrier attachment such as a 17-alpha-akylated group, the main culprit in steroid-related liver afflictions.

The strangest thing however, taking into account that Primo is still a DHT (or rather DHB) derivative, is that it is quite easy on the system androgenically as well. Women use methenolone often, usually the tabs, and find little virilisation symptoms in short term use of methenolone. Long-term use may induce some acne and a deepening of the voice however. Methenolone is also not overly suppressive of the HPT axis (endocrinal axis for the production of natural testosterone). These are both the result of DHB's 1,2-double bond, which, analog to the parent structure boldenone, reduces the androgenic binding by 50s opposed to DHT.

For athletes who wish to maintain a "natural" status in competition, the tablets are quite well-suited as detection chances for the acetate-form are quite slim. However tests have improved and quite a number of metabolites¹ of methenolone can be detected with a simple urine sample. But an English study documented that there is a liability in eating methenolone contaminated meats², which could provide a possible defense if found out. One could always claim they ate the meat of a chicken or cow injected with methenolone since the test concluded eating such meat does not improve performance, but can deliver positive tests for several methenolone metabolites almost 24 hours after ingestion. That's for those of you seeking a viable defense against a possible methenolone-positive.

Stacking and Use:

Methenolone comes in orals and injectables. The injectables are to be preferred as they can be used for quite some time and only require injecting once a week. The orals are taking every day, or multiple times a day. An oral passes through the liver twice. An injectable only once. The injectable is more effective since less is broken down.

Methenolone is not used all that often by experienced users. It makes a good product as an alternative to Deca or EQ in a cutting stack, because it has similar properties but does not aromatize and does not have progestagenic activity. But those at least slightly versed will prefer boldenone over methenolone as its more potent gram for gram. Its quite mild, so its not as prone to cause your standard side-effects. This too makes it quite popular with beginners. Methenolone was quite popular during the 70's in stacks with Methandrostenolone. Some of the all-time greats of bodybuilding were quite fond of this stack.

The common use is similar to that of Nandrolone. 300-400 mg a week, in conjunction with other steroids mostly. Some attempt to make up for the lack of potency switching from nandrolone or boldenone to methenolone by using higher doses, in the neighbourhood of 600-800 mg a week. At that point I feel it would be cheaper to opt for boldenone at 300-400 mg a week though. Methenolone makes a poor stacking partner in mass stacks as both Deca and EQ provide better results while they are qualitatively similar. There is a slight merit in stacking Methenolone with boldenone, because apart from its 1-methyl group, methenolone is basically DHB, the 5-alpha-reduced form of boldenone. But since boldenone itself has very low affinity for 5-alpha-reduction, it should have a good synergistic effect stacking the two at 300 mg/week each.

There is no use for alternate drugs since it does not aromatize, is quite mild and the gains are fairly easy to maintain, so post-cycle use of clomid or Nolvadex is not warranted.

References

1 Goudreault D, Masse R., Studies on anabolic steroids--4. Identification of new urinary metabolites of methenolone acetate (Primobolan) in human by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.,J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1990 Sep;37(1):137-54.

2 Kicman AT, Cowan DA, Myhre L, Nilsson S, Tomten S, Oftebro H., Effect on sports drug tests of ingesting meat from steroid (methenolone)-treated livestock., Clin Chem. 1994 Nov;40(11 Pt 1):2084-7.

Pharmaceutical Name: Nandrolone / Nor-testosterone (as Laurate)
Chemical structure: 19-Nor-4-androstene-3-one,17b-ol" or "4-Estren-17beta-ol-3-one
Molecular weight of base: 274.4022
Molecular weight of ester: 200.3204 (Lauric acid, 12 carbons)

Brands & Products:

Hydro

Fortadex (G)	25 and 50 mg/ml
Intervet	Laurabolin (MX)	20 and 50 mg/ml
	Laurabolin V (NL)	50 mg/ml
Loeffler	Laudrol LA (MX)	250 mg/ml
Parfam	Fortabol (MX)	20 mg/ml
Vernie Vet Chem	Laurabolin (G)	25 and 50 mg/ml
Werfft-Chemie	Laurabolin (A)	50 mg/ml

Characteristics:

Laurabolin is an alternate form of nandrolone. It's a good substitute if Deca Durabolin is not available and you absolutely must have nandrolone. The main difference here is the length of the ester. A laurate ester, as in laurabolin, has 12 carbons as opposed to the 10 carbon decanoate ester that Deca Durabolin has. That makes it slightly longer acting. But you would still want to use weekly injections for all intents and purposes, so its basically interchangeable with Deca. The only product truly of interest is Loeffler's Laudrol LA. While Loeffler is the least reputable company on the list, it's the only one that makes Laurabolin in a decent concentration. The 25 and 50 mg/ml versions are really not interesting as they require weekly, single-day injection of 8-16 ml. Not a pleasant or wishful experience in anyway. As with Deca in the same concentration, its rarely if ever used. That's why Deca, which comes in 100 and 200 mg/ml as well, has more popularity than Laurabolin and a more wide-spread availability.

One plus of Laurabolin, because its less popular, is the reduced chance of getting scammed. Most of the crooks who fake steroids will opt to fake Deca because its in higher demand. And since everyone knows Laurabolin is mostly 25 and 50 mg/ml, there wouldn't be an interest in it either. Same with Deca in low concentrations. Nonetheless, if you wanted to be sure of not buying a fake when shopping for Deca, I would tell you to go with the lower concentrations. Although of late I'm more inclined to tell you to forget about nandrolone altogether and opt for Boldenone instead. Not only because its equally available and you have less chance of getting scammed, but also because boldenone is safer estrogenically, has no progestagenic action, provides lean muscle growth, does not bloat you up, is not as suppressive of natural testosterone, is stronger mg for mg and overall a much better and safer steroid. Like I said, this is mostly a product for the old-school vets that absolutely must have nandrolone (old myths die hard).

Since the base compound is nandrolone, you can count on some serious bloating. Nandrolone's androgenic component is mild, but it has a progestagenic binding that allows it to worsen estrogenic effects. Water retention being one of them. Its also a potent aldosterone agonist, and one of the actions of this hormone is to store more sodium. Increased sodium storage means increased water retention. So bloating is something you can pretty much expect. The estrogenic/progestagenic component also makes it a verifiable risk for fat gain and Gyno (growth of breast tissue in men). Because of the progestagenic component, aromatase inhibitors like arimidex, cytadren and proviron are fairly useless at countering the side-effects.

Its estrogenic effects combined with the fact that nandrolone readily re-esterifies in the body makes it have some additional problems. First of all on the suppression of natural sex hormones. Natural testosterone is shut down during the use of anabolic steroids, and the idea is to get it to come back online as soon as possible after a cycle so you can maintain most of the mass you gained. Because nandrolone 'lingers' in the body for quite some time and is a tad estrogenic, it tends to suppress the natural endocrine system much longer. With Laurabolin, who's ester is even longer acting, this problem may be even more pronounced. Even with the use of HCG and Nolvadex or Clomid, problems of this nature can arise. That means extensive post-cycle recovery (7-10 weeks) periods and a high chance of losing a lot of the mass you gained. The second problem is the detection time. Nandrolone can be detected in the body 18 months after last use, and word has it the new batch of tests will be able to detect almost 2 years after last use. People subject to random drug testing for anabolic steroids will find any nandrolone particularly unsuited for that purpose alone. Someone should tell all these idiot pro athletes getting busted for nandrolone use lately. You would think people at that level would be more informed.

Of course its not all bad. Nandrolone owes its popularity to its mild androgenic nature. While being a decent enough androgen itself, it does not convert to a more androgenic specimen in androgen responsive tissue such as prostate, skin and scalp. On the contrary. As opposed to testosterone which can form the 3-4 times more potent androgen DHT in these tissues, nandrolone will form DHN, a compound that is several times LESS androgenic. That makes nandrolone one of the safest steroids androgenically speaking, and a very low risk for hair loss and prostate hypertrophy. But still, boldenone makes a nice substitution, because it can rival nandrolone in this aspect. It doesn't have any conversion at the 5AR enzyme whatsoever and keeps its initial potency in all tissues.

Stacking and Use:

Like Deca Durabolin, Laurabolin too is mostly used as a base compound for bulking stacks. Because of its low androgenic nature it allows a user to increase his gains without having to risk more androgenic risk associated with stronger compounds. The best match for it would be a long acting testosterone like sustanon 250, enanthate or cypionate. Augmenting your dose of testosterone with a dose of Laurabolin that is roughly 80f that dose. So if you would use 500 mg of testosterone, stack it with 400 mg of Laurabolin weekly. It also makes a good match in stacks with daily doses of Dianabol (methandrostenolone) or Anadrol (oxymetholone). The addition of either testosterone or Proviron (mesterolone) is highly recommended, because nandrolone seems to have an extreme suppressive effect on the libido. The term Deca dick is often used here, where temporary impotence or a severe loss of sexual interest can occur. Testosterone or Proviron can somewhat counter this problem.

In terms ancillaries, it may be wise to have an estrogen receptor antagonist like Nolvadex or Clomid handy when using a long acting nandrolone like Laurabolin. Aromatase inhibitors (cytadren, proviron, arimidex) have a limited use, because nandrolone can aggravate circulating estrogen by binding the progesterone receptor, so its smarter to keep estrogens from binding by using a receptor competitor like the aforementioned. Because nandrolone is also nasty suppressive stuff, the use of HCG and Nolvadex or Clomid is an absolute must. To be absolutely sure nandrolone won't cause any problems in this area, I would actually suggest you discontinue your Laurabolin 1-2 weeks prior to ending your stack/cycle. That will give it a chance to somewhat clear the body by then.

Pharmaceutical Name: Furosemide
Chemical structure: 4,17beta-Dihydroxyestr-4-en-3-one
Molecular weight of base: 330.7423

Characteristics:

Furosemide is the most powerful and most widely used diuretic drug in the world. The injectable version is fast-acting, and dries someone out like prune. Its used in the medical field, mostly in the emergency room, to purge people who have ingested large doses of toxins, hoping that the toxins can be excreted before they enter the system and so avoiding worse problems. It also makes a good shock treatment for people who are admitted with dangerously high blood pressure. Its very multi-functional, but its also a very dangerous drug. It signals the body to immediately excrete both intracellular and extracellular water, and with it the key electrolytes sodium and potassium. This can lead to severe problems. Muscle contraction is based on the exchange of electrolytes. That means in first instance an electrolyte imbalance can causing cramping and other irregularities in muscle contraction. Now if its only a calf or a bicep, no harm done in the long run. But when its your heart muscle, that's another story. In 1985 professional bodybuilder Mohammed "Momo" Benazziza fell dead after winning a Grand Prix, the cause of death was believed to be his pre-contest use of the diuretic Lasix.

In most sports diuretics are used to lose small amounts of weight in a hurt. If you compete in weight classes and need to drop a pound in an hour, lasix will do the trick for you. Cleans the water from your body and you are lighter. If you have a match the next day, you are probably heavier again, so a major advantage. In bodybuilding the use of diuretics is for another reason entirely. The aim is after all to show as much muscle as possible, and to show as much definition and striation within that muscle. Unfortunately even at the dangerously low body-fat percentages bodybuilders compete at, a lot of that definition may still be hidden under layers of subcutaneous water. By using diuretics, that water can be shed and the maximum potential of a physique can be retained. In many cases, the levels of water retained by an athlete has made the difference between doing very well and doing very poorly. And the differences in the water household between the pre-judging of a contest and the evening show have sometimes made the difference between several placings. So diuretics have become an integral part of bodybuilding over the last 20 years.

Furosemide comes in oral tablets of 20 and 40 mg and in an injectable form. The injectable is the most potent. Its injected intravenously, as opposed to most steroids which are injected intramuscularly. It can become active in a matter of minutes and has a drastic effect. But as described previously, also a very dangerous one. The orals will usually take 60-90 minutes to kick in, but have a fairly drastic effect themselves. Furosemide is without a doubt the most potent diuretic in the world. An athlete will rarely opt to take more than 40 mg daily, and only in the last 4 or 5 days leading up to a show. The Injectable version is only used pre-contest, especially if there is testing. Testing for diuretics has become very popular in bodybuilding of late, and that has driven more athletes to wait until after taking their piss, and then inject some Lasix to get rid of the last bit of water. Needless to say this is a reckless practice. If a stronger effect is required, athletes are more likely to opt for adding another, milder diuretic like spironolactone (Aldactone), instead of increasing the dosage of lasix. There are a number of combination diuretics like Lasilactone that enjoy great popularity in the sports sector. Usually they near the potency of using twice as much lasix, but with much less hazard.

Stacking and Use:

Since its so harmful and potentially lifethreatening, furosemide should only be used the last 4-7 days leading up to a contest, with around 20 mg a day, 40 mg at the very most. If a stronger effect is needed, additioning a milder diuretic is advised. 50 mg of spironolactone or hydrochlorthiazide, which are potassium sparing diuretics, will usually do the trick. Adding a potassium supplement to furosemide is wise, 1500-3000 mg daily normally. This keeps electrolytes somewhat in balance and helps prevent the worst of side effects such as nausea, dizziness and cramping. There isn't much use for ancillary drugs with furosemide otherwise. Its an anti-hypertensive in itself, so it could offer relief after a dieting period with ephedrine, clenbuterol and high dose androgens. One should always take care to replenish his water and salt intake after use is discontinued.

Many users will note a very distinct bloating after discontinuing the product, sometimes to the point where everyday movement is near impossible. During the use of this product extremely heavy and painful cramps can occur, as well as Diarrhea, dehydration, dry mouth, dizziness and nausea.

If the injectable is used, make sure its out of necessity. Otherwise I would caution you to stay away from it. If you do, a small amount injected into a vein will have an impact within minutes. Make sure you addition some potassium to it immediately, and have someone watching your back at all times. Keeping a shot of epinephrine handy just in case is not being overly cautious.

Pharmaceutical Name: Somatotrophin
Effective dose: 6-12 IU/day in combination with androgens and insulin for muscle growth, 3-6 IU/day for fat loss purposes
Average Street-price: $50 for 4 IU
Available Doses: 2,3,4,10,12,16,24,72 IU vials for subcutaneous injection

Brands & Products:

Biomed	Somatohorm (PL)	4 IU
Ferring	Zomacton (G)	4 and 12 IU
Kabi Pharmacia	Genotr (NO)	2,3 and 4 IU
	Genetonorm (B,ES, PT)	4 IU
	Genotropin (S,BG,A,GR,NL)	2 and 3 IU
	Genotropin (S,DK,PT,CZ,NO,CH)	12 IU
	Genotropin (G,DK,FI,S,A,PT,HU,GR,NL,CH)	16 IU
	Geno Kabi Quick (G)	2 and 3 IU
	Somatohorm (CZ,ES,FR)	4 IU
Genentech	Nutropin (US)	10 mg solution
	Nutropin Aqua (US)	10 mg solution
	Protropin (US, MX)	10 mg solution
Lilly	Humatrope (G,DK,ES,S,GB,FI,B, HU,GR,CZ,NO,NL,I,CH)	4 IU
	Humatrope (US,MX)	5 mg solution
	Humatrope (G,DK,ES,GB,FI,NL,NO,GR,CH)	16 IU
	Humatrope (ES)	72 IU
Novo / Nordisk	Norditropin (PL,DK,A,ES,I,NO,HU,BG,MX)	4 IU
	Norditropin (G,FI,HU,DK,B,PL,CH,GB, NO,ES,NL,BG,CZ,MX,GR)	12 IU
	Norditropin (CZ,HU,FI,GR,NO,A,ES,DK,NL)	24 IU
	Norditropin Pen Set (G)	24 IU
Pharma	Genotropin (MX)	4 IU
Russian (unknown)	Somatotropin (Russia)	4 IU
Serono	Saizen (G,CH,ES)	2 IU
	Saizen (G,A,CH,ES,I,GB,GR, FI,HU,FR,S,CZ,MX)	4 IU
	Saizen (S,FI,GB,CH,CZ,HU,FR,ES,MX)	10 IU
	Serostim (US)	4, 5 or 6 mg

Characteristics:

HGH is, unlike most hormones used by bodybuilders, not a steroid hormone, but a proteinaceous hormone made up of a chain of 191 amino acids. All animals have growth hormone, but each seems to be specific to the species. HGH was first isolated in the late 70's and early 80's as a biological form. The hormone was literally extracted from the pituitary of deceased individuals. As with anything extracted from carcasses this imposed a serious risk of contracting the Kreutzfeld-Jacob disease (since the late 90's best known as mad cow disease), a normally rare neural infliction that makes you spastic and can cause death over a period of no more than two weeks. Not exactly appealing. There also wasn't, understandably, much demand for such a compound on the black market. Late 80's early 90's geneticists succeeded in manufacturing a genetic form of HGH however, through a very complicated technique using mice genes and what have you not (I'm not a geneticist, don't ask me). This also seriously upped the price of the compound.

But around that time, mainly due to this safer form, some top-level athletes were taking an interest. With increasing drug tests making the most effective anabolics forbidden territory, a pharmaceutical race to find replacement compounds that could not be detected had begun. And since then several athletes have and are still using HGH. It's a very mythical compound, since professionals will use it in high doses and make obvious improvements, yet most recreational users seeking to try it have to settle for lower doses and get little if anything out of it in terms of lean muscle mass increases. Along with several human studies^1,2 that clearly document that HGH administration offers us no benefit in this aspect, it makes one wonder. Its terribly expensive and most people seem to get nothing out of it. So is it really worth it when extremely effective steroids can be bought for the proverbial nickel and dime? I don't think so, but I'll get back to that later.

So what is GH useful for? Well first of all its effects on reducing body-fat have been well-documented. Daily doses of 3 to 6 IU injected subcutaneous have actually been shown to spot reduce body-fat mass and have, at least for some athletes, proven invaluable in contest preparation time. This dose, for short periods of time, may be somewhat affordable to a truly dedicated athlete. But one can still wonder if it is really worth it. GH has also been shown to elicit extremely positive effects on erythropoeisis³, the manufacture of red blood cells. The administration of GH in older athletes with a strong decline in GH levels has shown a severe improvement in endurance. Since levels of GH decline by half every decade, a person of 60 has roughly 15-20% of the GH he had at age twenty. So HGH is especially beneficial to older athletes regarding the effects on endurance. But just how effective superdosing HGH in younger top athletes is, no one really knows. It would be virtually undetectable as well, so no doubt this has been experimented with.

Now in regards to muscle mass, I've yet to see anything prove the contrary of what the studies I provided claimed. I've not seen HGH increase muscle mass at all. Then again, I've never seen anyone use 10-12 IU per day the way some top level professionals do. Some claim that HGH can cause hyperplasia rather than hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is the growth of muscle cells, hyperplasia is the division and thus multiplication of cells. The theory goes that this does not increase size immediately, but in due time, due to the increase in the amount of cells, when they all do hypertrophy under the influence of steroids and insulin, the result will be much greater. Of course one side-effects of HGH is that it seems to increase the size of everything, including bones (which gives very ugly protrusions in people who have no growth left in them) and intestines (which explains the incredible increase in gut size of professional bodybuilders, despite low body-fat percentages). Now these side-effects alone would allow for several pounds increase. Stack that with 3 grams per week of testosterone and an equal dose of other steroids, some insulin, lots of rest and 8000 calorie diets, and I really don't see how much the HGH contributed in creating the muscle-weight these athletes have. I mean amateur and recreational users top 260 pounds, fairly lean using 1 gram of test and 1 gram of other drugs per week, maybe some insulin. It seems to me at least that HGH is a royal waste of money. Even if it did contribute 3 or 4 pounds, is it worth a habit of 150 dollars per day? Not in my book.

In short, HGH may provide many benefits, but will rarely be worth the money. Top-level competitors, especially those subject to drug tests may find this to be worth it to give themselves and edge, most will not. HGH is a very effective compound with a lot to offer, but currently not really worth the money you'd pay for it. It is getting cheaper (In Europe the popular thing now is the 36 IU Genetonorm, selling for 50-60 bucks) but until manufacturing becomes more cost-effective, chances of prices reaching sane levels any time soon are not that high. What has been an interesting observation is the re-appearance of the old biological form. While all commercial forms had been discontinued, underground versions of the biological form have resurfaced. Previously despised, the chants of the top competitors claiming HGH is the holy grail of performance, many amateurs will now risk using this crude version to get some of that benefit for a cheaper price. Even if it means they have a high chance of dieing one of the most terrible deaths known to man. It's a funny world, eh?

Stacking and Use:

For the best results HGH should be stacked with any number of compounds. If at all possible the use of a serious steroid cycle, cytomel (T3) and insulin should be used. Not only do these promote the best results with HGH, HGH will allow for better results with them. It promotes the release if IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor I) in the liver, which is an extremely anabolic hormone. In conjunction with insulin it will therefore promote extreme nutrient retention in the muscle cells, providing the perfect anabolic environment. Cytomel seems to give it a great deal to work with. Metabolism is increased, together they form a great fat-loss combo, but more nutrients now become available as well. Along with the nitrogen/protein retention of some strong anabolic steroids this should provide very good overall results. But one can't mistake HGH as some form of miracle cure. Its no better than these other compounds, and it won't turn the cycle into a miracle of muscle growth either. Some would think this because of the incredible cost, but nothing of the sort is true. It has equal use, it just costs a hell of a lot more. Which is my main reason in stating its simply not worth what you get out of it.

For all intents and purposes of increasing endurance and performance to some level, 3 to 6 IU will suffice. The same for most fat loss purposes. HGH has a very short half-life (30-45 minutes or so) and should be injected at least once daily, maybe twice daily if at all possible. For possibly more anabolic results due to its effects on freeing nutrients and increasing IGF-1 levels, 10-12 IU per day are needed for an extended period of time (10-15 weeks), usually in conjunction with other anabolic compounds. Its interesting to note that in your choice of anabolic, an aromatizing compound like testosterone should be given preference since estrogen has positive benefits on HGH as well.

Pharmaceutical Name: Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin
Effective dose: 1500-7500 IU every 5-6 days
Average Street-price: $4-6 per 5000 IU
Available Doses: 100,125,250,500, 1000, 1500,2000,2500,3000,5000,10000,20000 International Units

Brands & Products:

Amsa	Gonadotraphon LH (I)	125,250,1000,2000 or 5000 IU
Biomed	Biogonadyl (PL)	500 or 2000 IU
Ferring	Choragon (G)	1500 or 5000 IU
Forest	Choron 10 (US)	1000 or 10000 IU
Hyrex	Chorex (US)	5000 or 10000 IU
Leciva	Praedyn (CZ)	1500 or 3000 IU
Leo	Physex (DK,NO)	1500 or 3000 IU
	Physex Leo (ES)	500,1500 or 5000 IU
Lepori	HCG Lepori (ES)	500, 1000 or 2500 IU
Organon	Gestyl (BG)	1000 IU
	G. Chor. "Endo" (FR)	500,1500 or 5000 IU
	Predalon (G)	500 or 5000 IU
	Pregnyl (US)	10000 IU
	Pregnyl (BG)	100 IU
	Pregnyl (A,B,CH,GB,BG,GR,I, NL,PL,S,FI,YU,CZ,NO,HU)	5000 IU
Paines & Byrne	Gonadatrophon (GB)	500,1000 or 500 IU
Pharmed	HCG (US)	5000 or 10000 IU
Roberts	Gonic (US)	1000 IU
Roussel	Gonadotropyl-C (MX/FR)	5000 IU
Sanfer	Gonakor (MX)	2500 IU
Schering	Primogonyl (CH,G,CZ)	250 or 500 IU
	Primogonyl (G,CH,YU,CZ)	5000 IU
Serono	Profasi (CH,B,MX,S,FI,GB,NO,NL)	10000 IU
	Profasi (CH,GB,MX,HU,FR)	500 IU
	Profasi (HU,NL,MX)	1000 IU
	Profasi (FR)	1500 IU
	Profasi (A,B,CH,DK,HU,GB, GR,S,FR,NL,NO,MX)	2000 or 5000 IU
	Pregnesin (G,CZ)	250,500,1000,2500 or 5000 IU
Steris	HCG (US)	5000 or 10000 IU
Wyeth-Ayerst	APL (US, SA)	5000,10000 or 20000 IU

Characteristics:

Human chorionic gonadotrophin is a strange hormone. Its only found in the placenta of pregnant women. For women it has fairly little use if any however, but to the male athlete it has one interesting property. It can mimic the action of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the body. LH is a pituitary hormone that is released and signals the manufacture of testosterone in the testicles. The sex hormones in the body work via a negative feedback system, where too much sex hormone (like anabolic androgenic steroids and estrogens) causes a signal to the brain to stop the release of LH. During long duration cycles, if natural test stays suppressed for considerable time, a male user will begin to note an atrophy in his testicles, meaning they will visibly shrink purely out of disuse. By administering an LH-mimicking agent, one can bring back the function of the testicles and let them regain their size. This is the main use of HCG.

Since it forms testosterone in the body to some extent, it can impart certain performance enhancing properties, but usually these are not major. The side-effects accompanied with HCG use (usually androgenic such as extreme acne), its low rate of effect, the cost compared to more effective steroids and so on will mostly keep athletes from using it for that purpose. Moreover it can be tested for in athletic competitions, so most will stay clear of it. But to the steroid user HCG is an almost essential part of a cycle. Because of its effect on bringing testicle size back it can promote the return of natural testosterone, since the first natural signals can immediately deliver a higher yield of testosterone in the body. And getting natural testosterone back online after a cycle is crucial, especially if you intend to keep most of your hard-earned gains. Without adequate natural endocrine response you will not be able to maintain a mass that was higher than before.

The downside is that HCG too is suppressive of natural testosterone. Because it takes the place of LH. LH is not the first step in the chain of command, instead its manufactured in the pituitary under the response of Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) which is secreted from the hypothalamus. And since an LH mimicking agent is supplied exogenously, the negative feedback signal to the hypothalamus will still tell it to stop making GnRH, and so no natural LH is produced. This is why the product is always used in conjunction with a potent estrogen receptor antagonist like clomid or Nolvadex. When the androgen level in the body has dropped, these antagonists will lower estrogenic response creating a steroid deficit that signals the Hypothalamus to start making GnRH. When it does, after HCG therapy, testicle size is up again and shortly thereafter natural testosterone manufacture should return to normal. But therefore its crucial that users note that though HCG is essential after long cycles, it shouldn't be used without clomid or Nolvadex AND HCG should be discontinued at least two weeks before coming off Clomid or Nolvadex or else it will suppress natural testosterone itself.

Also important to take into account : using HCG for too long a period of time or in doses that are excessively high, can desensitize the testicles to the effect of LH and would put your right back where you started from. Basically that would mean you spent money to no avail. In terms of side-effects one should expect some androgenic signs such as acne and there is a risk for hair loss or prostate hypertrophy, but in most cases this compound will be used for 3-4 weeks, so these should not manifest themselves to any serious degree. There will also be some estrogen build-up, but since the user HAS to be on clomid or Nolvadex, this should not become apparent either. Next to this, HCG being a fertility drug, one should be aware that increased blood pressure and blood clotting can occur. HCG is clinically used to make women ovulate, or to invoke birth in pregnant women.

Stacking and Use:

You would normally opt to use HCG after you've done a long cycle, usually 8 weeks or more. Note that almost all proper cycles are 8 weeks or more in length, its just that some beginners have a phobia of needles and opt to waste their time with an all oral stack first, in which case the cycle wouldn't be longer than 6-7 weeks. In these cases too HCG can have a use, but most of the time testicular atrophy will not have progressed to such a stage that it is an absolute necessity. In any case, you should run it about 3 weeks, totaling about 4 shots. One every 5-6 days. Start off with one shot of 3000 IU somewhere in the last week of your stack, then another 3000 5 days later, then drop to 1500 5 days later and a last shot of 1500 6 days after that. Sometime after the second or third shot, therapy with Nolvadex or clomid should be commenced and continued for 4-5 weeks. How to do this, I refer you to the Nolva/clomid profile.

In any case, I'll repeat it again, since it is important. HCG IS and always will be an important part of post-cycle recovery, but it should never be run too long or at too high a dose and should always be accompanied by the use of either Clomid or Nolvadex. The use of Clomid or Nolvadex should also be continued at least 2 weeks after HCG is discontinued to avoid the HCG causing problems.

Pharmaceutical Name: clenbuterol
Molecular weight of base: 277.193

Brands & Products:

Arzneimittel Werk Dresden	Contraspasmin (G)	20 mcg tabs
Biomedica Foscama	Clenasma	20 mcg tabs
Chinoin	Novegam (MX)	20 mcg tabs
Falqui	Contrasmina (I)	20 mcg tabs
Fidelis	Cesbron (PT)	20 mcg tabs
Juste	Ventolase (ES)	20 mcg tabs
Quimedical	Broncoterol (PT)	20 mcg tabs
Richter	Ventipulmin (A)	16 mcg/ml
Salus	Prontovent (I)	20 mcg tabs
Sopharma Sofia	Clenbuterol Pharmachim (BG)	20 mcg tabs
Thomae	Spiropent (G, A,DK,I,ES,MX,BG,HU,CZ)	20 mcg tabs
	Spiropent mite (G)	20 mcg tabs
	Spasmo-mucosolvan (G)	20 mcg tabs
Valeas	Monores (I)	20 mcg tabs
Von Boch	Broncodil (I)	20 mcg tabs
Unknown	Oxyflux (MX)	20 mcg tabs
Boehringer-Ingelheim	Ventipulmin	25 mg/ml oral spray (vet.)

Characteristics:

Clenbuterol is a very widely used drug and has quite a reputation. A good one among athletes and recreational users, and a very bad one among those people who know very little about illegal performance enhancing aids. Its not a steroid. In fact, the only medical use for which clenbuterol is generally prescribed (and now being less and less prescribed thanks to its illegitimate use) is for obstructions of the air-way. People with chronic breathing disorders like asthma use this as a bronchodilator to make breathing easier. But its only one of the many things that can be achieved with the use of clenbuterol.

In terms of action this drug is best likened to the now also illegal ephedrine and its legal replacement, ma huang. All of them operate mainly by increasing the manufacture and secretion of catabolic hormones known as cathecholamines (like dopamine, epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline)) which are secreted from the adrenal region. Now these hormones have a wide variety of functions. First of all they seem to alter the contractile characteristics of smooth muscle, but very specifically. Some will apparently be stimulated, and others inhibited. Amongst those inhibited, the smooth muscles in the bronchial tree, which explains its soothing effect in patients with breathing problems. What it also does is increase thermogenisis. This usually encompasses a rise in blood pressure, a stimulatory effect of the heart muscle and a resulting rise in body temperature.

Along with the reversing of the effects of insulin (and inhibiting the action of insulin) which results in a release of glycogen back into the blood stream as glucose and an inability to store or use more glycogen, it will increase the rate of protein and fat being burned in the body. For bodybuilders that appears to be the primary use of the drug. This thermogenisis and an increase in the rate of fat being burned usually has as a result that the metabolic rate of the subject its much higher and he burns more calories. This in turn results in loss of adipose tissue (the shedding of fat in other words) revealing a leaner physique with cuts and striations. The downside to this effect is that there is a concomitant rise in the rate of protein being burned. Where fat is robbed from the fatty tissue in the body, protein is generally robbed from the muscle. As with all catabolic hormones, in time muscle loss can and will occur. Which is why many opt to use this compound during a cycle of anabolic steroids that will help preserve the lean body mass while reducing the fat.

Among the other actions that cathecholamines have is an increase in aerobic capacity (facilitated by the easier breathing), a stimulation of the nervous system (facilitated by norepinephrine and acetylcholine release) and thus the skeletal muscle system, an increase in oxygen transportation (facilitated by the increased blood pressure) and an increase in vigil. These characteristics in turn combine to make this drug particularly interesting for athletes doing endurance sports and needing a boost. Especially in middle-long running numbers, this drug is widely abused and its no secret that in cycling circles clenbuterol in liquid form is combined with a painkiller and the drug EPO (synthetic erythropoeitin, a renal hormone) which increases the manufacture of red blood cells. It is then injected along the road, thereby avoiding positive tests prior to the race. Needless to say such a cocktail is very hazardous to the cardiovascular system. Just to demonstrate the wide use of this drug and its immense popularity among athletes, observe the US Olympic team. Exercise-induced asthma is an afflmiction that generally occurs in 3-7% of the population, and is in some rare cases treated with clenbuterol. In 2000 60% of US Olympic athletes claimed to have exercise-induced asthma and ALL of them were prescribed clenbuterol for this condition. An otherwise illegal drug, tolerated solely for this reason. And this while the Romanian gymnast Andrea Raducan was stripped of her gold medal for the 25 µg of norephedrine in her cold medicin she was taking...

In several animal studies^1,2,3 Clenbuterol was also shown to act as an anabolic, believed to be able to impart muscle gains. This was never demonstrated in humans⁴ however, and there is more evidence that its effect on catabolic hormones invokes the opposite. In any case, the animal studies used much higher doses then one would safely recommend for humans. The late Dan Duchaine, by many held in high regard as a steroid guru and a former writer of the now defunct MM2K, believed it had something to do with the stimulation of a third beta receptor, which was different in humans as opposed to other mammals, and that this was the reason humans did not receive any anabolic benefits. As with most of what Dan said, this is very questionable, but one of many possible explanations in a debate that still rages on. Despite the many claims of other bodybuilders that still swear it has some form of anabolic action, I must say I've seen enough proof to the contrary to strongly advise against buying clenbuterol for promoting muscle mass. You may be more than sorely disappointed. Next time you see a 230 pound, 6 foot top-level cyclist, let me know and I may change my mind.

Clenbuterol, when used for its fat-burning properties is best used in a pyramid scheme. Slowly building up the dose may be more important that tapering off of it, as most first time users will rarely if ever know how they will react. Because of the effects on blood pressure its best to start with 20-40 µg per day and slowly work your way up increasing the dose every 3 days by 20 µg, to a maximum of 120-160 µg (most find 80 µg to be adequate). Its also best not used for long periods of time. Body homeostasis seems to negate the excitatory and inhibitive functions of clenbuterol over time, creating a complacency effect. It loses most of its nerve stimulation and fat burning benefits after 3-4 weeks, and using it longer on end would be futile. The user is best to discontinue use for an equal period of time and then recommence again.

Another thing people should be aware of is the inherent liver toxicity associated with clenbuterol use. When stacking with oral 17-alpha-alkylated steroids, accutane, anti-biotics or other hepatoxic elements, one should have his liver values checked by a licensed physician at regular points in time to avoid all problems. If you not a yellow discoloration of the skin cease use immediately and contact your doctor.

Stacking and Use:

Clenbuterol should be built up and tapered off gradually with dosage increases and decreases every 3-4 days and doses never exceeding 160 µg per day to be perfectly safe. Its mostly used for periods of 2-3 weeks then discontinued for equal periods of time to disallow the body to adapt to the effects of the drug. For fat-burning goals clenbuterol is often stacked with another fat-burning agent for quick effect, or alternated with another fat-burning agent by people who need to stay lean on a year-round basis. Usually cytomel (T3) is used for such purposes, with alternating cycles of 3 weeks each. If used together, cycles will not completely overlap, but differ slightly so as not to match the low doses with the low and the high doses with the high. A typical cycle for clenbuterol might be 3 weeks, with the daily amounts being 40/40/40/60/60/60/80/80/80/100/100/100/80/80/80/60/60/60/40/40/40 µg/day. Then stopping for three weeks and recommencing.

It's also commonly stacked with anabolic steroids. Usually non-aromatizing steroids that give the user a leaner and harder look, and allow for less water retention. They serve a main purpose of allowing the user to keep as much of his hard-earned muscle mass as he tries to shed the fat he has stocked up in the off-season with catabolic precursors such as clenbuterol. Clenbuterol is generally regarded as fairly safe⁶, hence its wide-spread use. It should be disadvised for all with blood pressure and/or previously diagnosed cardio-vascular problems. But most tolerate it quite well. By building up the dose over time they usually see when they've reached a dose that becomes too harsh. The use of clenbuterol will elicit higher body temperature, higher blood pressure and in some, especially at high doses, insomnia and jitters. Though these should not be nearly as pronounced with clenbuterol as they are with ephedrine and its legal counterpart ma huang. They are also easily remedied by shifting doses around so you don't take clenbuterol in the hours leading up to bedtime and most of it in pre-training phases when the drug can enhance your training vigor.

Another good match for clenbuterol in a stack is the plant derivative yohimbine Hcl. It does concern the standardized product yohimbine here and not the raw material yohimbe, which is useless. In small doses of 20-30 mg per day, it can stop the down-regulation of the noradrenaline feedback mechanisms, that usually inhibit the actions of noradrenaline by reducing receptor affinity. This has two important uses. The first is that the length of action of clenbuterol can be enhanced by a few hours when using it together with yohimbine Hcl (although it already has a considerable half-life time⁷ of 36 hours and one daily dose should suffice) , and the second is that concomitant use of yohimbine Hcl may allow clenbuterol to induce its fatburning aspects on a longer term than the normal 2-3 weeks, so it can be used for 5-6 weeks instead. Yohimbine Hcl is, at least for now still, a legal supplement that can be acquired for very little money from legal sources and supplement companies.

Pharmaceutical Name: Boldenone (as undecylenate)
Chemical structure: 1,4-androstadiene-3-one,17b-ol
Molecular weight of base: 286.4132
Molecular weight of ester: 186.2936 (undecylic acid, 11 carbons)

Brands & Products:

Ciba-Geigy	Vebonol (G,CH, Australia)	25 mg/ml
Ilium Troy Laboratories	Boldebal-H (Australia)	50 mg/ml
Jurox Labs	Pace (Australia)	25 mg/ml
Laboratorios VM.	Ganabol (Columbia, Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, Dom. Rep.,Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Paraguay, Venezuela)	25 or 50 mg/ml
Solvay Veterinary	Equipoise (Canada, mexico, US)	25 or 50 mg/ml
Squibb	Equipoise (o.c.) (Canada, Mexico, US)	25 or 50 mg/ml
Ttokkyo Labs	Boldeno'n	200 mg/ml
Unknown Manufacturer	Sybolin (Australia)	25 mg/ml

Characteristics:

For something that is generally injected into cows, horses and dogs boldenone is quite a popular and well-liked drug by most bodybuilders because of its unique make-up. It possesses several characteristics that aren't found in any other substance and its use is so varied its much desired year-round. Boldenone is a decent anabolic coupled with both a mild androgenic and a mild estrogenic effect. Sort of like a weak testosterone. In structure it doesn't differ all that much from testosterone, the main anomaly being a double bond in the one position as well as the 4 position. Its nonetheless quite good at promoting gains, but mostly through a combination of androgenic potential and other media than the androgen and estrogen receptors.

The strange thing about its androgenic component is that it is mostly not mediated by a 5-alpha-reduced form, as is the case for most steroids. While it does indeed form a very potent 5AR form (dihydroboldenone, roughly 7 times as anabolic as testosterone¹) its shows a very low affinity for the 5-alpha-reducatase enzyme². This leads to the conclusion that a large part of the anabolic effect boldenone exerts is formed by the hormone itself binding to the androgen receptor. This could also be the reason its had such a successful run as a veterinary drug, because despite differences in the metabolism of species it has always produced extraordinary results.

Like most anabolic steroids it increases muscle mass over time by increasing nitrogen retention and positively influencing protein synthesis or re-synthesis. An action that is not necessarily supported by an androgenic mediator as was shown with nandrolone. What boldenone has that other steroids don't is that it indirectly supplies the necessary means for that protein synthesis because it drastically increases the appetite. Thereby facilitating the high nutritional intake (especially protein wise) needed to book the best results when using anabolic androgenic steroids. Its more of a benefit than you think as a lot of people have theorized that it is this increase that is responsible for the great results booked when using boldenone. This theory may hold its own as there is indeed not much proof of the kind of anabolic activity with boldenone that would be responsible for the elicited effect.

Its estrogenic activities are slight, but present. This has more of a positive than negative influence. The aromatisation of boldenone is too small to cause real problems and in normal doses (300-400 mg/week) problems such as gynocomastia and too much fat retention are unheard of. However small aromatisation is desirable as estrogen too mediates anabolic activity. It can be responsible for better glucose utilization^3,4 (repleting lost glycogen stores after exercise) and stimulating increased growth hormone release⁵. But most notably estrogen is responsible for an upgrading of the androgen receptor⁶ allowing hormones that act on the androgen receptor to exert a larger anabolic effect. This is why hormones that are strong androgens but also aromatize heavily, like anadrol and testosterone, can put the most mass on your frame. In that aspect boldenone is perhaps the most suitable steroid because of its moderate estrogen levels that allow for the benefits, but not the side-effects of aromatization. And no doubt the perfect balance is partially responsible for stimulation of the appetite.

For athletes of sports other than strength sports or bodybuilding will also note that boldenone is quite likely the most favorable steroid for them to use as it also stimulates the release of erythropoeitin in the kidneys. Erythropoeitin is a hormone known as EPO and heavily abused among endurance athletes because it signals the body to increase the production of red blood cells (erythrocytes). Red blood cells are the carrier of oxygen in the body, meaning that a higher maximal oxygen capacity can be obtained and better performance can be achieved over longer amounts of time before lactic acid is built up, which would in turn result in cramps and a cessation of the activity at that level. In short it improves your stamina. For bodybuilders this characteristic may be useful in promoting increased vascularity.

In that aspect boldenone combined with a non-aromatizing steroid like Winstrol or Primobolan may be perfect to help you get cut and ripped while improving vascularity. The downside to that is that you really need to try hard to suppress the increased appetite. Which is why its probably a better idea to stack a somewhat larger dose of boldenone with a mass building drug like testosterone or anadrol to elicit major gains.

The negative effects of boldenone are quite limited. In the normal doses of 300-400 mg a week estrogenic side-effects are almost never noted except in those who are very succeptible to estrogen. In terms of androgenic side-effects long-term use or very intense use of boldenone can cause slight virilizing effects such as acne and increased body-hair growth. Never really a problem for men, but women considering its use on account of its moderate androgenic qualities should be aware of this.

Stacking and Use:

As an undecylenate ester, boldenone needs only be injected every week (staying active well over 4 weeks), but because the preparations come in 25 mg/ml, users most often opt for 25-50 mg every day to every other day. A use of 300-400 mg per week seems to be the normal recommendation. Its not hepatoxic to any serious degree and can therefore be used for longer cycles. The appearance of underground forms of boldenone in higher concentrations (200 mg/ml) has made it easier to inject only once a week, which is to be preffered over the multiple dosings because it has a more even release and the cumulative effect shows much sooner. Speaking of cumulative effect, the best results with boldenone are seen when a user front-loads. Usually that means he will use a high doses of 600-800 mg/week for 2 weeks and then lower that dose to the normal 300-400 mg/week for the remaining 8-10 weeks.

Boldenone is most often used for cutting. Its stacking partners for this purpose in particular are trenbolone, stanazolol and testosterone propionate. I'm no big fan of testosterone for cutting, although propionate is commonly used with great success by many users. Nonetheless I don't recommend test for cutting for beginners. Stanazolol is particularly useful in improving muscle hardness and strength while boldenone offers increased vascularity without overly aromatizing. The use of 50 mg of stanazolol every day, stacked with 300-400 mg per week of boldenone should serve the purpose of retaining gains and gaining increased definition and vascularity while shedding fat very well. Trenbolone would be a better match for those looking for moderate but very lean gains. Parabolan at 76 mg every other day for example will provide a decent increase in lean mass in combination with boldenone, without having to sacrifice shape or definition. Of course any combination of the above is an option as well. For example 300 mg of equipoise per week stacked with 76 mg of parabolan every other day and 50 mg of Winstrol every day, possibly with some test propionate at 50 mg a day.

But though rarely mentioned, I personally find boldenone the better choice for bulking. Due to its effect on vascularity it is mostly used for cutting, but if you had a drug that increased your appetite like boldenone does, would you really use it to lose weight? It makes more sense to use it in a stack with a testosterone ester like enanthate or cypionate for good gains, instead of nandrolone. Sort of as a base. It aromatizes less than nandrolone and doesn't have that pesky progestagenic effect either, and because it increases appetite it would provide you with the means to an end in terms of gaining weight. 300-400 mg a week of boldenone with 500 mg of sustanon or 500 mg of testosterone enanthate would form an incredible stack. Even for those who prefer deca, adding a small amount of boldenone will go a long way in improving appetite. But boldenone is stronger than Deca, mg for mg, as well as safer and less suppressive.

Boldenone makes a very poor match for nandrolone and methenolone though, since its very similar in action. The beauty of boldenone is that it can be an alternative for nandrolone when bulking due to its leaner results and more potent anabolic action, as well as an alternative for methenolone because while barely aromatizing its stronger than methenolone (Primobolan), gram for gram.

The use of secondary drugs is rarely required. It doesn't aromatize at a great rate so the use of anti-aromatases is rarely implemented and the use of Nolva and clomid, during a cycle, is only necessary when stacked with aromatizing steroids like testosterone. Nolvadex or Clomid may have some use in restoring natural test post-cycle, because of the long-acting ester (11 carbons) and the mild estrogenic component. Normally 4 weeks of treatment is required, starting 1.5 to 2 weeks after the last shot.

DECA

Pharmaceutical Name: Nandrolone / Nor-testosterone (as undecanoate)
Chemical structure: "19-Nor-4-androstene-3-one,17b-ol" or "4-Estren-17beta-ol-3-one"
Molecular weight of base: 274.4022
Molecular weight of ester: 172.2668 (Decanoic acid, 10 carbons)

Brands & Products:

Organon	Deca-Durabolin (GB, GR, Fl, Canada, U.S.)	100 mg/ml
	Deca-Durabolin (G, B, CH, DK, ES, FR, GB,U.S, GR, ML, PL,FI; Mexico, Thailand,YU, U.S., A, South Africa)	50 mg/ml
	Deca-Durabol (S)	25, 50 and 100 mg/ml
	Deca-Durabolin '100' (NL)	100 mg/ml
Adelco	Anaboline (GR)	50 mg/ml
Keene	Androlone-D 200 (o.c.) (US)	200 mg/ml
Bender	Deca-Durabolin (A)	25 mg/ml
Donmed	Deca-Durabolin (S-Africa)	25 mg/ml
Hermes/Organon	Deca-Durabolin (YU)	25 mg/ml
Steris	Deca-Durabolin (US)	200 mg/ml
	Nandrolone Dec. (US)	50, 100 and 200 mg/ml
Chemica	Elpihormo (GR)	50 mg/ml
Genapharm	Extraboline (GR)	50 mg/ml
Jenapharm	Turinabol Depot (o.c.) (G)	50 mg/ml
	Turinabol Depot (BG, CZ)	50 mg/ml
Hyrex	Hybolin Decanoate (US)	50 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml
Etem	Jebolan (TK)	50 mg/ml
Lyphomed/Quad	Nandrol. Dec. (o.c.) (US)	100 mg/ml
Forest	Nandrobolic LA (o.c.) (US)	100 mg/ml
Hauck	Neo-Durabolic (o.c.) (US)	100 and 200 mg/ml
Rafarm	Nurezan (GR)	50 mg/ml
Gedeon Richter	Retabolil (U, HU, BG)	25 and 50 mg/ml
Medexport	Retabolin (Russia)	50 mg/ml
Orion	Sterobolin (o.c.) (FL)	50 mg/ml
Demo	Ziremilon (GR)	50 mg/ml
Bela-Pharm	Veterinary: Anabolicum (G)	25 mg/ml; 10 ml/50 ml
Ttokkyo Labs	Nandrolone	300 mg/ml
Brovel	Norandren 50 (Mexico)	50 mg/ml; 10 ml/50 mI

Also see "Laurabolin" profile.

Characteristics:

The decanoate ester of nandrolone is generally referred to as Deca, stemming from the brand name Deca-Durabolin under which nandrolone was marketed by the Organon company. But as the reference list up above suggests there are many generic forms of this compound available. Nandrolone is perhaps the best marketed and easy to get steroid out there and it has always enjoyed an immense popularity. Its fairly accurate to state that safe for Dianabol, Deca is by far the most used steroid. The deca/d-bol stack, it is often suggested, is where the practice of stacking comes from. But what does it owe its popularity too ? Well, nandrolone has some unique qualities that make it unlike any other steroid known to man.

Nandrolone is more commonly known as the base steroid 19Nor-testosterone. As this structure would indicate its like testosterone in appearance but for one small change : the absence of a carbon atom in the 19th position. This gives it a number of very distinct features. First of all it makes nandrolone a notably weaker agonist of the androgen receptor. That alone causes quite a reduction in the risk of androgenic side-effects. This is because it is the only steroid that is affected by the 5-alpha-reductase (5AR) enzyme in a way that makes it even less androgenic. Unlike testosterone which forms DHT (dihydrotestosterone) at the 5AR enzyme, a hormone 3-4 times as potent as an androgen receptor stimulator, nandrolone forms DHN (dihydronandrolone) a hormone that is even less suited than the already mild parent hormone for agonizing the androgen receptor. Those two features combined make nandrolone a very safe bet for people at risk for prostate hypertrophy, acne and aggravated male pattern hair loss. At the same time its estimated that nandrolone is 2.4 times as anabolic as testosterone¹, on a gram for gram basis.

Due to the many different ways that testosterone mediates anabolism, one has to take that statement with a serious grain of salt, but it does establish nandrolone as a potent muscle builder and performance enhancer with a comparatively safe character, at least androgenically speaking. This androgenic mildness is perhaps the greatest reason for its popularity. But due to the lack of immediate anabolic activity nandrolone is rarely used alone. Its the most known and sought after product for use as a base steroid, to use in conjunction with a more androgenic specimen to enhance the results without increasing androgenic side-effects to a serious degree.

The ways in which nandrolone exerts its anabolic effects are two-fold. First of all it's a good mediator for nitrogen retention. When nitrogen retention is high, in essence it means that the cells are taking up more nitrogen than they are releasing. Why is this a good thing though? Well every amino acid has what is known as an amino-group, which contains nitrogen. When nitrogen is retained it means there is a high concentration of amino acids in a cell, which in turn positively affects the rate of protein synthesis. Since every tissue in the body is made from protein, including muscle, this means that muscle hypertrophy is facilitated. A second factor is through estrogen. While nandrolone's rate of aromatization is considerably smaller than that of testosterone, it does convert to a particularly powerful form of estrogen^¹. This has been noted to increase glycogen storage, growth hormone release and upgrade the androgen receptor in some tissues. In this case it also entails agonizing of aldosterone, but more on that later.

On an interesting note, the 5-alpha-reduced versions enlighten us as to the anabolic effect of nandrolone as opposed to that of testosterone. Since nandrolone is weakened at the 5AR enzyme and testosterone becomes notably stronger at the 5AR enzyme it makes sense that testosterone would be a better anabolic mediator in tissues with a high concentration of this enzyme, and that nandrolone would be the stronger of the two in tissues with a lower count of 5AR enzyme^1b. Because 5AR is not as well represented in muscle tissue it accounts for the finding that nandrolone is 2.4 times more anabolic when it comes directly to muscular hypertrophy. It also explains why its less of a risk for androgenic side-effects such as benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) and androgenetic alopecia (MPB). Both the prostate and the scalp namely have high concentrations of the 5AR enzyme.

If indeed the overall yield of estrogen is so much smaller, and so is the rate of androgen receptor stimulation, how then is nandrolone so anabolic? The common belief is through a third receptor : the progesterone receptor. It has been concluded that both nandrolone² and several of its metabolites^3,4 do indeed activate the progesterone receptor and are altered by it. On the one hand progestagenic activity decreases the estrogen receptor concentration in some tissues, it also mediates estrogenic action in other tissues⁵. So while estrogenic side-effects are fairly uncommon with nandrolone use alone, they can indeed occur and the implications of nandrolone's activity as a progesterone indicate these potential side-effects aren't to be solved with an aromatase inhibitor alone (like Cytadren). As long as there is estrogen in the system (indicating a possible increase of the problem when stacked with another aromatizing compound) progesterone can agonize its effects. And since progesterone receptors are found in breast tissue and have been linked to the formation of milk ducts, progestagenic activity may aggravate possibly gynocomastia. So while such problems are rare, when they occur they aren't easily treated.

It makes sense then that those particularly prone to the effects and side-effects of estrogen would take extra precaution. Blocking aromatase, considering the previous paragraph, would be a poor choice, but competitively inhibiting the estrogen receptor itself with clomiphene citrate (Clomid) or tamoxifen citrate (Nolvadex) might bring some relief since a large portion of progestagenic action is nullified if there is no circulating estrogen around, or if it is kept from being activated by the estrogen receptor. It is generally assumed that 1 mg of either every day for every 20 mg of nandrolone injected weekly is sufficient. Slightly higher doses, or the use of an aromatase inhibitor like cytadren can be stacked if nandrolone is used in conjunction with another aromatizing steroid. It has also been noted that the steroid stanozolol (Winstrol) may provide relief as it too binds to the progesterone receptor but remains unaltered by it. How strong of a competitor it is in such a case and what sort of doses would be needed are as much your guess as they are mine, so this may be non-issue. But it does bode well for the stacking of nandrolone with stanozolol in that you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Another benefit of nandrolone use often reported is the pain-free workouts because nandrolone lubricates the joints. It stores a lot of water (as synovial fluid) in the joints, which eases the impact of the heavy weights handled by bodybuilders and weight lifters. One may wonder how nandrolone can do a better job at it than a steroid that aromatizes much stronger such as a testosterone ester, but its quite easily explained. One study at least goes to show that nandrolone metabolites are also aldosterone agonists⁶. Although we aren't entirely sure of the mechanism by which this occurs. But, while sparing you the details of this complex hormone, aldosterone has a strong function in the retention of sodium in the body. High sodium levels correlate with a high storage of water and that would explain the aforementioned effect. Of course one needs to note the implication of this of course: a bulkier frame and a certain loss of definition are not uncommon with nandrolone, perhaps more so than with testosterone.

One last note that is of critical relevance to drug tested athletes is the interaction between nandrolone and esterase. Injectable, non 17-alpha-alkylated hormones are often esterified. This means attaching an ester to a specific position on the steroid causing it to be more lipophyllic. That means it stores well in body-fat and is only slowly released into the bloodstream, giving the whole a time-released character. The more carbons an ester has the longer it will last. For the drug to become active it needs to remove its ester. When released into the bloodstream simply the suspension in H2O will solve that. But in the body-fat the ester can also be removed by the enzyme esterase. But esterase works two ways, meaning in some cases it can also attach an ester. Nandrolone is such a case.

Nandrolone with a decanoate ester is fairly long acting (10 carbons) to begin with and if on top of that a lot of the drug can be de- and re-esterified that means the substance stays active in the body for quite a long time. This has resulted in positive drug tests for the hormone nandrolone and many of its metabolites, most notably 19-Norandrosterone up to 18 months after last use of the drug. While this is a fairly known fact, the recent number of athletes (including well known soccer stars) that have tested positive for nandrolone would indicate a lot of misinformation or plain lack of information in some circles. Positive tests, with reprimands, that could have easily been avoided. So anyone subject to any form of athletic drug test should refrain from using 19-Nortestosterone (nandrolone) or any of its metabolites, that includes nor-prohormones.

For those of you looking to use nandrolone as your only steroid, be aware that the gains on nandrolone are not only mild, but also quite hard to maintain. Nandrolone, in the first place due to its combined estrogenic/progestagenic properties, is quite suppressive of the natural testosterone production. Since it actively participates at three receptors its very quick and merciless when it comes to giving negative feedback to the release of gonadotropin releasing hormone from the hypothalamus. But then one also has to take into account its affinity for esterases, making it stay active in the body significantly longer than most hormones. Because that means upon cessation of nandrolone-use you'll still be under quite suppressive conditions, there simply isn't enough intrinsic anabolism available to support the mass you gained, resulting in a rather quick and inglorious reduction of weight.

Personally, for all intents and purposes I prefer boldenone (equipoise) over nandrolone. Its also a relatively mild androgen that has no conversion at the 5AR enzyme, so its not that much more of an androgenic risk, but in all other aspects it's a much safer steroid. Doesn't have strong estrogenic effects, nor progestagenic activity. That means it doesn't cause bloat or fat gain and is much less likely to cause gyno. On the contrary, the gains from boldenone are much leaner. Its also stronger, mg for mg. It doesn't readily re-esterify and due to its lower estrogenic effects, it is not nearly as suppressive of natural testosterone either. That makes the gains not only better, qualitatively speaking, but also much easier to maintain. Also as far as purchase is concerned. Boldenone is becoming cheaper and is very widely available. The availability of Deca is dropping, but its still the most counterfeited steroid in the world. That makes it more likely that an inexperienced buyer will get scammed looking for nandrolone decanoate, than looking for boldenone undecylenate.

Stacking and Use:

Nandrolone stacks well with virtually anything. Due to its mildly aromatizing and its progestagenic activity its mostly used as a mass building compound by all but the monstrously huge. Because some water retention is a fact, one would not desire to include it in a cutting phase, especially if its one of your first cycles. Nandrolone is used in doses of 200-600 mg per week. 400 mg is the common recommendation for a somewhat experienced user, when used in conjunction with another product. Nandrolone as decanoate, as found in deca-durabolin, is a long acting ester of 10 carbons. That means 1 injection weekly will more than suffice as it has quite a long span of activity

To this effect its preferably stacked with another aromatizing compound. In the first place a long acting testosterone like cypionate, enanthate or sustanon 250. For a beginner cycle, we want to note that the testosterone compound is the most active compound and its therefore more desirable to lower the dose of nandrolone rather than the dose of testosterone. Often beginners look to start at 400 mg of nandrolone and 250 mg of testosterone. A better suggestion would be 200 mg of nandrolone and 500 mg of testosterone. Then bump the nandrolone to 400 mg.

It also makes a good match for doses of Anadrol or Dianabol, although neither compound can be used for the time-span of nandrolone decanoate due to liver toxicity. This isn't the case for a long-acting testosterone ester. Often nandrolone and test are stacked in conjunction with Anadrol or Dianabol for the first few weeks of a stack to boost gains and strength.

A nandrolone stack accompanied by stanazolol (Winstrol/Stromba) makes sense as well, especially for those who are highly prone to gyno. It's commonly accepted that stanazolol can compete for the progesterone receptor, and since nandrolone can act as a progestin, this is a wise precaution. Progesterone agonizes estrogen and while nandrolone only aromatizes slightly and cases of gyno with moderate nandrolone use is rare, when stacking it with another aromatizable compound like Dianabol or testosterone, you may not want to take the chance.

For secondary products one needn't consider an anti-aromatase like Cytadren since one cannot fully block all aromatase conversion and due to the enhanced estrogen activity as a result of progestagenic influence, it would serve little purpose. Using an estrogen-receptor antagonist, while not fool-proof obviously, may serve some benefit. Agonized or not, without binding to the receptor estrogen loses most of its influence. Using stanazolol and either clomid or Nolvadex during a stack with nandrolone is usually the best prescription. Post-cycle use of such substances to help HPTA recover faster and retain gains also comes highly recommended, and preferably for longer than you would with most stacks, since nandrolone stays active for a very long time.

More advanced users often consider the use of low-dose nandrolone (200 mg/week) with cutting cycles as well, which goes to prove that nandrolone really does stack with anything.

I will try to post profiles on each steroid

Classic Bread And Butter

Week	Testosterone	Deca-Durabolin	Dianabol	Nolvadex
1	500 mg/week	200-400 mg/week	25-30 mg/day	If needed : 20 mg/day
2	500 mg/week	200-400 mg/week	25-30 mg/day	If needed : 20 mg/day
3	500 mg/week	200-400 mg/week	25-30 mg/day	If needed : 20 mg/day
4	500 mg/week	200-400 mg/week	25-30 mg/day	If needed : 20 mg/day
5	500 mg/week	200-400 mg/week	25-30 mg/day	If needed : 20 mg/day
6	500 mg/week	200-400 mg/week	25-30 mg/day	If needed : 20 mg/day
7	500 mg/week	200-400 mg/week		If needed : 20 mg/day
8	500 mg/week	200-400 mg/week		If needed : 20 mg/day
9	500 mg/week	200-400 mg/week		If needed : 20 mg/day
10	500 mg/week	200-400 mg/week		If needed : 20 mg/day
11
12				40 mg/day
13				40 mg/day
14				40 mg/day
15				40 mg/day

This is the epitomy of a mass stack, known as the bread and butter cycle. Testosterone here can indicate any long-acting testosterone ester such as testosterone enanthate, testosterone cypionate or sustanon 250. The dianabol is kept at 6 weeks due to its liver toxicity and added at the beginning of the cycle to boost strength and gains before the injectables start showing most of their merit, around week 3 or 4. All three compounds aromatize at some rate and Deca's progestagenic activity may agonize estrogenic side-effects, so its wise to keep Nolvadex on hand. At the sign of itchy or lumpy nipples, using 20 mg per day until problem subsides is enough. Nolvadex also has a stronger affinity for the estrogen receptor than clomid, eventhough they are similar compounds. So its actually preferred if you use Nolvadex post-cycle to bring back natural test. Its further obsolete to get clomid since you need Nolva on hand anyway, so you have it lying around. Starting at 40 mg and tapering to 20 over 4 weeks will boost natural testosterone after your stack to help you retain gains, because of the blocking of negative feedback mechanisms.

The stack is known for its incredible mass results and is employed by beginners and veterans alike. Beginners would probably consider lowering the dose, in which case its advised to lower the Deca to 200 mg/week instead of 400, rather than lowering testosterone which is the main compound here. Veterans would also note to keep Deca at 400 mg, but if need be increase the dosage of testosterone primarily (to 750 or 1000 mg/week) and if still needed bumping d-bol to 40-50 mg/week. At that point the need for Nolva is an absolute fact.

In this stack I personally would change the deca-durabolin at 200-400 mg per week to equipoise at 400 mg/week because it's a stronger and safer compound that doesn't allow for as much water retention or fat gain. The bulk noticed with Deca is a lot more impressive though.

Effective Cutting Cycle

Week	Equipoise	Winstrol/Stromba	Proviron
1	300-400 mg/week
2	300-400 mg/week
3	300-400 mg/week	25-50 mg every (other) day
4	300-400 mg/week	25-50 mg every (other) day
5	300-400 mg/week	25-50 mg every (other) day	50-100 mg/day
6	300-400 mg/week	25-50 mg every (other) day	50-100 mg/day
7	300-400 mg/week	25-50 mg every (other) day	50-100 mg/day
8	300-400 mg/week	25-50 mg every (other) day	50-100 mg/day
9	300-400 mg/week	25-50 mg every (other) day	50-100 mg/day
10	300-400 mg/week	25-50 mg every (other) day	50-100 mg/day

Very effective cutting cycle. Beginners would start at 300 mg a week for equipoise or may even wish to consider using Methenolone (Primobolan) instead at 300-400 mg a week, since methenolone does not aromatize. Most people with a little experience will prefer Boldenone (equipoise) because it has better gains and the minor aromatization would cause no problems on a large frame. Note that if you do opt for methenolone, the use of mesterolone (Proviron) near the end of a stack is no longer needed at all. The Winstrol dose is your biggest concern. If you inject I would say regardless of anything, use 50 mg every other day. Only people with a certain mass would use 50 mg every day. If you ingest, I would say either 25-50 mg every day for beginners or 50 mg every day for veterans. I wouldn't go any higher with the use of Winstrol at 8 weeks due to hepatoxicity. If more is needed, increasing equipoise makes more sense. Adding the proviron at the end will totally block any form of aromatization from the equipoise and free more of the stuff up because it has a high affinity for sex-hormone binding structures. It also offers a distinct hardness, which, in conjunction with Winny, should give you the cuts of a life-time as you progress towards the end of a cycle.

Needless to say the fat-reducing effect of steroids is not all that great, to get the results you need in terms of losing body-fat a diet and some cardio will be needed, perhaps the use of analog fat-burning compounds such as ECA, Cytomel or clenbuterol.

Lean Mass Cycle / Alternate Cutting Cycle

Week	Finaplix/Parabolan	Primobolan
1		300-400 mg/week
2		300-400 mg/week
3	75-76 mg every other day	300-400 mg/week
4	75-76 mg every other day	300-400 mg/week
8	75-76 mg every other day	300-400 mg/week
6	75-76 mg every other day	300-400 mg/week
7	75-76 mg every other day	300-400 mg/week
8	75-76 mg every other day	300-400 mg/week
9	75-76 mg every other day	300-400 mg/week
10	75-76 mg every other day	300-400 mg/week

Very good for adding some lean mass for most beginners and intermediate users. Vets would note this is a great stack for cutting as well. For intermediates and vets it may have more use to substitute Primobolan for Equipoise to get some mild aromatisation in there. The doses of Trenbolone depend on the compound of course, since Parabolan comes in vials of 76 mg. But assuming you dissolved your fina evenly, 75 mg makes more sense there. Later on I will have a stack that demonstrates the use of HCG as well, this could be beneficial here as this can be quite suppressive, but Clomid/Nolva would have very limited use since the cause of the HPTA suppression isn't post-cycle estrogen.

All Oral Cycle

Week	Dianabol	Winstrol/Stromba	Anavar	HCG & Nolva
1	30-40 mg/day
2	30-40 mg/day
3	30-40 mg/day	25-50 mg every day
4	30-40 mg/day	25-50 mg every day		5000 IU/week HCG
5	30-40 mg/day	25-50 mg every day		5000 IU/week HCG
6	30-40 mg/day	25-50 mg every day	30-40 mg/day	5000 IU/week HCG
7		25-50 mg every day	30-40 mg/day	5000 IU/week HCG
8		25-50 mg every day	30-40 mg/day
9				40 mg/day Nolva
10				20 mg/day Nolva
11				20 mg/day Nolva

I'm a member at several online steroid boards and you always hear the vets say: "Don't use only orals, your gains won't last". Here's a newsflash: the roids you take orally are no different from the ones you inject. Naturally I need to add here that you will get better gains with injectables. The half-life is longer, they can be used longer because they aren't so toxic, they can be used in higher doses and the effects stay for a while after a cycle (which could account for the belief that gains on orals disappear). But I'd like to know where the belief that an oral only stack can't offer good gains originated? A lot of bodybuilders in the 60's and 70's were basically living off dianabol. The key to keeping gains on any stack is facilitating the return of natural test after a stack and keeping calories high in your diet no matter what.

The problem of an oral only stack is that its limited in time. 6-8 weeks at best. Meaning multiple stacks are needed where less stacks would be needed with injectables. An oral only stack is hard to set up because you have no real base compounds either. This is one I sweated out after much thinking for all you wimps that can't take a needle. Because anavar and winny block the aromatisation off d-bol, there isn't much post-cycle estrogen so the use of clomid/Nolva afterwards is limited but still advised. It should be started immediately after the cycle is over. With lon-acting injectables one can usually wait 1.5 to 2 weeks after last shot to start post-cycle therapy and then still there is a certain level of androgens in the body. With the orals, most of the androgen will be cleared in 1-2 days tops. So Clomid/Nolva therapy needs to start immediately. Here it is illustrated with 40 and 20 mg of Nolva, but could easily be run with 150 and 100 mg of clomid respectively. This was a good stack to demonstrate the use of HCG (which is injectable. Oh the irony). At least one of the uses. HCG keeps the size of your nuts up even after HPTA is shut down by your roids. That facilitates post-cycle recovery. Since HCG itself can cause negative feedback it needs to be discontinued the week before you come off or it will do the opposite of what it is intended to do. NEVER run HCG longer than Nolva or clomid. One should take a long break off any type of 17-alpha-alkylated steroids after this cycle as the liver will have taken a severe beating. That's the downside of being scared of needles.

Safety Cycle

Week	Anavar	Primobolan Depot	Andriol	HCG & Nolva
1		200-400 mg/week	8-12 caps per day
2		200-400 mg/week	8-12 caps per day
3		200-400 mg/week	8-12 caps per day
4		200-400 mg/week	8-12 caps per day
5	20-40 mg/day	200-400 mg/week	8-12 caps per day
6	20-40 mg/day	200-400 mg/week	8-12 caps per day
7	20-40 mg/day	200-400 mg/week	8-12 caps per day
8	20-40 mg/day	200-400 mg/week	8-12 caps per day
9	20-40 mg/day	200-400 mg/week
10	20-40 mg/day	200-400 mg/week		3000 IU/week HCG
11				3000 IU/week HCG
12				1500 IU/week HCG and 40 mg/day Nolva
13				40 mg/day Nolva
14				20 mg/day Nolva
15				20 mg/day Nolva

This is a relatively safe cycle, another question I get asked more than I care to be asked, since with steroids its always either gains or reducing the risk, but you can't have both. This cycle uses two orals that are relatively safe, both the anavar and the primo are not particularly suppressive of natural testosterone and with the andriol being fairly controllable, especially in these doses, side-effects should remain to a minimum. If we drop the andriol and use the low end of doses for the primo and anavar, this may be a good potential cycle for a top-level female athlete (for the record, I don't believe in women having to use anabolics). Don't expect any major mass gains from a cycle like this, in fact even at the high doses a male shouldn't expect any nominal increase in mass from this, it may not even be a very successful cutting cycle. All it really is, is safe.

The post-cycle therapy here clearly demonstrates the alternate use of HCG, where it is started at the end of the cycle and continued some time to allow the functioning of the HPTA to resume and increase testicles size slightly again. 1.5 to 2 weeks after the last injection of the long acting primo (enanthate) depot, Nolvadex therapy is started. Note that HCG is always discontinued at least 2 weeks prior to finishing Nolva as it is A) suppressive or natural testosterone itself and B) produces estrogen in the testicles through aromatization. HCG and Nolva are two things that are must have in post-cycle therapy, but they should be used properly.