Nolvadex

Chemical Name : Tamoxifen Citrate

This drug is used as a first line defense against breast cancer. In the late 80s, Dan Duchaine speculated that it could also be used by bodybuilders to halt the development of another type of tumor in the mammary gland, Gynocomastia. He introduced this find to the Steroid-using-community in his "Contest Prep" issue of the Under-Ground Steroid Handbook Update Newsletters (the contest prep-issue was actually 3 issues in one, for those who had a subscription to the newsletter).

Nolvadex is commonly referred to in quite a few ways: as a SERM (Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator), as an anti-estrogen (that is actually incorrect, as we will later see), and finally as a triphenylethylene. I happen to stick with calling Nolvadex a SERM, because out of my three options, it happens to be correct (as we know that calling it an anti-estrogen is incorrect), and pronouncable (as we know that I have no idea how to say "triphenylethylene"). Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) act as either estrogen receptor agonists or antagonists in a tissue-selective manner, lets see what that means to us.

Nolvadex actually has quite a few applications for the steroid using athlete. First and foremost, its most common use is for the prevention of gynocomastia. Nolvadex does this by actually competing for the receptor site in breast tissue, and binding to it. Thus, we can safely say that the effect of tamoxifen is through estrogen receptor blockade of breast tissue , especially since total body estradiol increases with use of tamoxifen. Clearly, if you are on a cycle which includes steroids which convert to estrogen, you may want to consider nolvadex as a good choice to run along side them.

Nolvadex Cycle
Nolvadex, however, is not the most potent ancillary compound we can use on a cycle, but it is probably the safest considering it doesnt actually reduce estrogen in your body keeping some estrogen floating around could have many benefits on muscle growth, as well. Estrogen is also important for a properly functioning immune system, and not only that, but your lipid profile (both HDL and LDL) should also show marked improvement with administration of tamoxifen (4). Many bodybuilders actually use this stuff during their cycle for the health benefits provided by it. If, however, you are preparing for a bodybuilding contest, you need to use something which will suck most (if not all) of the estrogen out of your body. I am speculating that you may be able to use Nolvadex for the majority of a contest prep cycle, to keep yourself relatively healthy, and then switch over to Letrozole for the last 8 weeks.

Nolvadex also has some important features for the steroid using athlete. In hypogonadic and infertile men given nolvadex, increases in the serum levels of LH, FSH, and most importantly, testosterone were all observed . The best (rough) estimate I can give you from my research is that 20mgs of Nolvadex will raise your testosterone levels about 150% ...and this would of course greatly aid post-cycle-recovery. What this means to us is that if you take Nolvadex after a cycle, when you are trying to raise your levels of testosterone, LH, and FSH back to normal, it will greatly aid recovery. In fact, if I were limited to just one compound to aid me in post-cycle-recovery, Nolvadex would be my choice. If you want a comparison, it would require 150mgs of Clomid to accomplish that type of elevation in testosterone, but nolvadex also significantly increased the LH (Leutenizing Hormone) response to LHRL , after 6 weeks.

Some of the more harsh ancillary compounds available today will give you a more "dry" look that nolvadex cant, but nolvadex is simply safer to use in long (over 16 week) cycles.

Nolvadex Side Effects
Unfortunately, Nolvadex isn't perfect. Anecdotally, it has been linked to reduced gains in some bodybuilders. This isnt due, as previously thought, to its reducing estrogen levels (which it doesn't), but rather to its ability to possibly reduce IGF (Insulin-like-Growth-Factor) levels, which are important for muscle growth.

Ephedrine

Chemical Name : Ephedrine Hydrochloride

When I started writing this book, ephedrine was one of my favorite legal stimulants/fat burners. Halfway through finishing, ephedrine (Ephedra, actually) became one of my favorite outlawed fat burners; now its my favorite legal one again. Who knows what it will be by the time you have this book in your hands? Tiki Barber, running back for the NY Giants once speculated that while it was legal, 80% of the players in the NFL used ephedrine. For my part, I'll speculate that the number using it will pick right back up now that it's legal again, and that this time, NFL players will be stocking up just in case it goes off the market again.

Popularly recognized as the most potent fat-burning compound on the market, fast-acting Clen is in a class by itself! Mild enough for both men and women, Clen’s remarkable anti-catabolic formula can greatly impact your training results to help you lose those uncomfortable extra pounds, or tighten and cut your body up for beach season.


Ephedrine is a stimulant that belongs to the sympathomimetics family. It's both an alpha and beta adrenergenic, as opposed to Clen, which only works on your beta receptors. Ephedrine releases norepinephrine, which is basically very similar to adrenaline, your fight or flight hormone, which is an endogenous alpha agonist. First, when you take ephedrine, your body temperature will rise. This is a good thing, as it indicates more fuel being burned for energy. Thatll help you shed some of your subcutaneous body fat stores, and this is basically ephedrines main use in athletics.

Its other use is for it's stimulant properties. The stimulant effect of ephedrine will increase the contractile strength of skeletal muscle; for this reason ephedrine is commonly used by powerlifters and Olympic lifters. It also helps many people focus, similar to caffeine, with which many choose to take their ephedrine. The touted stack of ephedrine (25-50mg), caffeine (200-300mg) and aspirin (100mg) is shown to be extremely synergistic for fat loss. In this combination, the ephedrine and caffeine both act as notable thermogenic stimulants, while the added aspirin helps to inhibit lipogenesis by extending the duration of their effect and blocking the incorporation of acetate into fatty acids. The best synergy is when the ephedrine/caffeine ratio is actually 1:10. Finally, Ephedrine also seems to slow gastric emptying, which is why it is very popular as an appetite suppressant, and was included in many diet pill preparations until it was pulled from the market.

Clenbuterol

Chemical Name: Clenbuterol Hydrochloride

Clenbuterol (often called just “Clen”) is used by athletes and bodybuilders for it’s ability as a beta-2 agonist. It therefore stimulates your beta-2 receptors, which in turn help you to lose fat by allowing your body to release and burn more stored fat. Clen has been used for literally decades in the foreign veterinary world, for increasing the lean yield of livestock. It is clearly a very effective agent for this purpose, although its long half life and tendency to stay active in the body for long periods of time mean that vets in the United States aren’t able to use it. This is also the reason why (although it’s an asthma medication) it’s not available to asthmatics in the US of A. Albuterol is Clen’s shorter acting cousin, and that’s the FDA’s drug of choice here. But in the world of athletics, Clenbuterol has a much longer history of use.

Specifically, it’s used for fat loss, and since we’re talking about fat loss here, and this purpose is what it’s most often used for by athletes. Briefly stated, Clen is used as a repartitioning agent, and what this means is simply that it will increase your ratio of Fat Free Mass (FFM) to Fat Mass (FM) (1). When you use Clenbuterol, besides (of course) noticing some fat loss, you’ll feel your body temperature rise a bit, and your appetite will be slightly repressed.

Anyway, as you may have guessed, because the FDA doesn’t allow Clenbuterol use in asthmatics, and the USDA doesn’t allow it in livestock, there aren’t a lot of human studies to really examine with regards to Clenbuterol. Unfortunately this makes research a bit difficult, as it’s well known that animals have a some important differences in their beta-receptor type and concentrations, but animal studies are still quite useful here.

Clenbuterol is quite anti-catabolic and/or anabolic in almost every (animal) study ever done on it, although this hasn’t been studied or confirmed in human studies . Also, a trend we see with Clenbuterol administration in animals is that the doses used are very high- more than anyone I’ve ever heard of actually taking. So, what I’m saying is that if Clenbuterol is anabolic or anti-catabolic in humans, only mild anabolic or anti-catabolic effects can realistically be expected. We can take a look at horses given a human-like dose of clen (slightly over 1mcg/lb x2 a day) and exercised for nearly human-like times (20mins, 3x a week) showed very significant decreases in %fat (-17.6%) and fat mass (-19.5%). Interestingly, this significantly increased (+4.4%) at week 6 (1). This has been one of the reasons I have never believed in the 2 weeks on and 2 weeks theory of Clenbuterol administration. Why wouldn’t we want to use it for at least 6 weeks, considering the fact that it seems to have some profound effects during later administration. A “second wind” so to speak (get it? “second wind”? it’s an asthma med! Ha! Ok…moving along…).

One of the primary drawbacks of Clenbuterol is that after a couple of weeks, it seems to stop working for most people. This is because it can cause a downregulation of pulmonary, cardiac and central nervous system beta-adrenergic receptors. This is why it seems to stop burning fat for most people at that point. To counteract this, you can take some Ketotifen, Benadryl, or Periactim every 3rd or 4th week that you remain on Clenbuterol. These are prescription anti-histimines, so they’ll make you drowsy (take before bedtime).

Also, bear in mind that clen isn’t great for your heart, and can cause some issues there (enlargement of ventricles, etc…) but most studies showing Clen to cause heart problems are with animals, and even though the dosing is almost similar to what humans take (in some studies its within range of what would be double of a large human dose...). Again, it’s important to remember that animals have more beta-2 receptors and they cause certain event chains that humans’ beta-2 receptors may not, due to their relatively high concentrations. Clen causes cardiac hypertrophy to some degree, in some cases and even dose-dependent apoptotic and necrotic myocyte death . And since Clen depletes taurine  as do most if not all beta-agonists, you may want to supplement your Clen use with some Taurine.

One of the weirdest things about Clenbuterol is that even though it’s an asthma medication, studies have shown reduced exercise (cardiovascular) performance with Clen , but some also show that Clen can alleviate exercise induced asthma!

Clenbuterol is one of the easiest drugs to find proper dosing for, and I’ve always made the same recommendations as to finding the appropriate dose for you. Basically, start with 20mcgs upon rising. If the side effects (possible anxiety, and shaking or sweating) aren’t too pronounced, then repeat that same dose again later in the day, and then once again in that day (again, if you find you can tolerate the effects). If you start experiencing intolerable sides, then decrease the does to where it’s tolerable. If not, then start increasing the dose more, very gradually.

Don’t go over 200mcgs, though…and keep your Blood Pressure at (or under) 140/90. If your Blood Pressure goes over that, reduce your dose. If side effects are intolerable, decrease your dose.

Dianabol / D-bol

Chemical Name: Methandrostenolone

After testosterone suspension, and various forms of testosterone, this was second Anabolic Steroid ever produced. It’s simply testosterone with a minor alteration (an added 1-2 double carbon bond), and an added 17a-methyl group. This does two things. The added 17a-methyl group serves to allow it to pass through the liver without being totally destroyed, and the 1-2 double bond slows the rate of conversion to estrogen (aromatization). Although conversion to estrogen is going to be less than with testosterone, it’s actually still going to be enough to cause potential side-effects because it converts to a very potent type of estrogen. Dianabol (often just called Dbol for short) is typically only seen in bulking cycles- and then only for the first 4-6 weeks. Common doses are between 20mgs/day for a beginner and double to triple that for an advanced user.

Although Dbol is usually found in pill form it can also be found as an injectable. As with Winstrol, both versions are exactly the same, just suspended in water or oil versus a pill, capsule or as a paper anabolic. Regardless of the form it takes, it is still a 17aa steroid; which means two things, for our purposes. The first is that it has been altered at the 17th Carbon position, in order to resist being inactivated by your liver, and the second is that as a result, your liver enzymes will be elevated as a result of this resistance to inactivation. This is good because it means that the active chemical will make its way into your blood stream- and it’s bad because these elevated enzymes can stress your liver. In reasonable doses, which I believe to be up to 50mgs/day, the main “side effect” is going to be rapid weight gain. Its watery weight sometimes and not typically considered “clean” gains, but it’s definitely going to make you stronger. I’ve seen studies using some pretty high doses of Dianabol, and the subjects didn’t really suffer any intolerable side effects (1).

Often, Dbol is compared to Anadrol 50 and in many ways that comparison is apt. Although Anadrol is derived from Dihydrotestosterone and Dianabol is derived from testosterone, they still share a couple of similarities when we take a look at them from an effects & side effects point of view. Both of them cause a rapid buildup of both strength and weight at equal doses, both produce a bit of a bloated look, both are going to stress your liver to an extent as well as raise your blood pressure. Interestingly, both also bind very weakly to the Androgen Receptor, so many of their effects are thought to be non-receptor mediated, and are attributable to other mechanisms. Although Dbol has only modest aromatase activity (2), I really have to stress that it metabolizes to a very potent estrogen.

Dianabol Side Effects

As with many other 17aa steroids, Dianabol is also a very weak binder to the Androgen Receptor, so most of its effects are thought to be non-receptor mediated, and are attributable to other mechanisms (i.e. protein synthesis as indicated by the production of muscle tissue with very high levels of nitrogen, etc... which was indicated in the 100mg/day study). This also means Dianabol only has a modest aromatase activity (2).

How strong is Dbol? Well...on a mg for mg basis, most people agree that its stronger than A50...but the reason most people don't get the same gains off of Dianabol is that almost nobody takes equivalent doses (I mean...Ive heard of people taking 150mgs of A50, but not Dbol, even though the dbol would probably provide more solid gains and be less toxic, I suspect).

So how do we incorporate this stuff into our AAS regimen? Clearly, the inclusion of Dianabol at any point in a cycle would contribute to gains, however, Id speculate that Dbol is most regularly used for 2 reasons.

• At the start of a cycle to "Kick Start" gains
• As a "Bridge" between cycles, to maintain gains

Dianabol Cycle

In order to kick start a Dianabol cycle, usually what you do is incorporate a fast acting oral like Dianabol (or anadrol) and combine it with long acting injectables (such as Deca or Eq with some Testosterone). The reasoning here is that the oral (Dbol in this case) will give almost immediate results, while the injectable takes time to produce results. The end result is that you start seeing results within the first week of your cycle and continue up until the end with the injectables. This entails taking anywhere from 25-50mgs of dbol (although as little as 20mgs or as much as 100mgs have been reported) for 3-6 weeks at the start of a cycle (average time for a "Kick Start" is 4 weeks, though), and then ceasing their use as the injectables start to produce results.

In order to successfully bridge between cycles (and this means using a low dose of AAS, in this case dbol), you need to recover your natural hormonal levels to pre-cycle levels or to within acceptable parameters, and then you start your next cycle. The idea here is that you wont lose any gains, but rather a low dose of an AAS will help you maintain them. Typically, youd use around 10mgs/day of dbol and combine it with an aggressive Post-Cycle Therapy (PCT) course of Nolvadex (and/or Clomid) and HCG. This would give you full androgen replacement from the Dbol and a shot at recovering your natural hormonal levels via the other stuff you are taking. Remember, the 100mg/day dose of dbol in the study we looked at earlier did not suppress Test, LH, or FSH to a degree that would make recovery impossible and certainly not with 1/10th that dose in conjunction with an aggressive PCT.

All in all, this is a very good drug, and a potent tool for quick gains or retaining gains...when used properly and safely.

Anadrol 50

Chemical Name: Oxymetholone

The following is an article written about Anadrol, specifically, what makes it unique and how it differs in effectiveness, price and cycling to other steroids such as dianabol. Many steroids that we discuss here can be dangerous for the very same reasons that they are effective bodybuilding agents. One example of this is letrozole, which is known to rapidly lower estrogen levels in men and women and if used incorrectly, can cause estrogen levels to drop far below what is healthy, even for a body builder. The possibilities and risks associated with steroids are one of our main concerns.

Anadrol 50, or just A50 is probably the most popular oral steroid used by athletes today for bulking. It gained its reputation for being a powerful and cheap steroid in the original underground steroid handbook where Dan Duchaine presented it as a cheaper alternative to Dianabol. That’s still what many people use it for, since it’s typically given in 50mg tablets or (underground) in capsules.

Anadrol is a Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-derived compound with the notable addition of a 2-hydroxymethylene group. In many respects, this modification could be called the defining characteristic of Anadrol. It’s really a very odd modification which imparts many unique characteristics on Anadrol when you compare it with other DHT based anabolics. It’s very odd, when you think about it- Winstrol, Masteron, Anavar, Primobolan, and Proviron- basically all other DHT derived steroids are used for cutting cycles. Anadrol is the black sheep here, and is really the only DHT derived steroid that we use to bulk up. We (or at least I) have to assume it’s the 2-hydroxymethylene group that’s responsible for Anadrol’s unique nature.

Before we get into that, lets see how it shares similarities with other DHT based drugs. Firstly, it doesn’t bind well at all to the androgen receptor (its Relative Binding Affinity is actually too low to be determined).

This is really pretty close to Winstrol’s binding affinity, so it’s not that much of a surprise, as both are DHT derivations. Another pretty common modification we see with this compound is that it’s oral, and has consequently been made a 17-Alpha-Alkylated steroid; it has been altered at the 17th carbon position to survive oral ingestion. This is the most common modification we see with oral anabolics, in order to help them survive passing through the liver.

But now, lets take a look at one of the properties that really distances Anadrol from other drugs that are in it’s family: It’s ability to put weight on users. Anadrol is really one of the very big guns in our anabolic arsenal and that’s how doctors look at it as well. It’s been used to successfully combat AIDS and other wasting diseases.

Side Effects:
This is because it has a very profound ability to pack pounds on to virtually everyone.  I have used Anadrol a couple of times personally, and I can tell you that for the first 3 weeks you can expect up to a pound every day of new weight. Yeah, it’s watery and not really pretty, but it’s going to help you bulk up and it’s going to make all of your training weights move up on a daily basis. It is a huge favorite of the elite powerlifters I know, for just this reason. Ever see the red-face that’s common on elite level heavy weight powerlifters? Yeah, that’s probably the Anadrol doing that, as it increases blood pressure quite a bit. Side effects are, however, manageable…and in one very few sides were reported for subjects using up to 2 tabs (100mgs) of Anadrol daily.

And I suppose that brings us to the side effect portion of Anadrol. Again, from personal experience and from the experience of those I know, users typically find that the side effects experienced from Anadrol are present and noticeable for the entire length of the cycle. For me, that meant increased blood pressure, headaches, lower back cramps/pumps as well as shin cramps/pumps, and of course elevated liver enzymes. Gyno has also been reported with its use, and this is actually quite odd. Anadrol is derived from DHT, with only the one modification and alkylation I mentioned previously. And being structurally situated as it is, it simply can’t convert to estrogen; it’s not a progestin or a compound with any viable progestenic activity…so what’s up? Well, the only speculation I can really come up with is that it has some kind of inherent ability to stimulate the estrogen receptor, or cause the estrogen receptor to be stimulated. It’s actually a bit embarrassing to admit, but I have no idea how this happens. It’s a bit less embarrassing when I consider the fact that nobody else knows either…

Anadrol Cycles:
Anadrol is a favorite addition to a bulking cycle for many, and I certainly wouldn’t recommend attempting to use it alone, in most cases. The weight gain will simply be much nicer and have a harder more high quality look to it if you stack it with some injectable compounds (I recommend making it the only 17aa compound in a given cycle, however). Most people stack it with 400-600mgs per week of testosterone and often an equal amount of Deca-Durabolin or Equipoise.  And it’s basically used at the outset of a cycle, as a “jumpstart”. Using it in this manner allows gains to be seen from the outset of the cycle, and if high quality injectables are stacked with it, those quick gains in body weight can be solidified by the end of the cycle. Testosterone and Trenbolone or Equipoise are typical choices here, when attempting to solidify those gains.

This steroid is one of the most widely available on the black market. I’ve used both the tablets as well as the paper version (the latter, I suspect was overdosed). Typical prices range from $1.50-3 per tablet or capsule.

Equipoise

Chemical Name: Boldenone Undeclynate

Equipoise (Boldenone Undeclynate) was created as an attempt to produce an injectable version of Dianabol. To do this, scientists simply added an ester (the very slow releasing Undeclynate ester) to the same steran nucleus they created out of testosterone to create Dianabol. This means they simply added a double bond between carbon atoms 1 and 2, and in this case, estrified it. This 1-2 double bond dramatically slows the rate of conversion to estrogen.

So what does this mean to us, in the real world? For starters, Eq, because of that simple modification is only going to convert to estrogen (aromatize) at about half the rate of Testosterone. (1) Although it rates as highly as Testosterone in terms of anabolic effects, but it’s only half as androgenic. However, in the real world, not too many users report the kind of weight gain on Eq as they do with testosterone, although strength gains seem to be very similar. This is probably why Eq has a well deserved reputation as a hardening agent, and a good cutting drug, but not really as a bulking drug. When it’s used in a bulking cycle, it’s primarily used to aid in appetite stimulation, which is a property of this drug that has been experienced by many athletes- myself included.

The aforementioned double bond is also responsible for Boldenone being somewhat resistant to the 5-Alpha-reductase enzyme.  This enzyme is responsible for converting Testosterone into Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and in this case only converts a small amount of Boldenone into Dihydroboldenone (DHB, I suppose?), which is actually a very potent androgen in it’s own right (7x as anabolic as testosterone). However, to reiterate, only a small amount of Eq is converted to DHB, thus making it not much of a it’s really of no concern.

For some reason, Eq is usually compared with Deca Durabolin, and the only real comparison is that gains with the two are very similar, with perhaps the edge in strength going to Eq, and the edge in weight gain going to Deca Durabolin. In terms of actual action in the body, Eq doesn’t act much like Deca. In fact, Deca is a progestin and a 19-nor derived steroid whereas Eq is much more closely related to testosterone (being only one double bond different). Still, it’s very uncommon to see both of them in the same cycle, although there’s no real reason to avoid using the two together.

Most likely due to it’s long ester, most athletes and bodybuilders who have used Eq typically report something of a slow and constant buildup of quality muscle, rather than quick, watery gains. Typically, people use this compound for at least 10 weeks of a cycle, and 12 is often preferred as the weight and strength gains often come very slowly from EQ.

Lately, much shorter estered versions of Boldenone have become available from several underground labs. Since the ester takes up a good deal of “space” in actual oil, the real advantage to this is that there will be a more rapid build up of strength and weight, and less of a waiting period to see results. Boldenone Propionate and Boldenone without an ester (typically referred to as “BNE”) are both available, and I’ve experimented with the latter and found it to actually be very comparable to Masteron in the sense of gaining hardness and strength without much if any water or weight gain.

Equipoise is usually injected at a dose of between 400 and 600 mgs every week, but more than that would seem to not produce any additional benefits according to most experienced users.

Eq, just as with almost any anabolic steroids,  will cause suppression of your endogenous hormones, such as endogenous LH, FSH, and  testosterone. Typically, as exogenous androgen levels rise, endogenous (natural) levels fall. This is why Eq is almost never used alone, and some form of injectable testosterone is the most common addition to a cycle where Eq is being used.

For the last few decades, steroid users have enjoyed the fact that Eq is both widely available and relatively inexpensive.  Most underground labs offer their own version of Equipoise for around $50-75 for a 10cc bottle dosed at 200-300mgs/ml.

A very cheap “starter cycle” of Eq and testosterone is currently very popular and I would wager that unless something severe happens to either the price or availability of EQ, it’s going to be a cornerstone of both beginners and advanced users for decades more.

Deca-Durabolin

Chemical Name: Nandrolone Decanoate

Known more commonly as “Deca,” deca durabolin is an injectable steroid with a long and relatively positive history. It has been used to effectively treat HIV+ and AIDS and is known as a phenomenal steroid for building muscle mass. Deca Durabolin is often used in combination with other steroids such as Tren — this is made possible by the use of Dostinex which allows these two anabolics to be used together [even at the same time] without worries about hormones such as testosterone getting thrown way off balance.

Nandrolone Decanoate, aka “Deca Durabolin” is the brand name for the Organon produced product, first made available in the early 80’s. “Deca” is therefore just a brand name, although currently, the black market slang is to call any Nandrolone product with the Decanoate ester “Deca.”  It’s a progestin, made by removing the carbon atom at the 19th position of the steran nucleus.

As a result, although it’s a progestin, Nandrolone doesn’t produce many purely estrogenic side effects, so it has been a favorite in many cutting and bulking cycles over the last couple of decades. Deca has a very low rate of aromatization (metabolic conversion to estrogen via the aromatase enzyme), equal to 20% the rate of Testosterone.

One of the really interesting properties about Deca is its ability to improve collagen synthesis (1) and bone mineral content (2), which is a huge help to athletes with connective tissue problems or other joint issues. Also, possibly due to its being a progestin, it may have beneficial effects on the immune mediated anti-inflammatory process, thereby soothing joints.

Deca is one of the few steroids which has been used successfully in AIDS patients to stimulate weight gain, and this effect has been experienced in many athletes and bodybuilders as well. Deca is both a very nice steroid for cutting and bulking cycles, although the shorter estered version of it, Nandrolone Phenylpropionate, is a more popular version to use for cutting cycles.

This brings up the fact that Deca Durabolin has a very long active life, and therefore, injections are typically spaced apart by a week, regardless of total dose. Also owing to this fact, Deca Durabolin is typically used for a period of no less than ten weeks, and usually for 12 weeks.

Both supply as well as demand for Deca Durabolin is high, and this makes it a relatively inexpensive product when buying from an underground lab, but not when purchasing from a human grade supplier or pharmacy. Up to $10 per amp is common, while $75-100 is the average price for a ten milliliter bottle, dosed at 200-300 mgs/ml.


Nandrolone Side Effects

Although many nandrolone lovers claim that it is one of the safest anabolic steroids, if not the safest. It does have side effects that can be bothersome in hypersensitive individuals, such as acne, excitation, insomnia, nausea, diarrhea and bladder irritability. More serious (and common) side effects include testicular atrophy (shrunken balls), impotence (deca dick) and gynecomastia (bitch tits) . Nandrolone use has been shown to be safe and easy on the lipid profile, often improving HDL Cholesterol , Impotence can be offset by stacking the nandrolone with a higher testosterone. Nandrolone also causes the "shut down" (total stoppage) of endogenous (natural) testosterone production. Thus an exogenous (outside) source must be provided, the increased prolactin levels from the use of a progestinic steroid contribute to HPTA shut down and testicular atrophy which can be treated with a combination HCG (a female hormone that acts like LH when introduced into the male body) and bromocriptine (a dopamine receptor agonist that, among other things, can lower prolactin levels.)  Besides using bromcriptine to lower prolactin levels, the anti-estrogens fulvestrant or letrozole on be taken to down regulate the progesterone and estrogen receptor.

Testosterone Cypionate

Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone, and is largely responsible for some of the physical and psychological development of men. Testosterone promotes sex drive (as you may have suspected), as well as both muscle gain and fat loss.(1) Testosterone Cypionate is simply testosterone which has undergone 17beta-estrification, to allow for a steady release over the course of about a week. Besides this difference (the ester), this form of testosterone will do what all others do.

Testosterone is a highly anabolic and androgenic hormone, it has an anabolic (muscle building) as well as anabolic rating of 100 each, respectively. Testosterone exerts the majority of its effects by promoting increased nitrogen retention in the muscle.(1) Testosterone is also known to increases levels of the growth factor IGF-1 in both the muscle tissue as well as the liver.(2) Testosterone also increases the activity of satellite cells,(3) which are cells that play an active role in repairing exercise-damaged muscle. Testosterone exerts these effects primarily by genomic mechanisms, meaning that it binds to the androgen receptor (AR) thus initiating gene transcription. This stimulation of the AR promotes various of the AR dependant mechanisms for both muscle gain and fat loss (4), as well as reducing catabolic glucocorticoid hormones (4), and increasing red blood cell production (5). Testosterone may even aid in protecting the heart against coronary disease.(6) Testosterone binds to the AR on fat cells resulting in fat break-down and also prevents new fat formation.(7)All of the preceding effects are why we, as athletes or bodybuilders, use testosterone. Unfortunately, there is also a down side to testosterone as well- no free rides here. Testosterone is metabolized in the body to the female hormone estrogen (via aromatization) by the aromatize enzyme. This can lead to some unwanted and nasty side effects; breast tissue growth in men (gynocomastia), some fat gain and even reducedfat breakdown, testicular shrinkage and water retention which can increase blood pressure. Testosterone is also a substrate for the 5alpha-reductase enzyme. Interaction with this enzyme converts the testosterone to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a more androgenic form of the parent hormone, though a less anabolic one. DHT has a high binding affinity to the tissues of the scalp and prostate, resultingin hair loss in loss and making the prostate swell.

For one reason or another, it would appear that Testosterone Cypionate causes more water retention than some of the shorter estered versions of testosterone. This has been my experience, as well as many others…therefore, we usually reserve testosterone for use on a bulking cycle. Doses are typically in the 400mg-600mg range, although 1-2 grams have been reported as well. I have used the high end of this, and found the side effects to be pretty intolerable.

Testosterone, regardless of the ester, is highly versatile and should be considered the base of any (male users) cycle. Testosterone Cypionate is pretty widely available and cheap, and costs around $50- 75 for a 10cc bottle of it, dosed at 200-300mgs/ml.

Sustanon 250

1 milliliter of Sustanon 250 Contains:
30 mgs Testosterone Propionate
60mgs testosterone Phenylpropionate
60mgs testosterone Isocaproate
100mgs testosterone Decanoate -100 mg


This product was the first multi-estered blend of testosterone available on the market, and was developed by Organon as an ideal HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) solution. To this day, most multi-estered blends are often referred to as the “(drug name) version of Sustanon” and many underground labs produce their own testosterone blends with a different number at the end (ex: “Sustanon 250” or whatever). It was meant to give the user consistently elevated blood levels of testosterone over the course of a month, and thus eliminate the need for frequent trips to the doctors office for injections. This drug was very popular in the 80’s and 90’s, and was often thought of as being a “stack” in one drug. This isn’t really accurate, because, in the end all you have is testosterone once your body has metabolized it.

Lately, it seems that this product has fallen out the radar for the most part, as it’s a bit expensive compared to other, single ester, testosterone products.

Sustanon will do exactly what any other form of testosterone will do, no more and no less. This means that it will cause muscle growth as well as fat loss, by sending a message to your muscles to store more protein (that’s its primary anabolic effect), while also protecting your muscles from catabolic (muscle wasting) (1). It will also change both the appearance and the actual number of muscle fibers in your body(2). We also find that aggression levels rise with the use of any form of testosterone (3), and it also increases erythropoiesis (red blood cell production) in your kidneys(4). This higher Red Blood Cell (RBC) count may actually improve endurance. Thus, it’s appropriate to say that Sustanon will increase strength, size, aggression, and maybe even endurance but certainly work capacity and recovery. More RBCs can also improve recovery from strenuous physical activity. In addition, Testosterone improves muscle contractile ability by two mechanisms: increasing the number of motor neutrons in muscle(5) and improving neuromuscular transmission(6). Also, testosterone is a well known promoter of glycogen synthesis.(7)

As with any form of testosterone, Sustanon will convert to the primary female hormone estrogen (via a mechanism known as aromatization) when it is metabolized by the aromatize enzyme. Estrogen can lead to side effects, such as acne, the growth of breast tissue (called gynocomastia), as well as fat gain and reduced fat breakdown, testicular shrinkage and water retention. Testosterone is also metabolized into Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by the 5alpha-reductase enzyme. This is a more androgenic form of Testosterone, and DHT has a high binding affinity to the tissues of both the prostate and the scalp resulting in hair loss in loss in users who may suffer from male pattern baldness. Prostate enlargement is also possible.

The only real downside to Sustanon is its relatively high cost. When compared with other forms of testosterone, you’re typically not getting a very good buy for your money when you choose to use any multi-estered product. However, as long as Sustanon remains easily accessible on the black market, it’s going to be found in cycles for a long time to come.

Omnadren

1 milliliter of Omnadren 250 contains:
30mg testosterone propionate
60mg testosterone phenylpropionate
60mg testosterone isocaproate
100mg testosterone caproate

Omnadren 250 is a 250mg/ml combination of the 4 separate testosterones with the esters listed above.

Regardless of the attached ester, all testosterones will produce similar effects. Rapid increases in strength, size, and aggression will all result from the use of testosterone, regardless of ester. The ester delays the release of the compound into the body which has the result of helping determine injection frequency. Anecdotally, it’s often found that shorter esters produce less water retention, and this has been my experience as well.

Testosterone is both a highly anabolic and androgenic hormone, and this makes it a good drug to use for size and strength. Testosterone does this by promoting nitrogen retention in the muscle(1), and the more nitrogen the muscles holds the more protein the muscle subsequently stores and builds. Testosterone can also increase the levels of the IGF-1 in muscle tissue.(2)(3) IGF-1 is thought to be one of the primary growth factors responsible for anabolism. Of course, Testosterone converts to estrogen (via the aromatase enzyme in a process known as aromatization). But luckily, ven the aromatized part of testosterone that has converted estrogen may increase levels of IGF, as well as sensitivity to IGF and other growth factors. Testosterone’s anabolic actions are thought to be mostly due to genomic (transcription mediated) effects, which come mostly from binding to the androgen receptor (AR). After binding, gene transcription promotes AR dependent mechanisms for both muscle gain and fat loss (3). Testosterone also increases the concentrations of the AR in cells, which is critical for both muscle repair and growth in skeletal muscle.(5 ) Testosterone (and remember, that’s all Omnadren is) induces changes in shape and size of muscle fibers and also can change the appearance as well as the number of muscle fibers in your body.(2) Testosterone also reduces levels of catabolic hormones(5), providing a nice anti-catabolic effect.

Unfortunately, oily skin, acne, increased body/facial hair, alopecia (male pattern baldness) and an increase in aggressiveness can also occur with the use of Omnadren. Some of this is due to conversion to estrogen, while part of this is as a result of Testosterone the converting to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Testosterone is

converted to DHT via the 5-alpha reductase enzyme, and seems to be a reasonably good substrate for this enzyme, resulting in a decent amount of conversion. Having low levels of DHT can actually cause gynocomastia, it should be noted. (4)

Cycles which contain Omnadren 250 will typically be around 12-16 weeks, because users would want their testosterone levels to build up to very high levels, provided by the sustained release of the longer esters. Typically between 500-1000mgs are used, with the most common dose being an ampule every other day.

Omnadren is been manufactured by Polfa© which has changed their name to Jelfa©. Availability of this product is high, while cost is low, making it a very nice buy on the underground market.