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First Cycle Steroid Options
So you've thought about it long enough and its coming to that time you think you'e ready to embark on an anabolic steroid cycle. You're 21 years+ and have been training solidly for 3-5 years. You have the foundation and realise that if you don't and do steroids, most of your gains will be lost...
Your diet is spot on (and posted in the Diet Forum fo critique) and you don't miss meals every day. Your lift progression has slowed right down and the scales aren't moving in the right direction. You have changed your diet up, increasing calories and playing with macro nutrients and increased volume and intensity.
You've studied what to take and what not to take, how to control side effects such as estrogen increasing, acne and coming off steroids efficiently. You know all about PCT Post Cycle Therapy, as that's arguably more important than the steroid cycle anyway.
You have read almost ALL of the articles on Steroidal.com including Steroid Profiles , as well as articles on PCT, AI's, SERMs so your knowledge is unquestionable!
You have a legit steroid source that has a good reputation and want to know what options you have...
The first piece of solid advice is to get over a needle phobia if you have one. Yes, orally active anabolic steroids are effective, but there is going to be a time when you're going to need to start using injectable AAS.
Part 1. Oral First Cycles
(First) Oral Only Cycle
There are not a great deal of options here, but there are some. My advice is to stay away (mostly) from the over the counter (OTC) Designer Steroids widely available. A lot of them can cause serious health implications, such as, increased liver values, acne and gynecomastia and are also poorly understood. So stick with the tried and tested oral steroids that have been around a long time.
Anavar
Dianabol
Turinabol
Winstrol
Its not advised, but these steroids can be used in a first oral cycle efficiently and safely. The hardest impacted part of the body when doing an oral steroid cycle is often the liver and then the HPTA. ALL steroids will lower endogenous testosterone to some degree, so maintaining ones sex drive becomes paramount. Although some steroids, won't impact this as much as others. Examples using the above compounds are below.
Anavar (Oxandrolone)
wk 1-8 Anavar 60-80mg/ED
*Proviron 25-50mg/ED
The addition of Proviron is advised or kept on hand, just in case the user does suffer an impaired sex drive. Although, because Anavar is a DHT derived steroid so cannot aromatase to estrogen, a lowered labido shouldn't be too much of a concern either. If it does become apparent, 25-50mg/ED will suffice.
Some sort of lipid support needs to be run with an oral only cycle as well as a liver aid. Liv 52, UDCA or TUDCA. These can be used to protect the liver or can be used to detoxify the liver post AAS use. See what works best for you, then use the most efficient method.
PCT is then done to restore testosterone function back to normal levels prior to the steroid being used. We do this by using selective estrogen modulators (SERMs). These compounds, as are all steroids mentioned in this sticky, are described in far more detail in the relevant Steroid Forums or main Steroidal.com page.
wk 1-6 Tamox 20mg/ED
wk 1-6 Clomid 25mg/ED
*Tribulus 1g/ED or LJ100 300mg/ED
The addition of Tribulus or LJ100 (Long Jack) will not enhance testosterone levels, contrary to popular belief, but it will enhance the sex drive of the user, male or female. This is exactly what we need post cycle when endogenous testosterone levels could be below baseline.
Dianabol (Methandrostenolone)
Its pretty common knowledge Dianabol Only Cycles exist and they're questioned very often online. So do they work? If someone tells you they don't - they didn't run it correctly. My opinion is, yes, they work, but they are not optimal. You may lose your sex drive and if that happens, we can employ the same tactic and use Proviron at 25-50mg/ED. As well as increasing labido being a DHT derivative, it will also help protect against estrogenic side effects. This is something thats very important when using Dianabol as it can aromotase heavily and cause acne and more common gynecomastia. Although some users report Proviron to have a weak anti-estrogen action (including me). So what else do we have against it? AI's (Aromaste Inhibitors).
These have the ability to lower estrogen levels when steroids can cause them to increase by way of aromatasation. High estrogen is associated with a higher negative impact on the HPTA, gyno, acne, aggression, lipid problems, cardiovascular issues and unbalanced levels can contribute to hair loss and problems with SHBG. So its best to keep them stable or below average when using compounds that can increase circulating levels.
wk 1-8 Dianabol 20-30mg/ED
*Aromasin 10mg/ED
*Proviron 25-50mg/ED
*Tribulas 1-2g/ED (enhance labido)
PCT
wk 1-6 Tamox 20mg/ED (40mg/ED week 1)
wk 1-6 Clomid 25mg/ED
*Tribulus 1g/ED or LJ100 300mg/ED
Dianabol cycles aren't generally hard on the body, if low doses are taken and preventative issues implicated, such as, limiting use, not combining with other 17-alpha-alkylated (17aa) anabolic steroids. But understand this is not an optimal first cycle, nor oral steroidal cycle...
Turinabol (Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone)
Turinabol or commonly called Tbol/T-Bol is basically Dianabol with a 4-chloro alteration so it cannot interact with the aromatase enzyme and raise estrogen. Its also a 17aa steroid so will exert some negative effects on the liver and surrounding tissues, such as kidneys and also cause lipid problems (more so than most believe in fact). Its a mild compound on the HPTA and fits the criteria of oral only cycle androgen fairly well actually. It should not also impact labido that much due to it being mild on the HPTA.
wk 1-8 40-80mg/ED
*Proviron 25-50mg/ED
PCT
wk 1-4 Tamox 20mg/ED
*Tribulus 1g/ED
Adjust doses comparing gains and sides, but 40mg/ED is enough to start on. This oral is perhaps the best choice when wanting start using anabolic steroids and use oral compounds primarily. Although mild, don't get carried away - its still an anabolic steroids. Liver aids should be used to protect or detoxift post use. PCT needs to be conducted and the aggressiveness needs to be determined by blood tests to see how much of an impact the said steroid had on the users natural LH, FSH and testosterone levels.
Winstrol (Stanozolol)
Winstrol comes in both orally active and injectable versions. Both of which are effective, but we'll stick to the oral version here which is also a 17aa steroid, much like the rest of the steroids above. Winstrol is notorious for its negative sides on liver function and cholesterol, so use need to be minimised to 6-8 weeks. Being a DHT derived steroid, the same as Anavar, it can't aromatase to estrogen and also a total loss of sex drive is rare, but is a possibility. So we can keep Proviron on hand. Being a potent derivative of DHT, it can cause sides effects associated with aggression and acne. DHT's can also cause prostate issues when the user is sensitive to prostate problems, such as, enlargement - so should be avoided.
The gains from Winstorl alone are not going to be as pronounced as other anabolic steroids, mainly Dianabol due to the drying out effect Winstrol has on the body due to being a DHT derived steroid. This is actually comparable to Anavar. Most users will use Winstrol as part of a cutting cycle or when used in high enough doses, a bulking cycle, though injectable Winstrol is best used for this.
wk 1-8 50-70mg/ED (oral)
*Proviron 25-50mg/ED
PCT
wk 1-6 Tamox 20mg/ED
*Tribulus 1g/ED
A liver aid such as UDCA, Liv 52 or Milk Thistle should be used to help the liver re-generate or used as a detoxifying agent. Care must be taken when using any anabolic steroid and because of Winstrols harsh effects on the liver, durations should not exceed 6-8 weeks without cessation or blood tests determining the next course of action.
Part. 2 - Injectable First Cycles
Contrary to popular belief, injectable steroids usually exert less of an impact on the body when compared to their 17aa cousins. Although the "impact" part is mainly addressing liver, kidney function and the lipid profile. Injectable steroids are advised for a first cycle due to a number of reasons...
1. Most anabolic steroids are injectables
2. Injectable steroids have less of an overall impact on the body compared to 17aa orals
3. They're often cheaper and just as obtainable
4. Higher doses can be run
5. Less administration
So as you can see, injectable anabolic steroids aren't all bad at all. They have a dogma attached due to being "injectables" and involving needles. If precautions are taken this category can have less of an overall impact on the body than oral steroid tablets.
So the question to ask is; Which injectable steroid is best used for a first time user?
Well, its not actually a hard one to answer and if you have read all the articles and steroid profiles here, then you'll know a form of Testosterone is best utilised. Testosterone is whats pumping through a males body all the time from production of the testes and is what makes a man - a man. Its what gave you those muscles, that hair, that deep voice, sex drive and aggression (as well as genetics). Its what males have a lot of and women don't. They're primarily estrogen driven organisms, hence their breasts! So the answer is obvious - Testosterone. Lets replace what we already have but use more...
Your diet is spot on (and posted in the Diet Forum fo critique) and you don't miss meals every day. Your lift progression has slowed right down and the scales aren't moving in the right direction. You have changed your diet up, increasing calories and playing with macro nutrients and increased volume and intensity.
You've studied what to take and what not to take, how to control side effects such as estrogen increasing, acne and coming off steroids efficiently. You know all about PCT Post Cycle Therapy, as that's arguably more important than the steroid cycle anyway.
You have read almost ALL of the articles on Steroidal.com including Steroid Profiles , as well as articles on PCT, AI's, SERMs so your knowledge is unquestionable!
You have a legit steroid source that has a good reputation and want to know what options you have...
The first piece of solid advice is to get over a needle phobia if you have one. Yes, orally active anabolic steroids are effective, but there is going to be a time when you're going to need to start using injectable AAS.
Part 1. Oral First Cycles
(First) Oral Only Cycle
There are not a great deal of options here, but there are some. My advice is to stay away (mostly) from the over the counter (OTC) Designer Steroids widely available. A lot of them can cause serious health implications, such as, increased liver values, acne and gynecomastia and are also poorly understood. So stick with the tried and tested oral steroids that have been around a long time.
Anavar
Dianabol
Turinabol
Winstrol
Its not advised, but these steroids can be used in a first oral cycle efficiently and safely. The hardest impacted part of the body when doing an oral steroid cycle is often the liver and then the HPTA. ALL steroids will lower endogenous testosterone to some degree, so maintaining ones sex drive becomes paramount. Although some steroids, won't impact this as much as others. Examples using the above compounds are below.
Anavar (Oxandrolone)
wk 1-8 Anavar 60-80mg/ED
*Proviron 25-50mg/ED
The addition of Proviron is advised or kept on hand, just in case the user does suffer an impaired sex drive. Although, because Anavar is a DHT derived steroid so cannot aromatase to estrogen, a lowered labido shouldn't be too much of a concern either. If it does become apparent, 25-50mg/ED will suffice.
Some sort of lipid support needs to be run with an oral only cycle as well as a liver aid. Liv 52, UDCA or TUDCA. These can be used to protect the liver or can be used to detoxify the liver post AAS use. See what works best for you, then use the most efficient method.
PCT is then done to restore testosterone function back to normal levels prior to the steroid being used. We do this by using selective estrogen modulators (SERMs). These compounds, as are all steroids mentioned in this sticky, are described in far more detail in the relevant Steroid Forums or main Steroidal.com page.
wk 1-6 Tamox 20mg/ED
wk 1-6 Clomid 25mg/ED
*Tribulus 1g/ED or LJ100 300mg/ED
The addition of Tribulus or LJ100 (Long Jack) will not enhance testosterone levels, contrary to popular belief, but it will enhance the sex drive of the user, male or female. This is exactly what we need post cycle when endogenous testosterone levels could be below baseline.
Dianabol (Methandrostenolone)
Its pretty common knowledge Dianabol Only Cycles exist and they're questioned very often online. So do they work? If someone tells you they don't - they didn't run it correctly. My opinion is, yes, they work, but they are not optimal. You may lose your sex drive and if that happens, we can employ the same tactic and use Proviron at 25-50mg/ED. As well as increasing labido being a DHT derivative, it will also help protect against estrogenic side effects. This is something thats very important when using Dianabol as it can aromotase heavily and cause acne and more common gynecomastia. Although some users report Proviron to have a weak anti-estrogen action (including me). So what else do we have against it? AI's (Aromaste Inhibitors).
These have the ability to lower estrogen levels when steroids can cause them to increase by way of aromatasation. High estrogen is associated with a higher negative impact on the HPTA, gyno, acne, aggression, lipid problems, cardiovascular issues and unbalanced levels can contribute to hair loss and problems with SHBG. So its best to keep them stable or below average when using compounds that can increase circulating levels.
wk 1-8 Dianabol 20-30mg/ED
*Aromasin 10mg/ED
*Proviron 25-50mg/ED
*Tribulas 1-2g/ED (enhance labido)
PCT
wk 1-6 Tamox 20mg/ED (40mg/ED week 1)
wk 1-6 Clomid 25mg/ED
*Tribulus 1g/ED or LJ100 300mg/ED
Dianabol cycles aren't generally hard on the body, if low doses are taken and preventative issues implicated, such as, limiting use, not combining with other 17-alpha-alkylated (17aa) anabolic steroids. But understand this is not an optimal first cycle, nor oral steroidal cycle...
Turinabol (Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone)
Turinabol or commonly called Tbol/T-Bol is basically Dianabol with a 4-chloro alteration so it cannot interact with the aromatase enzyme and raise estrogen. Its also a 17aa steroid so will exert some negative effects on the liver and surrounding tissues, such as kidneys and also cause lipid problems (more so than most believe in fact). Its a mild compound on the HPTA and fits the criteria of oral only cycle androgen fairly well actually. It should not also impact labido that much due to it being mild on the HPTA.
wk 1-8 40-80mg/ED
*Proviron 25-50mg/ED
PCT
wk 1-4 Tamox 20mg/ED
*Tribulus 1g/ED
Adjust doses comparing gains and sides, but 40mg/ED is enough to start on. This oral is perhaps the best choice when wanting start using anabolic steroids and use oral compounds primarily. Although mild, don't get carried away - its still an anabolic steroids. Liver aids should be used to protect or detoxift post use. PCT needs to be conducted and the aggressiveness needs to be determined by blood tests to see how much of an impact the said steroid had on the users natural LH, FSH and testosterone levels.
Winstrol (Stanozolol)
Winstrol comes in both orally active and injectable versions. Both of which are effective, but we'll stick to the oral version here which is also a 17aa steroid, much like the rest of the steroids above. Winstrol is notorious for its negative sides on liver function and cholesterol, so use need to be minimised to 6-8 weeks. Being a DHT derived steroid, the same as Anavar, it can't aromatase to estrogen and also a total loss of sex drive is rare, but is a possibility. So we can keep Proviron on hand. Being a potent derivative of DHT, it can cause sides effects associated with aggression and acne. DHT's can also cause prostate issues when the user is sensitive to prostate problems, such as, enlargement - so should be avoided.
The gains from Winstorl alone are not going to be as pronounced as other anabolic steroids, mainly Dianabol due to the drying out effect Winstrol has on the body due to being a DHT derived steroid. This is actually comparable to Anavar. Most users will use Winstrol as part of a cutting cycle or when used in high enough doses, a bulking cycle, though injectable Winstrol is best used for this.
wk 1-8 50-70mg/ED (oral)
*Proviron 25-50mg/ED
PCT
wk 1-6 Tamox 20mg/ED
*Tribulus 1g/ED
A liver aid such as UDCA, Liv 52 or Milk Thistle should be used to help the liver re-generate or used as a detoxifying agent. Care must be taken when using any anabolic steroid and because of Winstrols harsh effects on the liver, durations should not exceed 6-8 weeks without cessation or blood tests determining the next course of action.
Part. 2 - Injectable First Cycles
Contrary to popular belief, injectable steroids usually exert less of an impact on the body when compared to their 17aa cousins. Although the "impact" part is mainly addressing liver, kidney function and the lipid profile. Injectable steroids are advised for a first cycle due to a number of reasons...
1. Most anabolic steroids are injectables
2. Injectable steroids have less of an overall impact on the body compared to 17aa orals
3. They're often cheaper and just as obtainable
4. Higher doses can be run
5. Less administration
So as you can see, injectable anabolic steroids aren't all bad at all. They have a dogma attached due to being "injectables" and involving needles. If precautions are taken this category can have less of an overall impact on the body than oral steroid tablets.
So the question to ask is; Which injectable steroid is best used for a first time user?
Well, its not actually a hard one to answer and if you have read all the articles and steroid profiles here, then you'll know a form of Testosterone is best utilised. Testosterone is whats pumping through a males body all the time from production of the testes and is what makes a man - a man. Its what gave you those muscles, that hair, that deep voice, sex drive and aggression (as well as genetics). Its what males have a lot of and women don't. They're primarily estrogen driven organisms, hence their breasts! So the answer is obvious - Testosterone. Lets replace what we already have but use more...
