Will I get acne?

Acne is a common androgenic side effect. Some compounds are worse at aggregating acne in users, with prone users usually deciding to avoid such compounds and opting for a milder alternative.
Treatment with anti-bacterial creams such as ones that contain Benzoyl Peroxide may aid in reducing acne. If the problem persists then a visit to your GP may be best, with the employment of an antibiotic course being successful in some cases.

What is gyno?

Gyno or gyno, are shortened terms used to describe the condition known as gynecomastia. This is the formation of glandular tissue under the breast, and is usually the result of excessive oestrogen levels.
Early symptoms can include puffy and/or itchy nipples, and the formation of small lumps under the nipple. The employment of an anti-oestrogen is advised in such circumstances, as established gynecomastia will usually only be able to be reversed via surgery.

What does 'Anti-E' mean?

Anti-Es is the common shortened term used to describe anti-oestrogens, drugs that go about trying to avoid and reduce the chance of experiencing estrogenic side effects. With many anabolic androgen steroids ability to aromatise via interaction with the aromatase enzyme, which converts the steroid to oestrogen, we can come about a situation where excessive oestrogen levels are present within the user. Oestrogen is the primarily female hormone, thus its side effects can be undesired in the male athlete. Increased fat storage, the build up of subcutaneous fluids and gynecomastia being common related side effects from excessive oestrogen levels.

We have drugs such as nolvadex (tamoxifen citrate) which competitively binds to oestrogen receptors, thus blocking oestrogen from exerting its effect. This however does nothing to actually reduce the amount of oestrogen present, rather just temporarily blocking its effects from taking place. The likes of proviron and anastrozole however are known as anti-aromatases, which will halt or significantly reduce the aromatisation occurring.

Some levels of oestrogen can actually be thought to be beneficial to the user, its only when excessive levels are reached that we start to notice these undesirable side effects. It is therefore wise to conclude that we should only include the use of anti-oestrogen if the users starts to notice side effects, the length and dosage of steroids being used requires it, the user is prone to such side effects, or the user has pre-existing conditions.

Some steroids do not aromatise, therefore use of an anti-oestrogen is not needed during the cycle if no aromatising drugs are being used. The requirement of PCT is always present however.

Should I eat or train differently on steroids?

If you are in the stage of your training journey when you wish to embark the assisted route then you should already be familiar with the requirements of nutrition and training, whether on cycle or not. This will also obviously depend on your goals.

Do remember to keep calories high throughout the post cycle period also, to minimise catabolism. It would unwise to follow a bulking cycle immediately with a natural cut too, as this can be catabolic and rob you of your gains made off the cycle. Leave a good few weeks before deciding to cut to give your body time to maintain the gains made.

Which steroids do I need to take? What about injectables or orals?

The steroid/s you choose to take will depend on your goals, and acceptability to possible side effects. From this you can research into the possible steroids that may be of interest to you, including methods of administration, dosages, and effects they can have on the body.

Oral steroids seem appealing to many when they first start out, with the thought of needles being dirty or painful to the user. The decision to take steroids should not be taken lightly, and the discard of injectable compounds because you are scared of needles seems a little silly. Injectable steroids can often be a lot less stressful on the body, with many orals being 17-alpha alkylated so the steroid is able to survive the first pass of the liver. This places stress on the liver as the orals are hepatotoxic, and therefore dosages and duration of use should be minimal compared to the injectable versions so that not to cause damage. It is worth noting that excessive dosages of some injectable steroids can cause issues with the kidneys, although on a whole moderate use is usually a lot less stressful compared to orals. Milk thistle is often used when taking oral hepatotoxic steroids in the hope to protect the liver somewhat, also ALA and Liv-52 are often supplemented with when using 17-aa steroids. Orals are often taken more frequent as the half life of the compound is often a lot less compared to oil based injectables, thus the daily dosages are often split in the hope to stabilise the concentrations in the blood.

Injectable compounds often need to be administered in much less frequent intervals, as oil based esterified products will result in concentrations in the blood to stay elevated for a longer time period. Water based compounds however often have to be injected on a daily basis to maintain blood levels.

What are steroids?

Steroids are derivatives or synthetic forms of the male hormone testosterone. Testosterone has the ability to cause increases in muscle size and strength.

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) cause anabolism via increased protein synthesis within muscle cells, and also have androgenic properties which can bring about masculine characteristics to the user. Testosterone also has the ability to aromatise via interaction with the aromatase enzyme, thus convert to the female hormone, oestrogen. Excessive oestrogen levels can bring about unwanted related side effects such as water retention, increased fat storage, and gynecomastia.

The above side effects are dependant on the steroid in question. Many have different anabolic and androgenic properties, and also have different aromatising abilities, including some that do not aromatise at all.

Dianabol Cycle - The Guide

One of the most popular oral steroids available, Dianabol (also referred to commonly as "Dbol", or "Diana") has stood the test of times and remained by far one of the most popular and effective anabolic steroids used by bodybuilders on every level of the experience spectrum. Dianabol is the name given by the Ciba brand for the substance Methandrostenolone. Dianabol is no longer produced by pharmaceutical companies but is widely available by many underground labs, producing 5mg, 10mg and 50mg tablets typically. Why is Dianabol so popular? This is mainly down to a few important factors; it is an oral steroid so it is very appealing to inexperienced steroids users who do not want to use injectable compounds, it is widely available, it is very cheap compared to other anabolic steroids, and most importantly - it is very effective at causing rapid gains in muscle and strength gains. Due to its massive popularity we thought it would be great to have an article that will aid anybody that wishes to embark on a Dianabol cycle.

How to take Dianabol
Although Dianabol is available in an injectable format, it is most commonly used as an oral steroid in the form of a small tablet. Dianabol has a relatively short half life which means for a user to retain a stable blood concentration level they are best taking the daily dosage split over the course of the day. Splitting the dose of Dianabol is usually easy due to the dosage of tablets available, and it would appear beneficial to consume the dose around the time you have a meal to minimise any possible stomach upsets.

There is another school of thought which you may hear in other articles about Dianabol and on bodybuilding forums, which is to consume the full daily of dose pre workout. This method is said to have the benefit of greater drug uptake, and greater performance in the gym due to the peak in blood concentration achieved during the workout. This method sounds appealing, but we must also remember that this administration regime will cause a greater strain on the liver. This method is still used by many experienced Dianabol users however, mainly using the drug as a pre workout anabolic. For most users it would be wiser to split the dosage, however.

Dosages of a Dianabol cycle
The common dose for Dianabol is 30-50mg each day, with a cycle that would usually last between 4 and 6 weeks. 30-40mg would be an effective dose for a person that is new to Dianabol, resulting in great gains in muscle mass and strength, whilst restricting possible side effects. More experience users may wish to take a slightly higher dosage, although like most other compounds, there is a dosage level where the muscle and strength gains plateau off and the side effects heighten, resulting in a point in which it is not worth increasing the dosage. Most experienced users will rarely take a dosage over 70-80mg per day.

Experienced users may wish to stack Dianabol with other steroids that are typically used for mass cycles. Testosterone Enanthate and Deca-Durabolin, for example, with a diet high in calories and much needed nutrients for growth. Many novices start off with Dianabol as a stand alone for their first anabolic steroid cycle, however. Dianabol, a steroid that can bring about great gains in muscle mass, whilst being a widely available oral steroid, is much welcomed by the inexperienced and needle shy user.

Side effects from Dianabol
Dianabol is hepatotoxic, which means potentially harmful to the liver. Being 17 alpha-alkylated results in a much greater bioactive substance, but we must limit the dose and duration of the use of Dianabol to not cause any long term damage to the liver. This must also be kept in mind when consuming or administering any other substance that can also result on liver strain, such as Alcohol or other hepatotoxic substances.

Androgenic side effects are very possible when undertaking a Dianabol cycle, so acne and oily skin, aggressiveness and possible male pattern baldness (MPB). Androgenic side effects often depend on the user, and how prone they are to each of the side effects. If you are particularly prone to acne it would be unwise to not expect Dianabol to have the potential to cause an outbreak, for example.

Oestrogen related side effects are also possible on Dianabol, so having an anti-aromatase and anti-oestrogen would be wise incase Gynecomastia becomes apparent during the cycle. Gynecomastia is the formation of breast tissue, and is often first observed as itchy and sore nipples in its early stages.

The retention of water is a much observed characteristic of Dianabol use, with much weight gain in the initial weeks down to the water retention. This can cause a very bloated look, with users appearing puffy, especially around the neck and face resulting in a "moon face". The water retention can aid strength gains whilst on cycle by lubricating the joints somewhat, but users can expect to loose any of this water weight once the Dianabol is ceased.

Take Nolvadex to combat all estrogen side effects 30 = $12

What supplements to take with Dianabol
Milk Thistle, Liv-52 and ALA (Alpha Lipoic Acid) are often taken with oral 17-aa steroids to aid with liver protection. There are other "off-the-shelf" products available that offer a range of substances that can aid with liver protection whilst on cycle, so searching online supplement suppliers may provide some fruitful results.