Steroids 101

The Nandrolone hormone has been used by many athletes for years now. Athletes have chosen to use Deca because it is relatively mild yet extremely effective. It does not aromatize into Estrogen at any dosage thus producing zero water retention & gynecomastia. Its advantages over testosterone are less HPTA suppression, lower DHT conversion, high resistance to metabolic breakdown in the liver, higher anabolic activity on muscle proteins than all other common steroids and of course the lack of estrogenic side effects.

Unfortunately it does have a progestin nature which can make side effects such as gyno possible if sensitive individuals are unlucky enough not to add an anti-estrogen such as Nolvadex to their cycle. Though effects such as Gynecomastia and increased prolactin are less likely than that of testosterone it does not mean that they do not occur just below a 1% rate for each.

The Nandrolone hormone is non-methylated so liver values will remain almost completely unchanged during the use of this compound even in high dosages making Deca a very safe steroid. This particular version of Nandrolone was created by Upjohn to be especially resistant to metabolism by the 3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzyme which breaks down many steroids including testosterone, rendering them inactive. It would require large amounts of Deca to begin to see it fall apart but nevertheless, the longer Nandrolone stays intact in the body the more potent it becomes.

Deca Durabolin along with other testosterone derivatives are often used early on in bulking phases of training cycles to aid in an increase in size due to its ability to promote nitrogen retention which is usually lost during rapid weight/strength gains. An increase of cellular fluid also occurs through this process making cells larger and therefore more voluminous. Along with these effects Deca increases red blood cell count by enhancing production of erythropoietin stimulating a higher rate of oxygen transfer throughout muscle tissue giving you that full pumped look. However it will only do so at high dosages far above what would be considered therapeutic. 

Deca Durabolin Functions & Traits: Deca Durabolin is a 19-nor derived anabolic steroid containing Nandrolone. The 19-nor refers to a structurally altered testosterone hormone in which the testosterone hormone has been altered at the 9th carbon atom where a hydrogen atom has been removed and replaced with a carbon bond forming Norsteroids, thus making it impossible for aromatization into Estrogen at any dosage. This particular version of Nandrolone also contains an added double bond between the 1st and 2nd carbons which greatly slows metabolism enhancing the drugs half life by approximately three times that of normal Nandrolone. Metabolites of this compound are eliminated from the body extremely slowly, in fact the half-life is probably close to ten or more days. The lack of water retention while using this steroid will make it appear smooth and full providing less bulk than an equal amount of testosterone would provide.

Deca Durabolin (Nandrolone Decanoate) has been perhaps the most widely used injectable anabolic steroid since its production. It's popularity is warranted; after all, any compound that can promote solid muscle growth, enhance strength to a notable degree, increase red blood cell count and bone mineral content should be held in high regard when performance enhancement is the goal. Further, once Deca Durabolin (Nandrolone Decanoate) was even taken off the market for several years due to poor sales as a prescription drug, and despite this it still remains the most sought after injectable steroid by many athletes. 

Deca Durabolin (Nandrolone Decanoate) is without question one of the best overall steroids available today and therefore should be considered valuable to almost any cycle. The first time use of Deca Durabolin (Nandrolone Decanoate) will commonly lead to some level of water retention; however, bodybuilders often report that successive cycles with this agent bring better results with less water retention. It appears as though even at moderately high dosages there is a normalizing effect on estrogen receptors for this drug once adaptions have taken place. This would also ensure more free testosterone due to the reduction of estrogenic activity, a good portion of which is normally bound by the aromatase process. This can be beneficial to athletes because Deca Durabolin (Nandrolone Decanoate) will directly enhance protein synthesis and red blood cell production while also aiding in glycogen replenishment. These effects are all highly anabolic making Deca Durabolin (Nandrolone Decanoate) a great lean tissue preserver when calories are restricted or during pre-contest phases.

Deca Durabolin Side Effects:

The possible side effects of using deca durabolin include symptoms such as severe acne, high blood pressure, enlargement of male breasts and infertility. In addition there could be problems with your liver. Deca durabolin does not convert to estrogen, but for some reason it still has an effect on the body's natural production of testosterone. This can lead to a number of side effects such as loss of sex drive and erectile dysfunction. The other problem associated with deca durabolin is that it causes the body to retain a lot of water which can reach noticeable levels around 50 pounds or more depending on your intake and predisposition. In addition, deca durabolin will cause you to hold a large amount of water in your legs if you are prone to this condition. There have been reports from people who experienced gynecomastia from using deca durabolin which is enlargement of male breasts due to build up of estrogen. Deca durabolin also has the tendency to cause insomnia, irritability and mood swings in some users. Some people may experience significant increases in aggression when using this steroid; this is usually brought on by heightened levels of estrogen.

Deca Durabolin (Nandrolone Decanoate) can already be considered a moderately heavy anabolic steroid; therefore, the side effects associated with it can certainly be rather dramatic. There are possible side effects that should be noted however; while not always the case they are still possible and include acne, high blood pressure, male pattern baldness (MPB), prostate enlargement and headaches/migraines. The use of this drug will natural testosterone production which would lead many to assume there is a possibility for testicular atrophy; however, this seems to be very rare in those who use deca durabolin. It is important to note it may bind with SHBG rendering the anabolic steroid useless as they will not be able to interact with its receptor and promote muscle growth; at any rate we can see why it would be very counterproductive. The side effects of Deca Durabolin (Nandrolone Decanoate) do seem to be rather powerful and should not be taken lightly but if we understand them and how to avoid them we can greatly improve our chances of success. 

While deca durabolin was most popular during the 60's and 70's, today it is mostly used during bulking phases by bodybuilders. It is technically the only steroid that can be considered a "bulking" compound due to its affinity for increasing muscle tissue; however, other steroids have this same quality but are more commonly associated with other cycles. As alluded to earlier deca durabolin has excellent effects on red blood cell production which leads to better oxygenation of the muscles and increased endurance so it will definitely aid in making you stronger as well as bigger. Deca Durabolin Cycle may even enhance growth hormone release which could have an anabolic effect all its own because if the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor axis. Most athletes report great gains when using deca durabolin cycle but also add in another steroid such as testosterone or stanozolol (Winstrol) to promote more rapid growth.

You can't use Deca for bulking, it will make you fat and bloated; its good for cutting though if stacked with something else.

Deca durabolin cycle is still popular today especially by the competitive bodybuilder looking to put on significant amounts of size while maintaining power and tone through out the process. It is said that this steroid does not aromatize in any dosage which means no water retention so your muscles stay hard even after you stop using deca durabolin . This quality makes it great for pre-contest phase when water retention could be a disaster.

Deca durabolin cycle is usually stacked with testosterone and the combination would be more than enough for a bulking phase if that is what you are into. Deca durabolin cycle will put on size but it needs to be accompanied by high amounts of cardio or else all the mass gained from deca use will turn into fat very quickly.

I think this is a good idea because your body could do really well with low estrogen, my only question would be how severe any side effects from deca were at such a high dosage?

One of the most popular anabolic steroid cycles today involves using anavar during cutting cycles in hopes of losing weight losing muscle mass. In fact, many bodybuilders have been successful in staying ripped while gaining significant amounts of lean tissue by using deca durabolin cycle. This is one reason why deca durabolin has grown more popular over the last several years and will likely continue to grow in popularity as more and more athletes look for a way to gain size while retaining that hard, shredded look.

Deca Durabolin Cycle: As I am sure you know, it's always better to stack something with this if your going to use it because it can cause side effects on its own even at low doses! 

While most anabolic steroid users will not need a PCT plan when discontinuing use of their favorite compounds there are some who would greatly benefit from such a plan. Deca durabolin cycle can be used without PCT but if you are looking for optimal results that is not the best route to take. 

The three most important factors in determining whether or not to use a deca durabolin cycle PCT plan are: dosage, duration of use and your genetics. The higher the dosages and/or durations of deca durabolin cycle use mean the more likely it is that your natural testosterone production will be significantly decreased; however there are some who do very well with high doses for long periods of time yet still need post cycle therapy. If you fall into this category it does not necessarily mean there's something wrong with you, only that you'll probably benefit greatly from a deca durabolin cycle PCT plan. 

For a lot of people who aren't going to be at high doses, don't need to stack things with it and won't do it for too long...wouldn't a deca durabolin cycle PCT maybe be overkill?

Since the three primary factors mentioned above relate to each individual's personal make up their best guide is what does and does not work for them. This can only come from experimentation which will not cost you much other than time if you're already using deca durabolin . You can always discontinue use two weeks into a new anabolic steroid cycle if your worried about losing gains but that would defeat the purpose of using deca durabolin cycle.

Okay, so a lot of people who do well with high doses for long periods would benefit from a deca durabolin cycle PCT it sounds like?

You should never attempt to use deca durabolin at the end of your anabolic steroid cycle unless you're willing to spend 3-4 weeks post cycle therapy (PCT) to bring your natural testosterone production back up. In this case there is no need to start another anabolic steroid cycle until you have done your due diligence and got yourself back to normal. Any experienced steroid user knows that using two or more compounds which overlap in their mechanisms of action can lead to decreased effectiveness and even worsening conditions.

I'm not sure how a deca durabolin cycle could effect someone who wasn't going to do another cycle though?

If you have been using anabolic steroids for some time now and want to take a break from them then it's possible that your testosterone levels will be lower than they were when you started. In this case it would be beneficial to use a deca durabolin cycle as PCT even if you weren't planning on using any other compounds or starting another anabolic steroid cycle right away; however, only the individual can make this decision based on what works best for him.

It is important to realize that there are several different types of steroids with varying mechanisms of action which overlap to some degree. When you use two or more of these types in the same time frame it is possible for them to compete with each other leading to less than optimal results when using them in combination.

That makes sense...but why would someone want to take a break from anabolic steroids?

Although there have been many men who have used anabolic steroids over long periods of time without any noticeable side effects others are not so lucky. The problem is that since scientists do not know exactly how steroidal compounds interact with androgen receptors in the body they cannot predict what will happen when multiple compounds are being used simultaneously. Since this has become such a widespread practice among athletes today, limiting one's self to just one class of steroidal compounds when in a bulking phase has become common practice.

So no matter what you have to do PCT if you've been using multiple types of anabolic steroids?

When it comes to the subject of post cycle therapy there are two primary goals. The first is to restore natural testosterone production which may have been altered during the course of the cycle and the second is to aid in recovery by providing vital nutrients such as zinc and vitamin b-12 which may be deficient. This will lead directly into the third goal, which is preventing estrogen related side effects such as gyno or water retention. To accomplish this there are several different ways; however they boil down to two basic styles of post cycle therapy. Some prefer to use anti-estrogens throughout the entire PCT process while others will only use them for the first few weeks.

Do you think most people are clear right after they finish?

Typically speaking if a person is using only one compound and has not been stacking anabolic steroids then it should be fairly easy to recover from without any need for post cycle therapy (PCT). Again, this would depend on what type of steroid was used and how long; but as a general rule of thumb, all anabolic steroid cycles should end with proper post cycle therapy (PCT) in order to ensure that your body is back to normal and there's no damage done.

There are three basic options when it comes to post cycle therapy (PCT); however, the most common of these is to use tamoxifen for one or two months at around 20 mg per day. This will stimulate natural testosterone production while blocking off receptors temporarily until levels return back to normal. The second option is an anti-aromatase which will help stop any chance of estrogen related water retention and fat gain. Since aromatase inhibitors may not totally work depending on what type of steroids were used this can be a valuable tool in preventing estrogenic side effects such as gyno .

Well that makes sense but I have always heard about Nolvadex being better?

While tamoxifen is the standard for post cycle therapy (PCT) it should be noted that nolvadex has shown high levels of effectiveness in treating gyno . However, many choose not to use anti-estrogens right away because they are afraid of losing the gains they have made while still on cycle. This may sound logical but there is little evidence to suggest that this would actually happen. In fact, some studies have shown just the opposite - that using an aromatase inhibitor along with steroids during a bulking phase will help to promote more lean muscle gains compared to steroid cycles without this type of protection. 

Oh yeah I've heard about running both...which makes more sense if they work better together?

Some bodybuilders prefer to run both nolvadex and an aromatase inhibitor while on a steroid cycle but there is little evidence to suggest that this would make a dramatic difference. If using tamoxifen while stacking other steroids it would be best to use it for approximately 2-3 weeks max in order to help shut off receptors enough during the cycle, then switch over to an aromatase inhibitor such as arimidex or letrozole .