Anadrol (Oxymetholone)

GENERAL INFO

Oxymetholone, also known as Anadrol, Anapolon, A-Bomb and so on, is one of the most popular steroids in the bodybuilding world because of its fast results in muscle gain, which you will start to notice right at the start of a cycle.

Oxymetholone is an anabolic and androgenic steroid, which has a short half-life of 8-9 hours and is available in oral form. It was initially developed to treat anemia and then used to help people who suffer from weight loss to put on muscle mass. Anadrol increases red blood cell count and appetite, has a positive impact on weight gain, power, and strength.

After a while, it was found out that Anadrol has a positive effect on one’s physique and athletic ability. Maintaining the right cycle, diet, and training regime, you can put on around 10-15 pounds in just two weeks while on the steroid. It is usually recommended for more advanced users because of some serious side effects. It’s particularly great for bulking but not for cutting cycles as it causes bloating and water retention.

So why exactly has Anadrol become a staple steroid? Let’s take a look at its main benefits.

BENEFITS

Anadrol is perfect for starting off a bulking cycle as it adds mass and size to your frame very fast. Along with that, it is used by athletes for contest preparation to grow stout after a heavy diet or cutting cycle. Anyway, this steroid is not going to help you lean up and cut, but it will provide you with impressive results in mass gain. These are the main benefits of using Anadrol:

Shows results right at the start of a cycle

Because of its oral form, Anadrol acts much faster than other injectable steroids. It’s a common practice to stack it with injectable steroids, which act slower.

Increased appetite

Of course, eating more means gaining more weight. But be careful here: an excessive dosage can have a reverse effect and decrease your appetite. Stick to a recommended dosage (we will talk about it later) if you don’t want to lose appetite and therefore reduce your performance abilities.

Makes you stronger

The strength gains can be very intense. You will be able to lift more in a short period, become stronger and faster on the Anadrol cycle. It also makes you more aggressive which allows you to translate this anger into energy while working out.

Easily stacked with other steroids

There are a lot of non-receptor mediated effects from this steroid, which makes it a very potent addition to any bulking stack because it won’t be competing for the receptor sites with other steroids you're using. Any form of Testosterone is a must during the Anadrol cycle, while other common stacks include powerful steroids, like Trenbolone, which will help you retain the results.

Muscle gain

This is the main benefit of Anadrol that everybody heard of. The gains vary depending on your diet, your training plan, and the overall cycle that you run. It’s possible to gain 30 pounds of muscle in a month if you consume enough calories, both during and after the cycle, and follow up with more powerful steroids to keep the result.

HOW TO TAKE

Most steroids produce a so-called “dose respondent curve”. It means that the more you use, the better the results are. In case with Oxymetholone, this curve flattens out quickly. When you take 50mg of Anadrol, the gains are great, when you take 100mg, the results are even better. If you increase to 150mg/day of Anadrol, the results will be as effective as 100mg/day but with more side effects though.

Thus, taking more than 100mg of Anadrol per day is pointless. Most of the tablets come in 50mg dosages so you can easily double the dose. The length of a cycle is 4-6 weeks maximum to avoid putting too much stress on your liver. Anyways, your gains start to quickly level off after 3 weeks of use, so it does not make much sense to stretch out the cycle a lot.

To make the most of this steroid, take it on an empty stomach because oral anabolic steroids taken together with food are worse absorbed.

SIDE EFFECTS

The side effects of this drug are troublesome for many users and can be accompanied by a general “unwell” feeling. At the same time, most of them are easily preventable and controllable. For example, Letrozole can eliminate or at least reduce some noticeable effects. The side effects of Anadrol include:

Headaches

Anadrol is notorious for causing bad headaches, which can emerge by the second week of a cycle. There’s no plausible explanation for this effect so adjusting your dosage is what might help. If you’re not comfortable using 100mg/day, this can be a signal to lower it.

Water retention

While allowing you to gain mass easily, Anadrol causes bloating and water retention. Controlling water retention is a critical moment because it can lead to extremely high blood pressure. Dietary modification and the use of some quality aromatase inhibitors will help to reduce bloating.

Liver Toxicity

Anadrol is a 17aa (17-Alpha-Alkylated) steroid, and like all steroids of this type, it puts your liver under a lot of stress. The liver works as a filter in our bodies, trying to hold steroids, that with time, damage it. To prevent this, do not exceed the dose and duration of a cycle. You can also try using Milk Thistle Supplement, which is highly beneficial for your liver.

Estrogenic side effects

Even though Anadrol does not aromatize (doesn’t convert into testosterone) it still increases estrogen level and causes estrogenic side effects, like gynecomastia. The exact reason why this happens is not yet understood. You still can make use of anti-estrogen medication to help control estrogenic levels.

High cholesterol

Anadrol will definitely raise your cholesterol level. So if you’re prone to high cholesterol, think twice before using it. Make sure you maintain a low-cholesterol diet and implement heart rate elevating elements into your workout routine.

Suppression of natural hormones

This is a side effect that goes along with every steroid, and one of the reasons why we need to have a post cycle therapy plan. Anadrol is no exception; it inhibits your body's natural production of hormones, including testosterone. Stack any kind of testosterone steroid with this one so you will be able to maintain a balanced hormone level during the cycle.

For sure, you can prevent or reduce these side effects by keeping to the right dosage and length of use and stacking with the right steroids, like testosterone, which is a usual combination to run with Anadrol. This steroid is obviously not conducive to cutting because of a bloating effect. One more thing that has to be mentioned is mood changes. This often happens during any anabolic steroid cycle when it's common to feel waves of uncontrollable anger. This is an area where you have to find a good balance between getting results and not letting the drug change your personality and influence the other parts of your life.

CYCLE

Anadrol is a steroid that doesn’t need to be used at high dosages, even if you’re an experienced user. It is known for its ability to drop off effectiveness with higher doses, so stick to recommended 50-100mg a day. If you go too high, you might find yourself struggling with a number of side effects and liver issues.

Beginner cycle

You can start with 50 mg a day, or if you’re worried about the adverse effects, take half a tablet of 25mg to test the waters and you will still see the result. 4 weeks cycle duration is considered appropriate for beginner users. Add a stack of any Test form and focus more on your food intake and workout regime so the result won’t take long to see. Adding more compounds might have a negative impact in terms of side effects.

Testosterone - Anadrol Cycle (Mass)

Сycle Length: 10 weeks

• Week 1: 200mg Test Enanthate / Cypionate
• Week 2: 400mg Test Е / C
• Weeks 3-4: 400mg Test Е / C per week | 50mg Oxy Anadrol ever day
• Week 5: 400mg Test Е / C | 100mg Oxy Anadrol ever day
• Week 6-9: 500mg Test Е / C per week | 100mg Oxy Anadrol ever day
• Week 10: 200mg Test Е / C | 100mg Oxy Anadrol ever day

Maybe the most potent combination for mass gain, suitable for inexperienced users. Here, estrogenic side effects will most certainly be present, so make use of some estrogen maintenance drugs like tamoxifen (20-40mg a day).

Intermediate and advanced users can raise a dosage up to 100mg for 4 to 6 weeks. Make sure you keep the side effects under control. Using aromatase inhibitors like 0,5mg to 1mg of Arimidex daily will prevent the risk of estrogenic adverse effects.

Combinations with other steroids

Anadrol is used to kick start a bulking cycle while adding more compounds is essential to retain your gains and get the best possible result.

Anadrol - Testosteronе Enanthate - Deca-Durabolin Cycle

• 50mg Anadrol daily for the first 4 weeks
• 500mg Test E a week for 10 weeks
• 200mg Deca-Durabolin a week for 10 weeks
• 300mg Testosterone Propionate a week for the last 3 weeks (weeks 10-12)

This is probably the most simple and effective stack cycle for novice-intermediate users that is great for mass gain (but the diet plays a major role, remember!). You can actually vary the duration of Deca and Test E between 8 and 12 weeks but keep Test Prop for the last 2 weeks anyways. SERMs (like Nolvadex) or AIs (Letrozole, Arimidex) may come in handy during this cycle to prevent side effects from aromatizing.

Anadrol - Equipoise - Testosterone Cycle

• 50mg Anadrol a day weeks 1-4
• 400mg Equipoise a week 1-12 weeks
• 750mg Testosterone (Enanthate or Cypionate) a week 1-12 weeks
• 100mg Testosterone Propionate each other day for the last 4 weeks (#13-16)
• PCT for weeks 17-20

Perfect for intermediate users who want a little more than just a common Test based cycle. Some people would be okay without adding aromatase inhibitor (AI) but in case you need it, use 0.5mg Arimidex or Letrozole each other day for the whole cycle.

Testosterone - Anadrol - Trenbolone Cycle

Cycle Length: 11 weeks

• Week 1: 300mg Test Е / C | 150mg Tren Ace
• Week 2: 600mg Test Е / С | 150mg Tren Ace
• Week 3-4: 600mg Test Е / С per week | 50mg Oxy Anadrol every day | 150mg Tren Ace per week
• Weeks 5-10: 600mg Test Е / С per week | 100mg Oxy Anadrol every day | 150mg Tren Ace per week
• Weeks 11: 300mg Test Е / С

This is an extremely powerful stack, one of the most extreme out there that allows you to build raw muscle rapidly and enhance strength. However, along with such amazing results come a lot of estrogenic and androgenic side effects, including gyno and water retention. The use of aromatase inhibitors like Arimidex helps to cope with estrogenic sides. To support your cholesterol level, you can use Lipid Stabil (3 caps/day) and Fish Oil (4g/day). Supplements like Liver Stabil, Liv-52, or Essentiale Forte will help to prevent liver damage.

POST CYCLE THERAPY

You will most likely use Anadrol at the very beginning of a cycle as a kick-starter, so your PCT plan will depend on all the other compounds you use. 

If your cycle ends with any large ester based steroids (Caproate, Cypionate, Enanthate, Decanoate, Heptanoate, Hexanoate, Isocaproate, Nonanoate, Octanoate or Undecylenate ester), then you have to wait for 14-18 days to start PCT. For those cycles above, you can start in about 3 days after your last injection, because it ends with Test Prop, which is a short ester based steroid. If we removed Test Prop, you would have to wait for 2 weeks after finishing with Test C or Test E as they are attached to long esters.

Approximate PCT Plan:

• HCG 1,000iu each other day for the first 10 days after the cycle
• 40mg Nolvadex a day for 2 weeks then 20mg a day for the 4th week.

If your cycle was quite moderate, you can omit HCG and wait for two weeks after your last injection to start with SERM (Nolvadex or Clomid).

If you add any aromatase inhibitor (AI) such as Arimidex in your cycle to reduce estrogenic side effects, go on using them during your PCT. But instead of taking it daily, reduce the frequency to once per 2 days when you start using Clomid or Nolvadex.

QUESTIONS

How long does Oxymetholone take to work?

Oxymetholone has a short half-life of 8-9 hours and is one of the fastest-acting steroids. When we talk about visible results, it’s not unusual to gain up to 15 pounds in just 2 weeks. The steroid causes water retention, so some of this weight is just water that will leave the body after you stop taking Anadrol. To preserve the results, you’ll have to follow up with other steroids longer-acting steroids.

What is Anadrol used for in bodybuilding?

Anadrol is a powerful mass increasing and strength enhancing steroid. It is probably the best steroid for bulking and is also used by athletes to quickly fill out before a contest. It’s not going to work in a cutting cycle cause it brings about heavy bloating but advanced users who’ve been on steroids for years may sometimes use it, which brings us to the next question.

Can Anadrol be used for cutting?

Professional bodybuilders use it at the end of a cycle to put on a little weight just before a contest. But the thing is that they know how to do it right, it’s a tried and tested way for them. They already know what would be the body’s response, what dosage they need, and when to start using it to get the exact result they want. However, for an average user, it is clearly a bulking steroid.

Does Anadrol convert into estrogen?

Oxymetholone can’t and it does not convert into estrogen though it has strong estrogenic side effects whose nature is a mystery. There are some theories but no plausible explanation has been offered yet. Anyway, the use of aromatase inhibitors can eliminate or at least mitigate the risks.

Does Anadrol make you feel sick?

Oxymetholone has one of the worse side effects among other steroids including general “sickness” or “unwell” feeling. The side effects vary from user to user but remember that you always should monitor and try to control them. Maintain dietary and workout regime, sleep a lot, and notice how you feel. You can always lower the dosage if you feel too bad. Also, take steroid-related drugs like SERMs and AIs.

What’s better: Dbol or Anadrol? Is Anadrol better than DBol?

This is the question constantly disputed among bodybuilders and other steroid-users. Oxymetholone gives slightly better results than Dbol and is considered to be the most powerful steroid for mass gain and strength. Dbol is less strong but at the same time has modest side effects compared to the “A-Bomb”. Novice users are not recommended to start with Anadrol but it’s a favorite among powerlifters because of very effective strength gains.

Does Anadrol cause gyno?

It might cause gynecomastia due to its strong estrogenic effect, so you’ll most likely need anti-estrogen medication like SERMs and aromatase inhibitors (AI) to mitigate the risk.

What’s best to stack with Anadrol?

Any form of Testosterone is a common way to stack with Anadrol, especially for beginners, while more experienced users will add Trenbolone, Deca-Durabolin, Dianabol to enhance and preserve the gains.

What happens when you stop taking Anadrol?

After the cycle is stopped, you will definitely lose some of your gains, and part of them is water because of high water retention during the cycle. That’s why we stack Oxymetholone with longer-acting injectable steroids and why we need PCT. Anyway, you won’t be able to keep 100% of the results, no PCT will help you do this, but you can mitigate the loss to a minimum.

REVIEW

Oxymetholone is such a powerful steroid, which gives you strength and mass gains at an exceptionally short time. If your goal is to add bulk and muscle to your frame, Anadrol is just what you need. You'll get a mind-blowing increase in your strength and stamina which will help during gym workouts. This is one of the most potent steroids to start off a cycle and get fast results.