Best Lean Bulking Steroid Cycles in 2025

When you’re coming off a cutting cycle, you might want to hold on to that chiseled, toned, vascular look while still gaining some muscle mass. It’s understandable. There are not many bodybuilders who prefer how they look after an off-season bulking cycle.

It’s common to experience some level of discomfort and not feel content with your body on a bulking cycle. That’s because when you’re on a bulking cycle, the compounds may cause water retention, and you can gain a little extra fat along with muscle mass. And then you go on a cutting cycle again ― just so you could show off the muscles you’ve worked so hard for.

There’s another way. You can opt for lean bulking or recomposition cycles, meaning you’ll gain lean muscle mass without excessive fluid retention, unwanted weight gain.

We’ve selected the best anabolic steroids for a lean bulking cycle in 2025, so you could build your cycle from scratch (if you’d like to) or implement one of our pre-designed cycles into your plan.

Why do you need Testosterone for a lean bulking cycle

Testosterone is the anabolic base of any cycle.

Test among gear is like water ― you may not want to taste it, yet you need it to keep your body up and running.

Testosterone can cause moderate water retention and a few other estrogenic side effects, but they’re manageable if stacked with dry compounds and an aromatase inhibitor. All in all, it’s a great and versatile compound, suitable for bulking, cutting, and lean muscle mass cycles.

Common side effects may include:

• HPTA suppression;
• Blood pressure spikes;
• Elevated cholesterol levels;
• Irregular heartbeat;
• Acne;
• Hair thinning;
• Mood swings.

Some athletes prefer cruising* Testosterone, claiming that it provides slow & steady lean muscle mass gains. We do not recommend cruising if your natural testosterone production is fine and you are successfully cycling steroids (meaning you don’t skip PCT, off-cycle period, etc.). 

*Cruising means administering a compound in a low dosage. For Testosterone, it would be around 100-150 mg/week (TRT dosage).

If you are unfamiliar with these basics, you should read our post on the principles of steroid cycling before going with ANY protocol whatsoever.

Best steroid cycles for lean muscle mass

Apart from Testosterone (which is an essential part of your cycle), here is a short list of the best steroids for a lean bulk:

• Anavar: it’s an oral compound, suitable for lean bulking or a cutting cycle. Can’t be used for more than 8 weeks, but gets the job done ― lean muscle mass gains, strength gains, great pumps, and enhanced vascularity;
• Winstrol: comes in an injectable and oral form, although oral Winstrol is more popular (injectable causes PIP). It’s often regarded as a cutting steroid, but it can be helpful for a lean bulking cycle due to its incredible cosmetic effects. If you’re looking for that extra-dry look, Winstrol will be a good addition to your plan;
• Primobolan: one of the best options for a lean bulking cycle. Primobolan won’t deliver results fast, but it’s well-known for steady muscle mass growth with little to no water retention;
• Masteron: a non-aromatizable, dry compound recognized for its effects on muscle hardness & definition and pure muscle mass gains;
• EQ: an injectable steroid, similar to Masteron in its effects. Additionally, Equipoise can increase your endurance and enhance your recovery;
• Trenbolone: it’s one of the most potent compounds in terms of its effects on one’s strength and muscle growth. However, Trenbolone can cause serious side effects, so it’s suitable for advanced users only.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the best lean bulking cycles in 2025:

Anavar lean bulking cycle

A simple Anavar and Testosterone cycle can help you to increase your muscle mass and strength stats AND reduce your body fat percentage at the same time:

• If your body fat percentage is at 15-17% (or more), you may consider going on a cutting or a recomposition cycle first, as you won’t get this shredded look in a calorie surplus. You can eat at your calorie maintenance level or in a slight deficit ― either way, you’ll make some lean muscle mass gains and reduce your body fat content at the same time;
• If you are in the 10-12% body fat zone, Anavar’s cosmetic effects will be more pronounced. 

As for general benefits, such as strength & muscle gains, you can expect to put on +8-15 lbs of lean muscle mass, and increase your working weight by 10%.

Here’s the protocol you can use to enhance your physique:

You can use Anavar to kickstart a different lean bulking cycle or add it in the last 4-6 weeks as a finishing touch. It’s a versatile compound that can be stacked with any injectable (not orals, as it will put a strain on your liver health).

Also, Anavar is one of the most non-virilizing compounds. If you’re a female athlete, you can check out our special product category or read an article on the best steroid cycles for women in 2025. The dosages in this protocol are too high for you, especially if you’re a novice.

Testosterone, Primobolan and Anavar cycle for lean muscle mass

This lean bulking cycle has everything an athlete needs: Testosterone in moderate dosage, Primobolan Depot for slow, lean muscle gains, and Anavar to increase your strength and to help you achieve a desired dry look:

If you haven’t used Primobolan before or you have negative experience with this compound, you can switch it for EQ or Masteron at 500 mg/week and 400 mg/week accordingly.

Testosterone and Masteron cycle

A classic lean bulking stack ― Testosterone and Masteron. By implementing this cycle plan, you can boost your muscle growth without an uncomfortable level of water retention and increase your muscle hardness & density:

You can switch Masteron for Boldenone (same dosage and cycle length, HCG still needed) for increased endurance. Although no matter what you choose, the results will be the same ― not rapid, but clean muscle mass gains.

Testosterone, Masteron, and EQ lean bulking cycle

If you can’t choose between Masteron or EQ for your next cycle ― you don’t have to. Masteron and Boldenone can be stacked together:

You can choose a different Testosterone ester, for example, Testosterone Enanthate, or opt for a testosterone blend, such as Test 400 and Sustanon. 

Even though Masteron and EQ don’t cause estrogenic side effects, you still need to use Arimidex. You can lower the Testosterone dosage to 200 mg/week: it will lower the effectiveness of the cycle, but you won’t have to add an aromatase inhibitor.

Lean bulking & recomposition cycle

Winstrol isn’t usually the first choice when it comes to bulking cycles. It has a reputation as a cutting steroid. Even compared to Anavar, Winstrol isn’t as great at building muscle mass.

There is a catch, though ― Winstrol is incredible for cosmetic effects. That’s why it’s so popular in contest prep stacks. If you’re looking for a defined, chiseled physique on a bulk― there’s no better protocol for you:

If you’re worried about Winstrol’s effects on your joints and synovial fluid production, NPP (or Deca) can provide additional joint support.

Testosterone, Trenbolone, and Masteron lean bulking cycle

Bodybuilders who want the famous Trenbolone “dry” look can add at least +10 lbs with the following lean bulking protocol (assuming their diet and training are dialed in):

Of course, the choice of esters is up to you. You can go with Testosterone, Trenbolone, and Masteron — all in Enanthate esters, if you’d like to keep your blood levels a little bit more stable and pin less frequently.

You can spice things up a bit and use Tri-Tren for your next lean bulk. It’s a blend of three Trenbolone esters ― Trenbolone Acetate, Trenbolone Enanthate, and Hexahydrobenzylcarbonate.

Pre-designed lean bulking cycles

If you’re not keen on planning the cycle, choosing compounds and their dosages, and trying to design an effective PCT plan yourself ― we hear you, and we have something that might help: pre-designed cycles. 

• Testosterone Propionate and Masteron cycle;
• Testosterone Propionate and Winstrol cycle;
• Testosterone Cypionate and Winstrol cycle.

All of our pre-designed lean muscle mass cycles include a small gift ― free PCT. 

By ordering a pre-designed cycle from Muscle Gear, you get everything you need for your cycle in one package. It’s pre-calculated, you don’t pay for anything you won’t use, and you don’t have to obsess over every small detail. After all, we’ve been on the market for more than 15 years now, and we know exactly what compounds, and in what quantities, most athletes really need.

Steroid blends for lean muscle mass

We understand that pinning isn’t the most pleasant experience. You can’t avoid it (and don’t get us started on oral-only cycles, they’re not that good for your health), but you can perform fewer injections if your gear is already mixed in one vial.

Here are the most popular steroid blends for lean bulking in 2025:

• TNT 400 by NovoPharm: a mix of Testosterone Enanthate and Trenbolone Enanthate;
• Bulk Mix by Apoxar: a blend of Testosterone, Trenbolone, and Masteron Enanthate;
• Rip Stack by NovoPharm: a lean bulking cycle featuring Testosterone Propionate and Acetate, Trenbolone Acetate, and Masteron Propionate in one vial.

PCT for a lean bulking cycle

Don’t forget to add PCT compounds to your shopping list. The protocol will be pretty much the same for any blend:

• Nolvadex: 40 mg/day for the first two weeks, 20 mg/day for the last two weeks;
• Clomid: 50 mg/day for the first two weeks, 25 mg/day for the last two weeks;
• If you plan to run a stack with Masteron for more than 10 weeks, you should start HCG from the third week of your steroid cycle: 250-500 IU/week during steroid administration, 1500-2000 IU/week during an off-cycle gap.

You can learn more about post-cycle therapy and the best PCT protocols in 2025 in our latest article.

Diet and training on a lean bulking cycle

Choosing the right compounds won’t matter if your nutrition and training regimen aren’t lined up with your goals. 

For a lean muscle mass cycle, we recommend:

• Following “clean bulk” rules: avoid processed or unhealthy products. It’s acceptable to go for not-as-nutrient-dense options when you’re on a regular bulking cycle, but not if you want to keep your body fat content in check;
• Watching your protein intake: it should be at least 0.5-1.2 g/lb of body weight, so your muscle mass could grow steadily and surely;
• Fueling your workouts with carbs: you should eat enough carbs to stay in a calorie surplus and boost your energy levels for more intense training sessions. The best time to eat carbs is an hour before and after the training.
• Eating in a slight surplus: you should eat at 200-400 calories above your maintenance level, do not go higher, as it can result in increased fat content. If you’re struggling to hit your calorie goals, you can add a gainer to your diet.

When it comes to training, it’s pretty simple ― train as frequently and hard as you can (at least 5-6 days a week, sets to failure). 

Implement compound exercises to maximize your strength and muscle gains. Isolation exercises can be of help only if you have some muscle imbalance that you’re planning to correct.

Conclusion

There are plenty of options for pure muscle mass gains ― all you have to do is stack Testosterone with a dry compound. 

Remember, the results of the cycle mainly depend on your diet and training. If you don't eat clean, you can still gain muscle mass, but your body won’t look THAT toned.

You should choose what works for you. If it’s a dirty bulk, followed by a cutting cycle, the protocol for lean muscle mass won’t do much for you.

To find out more about different steroid cycles and discuss them with other bodybuilders, you can join the Muscle Gear community in our telegram chat, or go to the best steroid cycles in 2025 post and check out other bulking, cutting, and recomposition plans.