Muscle Chemistry Archive

Powerlifter Amanda Kohatsu Wins Women’s Physique And Open Figure In Bodybuilding Debut

Powerlifter Amanda Kohatsu Wins Women’s Physique And Open Figure In Bodybuilding Debut

Amanda Kohatsu won two gold during her first bodybuilding show.
Amanda Kohatsu recently made the transition from powerlifting to bodybuilding and it as a rousing success. During the NPC Iron Games on Nov. 13, Kohatsu made her bodybuilding debut. Anaheim was the site where Kohatsu was able to win both Women’s Physique and Open Figure.
Kohatsu took to Instagram to celebrate her achievement. In her caption, she thanked her team and said that prep for the next competition will begin this week.
“Update: WE DID THE THING! ??⁣⁣,” Amanda Kohatsu wrote.⁣⁣“Yesterday I competed in my very first bodybuilding show @musclecontest Iron Games! I ended up taking overall in Women’s Physique and Open Figure! ???✨?⁣⁣⁣⁣I’ll have more to say when I come up from my food coma ? but Monday we are back on prep for the next show ?. ⁣⁣⁣?HUGE THANK YOU to my coach/husband/business partner/bestie @teepopoola and my posing coach extraordinaire @kennywallach for believing in me!!⁣⁣⁣Thank you SO MUCH to my crew and family for coming out! As someone who always tries to be there for everyone, it felt so amazing to walk off⁣⁣Stage to a huge group of loved ones cheering for me! ??⁣⁣⁣⁣Like I said before, having my dad be at the show was the biggest prize…and I’m happy to report, I got that! ??‍??⁣⁣”

Amanda Kohatsu began competing in powerlifting back in 2016. She has competed in six sanctioned events between the 67.5kg and 75kg weight classes. In six events, Kohatsu has finished on the podium six times and has three victories.

Amanda Kohatsu’s first win came during the 2017 USPA California State Powerlifting Championships. This came after finishing as the runner-up in her debut at the 2016 USPA Southern California Open. Kohatsu added two more victories in 2019 during the Southern Powerlifting Federation Super Training Classic and USPA Lock It Out Barbell Desert Wars. Her most recent competition is where she was able to log her best scores.
During the 2019 Lock It Out Barbell Desert Wars, Kohatsu began with a 192.5kg (424.4lb) squat. She then logged a 107.5kg (237lb) bench press and 222.5kg (490.5lb) deadlift. This landed her a total of 522.5kg (1,151.9lb).
This transition is one that Kohatsu had been planning for a long time now. She was interested in competing back in 2020 but COVID halted that plan. Now, she has made the necessary adjustments to succeed on the bodybuilding stage.
Amanda Kohatsu will be back on stage soon and it will be interesting to see how she follows up her debut. Training has already begun so it is clear that Kohatsu is passionate about the sport and she has shown that she can compete.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

How CT Fletcher Works Out To Get Jacked & Return To Former Glory

How CT Fletcher Works Out To Get Jacked & Return To Former Glory

The workout that CT Fletcher uses to get jacked as he journeys back from surgery to find his old greatness.
CT Fletcher is a former bodybuilder who is now a fitness icon and successful entrepreneur. Holding many titles and a massive platform online, he seeks to inspire and help others achieve their fitness goals.
When it comes to working hard, looking to the pros and those who have gone before us is a great way to boost all our gains. They’ve done it before and are living proof of what can happen when you grind in the gym and really buckle down with a solid workout routine. So many websites and influencers claim to know exactly how to get a massive and shredded physique but at the end of the day, looking to those athletes we admire most may just unlock all those gains we wish to see.
CT Fletcher is a fitness icon and knows exactly what it takes to see growth and to optimize your training and nutrition so you only see huge gains.

Full Name: CT Fletcher

Weight
Height
Date Of Birth

220-225 lbs.
5’11’’
06/08/1959

Profession
Era
Nationality

Bodybuilder, Personal Trainer, Powerlifter, Entrepreneur
1980, 1990, 2000, 2010
American

CT Fletcher’s approach to training is unique and has served him well throughout his career. For those of us looking for similar gains, no one does it better than CT Fletcher.

About CT Fletcher
CT Fletcher is also well known as the Iron Addicts entrepreneur and a worldwide powerlifting icon. Born in 1959 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, CT Fletcher moved around quite a bit during his life. He lived in Watts Township, Arkansas then later moved to the city of Compton in California.
During his bodybuilding days he displayed a great physique. He first entered the weight room in the early 1980’s and made bodybuilding and weightlifting his life. He later placed top 3 in many bodybuilding shows. He then transitioned to Powerlifting increasing his strength monthly. He began participating in many powerlifting events and became one of the most successful powerlifters of our generation. At an early age, he realized the incredible amount of strength he had in comparison to his peers.
He was ultimately a three-time winner of both World Bench Press Championship and World Strict Curl Championship. He was nicknamed as the “Superman of Compton” as seen in ‘CT Fletcher My Magnificent Obsession’ and nearly lost his life due to heart complications. His popular phrases such as “I command you to grow” and “Its still Yo Mutha Fu*** Set” became synonymous with his Iron Addicts brand and have been incorporated into his training workouts by fans across the world. Fletcher also faced many obstacles in his life. He grew up with an abusive father and he almost died due to heart failure. His unhealthy eating habits caused CT Fletcher to experience many heart complications and had to undergo heart surgery. CT Fletcher flatlined during the procedure and nearly lost his life. CT later adopted a clean diet and healthy lifestyle, even integrating a vegan diet.
Today, he is known as the successful entrepreneur, father, and a worldwide recognized fitness icon who founded Iron Addicts.

CT Fletcher Training Routine
CT Fletcher focuses a lot on Train to Fail and constantly changing workout routines. Exercises to build your body and strength entail workout routines that focus on chest and arm exercises.
The CT Fletcher workout routine includes excessive amounts of protein and carbohydrates. Also, fats are kept at only 10 percent of the entire daily intake. This is meant to keep your body energetic enough to perform as many reps as possible. A key to Fletcher’s transformation is doing both physical and mental training routines. CT relies on his repetitions, instincts, and his ability to change his daily routine.
His goal is to apply a one-movement workout (OMW) method, which involves high-volume, high-repetition interval training.
Arms

Exercises
Sets
Reps

Standing Biceps Cable Curl
4
8-10

Preacher Curl
4
8-10

Seated Triceps Press
4
8-10

Incline Hammer Bench Biceps Curl
4
8-10

Concentration Curls
4
8-10

W Bar Triceps Extensions
4
8-10

Straight Bar Triceps Extension
4
8-10

Chest

Exercises
Sets
Reps

Barbell Straight Bench Press
4
8-10

Incline Barbell Press
3
8-10

Wide Grip Chin Ups
4
10-12

Incline Bench Cable Fly
5
12

Smith Bench
4
8-10

Back

Exercises
Sets
Reps

Hammer Strength Lat Pulldown
3
8-10

T Bar Bent Over Row
3
8-10

Lying Machine Rows
3
10-12

Close-Grip Seated Cable Row
3
8-10

Straight Arm Pushdown
3
10-12

Shoulders

Exercises
Sets
Reps

Standing Barbell Lateral Raise
4
12-15

Barbell Press
4
10-12

Seated Single-Arm Dumbbell Overhead Press
4
8-10

Bent-Over Dumbbell Lateral Raise
4
12-15

Legs

Exercises
Sets
Reps

Hack Squat
4
8-10

Leg Press
4
8-10

Seated Machine Leg Curl
3-4
10-12

Barbell Squat
3
10-12

CT Fletcher Nutrition
Today, CT Fletcher follows a very clean and basic diet plan that provides him with all the essential macronutrients and helps him stay in top shape inside and outside of the gym. Since Fletcher often eats all the protein and clean foods he can get, his vegan diet has also contributed to long term results and heart health.
Meal 1

12 egg white omelet
A handful of veggies
1-2 servings of Grilled chicken or Turkey breast

Meal 2

One can serving of salad of Albacore tuna

Meal 3

Ground turkey

Meal 4

White rice

Meal 5

1- Eight-ounce chicken breast

Meal 6

Two cups of white rice

Best Supplements For Continued Growth
For those looking to maximize their gains, it is important to have a great supplementation routine ready to go. CT uses a protein powder to increase growth and recovery, a pre-workout to provide for energy and pumps, and a BCAA for that intra-workout boost to kickstart growth and burst through fatigue. Also, a multivitamin keeps him healthy by pumping him with those vital nutrients great for immunity and staying in top shape.
Wrap Up
CT Fletcher today is amongst some of the most popular and successful powerlifters in the world. Dwayne The Rock Johnson calls him his greatest influence due to his unique approach on lifting. His methods involve a great deal of work, pain, and a diversified workout routine. His past involved a great deal of poor dieting and he now recommends a healthy clean diet for bodybuilders worldwide.

Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 
*Images courtesy of CT Fletcher Instagram

9 Best Legal Steroids in 2021 (That Actually Work)

9 Best Legal Steroids in 2021 (That Actually Work)

Disclaimer: The following article is for educational purposes only and NOT to promote the use of illegal steroids. If you have any questions or concerns, Dr. Touliatos is currently available for consultations.

In bodybuilding circles, there’s a lot of talk about legal steroids currently.
Are they safe? Do they work? How do they compare to real steroids?
In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know, before you part with your hard-earned money.

What Are Legal Steroids?
Legal steroids, also known as steroid alternatives, are compounds formulated by supplement companies to mimic the positive effects of anabolic steroids, but without the harsh side effects.
There is a huge demand for anabolic steroids right now; however, not everyone wants to break the law or endure the serious health consequences that come with taking steroids.
In contrast, the ingredients in legal steroids are FDA approved and deemed safe for human consumption.
Also, legal steroids can be easily bought online, without having to get a prescription from a doctor or put your health in a criminal’s hands. This is essentially what happens when people buy steroids illegally via the black market, as you are not buying from a reputable company and thus are not guaranteed to get what is on the label.
Legal steroids are not anabolic steroids (which are illegal). Instead, they are more accurately described as steroid alternatives; which are powerful natural compounds that replicate the same muscle-building processes in the body like steroids.

Legal Steroid Alternatives That Work

“There is evidence, if you could use these (steroid alternatives) they would be much better than using anabolic steroids”.
Several of the herbs and amino acids, mentioned by Dr. Thomas O’Connor, are present in Crazy Bulk’s legal steroid alternatives (being: D-Bal, Testo-Max, Anadrole and DecaDuro).
Note: Dr. Thomas O’Connor has no affiliations with Crazy Bulk, he is simply giving his expert medical opinion, regarding certain ingredients that have anabolic effects.
You can view Crazy Bulk’s full product range (and receive 20% off) by clicking the button below.

Who Are Crazy Bulk?

Crazy Bulk is the leading retailer of legal steroids online, selling over 500,000 bottles.
Here are some reasons why Crazy Bulk are trusted by so many bodybuilders:
✔️  Positive 3rd party reviews (verified)
✔️  Positive social media reviews
✔️  Address & contact information listed
✔️  Social media presence
✔️  Sponsored athletes
✔️  Secure connection (HTTPS)
✔️  Generous coupons
Positive Reviews
Reviews can be easily faked. However, third-party websites can verify if the person leaving the review is a real customer or not, therefore these can be trusted.
We found that most legal steroids websites did not collect 3rd party reviews, unlike Crazy Bulk.
Crazy Bulk collects reviews on Feefo, having accumulated over 2,600 reviews, with an average rating of 4.4/5 stars.
Crazy Bulk has received positive reviews on other websites; however, not all sites are to be trusted as they are not from verified customers and thus can be faked (by themselves or competitors). 
Positive Social Media Reviews
We stalked what people are saying about Crazy Bulk on social media. To do this we entered ‘#crazybulk’ and #dbal along with other product names into Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
We found that several people were saying positive things about Crazy Bulk, and were not directing people to the website (thus appearing to be genuine/unbiased comments).

Address & Contact Information
Crazy Bulk lists their telephone number and company address, whilst having a 24/7 live chat on their website. You can also contact them via WhatsApp, which can be found on their about page.
Other websites had either no contact information, or some of the above, but not all of them.
This is a big trust signal, as Crazy Bulk is open to being contacted by their customers and different authorities, proving they are a credible business.
Social Media Presence
Dubious companies can shy away from social media as it leaves room for negative comments that may go viral. However, the most authoritative companies build large presences on multiple social pages and interact with their customers.
Crazy Bulk is by far the largest legal steroids brand on social media with 11.9k followers on Instagram and 4.8k followers on Twitter. The only other noteworthy competitor on social media was SDI Labs with 2,994 Facebook fans and Flexx Labs with 1,671 fans.

Well-known, successful bodybuilders do not partner up with bogus supplement companies.
Doing so would jeopardize their reputation and devalue their brand, resulting in lower earnings.
Therefore, if prestigious athletes are happy to endorse a supplement company, it’s a sign that they are trustworthy. This is especially true with company’s that mention the word ‘steroids’, which is taboo in the fitness world.
Crazy Bulk is the only legal steroids company (alongside Top Legal Steroids) with well-known sponsored athletes. Two of whom are:

Ramsford Smith
Tom Coleman

Ramsford Smith is a British Mr. Universe finalist and was crowned Mr. Britain and Mr. Europe. He has over 30 years of bodybuilding experience and became the first pro bodybuilder to endorse Crazy Bulk.
Tom Coleman is a WBFF world champion, who has over 1 million fans on Instagram. He has previously recommended Crazy Bulk on his page, putting a link to their official website.
Generous Coupons
Crazy Bulk regularly offers a 20% discount code on its website. Furthermore, they also have bundle deals, such as buy 2 get 1 free on all products and stacks. This can be a huge saving when buying in bulk, as if you buy 8 bottles, you’ll receive 4 free (which is up to 4 months’ worth of free products).
If there is one thing Crazy Bulk could do to improve, it would be to lower their prices even further and increase their average review score from 4.4/5 to 5/5. 
9 Best Legal Steroids on the Market
We rated Crazy Bulk as the best legal steroid retailer (considerably), receiving thousands of positive verified customer reviews (with an average rating of 4.4/5).
Thus, from this data, we can conclude that their legal steroids work — at least for a large number of people.
Below is a list of Crazy Bulk’s product range.  
D-Bal (Dianabol)

D-Bal is the legal steroid, based on perhaps the most popular anabolic steroid of all time, Dianabol.
Dianabol was first created to be significantly more anabolic than testosterone, but with less androgenicity.
Dr. Ziegler, the man who synthesized Dianabol (1) was successful in achieving this outcome.
Dianabol remains one of the best steroids for building muscle and bulking up. It is also an impressive compound for enhancing strength (2).
However, Dianabol still poses many adverse effects such as:

Low endogenous testosterone
High LDL cholesterol levels
High blood pressure
Water retention
Gynecomastia
Liver toxicity

D-Bal was formulated by Crazy Bulk to replicate Dianabol’s positive effects but without the adverse effects. This enables bodybuilders to remain healthy whilst building muscle, instead of destroying their health in the short or/and long term.
D-Bal vs D-Bol
✔️  D-Bal is 100% legal
✔️  D-Bal produces no side effects
D-Bal is best used when bulking and trying to build muscle. It can be combined with DecaDuro, Anadrole, Testo-Max or/and Trenorol for further muscle gains. 
Testo-Max (Sustanon 250)

Testo-Max is the legal steroid for Sustanon 250.
Sustanon 250 is an effective testosterone ester, used in bulking cycles for adding significant amounts of muscle and strength. Some believe Sustanon 250 to be the best form of testosterone, due to it containing both short and long esters. Thus, it is capable of producing exceptional results in the early and latter stages of a cycle.
Sustanon 250 however can cause any or all of the following:

Acne
Hair loss (scalp)
High blood pressure
Gynecomastia

The above side effects, plus the fact Sustanon 250 is an injectable steroid, can result in some people avoiding this anabolic steroid. Testo-Max solves all of these problems, thus it’s understandable why this legal steroid is highly coveted.
Testo-Max vs Sustanon 250
✔️  Testo-Max is in oral (tablet) form
✔️  Testo-Max produces no side effects
✔️  Testo-Max is 100% legal
Testo-Max is best used in bulking cycles, maximizing testosterone levels and mass gained. Equally, it is also an effective cutting steroid, helping to increase fat-burning (whilst sparing muscle size).
Therefore, it can be stacked with virtually any legal steroid from Crazy Bulk with good results. However, which legal steroid you choose to stack it with will depend on your goals.
Anadrole (Anadrol)

Anadrole is the legal steroid, based on the monster bulking steroid, Anadrol.
Anadrol is considered the most powerful steroid among bodybuilders for adding size and mass.
Muscle, weight and strength gains on Anadrol are often unsurpassed, with Dianabol being the only compound that comes close.
Despite Anadrol’s powerful ability to pack on muscle (3), it is also notorious for its severe side effects, which are:

Liver toxicity
High blood pressure
Gynecomastia
Water retention
Hair loss

Anadrol is possibly one of the worst anabolic steroids for the heart and liver. Therefore, it is often avoided by steroid-users, who opt to go for lighter steroids which can still yield impressive results (such as testosterone or Dianabol).
Crazy Bulk’s Anadrole formula is synthesized to mimic the anabolic effects of Anadrol, but without the harsh side effects.
Anadrole vs Anadrol
✔️  Anadrole is safe (especially for the heart and liver)
✔️  Anadrole is 100% legal
For best results, anadrole should be combined with other legal bulking steroids, such as Decaduro, Testo-max, D-bal, or/and Trenorol. 
Decaduro (Deca Durabolin)

Deca Durabolin is a popular injectable bulking steroid, typically used in the off-season.
Although not the most powerful of steroids, Deca is often used by bodybuilders to enhance the gains from other bulking steroids. It increases strength, muscle mass and fullness (4).
Deca is also popular because it does not cause overly harsh adverse effects.
However, the following side effects can still occur:

Erectile dysfunction (known as ‘Deca dick’)
Low endogenous testosterone levels
Water retention

Although Deca Durabolin will not damage your liver and is not particularly damaging to the heart (in comparison to other steroids), it still will have a negative effect on your testosterone levels (5), potentially causing sexual dysfunction (at least temporarily). Also, Deca Durabolin is to be injected which some people are not comfortable with.
Decaduro vs Deca Durabolin
✔️  Decaduro comes in oral (pill) form
✔️  Decaduro is 100% legal
✔️  Decaduro does not cause sexual dysfunction
It is not advised to use Decaduro alone unless merely small muscle gains are desired. Instead, for bigger muscle gains, stack Decaduro with D-Bal, Anadrole, Trenorol or/and Testo-Max.
Trenorol (Trenbolone)

Trenorol is the legal steroid alternative for Trenbolone.
Trenbolone is a very powerful injectable steroid, that produces large increases in lean muscle. Due to a lack of aromatization, it does not cause any noticeable water retention, making overall weight gain less than on dianabol/anadrol.
However, in terms of pure muscle gained, Trenbolone ranks high with the best of bulking steroids.
With bodybuilders wanting to look as ripped as possible, Trenbolone is a popular choice as users will not suffer from smooth, puffy muscles or bloating.
Trenbolone is also a strong fat-burning steroid and thus is sometimes used in cutting cycles too.
Trenbolone is one of the worst steroids for side effects, unsurprisingly due to its powerful nature. Some of Tren’s most obvious side effects are:

High blood pressure
Acne
Hair loss
Significant testosterone suppression

Trenorol vs Trenbolone
✔️  Trenorol comes in oral (tablet) form
✔️  Trenorol is safe (FDA approved)
✔️   Trenorol is 100% legal
Trenorol can be stacked with any legal bulking steroids from Crazy Bulk for additional strength and muscle gains. It can also be stacked with cutting formulas, such as Anvarol, Clenbutrol and Winsol for accelerated fat loss.
Anvarol (Anavar)

Anvarol is the legal steroid for Anavar, one of the most used cutting steroids in the world.
Anavar’s popularity stems from it being suitable for beginners, as it is very well tolerated. Women use it because it rarely causes virilization side effects, and is even utilized by experienced pros; because of its muscle building and fat burning effects.
Anavar is a mild steroid, therefore the gains users’ experience will not be remarkable, and the same applies to its side effects.
However, it does have the ability to add 10lbs-15lbs of muscle, whilst significantly stripping fat (6). However, this number will be less for experienced steroid users.
The downside with Anavar is that it is very expensive, due to the difficulty in manufacturing this compound and high demand. Therefore, the price of experiencing moderate gains is very high.
However, Anvarol is much cheaper in comparison, at just $55 (which is a fraction of what pharma-grade Anavar costs – usually being several hundred dollars).
Anvarol vs Anavar
✔️  Anvarol is significantly cheaper
✔️  Anvarol is 100% legal
✔️  Anvarol does not decrease natural testosterone production
For best results stack anvarol with other legal cutting steroids, for increased fat burning and muscle definition. Recommended products are: clenbutrol, winsol or/and testo-max.
Winsol (Winstrol)

Winsol is the legal steroid designed to produce the same effects as Winstrol.
Winstrol is a dry steroid, which increases lean muscle mass, whilst decreasing a user’s body fat percentage.
It is similar to anavar, in regards to its benefits, although slightly more powerful, causing harsher side effects.
Because winstrol does not have an overly significant effect on building mass (7), it is often used in cutting cycles, to help retain muscle whilst getting leaner. Winstrol has diuretic effects too, increasing muscle striations and visibility of veins (vascularity). The only downside to its water flushing properties is glycogen levels can decrease inside the muscle cells — decreasing fullness.
Winstrol’s side effects are:

Joint pain
High blood pressure
Liver toxicity
Hair loss
Acne

Thus, winsol is a better alternative, with none of the above being a cause for concern.
Winsol vs Winstrol
✔️  Winsol is safe
✔️  Winsol is 100% legal
Clenbutrol (Clenbuterol)

Clenbuterol is not a steroid; however, it is often stacked with cutting steroids to ignite fat burning. Crazy Bulk’s Clenbutrol replicates the stimulative effects of Clen to spike a user’s metabolism.
Clenbutrol mimics Clenbuterol by causing thermogenesis in the body (increased heat production). As a result of this, the body has to constantly cool itself down to ensure the body’s temperature does not rise excessively.
This process increases calorie burn (at rest), raising the body’s metabolic rate and increasing fat loss.
Although Clenbuterol is used by many bodybuilders to great effect when trying to lean out and get ripped, it is not FDA approved (for humans).
There is evidence that Clenbuterol increases heart rate (8), due to excessive adrenaline production, placing unnecessary strain on the heart. This is the main risk when taking Clenbuterol, as it does NOT cause the typical side effects of anabolic steroids, such as: gyno, testosterone suppression, liver damage etc.
Clenbutrol vs Clenbuterol
✔️  Clenbutrol does not increase blood pressure
✔️  Clenbutrol is legal
✔️  Clenbutrol is safe
HGH-x2 (HGH)

HGH is a protein hormone that is naturally secreted by the pituitary gland. Bodybuilders often take HGH in exogenous form to increase HGH production, increasing muscle mass and fat loss.
Like anabolic steroids, exogenous HGH is illegal. 
HGH is not as powerful as anabolic steroids for muscle growth, however it does have the ability to take a person’s muscle gains to the next level.
However, there can be some unsightly side effects from using HGH, including:

HGH gut
Organ enlargement

‘HGH gut’ is often observed in IFBB bodybuilders, which can be attributed to the enlargement of internal organs, such as the intestines and liver (9).
Such organ enlargement also applies to the heart, putting users more at risk of cardiac problems. Tissue enlargement is also common whilst taking HGH, with people’s noses often getting bigger in size over time.
HGH-x2 vs HGH
✔️  HGH-x2 does not cause ‘HGH gut’
✔️  HGH-x2 is legal
✔️  HGH-x2 is safe
✔️  HGH-x2 is considerably cheaper than illegal HGH
HGH can be used whilst bulking or cutting due to its versatility. For best results it should be stacked with other legal steroids, as results may be minimal with a HGH-only cycle.
Legal Steroids FAQs
Do Legal Steroids Really Work Like Steroids?
Yes, if a person responds well to legal steroids or steroid alternatives, they can experience steroid-like results.
However, not all people respond the same (just like with steroids), therefore some people can make more gains than others. A person’s training and diet are also crucial in determining results.
Do I Need to Run a PCT (Post Cycle Therapy) With Legal Steroids?
No, because legal steroids do not shut down a person’s endogenous testosterone production like anabolic steroids. Instead, legal steroids increase endogenous testosterone levels, thus a person will not be shut down after a cycle.
Thus, a person will be able to keep all of their gains from legal steroids, as opposed to those who often lose size after taking anabolic steroids (due to the body shifting into a catabolic state post-cycle).
Do I Need to Take a Liver Support Supplement With Legal Steroids?
Although legal steroids are in tablet form, they are not taxing on the liver like oral anabolic steroids.
Thus, ALT and AST liver values will not rise dramatically, ensuring that your liver will remain healthy and protected.
However, when taking any form of tablets, it is always recommended to take a break from them; thus if you take legal steroids for 8 weeks, it’s advised to take 8 weeks off after this.
Which Legal Steroids Are Suitable For Women?
Women need to be very careful in which anabolic steroids they use, as they can cause masculinization. For example, testosterone may enlarge a woman’s clitoris and decrease her breast size. Whereas Anavar in moderate doses may not.
However, legal steroids do not cause virilization effects. Therefore, all legal steroids are suitable for women. However, we recommend buying from a trustworthy brand to ensure you are getting genuine legal, steroid alternatives (instead of a spiked product).
Legal Steroids vs SARMs
Like legal steroids, SARMs (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators), were designed to replicate the effects of anabolic steroids, but without the detrimental side effects.
They currently are not FDA approved, as they are still recent drugs, with little research done on them.
However, some users are already reporting severe side effects from using SARMS, such as hepatotoxicity, decreased HDL cholesterol levels and shut down testosterone levels.
In contrast, legal steroids’ formulas are FDA approved, and haven’t received reports of users suffering from any notable adverse effects.
Therefore, more studies are needed in order to make an authoritative comparison between the two, however at this time legal steroids are deemed to be safe, whereas SARMS may not be.
Will Legal Steroids Cause Me to Fail a Drugs Test?
No, assuming you buy from a reputable brand who does not spike their products.
There are no banned substances in any of Crazy Bulk’s legal steroids, therefore users will pass any type of drugs test whilst taking them.
Can You Buy Legal Steroids Over the Counter?
No, legal steroids are currently only available to buy online.
Do Crazy Bulk Offer a Discount Code?
Crazy Bulk will usually give you a discount code on their website. Further discount codes on external websites do not work.
Summary
Legal steroids, or steroid alternatives, are FDA-approved formulas which mimic the effects of anabolic steroids.
There is evidence to suggest that Crazy Bulk’s legal steroids work, from thousands of verified customer reviews and various social media testimonials.
However, users should be careful about using other brands, as certain companies have been accused of using deceptive marketing practices, and have been on the receiving end of legal action.

3 Best Steroids for Beginners (Plus 3 to Avoid)

3 Best Steroids for Beginners (Plus 3 to Avoid)

Disclaimer: The following article is for educational purposes only and NOT to promote the use of illegal steroids. If you have any questions or concerns, Dr. Touliatos is currently available for consultations.

Millions of people around the world take steroids; however, only a small percentage do so in a responsible manner.
High doses, taking the wrong steroids too early and failing to implement an effective PCT are all common errors among beginners.
A lack of knowledge when using steroids significantly increases the risk of danger. A beginner is more susceptible to harsh effects, as their bodies have not had a chance to build up any tolerance to such compounds.
In this article we will reveal the safest steroids for beginners, helping to minimize the risks/side effects experienced during a first steroid cycle.

Top 3 Steroids for Beginners

Testosterone
Anavar
Dianabol

Each one of these steroids is suitable for beginners. Which one you take will depend on your personal preference of administration and what you want to achieve from your cycle.
1. Testosterone

A testosterone-only cycle is the most popular protocol for a beginner. This is because beginners want to experience big gains in muscle and strength, but want to stay away from harsh compounds.
Testosterone produces exceptional gains, without excessively harsh side effects.
The only downside for some beginners is that testosterone is predominantly an injectable steroid. Therefore, if users want to take orals during their first steroid cycle, Anavar and Dianabol would be preferred options.
Different Esters
These are the most popular forms of testosterone in bodybuilding:

Testosterone suspension
Testosterone acetate
Testosterone propionate
Testosterone enanthate
Testosterone cypionate (aka depo-testosterone)
Testosterone undecanoate
Sustanon 250

Note: There isn’t a ‘best testosterone’, all different forms of testosterone will build equal amounts of muscle and strength. However, some will kick in faster and require more regular injections. The only other difference is the shorter, faster-acting esters are a little more potent, resulting in more actual testosterone entering the bloodstream.
Test Suspension
Testosterone suspension is essentially pure testosterone in water. It is not typically recommended for beginners because it is very fast-acting, thus it has an immediate effect on the body, instead of gradually entering the bloodstream.
One benefit is that suspension is going to produce fast gains, as it is pure testosterone and thus does not need to be broken down. However, the bad news is it requires very frequent injections, as it also leaves your body fast.
Test suspension requires 2 injections a day, which is not ideal for a beginner. Furthermore, suspension is one of the worst steroids to inject, as it requires a big needle (a newbie’s worst nightmare). This is because test suspension is not micronized; thus because of its larger crystals, syringes are likely to get clogged. Unsurprisingly, suspension injections are often painful.
Most experienced steroid-users are cowards when it comes to taking test suspension, so beginners are extremely unlikely to enjoy this. In reality, they would probably never take injectables again if this was their first cycle.
Testosterone Acetate
Testosterone acetate is a fast-acting form of test, with a half-life of 2-3 days, although slower-acting than suspension.
Gains will come by fast, however frequent injections are needed (although not as frequent as test suspension).
One injection a day is required with test acetate.
A large needle is not needed and injections are not typically painful.
Testosterone Propionate
Testosterone propionate is also fast-acting, albeit slower than suspension and acetate. Injections are required every other day.
Propionate may appear to be cheap; however, because it is dosed at only 100mg/ml, whereas other forms of testosterone are commonly dosed at around 250mg/ml. Therefore it actually works out to be expensive.
Typically, test propionate has a price approximately 50% higher than other forms of testosterone.
Furthermore, propionate injections have a tendency to hurt, to the extent where people have reported limping afterward. Therefore, beginners do not usually opt for propionate.
Testosterone Cypionate & Enanthate
Bingo. These are the esters used by most beginners because they require less frequent injections (once every 4-5 days).
I have listed Cypionate and enanthate together because the body absorbs each compound at a similar rate.
Users will need to wait a little longer for them to kick in; however, this form of testosterone is often comfortable/enjoyable for beginners to take.
Testosterone Undecanoate
Injectable test undecanoate is a very slow-acting form of testosterone. A unique advantage is that it can be injected just once every two weeks.
However, because it takes a long time to peak in your bloodstream, with a half-life of 34 days (1), users will need to be very patient, as it can take a month to kick in.
Testosterone undecanoate is also available as an oral steroid, known as Andriol (or Testocaps).
In oral form, undecanoate is very fast-acting with plasma testosterone levels peaking approximately 5 hours after a dose.
Another benefit of Andriol (oral test undecanoate) is that it bypasses the liver and is absorbed via the lymphatic system. Consequently, it is not hepatotoxic and poses no threat to the liver, unlike many other oral steroids.
Tablets can be more convenient for beginners than taking injections; however, an oral undecanoate cycle is typically very expensive, with roughly 8 capsules (280mg) needed per day, to elevate testosterone levels enough for significant mass gains.
For example, the price of Andriol from a medical practitioner may cost roughly $40 (2).
With a dose of 280mg, this would last 7.5 days. Thus, a cycle lasting 6 weeks would cost $240. Therefore, injectable testosterone is a lot more cost-effective for beginners.
Note: If beginners plan on taking Andriol (oral undecanoate), they should consume a meal with every tablet, containing at least 20g of dietary fat, which has proven to greatly increase absorption. Without this, Andriol’s bio-availability will be very low.
Sustanon 250
Sustanon 250 is a blend of 4 different esters, being:

30 mg propionate
60 mg phenylpropionate
60 mg isocaproate
100 mg decanoate

Thus, by containing different esters, it is both fast-acting and slow-acting. In real-life terms, this means it will kick in fast, require frequent injections (every 2 days) and will remain in your system for a lengthy time, due to the presence of decanoate.
Sustanon 250 is not inherently the best form of testosterone, which some people claim. It will not build more muscle or strength than other esters — it is just a different blend.

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Testosterone Cycle (For Beginners)
Testosterone cypionate and enanthate are the most popular types of testosterone for beginners.
This is due to them being: cost-effective, not being painful and not requiring overly frequent injections (every 4-5 days).
This is a typical beginner steroid cycle. These are conservative doses, thus the side effects are going to be minimal. This will help to prepare the body for higher dosages in future cycles.
When using cypionate/enanthate, the bottle will typically be dosed at 200mg/ml.
To save complicated mathematics you could perform 2 injections a week, which would require 100mg per injection (0.5ml), for the first 2 weeks.
Then on weeks 3-5, this will be 2 x 150mg (0.75ml) injections per week.
And for weeks 6-7, it will be 2 x 175mg (0.875 ml) injections per week.
it is advised not to miss injections times, as delaying will cause testosterone in your blood to spike and then drop, which may cause increased side effects (and reduce gains).
Users will typically gain 20lbs from this initial cycle.
Testosterone Cycle Before/After
This transformation is from a bodybuilder on YouTube, who used Testosterone Propionate for his first cycle. 
These results (above) are typical, with every muscle group blowing up noticeably.
The only difference with this transformation is, if you are eating in a calorie surplus, your body fat may increase. Whereas if you are eating maintenance calories or are in a deficit, it will decrease.
Second Testosterone Cycle
A follow-up cycle to the above test cycle would be as follows:
In this cycle, the dose increases (up to 500mg) and the cycle is extended by an extra 3 weeks. This second cycle can add another 10lbs of lean mass, on top of the initial gains experienced from the first cycle.
Testosterone Side Effects
Testosterone is a mild steroid, that is prescribed regularly by doctors for TRT (testosterone replacement therapy). Thus, the following side effects are not going to be severe, however still possible:

Decrease in HDL (good) cholesterol (3)
Increased risk of hypertension (4)
Acne/oily skin (5)
Water retention (6)
Gynecomastia (7)
Hair thinning/loss

Blood pressure is unlikely to elevate to high levels, as testosterone only has a mild effect on cholesterol values. However, beginners may want to get a check-up with their doctor before starting their first cycle, to ensure their blood pressure is not initially high.
Acne and oily skin are possible adverse effects, due to testosterone’s androgenic nature. Those who have suffered from acne in the past may be more susceptible to this, due to a genetic predisposition of increased sebum production (the oily substance) on the skin.
Some water retention is common when using testosterone; however, this won’t be as much compared to other bulking steroids, such as Dianabol or Anadrol.
Gynecomastia is possible when taking testosterone due to the steroid aromatizing (converting into estrogen). When estrogen levels skyrocket, excessive breast tissue can form in men, causing gyno or man boobs.
Taking an effective aromatase inhibitor (AI), such as Arimidex, will significantly decrease the chances of gyno happening. However, a drawback to taking AI’s is that they may exacerbate blood pressure.
Thus, a good idea would be to monitor your nipples and if they start to become excessively puffy, you could run an AI from that point onward. Arimidex works very quickly, with 1mg shown to decrease estradiol by 70% in just 24 hours.
The higher the testosterone dose, the higher the chances will be of users developing gyno.
Testosterone also has the pattern to accelerate hair thinning on the scalp, due to high DHT levels. However, this side effect usually reverses itself post-cycle. Although if steroids are cycled for extended periods of time, such thinning or recession may become permanent.

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2. Anavar
Anavar (Oxandrolone) is the safest of all steroids for beginners, with it being considerably milder than testosterone.
The benefits of Anavar are:

It builds muscle
Significant increases in strength
Enhanced fat burning
No harsh side effects
It is an oral

The drawbacks of Anavar are:

You won’t build as much muscle as testosterone
It is expensive

Therefore, if a beginner wants to build a ton of muscle from their first cycle, Anavar isn’t the best choice. However, if they want to get ripped; building some muscle, whilst simultaneously burning fat – Anavar is a great choice. Especially for beginners who want to avoid needles and are anxious about the side effects of steroids.
Anavar is so well-tolerated, that it is commonly prescribed to women and children, to help them gain lean mass, which gives a clue regarding its safety profile.
Even though Anavar is an oral (like testosterone undecanoate), it is not particularly liver toxic. In Anavar’s case, this is because the kidneys help to process oxandrolone, reducing the hepatic toxicity and workload on the liver.
Anavar Cycle (For Beginners)
This cycle is suitable for beginners, using modest dosages. In follow-up cycles, users may start on week 1 using 20mg per day, with cycles lasting up to 8 weeks.
Test & Anavar Cycle
If beginners would like further muscle and fat loss gains, they can stack Anavar and Testosterone together. However, the risk of side effects increases slightly, compared to running Testosterone alone.

The main disadvantage with running this cycle is the increased endogenous testosterone suppression post-cycle; however, this can be corrected with an effective PCT.
A beginner taking this cycle will gain approximately 25lbs, whilst burning a noticeable amount of fat.
Anavar Side Effects
In these dosages, Anavar’s side effects are going to be very minimal. However, the following effects are possible:

Testosterone suppression
Increased LDL cholesterol
Hair thinning
Oily skin

However, it is common for Anavar-users to report no side effects when taking this steroid. Testosterone suppression is almost certain; however, this effect is only minimal. Some beginners will choose not to take a PCT after Anavar, as endogenous testosterone levels typically recover quickly. However, when stacking it with Testosterone, a PCT is recommended.
Some hair thinning is possible, due to Anavar being a DHT derivative, although if a person’s genetics are not predisposed for male pattern baldness – Anavar won’t suddenly cause it.
3. Dianabol
Dianabol (Methandrostenolone) is a very well-known steroid, famous for being one of the favourite steroids of the ’70s, among Arnold Schwarzenegger and classic bodybuilders. It is still widely used today with it remaining as one of the best steroids for building size and mass.
Dianabol is an oral and beginners can take it if they want big muscle gains but want to avoid needles.
Dianabol is not excessively harsh when taken in modest doses during a first cycle. However, the side effects are likely to be more pronounced compared to the previous testosterone and Anavar cycles.
Dbol is also one of the best steroids for strength, commonly adding up to 70lbs on compound exercises, during a first cycle.
Dianabol Cycle (Warm-Up Cycle)
Because Dianabol is stronger than the other two steroids on this list, the above cycle can be performed as a warm-up cycle, before hitting higher doses. Beginners will gain around 15lbs with this cycle, which is a lot of muscle for how modest the doses are.
The main goal of this cycle is to prepare the body for the next cycle, which will yield bigger gains.
Dianabol Cycle (For Beginners)
With higher dosages, this cycle will add roughly another 15lbs, on top of the 15lbs previously gained from the warm-up cycle.
If beginners do not utilize a warm-up cycle and start with this, they will gain roughly 30lbs; making it more effective than taking testosterone by itself.
Dianabol Side Effects
Dianabol can cause the following:

Increased blood pressure
Gynecomastia
Liver damage
Acne
Hair loss

Dianabol will raise blood pressure more notably than testosterone or Anavar. Therefore, it is recommended not to use an AI before any signs of gyno occur. Also to decrease any such elevations in blood pressure it would be best to perform cardio 3-5 times per week.
Gynecomastia is possible with Dianabol, and thus the same protocol should be used as with testosterone; only introducing Arimidex when early signs of nipple swelling appear (if at all).
Unlike Anavar and Testosterone, Dianabol is particularly hepatotoxic; thus some liver support should be taken during your cycle. A recommended supplement is TUDCA (Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid), which has been shown to effectively decrease raised liver enzymes, indicating hepatic stress.
Dianabol isn’t as androgenic as testosterone, thus oily skin and acne are less likely, however possible.
Hair loss is less likely compared to testosterone, due to less androgenicity, which is why many bodybuilders from the ’70s retained their hair follicles; compared to bodybuilders today, who are practically all bald. The reason being is that IFBB pros today are taking heavy dosages of very androgenic compounds.

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Other Steroids for Beginners
Testosterone, Anavar and Dianabol are the 3 most common steroids used by beginners and are arguably the most optimal.
However, there are other steroids that can be taken by beginners. For example, Turinabol is another compound that can be taken by beginners, although it will be harsher than Anavar, but less than Dianabol.
Deca Durabolin is certainly mild and suitable for beginners; however, it isn’t typically used by itself. Instead, it can be added to testosterone or Dianabol for increased muscle gains.
However, this would not typically be stacked as a first steroid cycle, but in a later cycle instead. This is because Dianabol and testosterone are harsh enough by themselves for a beginner cycle.
Steroids to Avoid

Anadrol
Trenbolone
Winstrol

Some bodybuilding coaches recommend their clients take the above compounds as a first cycle, which can be dangerous.
Anadrol is one of the most toxic steroids on the market, that experienced bodybuilders even struggle to tolerate. Consequently, they will purposefully avoid taking this steroid, because of how they react to it. Blood pressure can rise to very high levels on Anadrol and thus the cardiovascular strain is deemed to be excessive to beginners. There is also the risk of hepatic strain on Anadrol.
Trenbolone is another harsh compound that people often react negatively to, despite it yielding amazing results. The post-cycle crash on Trenbolone is also severe; leaving users feeling mentally low, as well as their testosterone being shut down.
Some beginners will take Winstrol as a first cycle, which will be harsh on the body. Winstrol is similar to Anavar in regards to gains, with Winstrol being slightly more effective. However, Winstrol’s side effects are a lot more severe in comparison, with testosterone getting shut down, liver damage and blood pressure rising to high levels. Winstrol is also a lot more androgenic than Anavar, thus oily skin and hair loss are more likely to become an issue. The only main advantage Winstrol has over Anavar is that it’s considerably cheaper; however, as a first cycle, beginners are recommended to put their health first (instead of their wallet).
Summary
The best steroids for beginners are any of the following:

Testosterone
Anavar
Dianabol
Deca Durabolin

The best type of testosterone for beginners is typically cypionate or enanthate. These are cost-effective injectables that do not need to be injected as regularly as other forms of testosterone; with such injections not causing any notable pain.
In regards to which steroids to use, it will depend on the person’s goals and budget.
If money was no object, and a beginner wanted to stick to orals; they could take Testosterone Undecanoate or Anavar. Or, they could take both of these compounds at the same time for further results. However, stacking these two together will cost around $500.
However, if a person was on a normal budget, they could opt for Dianabol or Testosterone Enanthate, running just one of these.
For bigger gains in size and mass – Dianabol would be the best choice, followed by Testosterone.
If the main goal is to burn fat and get ripped, Anavar would be the best choice.
The worst steroids for beginners are Anadrol, Trenbolone and Winstrol.
These are just too harsh on the body, which will inevitably cause long-term damage. Taking these during a first cycle is like jumping in the deep end when you are first learning how to swim. There are other toxic steroids that should be avoided, such as Superdrol and Halotestin (for example); however, these are not commonly known or taken by beginners.

Victor Martinez Opens Up About The Moment Diuretics Made Him Scared For His Health

Victor Martinez Opens Up About The Moment Diuretics Made Him Scared For His Health

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Victor Martinez talks candidly about a “miscalculation” with diuretics that made him fear for his health before a bodybuilding competition.
2021 has been a tragic year for bodybuilding with many beloved and legendary athletes passing away far too young. Most of these reported deaths are not connected nor have they revealed conclusive evidence on the cause of death in each case. However, many have started reflecting inward and posting publicly about a change to health standards in the sport. During our recent conversation with Victor Martinez, we asked him if he was ever scared for his health during his career as a bodybuilder. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Victor Martinez reveals the one time diuretics almost put his health in danger.
Victor Martinez has always been candid and honest when speaking with Generation Iron. He’s not afraid to tell it like it is – but he’s also not one to point fingers. So when we asked him if he had ever faced a bodybuilding situation where he feared for his health, he was more than happen to speak openly about it. However, he also chose not to mention names or even the specific bodybuilding event in his story. His reason? Because he doesn’t cast blame on any specific coach, promoter, or event.

In our conversation, Victor Martinez describes a moment when his use of diuretics before a show led him to fear for his health. He awoke the day of the show to shallow breathing and incredibly low energy. He felt that he didn’t have the strength to stand, let alone pose.
“I remember being in bed, man, it was this one… I’m not going to name the show because I don’t want to pinpoint the coach. I don’t want to pinpoint anybody again,” Victor Martinez states in our interview. He goes on:
“You guys have to understand this, I’m not one to throw people under the bus just because of a miscalculation. But I still remember just being in bed, Vlad, I didn’t even want to pose man. I was just there and I was just breathing. My friend came into the room and he goes… I can hear such shallow breathing.”

Victor Martinez then describes that he went back to sleep four four more hours. And at that point upon waking – he felt he could sleep even more. This was not typical for Martinez, who would often have trouble sleeping before a competition.
Victor Martinez goes on to describe actually competing. He felt that each pose was a struggle. His arms felt like they weighed a ton. He describes his legs feeling like stilts. After posing, he drank massive amounts of water. He couldn’t eat. He just kept drinking water. Eventually he started to feel recovered – luckily avoiding a trip to the hospital.
“It all had to do with diuretics man,” Victor states at the end of his story. “I knew there was a better way. A healthier way in bodybuilding terms.”
Shortly after that incident, Victor Martinez decided to train himself and make some slight changes to how he prepared for a show. He again reiterates that it was no ones fault – and that these kinds of risks are inherent in an extreme pro sport like bodybuilding. What was important is that he learned from that incident and decided to change strategies to lessen that risk in his future.
You can watch Victor Martinez’s full comments about diuretics and his health as a bodybuilder in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!

White House Chef Andre Rush Joins Mike O’Hearn For Arm Day

White House Chef Andre Rush Joins Mike O’Hearn For Arm Day

Mike O’Hearn trained arms with Chef Andre Rush and his 24-inch arms.
Mike O’Hearn remains in tremendous shape at age 52. He is still able to push himself to the limit and perform some strenuous workouts to better his physique. Recently, O’Hearn joined White House Chef Andre Rush for arm day and the results were incredible.
Rush has been working in the White House for 21 years and has made a great career for himself. Aside from preparing meals, Rush has become known for his enormous arms that measure around 24 inches. In a bicep session, O’Hearn and Rush put together a YouTube video of the afternoon.

The two began with a bicep routine then went into conversation on what the other excels in. For Rush, the answer is clear.
“Just so you guys understand. These are 24 inch arms. These bands are not for arms. These are the leg bands, that we are using on his arms. That’s how jacked this man is. So most of you that are watching this, his arm is the size of your leg,” O’Hearn said about Rush.
This comment was brought on at the beginning of the video while Andre Rush was getting a blood Flow restrictor put on his arms. Mike O’Hearn reveals that they were using a leg band because there was not an arm one that would fit around his biceps.

The two men continued to show off their workout. It began with some dumbbell hammer curls followed by preacher curls. During the early exercises, O’Hearn kept discussing the size of Rush and his overall strength.
“I reversed it, truthfully just to open up the arm. Open up means I want the joints and the elbows to fire from all different positions. It’s great my arms are getting pumped, they’ll get pumped regardless. But I want my elbows and my wrist to rotate, I want my shoulders to open.”
O’Hearn explains that he performs preacher curls with a reverse grip to open up all parts of the arm. This is a more intense version than the traditional underneath grip.
Andre Rush is a US Army Veteran. He ensiled in 1993 where he was trained in hand-to-hand combat and food service. He began as a chef at the White House in 1997. All throughout, Rush began being known for his biceps as well as his food. To start his day, Rush says he does 2,222 pushups as part of the 22 pushup challenge. This is to raise awareness for the roughly 22 veterans who die by suicide each day.
There is no doubt that Rush can hold his own in the gym and he proved it with Mike O’Hearn. Both men put on a show that is worthy of being seen.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Anadrol (Oxymetholone): The Ultimate Guide

Anadrol (Oxymetholone): The Ultimate Guide

Disclaimer: The following article is for educational purposes only and NOT to promote the use of illegal steroids. If you have any questions or concerns, Dr. Touliatos is currently available for consultations.

What is Anadrol?
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Anadrol (Oxymetholone), is a DHT-derived oral anabolic steroid.
In bodybuilding, Anadrol is considered the most powerful oral steroid on the market.
Anadrol, also known as A-bombs or Oxy’s, is predominantly used by bodybuilders in the off-season (when bulking); significantly increasing muscular size and strength.
Anadrol first came on the scene in 1959, when studied for research purposes by a pharmaceutical company named Syntex. They found Anadrol to be a successful treatment for anemia, osteoporosis and muscle-wasting conditions such as HIV/AIDS.
2 years later, Oxymetholone became available in the UK under the brand name Anapolon. Other brand names also came to the fore, including: Adroyd and Anadrol (marketed in the U.S).
In the early 1960s, Anadrol was widely available for bodybuilders to use for cosmetic purposes.
As Anadrol’s harsh side effects became increasingly well-known, the FDA limited prescriptions of oxymetholone in the mid-1970s. Bodybuilders were now unable to obtain Anadrol from their doctor, with it now being predominantly prescribed to patients suffering from anemia.
Anadrol is one of the few steroids that is still FDA-approved for medicinal purposes today (1), alongside Anavar, Testosterone and Deca Durabolin.

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Anadrole is best suited for men wanting to build significant amounts of muscle; without shutting down their testosterone, straining their liver or elevating blood pressure levels.

Anadrol Benefits

Rapid weight gain
Muscle-building
Enhances strength
Oral form
Joint support
Fat loss

Rapid Weight Gain
Anadrol is quite possibly the best steroid in terms of weight gain, and blowing up a user’s muscles fast. This makes it a compound particularly coveted by skinny males who want huge gains.
The weight gained on Anadrol is typically comprised of muscle and water retention.
It is not uncommon for users to gain as much as 10lbs in the first week on Anadrol. By the 6th week, weight gain can increase to 30lbs. Roughly half of this is likely to be water.
Because Anadrol shifts a lot of water inside the muscle cells, muscle pumps in the gym can be described as ‘skin tearing. Pumps can become so huge where they are actually problematic, with some users describing lower back pumps as painful.
Muscle-Building

Anadrol will take a bodybuilder’s muscle size to a whole new level, with it being over 3x more anabolic than testosterone.
Some of this size will be temporary intracellular fluid retention, giving the muscles a constant pumped look.
However, the lean muscle gains on Anadrol are still significant, due to the steroid skyrocketing testosterone levels, protein synthesis and increasing nitrogen retention.
Scientists regard Anadrol as “one of the most potent steroids ever developed for building muscle“, with participants gaining 14.5lbs of muscle per 100lb of bodyweight in studies (2).
However, these results are based on high doses for excessive periods of time, thus results for a bodybuilder will be slightly less, assuming a shorter cycle and a more cautious dose.
18lbs of lean muscle is common for a first-time 6 week cycle of Anadrol. This will be roughly 60% of the overall weight gained.
Enhances Strength
Anadrol is arguably the greatest steroid in powerlifting and strongman circles. This is due to the sheer weight gain and the huge surge in testosterone.
It is common for users to add 30lbs to their bench press in the first 10 days on Anadrol.
By the end of a cycle, Anadrol has the ability to add approximately 60lbs to a user’s squat, deadlift and bench press.
Usually, the strength gained during these compound lifts will be double the bodyweight gained on Anadrol.
Strength levels can decrease by 40% post-cycle, which correlates with the same degree of weight loss.
Oral Form
Anadrol 50 essentially is a 50mg tablet. Thus, no injections are needed to reap the rewards from this steroid.
Injections can be very dangerous if the person doesn’t know what they are doing. One of the most common injection sites is the buttocks, which if done incorrectly can injure the sciatic nerve and cause paralysis (3).
Injections even when done safely, can be uncomfortable, which isn’t ideal when administering steroids with short half-lives (such as Anadrol), which require frequent injections.
Injecting into the buttocks may also mean users have to rely on friends or family to inject them.
Despite orals being more convenient and easier to take, there are drawbacks to taking pills, which will be detailed in the side effects section.
Joint Support
Anadrol is somewhat healthy for the joints, due to its water-retaining properties.
It lubricates the joints, increasing elasticity and decreasing inflammation or/and joint pain.
Thus, if a bodybuilder does have joint problems, taking a steroid such as Anadrol or Deca Durabolin may be more preferable to Winstrol for example; with the latter expelling water and creating more wear on the joints.
Fat Loss
Some people believe Anadrol causes fat gain; however, this isn’t accurate.
All anabolic steroids, including Anadrol, are different types of exogenous testosterone.
Testosterone will build muscle and burn fat. Thus, different steroids will build muscle and burn fat to different degrees.
Two studies have concluded that Anadrol burns significant amounts of subcutaneous fat when dosed at 100mg per day (4, 5).
The reason why Anadrol may appear to cause fat gain is due to water retention. The puffiness and bloating from the excess fluid can give the appearance of a higher body fat percentage.
As it’s a bulking steroid, users are likely to combine Anadrol with a high-calorie diet, resulting in fat gain and additional water retention. This however is linked to the person’s diet and not directly related to Anadrol itself.
Therefore, if a maintenance calorie diet is adopted, the person will not gain subcutaneous fat.
However, Anadrol and other steroids can cause increases in visceral fat (6). This is not the fat you can pinch around your stomach, but instead located internally and wraps around your organs.

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Side Effects

Generally, the better results experienced from a steroid, the worse the side effects are. Although Anadrol produces some of the best strength and mass gains, it is also a very harsh steroid. Thus, it is not recommended for beginners.
Anadrol’s side effects are:

Liver toxicity
High blood pressure
Water retention
Gynecomastia (possibility)
Shuts down testosterone
Hair loss
Acne
Increased risk of injury
Decreased well-being

Liver toxicity
One of the main concerns when taking Anadrol is that it is hepatotoxic.
It is a c17-alpha-alkylated compound, which essentially protects Anadrol from being deactivated via the liver. This allows a very high amount of Anadrol to remain active in the bloodstream when taken orally.
However, like all C17-alpha-alkylated steroids, they are straining on the liver.
Anadrol does have a saturated A-ring, which reduces its toxicity somewhat; however, studies confirm that liver health can deteriorate if high doses are used.
In a 2003 study, 89 men and women who were HIV/AIDS positive, took 100-150mg of Anadrol per day for 16 weeks (7).
25% of the 100mg group had their ALT/AST liver enzymes increase over 5 fold.
43% of the 150mg group’s ALT/AST increased over 5 fold.
Thus, Anadrol when taken in high doses for excessive periods of time is particularly damaging to the liver.
However, bodybuilders should have no reason to go above 100mg per day, as muscle/weight gains largely remained the same between the 100mg and 150mg groups in this study.
In another study, 31 elderly men took 50-100mg per day for 12 weeks. The 50mg did not experience any increase in liver enzymes, however the 100mg group experienced modest ALT and AST elevation (8). Although the 100mg group did not result in any cases of hepatic enlargement or cholestasis.
A 20-year-old Japanese woman who suffered from aplastic anemia was treated with Anadrol, taking 30mg/a day for 6 years (this is an incredibly long time). Despite developing multiple liver lesions, a lab evaluation found her liver function to be normal (9). This is astonishing considering she was taking this high dose (for a female) for 6 years!
Thus, given the resilient nature of the liver and multiple studies of Anadrol-abuse not resulting in liver failure; Anadrol does not seem to pose excessive damage to the liver.
However, users should still take precautions, utilizing low to moderate doses in relatively short cycles (4-6 weeks).
In another study 28 adults with chronic anemia were given a huge dose of Anadrol, being 5mg/per kg of bodyweight (10).
This translated as doses as high as 450mg per day for men. Surprisingly, hepatic toxicity was only observed in less than 10% of the patients.
Thus, liver toxicity with Anadrol may be somewhat exaggerated in the bodybuilding community. From medical research, it does not seem to be particularly dangerous, yet preventative measures should still be used. 
TUDCA
To help ease the strain on the liver when taking Anadrol, users can supplement with TUDCA (Tauroursodeoxycholic acid). This is a naturally-occurring compound found in bile acid, produced in the liver.
The natural healing effects of TUDCA have been used to treat liver disease in Chinese medicine for the last 3,000 years; often in the form of bear bile (containing over 50% of TUDCA). In comparison, only small amounts of TUDCA exist in human bile.
In medical research, TUDCA has shown to be effective in treating chronic active hepatitis.
In one study, 53 patients took 500mg of TUDCA per day for 3 months (11). It was effective in lowering AST and ALT enzymes within the first month. This effect was dramatic by the 3rd month, with AST and ALT enzymes dropping by 44% and 49%. The patients also reported no side effects.
Therefore it would be wise to supplement with TUDCA during or/and after your cycle for maximum liver protection. Alcohol should also be avoided.
Effective TUDCA supplements can be bought online, typically costing in the region of $20-30. It is an FDA-approved supplement.
High Blood Pressure
Anadrol is possibly the worst steroid in regards to blood pressure. All anabolic steroids will elevate a person’s blood pressure, due to exogenous testosterone causing a negative shift in cholesterol levels.
This results in a dramatic rise in LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and a decrease in HDL (good) levels.
With Anadrol, studies have shown an insignificant impact on LDL levels, but a dramatic decline in HDL levels (12).
In the previously cited study, the 31 elderly men taking 50-100mg of Anadrol per day experienced a reduction in HDL by 19 and 23 points.
Anadrol will also spike blood pressure due to it dramatically increasing red blood cell count. Anadrol users can experience up to 5x the number of red blood cells, compared to a normal person (13).
Consequently, blood can become more viscous, with blood flow to the heart potentially becoming impaired. When a person retains water, the same blood-thickening effect happens, further reducing circulation.
Due to Anadrol’s drastic effect on HDL cholesterol levels, water retention and red blood cell count, it is a steroid that has a very negative effect on the heart. 
A diuretic may be used to lower blood pressure if a person experiences significant water retention. However, this will result in less muscle fullness and decreased strength gains, due to less ATP production inside the muscle cell.
Users with high blood pressure or a history of heart disease in their family should refrain from using Anadrol.
Those who are planning on cycling Anadrol should try and minimize this spike in BP, by performing regular cardio (14). This will improve blood flow to and from the heart.
Nosebleeds and headaches can occur whilst on Anadrol, which can be a sign of elevated blood pressure. If this happens, get a check-up and if your BP is very high, cycle off immediately.
Water Retention  & Gynecomastia
Smooth, bloated muscles
Anadrol is a DHT derivative, thus it does not aromatize and convert into estrogen.
However, it does appear to be very estrogenic in real-life settings, having the potential to cause: gynecomastia, water retention and bloating.
It has been theorized that these estrogenic side effects are due to Anadrol acting as a progestin; however, studies show Anadrol to have little effect on progesterone levels.
Instead, Anadrol stimulates the estrogen receptors directly, similar to methandriol.
Water retention can be beneficial during a steroid cycle, as intracellular fluid can aid ATP production and thus increase muscular strength and size.
However, the downside to water retention, is the muscles look smooth and definition is reduced. Bloating is also common on Anadrol, especially in high doses or when taken in conjunction with a high sodium diet.
Due to Anadrol causing noticeable amounts of extracellular fluid retention, it’s not the best steroid for vascularity.
Why Anadrol Doesn’t Always Guarantee Water Retention
Some users do not experience much bloating or fluid retention on Anadrol if their diet is particularly clean and they are already very lean.
For example, Men’s Physique competitors often get away with taking Anadrol before a competition, helping them to look extra full; without any noticeable water retention or bloat.
The reason why they don’t experience water retention from Anadrol when preparing for a show is that the presence of high estrogen levels does not automatically guarantee water retention.
High estrogen simply increases your sensitivity to sodium, thus if a person’s sodium intake is moderate, and they take Anadrol; they will retain more water.
However, if a bodybuilder’s sodium intake is low and they consume large amounts of water (as bodybuilders typically do before a contest), sodium levels will remain low, and thus increased sodium sensitivity is no longer an issue.
Consequently, bodybuilders can appear extremely full and dry on stage.
Gyno
Anadrol can also cause gynecomastia via the direct stimulation of estrogen receptors in the mammary gland. Gynecomastia (gyno) is when additional breast tissue starts to form in a male’s breasts.
Mild gyno can resemble swollen nipples, whereas severe gyno can cause a man’s breasts to look like a woman’s.
To prevent estrogenic side effects from occurring, users can take an effective anti-estrogen, such as Nolvadex or Clomid. However, reducing estrogen levels may further decrease HDL levels, increasing blood pressure.
Note: Aromatase inhibitors, such as Arimidex or Cytadren will not be effective in reducing estrogenic side effects, as Anadrol does elevate estrogen levels via aromatization (but via direct stimulation).
Shuts Down Testosterone
All anabolic steroids will suppress endogenous testosterone production. The post-cycle crash can typically be hard on Anadrol-users, thus a PCT is essential in accelerating the restoration of mental well-being and natural testosterone production.
Low testosterone levels can cause:

Low energy
Low motivation
Decreased libido
Impotence
Decreased well-being

Because the ‘come down’ on Anadrol is severe, some steroid-users may opt to use a milder steroid such as Deca Durabolin after coming off it; to aid this transition. Such a protocol may also help users retain more strength/muscle gains experienced from an Anadrol cycle.
However, if a person opts to use a ‘lighter’ steroid following Anadrol, this will delay the time it takes for endogenous testosterone levels to recover. Thus, it is only typically implemented by individuals who have low well-being post-cycle.
Natural testosterone levels often recover within 1-4 months after coming off Anadrol (and other steroids). However, this is only a general rule that applies to those who do not abuse steroids.
If users take high dosages of Anadrol for excessive periods of time, they run the risk of developing hypogonadism, which may require medical intervention to get the testes functioning properly again (15).
Abuse of Anadrol, or other steroids, may also lead to infertility; due to decreased sperm count and quality. This effect can become permanent, preventing men from having children (16).
Discover how to increase your endogenous testosterone production (back to normal levels) in our post-cycle therapy section. 
Hair Loss & Acne

Anadrol has a low androgenic rating of 45. This is less than half the rating of testosterone.
However, this mild score does not correlate in real-life settings, where Anadrol often produces androgenic effects, including hair loss (on the scalp), oily skin and acne.
This is due to increased sebum production which is secreted by the sebaceous glands. The role of sebum is to moisturize the skin; however, too much of it can block the pores, leading to acne breakouts.
This side effect is often genetic, thus if a person has experienced acne during puberty, they may be more at risk.
Anadrol is a DHT-derived steroid, but it also converts into dihydrotestosterone – the hormone responsible for hair loss on the scalp.
DHT causes miniaturization of the hair follicles, causing them to thin or even fall out. Hair loss is a concern when taking any steroid; however, it is often determined by a person’s genetics.
For example, some users may take Anadrol, Trenbolone and Testosterone together for several months and keep thick-looking hair. Whilst others can take a mild steroid such as Deca, and experience significant hairline recession or baldness from just a couple of cycles.
If you are predisposed to losing your hair, steroids will accelerate this process. Alternatively, if you have strong hair genetics, steroids will not cause you to go bald.
How Does Anadrol Produce Androgenic Side Effects, Despite Having a Low Androgenic Rating?
With Anadrol, the conversion of DHT isn’t through the usual pathway, being the 5-alpha reductase enzyme.
Anadrol uniquely contains an additional 2-hydroxymethylene group.
Once in the body, this is metabolized, reducing oxymetholone into 17-alpha methyl dihydrotestosterone (otherwise known as Mestanolone or Proviron).
17-alpha methyl dihydrotestosterone is a very potent androgen, which explains why androgenic side effects are possible, despite it having a low androgenic rating.
Because Anadrol does not convert into DHT via the 5-alpha reductase enzyme, medications such as Finasteride are ineffective for the treatment of hair loss. Also, it is not in a bodybuilder’s best interest to reduce DHT levels with such medications, as they can decrease strength and muscle gains.
Increased Risk of Injury
Rapid weight gain from Anadrol can place excessive stress on connective tissues. Thus, pectoral and bicep tears aren’t uncommon on Anadrol.
This is the side effect of fast and enormous increases in strength (+60lbs on compound exercises).
To reduce the risk of injury, bodybuilders can lift lighter weights and perform more repetitions. This will not reduce muscle gains, as lighter weights are just as effective for building mass and size as heavy weights (17).
Furthermore, performing a sufficient warm-up will help the muscles become more supple and decrease the risk of injury.
Decreased Well Being
Some users report Anadrol giving them mood swings and making them feel miserable. This can be attributed to the sheer power and toxicity of the steroid i.e. the combination of liver strain, water retention and high blood pressure.
In some individuals, Anadrol may not produce the constant euphoria feel, compared to Dianabol for example. This is because Anadrol is the harsher steroid, thus the side effects are also more profound.
However, individuals who genetically respond well to Anadrol, can experience increased well-being due to the huge increase in exogenous testosterone.
Note: Fluctuations in well-being may also be dose-dependent.

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Is Anadrol Safe?
Anadrol remains FDA-approved in the United States for the treatment of anemia. Thus, when administered under a doctor’s supervision, Oxymetholone is deemed safe.
However, bodybuilders who take Anadrol remain at risk, as they are thought to be healthy individuals doing this in a non-medical setting. This opens the door for Anadrol to be abused, via high doses and excessive cycles.
Also when Anadrol is taken in recreational settings, it is not guaranteed to be real Oxymetholone, due to the purchase of this steroid on the black market.
Despite Anadrol being FDA approved, it is still one of the harshest steroids used in bodybuilding, thus extreme caution should be used. 
Anadrol for Women
Because men experience androgenic effects from Anadrol, many assume that it also causes virilization side effects in women, which are:

Deepened voice
Clitoral enlargement
Body hair
Hair loss (on the scalp)
Masculine facial features (including more pronounced jawline)

However, research shows that Anadrol is actually a very female-friendly steroid, with a low affinity for masculinization side effects.
Study: female HIV patients suffering from chronic cachexia, were given 100-150mg of Anadrol per day for 30 weeks (18). This is a mega-dose by bodybuilding standards and an extremely harsh cycle.
However, virilization did not occur in any of the women. In fact, the only side effects reported were a lack of sexual desire and increased fatigue. Unlike men, the women also did not experience any hypertension or androgenic side effects either.
There are two explanations for why Anadrol does not cause virilization in women. Firstly, masculinization often occurs in women when androgen levels are high and estrogen levels are low. Anadrol is androgenic, but also very estrogenic; preventing this ratio from becoming imbalanced.
Another reason why Anadrol is female-friendly is due to its low affinity when binding to SHBG (19). High levels of sex hormone-binding globulin aren’t female-friendly, as it causes women’s natural testosterone production to become free, or unbound.
In comparison, Winstrol binds strongly to SHBG and consequently produces strong masculine side effects in women. Winstrol also does not convert into estrogen, creating an optimal environment for virilization.
Anavar is a very popular steroid among females; however, in clinical settings, Anavar can still produce virilization in higher doses.
Steroid expert, Bill Roberts (Ph.D.), states in his experience that;
“5mg of Anavar is roughly the equivalent of 25mg of Anadrol for risk of virilization”.
He also recommends splitting up the doses of Anadrol throughout the day, instead of taking 25mg in one go.
In another study, women were given Oxymetholone to treat anemia and bone marrow failure (20). They started on a dose of 1mg per kg, then it increased in monthly increments by 50%, up to 100mg per day. Every female was given a dose of at least 50mg of Anadrol per day.
Only mild side effects were reported. Only 4 women in the study showed slight virilization changes, despite being given huge doses. Such side effects also reversed after they stopped taking Anadrol.
12.5mg-25mg is considered an effective dose for women wanting to experience significant strength and muscle gains on Anadrol. These are very modest doses compared to the studies cited above, further preventing the risk of virilization.
Women should also be wary about liver toxicity on Anadrol. Therefore women should supplement with TUDCA and refrain from drinking alcohol.
Is Anadrol Legal?
Anadrol is illegal to take (for bodybuilding purposes) in most countries unless a doctor has prescribed it for medical reasons.
In the U.S, Anadrol is classed as a schedule III controlled substance, following the controlled substances act.
Thus, buying or selling Anadrol can result in prison time if caught. Possession of Anadrol (or other steroids) can result in a 1-year prison sentence and a minimum fine of $1,000. Prison time and fines increase for repeat offences.
Selling steroids can result in up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. This is applicable to first-time offenders. Fines and prison time can double for a second offence.
Anadrol can be legally bought in Mexico and Thailand (despite it being an ‘S controlled substance’ in the latter country).
Anadrol Results – Before & After Transformation
Due to Anadrol’s short esters, it kicks in very fast. Users often feel its powerful effects within the first few days.
As previously stated, one cycle of Anadrol can result in 30lbs of weight gain and 60lbs of added strength on the 3 big compound lifts. Additional cycles can lead to enhanced results, especially when stacked with other steroids.
Below are the results from a bodybuilder who took Anadrol and Deca Durabolin for 1 year.
In the picture on the left (above), the bodybuilder states that he was already taking SARMs, thus a user may experience even bigger gains than his if they transition from natural to taking Anadrol regularly.
From natural to using Anadrol
Huge back gains
As you can see, his muscles have blown up dramatically since he started taking Anadrol and Deca Durabolin. He hasn’t really gained any fat, but his muscles appear smoother and puffier due to some water retention.
These impressive results are typical after a few cycles of Anadrol.
Are Anadrol’s Results Permanent?
The lean muscle gains experienced on Anadrol are often permanent. Just over half of the weight a user gains from Anadrol will be lean muscle (the rest will be water).
Thus, if a person gains 35lbs from a 6-week cycle, roughly 20lbs will be lean muscle (which will remain after coming off the steroid).
To increase muscle retention post-cycle, follow an effective post-cycle therapy protocol and continue training hard. Once a person stops lifting weights, lean muscle gains from Anadrol will diminish.
Injectable Anadrol vs Orals
Some people believe that by taking injectable Anadrol, you won’t strain your liver.
This however is false. Although it will bypass the liver upon entry into the bloodstream, it will have to process through the liver upon exiting your body.
Thus, it is believed that injectable Anadrol is less hepatotoxic than oral Anadrol; however, it still strains the organ.
With injectable Anadrol you are getting 100% of the true dose, as it is not being broken down by the liver.
With orals, they are C-17 alpha alkylated, thus a very high percentage of the steroid remains active. Although, your body won’t be utilizing 100% of the dose.
Furthermore, injectable Anadrol is more difficult to get hold of compared to orals, so there is no significant benefit to taking injectable Anadrol over oral Anadrol, other than slightly less liver strain.
Note: Liver strain is not particularly concerning on Anadrol if a moderate dose/cycle is performed. 
Anadrol Dosage
Male bodybuilders will often take 50-100mg of Anadrol per day for 4-8 weeks.
An effective dose for women looking to build muscle is 12.5-25mg per day for 4-6 weeks.
Due to Anadrol’s short half-life of 5-9 hours (21), doses should be split up and taken regularly throughout the day. Anadrol typically contains pills in 50mg doses, thus by using a pill cutter you can give yourself 2-4 doses each day.
Important: Anadrol pills are fat-soluble, therefore eating them with food may decrease their biological availability and hinder results. Thus, for best results take Anadrol on an empty stomach.
The higher the dose, the more side effects a user will experience. Anything over 100mg per day will dramatically increase side effects, without much-added benefit in terms of results.
Anadrol Stacks & Cycles
Anadrol is commonly stacked with powerful injectable steroids, such as Testosterone, Deca Durabolin or Trenbolone.
Such stacks will lead to further mass and strength gains but also increased side effects. Stacking multiple steroids together will exacerbate testosterone suppression, cholesterol values and blood pressure.
With Anadrol being a particularly harsh steroid, it would be wiser to stack it with a mild injectable steroid such as Deca Durabolin, as opposed to Trenbolone. Testosterone is also suitable.
Like Dianabol, Anadrol can be cycled alone with good results, especially if the user is a novice to Oxymetholone.
Once users have built up a tolerance to Anadrol by cycling it once, users may stack other steroids with it.
Here are some sample Anadrol cycles that bodybuilders use today.
Anadrol-Only Cycle

This cycle is tailored for novices who haven’t used Anadrol before. Although Anadrol is not generally recommended for beginners, the above cycle may be tolerable due to lower doses.
Anadrol-Only Cycle (Experienced Users)

The above cycle is tailored for experienced steroid users, hence the higher dose and extended duration.
Anadrol and Testosterone Cycle

Anadrol and testosterone are one of the best duos to stack together for building size, strength and mass. This stack is suitable for experienced users only. With the addition of testosterone, the risk of gynecomastia increases greatly due to higher estrogen levels. Thus, it is advisable to take a SERM during this cycle, such as Nolvadex.
SERMS (selective estrogen receptor modulators) essentially block estrogen’s effects directly in the breast tissue, thus preventing the onset of gyno.
Anadrol / Testosterone / Trenbolone Cycle

Note: the above cycle is only utilized by very experienced steroid users.
This is an extreme cycle for incredible mass and strength gains. Rich Piana hailed it as his “best ever cycle” (22). The specific testosterone he used was Sustanon 250 and Trenbolone acetate. However, he stated that he didn’t utilize this cycle often, as it is very taxing on the body.
This cycle will be very estrogenic and androgenic. Thus, bodybuilders will often take an AI (aromatase inhibitor) to reduce testosterone’s estrogenic side effects. This is usually Letrozol or Anastrozol. A SERM such as Nolvadex may also be used to prevent the direct stimulation of estrogen in the mammary gland (from Anadrol).
Regular cardio should be performed throughout this cycle to lower blood pressure, whilst avoiding stimulants and high sodium foods.
It is difficult to prevent androgenic effects from occurring; however, these effects aren’t particularly damaging to a man’s health, such as acne or male pattern baldness.
You won’t find a trio of steroids that can produce the same level of strength and mass as this combination. Equally, it is one of the worst cycles for side effects. 
Anadrol PCT (Post Cycle Therapy)
You will certainly need to utilize an effective post cycle therapy after taking Anadrol, as testosterone levels will become very suppressed; affecting mental well-being, energy levels, libido and gains.
In order to recover endogenous testosterone production quickly, an aggressive PCT protocol should be administered. This is especially true if a user is stacking Anadrol with other anabolic steroids.
The following would be an effective plan:

hCG – 2000 IU administered every other day for 20 days
Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) – 2 x 20mg for 45 days
Clomiphene (Clomid) – 2 x 50mg for 30 days

This PCT was created by Dr. Michael Scally, a hormone replacement expert. This trio of drugs has been effective in treating 19 men with low testosterone levels (from the use of anabolic steroids).
45 days after using this PCT, all of the men’s testosterone levels fully recovered back to normal levels.
Dr. Scally has treated over 100 men for hypogonadism, giving him specialist knowledge and experience in this area.
A PCT should begin as soon as Anadrol has left the user’s body. We can calculate this using Anadrol’s half-life (8-9 hours). To work out when the drug has fully left the body, you multiply the half-life by 5.5, giving us the following sum: 5.5 x 9 hours.
Thus, a PCT for Anadrol should begin 49.5 hours after the last dose. If other drugs are combined with Anadrol, you need to calculate when they will also leave the body. In this scenario, start the PCT when the last steroid has left your system i.e. the one with the longest half-life.
Using this aggressive PCT, endogenous testosterone production will typically recover after 2 months. 
Where do Bodybuilders Buy Anadrol?
Anadrol is illegal in most countries, thus bodybuilders are forced to buy it through the black market.
Anadrol can be bought conveniently at a local store or pharmacy ONLY in countries where it’s 100% legal (i.e. Mexico). 
Bodybuilders will often buy Anadrol from someone they know or an online website. There are 2 possible grades, being pharmaceutical grade and underground labs.
Pharmaceutical grade Anadrol is created by scientists in a lab for medical purposes. Thus when you buy genuine pharma-grade it is 100% legitimate. This can be purchased on the black market if someone has been prescribed Anadrol for their anemia. So if they haven’t taken their medication, they may decide to sell it.
Underground labs Anadrol essentially is someone formulating the Anadrol themselves. Thus, the risks associated with buying UGL steroids from unknown sellers are high, due to a lack of regulations and non-medical expertise.
Pharma Anadrol is rare, thus most of the Anadrol people buy is UGL. Pharma grade is also considerably more expensive than UGL, due to it being the real deal and more scarce.
Due to the possible risk of Anadrol containing dangerous substances or simply being a placebo pill; people are advised to only trust sources on the black market that can be verified (by someone they trust).
Buying from unknown websites with no reviews, or trusting someone down your gym, where no one can vouch for the product, increases the chances of being scammed.

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Anadrol Price
The typical price of Anadrol on the black market is:

100 x 50mg pills = $85.

This will last just over 6 weeks, taking 100mg a day.
Or, it can last for 2 x 6-week cycles on 50mg per day.
This value has been established from an anonymous source. Prices will naturally be higher than this for pharmaceutical grade Anadrol.
Anadrol Brands
The following brands of Anadrol are pharmaceutical grade. These are still available today and may be found on the black market.
Note: these are not legal to buy or sell, as they are produced in certified labs for medical purposes only. 
Anapolon
Manufactured in Turkey by Abdi Ibrahim. This brand contains 20 x 50mg tablets.
Oxymetholone-Alhavi
This is produced in Iran, containing 100 x 50mg tablets.
Oxymetholone IH
This is another Iranian brand, containing 100 pills.
Oxyanabolic
Manufactured by Asia Pharma in Thailand. Boxes come with unique ID numbers, which can be verified on the official Asia Pharma website to prove authenticity.
Androlic
Produced by British Dispensay, located in Thailand. These are green pills that have ‘BD’ and their snake logo embedded on opposing sides.
British Dispensay implemented a holographic sticker to prevent counterfeit products; however, fraudsters have duplicated this skillfully.
Anapolon – Balkan Pharmaceuticals
This is produced in Moldova, containing 20 x 50mg pills.
Oxybolone
Manufactured by Genepharm in Greece. 20 x 50mg pills.
Diet on Anadrol
A person’s diet is particularly important on Anadrol, in regards to water retention. Bodybuilders often report excessive bloating on Anadrol when eating ‘dirty’ foods in the off-season.
This combination of a high sodium diet and the estrogenic nature of Anadrol causes water to ‘spill’ outside the muscle cells, giving a puffy appearance. Facial and stomach bloating are also common.
In a bid to avoid this, it is important to drink lots of water and to eat clean. When a person drinks more water, it causes the body to flush out existing water in the body, as a self-defence mechanism.
Junk food (high sodium) not a good idea on anadrol
Eating unrefined carbohydrate sources, such as fruit, wholewheat pasta, wholegrain rice, oatmeal, wholemeal bread is a good idea, as refined carbs may exacerbate fluid retention, contributing to heightened blood pressure.
Some salty foods which shouldn’t be indulged in are salted nuts, bacon, sausage, anchovies, ham, baked beans and tuna. Fish sources such as haddock and salmon are better, lower-salt alternatives
It would also be a good idea to limit the intake of dairy products, as these can also contribute to bloating in some individuals (23).
FAQs
Does Anadrol Suppress Your Appetite?
Anadrol is designed to stimulate appetite, enabling users to gain weight fast. However, if doses are too high or the person doesn’t respond well, it can decrease appetite. This is usually the result of excess liver strain.
When the liver is being taxed, as a defence mechanism the body reduces appetite, in a bid to decrease the amount of food the organ has to process. This essentially reduces the liver’s workload.
Can You Use Anadrol for Cutting?
Anadrol can be used on a cut to increase fat burning, help retain muscle tissue and dramatically increase muscle fullness.
However, it is not generally taken during a cutting cycle, due to extracellular water retention. This has the potential to decrease muscle definition and increase bloating, which isn’t aesthetically pleasing when trying to burn fat.
However, some bodybuilders and men’s physique competitors will cycle Anadrol just before a show to blow up their muscles and come in exceptionally full. This can be done without significant increases in water retention if a person is extremely lean and keeps their diet clean.
Does Anadrol Negatively Affect Cardio?
In short: yes.
Due to the sheer weight gain on Anadrol, cardiovascular activities can become increasingly difficult.
Also on Anadrol, the blood becomes more viscous due to a dramatic rise in red blood cell count. Consequently, blood flow becomes impeded, making it easier to get out of breath.
However, cardio shouldn’t be avoided as it has the potential to reduce blood pressure and increase circulation. This can help negate some of the adverse effects of Anadrol (including strain on the heart).
Anadrol vs Dianabol
Anadrol and Dianabol are two wet steroids, being very estrogenic and typically causing significant water retention in the off-season. They are arguably the two best steroids for putting on mass quickly.
Anadrol is the more powerful steroid out of the two, in the typical doses taken. Weight gain is likely to be slightly more on Anadrol compared to Dianabol, with the same applying to strength gains. However, side effects are likely to be more severe on Anadrol.
Beginners will take often take Dianabol but are rightfully wary of Anadrol.
Despite Anadrol being ‘the more toxic steroid’, Dianabol mg for mg is actually the more potent drug. Typical doses of Dianabol range from 30-50mg per day. Whereas Anadrol requires double this dose to get similar results (50-100mg).
In summary, Dianabol is perhaps the better drug when weighing up the pros and cons of each steroid. However, people can respond differently to both compounds.

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Anadrol vs Trenbolone
Anadrol and Trenbolone are very different steroids. Both are fast-acting; however, Anadrol 50 is an oral and Trenbolone is an injectable.
Anadrol causes significant amounts of water retention, whilst Trenbolone is a ‘dry‘ steroid. Therefore all of the weight gained on tren will be lean muscle mass, making it the more ‘aesthetically pleasing’ drug.
Trenbolone is the better steroid for cutting purposes, due to its superior fat-burning properties. Tren will also help users look more vascular, due to its diuretic properties (less water collecting between the muscle and skin).
Both are very harsh steroids that will elevate blood pressure, shut down testosterone, cause androgenic side effects and pose risks to the liver.
Trenbolone does have the ability to raise liver enzymes; however, this effect is thought to be less than Anadrol.
Both of these compounds complement each other very well in a stack together. However, this stack will also produce some of the worst side effects among all steroids.
Anadrol vs Deca Durabolin

Deca Durabolin is a bulking steroid like Anadrol, however a much milder compound.
Deca is an injectable steroid, whereas Anadrol is mostly in pill form.
Deca has long esters and is slow-acting, whereas Anadrol hits you like a train within the first few days of a cycle. Thus Deca cycles are typically longer than Anadrol (usually 8-10 weeks), as it takes longer to kick in.
Muscle and strength gains on Anadrol will be superior compared to Deca Durabolin, simply because it is more anabolic. 
Deca is not estrogenic; however, some estrogen-like side effects are possible due to moderate progesterone activity. However, the risk of gynecomastia and bloating will be less on Deca.
Androgenic side effects will also be significantly less on Deca compared to Anadrol, so if you are prone to acne or are worried about hair loss — Deca is the better steroid.
Deca often needs to be stacked with other steroids in order to see tremendous gains in muscle mass, whereas Anadrol is a powerful drug by itself.
Anadrol vs Testosterone
Testosterone is mostly an injectable steroid, whereas Anadrol 50 is an oral.
These two steroids have somewhat similar effects. Both are powerful for adding lean mass and increasing strength; however, Anadrol will produce more water retention.
Weight gain will be more noticeable on Anadrol; however, lean muscle gains will be somewhat similar (with Anadrol having the edge). Anadrol is the better steroid for strength purposes.
Testosterone is more suitable for beginners as it’s less toxic to the body. A test-only cycle is better tolerated among novices than Anadrol.
Both steroids will produce estrogenic, androgenic and cardiovascular side effects. However, these will most likely be dialed up a notch or two on Anadrol.
Anadrol vs Anavar
Anavar is another oral steroid and a DHT derivative like Anadrol.
Anavar is predominantly used during cutting cycles, due to its fat-burning effects and being a ‘dry’ steroid, with no water retention. Anadrol however is a wet steroid, due to it being very estrogenic.
Anadrol will cause a lot of weight gain, whereas Anavar won’t.
Anavar is a better fat burner due to it stimulating T3 levels in the thyroid.
Anavar will increase lean muscle mass, however nowhere near to the extent of Anadrol.
Anavar is a very mild steroid, in regards to side effects, and thus is popular among beginners and women. In medicine, Anavar is even prescribed to children and is deemed ‘safe’.
Anadrol is a lot more toxic than Anavar, producing more severe side effects. Particularly in regards to blood pressure, testosterone suppression and estrogenic effects.
Should I Take Anadrol With Grapefruit Juice?

There was a study that measured whether grapefruit significantly increased the absorption and bioavailability of sex steroids – estradiol and progesterone.
Surprisingly, 200ml of grapefruit juice increased estradiol by 117% and progesterone 125% 24 hours after consumption (24).
In another study, researchers wanted to see if blood pressure medication, when taken with alcohol, had any interactions. To disguise the taste of alcohol they mixed it with grapefruit juice.
They concluded that alcohol had no interactions with the medications; however, grapefruit juice increased the absorption of the medication in the bloodstream by 5 fold.
The science behind grapefruit juice increasing the absorption of medications is due to it inhibiting an enzyme in the liver and intestines, known as CYP3A4.
CYP3A4’s job is to remove foreign molecules, by detecting toxins in the body. This process greatly decreases the biological availability of many drugs.
It is believed flavonoids and/or furanocoumarin present in grapefruit juice, are what inhibit CYP3A4 from functioning properly (25).
Another study found that grapefruit juice’s CYP3A4-inhibiting effect was most effective when drank 1 hour before taking the medication (26).
Research has shown that grapefruit can cause this effect for up to 24 hours, of which 1/3 of the effect still remains.
However, for optimal results 250ml of grapefruit juice should be drunk every 12 hours. Thus, users don’t need to drink 250ml of grapefruit juice with every single dose, but merely to keep CYP3A4 steadily deactivated throughout the day.
This is why many medications will say on the box: do not drink with grapefruit juice, as medications are obviously dosed based upon the CYP3A4 enzyme working as normal.
On a bodybuilding thread, one person shared his experience with grapefruit juice:
That’s very interesting, because I am in the 2nd week of my Dianabol cycle and I didn’t feel much difference at first, but this week I’ve been drinking a lot of grapefruit juice (instead of water) and I’ve had insane pumps which I’ve never experienced before, particularly in my legs.
There have been no studies conducted on mixing grapefruit juice with oral anabolic steroids, however theoretically this could work. Therefore, if users are going to drink grapefruit juice with orals, they need to be cautious of overdosing, as 50mg of Anadrol may effectively become 100mg with the inhibition of CYP3A4.
Thus, this methodology has the potential to increase results, but also increase the severity of side effects.
If this protocol is successful, the cost of an oral cycle may effectively decrease, as users will be able to lower the dose without it decreasing their gains. 
Note: research shows that eating grapefruit is also effective in blocking CYP3A4.
Can I Use Anadrol All Year Round?
This isn’t recommended as Anadrol is one of the harshest steroids you can take. This will almost certainly cause excessive damage to the heart, suppress endogenous testosterone production enormously and place incredible strain on the liver.
Also, there is not much benefit to doing this, as gains will plateau, due to your body adapting to the steroid. You don’t want to condition your body to need mega doses of Anadrol in order to make further gains, which will be the case if someone chose to blast and cruise Anadrol.
Testosterone would be a safer steroid for blast and cruising.
I Have Taken 400mg of Anadrol and Felt Nothing, Why Isn’t It Working?
Never take more than 100mg of Anadrol per day (100mg is even a high dose).
Many bodybuilders will verify that Anadrol is one of the most powerful steroids on the market. You will certainly feel it, therefore the ‘Anadrol’ you have is almost certainly not authentic oxymetholone.
How to Know if My Anadrol is Real?
You can simply order a testing kit online. With different tests, you can detect the substance and purity. This will tell you if it is real Anadrol and how many mg’s are actually in the pill.
These tests are often inexpensive and certainly worth doing.
Will Anadrol Shrink My Testicles?
There is a good chance that a man’s testicles will decrease in size, signifying less sperm count.
This is the consequence of lowered endogenous testosterone production. This effect can be quite severe, hence why a powerful PCT protocol is needed to quickly restore normal test levels and sperm count. Several months after using Anadrol or other steroids, your testicles should return back to their normal size.
Will Anadrol Show on a Drugs Test?

This depends on the type of test.
For example, if someone is in the police or army, they are often tested for other substances such as amphetamines, cocaine and marijuana. Thus, steroids generally won’t cause a failed test. Hence how Ronnie Coleman was able to be a police officer and not have any problems.
However, if someone suspects you are taking steroids, from you talking openly about your use, it’s possible for them to order a steroid test specifically for you to take. Although, talking so abrasively about steroid use in such environments isn’t common, as people generally don’t want to get caught.
If you are a bodybuilder competing in a natural show and they conduct random testing, they certainly will be testing for Anadrol, among other anabolic steroids. Thus, as you do not know the date of the test, it is likely you will fail this test.
However, if there is a set date for a test, you can pass it by coming off Anadrol 2 months prior.
Anadrol’s detection time is 2 months. Thus, from your last dose until this time, trace amounts remain biologically present; which can cause a failed test. If a user leaves plenty of time and cycles off 2.5 months before a test they will be fine.
Note: If the person has taken any other steroids in the past, alongside Anadrol, they will need to calculate the detection times of those too.
Anadrol vs Superdrol
Superdrol is a very powerful oral steroid. Many people describe it as ‘oral Trenbolone’.
Superdrol, like Anadrol, is a DHT-derived steroid (despite being falsely marketed as a prohormone in the early 2000’s – later causing it to get banned).
Superdrol is the more powerful steroid mg per mg. For example, a high dose of Superdrol is 30mg, whereas a high dose of Anadrol requires over 3x that amount (100mg).
In terms of weight gain, Superdrol users will gain roughly 10lbs of lean muscle in a short 4-week cycle. In comparison, Anadrol will produce roughly 30% more lean muscle (in most users), once the water is flushed out post-cycle.
Both steroids are incredible for strength, with powerlifters known for using both compounds.
One bodybuilder even developed a hernia from the sheer strength gains of Superdrol, whilst performing heavy tricep pushdowns in the gym. This caused him to be hospitalized requiring emergency surgery (27).
The main difference between Superdrol and Anadrol is that Superdrol doesn’t cause estrogenic side effects. Thus, Superdrol is a dry steroid, causing no water retention or gynecomastia. This is the polar opposite of Anadrol, which has wet attributes.
Some bodybuilders will use Superdrol whilst cutting too, being a very aesthetic steroid, causing no water retention.
Therefore, with Superdrol users will retain a very high percentage of the weight gained, as this is almost all lean muscle tissue. However, a PCT is still needed to help keep your gains.
Superdrol is liver toxic like Anadrol, so bodybuilders don’t typically take them together or with any other orals. It will also shift cholesterol levels in a negative way, raising LDL’s and lowering HDL’s. Thus, blood pressure will rise significantly on both.
So, if it’s beach season and someone wants to gain some lean muscle without the risk of bloating or developing gyno, Superdrol is the better choice. But if someone is bulking in the off-season and wants to really pack on as much mass as possible, Anadrol is the better steroid.
Should I Take Anadrol Pre-Workout?

This is an effective strategy for immense energy, strength, pumps and motivation in the gym.
However, Anadrol should be divided into multiple doses throughout the day to keep maximum concentrations of the compound in your bloodstream. So, only 1/3 or 1/2 of your daily dose should be taken pre-workout.
I Can’t Sleep on Anadrol
Anabolic steroids, including Anadrol, may cause insomnia in some users. If this is greatly affecting sleep duration or quality for a sustained period of time, users should take Anadrol earlier in the day, or the dose should be lowered.
This is the best protocol rather than taking medications such as Diazepam, as they put further strain on the liver (28). Even natural supplements, such as valerian root, are capable of having an adverse effect on liver values.
Also if suffering from insomnia, completing your workout earlier in the day may help; as weight training stimulates the nervous system and increase adrenaline levels before bed.
Consuming tea, coffee, energy drinks or pre-workout supplements will also negatively impact sleep, due to the caffeine content (29). Thus, avoiding or decreasing the number of stimulants in a person’s diet will help.
Anadrol Summary: Pros vs Cons
Pros

Huge muscle gains
Incredible strength
Easy to take (oral)
Suitable for women (according to studies)

Cons

Very high blood pressure
Testosterone suppression
Water retention
Liver toxic
Gynecomastia risk

Extreme caution should be used when taking Anadrol, with it being one of the worst steroids for side effects. It will place a lot of strain on the heart, with blood pressure rising to high levels.
It will also cause a dramatic drop in natural testosterone levels. However, its virilization effects in women and liver toxicity are often exaggerated.
We do not encourage the use of Anadrol; however, if readers are going to use this compound, they should get regular checkups with their doctor to monitor their health.

Five Reasons Why High-Rep Home Workouts May Be Causing Problems

Five Reasons Why High-Rep Home Workouts May Be Causing Problems

How To Perform Bodyweight Workouts Safely and Effectively
Due to the worldwide pandemic, home-based training has become increasingly more popular during this year. Not only are home workouts simple and convenient, you also do not need a great deal of equipment in order to perform a tough workout.
However, without having access to equipment, only bodyweight exercises can be performed. For those who have even a basic level of fitness, the majority of bodyweight exercises can be performed for a high number of reps.

This article will highlight five reasons why high-rep bodyweight workouts might be causing more harm than good.
The Limitations Of Home Bodyweight Workouts
As touched upon, one of the main challenges with home bodyweight workouts is that it can be challenging to perform a workout that is challenging enough to bring about change.

By performing high-rep workouts, it is possible to develop muscular endurance, however, it is challenging to build serious strength using only bodyweight.
Many bodyweight workouts lack the intensity required to develop strength because they do not utilize external loading.
In an attempt to increase this intensity, individuals often increase the number of reps performed per exercise.
While this may indeed elevate the intensity and will enhance muscular endurance, heavy loading develops strength most efficiently (1) – something that is not possible with bodyweight training.
Furthermore, exercise selection can be difficult as there are fewer exercises to choose from. As a result, you will often have to think outside the box in order to really challenge the body and bring about change.

Not only can this make workouts restrictive, performing the same exercises time and time again for a prolonged period of time may not be particularly enjoyable or motivating.
As a result of the limited exercise pool, individuals often perform a number of exercises that work the same or similar movements and muscle groups. 
Working the same muscle groups and completing a high number of reps may lead to problems such as overuse injuries and poor movement patterns.

The Five Reasons
Although home training can be beneficial, there are some potential problems. This section will cover five reasons why high-rep bodyweight workouts may actually be causing issues.
1) Workouts May Not Lead To Substantial Change
As reflected on, a huge limitation with bodyweight only training is the fact that you cannot load the exercise. The only weight that you can utilize is your own bodyweight.
For many individuals, this will simply not be enough to force the muscles of the body to adapt and increase in strength and function.
When exposed to a training stimulus, the human body will adapt to ensure that it can deal with this stimulus should it be exposed to it again.
However, once the body has adapted to a certain point, it can comfortably deal with the demands of your training sessions.
Therefore, without the use of external loading, it can be difficult to place a powerful enough stimulus on the body to force it to adapt any further.
2) May Increase Stress Hormone Production and Lower Immunity
Cortisol is the primary stress hormone in the body that plays a variety of roles in blood sugar control, inflammation reduction, and metabolism regulation.
However, high levels of cortisol can be detrimental to the body and can lead to symptoms such as anxiety, depression, digestive issues, headaches, and poor sleep.
Studies on high intensity workouts have determined that they increase the production of cortisol (2). Therefore, by regularly performing high intensity sessions, you may 
Extremely high intensity exercise sessions have also been found to reduce immune function and increase your susceptibility to contracting infections (3).
That said, it should be noted that this reduction in function only lasts for a short period of time. Nonetheless, it is still a risk that you should be aware of.

3) Increased Injury Risk and Development of Poor Motor Skills
Another potential risk of high-rep bodyweight workouts is overuse injuries such as tendonitis. These injuries occur when training intensity is simply too high, too soon.
Overuse injuries can be subtle and often take time to develop which can make them challenging to diagnose and treat.
These injuries can be avoided by applying the progressive overload training principle where intensity starts low and gradually builds up over time.
This way the body can deal with the training stimulus and recover suitably thus reducing the chances of developing an injury.
Furthermore, with high-rep exercise, fatigue can become a factor. As the amount of fatigue increases, our technique can become compromised.
Not only does poor technique increase the risk of injury, it may also retrain the nervous system to move in an incorrect way.
4) Many Home Workouts Are Not Functional
Although they may claim to be, many home workouts are not functional. The idea with functional fitness training is to perform exercises that will have a positive impact on day-to-day activities.
For example, utilizing exercises such as the squat and push-up may be considered functional as they replicate movement patterns that will be performed throughout the course of the day.
While some of the exercises incorporated into the home workouts may be considered functional, the training structure may be far from functional.
As reflected on, many workouts hammer the same muscles and joints in a way that may lead to injury. 
In addition, if technique begins to break down as a result of fatigue, you will no longer moving in a way that is considered “functional”. 
5) May Lead To Overtraining Syndrome
As with overuse injuries, overtraining occurs when the body simply cannot deal with demands being placed on it during training. 
Because recovery is compromised, the body does not adapt in the desired way. In actuality, regression will occur, rather than progression.
Performing workouts that incorporate a high number of reps too frequently, may not allow the body to recover adequately. If this is maintained over a prolonged time period, overtraining will occur (4).
Some symptoms of overtraining include chronic fatigue, muscle soreness or pain, suppressed immunity, poor energy and performance levels,  and low-quality sleep.
Once again, providing training commences at the correct intensity and follows progressive overload, overtraining can be avoided.

Training Principles For Bodyweight Home Workouts
This is not to say that home bodyweight workouts cannot be of benefit to your physical health and fitness.
Rather, the workouts that you perform should follow a number of training principles that will ensure that you are exercising safely and most efficiently.
1) Apply Progressive Overload
To ensure that you optimize progress and reduce the chances of injury and overtraining, you must apply progressive overload to your training.
As mentioned, this simply involves gradually increasing the training intensity over time. 
If your training intensity is too low, progress will stall, however, if it’s too high, you run the risk of injury and overtraining. 
This is why progressive overload is so important and undoubtedly the best way of ensuring that the intensity is managed and applied correctly.
To increase workout intensity, consider gradually adding repetitions and sets, reducing rest periods, or altering the exercise to make it more demanding.
2) Split Your Training
Although the training sessions themselves are important, your ability to recover from the stresses of training are equally important.
If your training is incorrectly structured, you may find that the body does not have time to fully recover and you may consequently end up going backwards.
A useful recommendation is to alternate between resistance workouts and aerobic workouts ensuring that you schedule in a minimum of one rest day per week.
However, this is entirely dependent on your training goals, preferences, level of fitness, and limitations.
3) Consider Your Training Goals and Limitations
The final principle that you must consider is your own training goals and potential limitations. All of the workouts that you perform should be shaped around these things.
For example, if your goal is to improve upper body strength but you can only commit to a minimum of three workouts per week, find a program that is upper body orientated and fits your schedule.
It is crucial that you avoid biting off more than you can chew and understand your limitations. 
If you are new to home bodyweight workouts begin with the absolute basics. Following a more advanced program that is far beyond your capabilities is unwise.
Final Word
While home bodyweight workouts can be convenient and of great benefit, there are a number of common mistakes that can lead to suboptimal progress and injury.
By applying the three home training principles outlined in this article, it is possible to make great progress with your fitness and avoid these mistakes.
References:
1 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28834797/ Schoenfeld, Brad J.; Grgic, Jozo; Ogborn, Dan; Krieger, James W. (2017-12). “Strength and Hypertrophy Adaptations Between Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis”. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 31 (12): 3508–3523. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000002200. ISSN 1533-4287. PMID 28834797.
2 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6162535/ Mangine, Gerald T.; Van Dusseldorp, Trisha A.; Feito, Yuri; Holmes, Alyssa J.; Serafini, Paul R.; Box, Allyson G.; Gonzalez, Adam M. (2018-07-14). “Testosterone and Cortisol Responses to Five High-Intensity Functional Training Competition Workouts in Recreationally Active Adults”. Sports. 6 (3). doi:10.3390/sports6030062. ISSN 2075-4663. PMC 6162535. PMID 30011910.
3 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9134882/ Nieman, D. C. (1997-05). “Immune response to heavy exertion”. Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md.: 1985). 82 (5): 1385–1394. doi:10.1152/jappl.1997.82.5.1385. ISSN 8750-7587. PMID 9134882.
4 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3435910/ Kreher, Jeffrey B.; Schwartz, Jennifer B. (2012-3). “Overtraining Syndrome”. Sports Health. 4 (2): 128–138. doi:10.1177/1941738111434406. ISSN 1941-7381. PMC 3435910. PMID 23016079.

Different Diets You Should Try to Build Muscle and Lose Fat

Different Diets You Should Try to Build Muscle and Lose Fat

Diets Doing the Rounds in the Fitness World
The advent of the internet has brought a lot of diets you can follow. While there are many diets you can try, in this article, we will focus on some of the most effective diets which can produce the best results.
Keto
The main premise of the ketogenic diet is to eat fats to burn fat. In the keto diet, you follow a high-fat, moderate-protein, carbohydrate-restricted diet designed to make the body burn fat for fuel.

A keto diet can have many physiological benefits like fat loss, improved body composition, reduced inflammation, and increased insulin sensitivity. The different types of keto diets are –

Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD) – The most basic form of keto.
Restricted Ketogenic Diet (RKD) – A calorie-restricted version of the standard keto.
Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD) – A keto diet for people who workout regularly.
Cyclic Ketogenic Diet (CKD) – Focused on advanced athletes who need a boost of carbs for fuel during training.
High Protein Ketogenic Diet (HPKD) – Ideal for people who are trying to shed excess fat.

Paleo
If you have always fancied what the prehistoric people ate and dig their diets, the paleo diet is for you. While following the paleolithic diet you will have to skip all the processed food and eat food which occurs in the wild or come straight from the ground.

In paleo, your diet will primarily consist of meat and fish, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds. Dairy products, cereal grains, legumes, starchy vegetables, fatty meats, and foods which are high in salt content are to be avoided.
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean diet is based upon the epidemiological findings that people who live in Greece, Italy, and Spain and consume traditional diets have a better health than the rest of the world.
In this diet, you’ll be eating plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. Replacing butter with healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil. Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods.
The Mediterranean diet was introduced in attempts to reduce and prevent heart disease. The flexible nature of the Mediterranean diet makes it relatively easy to follow and implement for the long-term.

Intermittent Fasting (IF)
If you’re interested in maintaining a lean and muscular physique but don’t want to give up on your favorite food IF is what you’ve been looking for. Intermittent fasting involves going an extended period of time without consuming any calories.
In the duration of your fast, you can only drink plain water, black coffee or tea. Many variations of IF exist, but the most popular involves fasting for 16 hours, then eating all of your food during an eight-hour window called the “feeding window.” This type of IF is called “16:8” fasting. Combined with a well-adjusted diet, fat-burners can accelerate fat loss by enhancing metabolism, reducing cravings, and increasing intra-workout energy.
The best ones even go the extra mile to protect against muscle breakdown.
The right fat burner can:

Accelerate metabolism
Increase mobilization of stored body fat (to be used as energy)
Fight against hunger and cravings
Reduce muscle breakdown
Improve lean body mass
Keep you healthy overall

During your “feeding window” you need to reach the same calorie and macronutrient goals as per your diet plan, provided you’re following one designed as per your goals. IF is one of the best diets when it comes to fat burning.

Atkins
The Atkins diet used to be known by many as the steak and eggs diet. In the old Atkins diet, you ate as much protein and fats as your body could handle while disregarding carbs and overlooking where your fats were coming from.
The Atkins diet has since changed tracks and now focuses on a well-rounded approach to their dietary guidelines and touting the importance of healthy carbohydrates and fats combined with protein. The Atkins diet consists of four phases –

Phase One – The first phase is the most strict phase and is followed for two weeks. In this phase, you need to include fats and proteins with each meal and restrict your carbs to 20 grams per day.
Phase Two – The second phase, like the first phase, focuses on weight loss. In this phase, you will include 5 grams of carbs per week until you have only 5-10 pounds you want to lose.
Phase Three – Phase three is known as pre-maintenance. Here you will learn how to eat in order to maintain your weight in the future.
Phase Four – This is the maintenance phase where you will have reached your target weight. In phase four you will have arrived at a diet which will help you maintain your weight.

If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM)
Macros are short for the three major nutrients – carbs, proteins, and fats. In an IIFYM diet, you focus on meeting your daily macro goals instead of counting your calories. The IIFYM approach is based on the principle that the ratio between the number of calories you consume versus how much you burn dictates whether you gain or lose weight.
While following IIFYM, the source of the calories is disregarded. You just need to maintain the proportion of calories you get from each macro and you’re free to feast on your favorite food.
Vegan
Veganism has been one of the most talked about and followed diets of the past few years. Vegans are different from vegetarians in the sense they don’t even consume dairy products while the vegetarians do. Vegans disregard anything that is derived from animals be it dairy, meat or leather products. There are certain benefits to turning vegan.
Veganism is more than a diet, being a vegan is a lifestyle. Veganism started out as a way to stop animal cruelty, but soon its health benefits took over. Now many pro athletes have turned vegan and report having improved their performance because of their new diets.

Have you tried any of these diets? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.

Whitney Johns Profile & Stats

Whitney Johns Profile & Stats

The biography, life, and accomplishments of Whitney Johns

Whitney Johns is a bodybuilder, fitness model, and personal trainer who has grown over the years to be a fitness icon. After a career of trying many different sports, she decided to give weightlifting a try, and hasn’t looked back.
Below is a complete breakdown of her profile, stats, biography, training, and diet regimens.

Full Name: Whitney Johns

Weight
Height
Date Of Birth

135-145 lbs.
5’9”
11/29/1990

Profession
Era
Nationality

Bodybuilder, Fitness Model, Personal Trainer
2010
American

Biography
Whitney Johns grew up in Idaho and never could really find her niche. She loved to be active and push herself, but the struggle of finding what sport to do was challenging for her. But what she would find was fitness and weightlifting and with a poor track record of enjoying other sports, she decided to give this a try. And she never looked back.
Building her physique and falling in love with weightlifting, she was fueled by physical fitness and this developed a strong discipline and confidence in herself. After training for some time, she decided to compete and from there, modeling agencies began knocking. She landed jobs with big magazines and began to build a following on social media. Now a fitness icon, she seeks to help others see those gains they want most through hard work and inspiration.
Training
Whitney focuses a lot on legs and lower body work to keep her lower half as toned as possible, but she will of course work her upper body to keep that well-rounded physique. When it comes to cardio, she loves HIIT workouts for they will increase your heart rate and really give you the edge when it comes to endurance and burning extra calories.
Legs

Smith Machine Glute Kickback: 3 sets, 10 reps
Crab Toe Touches: 3 sets, 10 reps
Dumbbell Front Squat: 3 sets, 8 reps
Kettlebell Sumo High Pull: 3 sets, 10 reps
Squat Jacks: 3 sets, 10 reps
Hip Thrust: 3 sets, 10 reps
DB Single Leg Squats: 3 sets, 12 reps
Bulgarian Split Squat: 3 sets, 10 reps
Side Lunge With Knee Drive: 3 sets, 12 reps
Squat Jump Lunge: 3 sets, 8 reps

Bodyweight HIIT Workout

Dips: 4 sets, 30 seconds
Jump Squats: 4 sets, 30 seconds
Boat Pose Pulses: 4 sets, 30 seconds
Squat Burpees: 4 sets, 30 seconds
Skater Squats: 4 sets, 30 seconds

Nutrition
Whitney seeks to keep her diet as simple as possible and only sticks to healthy and whole foods. This includes your essentials being lean meats, complex carbs, and healthy fats. But, like us all, she loves a good cheat meal here and there and typically this will be ice cream. By keeping her diet simple and not working to make it too complex, she is able to properly and easily prepare so she can eat with ease.
Supplementation
Along with a proper training and nutrition routine comes supplementation. It is important to supplement with certain products that can work to enhance all your gains. Three staples to cover your workout basics are a pre-workout, BCAA, and protein powder. These will work to increase energy, push through fatigue, enhance recovery and spur growth, each respectively of course. But together, these can work wonders. Also consider a multivitamin, super green, or omega-3 supplement to aid in your overall health and wellness goals.