[h=2]Zulak Unchained: The Skinny on Winnie[/h][h=3]By: Greg Zulak[/h]Q: I recently bought a bottle of Winstrol-V from a vet I know, and he told me that the recommended dose for animals was 25 milligrams per 100 pounds of bodyweight. Since I weigh 200 pounds, he suggested 50 milligrams per injection. He also said that Winstrol-V is absorbed very slowly, so one weekly injection was all that was necessary. That goes against everything I've been told about the use of Winstrol-V from black-market dealers and other bodybuilders. They usually recommend injections every other day or even daily. What's your take on the use of Winstrol-V?A: Winstrol-V, or stanozolol, used to be made by Winthrop but is now made by Upjohn Pharmaceuticals. UpJohn actually calls it Winstrol-V Sterile Suspension. Suspension is the key word because despite what you may have read or heard, Winstrol-V Sterile Suspension is not identical to Winstrol tablets'as Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson discovered when he failed his drug test at the '88 Olympic Games in Seoul after stanozolol metabolites were found in his urine. Whereas oral Winstrol clears the system fairly rapidly'and so can be taken right up to three weeks before a drug test'Winstrol suspension takes up to three months to clear from an athlete's body.
Winstrol and Winstrol-V are interesting steroids because the orals are made mostly for human consumption while Winstrol-V sterile solution is for veterinary use. Even so, it's amazing how much Winstrol-V is used by athletes and bodybuilders. Both versions work either very well for athletes or not very well at all. That's why Dan Duchaine, the late steroid guru, was not very impressed with Winstrol in any form. In his experience it just didn't work very well for building size or muscularity. He never spoke positively about it in his articles or in his Underground Steroid Handbook. Of course, Dan said the same thing about human growth hormone too.
In my experience, Winstrol and Winstrol-V can be highly anabolic, and, in fact, I rate Winstrol as my favorite oral anabolic steroid, with Deca-Durabolin coming in second. I find both steroids effective and safe. Upjohn classifies Winstrol-V Sterile Suspension an anabolic steroid, as opposed to androgens, estrogens and corticosteroids, 'because of its pronounced stimulatory effects on constructive metabolism. Stanozolol increases the retention of nitrogen and minerals, reverses tissue-depleting processes and promotes better utilization of dietary protein. Its anabolic effects lead to improvement in appetite, increased vigor and notable gains in weight. When administered to animals, Winstrol-V was found to have an unusual pattern of biologic activity in that its anabolic [tissue-building] effect far outweighed its weak androgenic [masculinizing] influence.'
As anyone who has read my articles knows, I'm not one for mega-doses when it comes to anabolic steroids, especially for noncompetitive bodybuilders. I have no qualms about bodybuilders sensibly using anabolic steroids to aid training, improve recovery and increase muscle mass and muscularity as well as strength, but I absolutely disapprove when I hear of bodybuilders stacking six steroids and taking enough of each to put the fear of God into a Mr. Olympia competitor.
In that regard things are really getting out of hand. Recently I spoke with a guy who had been training only about three months. He wanted to know if I thought 1,000 milligrams of Deca-Durabolin and 1,000 milligrams of Sustenon 250 a week was a good stack for a beginner. I just had to shake my head and walk away. Where are these guys getting their information?
I strongly suggest that anyone using anabolic steroids try to get the most effect out of the smallest dose possible, just as you would try to get the most gains out of the smallest number of sets possible. Besides reducing health risks, it's cheaper. If you're making good gains from 15 milligrams of Dianabol per day and 200 milligrams of Deca weekly, why double or triple the dosages? If you start off with 1,000 milligrams of Deca and 1,000 milligrams of Sustanon 250 weekly, where do you go from there? To 2,000 milligrams of each weekly? That's just nuts.
Back to Winstrol-V, about which there has been a lot of confusion. I have heard black-market dealers (who have a vested interest in getting you to use more so they can make more money from you) and maniac bodybuilders recommending daily or every-other-day injections of large dosages. My personal experience with Winstrol-V tells me that one injection a week is closer to the mark in safely using'not abusing'it.
Let me tell you why I think it isn't necessary to inject Winstrol-V so many times in a week. Back around 1992 I decided I was going to go on a cycle of anabolic steroids for a couple of months. My favorite steroids, Deca-Durabolin and Winstrol tabs, however, were not available. There just wasn't any around, at least not any Deca I was interested in using (there was some veterinary nandrolone decanoate, but it contained only 25 milligrams per milliliter, and there was no way in hell I was going to whack eight cubic centimeters of oil into my butt every week to get 200 milligrams of Deca).
Winstrol tabs, like Dianabol tabs, had pretty much gone the way of the dodo. What was available was aqueous testosterone, or testosterone supension, and Winstrol-V. That was a good alternative because the suspension is high in androgens and rates pretty well anabolically, while the V is highly anabolic and fairly low in androgens. I bought a 50 cubic centimeter bottle of the water-based testosterone supension and a 30 cubic centimeter bottle of Winstrol-V. I was told to take one cubic centimeter (50 milligrams to two cubic centimeters, or 100 milligrams) of V every other day, along with one cubic centimeter of aqueous testosterone. Since they were both water-based suspensions, I could put both into one syringe and inject them together, which would cut down on the number of injections. Anytime I can cut down on the number of injections, I'm all for it.
The first week, which I always think of as a loading week, I took one cubic centimeter of V and one cubic centimeter of aqueous testosterone three times. I also added one cubic centimeter of vitamin B12 because it's water-based too and would help dilute the V and the testosterone, so the crystals would more easily go through a 23-gauge needle. A smaller needle means less painful injections, and although it might be placebo effect, I think the B12 stimulates my appetite. The extra water from the B12 also takes a bit of the sting out of the testosterone suspension and allows me to fill up a three cubic centimeter syringe nicely.
Now I admit I'm kind of an odd bird when it comes to steroids. I react extremely well to them, which is maybe why I never got into mega-dosing. By the end of the first week on this Winstrol-V-supension-B12 stack I could feel myself growing bigger and stronger almost daily. The second week I stuck to three injections every other day, using the same dosages as week 1. By the beginning of the third week of the cycle I was already 15 pounds heavier and much more muscular, so I was losing fat as I gained muscle. I can't really say why, but the third week I reduced my injections to two, or approximately once every three days. I kept the dosages at one cubic centimeter of suspension, one cubic centimeter of V and one cubic centimeter of B12. Rather than experiencing less strength and gains, I continued to gain just as rapidly as the previous two weeks. There was no slowdown or decrease in my gains. For week 4 I again took only two injections, but my strength and muscularity still improved. People in the gym were commenting how hard and cut I was looking.
Frankly, I was a little surprised by my gains despite a decrease in my doses. Strictly out of scientific curiosity, for weeks 5, 6 and 7, I took just one injection weekly of V, testosterone suspension and B12. Guess what happened? I was at my strongest and most muscular for those last three weeks. By week 5 I was up 30 pounds in bodyweight, but my body composition had changed dramatically. I had gained 30 pounds but also lost large amounts of bodyfat, so my actual muscle gains were greater. I was definitely much harder and more cut than my starting bodyweight. I didn't chart my bodyfat weekly, just at the end of six weeks'at which time I was 7.8 percent bodyfat. That's nothing spectacular, but I should add that I gained all that weight and lost all the fat while doing zero aerobics and following a bulking diet. I was eating lots of red meat, whole eggs, peanut butter sandwiches, pancakes with syrup, whole milk with protein powder and butter with my baked potatoes and vegetables. I was also eating a certain amount of junk food, including pizza, ice cream and the odd chocolate bar.
What really convinced me that it isn't necessary to use Winstrol-V to excess or daily is that I was at my strongest, biggest and most muscular during the weeks when I was taking just one cubic centimeter of the stuff once a week. If Winstrol-V was used and metabolized by the body rapidly'say within 24 to 48 hours, as the so-called experts claim'then I should have lost strength and muscle when I decreased from three injections a week down to two and then from two down to one. But I didn't. I continued to make great gains. What can I say?
The obvious explanation is that by using Winstrol-V three times a week for weeks 1 and 2 of my cycle and two injections for weeks 3 and 4, I had a buildup of Winstrol in my system. It hadn't been all destroyed by a few passes through the liver. By the way, the same buildup in your system can occur if you inject Deca-Durabolin, Sustenon 250, testosterone cypionate or testosterone enanthate.
So am I one of those rare genetic freaks (as Dan Duchaine once called me when I told him I made my best gains with Deca and Winstrol tabs and not high-androgen drugs such as testosterone, Dianabol, Parabolan or Anadrol 50)? Maybe. But if you look at the literature that comes with the package of Winstrol-V, it states very clearly that 'because Winstrol-V Sterile Suspension is absorbed slowly, injections may be given at weekly intervals.' The literature also says (in regard to treatment of horses; remember, this is a veterinary drug), 'Medication may be repeated at weekly intervals up to and including four weeks. In clinical trials many animals required no more than one or two dosages to achieve desirable therapeutic results.'
So in my opinion the literature on Winstrol-V is correct. It's absorbed slowly, so injections can be given at weekly intervals if desired. It might be better to inject greater amounts of Winstrol-V'two to three cubic centimeters'only once a week. Maybe I'll try it that way the next time I go on a cycle for a few weeks, just to see if Winstrol-V can be used in such a fashion and still give good anabolic effects.
You could experiment and try a stack of a high-androgen steroid (such as D-bol, Anadrol 50 or a form of testosterone) with Winstrol-V and take the V just once a week'no more than twice every eight days. After a month or so, taper off; reduce the Winstrol-V to one injection weekly and then dose down from one cubic centimeter to half a cubic centimeter, then a quarter. Do that over three to four weeks. During the last two weeks take HCG to stimulate your testes to produce testosterone and, if necessary, take Nolvadex to reduce estrogen levels (although estrogen levels shouldn't be too bad if you keep your dosages moderate).
Editor's note: The statements, opinions and ideas in this column are Greg Zulak's and not necessarily those of IRONMAN magazine. IM
Winstrol and Winstrol-V are interesting steroids because the orals are made mostly for human consumption while Winstrol-V sterile solution is for veterinary use. Even so, it's amazing how much Winstrol-V is used by athletes and bodybuilders. Both versions work either very well for athletes or not very well at all. That's why Dan Duchaine, the late steroid guru, was not very impressed with Winstrol in any form. In his experience it just didn't work very well for building size or muscularity. He never spoke positively about it in his articles or in his Underground Steroid Handbook. Of course, Dan said the same thing about human growth hormone too.
In my experience, Winstrol and Winstrol-V can be highly anabolic, and, in fact, I rate Winstrol as my favorite oral anabolic steroid, with Deca-Durabolin coming in second. I find both steroids effective and safe. Upjohn classifies Winstrol-V Sterile Suspension an anabolic steroid, as opposed to androgens, estrogens and corticosteroids, 'because of its pronounced stimulatory effects on constructive metabolism. Stanozolol increases the retention of nitrogen and minerals, reverses tissue-depleting processes and promotes better utilization of dietary protein. Its anabolic effects lead to improvement in appetite, increased vigor and notable gains in weight. When administered to animals, Winstrol-V was found to have an unusual pattern of biologic activity in that its anabolic [tissue-building] effect far outweighed its weak androgenic [masculinizing] influence.'
As anyone who has read my articles knows, I'm not one for mega-doses when it comes to anabolic steroids, especially for noncompetitive bodybuilders. I have no qualms about bodybuilders sensibly using anabolic steroids to aid training, improve recovery and increase muscle mass and muscularity as well as strength, but I absolutely disapprove when I hear of bodybuilders stacking six steroids and taking enough of each to put the fear of God into a Mr. Olympia competitor.
In that regard things are really getting out of hand. Recently I spoke with a guy who had been training only about three months. He wanted to know if I thought 1,000 milligrams of Deca-Durabolin and 1,000 milligrams of Sustenon 250 a week was a good stack for a beginner. I just had to shake my head and walk away. Where are these guys getting their information?
I strongly suggest that anyone using anabolic steroids try to get the most effect out of the smallest dose possible, just as you would try to get the most gains out of the smallest number of sets possible. Besides reducing health risks, it's cheaper. If you're making good gains from 15 milligrams of Dianabol per day and 200 milligrams of Deca weekly, why double or triple the dosages? If you start off with 1,000 milligrams of Deca and 1,000 milligrams of Sustanon 250 weekly, where do you go from there? To 2,000 milligrams of each weekly? That's just nuts.
Back to Winstrol-V, about which there has been a lot of confusion. I have heard black-market dealers (who have a vested interest in getting you to use more so they can make more money from you) and maniac bodybuilders recommending daily or every-other-day injections of large dosages. My personal experience with Winstrol-V tells me that one injection a week is closer to the mark in safely using'not abusing'it.
Let me tell you why I think it isn't necessary to inject Winstrol-V so many times in a week. Back around 1992 I decided I was going to go on a cycle of anabolic steroids for a couple of months. My favorite steroids, Deca-Durabolin and Winstrol tabs, however, were not available. There just wasn't any around, at least not any Deca I was interested in using (there was some veterinary nandrolone decanoate, but it contained only 25 milligrams per milliliter, and there was no way in hell I was going to whack eight cubic centimeters of oil into my butt every week to get 200 milligrams of Deca).
Winstrol tabs, like Dianabol tabs, had pretty much gone the way of the dodo. What was available was aqueous testosterone, or testosterone supension, and Winstrol-V. That was a good alternative because the suspension is high in androgens and rates pretty well anabolically, while the V is highly anabolic and fairly low in androgens. I bought a 50 cubic centimeter bottle of the water-based testosterone supension and a 30 cubic centimeter bottle of Winstrol-V. I was told to take one cubic centimeter (50 milligrams to two cubic centimeters, or 100 milligrams) of V every other day, along with one cubic centimeter of aqueous testosterone. Since they were both water-based suspensions, I could put both into one syringe and inject them together, which would cut down on the number of injections. Anytime I can cut down on the number of injections, I'm all for it.
The first week, which I always think of as a loading week, I took one cubic centimeter of V and one cubic centimeter of aqueous testosterone three times. I also added one cubic centimeter of vitamin B12 because it's water-based too and would help dilute the V and the testosterone, so the crystals would more easily go through a 23-gauge needle. A smaller needle means less painful injections, and although it might be placebo effect, I think the B12 stimulates my appetite. The extra water from the B12 also takes a bit of the sting out of the testosterone suspension and allows me to fill up a three cubic centimeter syringe nicely.
Now I admit I'm kind of an odd bird when it comes to steroids. I react extremely well to them, which is maybe why I never got into mega-dosing. By the end of the first week on this Winstrol-V-supension-B12 stack I could feel myself growing bigger and stronger almost daily. The second week I stuck to three injections every other day, using the same dosages as week 1. By the beginning of the third week of the cycle I was already 15 pounds heavier and much more muscular, so I was losing fat as I gained muscle. I can't really say why, but the third week I reduced my injections to two, or approximately once every three days. I kept the dosages at one cubic centimeter of suspension, one cubic centimeter of V and one cubic centimeter of B12. Rather than experiencing less strength and gains, I continued to gain just as rapidly as the previous two weeks. There was no slowdown or decrease in my gains. For week 4 I again took only two injections, but my strength and muscularity still improved. People in the gym were commenting how hard and cut I was looking.
Frankly, I was a little surprised by my gains despite a decrease in my doses. Strictly out of scientific curiosity, for weeks 5, 6 and 7, I took just one injection weekly of V, testosterone suspension and B12. Guess what happened? I was at my strongest and most muscular for those last three weeks. By week 5 I was up 30 pounds in bodyweight, but my body composition had changed dramatically. I had gained 30 pounds but also lost large amounts of bodyfat, so my actual muscle gains were greater. I was definitely much harder and more cut than my starting bodyweight. I didn't chart my bodyfat weekly, just at the end of six weeks'at which time I was 7.8 percent bodyfat. That's nothing spectacular, but I should add that I gained all that weight and lost all the fat while doing zero aerobics and following a bulking diet. I was eating lots of red meat, whole eggs, peanut butter sandwiches, pancakes with syrup, whole milk with protein powder and butter with my baked potatoes and vegetables. I was also eating a certain amount of junk food, including pizza, ice cream and the odd chocolate bar.
What really convinced me that it isn't necessary to use Winstrol-V to excess or daily is that I was at my strongest, biggest and most muscular during the weeks when I was taking just one cubic centimeter of the stuff once a week. If Winstrol-V was used and metabolized by the body rapidly'say within 24 to 48 hours, as the so-called experts claim'then I should have lost strength and muscle when I decreased from three injections a week down to two and then from two down to one. But I didn't. I continued to make great gains. What can I say?
The obvious explanation is that by using Winstrol-V three times a week for weeks 1 and 2 of my cycle and two injections for weeks 3 and 4, I had a buildup of Winstrol in my system. It hadn't been all destroyed by a few passes through the liver. By the way, the same buildup in your system can occur if you inject Deca-Durabolin, Sustenon 250, testosterone cypionate or testosterone enanthate.
So am I one of those rare genetic freaks (as Dan Duchaine once called me when I told him I made my best gains with Deca and Winstrol tabs and not high-androgen drugs such as testosterone, Dianabol, Parabolan or Anadrol 50)? Maybe. But if you look at the literature that comes with the package of Winstrol-V, it states very clearly that 'because Winstrol-V Sterile Suspension is absorbed slowly, injections may be given at weekly intervals.' The literature also says (in regard to treatment of horses; remember, this is a veterinary drug), 'Medication may be repeated at weekly intervals up to and including four weeks. In clinical trials many animals required no more than one or two dosages to achieve desirable therapeutic results.'
So in my opinion the literature on Winstrol-V is correct. It's absorbed slowly, so injections can be given at weekly intervals if desired. It might be better to inject greater amounts of Winstrol-V'two to three cubic centimeters'only once a week. Maybe I'll try it that way the next time I go on a cycle for a few weeks, just to see if Winstrol-V can be used in such a fashion and still give good anabolic effects.
You could experiment and try a stack of a high-androgen steroid (such as D-bol, Anadrol 50 or a form of testosterone) with Winstrol-V and take the V just once a week'no more than twice every eight days. After a month or so, taper off; reduce the Winstrol-V to one injection weekly and then dose down from one cubic centimeter to half a cubic centimeter, then a quarter. Do that over three to four weeks. During the last two weeks take HCG to stimulate your testes to produce testosterone and, if necessary, take Nolvadex to reduce estrogen levels (although estrogen levels shouldn't be too bad if you keep your dosages moderate).
Editor's note: The statements, opinions and ideas in this column are Greg Zulak's and not necessarily those of IRONMAN magazine. IM
