If you’ve been bodybuilding for some time now and have taken PEDs on occasion, you may have heard of Anadrol. This potent anabolic steroid can help you gain muscle mass very rapidly, but it comes with a number of potential side effects.
It is important to have a thorough understanding of what Anadrol is, how it functions, and the potential adverse effects that it may cause before using it. In this article, we will discuss Anadrol for bodybuilding, including how to cycle the drug and how to use it in a way that is both safe and effective.
Table of Contents
Anadrol Review: What is It?
Anadrol was first developed in the 1960s and is a synthetic compound. It shares structural similarities with the hormone testosterone, and like testosterone, it encourages the development of male sexual characteristics as well as the growth of skeletal muscle.
On the other hand, Anadrol is significantly more powerful than testosterone, and its effects can be seen in a shorter amount of time.
In addition to its anabolic effects, research has shown that Anadrol can boost the production of red blood cells and reduce the levels of globulin in the blood. Globulin is a protein that is responsible for binding testosterone in the body.
Because of this, taking Anadrol can result in an increase in the amount of free testosterone present in the body, which in turn can lead to enhanced muscle growth.
In order to assist in the development of muscle mass, athletes and bodybuilders frequently make use of anadrol during the off-season. On the other hand, due to the potency of its effects, Anadrol should never be used without the supervision of a medical professional.
Medical Uses of Anadrol
Over the course of its history, Anadrol has been put to a variety of medical uses, although the prevalence of these applications appears to have lessened in recent years.
The primary application for it was in the treatment of anemia. It is believed that it can significantly improve erythropoiesis, possibly even more so than any other steroids. Erythropoietin is produced in greater quantities through this process, which contributes to an increase in the total number of red blood cells in the body.
Anadrol is also utilized in the treatment of conditions the symptoms of which include a reduction in muscle mass. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is a good example. The anabolic steroid was found to promote weight gain in AIDS patients who were experiencing muscle wasting by approximately 8 kilograms, according to the findings of a study. The subjects who were given a placebo, on the other hand, experienced a loss of mass and an increased risk of mortality.
In addition, people who suffer from osteoporosis have been treated with oxymetholone in order to alleviate their symptoms. It has also been demonstrated to be helpful in the promotion of muscle growth in patients who are malnourished. When utilized appropriately, it not only improves strength but also stimulates appetite.
Non-Medical Uses of Anadrol
The preceding information should have given you some idea of how the anabolic steroid Anadrol can be useful to athletes and bodybuilders. It does this by enhancing protein synthesis, which leads to significant increases in body mass.
The bodybuilding community, and especially the more experienced members of that community, will typically start a bulking cycle with Anadrol as the first compound they use. Its effects manifest noticeably sooner, but they also have a propensity to fade away rapidly after use is discontinued. Because of this, it is common practice to combine it with other substances whose effects are not immediately noticeable.
The fact that it has a low binding affinity is one of the reasons why it is so useful for increasing muscle mass. According to research, this helps to reduce the amount of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which is a protein that can bind to free testosterone. Because of this, you will receive a greater amount of anabolic benefits from the male hormone. Because of this, it is an excellent addition to any stack that focuses on bulking up.
Anadrol is another substance that is frequently used in the athletic community, particularly by athletes for whom weight is not a concern. It gives you an instant boost in energy, which can lead to improved performance if you use it regularly.
History of Anadrol: How Did Anadrol Become Popular?
Oxymetholone and Anadrol were introduced to the consumer market for the first time in the United Kingdom in 1961 under the brand name Anapolon. It was marketed and approved by the FDA in the United States throughout the 1960s as a potent steroid medication for treating anemia. The pharmaceutical company Syntex gave it the brand name “Anadrol,” and it was marketed under that name. Additionally, it was prescribed for malnutrition and bone health in countries other than the United States. It fell out of favor when drugs with fewer adverse effects became available, and eventually HIV/AIDS patients were the only ones who were prescribed it.
The drug’s release was intended to treat several cases of anemia because Oxymetholone is known to increase the body’s production of red blood cells. The medication was also used to treat osteoporosis. It has been approved for human consumption by the Food and Drug Administration.
Epogen was developed and made available later, after Anadrol was introduced to the market. This medication has been shown to be far more effective and safer than Anadrol in treating both osteoporosis and anemia, particularly because Epogen has no known side effects. Despite this, Anadrol was still available on the market.
Syntex ceased Anadrol production in 1993 due to financial disinterest. The same year, Anadrol was banned in many foreign countries, including Switzerland, Austria, and Spain, due to several known risks associated with its use. Because many athletes used Anadrol to achieve their muscle growth goals, many of them got worried that Anadrol would be phased out of the market permanently.
Athletes first started using the steroid during the peak of the bodybuilding era, and its popularity remained high throughout the bodybuilding craze of the ’90s and ’00s, when emphasis was placed on increasing mass and size. Those who want to achieve their goals of gaining a significant amount of mass and strength in a relatively short amount of time continue to use it today.
Despite the fact that Anadrol is no longer available in many countries, numerous studies have found that it has a promising future. Anadrol’s constituents have been found to be safe and effective in the treatment of HIV wasting syndrome. Indeed, Anadrol re-entered the market as a result of this research.
Today, in the US, Anadrol is now classified as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act. This is due to the fact that, even though the drug has medical use, it was seen to have the potential for abuse. Indeed, Anadrol was known to have the potential to cause psychological and physical dependence.
Only those with a prescription from a licensed medical professional are able to purchase the drug. Furthermore, because this drug is not prescribed for muscle building, athletes and bodybuilders are unlikely to obtain the prescription required to legally obtain the drugs. This resulted in the creation of Anadrol on the black market. With the power of Anadrol in achieving bodybuilding goals, an increasing number of people are becoming regular users.
Read article about Anapolon dosage
How Does Anadrol Work?
The first thing this chemical does is provide optimal conditions for collagen reproduction. In turn, collagen increases the suppleness of musculoskeletal tissue, allowing it to resist considerable stresses. This is critical for people who spend numerous hours in the gym attempting to achieve personal objectives and pushing their muscles to their limits.
Furthermore, Oxymetholone’s work involves not only an increase in body weight but also the activation of other systems that are directly involved in increasing water and fat levels. This is also another benefit of effective weight gain. Anadrol, as previously said, is ideal for bulking or mass gaining cycles. A reasonable amount of weight can be gained in a short period of time.
Is this a “quick bomb,” as claimed? The answer is simple: yes. This drug works so quickly that you can experience the complete anabolic potency in the first week of the cycle.
Some claim to experience the effects of this drug after just one day. But you should be the one to decide! After three to five weeks, you’ll see massive results. It turns out that, for Anadrol, the cycles don’t have to be long. Indeed, Anadrol is rarely taken for more than six weeks — because it works so quickly, you can use shorter cycles.
In addition to these, Anadrol also has exceptional fat-burning properties. The greatest impact is felt in the abdomen, where fat is tough to remove.
Anadrol Usage Recommendations
If there are no contraindications, this drug is recommended for athletes aged 18 and up. Experts will often advocate starting anabolic at the age of 21.
Anadrol is typically taken over the offseason to develop muscular mass. It is best to use it at the start of a long steroid cycle. This is required to drastically “load” the work of all steroids utilized. If you have any underlying medical concerns that may interfere or worsen with the use of anabolics, you should consult with your doctor before beginning a cycle.
In terms of dosage and cycle duration, the standard length of a cycle is 6 weeks. Individuals should set their own dose. Not all Anadrol users will take the same amount. It is critical to evaluate your personal tolerance level and pay attention to how your body reacts to the steroid. However, we advise not to cycle anadrol more than 6 weeks because the chemical is hepatotoxic.
Doses should be spread out throughout the day. Anadrol can be taken on an empty stomach or before a meal.
As for Post Cycle Therapy (PCT), don’t skip it. It is critical in order to allow the body to properly recuperate before starting the next cycle.
Professional bodybuilders may take a single high dose of Anadrol just before a competition. This will allow for a significant buildup of glycogen, which will make muscles seem bigger and full.
Because of water retention, Anadrol is not recommended for cutting cycles.
To get the most out of your cycle, remember to use Anadrol with a muscle-building diet.
Throughout the cycle, we recommend that users train hard, eat enough protein and calcium, and get plenty of rest. Alcohol and psychoactive drugs should be avoided.
Anadrol Dosage: How To Take It Safely
If you take an excessive amount of anadrol, you will experience a full host of unfavorable side effects. If you take an inadequate amount of anadrol, you will limit the amount of muscle you gain.
The question now is, how much should you take?
When first starting out with this substance, many users will choose to run an Anadrol only cycle. For this, the recommended amount of Anadrol to take daily is 50 milligrams, and the cycle should last between four and six weeks.
Anadrol is best utilized at the beginning of a mass-building cycle; typically, it is stacked with compounds like testosterone enanthate, boldenone undecylenate, and nandrolone decanoate. Optimal results can be achieved by using Oxymetholone in this manner. In the same way as when it is used as a standalone cycle, the anadrol will be administered for the initial four to six weeks of this mass building cycle, and the doses will typically range from fifty to one hundred milligrams per day.
It is common practice for experienced bodybuilders who want to grow muscle to take one hundred milligrams of anadrol every day.
A common daily dose of anadrol for individuals who are new to steroids or to bodybuilding in general is 25 milligrams. Because their body isn’t used to ingesting such a harsh substance, it’s crucial for beginners to start off gently and not take too much too fast. Easing into it is the best way to go.
After your body has had some time to adjust to the presence of this steroid, you will be able to safely increase your dosage provided that you are in excellent health. Because of this, the gains will be increased.
Do not increase your dose of Anadrol if you find that your body is not responding adequately to the standard dosage of 50 milligrams. Instead, reduce both your dose and the length of your cycles until your body has a better response to the medication. It is essential to keep in mind that anadrol is a steroid that is extremely poisonous, and as such, it must not be used flippantly.
Consuming any amount of A-drol that is larger than 100 mg per day is considered to be excessive, and doing so considerably increases the risk of experiencing serious adverse effects. We strongly advise that you never use an excessive amount of steroids or abuse them, as doing so for an extended period of time can frequently be fatal.
It is also important to emphasize that increasing the amount of Anadrol that you take will not result in an increase in the amount of gains that you experience. Every anabolic steroid has a maximum dose after which taking any more of it is both futile and potentially hazardous.
If you take 50 milligrams of anadrol every day, you will probably gain about 30 pounds over the course of a year (based on a 6 week cycle). Even if you discontinue using after only two weeks due to adverse effects, you will still gain approximately 20 pounds as a result of a four-week cycle. Your gains will be less than this if you are an experienced bodybuilder who has already taken steroid or anadrol supplements. This is due to the fact that your body has already adapted to the effects of anadrol, and as a result, you will not see the same rapid gains that you did in the past.
It is not common to see Anadrol being used in cutting cycles because of the powerful mass building effects it has as well as the slight risk of water retention it poses.
How To Stack Anadrol With Other Steroids
For exceptional gains in muscle mass, stacking Anadrol with anabolic compounds that are administered intravenously and have a slow rate of action is recommended. The majority of the time, bodybuilders combine it with other anabolic steroids like Deca Durabolin, testosterone enanthate, or Trenbolone enanthate. It is not recommended to combine it with other substances that are active when taken orally.
Oxymetholone is typically used to jumpstart a bulking and strength gaining cycle, which is something that we have already mentioned. However, this is not the only circumstance in which it is utilized. In the middle of a cycle, when dealing with a plateau or what appears to be slow progress, it is a strategy that is used less frequently. Some people save it for the final stretch of a cycle so that they can end on a powerful note.
The duration of an Anadrol cycle should not exceed six weeks in order to prevent potential harm to the liver. However, after this point, you are free to proceed with the use of other injectables in the same stack.
Anadrol Benefits For Bodybuilding
1. Rapid weight gain
It is not impossible to put on weight and build muscle at the same time. Caution is required because the majority of the gain is due to water retention. Users often see a 10-pound weight increase within the first week of use. They are able to pack on 30 additional pounds by the sixth week of the program. It is believed that water accounts for half of it.
2. Muscle Mass
Your muscles will have the appearance of being pushed up, but you will be retaining fluid. You shouldn’t be concerned because the steroid you are taking will still cause you to put up large lean muscle mass. All of this takes place as a direct result of the increase in testosterone levels, which causes nitrogen retention and protein synthesis to take place as a side effect.
Anadrol is considered by many people, including experts, to be one of the most effective steroids for gaining muscle. They have estimated that the gains will amount to 14.50 kg of muscle for every 100 pounds of body weight gained. These findings were obtained from those who had consumed a larger dosage over a longer period of time than recommended. If you are on a shorter cycle, the outcomes can differ, or they might be slightly less than expected.
3. Increased strength
When it comes to increasing strength, Anadrol is an excellent choice. The presence of testosterone is mostly responsible for this phenomenon. If you keep doing squats, bench presses, and deadlifts until the conclusion of the cycle, you will add up to 60 additional pounds at the end of the cycle.
Your current level of strength is going to increase in tandem with the growth of your overall body weight. However, it is expected that your strength will decline by forty percent while you are undergoing post-cycle therapy.
4. Fat Loss
Although this is true for some people on Anadrol, it is not true for everyone. Both fat and muscle can be burned off thanks to the testosterone that is created. Anadrol has been shown in a number of trials to be effective in the reduction of body fat when administered at a dosage of one hundred milligrams per day. Some people have this misconception about the gains being due to fat because of water retention.
Your diet may also be to blame for the fat accumulation; Anadrol is not directly responsible for them. This indicates that you shouldn’t be able to put on fat if you monitor how many calories you consume on a daily basis.
How Soon Can I See Results With Anadrol?
If you want to get the most out of your anabolic steroid cycle, you need to be realistic about what to expect.
It could take anywhere from three to six weeks for your muscles to start showing positive changes, depending on factors such as your body composition and overall fitness level. It could take even longer if you are relatively new to anabolic steroids or if you have a lot of fat mass to lose.
You should, however, be able to see noticeable results within a couple of months if you put in consistent effort and have patience.
Anadrol: Risks and Side Effects
Anadrol is extremely hepatotoxic, which means that it can cause severe damage to the liver. Because it is so resistant to being broken down by the liver, it is quite damaging to the functioning of that organ.
Utilization of Anadrol for an extended period of time may result in a variety of liver problems. It is possible for it to bring about hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, or even cancer of the liver. Those who use this steroid should get regular checks of their liver function to ensure that it is functioning properly.
The fact that oxymetholone has a high estrogenic activity may come as a surprise to some people because it is somewhat unusual. This is unexpected because aromatase should not be able to convert a DHT derivative into estrogenic metabolites because the DHT derivative is itself a derivative of DHT. There is a lot of confusion surrounding the high estrogenic activity. However, there are those who believe that it may bind to and activate the estrogen receptor in the body without necessarily changing into the female hormone.
Users are at risk of experiencing side effects that are typically associated with being exposed to a significant amount of estrogen as a result of this mysterious high estrogenic activity. These symptoms include bloating, fluid retention, and an increase in the size of the breast tissue in men. Since Anadrol does not convert to its aromatized form, aromatase inhibitors are nearly pointless to use.
Oxymetholone use has been linked to a number of additional adverse effects, including the following:
- Acne
- Oily skin
- Male pattern baldness
- Voice deepening
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Depression
Anadrol, much like other anabolic steroids, presents a danger to the cardiovascular system and should be used with caution. It has the potential to bring about unintended changes in the blood’s natural cholesterol balance. Additionally, it has the potential to raise your blood pressure.
Anadrol: Further Precautions
It should come as no surprise, considering how extensive the list of Oxymetholone’s adverse effects is, that the drug also has a fairly extensive list of warnings and precautions:
1. You should tell your doctor right away if you are allergic to Oxymetholone or have any other allergies, as the inactive ingredients in this medication could cause allergic reactions or other problems. You should also tell your doctor if you have any other allergies.
2. If you have liver or kidney disease, high cholesterol levels, a bleeding or blood clotting disorder (or are taking blood thinners), prostate cancer, heart disease, swelling (edema or fluid retention), an enlarged prostate, diabetes, and male or female breast cancer, you should consult your doctor before using it. This is because these conditions can make the medication less effective. If you have diabetes, oxymetholone may cause an increase in your blood sugar levels; therefore, it is essential to monitor your blood sugar levels on a regular basis and discuss any results that are abnormal with your physician.
3. It should not be used during pregnancy because there is a risk that it will harm the unborn child or cause birth defects in the child. If you become pregnant or have any reason to suspect that you might be pregnant, you must contact your doctor as soon as possible. Before you even think about using this anabolic steroid, it is strongly advised that you are already taking some form of birth control. In a similar vein, it is not recommended that you breastfeed in case it gets into your milk.
4. The use of oxymetholone for an extended period of time can result in the development of liver tumors or blood-filled cysts. If you are experiencing any upper stomach pains, loss of appetite, dark urine, jaundice, or rapid weight gain, you should make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible. It is possible for men and women’s fertility to be affected by it.
5. Those under the age of 18 should not take it without first consulting a medical professional or their own personal physician for guidance before doing so. X-rays should be performed on children once every six months to check that it has not hampered their bone growth. This medication should never, under any circumstances, be given to another person.
Final Thoughts
Anadrol is the ideal supplement for you to take if your goals include gaining muscle and increasing your strength, as it will help you do both. This anabolic steroid was first developed as a treatment for athletes who were having difficulty increasing their performance. It was initially created as a treatment for athletes.
When it comes to the process of gaining muscle, the use of Anadrol may be advantageous for a variety of reasons. To begin, it contributes to an increase in the total amount of protein that is produced by the body. After being worked out or otherwise damaged, this assists in restoring and rebuilding the muscles in the body. In addition to this, it encourages the body to produce more testosterone, which in turn helps the body to construct new muscle tissue. Last but not least, taking Anadrol will help you feel more energized, which in turn will allow you to work out for longer and with greater intensity.
On the other hand, Anadrol is not without its potential side effects. In point of fact, it is well known that this particular steroid presents a higher risk than usual, particularly to your liver.
Anadrol provides a potent means of supercharging muscle mass gains for those who are willing to take the risk. The majority of bodybuilders include it in their stacks designed for bulking. Strength is another aspect that can be improved along with performance thanks to this. However, there is a possibility that the drug, and more specifically its continued use, might put your health in jeopardy. Your liver is going to take a lot of the hit from this.
And when you also consider the fact that using oxymetholone to enhance performance or muscle growth is against the law, it makes perfect sense to give the idea of using it some serious consideration.