| Winstrol is a popular brand name for the
anabolic steroid stanozolol. This compound is a derivative
of dihydrotestosterone, although its activity is much milder
than this androgen in nature. It is technically classified
as an anabolic steroid, shown to exhibit a slightly greater
tendency for muscle growth than androgenic activity in early
studies. While dihydrotestosterone really only provides
androgenic side effects when administered, stanozolol
instead provides quality muscle growth. Admittedly the
anabolic properties of this substance are still mild in
comparison to many stronger compounds, but it is still a
reliable builder. Its efficacy as an anabolic could even be
comparable to Dianabol, however Winstrol
does not carry with it the same tendency for water
retention. Stanozolol also contains the same c17 methylation
we see with Dianabol, an alteration used so that oral
administration is possible. To spite this design however,
there are many injectable versions of this steroid produced. Structurally stanozolol is not capable of converting into
estrogen. Likewise an anti-estrogen is not necessary when
using this steroid, gynecomastia not being a concern even
among sensitive individuals. Since estrogen is also the
culprit with water retention, instead of bulk
Winstrol
produces a lean, quality look to the physique with no fear
of excess subcutaneous fluid retention. This makes it a
favorable steroid to use during cutting cycles, when water
and fat retention are a major concern. It is also very
popular among athletes in combination strength/speed sports
such as Track and Field. In such disciplines one usually
does not want to carry around excess water weight, and may
therefore find the raw muscle-growth brought about by
Winstrol
quite favorable over the lower quality mass gains of more
estrogenic agents.
Have been noticed when trying to administer these
products, even when using a large 22-gauge needle. But there
are both advantages and disadvantages to each type of
product. On the one hand the large particle size would form
a longer acting deposit (depot) while the steroid dissolves,
giving us the option of fewer injections. A larger shot
every three to four days would likely be sufficient to keep
blood levels within limits, which is a favorable schedule
for a water-based product. On the other hand we are forced
to use a standard size oil needle (21-22 gauge) for the
injection, uncomfortable for regular administration.
Products made with a finer substance do not allow for as
slow acting a depot and therefore are usually injected every
other day to keep blood levels steady. But shots can be
given with a much more comfortable sized needle, opening up
many new injection sites. Although you can jam a big
"oil pipe" into your shoulder, it is really not
the place for it.
For men the usual dosage of
Winstrol is
35-75mg per day for the tablets and 25-50mg per day with the
injectable (differences based solely on price and quantity).
It is often combined with other
steroids depending on the
desired result. For bulking purposes, a stronger androgen
like testosterone, Dianabol or Anadrol 50 is usually added.
Here Winstrol will balance out the cycle a
bit, giving us good anabolic effect with lower overall
estrogenic activity than if taking such steroids alone. The
result should be a considerable gain in new muscle mass,
with a more comfortable level of water and fat retention.
For contest and dieting phases we could alternately combine
Winstrol
with a non-aromatizing androgen such as trenbolone or
Halotestin. Such combinations should help bring about the
strongly defined, hard look of muscularity so sought after
among bodybuilders. Older, more sensitive individuals can
otherwise addition compounds like Primobolan, Deca-Durabolin
or Equipoise when wishing to stack this steroid. Here we
should see good results and fewer side effects than is to be
expected with standard androgen therapies.
Women will take somewhere in the range of 5-l0mg daily,
or two and a half to five 2mg tablets. Although female
athletes usually find stanozolol very tolerable, the
injectable is usually off limits. They risk androgenic
buildup, as a regular 50mg injection will provide much too
high a dosage. Here the tablets are the general preference.
It is obviously much easier to divide up pills than it is to
break up a 1cc ampule into multiple injections. Those who
absolutely must experiment with the injectable would be most
comfortable dividing each 50mg ampule into at least two
separate injections. At this point the dosage will adjusted
by the number of days separating each shot. 25mg every third
or fourth day should be a comfortable amount for most. More
ambitious (and risk taking) females would take 25mg every
second day, although this is not recommended. Although this
compound is only moderately androgenic, the risk of
virilization symptoms should remain a concern.
With the structural (c17-AA) alteration, the tablets will
also place a higher level of stress on the liver than the
injectable (which avoids the "first pass"). During
longer or higher dosed cycles, liver values should therefore
be watched closely through regular blood work. Although less
common, the possibility of liver damage cannot be excluded
with the injectable however. While it does not enter the
body through the liver, it is still broken down by it,
providing a lower (but more continuous) level of stress.
Such stress would of course be amplified when adding other
c17-AA oral compounds to a cycle of
Winstrol.
When using such combinations, cautious users would make
every effort to limit the length of the cycle (preferably 6
to 8 weeks). It is also of note that both versions of
Winstrol
have been linked to strong adverse changes in HDL/LDL
cholesterol levels. This side effect is common with anabolic
steroid therapy, and obviously can become a health concern
as the dose/duration of intake increase above normal. The
oral version should have a greater impact on cholesterol
values than the injectable due to the method of
administration, and may therefore be the worse choice of the
two for those concerned and this side effect.
The oral use of stanozolol can also have a profound
impact on levels of SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin).
This admittedly is characteristic of all anabolic/androgenic
steroids, however its potency and form of administration
make Winstrol particularly noteworthy in
this regard. Since plasma binding proteins such as SHBG act
to temporarily constrain steroid hormones from exerting
activity, this effect would provide a greater percentage of
free (unbound) steroid hormone in the body. This may amount
to an effective mechanism in which stanozolol could increase
the potency of a concurrently used steroid. To further this
purpose we could also addition Proviron (1
methyl-dihydrotestosterone), which has an extremely high
affinity for SHBG. This affinity may cause Proviron to
displace other weaker substrates for SHBG (such as
testosterone), another mechanism in which the free hormone
level may be increased. Adding
Winstrol and
Proviron to your next testosterone cycle may therefore prove
very useful,, markedly enhancing the free state of this
potent muscle building androgen.
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