PCT will not necessarily restore testosterone levels fully. Optionally, you can stop using Deca at week ten if you want to begin PCT two weeks after the cycle ends – Deca is long-lasting. 20lbs to 30lbs is a reasonable target, and much of the gains will be made in the first few weeks. Adding Deca to an already potent combo of Dbol and Test will make gains even more substantial on this cycle. This is a viral bulking cycle but one where you’ll want to be a more experienced AAS user because Deca can introduce a bunch of different side effects here. This stack is all about building as much size as possible, and Dianabol will add exceptional mass quickly in the first half of the cycle. Studies have found that prolonged use of AAS (anabolic-androgenic steroids) can cause a 100% increase in LDL cholesterol and a 90% reduction in HDL cholesterol (6). The severity of these side effects will depend on the dose, duration of the cycle, genetics, and other steroids stacked with Dianabol. Other steroids, such as trenbolone or Anavar, are superior in this regard because they don’t cause extracellular water retention. In contrast, water retention is almost certain with Dianabol, due to its moderate estrogenic attributes. Trenbolone also has strong fat-burning properties (39); thus, we have seen it effectively used in cutting cycles. A bodybuilder’s goal when cutting is often to achieve maximum muscle definition and a small waist; thus, Dianabol will counteract this. Secondly, Dianabol can raise blood pressure due to an increase in water retention. When testosterone increases, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels also increase. In our experience, any anabolic steroid that causes a powerful positive reaction will also cause a negative one (typically in similar measure). We have found that bodybuilders on Dianabol can experience an increase in vascularity. Consequently, damaged muscle cells from weight training are able to grow notably bigger and stronger than before. This is why bodybuilders eat copious amounts of protein in an attempt to shift this nitrogen balance into a positive state for as long as possible. But if I have to state the obvious, you won’t look like Schwarzenegger did in his prime just by running a few Dianabol cycles. If Arnold Schwarzenegger used it in his prime, you know it’s got to be good. Start with 20–30 mg/day and monitor side effects. Use it for bulking or mass-building phases. You’ll likely notice strength and pump increases within 7–10 days. Anavar will dry you out and give you some incredible vascularity and muscle hardness, quite the opposite of a Dianabol physique. But it’s always a good idea to compare with other AAS because Dbol won’t always be the best option for your goals. Dianabol stands on its own and will be the go-to off-season fast-acting bulking steroid for most of us. Doses of this nature are hazardous, as they severely open the door to adverse effects. The Dbol cycle below is not something I can recommend in the name of safety. Dianabol is an oral steroid that takes effect very quickly compared with most injectables. In severe cases, users have had to lower their dose of Dianabol to stave off water retention and get blood pressure back to normal. Once again, you won’t find many users complaining about the strength boost that Dianabol has brought on, and this almost always happens within the first week of a cycle – usually within just the first two or three days. Dianabol’s notorious ability to bring about water retention will be your enemy when your main goal is to lose fat. Anavar is an excellent cutting steroid, and it can promote some lean gains but nothing comparable to Dbol. It’s also interesting to compare Dbol to other oral steroids as we can see how unique it is (with most other orals being dry-cutting steroids). It’s not only Dianabol kicking off the cycle to great heights in this type of stack; you will add at least one other fast-acting steroid that will supercharge results in the very early days of the cycle. Advanced Dbol users often do a short, sharp cycle using other short estered compounds for the most dramatic and rapid results. An advanced Dbol cycle uses a higher dosage of Dianabol while combining with at least one other powerful steroid, such as Trenbolone or Deca-Durabolin. Arnold is possibly demonstrating the permanent effects of steroids during old age (via the process of muscle memory). You can see that some of the old bodybuilders who’ve come off steroids can shrink dramatically. Elite female bodybuilders can take high doses of 10–20 mg; however, such users can expect to experience masculinization effects. Gym-goers and bodybuilders seeking even bigger muscle gains commonly take higher doses, ranging from 30 to 50 mg per day. This is why some bodybuilders take DHT blockers when taking steroids to keep their hair thick and their follicles intact. SERMs are capable of restoring testosterone levels post-steroids, with tamoxifen and clomiphene being the most effective options in our experience.