Winstrol (Stanozolol)

Winstrol is a very popular testosterone derived anabolic steroid from the Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) family that is available as an oral tablet or as an injectable in the form of Winstrol Depot. First developed by Sterling-Winthrop Laboratories in the early 1960’s the active hormone in the compound Stanozolol was given the trade name “Winstrol” and as is common in the anabolic steroid world the first trade name ever given has been the name most associate with the steroid. While many anabolic steroids are normally only found in certain circles some are found across the board in every athletic category imaginable; Winstrol is such a steroid. Very popular in competitive bodybuilding circles due to its use in contest prep Winstrol is also a favorite of performance athletes in baseball, track & field and everything in-between. Further, as most anabolic steroids can be very damaging to women, due to its nature Winstrol is one of the few anabolic steroids that can be safely used by women as well when used responsibly.

Winstrol 101

Winstrol is an ester free DHT steroid found in the form of a 17-Alpha-Alkylated steroid (17-aa) form as well as an injectable aqueous suspension (suspended in water.) Pertaining to the oral form the 17-aa alteration simply refers to the altered chemical structure that occurs at the 17th carbon position; without such restructuring the steroid would be useless in oral form. The 17-aa alteration allows the steroid to survive the first pass through the liver after ingestion and absorb into the blood stream where it becomes active; this has both positive and negative effects. The good news is once ingested it will enter the blood very rapidly, the bad news is it will bring about a level of toxicity to the liver as is common with most oral medications, steroidal and non-steroidal alike.

As it pertains to the injectable aqueous form the same active Stanozolol hormone is being used, in that there is no difference. However, the toxicity to the liver will not be as large of a concern with the injectable form as by injecting the medication it goes to work directly and bypasses the first pass through the liver completely. Another important distinction is in the half-life; injectable Winstrol carries with it a half-life of approximately 24 hours while the oral Winny form as it is commonly known carries with it a half-life of approximately 9 hours. As you can see that’s a pretty big difference and administration will necessarily vary from one form to the next if absolute efficiency is going to be met.

As a DHT based steroid Winstrol is extraordinarily anabolic and only slightly androgenic, regardless of the form you choose this will hold true as will all other traits. As a powerful anabolic steroid Winstrol greatly enhances protein synthesis via its ability to dramatically increase nitrogen retention in the muscles all the while possessing no aromatase effects.

The Benefits of Winstrol

Most all steroids can provide quality benefits to most any cycle for any purpose; however, most anabolic androgenic steroids generally have one primary purpose and secondary characteristics that may be apt for another cycle. For example, the powerful steroid Anadrol is used primarily as a bulking steroid as its nature is best suited for this purpose, however, it does possess traits that can be beneficial in a cutting cycle when used properly; this is very common in competitive bodybuilding circles. Winstrol however is a little different; while its primary purpose is without question a cutting cycle and in the aid in athletic performance there is not much use for this steroid in a bulking cycle as it is not by its mode of action designed to build large amounts of lean tissue. Even so, regarding cutting and athletic performance Winstrol is often a fine choice.

The primary benefit(s) revolving around Winstrol are without question increases in strength and this can relate to physical power, speed and agility; further, as by its nature Winstrol can greatly enhance vascularity as well as promote a dryer and harder physique when body-fat is already low. While Winstrol will not specifically burn stored body-fat, most steroids won’t, it will have a very positive effect on this process. Winny is an excellent steroid for preservation purposes when in a caloric deficit as you should be if you are dieting and the more lean tissue we can hold onto when in this deficit the greater your metabolic rate will be, thereby leading to a leaner and harder physique.

The Side Effects of Winstrol

Like all anabolic steroids Winstrol is not without the possibility of negative side-effects, however, the effects are often highly overstated and can largely be controlled by responsible use. Individual sensitivity will also play a role and the extent can vary from one person to the next as this is the case with all medications, steroidal and non-steroidal alike.

As discussed, liver toxicity is a concern, especially with the oral form as the oral form is a 17-aa steroid. Due to this fact we will necessarily limit the total time of Winstrol to 6-8 weeks at a time in order to protect the liver.

However, while use will increase liver enzymes, in most all cases your liver will return to normal levels once use is discontinued and will never experience toxic levels anywhere near what daily alcohol consumption can bring and even regular use of many over the counter medications.

Beyond liver effects Winstrol does carry with it other concerns, Winstrol can seriously bring problematic conditions to your cholesterol levels as it will increase your LDL and decrease your HDL somewhat dramatically. However, as is often overlooked healthy eating that is full of Omega Fatty Acids can greatly aid in controlling this; no, it will not fix it and prevent your cholesterol from moving but it will keep you in the realm of safety if you are serious and disciplined.

One side-effect many speak of regarding Winstrol revolves around the injectable Depot form as injections can be very painful as is common with water-based steroids. Further, because most receive their Winny from underground labs, as it is a water-based steroid it is often a breeding ground for bacteria and is one of the most common infections inducing steroids due to this problem. For this reason you will necessarily need to stick with human grade brands that are manufactured in a sterile environment.

It should be noted although Winstrol will not suppress natural testosterone production to the degree of many other steroids such as Deca-Durabolin which will suppress all production after one dose, Winstrol will bring about some suppression. When you couple this with stacking other steroids and extended duration of use Testosterone supplementation is in most cases absolutely necessary.

Winstrol & Women

Most all anabolic steroids can lead to virilization when used by women (masculine effects.) As its androgenic qualities are low and androgenic characteristics can destroy a woman’s femininity Winstrol along with other steroids such as Anavar and Primobolan are often many women’s first choice. However, nasty affects can occur when the dose is too high and when used for too long and of course sensitivity will come into play. However, most women can safely and effectively use 5mg-10mg of Winstrol per day for approximately 6 weeks without any ill-effects. If ill-effects begin to show simply discontinue immediately, however, if you show negative signs, force the issue and do not discontinue use you may find the effects irreversible. While not as safe as Anavar in-terms of female use, when used responsibly it is a more powerful choice and often welcomed by many female athletes.

Winstrol Cycles & Doses

Most men who use Winstrol will find a dose of 50mg to be very effective and often all they ever need with 100mg per day being the max anyone will ever safely use. As injectable Winstrol has a 24 hour half-life we can effectively administer the steroid every other day efficiently, although most will prefer stable every day injections. As for oral Winstrol, as it’s half-life is very short, wherever your dose falls you will necessarily split it into two even doses throughout the day and do so every day while the steroid is being used.

Most will find Winstrol stacks well with just about any steroid on earth; stacks of Winstrol, Testosterone and Trenbolone are very common among many competitive bodybuilders. However, whatever your stack may be you will need to keep the duration to 8 weeks in-terms of a standard and safe time frame; some will safely extend into the 12 week range but this should be reserved for experienced users and only once you know how the steroid affects you.

As with all anabolic steroid use a post cycle plan will be necessary once use is discontinued. While there are many options the best post cycle plans will include hCG, Nolvadex and/or Clomid. However, some will choose to bridge with Winstrol in-between cycles, however, we cannot recommend this practice as you will be suppressing your natural testosterone production without any supplemental form being introduced and this can be very damaging.

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