Anavar (Oxandrolone) is arguably the most popular steroid in the world, with large numbers of men and women cycling it. Some people love Anavar so much that they blast and cruise it, meaning they run it all year round like TRT (testosterone replacement therapy).
Many steroids are taken solely by men; however, Anavar is the exception — hence its nickname ‘the girl steroid’.
However, this isn’t to say Anavar is only for females, with many strongmen and powerlifters also utilizing this steroid, due to its positive effects on strength.
Anavar’s benefits are well-known — with it having the ability to increase lean muscle mass, whilst decreasing a person’s body fat percentage (at the same time).
Perhaps Anavar’s best trait is that it’s one of the safest steroids you can take.
It does not produce harsh side effects, hence how women and children have taken this steroid with great success in research trials (for medicinal purposes).
This guide is designed to help you run an effective Anavar cycle to maximize results; whilst reducing side effects (whether you’re a male/female, beginner, intermediate; or advanced steroid user).
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Taking Anavar by itself is an effective cycle, often used by beginners and intermediates during a cutting phase. An Anavar-only cycle will enhance fat burning, whilst adding some muscle mass when eating lower calories.
Women will typically only run Anavar-only cycles, whereas men who have taken steroids before are more likely to stack it with other compounds later on.
An Anavar-only cycle is one of the best protocols for beginners, because it’s a mild steroid and thus won’t cause dangerous side effects in first time users. Thus, it’s the perfect compound to use when introducing the body to steroids.
Sometimes people who are afraid of taking steroids (because of the toxic side effects), will simply run an Anavar cycle because of its mild nature.
For Men
This is a typical Anavar-only cycle for beginners. This would be a mild and suitable cycle for a first time steroid-user. The follow-up cycle to this may begin with a dose of 20mg instead of 15mg and may be extended up to 8 weeks.
Typical results from an Anavar-only cycle
For Women
This Anavar cycle is suitable for women who are beginners. It’s very important to be cautious in regards to the dose and cycle length for women, to avoid masculinization effects occurring.
Anavar is one of the best steroids for women, preventing any virilization side effects (such as hair growth, clitoral enlargement and smaller breasts). However, these adverse effects (although uncommon) are still possible on Anavar, when incorrectly utilized.
By following this cautious cycle protocol, the risk for developing these side effects will be extremely low; due to the small dose and short cycle length. Also, virilization happens gradually over a period of time, thus a woman can simply discontinue her cycle if she experiences any of these symptoms.
Typical results from an Anavar-only cycle (female)
Note: This cycle is only recommended for men, due to Testosterone causing virilization side effects in women.
If there’s a steroid besides Anavar that’s suitable for beginners to take — it would be Testosterone.
Testosterone is arguably the best steroid you can take, in terms of risk vs reward.
Testosterone will produce large increases in muscle mass and strength, with it being classed as a bulking steroid.
Testosterone does not produce significant strain to the heart, compared to other steroids; and it doesn’t stress the liver (with it being an injectable). These are the two most important attributes in regards to health.
In regards to side effects, testosterone suppression is likely to be more significant when stacking Anavar with testosterone. Also, cholesterol levels are likely to rise slightly higher, compared to taking either one by themselves. Androgenic side effects such as oily skin, acne and hair thinning (on the scalp) are also more likely with this duo.
The different types of injectable testosterone are:
- Test suspension
- Test cypionate
- Test enanthate
- Test acetate
- Test propionate
- Sustanon 250
These different types of Testosterone are all the same steroid, but with different esters, which can dictate how fast it’s absorbed and how long it stays in the body. The most popular forms of Testosterone are enanthate and cypionate, due to the price and ease of injection.
This cycle may be taken after an Anavar-only cycle.
This cycle will greatly enhance muscle building and strength gains, compared to taking Anavar alone.
These are conservative doses, and thus suitable for someone with little experience using anabolic steroids. However, such a cycle is not optimal for someone who’s never taken steroids before (in this case a stack shouldn’t be used).
This is the perfect follow-up cycle, to the first Anavar and test cycle listed.
This cycle is designed for intermediates who’ve already taken Anavar and Testosterone a few times previously.
Taking higher doses than those specified in this cycle greatly increases the risk of side effects, without much more to show in the way of gains.
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Not everyone is a fan of needles, thus below is an oral cycle of Anavar and Testosterone (Andriol).
Andriol is the brand name for oral testosterone, also known as Testosterone Undecanoate. For many, this is a more convenient method of administrating Testosterone compared to injections.
The downside to oral Testosterone is that it’s very expensive compared to injectable Testosterone. When you factor in the price of Anavar, this will make for a very expensive cycle (costing a few hundred dollars plus).
However, for those who want maximum gains (when taking orals), with as little risk as possible — this is it.
Many orals are very toxic on the liver; however, Anavar and Andriol are the exceptions. The kidneys help to metabolize Anavar, placing less stress on the liver; whilst long-term studies have shown Andriol to provide no hepatic strain. A 10-year study of men using Andriol showed no notable increase in ALT and AST readings (markers of hepatotoxicity).
Important: When taking Andriol (Test Undecanoate), make sure you take the tablets with a high-fat snack/meal. Aim for at least 19 grams of fat with each dose. Research has shown that the biological availability of oral testosterone is roughly 50% lower when taken on an empty stomach (1).
For Men
This makes for the ultimate cutting cycle, where users can expect rapid fat loss and significant muscle gains.
Anavar and Winstrol have many similarities, with both creating a dry and ripped look. Both are also oral steroids, used for stripping fat when cutting. However, Winstrol is the more powerful of the two; and not suitable for beginners due to its toxicity. Thus, this cycle is only suitable for intermediate or advanced steroid users.
Users can expect Anavar’s mild side effects, plus significant liver strain, testosterone suppression and cardiovascular strain with the addition of Winstrol.
Due to the harshness of Winstrol, this cycle only lasts for 6 weeks; with advanced steroid users often extending this cycle to 8 weeks.
This type of cutting stack may be used by bodybuilders when prepping for a show, aggressively trying to reduce body fat whilst hanging onto hard-earned muscle.
For Women
Winstrol isn’t generally recommended for women, because of its high risk of causing masculinization.
Thus, to reduce the chances of women losing their femininity, a very small dose of Winstrol is listed in the above cycle.
Despite a smaller dose, Winstrol will still produce significant gains due to the sheer power of the steroid.
This cycle is not recommended for female beginners. Instead, it should only be utilized among women who have already undergone several steroid cycles; or at a minimum have taken Anavar before.
The risk of virilization increases when stacking Anavar and Winstrol together, thus it should only be done in certain circumstances i.e. prepping for a competition and the stakes are high. If women are simply trying to get in great shape — Anavar alone is sufficient.
Clenbuterol is a beta2-antagonist (not a steroid), often used in medicine as an anti-asthma drug.
Clenbuterol is certainly a powerful addition to any cutting cycle, due to its potent effects on metabolism. Clenbuterol has profound effects on the central nervous system, causing the body to produce more adrenaline. Consequently, the body heats up and enters a state of thermogenesis; accelerating fat loss (at rest).
Clenbuterol has also been shown to have potent anabolic effects in animals; however, such effects are debatable in humans. Thus, an Anavar and Clenbuterol cycle will likely produce rapid fat loss, with moderate increases in lean muscle and strength.
Due to the stimulative effects of Clenbuterol, energy levels and motivation are also likely to go through the roof.
Clenbuterol, like Anavar, is available in tablet form.
Considering that clenbuterol is not a steroid, usual side effects such as gynecomastia, liver toxicity, acne, water retention, etc. are not an issue.
The main concern when taking clenbuterol is its effects on the heart, increasing a user’s heart rate significantly. Thus, it’s recommended to keep cycles short and to avoid taking Clen if your cardiovascular health is lacking.
As shown below, Clenbuterol is cycled in increments (by increasing the dose slowly every few days, until hitting a maximum dose). This is done for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, a person can gauge their sensitivity to Clen by starting on a low dose and building up slowly. Starting on a high dose too soon, may result in harsh side effects; such as shaking, insomnia and racing heart beat.
Secondly, people generally build up a tolerance to Clenbuterol very quickly; thus such an incremental dosing strategy can help users continue burning fat all the way through their cycle. This sample cycle lasts 4 weeks; no Clenbuterol cycle should extend beyond 6 weeks. After this time, the body’s temperature drops back down to its normal range, signifying a halt in thermogenesis (and thus fat loss).
The Anavar dose (20mg) lasts for 8 weeks. This dose is optimal for someone who’s already taken Anavar (or other steroids before).
Clenbuterol is a suitable drug for women, as it doesn’t produce virilization side effects.
Unlike with steroids, a woman’s dose on Clen is typically similar to a man’s. Women produce a fraction of the testosterone a man produces, thus a smaller dose of exogenous testosterone is needed to produce the same effects.
In Clenbuterol’s case, because it doesn’t affect testosterone (but instead the central nervous system), women often take an identical dose to men.
The Anavar dose below reflects a cautious dose for women, that would be suitable for beginners. A higher dose of Anavar may be taken for more experienced users — starting at 10mg per day .
Do you need to run a PCT?
Anavar is a mild steroid, thus running a PCT (post cycle therapy) isn’t as essential — but optional.
Although testosterone levels will not shut down completely, they will become suppressed and take several weeks to recover back to optimal levels. Thus, by implementing a PCT you can speed up this process.
During this time of recovery, users may feel tired, have a low mood and weakened libido post-cycle. Such after-effects aren’t just related to men — but also women.
This is because steroids also have a powerful effect on women’s hormones, with their endogenous testosterone levels getting sapped. Although women have far less testosterone compared to men, it remains an important hormone in their body chemistry; with various women reporting a mild ‘crash’ post-cycle from Anavar.
An aggressive PCT is not required after an Anavar-only cycle. Men can take Nolvadex (Tamoxifen) or Clomid (Clomiphene), to help recover their testosterone production; which is more than sufficient.
- Nolvadex should be dosed at 40mg per day for 45 days, with 2 x 20mg pills taken daily.
- Clomid should be dosed at 100mg per day for 30 days, with 2 x 50mg pills taken daily.
Users should start their PCT approximately 57 hours after the last dose of Anavar. Why 57? Because this is the estimated time that Anavar will fully clear out of the body.
You can work out when a steroid leaves the body by the following equation: 5.5 x the half-life.
Anavar’s half-life is 9.4-10.4 hours.
Anavar does not pose a serious risk to the liver when taken in sensible doses/cycles. Thus, users often take Anavar without a liver support supplement.
However, for those wanting maximum protection, TUDCA may be taken; which has been shown to reduce oxidative stress to the internal organ. Research has shown that TUDCA can significantly lower ALT and AST liver values, which are both signs of liver strain/damage (2).
If Anavar is stacked with other hepatotoxic orals, such as Winstrol, Anadrol or Dianabol — a liver support supplement is essential.
Where Do People Buy Anavar?
Anavar is illegal to use for bodybuilding purposes, due to the Anabolic Steroids Control Act in 1990. Therefore, bodybuilders purchase Anavar via the black market if they want to cycle it.
Buying from the black market in real-life terms means to buy from a person who deals drugs, or a website that claims to sell Anavar.
However, buying from the black market is an illegal practice, and comes with several other disadvantages such as — Anavar being counterfeited, spiked with dangerous substances and under-dosed.
Thus, some bodybuilders are using legal Anavar alternatives, such as Anvarol, which mimics the same fat-burning and anabolic effects in the body as Anavar. However, Anvarol doesn’t cause any side effects, thus you won’t experience any testosterone suppression or raised cholesterol levels like you would with Anavar.
Anvarol is manufactured by Crazy Bulk, is FDA-approved and available to order online without a prescription. Another benefit with Anvarol is that it’s considerably cheaper than Anavar, with the latter being very costly to cycle.
We recommend Anvarol (legal Anavar), ensuring our readers stay within the confines of the law and make gains safely.