anavar

[heater]

Alright, I'm about to start my var only cycle and I want to make sure I have everything correct. I am taking 5mg tabs. I take about 50mg a day right? and do i take it everyday even weekends? And for how many weeks?

[Demon Deacon]

yes even on weekends....what kind of question is that. Weeks is personal preference my friend.

[bd50]

how much do u weigh? 40mg/ed is the average for most. i would do 8-10 weeks. and yes u take them everyday, weekends and non-training days!

[bignatt]

i know a few bros that take only around 30mg per day and get good results......but 40 to 50 is good

[heater]

I am 6'2 198lbs. so about 50mg a day right?

[bignatt]

yes 50

[builtthekid]

ananvar doesnt suppress natural test production and it
doesnt convert to estrogen.

[Duke of Earl]

BTK -

ananvar doesnt suppress natural test production and it
doesnt convert to estrogen.

yes it does suppress natrual test production!!!
you need to do light PCT afterwards!!!

I love var 50mg ED (been doing it for 10 weeks so far....)

[heater]

what kind of results have you had?

[heater]

do you guys think i need some clomids after this run

[Duke of Earl]

I love var - strength is up = small solid gains + BF down a little
It kind of 'tidies' up my body....

[bignatt]

ya just light pct though run it like PCT for cycles 8-16wks:
Day 1-30- .25mg L-dex + 100mg Clomid + 20mg Nolva

[salu]

there is no need for l dex and nolva is enough

[bignatt]

thats true anavar doesnt aromatize

[spooledup]

I'm coming off an anavar only and just using 20mg nolva ED for 3 weeks or so.

I'm going to use it as kinda of a PCT on heavy short cycles of EQ and winny. Then follow it up with nolva. It really helps to maintain muscle while still letting endogenous test levels come back nicely. The sides such as depression aren't as intense when coming off a heavier cycle either.

[bignatt]

Do you mean that your using nolva only?

[Natural Mac]

Whats up with you guys? Have you not been paying attention or did you fail to comprehend the PCT FAQ. VAR does not aromatize. This means no Nolva, L-dex, or Femara is required. Natural Test is supressed slightly, therefore Clomid should be mandatory... if you want the boys to work to their full potential. Good luck.

[bignatt]

Whats up with you guys? Have you not been paying attention or did you fail to comprehend the PCT FAQ. VAR does not aromatize. This means no Nolva, L-dex, or Femara is required. Natural Test is supressed slightly, therefore Clomid should be mandatory... if you want the boys to work to their full potential. Good luck.

no nolva ......why not read this
Introduction

I have received a lot of heat lately about my preference for Nolvadex over Clomid, which I hold for all purposes of use (in the bodybuilding world anyway); as an anti-estrogen, an HDL (good) cholesterol-supporting drug, and as a testosterone -stimulating compound. Most people use Nolvadex to combat gynecomastia over Clomid anyway, so that is an easy sell. And for cholesterol, well, most bodybuilders unfortunately pay little attention to this important issue, so by way of disinterest, another easy opinion to discuss. But when it comes to using Nolvadex for increasing endogenous testosterone release, bodybuilders just do not want to hear it. They only seem to want Clomid. I can only guess that this is based on a long rooted misunderstanding of the actions of the two drugs. In this article I would therefore like to discuss the specifics for these two agents, and explain clearly the usefulness of Nolvadex for the specific purpose of increasing testosterone production.





Clomid and Nolvadex


I am not sure how Clomid and Nolvadex became so separated in the minds of bodybuilders. They certainly should not be. Clomid and Nolvadex are both anti-estrogens belonging to the same group of triphenylethylene compounds. They are structurally related and specifically classified as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) with mixed agonistic and antagonistic properties. This means that in certain tissues they can block the effects of estrogen, by altering the binding capacity of the receptor, while in others they can act as actual estrogens, activating the receptor. In men, both of these drugs act as anti-estrogens in their capacity to oppose the negative feedback of estrogens on the hypothalamus and stimulate the heightened release of GnRH (Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone). LH output by the pituitary will be increased as a result, which in turn can increase the level of testosterone by the testes. Both drugs do this, but for some reason bodybuilders persist in thinking that Clomid is the only drug good at stimulating testosterone. What you will find with a little investigation however is that not only is Nolvadex useful for the same purpose, it should actually be the preferred agent of the two.

Studies conducted in the late 1970's at the University of Ghent in Belgium make clear the advantages of using Nolvadex instead of Clomid for increasing testosterone levels (1). Here, researchers looked the effects of Nolvadex and Clomid on the endocrine profiles of normal men, as well as those suffering from low sperm counts (oligospermia). For our purposes, the results of these drugs on hormonally normal men are obviously the most relevant. What was found, just in the early parts of the study, was quite enlightening. Nolvadex, used for 10 days at a dosage of 20mg daily, increased serum testosterone levels to 142% of baseline, which was on par with the effect of 150mg of Clomid daily for the same duration (the testosterone increase was slightly, but not significantly, better for Clomid). We must remember though that this is the effect of three 50mg tablets of Clomid. With the price of both a 50mg Clomid and 20mg Nolvadex typically very similar, we are already seeing a cost vs. results discrepancy forming that strongly favors the Nolvadex side.


Pituitary Sensitivity to GnRH


But something more interesting is happening. Researchers were also conducting GnRH stimulation tests before and after various points of treatment with Nolvadex and Clomid, and the two drugs had markedly different results. These tests involved infusing patients with 100mcg of GnRH and measuring the output of pituitary LH in response. The focus of this test is to see how sensitive the pituitary is to Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone. The more sensitive the pituitary, the more LH will be released. The tests showed that after ten days of treatment with Nolvadex, pituitary sensitivity to GnRH increased slightly compared to pre-treated values. This is contrast to 10 days of treatment with 150mg Clomid, which was shown to consistently DECREASE pituitary sensitivity to GnRH (more LH was released before treatment). As the study with Nolvadex progresses to 6 weeks, pituitary sensitivity to GnRH was significantly higher than pre-treated or 10-day levels. At this point the same 20mg dosage was also raising testosterone and LH levels to an average of 183% and 172% of base values, respectively, which again is measurably higher than what was noted 10 days into therapy. Within 10 days of treatment Clomid is already exerting an effect that is causing the pituitary to become slightly desensitized to GnRH, while prolonged use of Nolvadex serves only to increase pituitary sensitivity to this hormone. That is not to say Clomid won't increase testosterone if taken for the same 6 week time period. Quite the opposite is true. But we are, however, noticing an advantage in Nolvadex.



The Estrogen Clomid


The above discrepancies are likely explained by differences in the estrogenic nature of the two compounds. The researchers' clearly support this theory when commenting in their paper, "The difference in response might be attributable to the weak intrinsic estrogenic effect of Clomid, which in this study manifested itself by an increase in transcortin and testosterone/estradiol-binding globulin [SHBG] levels; this increase was not observed after tamoxifen treatment". In reviewing other theories later in the paper, such as interference by increased androgen or estrogen levels, they persist in noting that increases in these hormones were similar with both drug treatments, and state that," …a role of the intrinsic estrogenic activity of Clomid which is practically absent in Tamoxifen seems the most probable explanation".

Although these two are related anti-estrogens, they appear to act very differently at different sites of action. Nolvadex seems to be strongly anti-estrogenic at both the hypothalamus and pituitary, which is in contrast to Clomid, which although a strong anti-estrogen at the hypothalamus, seems to exhibit weak estrogenic activity at the pituitary. To find further support for this we can look at an in-vitro animal study published in the American Journal of Physiology in February 1981 (2). This paper looks at the effects of Clomid and Nolvadex on the GnRH stimulated release of LH from cultured rat pituitary cells. In this paper, it was noted that incubating cells with Clomid had a direct estrogenic effect on cultured pituitary cell sensitivity, exerting a weaker but still significant effect compared to estradiol. Nolvadex on the other hand did not have any significant effect on LH response. Furthermore it mildly blocked the effects of estrogen when both were incubated in the same culture.



Conclusion


To summarize the above research succinctly, Nolvadex is the more purely anti-estrogenic of the two drugs, at least where the HPTA (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular Axis) is concerned. This fact enables Nolvadex to offer the male bodybuilder certain advantages over Clomid. This is especially true at times when we are looking to restore a balanced HPTA, and would not want to desensitize the pituitary to GnRH. This could perhaps slow recovery to some extent, as the pituitary would require higher amounts of hypothalamic GnRH in the presence of Clomid in order to get the same level of LH stimulation.

Nolvadex also seems preferred from long-term use, for those who find anti-estrogens effective enough at raising testosterone levels to warrant using as anabolics. Here Nolvadex would seem to provide a better and more stable increase in testosterone levels, and likely will offer a similar or greater effect than Clomid for considerably less money. The potential rise in SHBG levels with Clomid, supported by other research (3), is also cause for concern, as this might work to allow for comparably less free active testosterone compared to Nolvadex as well. Ultimately both drugs are effective anti-estrogens for the prevention of gyno and elevation of endogenous testosterone, however the above research provides enough evidence for me to choose Nolvadex every time.

bottom line is you need either one of them for postcycle therapy ideally both.like he said Nolvadex would seem to provide a better and more stable increase in testosterone levels, and likely will offer a similar or greater effect than Clomid for considerably less money.
oc Natl Acad Sci USA 76:4460-3,1079

[Natural Mac]

Hey Natt,

I've read that before. And time and time again your going to find people who disagree on what to run PCT, Nolva or Clomid (with regards to supressed natural Test). It has appeared that the majority of people around here tend to get better feedback with clomid over nolva. I'm not trying to flame anyone, but you shouldn't believe every "study" you read. Listen to what the experienced guys are going with, they know better. And, yes I know, everybody is different. People will react differently to different chamicals. But when I fisrt use a drug for a particular purpose, I am going to feel more comfortable using what everyone else seems to be getting good results from. Hopefully this clarifies my point... whatever point I was trying to make. Anyway, use what works for you. Good luck.

[bignatt]

I didnt post that to make you look like an ass i only posted it so this dude can research up and make his own educated desicion....i personally stilll havent decided which is better nolva or clomid

[heater]

well sh*t, more than I anticipated, but thanks!

[spooledup]

Do you mean that your using nolva only?

I not using nolva for it's anti-e properties, I'm using it to stimulate HPTA. Maybe if I came off a hardcore cycle without var then I would need something stronger. But thats my point in using var, you can retain gains to a better extent while allowing natural test levels to come up somewhat. Then use a light PCT to stimulate HPTA. Clomid has sides much worse as far as acne and possible eye complications.

[bignatt]

I not using nolva for it's anti-e properties, I'm using it to stimulate HPTA. Maybe if I came off a hardcore cycle without var then I would need something stronger. But thats my point in using var, you can retain gains to a better extent while allowing natural test levels to come up somewhat. Then use a light PCT to stimulate HPTA. Clomid has sides much worse as far as acne and possible eye complications.

agreed bro

[LoadeD_PistoL]

var won't do u much good if u r at least not a 12%bf imo, and running a samll dose of test along side it is the best thing u can do....Var alone works well on females...

[spooledup]

var won't do u much good if u r at least not a 12%bf imo, and running a samll dose of test along side it is the best thing u can do....Var alone works well on females...

Test is contrary to my goals. I don't like test and won't use test. Doesn't work for me at all bro.

And again no! Running test will defeat the entire purpose of my goal. And that is to let NATURAL test come back while just using var after an intense cycle. Your small test dose would keep you fully suppressed.

And var only cycles kick ass!