Estrogen Helps Gains?

I was concerned about bloat on-cycle, and alot of guys on these boards recommend taking an anti-e while on cycle to reduce bloat. (nolva)

However I was told today by a steroid-educated buddy that estrogen is key for making big gains, and that drinking a truckload of water and doing consistent cardio would yield much better results for reducing bloat...

Now im confused... what you guys think? :unsure:

estrogen does play a huge role for making gains....gh levels get higher......thats why i personally never use an AI like arimidex or letro......only nolvadex, which blocks it from attaching to the estrogen receptor