Anabolic versus Androgenic...
First, I think we should ban the word bump - c'mon, guys, I've just done a find, and it was used 11 times thus far in this thread. :D
Now, a brief comment. (By the way, you're right, guys: I didn't see this thread - it's a matter of sheer volume.)
Anyway, it's all a matter of goals and objectives. This is why I stress this when people ask about a potential cycle, and why the goals-and-objectives factor is so important a part of the big picture.
Some people are seeking androgenic effects, and others are looking for anabolic effects. (Remember that my special interest leans toward the medical use of anabolic steroids.) Likewise, some people start out seeking the androgenic effects (by implementing the use of steroids under the umbrella of HRT, or hormone replacement therapy, whether it is due to delayed puberty or hypogonadism/andropause, depending on age), then realize that since they are using something that has both androgenic and anabolic properties (such as test), they may as well get some anabolic benefit as well as androgenic benefit.
The other factor about goals and objectives is whether you want to cut or bulk - in other words, to lose or to gain. Guys in their late teens and 20's generally want to gain pounds, while guys in their 30's, 40's, and above generally want to lose pounds. Sometimes that statistic is reversed, and it's a matter of coming up with an AS routine that will allow both cuting (fat) and bulking (muscle) - hence the increased interest we're seeing on some drugs (like HGH and, again, test) that will help reverse the body fat-to-lean muscle mass ratio. It's important to realize, however, that cutting and bulking are not always best accomplished together - sometimes it's more important to cut (through diet and exercise), then bulk through a controlled cycle.
I think it's also important to realize that it is a misconception to say that test or any other AS will affect the prostate; it's more accurate to say that it can or may affect the prostate. Or the liver, or the kidneys, etc. We err on the side of safety and caution - or at least we should do so - through lab testing and our own personal research, knowing that whatever type of cycle (if any) we decide to do, we should be making informed decisions. I've never had elevated PSA/kidney/liver readings from AS, but I still do the lab work to make sure it doesn't happen. Because if something happens 1% of 1% of the time and it happens to you, then to you the incidence rate has become 100%.
So what is the benefit of one over the other (androgenic versus anabolic)? It's so simple that it doesn't need to become complicated: It depends on your goals and objectives.
