I wanted to make a post for women (and men) to be able to get some information on common steroids women use with relative safety. And I'll also include some that carry more risk and are considered controversial for women.
To be clear, this will not be a scientific data filled post full of controlled testing, but rather some of my personal experiences with some of my female clients, friends, and family who use anabolics.
Over the years I have taken a huge interest in the subject, and I have done more reading and research on women using than men. It all started when a family member asked me for some advice. When I started reading internet articles from many sites and sources, to my disappointment, there was just not enough info for me to feel comfortable in giving any advice. Even in 2017, most all information is nothing but pure speculation and guesses, which isn't really advice women should take to heart. The problem is, it's all that is available, and that's disheartening.
I am not going to pretend that I am am expert on the subject, but I do hope that what I have to say will help many and also give confidence to women if they are considering using steroids to up their game. I also hope that it will give members some confidence in giving advice to those who need assistance.
This is going to be a list of commonly used anabolics used by women, and practical uses for each confound listed. Don't take any of this as if I am using clinical data to support many of these claims, yet if evidence is needed, I will be more than happy to answer any questions that anyone may have. I do have much information saved that does have clinical trials for many of these compounds I can dig up and will do my very best in giving the most detailed answers I can give.
Don't be shy in asking questions. Even for the vets and staff here, this is a touchy subject and there is so much we can learn because there just is hardly any good references for us to learn from, even though there is vast knowledge and information on use in men. What I'm getting at is that no question on this subject is a bad/dumb question. If there is any concern with what I say in this post, bring it up and let's all talk through it.
This is the basics of what I've learned over the years sumed up in a single post. I could probably write a book with all of the notes I have through asking women, internet research, first hand assistance, etc. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I do hope that it helps some of you and makes you more comfortable if deciding for yourself, or helping others who may be contemplating using.
So let me begin with the first compound.
Primobolan (primo)-
This is probably my absolute favorite steroid to start women out with. It has a low risk compared to some others that will be on the list. There is also room to play as far as a dosing protocol. Basically, there is room for error if one were to take it at higher doses that other compounds will not have.
It comes in an injectable (depot) form, as well as an oral (acetate) form. Something really interesting about the oral primo is that it's nor a C-17 alk like anavar or winstrol, so liver metabolism is not a concern. What makes this the most interesting for me is that other orals can be stacked along side it with minimal risks or side effects. For the most part, I don't ever recommend for a woman, who isn't competing, to stack any steroids together for a normal cycle. The potential risks far outweigh the potential reward. Primo is one such compound that I find ok in this area of use. Much like men use a blast and cruise protocol with testosterone being their base, women can use primo in place of test for the "cruise" and add other compounds for the "blast". If going this route, i would suggest keeping the primo dose on the low side, and any add ons i would recommend to keep them short (4 weeks). An example of this would be 50mgs of primo (depot) weekly or 50mgs primo (oral) daily, and "blast" with a normal dose of anavar or winstrol for 4 weeks. Once the 4 weeks is over, continue the primo and blast again once ready. For a 4 week blast, I would take at least 4 weeks off of your blasting compound. Primo is such an amazing drug and can be used for literally any goal a woman has. I will now list a common cycle of primo for a woman at any level of experience.
12 weeks of primo enanthate @ 50-150mgs weekly. Most women will find that 100mgs weekly will be sufficient.
6-8 weeks of primo ace @ 50-100mgs daily
Next up is the tried and true, seemingly most popular steroid for women, anavar.
Anavar (var)-
Anavar, much like primo, is often faked and you should have a reputable source! Anavar can be used for bulking, cutting, or just a recomp. Doses can be very low and will still give great results for women. In men, cost plays a huge role in its use, and in that, many men will say "it's weak. Its lame. Its not worth the money." Well, it's not weak, it's not lame, and depending on the goal, it's well worth the money. Men usually want to see sheer size when on blast. If they were willing to spend the money it takes for size, they would get it. But it won't be the size they're used to with things line dbol or anadrol, which is mostly water. Its lean tissue.
Ok, enough about the men! For women, its truely a versatile compound, but i find it is well suited for women who are looking to bulk. It really will add some quality mass to those looking for it. There is something about anavar that I find peculiar, and I have no idea as to why this is. Anavar in men seem to always add a little lean tissue due to the fact that it doesn't aromatize, and water retention just won't happen with it. But in some women, water retention does happen. I can't explain it, and used to think that they thought they had anavar, but was actually dbol or similar. After talking to women who compete, to female gym rats, I now know that legit anavar can lead to water retention in some. It is not common, and is quite rare, but it dose happen on occasion. If you experience water retention, it will subside. If not during cycle, it will once off, and the body composition will be better than it was when first started.
Most females start their steroid use with anavar due to not having to inject, and the fact that there is probably more information on it for women than any other steroid out there. I know many women that use anavar, and generally speaking, the average dose is 5-10mgs daily. I know a few that take it up to 25mgs, but anyone using it for an extended period of time at a dose over 10mgs will start to get virilization. It will also subside if you catch it in time and cease use. If you don't want permanent virilization, stick to 10mgs or less, or don't use it in long cycles. If one were to tinker with it at the 20mg dose, I would highly recommend going no more than 4 weeks total. 2.5mgs daily really is a solid dose, but in my opinion, I'm going to start a woman at 5mgs. If they tolerate 5mgs well, I'll put them on 10mgs the next cycle and unless they plan to compete, I'm not letting them go over that dose unless they make the decision to do so on their own.
A very solid anavar cycle for women will be something like this:
6 weeks @5-10mgs. If you wanted to use anavar as a blast along side primo as described above about primo, I would blast for no longer than 4 weeks. You'll get astounding results without too much risk of side effects.
Deca/NPP-
A lot of women are scared of nandrolone, and a lot of men are afraid to recommend it due to it being known as a popular steroid for men. Personally, I love nandrolone, and as many of you know, NPP is my favorite! But it is also a tremendous compound for women. I will always recommend the short ester NPP over the long ester deca in case side effects start to rear their ugly faces. The NPP can be stopped and side effects will start to diminish within a few days should they occur. However, if the long decoanate ester is used, and side effects show up, it could take a few weeks before they diminish. And by then, there is more long term risks involved. Don't be scared on nandrolone guys.
If used moderately, there isn't a much better bulking agent for women to use in my opinion. Keep the dose low and be patient.
A nice cycle for a woman would be something like this:
6-8 weeks (8 max until more experienced) @ 50 mgs weekly. Up to 100mgs weekly is generally fine and well tolerated, but you're starting to get into that risk/reward line and usually 50mgs is plenty. NPP is a fairly short ester, but it can, and should be pinned 2x weekly. I would dose it at 25mgs on Monday, then another 25mgs on Thursday.
Equipoise (EQ)-
I hate it, even for women. Its a long ester and the results, while usually better than for a man, still are subpar to anything else on the list. Plus, it needs 12+ weeks for a woman to see any real benefit. If you're an endurance athlete, it might be beneficial for that, but not for body composition. For the sake of an example cycle, I'll give one:
12 weeks @ 50-100mgs. This is just one of the compounds you won't catch me advising. I will help and assist anyone who is just hell bent on doing it, but there is much better options out there.
Winstrol-
Here's a unique steroid that does have a lot of good, with some bad. I have never experienced any water retention in women using winstrol, ever. I've known many women who do and have used it, and unlike anavar, I've seen nothing but good, in terms of body composition. I feel like winstrol is comparable to tren for women. In fact, I often refer to it as "female tren". It does in women what tren does in men. It dries out the body, making it an ideal pre contest prep drug, hardens the muscles, but can also lead to some pretty nasty side effects. Dry and achy joints, aggressive behavior, insomnia, and excessive sweating. It is also very harsh on the liver, and has a high probability of masculine inducing sides. Body hair, deepening of the voice, and virilization. These particular sides are more dose dependant, but they can come on very fast! Most of the women that I know who prefer winstrol over any other steroid have pretty deep voices. This is because they use it either too long, too often, or dose it too high. As long as you don't make winstrol a part of every cycle, you should be fine. And if you start to experience any of these side effects, stop the cycle asap. Body hair is common with many steroids and not usually a big deal. But virilization and a deep voice can lead to depression and regret. Not to mention the psychological trauma it may cause if ignored on cycle.
I feel winstrol is more geared to those who want to compete. I do feel its perfectly fine for the female gym rat to use on occasion, but I wouldn't make it a part of every cycle. In fact, I might limit its use to 1, maybe 2 short cycles a year of you don't plan to step on stage.
Cycle example for an average user:
4-6 weeks @ 5mgs daily (oral) or 10mgs eod (injected). If you wanted to push your luck, 10mgs daily (orally) for 4 weeks. If 10mgs daily for 4 weeks is well tolerated, by all means, go 6 the next time. If you wanted to compete, other doses could be considered.
Masteron (prop)-
Another steroid I really like. It can come with some risk, but it's generally well tolerated as long as the doses are reasonable. You don't need much! 10mgs eod is a good start for 4 weeks. You can extend this one at the 4 week mark if everything is running smooth. You can even up the dose if you're confident in it. Many women use it at 25mgs (or more) eod, but I find that to be unnecessary for most all women not competing or lacking in experience. A competitor may even use it as high as 200mgs weekly. I think 50mgs weekly will get any results you would want. Pin it 2x weekly in doses of 25mgs and you should be set! That is if you even need to go that high. I wouldn't run masteron much more than 6 weeks at a time. This is a great compound for cutting. Not so much for bulking, even for women.
Masteron prop #1 @ 10mgs EOD or 25mgs 2x weekly for beginners
Masteron prop #2 @ 25mgs EOD for intermediate to advanced users
Turinabol (Tbol)-
If you want to know about this one, feel free to ask. I find that with anavar and winstrol as an option, tbol isn't even close, when you compare the risk to reward. Its fairly mild in itself, so ask of interested. It does have its place for women. Especially if bulking, but it can be very good with cutting as well.
*TABOO/CONTROVERSIAL compounds for women
Testosterone.-
Perhaps no other steroid is more frowned upon for women than testosterone. And that's for good reason. It is usually the hormone that leads to the "freakish" physique many find repulsive. I'm not one of them, as i do respect anyone willing to build themselves up to the goal they wish for themselves.
Something to keep in mind is that testosterone plays an important role for both men and women. We can discuss it in detail, but for now let me move forward in describing its uses for women bodybuilders.
The average woman produces roughly the equivalent of .25mgs of testosterone a day. The average man produces 7-11mgs, rough equivalent. That's a huge difference and it is what separates the sexes. No bogus identity politics here please! Women seeking the "huge" status should at least consider using testosterone of they are serious about competing. To reach the sizes and proportions needed, all top women use testosterone. Even in doses that would make our jaw drop! However, huge doses aren't needed, and even very small doses are going to lead to masculine side effects, and these can be permanent. Risk to reward.... while some of the elites use man sized doses, even with long ester versions, I can't see why, nor would I recommend women to uses high doses. As estrogen can be hazardous to a man's health (hence why we use an AI), testosterone can be equally hazardous to a woman's health.
When cycling test, keep the blasts short. Very short. And ALWAYS use the shortest ester available. Test propionate would be ok, but test suspension would be the best. Even topical gels would get the job done. And since women don't produce testosterone via testes, there is no risk of an HPTA shutdown.
Test is as versatile for a woman as it is a man. It can be used to cut it bulk, and everything in between. A close friend of mine uses it successfully to harden up and lose fat. And she's got it down pat. I called her today to ask her some questions for the forum, and she said that even though she loses fat and leans out, it wouldn't be a good pre contest steroid due to water retention. The butt, thighs, and chin are specific areas she claimed to store water in. She uses the propionate ester and doses it on a M/W/F schedule. She uses 15mgs per dose, and has went as high as 25mgs per dose. She has remained very feminine throughout her years, and has what we would consider a flawless figure. During our conversion she gave her recommendation on cycling testosterone and approved of mine as well.
4 weeks test p @ 30-50mgs weekly (hers)
4 weeks test suspension @ 5mgs daily (mine)
She has never used suspension, but I have personally assisted in using it with good success.
I would not cycle test unless one had a lot of experience with anabolics, and were prepared for possibly irreversible virilization and/or voice change. It's going to happen, even if only temporary. I will stress that I would only use suspension as a woman.
*A note worth mentioning...While my lady friend is still feminine and gorgeous, she has caused permanent changes in both voice and clitoris. She's not a singer, so the voice change doesn't bother her (her words) lol. The enlarged clitoris is considered a blessing and she feels sorry for the normal women. Once again, her words.
Tren-
Yes, women use tren. While perhaps the worst of all for inducing masculine side effects, it is also one that I've seen produce the most dramatic effects in a very short period of time. It has the same risks associated with testosterone, only more pronounced and with an aggressive progression into side effects. A woman really needs to think over using tren and be prepared for irreversible changes to their bodies. Doses should remain low no matter the skill level or experience.
Tren can be used for as little as 2 weeks and a woman can get the best results of their lives. I only know one woman personally with tren experience, but I know of a few. I remember years ago there was a female member on this forum that used it frequently for contest prep. That was probably 8 or 10 years ago, and I can't recall her username. I didn't get to chat with the woman that I know, but I will of anyone would like more info on this compound. Tren is so powerful, and I cant even described with accuracy what I've seen it do. Literally she was unrecognizable from a distance in 2 weeks. It does the same thing in women as it does in men. Side effects and results are the same. The fat loss is unimaginable. I'll get into details of anyone wants to know, but I really need to wrap this up! Remember, use and acetate ester because you're going to want it to clear out as soon as possible. You'll also want to be able to drop it in case the side effects are too harsh. KEEP THE DOSES EXTREMELY LOW!!!
An example cycle would be:
2-4 weeks @ 1-5mgs EOD
A 1mg dose may sound ridiculous, but trust me, it's not! We started at 15mgs EOD and 2 shots in, dropped it to 5mgs. And 5mgs has never been increased by her again. 5mgs EOD should be more than enough! The woman on this forum claimed that she used 100mgs weekly, and maybe she did. But that's pretty hard to believe unless it was very short cycles.
I will admit that tren use in women is not something I know much on at all. As far as competitors go, I know it is used, but it's not talked about in the inner circles in the same way as others. Even testosterone is fairly common talk, but tren remains a mystery. At least for me. I do wish I knew more about it and hopefully one day I will. And if any of you guys know anything about it, please share!
Edit* - I would like to add a few common beginner cycles for women so that ideas and questions can be formed. Then at the end we can open it up to some Q&A.
Primo depot:
8-12 weeks @ 50-100mgs weekly.
I've yet to have a woman complain about side effects due to primo. While 100mgs may be over kill for most, my wife had used it up to 200mgs a week with 0 negative side effects. Most women that i know you use it usually claim 100mgs is a sweet spot. I'm not exactly sure how high it can be ran, or how long before potential side effects occur, or if they will occur. It really is a mild, yet very effective compound.
Anavar:
4-6 weeks @ 10mgs daily.
While many claim anavar is so mild that its effects are limited, I strongly disagree. And for women, the effects are very pronounced while still remaining relatively mild. I've used anavar with women more than any other and have found it can get a bit harsh. This is dose and duration dependant however. At 5mgs daily, I've had women run it up to 10 weeks with little to no negative sides. On the other hand, some have gotten increase acne and more sensitive in the nether regions after about 6 weeks. This has been rare. At 10mgs (nearly 100% of all of then claim this is the best dose), I've seen clear enlargement of the clitoris and deepening of the voice after 6 weeks. This is not so rare. But in all cases these sides do disappear quickly after stopping, even if ran an extra week or 2. At over 10mgs, virilization can be noticeable by the 4th week, as well as voice change. Many women who have experience with anavar will go up over 10mgs and eve venture at the 20+mg mark on a taper up dose. Doing it this way over a 6 week run would be more advisable if one wanted to use higher doses. Starting out at 20mgs will surely lead to the negative side effects too quickly to be able to run a proper duration cycle, unless the woman was not concerned with possible permanent damage/virilization and deep voice.
Ok. With that, feel free to ask any questions and add to if you see the need. If there is any specific topic or anything else I failed to cover, let me know. Thanks again!
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Originally Posted by MuscleScience
