Anavar or Oxandrolone appeals to a lot of athletes and fitness models due to the dry, shredded aesthetic physique that it is touted to provide.
Professional bodybuilders usually opt for something more potent and would expect you to do the same, if you read threads on messaging boards.
‘Anavar only cycles are for females brah! Use a Tren, Test Cyp and Deca stack. Throw in some Proviron for your dick and some winny for dry gains.’
But we get it. Not everyone has the same physique goals.
What would be defined as a good gains by an IFBB pro, might be too much for the average gym rat who’s just looking for some extra help to get those veins to pop or those six pack abs to shine.
Anavar ‘might’ be a good choice for you, provided you know how to use it and what to expect from it.
If you are one of the few who were always intrigued by the thought of an ‘Anavar only cycle’, then here’s the lowdown on this amazing compound.
Top three benefits of using Anavar
We’ll cut the scientific gobbledygook and come straight to the point.
What does an Anavar cycle give you?
Here’s what.
Lean muscle mass:
Anavar is a DHT-derived, C-17aa oral steroid that can help you gain a decent amount of lean muscle mass in a cycle. But if you are expecting to put a number on paper, that’s impossible to do because there are too many factors that can affect it. If you are a rank newbie with 1-2 years of serious lifting under your belt, who knows what to eat, then you can gain up to 6-8 lbs. of dry muscle in a cycle.
Veins:
If you have always been covered by a layer of muscle-coating lard, then Var will open up the roadmap. You will start to look shredded as early as week 2 or 3 of your cycle. The best part about Anavar is that you can retain your gains, including the vascularity for up to 24 weeks without many off-cycle compounds. Maybe some Ibutamoren between cycles and you should be fine.
Fat Loss:
Anavar is not a fat burner. But it does help boost metabolism and in turn, might help burn fat to an extent. If your body fat is sub-12, then you will really start to look shredded with Var.
Side effects to be concerned of
Don’t let inexperienced users fool you with glossy words. Anavar is an anabolic steroid and a very powerful one at that. You will experience side effects. But none of those are as severe as the sides that one experiences from other anabolic steroids.
Lipids:
Our primary concern while running Anavar is our lipids. Not hepatotoxicity, which surprises a lot of people. The liver toxicity part is hyped on the internet to be honest. But the part about lipids is not. Anavar and most other oral steroids will absolutely wreck your lipid profile. HDL levels will crash. LDL will increase like a weed on fertilizer. If you aren’t supplementing and keeping an eye on the levels, you will be in for the shock of your life in 12-weeks.
Shut down:
We’ve seen a lot of people mince words while trying to talk about suppression as if it’s a normal thing. Make no mistake, it’s not. Testosterone suppression is the worst feeling in the world, particularly when you have just come from a testosterone surge. It’s like going from the incredible hulk to a nursing woman in a span of two weeks. And Anavar will suppress you and maybe even shut you down by week 4-5.
Acne:
If you are prone to acne, Oxandrolone can worsen it. We’ve seen guys who couldn’t wear a t-shirt for months due to terrible acne on the back caused by their first Anavar cycles. Acne is a problem to consider even for women athletes looking to use Anavar.
Oxandrolone significantly decreased REE, RPP, and increased IGF-1 secretion during the first year after burn injury, and in combination with exercise significantly increased lean body mass and muscle strength…No deleterious side effects were attributed to long-term administration.
PMC
Is it really a mild steroid?
It is. But that’s because it doesn’t cause the side effects that are termed ‘severe’ by the general steroid crowd.
It does not aromatize and it causes very mild androgenic sides. So the risk of gynecomastia is almost zero. Ditto with hair loss.
These two sides are the ones that usually cause jitters to most athletes.
How to use it
Anavar is an oral steroid and it has a very short half-life. So you can divide your dose into two, and pop the pills with or without food.
The challenge though is to find pure, pharmaceutical grade Anavar.
Almost everything that we’ve found so far is under dosed or overpriced.
If you do find a legit supplier who gives you pharma grade oxandrolone for a reasonable price, marry them.
PCT with Anavar
We cringe every time we hear guys talking as if they don’t need to do a PCT with Anavar cause its mild.
You WILL need a full PCT as well as on-cycle support during your Anavar cycle.
While this isnt the most definitive PCT protocol, it’s a good starting point to go by.
- Nolvadex at 40/40/20/20
- Clomid at 75/50/50/25
- Organ ST during cycle
- Post CT during your PCT
Running Anavar Solo – Pros and Cons
Coming to the most popular question, can you run an Anavar only cycle?
Are the rewards worth the risk?
Our answer is the same. It depends.
Here are some of the pros and cons that will allow you to make an informed decision.
Pros
- Easy to use as compared to pinning
- Dry, shredded gains with very little water retention
- Zero risk of gyno, hair loss
- Reasonable amount of muscle mass
Cons
- High probability that you will be shut down by week-5
- Without testosterone, you might very well lose all your gains during the PCT
- Severe on your lipids
Anavar vs. Winstrol for shredding
Neither are cutting compounds. But if you are looking to draw a comparison between the two, then we would say that Stanozolol is a better pick if you are pretty lean already.
But if you are at say, 15-18% body fat and looking to trim down that waistline, go with Var in a calorie deficit.