No, it would help if you never took Winstrol alone.
Winstrol is not anabolic on its own, and it would not be easy to have any positive effect without at least one steroid being present. The only exception is women taking the drug to develop muscles, but they should combine it with another steroid, even in this case.
Since Winstrol is so effective when combined with other steroids because of its ability to bind to the receptors responsible for muscle growth, athletes will usually stack it with oral or injectable steroids that are more anabolic. If your goal is to build mass when taking Winstrol, you need injectable or oral testosterone since these are the more anabolic steroids. Stacking with testosterone is the most popular combination, but there are others that you can consider. Equipoise works synergistically with Winstrol, so if your goal is to increase strength and build quality muscle, this would be a good choice of steroid stacks. Masteron works synergistically with most steroids due to its ability to bind fat cells, which allows for more efficient nutrient partitioning; however, it has the most beneficial effect with testosterone giving great results when both drugs are taken together.
Winstrol (Stanozolol)
It does not aromatize into estrogen, nor does it convert to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Therefore, it will only affect males who naturally have 5-alpha-reductase enzymes in their bodies. The result is that the hormone will not convert to DHT in the scalp and skin, which would cause pattern baldness and acne. Winstrol can prevent these conditions from forming, given its ability to lower DHT levels.
Winstrol – or Stanozolol as it’s known generically – is a popular anabolic steroid because of its ability to produce dramatic results without causing a lot of water retention. It doesn’t aromatize into estrogen, but it has a slightly more potent progestational activity than testosterone by stimulating the progesterone receptor. Unfortunately, such stimulation can promote female virilization symptoms such as deepening the vocal cords if a female takes the drug.
Winstrol is one of the most popular anabolics used among professional and amateur athletes. It’s the favorite of competitive bodybuilders when they need to get ripped up in a hurry before a contest or photoshoot. However, it’s also highly effective for non-competitive bodybuilders looking for quality muscle mass with limited water retention.
It can also be beneficial in specific athletic endeavors where speed and strength are necessary without all the weight accompanying large muscles. However, while it will produce some lean tissue growth, this isn’t its best attribute, so many athletes will only use it during specific cycles if they’re trying to increase their speed on the field or gain more power.
This steroid was first brought to market in 1962 by Winthrop Laboratories under the trade name Winstrol. Stanozolol is technically a derivative of dihydrotestosterone, although its activity is much milder than this androgen in nature. It’s also technically a member of the Anabolic Steroid Class because it exhibits anabolic tendencies; however, this effect is fragile, making Stanozolol more accurately described as an Androgenic Steroid.
There are many names for Stanozolol due to its many applications, including Winstrol, Stanabol, Stanobolic, Stromba, Azolol, Stanabolic, etc.
Stanozolol (Winstrol) comes as a tablet and suspension for oral administration. A typical dose is 0.5-2 milligram, but doses as high as 15-20 mg daily have been reported in medical journals.
Depending on the athlete’s needs, Stanozolol can be taken just about any time of day though it’s commonly divided into two equal doses per day to minimize liver stress. It’s also a popular steroid to bridge between cycles. This practice involves taking a low amount from one cycle right into another to keep all gains made during the first cycle while keeping estrogen levels very low so that testosterone recovery is not inhibited by estrogen rebound effects which would occur if massive dosages were used at the end of one cycle and the beginning of another.
It’s important to remember that the added mass gained while using Winstrol is not muscle tissue but water weight, so it’s recommended when discontinuing the drug that diuretics be used to avoid a lean appearance when the excess subcutaneous fluid has been lost. This does not mean an individual cannot gain any muscle mass while on Winstrol; it will just be minimal and nothing like what may be expected by those who only supplement with this steroid during their post-cycle therapy (PCT). Also, keep in mind that because it doesn’t aromatize into estrogen, there will be no noticeable water retention or bloating; however, users can still acquire a swollen look due to increased vascularity which can occur as blood pressure rises with this steroid.
Winstrol is one of the few anabolic/androgenic steroids that can be detected in drug screens long after use, so athletes should be careful when selecting what else they plan to use in conjunction with it. As a 17-alpha alkylated (C17-aa) steroid, Stanozolol is toxic and stressful to the liver, especially when taken at high dosages or for long periods. It’s also very hepatotoxic when used during pregnancy.
If you’re looking for quality mass with limited water retention, then Winstrol might be right up your alley. While it won’t add much lean tissue, the small amount added is quality muscle tissue.
If you’re looking for speed and strength without the weight that comes with muscle, then Winstrol might be right up your alley. However, it won’t add any lean tissue, so if adding mass is what you’re after, this may not be the compound to use.
The following half-life information was abstracted from a medical review paper:
Generic name Brand name(s) Half-Life Stanozolol Winstrol Depot injection 5 – 8 hours Stanozolol Winstrol-V 2 days (tablets/depot injections) 4 days (oral solution) Illbion 22 days Primobolan depot Methenoleen Malbolene 15 days Masteron propionate Drostanolone-Propionate 2 days Masteron enanthate Drostanolone-Enanthate 5 days Anavar Oxandrolone 8 hours Dianabol Methandrostenolone 4 – 6 hours.
While the above is commonly used information, it’s difficult to predict the half-life of any anabolic steroid because half-life can vary by up to 3x (or more) between individuals; some people are genetically disposed to retaining less water than others on Stanozolol. So, for example, Stanozolol has a short half-life for me but lasts for over 12 hours in another person; it also depends on the dosing and whether or not one was stacking it with other compounds.
Here’s information from a few athletes that share their Winstrol logs:
While official literature states its active life is only 48 hours, in reality, most men will find it lasts for about five days. It has a half-life of 4 to 6 hours with an injectable version and 8 to 24 hours when taking the oral tablet form. Anecdotal evidence suggests a slightly longer duration in some individuals, but maybe not hard enough to make a difference with daily administration. Some reports suggest the injectable form lasts as long as two weeks or more in some users, which would be unusual [5]. There is no genuine concern over even if you miss an injection here and there when using the injectable form. It remains active in the body for at least a week. The injectable version is best used every other day to maintain stable blood levels while using it as part of bulking or cutting cycles.
Although oral tablets such as Stromba and Oxandrolone will become effective within 24 hours, they won’t remain so for very long due to their short half-lives. As a result, these are orally active only if taken three times per day, with each dosage separated by 8 or 9 hours (if taking two daily doses). Athletes who take this route should be careful not to miss more than one dose, resulting in rapidly diminishing effectiveness, and noticeable changes to body composition would likely begin occurring over the next few days if even just one dose is missed.
Taken at 50mg once daily, the oral tablets begin taking effect in about one day but are only supposed to remain active in the body for up to 12 hours (based on C17-aa nature). However, some athletes have reported that this drug becomes much less effective if more than one dose is skipped over the course of a week; in this case, it might be wise to keep an eye on blood work to see if there are any fluctuations with values when using it closer to every other day. Nevertheless, it appears as though even when stacking Winstrol Depot and Stromba together, there’s no trouble with effectiveness between them.
While both versions will result in needed changes within about five days, the oral tablet version will remain active in the system for up to 12 hours, while injectable Stanozolol is only active for about five days. The oral tablets should be taken with meals, and they shouldn’t be chewed or crushed; this type of Winstrol is swallowed whole without being swallowed with water. To avoid any risk of damage to your stomach, always take it with food.
The oral tablet form also has a high likelihood of disappearing from the bloodstream relatively quickly due to its short half-life, so you must maintain an even level spread out over several doses per day if using this particular compound rather than taking all 50mg at once. For bulking purposes, every other day will almost certainly keep blood levels of this drug stable and effective, while cutting cycles should be done 3-5 times per week with the same dosage schedule. Remember that if injecting, lower doses of 30-50mg (2-3ml) will work best for these purposes; doing so will allow you to maintain a constant level of the compound in the bloodstream without risk of overdosing at any one time.
Assuming 50mg of oral Stanozolol every other day will keep blood levels stable within five days, maintaining a level for up to 12 hours and an injectable dosage of 50mg every other day (2ml) would last over a week since the half-life is only 4-6 hours; this combination should be enough to let you see results without having to worry about blood work. For bulking purposes, you could also use 50mg of Stromba 3 times per day with meals which would provide effective results in 8 days due to its short active life of only 12 hours. This is the exact dosage most women take, so obviously, it can be quite low depending on your gender and goals.
For cutting purposes, 50mg of Stanozolol Depot once per week would be effective since the half-life is five days. This dosage should be enough for most athletes, but if you need to increase it to maintain your level all week long, 2ml of 50mg every other day will work. Three injections of 25mg every other day with meals should also be quite effective since it will provide a steady stream within one week and remain active in the body for about 12 hours each time. This lower dosage can be used by anyone regardless of gender or goals, but 75-100mg every other day with doses not near the 100% full mark should keep blood levels relatively constant without the risk of overdosing and shutting down the body’s natural testosterone production.
There is a general rule of thumb for women who want to use Winstrol: whatever your total weekly dosage adds up to, divide that number by three and take one-third of it every day; if you do not see results, try increasing your dosage. For example, if cutting, you can use 25mg daily or three times per week with meals; anything more than this won’t be needed due to its shallow toxicity level in most athletes. If bulking, it would be best to break up the exact daily dosage into two doses, so it’s taken every other day instead of in one full shot, and for most women, 50mg/day will probably do just fine. However, if you find out your total is 100mg/day, half of that would be 50mg with two equal doses taken every other day, so you could also do 25mg with one meal and 25mg with the next. Remember that the more often an injectable version is taken, the shorter it will remain active in the system due to rapid breakdown by enzymes; this occurs with all versions, but some are affected more than others.
Winstrol can cause many side effects, mainly for extended periods or higher dosages. However, this does not mean everyone who uses Stanozolol will experience side effects, as genetics play a direct role in how anabolic steroids affect each person’s body. In addition, other factors impact whether Winstrol side effects occur, other diseases or conditions a person may have, and pre-existing medications that interact with the drug.
The side effects of Winstrol can be treated by stopping use and speaking with a doctor if they do not go away within a few days to weeks after cessation of treatment. If you are experiencing any of these Winstrol side effects, speak to your doctor about what you can do to improve your condition.