Disclaimer: The following article is for educational purposes only and does not promote the use of illegal steroids. If you have any questions or concerns, Dr. Touliatos is currently available for consultation.
Anavar (oxandrolone) was created in 1962 to increase lean muscle in patients suffering from cachexia (a muscle-wasting illness).
However, it wasn’t long before Anavar was used in bodybuilding due to its anabolic and fat-burning properties.
Anavar became an efficacious cutting steroid, displaying less toxic effects than other anabolic steroids. Women and children also experienced few side effects in clinical trials when taking therapeutic dosages.
Despite Anavar later being banned for recreational use, some male and female bodybuilders still take it today to increase muscle mass and definition and reduce their body fat percentage.
Today, gymgoers can purchase Anavar on the black market due to the difficulty in getting a doctor to prescribe it for anything other than a muscle-wasting illness.
So, we know that Anavar has been used for several decades in clinical research, but what do the results look like?
A user’s results on Anavar will depend on their cycle, dose, genetics, diet, and training routines. However, we see novices generally gaining 10-15 pounds of muscle mass and 7 pounds of fat loss from a 4- to 6-week cycle.
Below are the visual changes in body composition that men can experience after four weeks on Anavar.
Male Before and After (4 Weeks)
This is someone who has cycled Anavar (his name will remain anonymous). See how he looks notably more muscular after one month, especially in his:
Furthermore, his abs and shoulders are more defined due to considerable fat loss. This user transformed from looking bloated to lean and toned.
We have found this to be a typical transformation when combining Anavar with weight training. However, this before and after is unrealistic if Anavar is taken by a sedentary individual.
Female Before and After (5 Weeks)
This woman took 10 mg per day for 5 weeks. She lost a significant amount of fat, especially from the midsection, and gained notable amounts of lean muscle (which is evident by her body weight going up).
These results are typical of Anavar’s effects; however, if users eat in a calorie surplus, fat loss is likely to be less than those illustrated above. Thus, diet remains an important factor in determining body composition on Anavar.
A short Anavar cycle can significantly enhance a person’s physique due to the steroid’s simultaneous muscle-building and fat-burning effects.
Disclosure: We do not accept any form of advertising on Inside Bodybuilding. We monetize our practice via doctor consultations and carefully chosen pharmaceutical recommendations, which have given our patients excellent results.
Approved Anavar Source
If you suffer from cachexia or osteoporosis and require Anavar for medicinal purposes, we recommend Prestige Pharmaceuticals due to their product efficacy and fast worldwide shipping (2–6 days).
Anavar is legal to purchase in some countries and not in others; thus, it is the responsibility of users to act within the confines of their native law.
Inside Bodybuilding does not condone the use of AAS via illegal means or for cosmetic use.
10% discount code: Inside10.
Strength Gains
One factor that’s not obvious when looking at before and after photos is that strength increases. Despite being a cutting steroid that promotes lean muscle mass, Anavar is a potent strength-enhancing steroid (1).
We find this to be attributed to its distribution of fluid and increased uptake of ATP in the muscle cells. ATP is an energy molecule that’s been shown to increase muscular strength and endurance. Thus, gymgoers may feel stronger during workouts and be able to train more intensely (lifting heavier weights for longer periods).
Generally, we see beginners experiencing as much as a 20% increase in lifts from an Anavar cycle.
Thus, if you’re currently benching 200 pounds, you could be lifting 240 after 6 weeks.
When lifting heavy on Anavar, users may want to take ample rest in between sets, as pumps can become intense, especially in the lower back. We have had bodybuilders discontinue their workouts due to this painful sensation (particularly susceptible in the lower lats during deadlifts).
Protocols for Maximum Results
Male beginners typically take 15–20 mg/day of Anavar, lasting for 6 weeks.
If the dose is lower than this, the results will be lower.
Generally, we find that doses over 20 mg/day are unnecessary and will increase the risk of side effects without experiencing further gains.
Women, during a first cycle, may take 5–10 mg per day, lasting 5 weeks. One protocol is to take 5 mg during the first week to ease their bodies into a cycle and then take 10 mg for the remaining 4 weeks.
If a woman has taken Anavar before, she may start on 10 mg/day and extend her cycle to 6 weeks for further results.
Note: Women taking more than 10 mg/day or cycling Anavar beyond 6 weeks dramatically increase the risk of virilization, in our experience.
One of the reasons why Anavar is commonly supplemented with is because it produces positive results in women without affecting their femininity. However, if high doses are taken, they are more at risk of developing a deeper voice, smaller boobs, an enlarged clitoris, and hair growth on the body.
Anavar is generally considered “female-friendly” by our patients when taking 5–10 mg per day for 5–6 weeks. We see women noticing a few side effects from this dose.
Some females choose to stack Anavar with other steroids (for better results), such as:
- Winstrol
- Anadrol
- Deca Durabolin
However, such stacking will increase the risk of masculinization while exacerbating cholesterol and endogenous testosterone levels.
Legal Anavar Alternative
Anvarol is our recommended legal Anavar product. It replicates the fat-burning and muscle-building effects of Anavar, but without any unwanted side effects.
It is FDA-approved and can be purchased online without a prescription.
Anvarol is best suited for men or women who want to reduce their body fat percentage, whilst simultaneously increasing muscle tone and building lean muscle.
Negative Effects
Although Anavar may be a less toxic compound compared to other anabolic steroids, its benefits are not without risk.
Anavar will raise LDL cholesterol moderately, increasing the risk of hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, and myocardial infarction in vulnerable individuals. To reduce this risk, users may reduce saturated fat and salt consumption. Furthermore, we have found regular cardiovascular training to have a notable reductive effect on blood pressure in our patients.
Anavar can also cause nephrotoxicity in superphysiological doses. We have had patients develop rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure as a consequence of taking high oxandrolone doses. We also have observed incidents of this in clinical research (2). Such cases are transient in nature if prompt medical treatment is administered upon developing the following symptoms:
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle pain
- Swelling
- Vomiting
- Reduction in urine volume
Anavar will also cause elevations in liver enzymes, marking a degree of hepatic stress. Thus, it is imperative for users with compromised livers to avoid Anavar and other oral anabolic steroids. If an individual requires Anavar for cachexia but has compromised hepatic function, then injectable anabolic steroids may be more optimal.
Anavar may also cause masculinization in women; however, we do not typically observe this in therapeutic doses. However, excessive dosages or combining Anavar with other anabolic steroids such as Winstrol increases the likelihood of masculinization.
Users will also experience moderate endogenous testosterone suppression, which may result in temporary declines in testicular size, energy, libido, and well-being post-cycle.
Yes, typically we see users retain results from Anavar after a cycle. Typically, there is not a substantial crash post-cycle like other steroids can cause, making it possible to maintain size and strength gains.
The fat loss experienced from an Anavar cycle can also be maintained long term; however, a person should remain disciplined with their diet and training if they want to retain their results in the future. If, after a cycle, a person stops going to the gym and starts binge eating junk food, gains are likely to diminish.
One temporary effect of Anavar is water distribution. Often, Anavar will flush out extracellular water and shuttle fluid inside the muscle. This causes a dry and pumped look in the muscles. When a person stops taking Anavar, they won’t look as dry, and their muscles will not be as full. However, this only has a mild effect on a person’s overall appearance.
Due to Anavar’s hepatotoxicity, Anavar should not be taken with alcohol or other medications that can compromise hepatic health.
Also, users are advised to get their ALT and AST levels checked pre-cycle to make sure they are in a normal range.
Supplementing with TUDCA can offer some protection to the liver when taking Anavar, with a dosage of 500 mg/day being effective (3).
If you want the results of Anavar but don’t want to experience the same level of side effects, we recommend buying legal Anavar (known as Anvarol). Anvarol will not replicate the same level of anabolism or fat burning as Anavar; however, it is preferred by some bodybuilders due to a lack of side effects and its FDA-approved nature.
Co Authors :
For TRT inquiries, please contact Dr. O’Connor via the Anabolic Doc app.
Dr. O’Connor has over 20 years of experience treating men and women with a history of anabolic steroid, SARM, and PED use. He has been a board-certified MD since 2005 and provides guidance on harm reduction methodologies.
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