Best Steroids for Bulking, Cutting & Strength – Inside Bodybuilding

Anabolic steroids have become increasingly popular in recent years, with bodybuilding becoming more mainstream.

In this article, we will detail the best steroids, in terms of results when bulking and cutting.

Note: The most suitable or least destructive AAS can only be accurately determined on an individual basis, based on their existing health, and thus this post only serves as a general guide.

For example, one person trying to gain 30 pounds of muscle will prefer a different cycle to someone who wants to burn 10 pounds of fat and reveal their six-pack.

A person wanting to build large amounts of muscle can achieve this goal by taking various powerful bulking steroids.

A person wanting to burn significant amounts of subcutaneous fat may achieve this goal by simply taking Anavar.

Thus, in this article, we will make known the best steroids a person can take, tailored for their specific goals.

The Best Steroids for Bulking

Bulking steroids are essentially anabolic compounds that build significant amounts of muscle hypertrophy. They do this by increasing free testosterone, protein synthesis, and nitrogen retention.

They’re also very effective for increasing strength because of the weight and muscle gains.

We find bulking steroids are best taken in conjunction with a high-calorie diet to maximize anabolism.

The best steroids for bulking:

• Dianabol
• Testosterone
• Anadrol
• Trenbolone
• Deca Durabolin
• Turinabol

Dianabol

Dianabol, or methandrostenolone, is the most popular bulking steroid on the market.

Here are a few reasons why:

• It’s an oral tablet.
• It’s one of, if not the best, steroids for bulking.
• Its side effects aren’t overly harsh.

Although injectable Dianabol is available, Dianabol primarily comes in pill form. This is optimal for bodybuilders who don’t want to mess with needles due to pain or the consequences of a misplaced injection.

Many bodybuilders hail Dianabol as the best steroid for building muscle. Others may say Anadrol works better for them; however, this often depends on how well a person responds to each compound.

Arnold Schwarzenegger may know just how effective Dianabol is, with him and other bodybuilders (believed to be) using Dbol in the ’70s, helping him to secure 7x Mr. Olympia titles.

Dianabol is still the number one steroid in many professional bodybuilder stacks today, five decades later.

A first cycle of Dianabol commonly produces 30 lbs of mass and 70+ lb increases in strength in our experience.

However, these stats are applicable to newbies, and thus experienced users will gain less than this.

Beginners sometimes take a mild to moderate dose of Dianabol as a first cycle, as it is more tolerable than other bulking compounds, such as Trenbolone or Anadrol.

Dianabol Side Effects

1. Very cardiotoxic
2. Very hepatotoxic
3. Very suppressive
4. Estrogenic

Testosterone

Testosterone is a staple bulking steroid used as a base in virtually every steroid stack.

It is similar to Dianabol; however, testosterone is predominantly an injectable steroid and is less anabolic and more androgenic.

In terms of gains, the difference between the two compounds, with regard to anabolism, is small. We see users commonly gain 25 pounds from their first testosterone cycle.

A testosterone-only cycle is a very popular beginner cycle due to its relatively mild nature yet powerful muscle-building properties (1).

Note: Beginners typically only take low doses of testosterone (200–300 mg per week) to start with.

Testosterone is also an effective fat-burning compound (2, 3), helping to simultaneously lower a user’s body fat percentage while adding lean muscle.

We find that testosterone generally does not cause as prominent water retention or bloating as Dianabol or Anadrol. However, some fluid gain is normal.

Testosterone Side Effects

1. Very androgenic
2. Mildly cardiotoxic
3. Estrogenic
4. Suppressive

Anadrol

Anadrol (Oxymetholone) is a very potent anabolic steroid and arguably the best in terms of pure mass and muscle gains.

The reason why Anadrol isn’t listed as number one on this list is because we have ranked AAS in order of pros vs. cons.

Although Anadrol is slightly more powerful than Dianabol, we observe its side effects to be more severe. This is why it’s less popular and a riskier steroid to take.

Out of all the bulking steroids, Anadrol will cause the most weight gain (approximately 30+ pounds in a single cycle). Such weight gain is likely to be slightly more than Dianabol, due to Anadrol causing more water retention (which will be lost post-cycle).

We typically see testosterone levels soaring on Anadrol, immense strength gains, and pumps becoming very intense (or even painful).

Arguably the harshest side effect of Anadrol is an upward surge in blood pressure. This is due to the steroid having a drastic lowering effect on HDL levels (the beneficial type of cholesterol).

Our LFTs (liver function tests) also show Anadrol to be hepatotoxic and thus damaging to the liver (4).

Anadrol Side Effects

1. Very heptatoxic
2. Very cardiotoxic
3. Very suppressive
4. Moderately androgenic
5. Moderately estrogenic

Trenbolone

Trenbolone is a very powerful anabolic steroid that can be used for bulking or cutting. In bulking terms, trenbolone is one of the best steroids for building lean muscle mass.

In our experience, weight gain on Trenbolone is not as prominent as on Anadrol or Dianabol (because it doesn’t cause fluid retention). Also, because Trenbolone is a potent fat burner (5), the scales may not reflect the amount of size users actually gain.

Note: Because Tren only causes lean gains, the increased muscle size is more comfortably retained post-cycle.

If a bodybuilder measured the success of their bulk purely by weight gain, Trenbolone would not be the best steroid to take. However, if a bodybuilder measured the success of a bulk based on how he looks in the mirror, Trenbolone would be the leading anabolic compound.

The downside to Trenbolone is that it’s a very harsh compound and is only well tolerated by a few bodybuilders. Mental side effects, such as anxiety, paranoia, and depression have been reported by our patients, as well as decreased testosterone levels and high blood pressure. Thus, Trenbolone is strictly not for beginners.

Trenbolone Side Effects

1. Very cardiotoxic
2. Very suppressive
3. Very androgenic

Deca Durabolin

Deca Durabolin (Nandrolone) is a mild injectable steroid. It does not produce exceptional muscle hypertrophy; however, it’s commonly used in bodybuilding and makes our top 5 list because its pros largely outweigh its cons.

As far as steroids go, Deca Durabolin is one of the safest, with it still being FDA-approved (6) for the treatment of osteoporosis and anemia.

Thus, side effects on Deca Durabolin are minimal compared to other heavy bulking compounds.

The main side effects associated with Deca Durabolin are low endogenous testosterone levels and sexual function. However, we see that such side effects typically reverse post-cycle in a matter of weeks or months. Depending on how effective a bodybuilder’s PCT is, it will determine how quickly hormone levels normalize.

We notice that when Deca Durabolin is added to a stack with other bulking steroids, it slowly adds notable amounts of size and mass.

It won’t cause fast results as it has long esters and thus takes several weeks to peak in the blood. However, with an extended cycle and a moderate dose, Deca is very effective at adding moderate amounts of muscle and is an underrated bulking steroid.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and other bodybuilders back in the 1970s commonly stacked Deca Durabolin with compounds such as Dianabol, helping to create a colossal look that looked fairly natural and very aesthetic.

Deca Durabolin Side Effects

1. Very suppressive
2. Erectile dysfunction
3. Increases progesterone

Turinabol

Turinabol (known as Tbol) is a derivative of Dianabol. However, we find it to be a very contrasting compound.

Tbol does not aromatize, and thus it causes no water retention and decreases the risk of gynecomastia forming, which is the opposite of Dianabol.

Thus, the mass users pack on with Tbol are lean and dry gains, with their weight fluctuating less compared to a Dianabol cycle, where more water weight will be gained, resulting in puffy and smooth muscles.

With an 8-week cycle of Turinabol, we have seen users gain 16 lbs (7 kg), which can be retained post-cycle with an effective PCT.

Turinabol is a light steroid, so most users don’t experience harsh side effects. With Tbol being an oral steroid, liver toxicity is to be expected; however, our tests do not show hepatic inflammation to be excessive.

Turinabol is less androgenic than Dianabol, so we record fewer cases of acne and hair loss (although it is still possible).

Turinabol Side Effects

1. Liver inflammation
2. Increase in cholesterol
3. Mildly suppressive

The Best Steroids for Cutting

Cutting is a very important phase for a bodybuilder, where the objective is to burn fat while retaining muscle mass gained from the previous bulk.

Consequently, a bodybuilder will appear more muscular as tone increases and waist size dramatically decreases.

Our bodybuilding patients’ main concern when cutting is muscle loss, which can be prevented by taking the following cutting steroids:

• Anavar
• Winstrol
• Primobolan
• Masteron
• Proviron

Anavar

Anavar (oxandrolone) is potentially the most beneficial AAS when cutting.

It is anabolic, therefore users will build muscle during their cut, but it also has potent lipolytic properties, making Anavar an adept fat burner (7).

Users on Anavar will experience reduced subcutaneous and visceral fat mass.

A common complaint of bodybuilders cutting is depleted glycogen levels, resulting in muscle atrophy and a decrease in strength.

Anavar increases glycogen storage, causing exceptionally full muscles and large pumps during their workouts.

Anavar also significantly increases strength levels in our patients (8), which is impressive, as it’s typically bulking steroids that produce the most noteworthy strength gains.

Anavar also has mild side effects; therefore, we do not generally notice any significant negative reactions when cycling this steroid by itself. Testosterone suppression is not extreme, with levels recovering and normalizing in a matter of weeks (for most users).

Despite being an oral steroid, Anavar also does not pose great risks to the liver, as the kidneys help to process Anavar, taking the strain and workload off.

One downside to Anavar is the price, and it’s often counterfeited on the black market. If users are diligent, they may be able to obtain a cycle of Anavar for a couple of hundred dollars.

However, for pharmaceutical-grade Anavar, the price is likely to be several hundred dollars.

Therefore, Anavar isn’t the best choice for a low-budget steroid cycle.

Anavar Side Effects

1. Mildly suppressive
2. Some hepatotoxicity
3. Mild to moderate cardiotoxicity

Winstrol

Winstrol (stanozolol) is an anabolic steroid that works similarly to Anavar, building muscle and burning fat in almost equal amounts. Winstrol also does not aromatize (9), causing the muscles to appear dry and grainy.

We have found that Winstrol is slightly more effective for adding muscle for novice users than Anavar; however, it poses a lot more side effects.

On Winstrol, bodybuilders will experience heightened blood pressure, more notable testosterone suppression, acne, hair loss, and liver toxicity (compared to Anavar).

Winstrol also doesn’t produce the muscle fullness of Anavar, often causing the muscles to look flat or depleted.

However, Winstrol is cheaper than Anavar, making it a more affordable compound. Consequently, Winstrol is sometimes labeled as a “poor man’s Anavar.”. Nonetheless, Winstrol is one of the best steroids for cutting.

Winstrol Side Effects

1. Significant hepatotoxicity
2. Significant cardiotoxicty
3. Joint pain
4. Virilization in women

Primobolan

Injectable Primobolan (methenolone) is a very mild steroid in terms of side effects, first becoming popular in the ’70s during the golden era. It was rumored to be Arnold’s favourite cutting steroid.

We have found the benefits vs. side effects ratio of Primobolan to be very positive, hence why users often cycle it for sustained periods of time (up to 10 weeks).

Primobolan doesn’t promote water retention, making it beneficial for maximum muscle tone and a ‘dry’ physique.

We do not see Primobolan produce significant muscle gains; however, a subtle increase in muscle size is common when taking this compound during strict dieting. Fat burning will also be amplified, helping users swiftly obtain their desired body fat percentage.

Primobolan is often stacked with other compounds for enhanced results, such as trenbolone or halotestin (when cutting).

Note: The cost of Primobolan is high, similar to Anavar. We have found both to be the most expensive AAS on the market.

1. Mildly suppressive
2. Mild cardiotoxicity
3. Hepatotoxic
4. Mildly androgenic

Masteron

Masteron (drostanolone) is an injectable steroid that was introduced in the ’50s, and has been popularized in bodybuilding circles since the ’70s.

Masteron wasn’t formulated for anabolism but to aid women in their treatment of breast cancer.

However, due to its strong anti-estrogen effects (10), it was found to have a profound ability to increase lean muscle mass without water retention, making it a favourable cutting steroid.

We rate Masteron as a more powerful version of Proviron (which is listed below).

Masteron Side Effects

1. Very androgenic in practice
2. Suppressive
3. Mildly cardiotoxic

Proviron

Proviron (Mesterolone) is an oral steroid that can produce a dry physique with distinguished vascularity.

Proviron elevates the metabolism, enhancing fat loss while simultaneously producing marginal muscle gains.

Its effects, in regards to drying a person out, can be instantaneous, with Proviron working within a matter of hours.

Several of our patients enjoy its sudden impact on vascularity and thus take Proviron on the day of a photoshoot or competition to look increasingly ripped.

Proviron also works as a synergistic agent, helping to enhance the effects of other steroids when stacked with them. Proviron is often stacked with injectable steroids for enhanced gains, such as trenbolone or testosterone.

In terms of side effects, we generally record mild interactions, with it being relatively mild compared to other anabolic steroids. However, Proviron will skew cholesterol, increasing LDL levels.

However, Proviron is unlikely to affect blood pressure significantly due to its diuretic properties, and thus reducing blood viscosity.

Proviron Side Effects

1. Mildly cardiotoxic
2. Very androgenic
3. Moderately suppressive

Other Cutting Steroids

There are other drugs that bodybuilders use for cutting purposes to reduce fat mass (which aren’t officially steroids), such as Clenbuterol and Cytomel (T3).

Our patients typically utilize these before a competition to help them burn as much fat as possible. They do not have any significant anabolic effects; therefore, users won’t gain any notable muscle mass.

However, on Clenbuterol, users’ metabolisms will increase dramatically, causing a spike in calorie expenditure. While on Cytomel, t3 levels will increase, which is the powerful thyroid hormone that directly targets fat stores, causing significant weight loss.

The Best Steroids for Strength

In our experience, the best steroids for raw power and increasing PRs on compound lifts are:

• Superdrol
• Anadrol
• Halotestin
• Trenbolone
• Testosterone suspension
• Mibolerone
• Anavar
• All bulking steroids

These are often used by strongmen and powerlifters, as well as bodybuilders.

Superdrol

Superdrol is an oral steroid that is a DHT derivative (similar to Anadrol). It was once incorrectly marketed as a prohormone (in the early 2000s), with many people shocked by its sheer power.

Later on, it was revealed that Superdrol was in fact an anabolic steroid.

Superdrol is an appropriate name for this steroid in regard to strength gains. We see strength gains from Superdrol being so extraordinary at times that it can actually become dangerous (increasing the risk of injury).

Note: It is advised that users do not lift as heavy as possible when taking Superdrol.

We have known first-time users gaining over 60lbs on their lifts on Superdrol, yet experienced steroid users who’ve used this steroid before gain less.

Superdrol is a versatile anabolic steroid that can be used for bulking or cutting. Superdrol is very anabolic, often adding 12–15 pounds of lean muscle to users in a single cycle.

We could describe its effects as being the oral equivalent of trenbolone, but with additional strength gains. Superdrol would also be worthy of ranking high on our ‘best steroids for bulking’ list.

Superdrol can also be used for cutting, as it does not aromatize, increasing muscle hardness.

Superdrol is potentially the best steroid for strength; however, its side effects are also harsh. Our patients often use a liver support supplement, SERM, and a strong PCT for harm reduction on Superdrol.

Anadrol

We have already covered Anadrol’s anabolic effects in the ‘best steroids for bulking’ section; however, its ability to increase strength is particularly impressive (11).

It’s not uncommon for bodybuilders to increase their squat, deadlift, or bench press by 60 pounds on an Anadrol cycle.

The same precautions should be applied as when taking Superdrol, in regard to increasing the weight slowly and not lifting as heavy as possible to reduce the likelihood of injury. However, if the person taking Anadrol is a powerlifter, they may not be able to adhere to this.

Dianabol

Dianabol is also one of the best steroids for strength due to the increased muscle mass and significant weight gain it provokes.

Dianabol, in our experience, is slightly less effective than Anadrol for increasing strength, although certainly comparable.

Some users may find Dianabol to be more effective than Anadrol for increasing muscular strength; however, this can be attributed to the person genetically responding better to Dbol. Nonetheless, it is a steroid that enhances raw power.

Halotestin

Halotestin (otherwise known as Halo) is a popular AAS used among bodybuilders and other athletes, including powerlifters, strongmen, boxers, fighters, and sprinters.

Halotestin does not produce any noticeable muscle gains, making it less commonly used among bodybuilders for bulking.

Thus, we see Halotestin  more often utilized during cutting cycles, enhancing strength, energy, and aggression (as a result of Halo’s high androgenic rating).

Halo will also harden the muscles, as it doesn’t convert to estrogen, making it a visually pleasing steroid for cutting.

Some of our patients report feeling like ‘the Hulk’ on Halotestin, with increased levels of irritability and anger. This may be beneficial for workouts; however, users should be cautious about this steroid negatively affecting their personalities and close relationships. If someone is susceptible to angry outbursts, they should avoid using halo, as it may cause ‘roid rage’.

As a result of this constant amped-up feeling, Halotestin is possibly the best steroid to take pre-workout. The downside to this is that users may have more difficulty sleeping at night due to excessive stimulation of the central nervous system. Therefore, it is best taken earlier in the day.

Based on our SHBG testing, Halotestin shuts down endogenous testosterone production, so it is important not to cycle it for long periods of time and to implement a PCT.

We also see it having a negative effect on blood pressure, combined with strong androgenic effects; thus, it is not suitable for women.

Cycles are usually kept very short due to the toxicity of Halotestin.

We find it does not cause any further size or strength gains after 4 weeks.

Trenbolone Acetate

With Trenbolone being 3x more androgenic than Testosterone (12), its exceptional effects on muscular strength are not surprising.

Trenbolone Acetate is not only powerful for dramatically transforming a person’s body composition but also for enhancing strength, especially when stacked with testosterone or Anadrol.

Despite users experiencing only a moderate amount of weight gain on Trenbolone, we find it can compete against the wetter steroids on this list.

However, Trenbolone causes a lot of suppression in regard to endogenous testosterone (13), so it’s a steroid that should be used with great caution (especially when stacked with other toxic steroids like Anadrol).

Testosterone Suspension

All forms of Testosterone will be very effective for increasing muscular strength. However, Testosterone Suspension is a superior form in our experience.

This is because Testosterone Suspension is pure testosterone in water. Other forms of Testosterone are various esters, which the body has to process before they become active in the body.

Thus, Testosterone Suspension is the purest and fastest-acting form of testosterone, which requires two daily injections to maintain peak concentrations.

One of the downsides to Testosterone Suspension, other than the standard side effects of testosterone, is that it requires a larger needle for the injection. This is because the suspension is not micronized and is thus more susceptible to clogging syringes due to the larger crystals.

Mibolerone

We find that Mibolerone (dimethylnortestosterone), also known as Cheque Drops, is very popular in strength events (but not as much in bodybuilding).

This is because it works tremendously for strength but fails to impact a user’s body composition. It is often used as a pre-contest drug by powerlifters and strongmen.

Mibolerone is also popular among fighters due to the steroid clearing out of the body quickly, helping them go undetected during drug tests. This steroid also causes heightened levels of aggression, helping those competing in combat sports.

A major downside we see with Mibolerone is that it’s very hepatotoxic, causing excessive strain on your liver. Although the liver is capable of restoring damage quickly, this compound will test the organ.

Therefore, wise users will only utilize Mibolerone for a very short period of time (i.e., a few days before a special fighting event) and refrain from drinking alcohol during the cycle.

Anavar

Although Anavar won’t help users build exceptional amounts of muscle, it does have the ability to significantly increase strength (despite being a cutting steroid).

Ironically, one of its nicknames is the girl steroid, with it being utilized by many women due to its lack of masculinizing effects (14).

However, Anavar use is not exclusive to women, as we have treated elite male powerlifters who also regularly cycle Anavar.

Anavar’s ability to increase strength can be attributed to its unique level of creatine uptake inside the muscle cells (15), which increases ATP (adenosine triphosphate) production.

All Bulking Steroids

Any effective bulking steroid will increase strength significantly, as increased muscle, testosterone levels, and water weight will cause notable strength gains.

Examples of such bulking compounds can be found in the ‘best steroids for bulking’ list.

Summary

There are no best steroids when it comes to having optimal health, as every single AAS will cause multiple negative reactions.

However, cosmetically speaking, the best steroids to take will depend on an individual’s personal goals.

If they want to bulk up, Dianabol, Anadrol, Testosterone, and Trenbolone are all effective compounds.

If users want to burn fat, Anavar and Winstrol are suitable AAS.

If users want to maximize strength, Superdrol, Anadrol, and Dianabol can help achieve this goal.

However, the best steroid should not be viewed as the most powerful, but as one that can give users the most results with the least amount of damage.

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