Deca Durabolin

For some reason, we love old school bodybuilding and old school anabolics.

Steroids that were ‘possibly’ used by the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Big Lou, Franco Columbia and Serge Nubret aka ‘The Black Panther’, who had the best physique that we’ve seen in a 63-year-old.

Their bodies were always more symmetrical as compared to the mass monsters that we see trotting the stage these days.

These were also the first guys who used steroids responsibly and are still around kicking ass.

Well, not Serge. RIP.

But the rest of them are.

And they occasionally still cycle. Lou looked huge and swole in that miniscule role in a Hulk movie a few years ago.

One of the steroids that was most widely used in those days is Deca Durabolin.

The good old Deca. The nectar of life.

Great mass builder. Amazing for joint health. Rapid strength increase. And yet, a lot gentler on your body as compared to the fast acting steroids that are more popular today.

Here’s a small guide to Deca for newbies who are either uninformed or misguided about the effectiveness of this amazing anabolic steroid.

What is Deca Durabolin?

Deca Durabolin or Nandrolone is a 19-nor anabolic steroid that’s derived from the testosterone hormone.

A slight modification to testosterone makes Nandrolone almost 2.5 times more anabolic and very weak on the androgenic scale.

There are various esters that are attached to it. The most popular one is Decanoate, which is a slow-releasing ester with a half-life of up to 12 days.

Like most AAS drugs in those days, Nandrolone was formulated and used extensively for therapeutic purposes.

It shows remarkable efficacy in the treatment of age related muscle wasting and osteoporosis. It may also be prescribed for general age-related weakness.

And therein lies the appeal for bodybuilders.

Deca is possibly one of the only anabolic steroids that you can add in low doses to a cycle, purely for therapeutic benefits.

How to use Deca Durabolin and the results of a cycle

Beyond the therapeutic uses, Deca has always been used as an off-season bulking steroid.

It allows for a steady increase in lean muscle mass and keeps the joints from creaking when the crazy exogenous hormones are not cruising through your system.

But like most people do these days on the internet, don’t trash it as a weak bulking compound.

Deca is far from it. When used correctly, it is one of the most versatile steroids ever that’s well tolerated.

The anabolic trio:

The first effect of Deca is felt in the anabolic trio. That’s increased protein synthesis, nitrogen retention and inhibiting glucocorticoids. These three actions completely change the way your body builds muscle tissue and heals after a heavy workout session. And it’s the synergy of these three actions that allow you to build lean muscle tissue during the cycle.

IGF-1:

More IGF-1 has a positive influence on almost every cell in the body. It regulates insulin resistance, reduces inflammation, is great for the grey matter, boosts your mood, lowers triglycerides, promotes growth and so on. The list is quite long to be honest.

Strength:

While it does not cause the freakish strength increase that oral steroids like Dianabol and Anadrol cause, Deca gives a nice boost to your lifts. You can feel it from the first week onwards and you can retain some of the strength even after you discontinue your cycle. Unlike orals which leave you feeling weak and unable to lift after the cycle is over.

Joint Health:

Deca will blow any painkiller medication that you are using for joint health straight out of the water. Even athletes with chronic back pain have mentioned that their pain dissipated within two days after using Deca Durabolin. It lubricates the joints and hence works very well with compounds like Masteron which dry you out. Irrespective of whether you are resuming workout after injury or have a torn ligament, Deca will put you back in the gym. 

What are the risks of running Deca Durabolin?

Deca Durabolin is generally tolerated very well by healthy adult males.

In fact, it is used for treating geriatric patients. So, it’s considered to be one of the safest steroids ever.

But therapeutic doses differ greatly from performance enhancing doses.

At a bodybuilding-level dose, you’d have the biggest problems from progesterone and prolactin.

Gyno and other sides:

Deca Durabolin aromatizes weakly to Estrogen but has a strong affinity towards progestin which can cause very similar sides as Estrogen. This means that you will bloat, get acne and if you are not careful, even gynecomastia. Keep an AI (Arimidex) or a SERM handy before you start any steroid cycle. For prolactin related sides, use B6 or Cabergoline.

Deca Dick:

There are various theories doing the rounds about the possible cause for Deca Dick or the inability to get an erection while you are using Deca. The most logical one is that Deca breaks down into DHN (Dihydronandrolone) via the 5-alpha reductase enzyme. DHN then replaces DHT in androgenic tissue in the penis and in other organs. DHT breaks down further into neurosteroids that have a calming effect and provide stimulation to the penis during sexual arousal. Without DHT, the penis lacks the stimulation and hence, Deca Dick. Many people club Deca with a high dose of test so that there’s more DHT in the body than DHN and they can keep the dick working.

Cardiovascular:

There was an old clinical study that claimed that Deca could be beneficial for the heart. The fact is that Deca will be harsh on your lipids. Not as bad as orals do. But it will be helpful to use supplementation with fish oils while you are using Deca.

Shutdown:

Deca will shut you down within a few weeks. That’s another reason why people stack it with exogenous testosterone.

Deca Durabolin Dosage and stacks

Deca Durabolin has a very long half-life of up to 16 days. This means that one injection a week is all you need for performance enhancement.

Start off with 300mg/week for a 16-week cycle. If you up the dose, reduce the cycle duration.

400mg/week for 12-weeks. 500mg/week for 10-weeks and so on.

Never exceed 500mg/week for obvious reasons.