subject: Muscle Building Steroid Precursors [print this page] Muscle Building Steroid Precursors Muscle Building Steroid Precursors
I get the question all the time "Are steroid precursors really as good as real steroids?" The answer is a resounding YES! Let me explain something to you. Many of the products on the legal market today were categorized with anabolic steroids before the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). When congress voted to pass this as law, it literally emancipated pro- hormones (and some other naturally occurring substances) from being categorized along with anabolic steroids. In case you don't know already, pro-hormones are closely related to anabolic steroids. In fact, they are direct precursors to them meaning your body actually converts them directly into active steroid hormones once they are in your system. The DSHEA also freed up many other dietary supplements as well. The only reason pro-hormones are considered legal today is because their active ingredients are found naturally in meat and/or plants that we already consume.
Now, just like synthetic anabolic steroids, there are many different forms of pro-hormones, some more effective than others. And just like the steroids they convert to, they are goal specific. Meaning you take them according to your goal, some are better for cutting up and some are better for bulking up.
But let me set one thing straight. Dianabol is the Godfather off all "legal steroids". No amount of any other supplement will ever compare to a pro bodybuilder cycle of D-Bol EVER! With that being said, I think you can see where I am going. No professional bodybuilder could compete on stage without taking serious doses of some anabolic supplementation.
For everyone else the steroid alternatives market is making amazing advancements every year. DHEA to Androstene and Nor-androstene to the new boldenone precursor, I have to say these things really do work, again, some more effective than others, but they all really do work! Plus, when you combine them with the new developments in delivery mechanisms and make them more bio-available wow! Not only are there scientific tests to back them up, I get TONS of customer feedback each month with hundreds of satisfied customers. The pro-hormone market has never been so good! The question is, how long will it last?
Now - I know many of you only think only illegal steroids are the way to go. But I feel I would be doing many of you an injustice by not talking about alternatives at all. I put the OTC alternatives in this article because I truly think they have a specific place in bodybuilding. When used correctly, they can be a Godsend for anyone interested in gaining muscle, from the newbie to the serious steroid using bodybuilder.
To clear them up a little bit I have decided to profile some specific pro-hormones, but to see if there is an OTC alternative available for your drug of choice, just go to the profile on that drug and see the OTC section. If I left it blank it's because there is no alternative on the market worth mentioning.
Now to profile some common alternatives:
The chart below is a general explanation of how testosterone is produced in your body.
Steroid Hormone Flow Chart
CHOLESTEROL
>
PREGNENOLONE
>
PROGESTERONE
>
DHEA
>
ANDROSTENEDIONE
>
TESTOSTERONE
When you look at this chart you will see how testosterone is naturally produced in your body. The top of the chart you will see cholesterol. Does this mean the more cholesterol you have in your system, the more testosterone you will have as well? Not exactly! Cholesterol has many other purposes so more cholesterol does not mean more testosterone, but very low cholesterol could mean low testosterone production.
DHEA: The "grandfather" of all pro-hormones, DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) was one of the first to be marketed as a steroid alternative in 1994 after the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act (DSHEA) was passed. Basically, your body naturally converts DHEA to testosterone through a series of chemical reactions. High doses (l000mg+Iday) are needed to see any positive effects. It's still sold today but I imagine the sales are pretty low considering the number of better alternatives available now.
Androstene: "Andro" is the first generation of pro-hormones. It was actually developed by the German Dr. Charles Kochakian in 1935. Nowadays there are a few different forms of "andro". Even though they look very similar, 4-androstenedione (4-androdione), 4-androstenediol (4- androldiol), and 5-androstenediol (5-androdiol) are completely different substances. The problem is their names are directly related to their chemical structure and their chemical structures are nearly identical. Why so many and what is the difference? The reason is simple, continued development.., evolution baby! The same reason that over time, cars are generally faster, more powerful, and better than they were 10 years ago. Of course, like cars, there are some that never stop performing, no matter how old their design is. Androstenediol, even though it is a first generation pro-hormone, is still one of the most desirable. In general, Diols' have a higher conversion ratio, less occurrence of estrogen related side effects, and are more androgenic than the diones.
Muasle Labs USA Deccabolan is a metabolite of androstenolone and a direct precursor to testosterone. This means it is one chemical reaction away from being testosterone, one step closer than DHEA. Each time a chemical goes through a reaction to be converted into another chemical, some of it is wasted. And each time it is converted, the resulting chemical could be needed in other areas of the body, therefore producing more waste even though it really isn't technically being wasted. The more times it needs to be converted to get to the desired anabolic chemical, the higher the dose is needed to compensate for all the waste and still have enough left over to be converted to the end product. You with me? Basically what I'm saying is that by supplementing with andro, you are effectively removing the first 4 steps needed to produce testosterone naturally. Its like buying pre-made cookie dough instead of mixing it yourself only your body is the oven and the final result is testosterone!
Of course, using andro is not going to be the same as supplementing with testosterone dose per dose. The final result is relative. Assuming that 50% of the andro you consume will convert to testosterone, you would need 2x the dose to get the same effect as testosterone. Unfortunately the conversion rate is more in the range of 5-16% depending on the version you take and how your body utilizes it. So to get the same results as taking straight testosterone you have to supplement with much higher doses.
19-Nor-Androstene: "Nor-Andro' is converted the same way in your body only the end result is nor-testosterone (nandrolone). Nandrolone has a pretty large array of benefits and most consider it the steroid with the best benefit to side effect ratio, hence the popularity of DecaDurabolin. It also has its different versions of different 4 and 5 diones and diols, 19-nor-4-diol being the most overall effective of the Nor's with a 1 5%+ conversion rate. It also has a low occurrence of side effects.
5-alpha androstanediol: Although it looks a lot like 5-androdiol, it isn't. 5-alpha androstanediol is a precursor to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). 5-alpha androstanediol is bar-none the most androgenic of all the steroid alternatives promoting increased fat loss, tremendous muscle hardness, strength, and vascularity. Also, it's not able to convert to estrogen whatsoever making it an excellent choice to stack with any testosterone based product. Along with the good comes the bad. Maxteron, being so potent, carries a higher potential androgenic side effect. But like everything else in life, satisfaction is directly proportional with risk. If you aren't willing to take any risk, you will likely not have much satisfaction! Unfortunately, the biggest downfall of it is its lower conversion rate. Low conversion rates mean higher doses are needed to get enough of the desired target hormone to be effective, but because it is more potent than regular testosterone it is somewhat of a tradeoff.
Legal Steroids:
1,4-androstadien-3, 17-dione: My personal favorite of all the pro-hormones. 1 ,4-androdtadien-3, 17-dione is a direct precursor to boldenone, which is among the most popular and most effective anabolic steroids used today. It is used to increase strength and muscle size. It actually has a low amount of side effect even though it does convert to estrogen slightly. Actually, to tell you the truth, if you are looking for size, you will need to supplement with something that converts to estrogen, at lease slightly that's just how it works. The best feature about this precursor is the high conversion ratio combined with being the most orally bio-available of all the pro-hormones. There is one study in particular that shows a conversion ratio of up to 22% from a dose of 100mg, and the end result yielding 11% of the given dose as actual intact boldenone!
1-androstene-3beta, l7beta-dioI: This is the most recent development in the world of "pro- hormones'. 1 -androstene-3beta, 1 7beta-diol is a direct precursor to 1-testosterone. 1 testosterone is a metabolite of testosterone and has been backed by some research to show that it is 7 times more potent than regular testosterone! 7 times!! And it cannot be directly converted into estrogen so there are no estrogen related side effects directly related to its use. The conversion rate is considered to be pretty high too. I suspect in the 8-12% range, although this has yet to be determined. Some companies have even pushed the envelope a little further and actually put 1-Testosterone (not the precursor to it) in their products. Can you believe that? In technical terms, it is completely legal though since it's a metabolite of testosterone that is found in nature. Check out Mescle Labs USA for a complete line of Legal Anabolic Compounds.
Using Legal Steroids or Anabolic Supplements Together?
What a concept huh? Well, I have to admit, it's not mine though I thoroughly support it. In fact, if you aren't doing it you need do yourself a favor and start - RIGHT NOW! Using supplements like creatine, Multi Vitamins, Glutamine, ECA stacks, etc are, in my experience, a necessity if you want to optimize your cycle. And you do want to optimize your cycle!
My suggestions
>> Meal Replacements: MRPs are at the top of this list for a reason. Your diet is the most important single contributor to muscle growth PERIOD! If you want to optimize your steroid cycle, and I know you do, you need to eat right and eat often! And without a solid balanced MRP, the chance of you getting all the nutrients you need into your system is highly unlikely! I recommend one with a combination of different proteins (at least 35g) and with no more than 20g of carbohydrates. Also, be sure it has some fiber too. Those of you who have taken them know why I say that! Take 2-3 a day, depending on your needs.
>> Creatine: Yes! I added creatine to the list. You have to have something on your shelf when your mom comes over to your house to explain all the muscle growth right?! Just Kidding!! I really think creatine is important. Creatine is responsible for muscle energy, to buffer lactic acid buildup in muscles, and most importantly, to promote protein synthesis. These are all good things to have on or off cycle. Use 2-5g per day during your bulking cycles.
Another important fact about creatine - not all Creatine products are created equally! German Creatine is the highest quality Creatine available, and if you are a bargain shopper looking for the cheapest stuff possible, that is what you are going to get. You will get cheap creatine that is not even near effective. In the case of Creatine you truly do get what you pay for! If you read this entire site and walk away having learned one thing, make it this: It's not what or how much you take that's important, it's what you absorb into your system that is. I am a big proponent of liquid delivery systems for that exact reason.
>> Vitamins: I hate to sound like your mother but did you take your vitamins today? On or off of steroids vitamins and minerals are super important to your overall health. Most MRP's will have a good array of vitamins and minerals but even if you are using an MRP, a good multi-vitamin is an absolute necessity. Even when you are eating 4000-5000 calories a day, chances are you aren't getting enough from your food alone. Like the Creatine, I highly recommend a liquid multi vitamin too - they are 6-15 times more effective.
>> ZMA: ZMA stands for zinc and Magnesium Aspartate and has been used for years in strength and performance athletes. ZMA is one of my all time favorite supplements because it just damn works! The weird part is that you don't take it because you need an excess of it in your system to produce muscle. You take it because with large amounts of stress and exercise, your body easily becomes low on Zinc and Magnesium stores. You don't want to be low on Zinc! Not only is Zinc naturally anabolic, it also increases the effect of IGF1 and Testosterone! Why do you think Oysters are considered the number one Natural Aphrodisiac? Because they are loaded with Zinc!
>> L-Glutamine is an amino acid that is high demand during workouts and is really important during recovery to prevent catabolism. You probably already know this but amino acids are the building blocks of your entire body and area necessity for muscle growth. Glutamine in particular is important to bodybuilders because it plays a large role in protein metabolism and is the key factor in maintaining a positive nitrogen balance in your muscles.
>> EFA: EssentiaI Fatty Acids. These are the "good" (unsaturated) fats. A good EFA contains omega-6 and omega-3 fats. EFA's are important for natural testosterone production, insulin metabolism, fat burning, and in managing your cholesterol levels and when you exercise, your body uses them up. This is another one of those that you take in order to make up for what is lost during exercise. You don't want to run low on EFA's because your body doesn't produce them naturally. You have to get them from food (or supplements), that's why they are "essential". Basically, if you run low on them, you are limiting the effects of the steroids, and more importantly, the exercise altogether. So get a good EFA supplement!
>> ECA: Ephedrine caffeine and Aspirin used together is one of the most effective ways to burn fat. And it's a totally legal OTC supplement! The best fat burner right now is Clenbutrol by Muscle Labs. Using Clenbutrol along with Winstroll during a cutting cycle is probably the most popular example of using supps and roids together effectively to hit your goals. Trust me, every successful bodybuilder has used an ECA stack in one form or another.
>> Off Cycle Products: There aren't that many OTC products out there that are effective enough to be used between cycles of steroids or pro-hormones. Deccabolan or HGH Pro-Hormone by Muscle Labs are currently the only two off cycle alternatives that I would suggest. Intermission has 7 different ingredients that are used to stimulate natural hormone production. Deccabolan is an Androstenolone product that is a testosterone precursor.
