Originally used for medical purposes, AAS (Anabolic Androgenic Steroids) have trickled down into the hands of athletes, bodybuilders and physique enhancers alike and those hands are not solely of those posessing a Y chromosome anymore!
Although this article is aimed towards women, it's probably a good idea for men to read it too. I'm going to give the women reading it a crash course in steroids, and introduce them to the preferred brand for use by women.
And, of course, in the world of AAS, counterfeit products are all over the market. More than one woman who thought she was purchasing Primobolan was actually purchasing testosterone, labeled incorrectly. And of course, with underground labs, a typical problem is overdosing also. Several years ago, a friend of mine was using 10mg Anavar capsules which were actually overdosed by 40%. What she thought was a moderate dose of 20mgs/day was actually a huge dose of nearly 30mgs/day!
To be perfectly honest, it's my opinion that (next to bad advice from men), counterfeit/overdosed products are responsible for most of the problems females have had in the past with anabolics.
Although more commonly used by males in the past, the gender barrier has been crossed and AAS usage by females is becoming extremely more common and beneficial for lady athletes, competitors and those looking to push their physique past it's natural level.
Typically, when the word "steroid" is used in the same sentence as "female" there are often gasps and looks of disbelief by ill informed passersby. This relates back to the most common mistake made by the female steroid using community: listening to the advice of men who lack experience and knowledge of the female endocrine system. Listening to bad advice by bodybuilders, self professed steroid gurus and those looking to perform some sort of science experiment with their girlfriend's body in order to create the hottest piece of arm candy to hang off of his 22 inch guns (I gagged just writing that).
Unfortunately, that is one of the easiest (and most common) ways for a girl's "Mack Daddy Bodybuilder and Personal Trainer of the Year Boyfriend" to write his potential success story: usually, it's a disaster. With out a doubt, women run a far greater risk from anabolic use than men do; but when a sensible, educated approach is taken, the female population can achieve exemplary benefits to both their physique and athletic performance through AAS usage.
Before we go any further let me answer a simple question: What exactly are anabolic steroids?
Anabolic androgenic steroids are synthetic (man-made) hormones, which simulate the effects of the male hormone testosterone, which has both androgenic (masculinization) and anabolic (muscle-building) effects in the human body. Testosterone is the main sex hormone produced in the male body and is responsible for the male characteristics, which separate the two sexes. Women produce a small amount of testosterone in their bodies; however, there is not enough natural testosterone production for its effects to be noticed. If a female wants the benefits of testosterone, she must rely on adding it synthetically through AAS.
Women experience both physical and mental benefits in the addition of anabolic steroids. Physically, when on a cycle, a woman will notice increased muscle mass, energy, endurance and strength leading to greater athletic performance and quicker recovery. Improved nitrogen balance and protein synthesis will lead to increased fat burning i.e. decreased body fat percentage. Also, increased libido, heightened sexual arousal and quicker, longer, more intense orgasm have been reported as an additional benefits by woman on a cycle of anabolics. Mentally, a woman often will notice feelings of well being, increased self-confidence, and less vulnerability. Female users considered increased aggression both a benefit and a negative side effect.
So what are these negative side effects?
Most of the side effects seen in women are manageable, and temporary. This is where precaution goes a long way. Women need to listen to their bodies when they're on a cycle, and they need to come off the drugs, regularly and periodically. As soon as any undesirable side effects begin, dosages need to be decreased or dropped completely. The most common side effects experienced by women are growth of body hair, and loss of scalp hair. Most women shave anyway so this effect is usually unseen or overlooked. Likewise, the loss of any hair from their head usually goes unnoticed because women have so much to begin with. Most scalp hair that is lost is quickly re-grown after cessation of the cycle. Temporary acne and slight clitoral swelling are also common side effects while a female is on a cycle of AAS, but as stated earlier, most women consider the temporary effect of clitoral enlargement and swelling to be beneficial because it makes it much easier for them to reach orgasm. It must also be noted that all negative side effects are related directly to duration, dosage and type of steroid being used. Women only need lower doses to see quality changes in their physique. Their threshold in which undesirable side effects are experienced is very low, so if they desire an increase in dosage, they must do so slowly and carefully.
Steroids recommended for female usage are the ones considered "mild cutting agents" by the male bodybuilding community including: Anavar, Masteron, Proviron, Deca and Winstrol. Each of the substances possess a very low androgenic rating while providing strong anabolic effects, which in turn means less risk of side effects (more commonly experienced with more harsh/androgenic compounds). There are quality gains in muscle experienced with out huge weight gains or water retention. In low doses, any of them are reasonably safe. Lets take look at each of these compounds more closely.
Anavar
Anavar (Oxandrolone) is used medicinally in the prevention of muscle wasting in AIDS and cancer patients. It is typically the drug of choice for female anabolic users and often the main drug used pre-contest for female figure and fitness competitors. This is due to the fact that it is a very mild androgen while highly anabolic. Therefore, virilization (development of male characteristics in a female) and side effects are rare. The most commonly reported side effect by females is a temporarily enlarged clitoris.
Anavar will produce strength gains, and as well as a "hard" look in the user. Anavar does not convert to estrogen; therefore there is minimal (if any) water retention experienced by the user. Anavar, which is commonly known as "Var" on the street, has also been proven to be a potent fat burner especially in abdominal adipose tissue. Despite being an oral compound, there is extremely limited liver toxicity experience with its use.
Females can see benefits at as little as 5 mgs of Anavar per day. A safe, quality cycle is recommended to be 10 mg's per day up to 15mgs max. Some of the gains from Anavar are kept upward of 1/2 a year post cycle.
Masteron
Unlike other steroids, which were created for men, Masteron was originally created for women. It is clinically used as an antiestrogenic treatment for estrogen dependant tumors in breast cancer victims. Female AAS users experience a double benefit with its use due to the fact that it contains both antiestrogenic as well as androgenic (steroidal) properties. Masteron is a derivative of DHT and has a lower androgenic rating (25) than almost every other steroid recommended as safe for female usage. The same muscle gain, strength and hardening effects are seen in Masteron as in Anavar.
A safe female cycle of Masteron should be to start between 10-25mgs every third day, and increase dosages from there if no side effects are experienced. Minimal side effects, if any will be experienced up through 20mgs, injected every other day.
