Primobolan, also called Primo for short, has always been a compound deeply rooted in Anabolic steroid mythology.
A lot of people believe that it was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s go-to drug for years before he discovered the D-Bomb.
Well, if you look at Arnie in his teens, he sort of has that less-beefy, more vascular look which is what you can achieve with Primo.
Also, when Schering obtained the rights for the hormone in the mid-1960s, Primo was supposedly easily available in Europe. (1)
The dots connect. But we can only speculate, can’t we?
Cut to today, Primo is rarely used in steroid cycles because of its underwhelming effect, large doses and steep pricing.
But the fact is that Primo is a terrific compound that amps up the effects of all the other compounds that you are using in a stack.
If you are cruising on test, Primo adds the vascularity.
If you are running Deca, Primo gives you the libido boost.
If you are running Tren, Primo will keep your mood elevated making you feel great all day.
Also, it’s literally side effect free. There are athletes running a gram of this stuff without having the slightest of problems.
Why, it’s even been used to treat infants born prematurely. (2, 3)
Here’s the lowdown on this very underrated anabolic steroid.
Chemical Structure & Esters
Primobolan belongs to the DHT-group of anabolic steroids. There are two alterations made to the DHT hormone to create Methenolone.
A double bond is added to the Carbon 1 & 2 positions, and a 1-methyl group is added that protects it from breakdown in the liver. (4)
People familiar with the chemistry will notice that Primo is not a C17-AA steroid, which means that even if you use the oral version of the compound, it is not liver toxic.
There are two esters attached to the Methenolone hormone that are commonly available in the black market.
Primobolan oral tablets are Methenolone Acetate. The short-acting acetate ester is preferred by a lot of athletes despite it being a milder version of the injectable.
Primobolan Depot is the injectable version that is Methenolone Enanthate. The longer acting enanthate ester is slightly more effective as compared to the oral tabs. However, it is notorious for causing PIP, based on anecdotal reviews.
Dosage and administration
Like we briefly mentioned, this is one of the safest anabolic steroids in the world that has a proven safety record.
You can literally run high doses of Primo without the slightest of side effects.
However, if you have never run the compound, we recommend a 200mg/week dose for up to 12-weeks. This will give you a fair idea of the kind of results you can expect from it.
If this cycle is uneventful, which in all probability will be the case, then you can increase the dose to 500mg/week.
Then bump it further until you hit a gram or more.
For females 50mg/week is a decent enough dose to produce good results with zero sides. Some professional athletes will dose at 100mg/week for the enhanced fat loss and aesthetics.
When it comes to choosing between the oral and the injectable depot version, most athletes seem to veer towards the latter. But if you can get your hands on quality Primo oral tabs, then the difference is not really significant.
Brand Names
Primobolan is one of the most sought after anabolic steroids in Europe and there are several manufacturers, based in India, Russia and Thailand that manufacture both injectable and oral versions of the steroid.
Primobol from Balkan Pharma is a popular injectable brand.
Rimobolan from Bayer, Alphabolin from Alpha Pharma, and Primo Tabs, also from Alpha pharma are other popular brands.
Effects of Primobolan
Primobolan is often added to a cycle just to enhance the overall results.
If you are running testosterone alone, it can make you look puffy, especially if you are prone to water retention. Adding Primo will make your muscles appear harder and vascular.
Here are some of the results that you can get from adding Primo to your cycle.
- Fat Loss: As a DHT-derived steroid with a very strong affinity to bind to androgen receptors, Primobolan directly burns fat. This effect is very desired by a lot of bodybuilders and recreational gym users. Moreover, there are hardly a few anabolic compounds that can produce such an effect. Primo is one of the mildest ones out there.
- Moderate strength gains: While talking of strength gains, most people use Dianabol and Winstrol as benchmarks. There’s no doubt that both these compounds are the most effective strength boosting steroids. Primo on the other hand can also produce a moderate boost in strength and a significant boost in muscle endurance. Over the years, a number of athletes have been caught doping with Primo because it allows them to train harder without adding a lot of muscle mass, which would easily be detected. So, if you are looking at a side-effect free way to break through a plateau, this one fits the bill. (5,6)
- Elevates mood: Some steroids make you feel incredible. You just wake up in the morning ready to take on the world. Primo is one of them. There are some athletes who add a low dose of Primo to every cycle of theirs purely for the mental boost. If you are running compounds that can mess with your mood, like EQ or Tren, then adding Primo can mask a lot of those sides.
Safety and Side Effects
Primobolan is a very safe anabolic steroid even in performance enhancement doses.
It does not aromatize. It is not liver toxic. It does not cause water retention and high blood pressure.
The only possible side effects that you experience will be androgenic. If you are prone to male pattern baldness, then Primo will speed up the rate at which you lose your hair.
It can trigger acne too. But the chances of experiencing severe acne on Primo are pretty slim.
It does negatively affect your cholesterol levels. Your HDL levels in particular can get dented. But it’s quite possible to maintain healthy levels with some simple steps.
Increase your intake of healthy fats. Do your cardio and you should be good to go.
Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metenolone_enanthate#History
https://drugs.ncats.io/drug/0SPD480WFH
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14251577/
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Primobolan
https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/sports/a4161/4303395/
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/sports/baseball/10steroids.html