Anavar (Oxandrolone)

Despite being one of the oldest and most widely used anabolic steroids of all times, there are a lot of misconceptions and myths being floated around on the internet about Anavar.

The so-called ‘Steroid gurus’ often trash it as a weak steroid, apt for women, which irks us to no end.

Then there are rank newcomers who want to run it solo hoping that they will make some dry gains while keeping their hair intact and without the risk of gynecomastia.

Then there are the third lot who claim to have run insanely high doses of Var and have gotten away without even suppression or the need for PCT.

The only thing worse than bro-science is half-baked facts. And that’s what’s being rehashed and peddled these days.

This Anavar FAQ aims to debunk myths and give you unbiased information about this very potent anabolic steroid. Let’s begin.

What is Anavar?

Anavar or Oxandrolone is a 17-alpha-alkylated (more on this in a bit) oral anabolic steroid that has very low androgenic side effects. It does not aromatize either which puts it into the ‘low risk’ category of steroids. It is generally used by women or fitness models who are looking for moderate, but aesthetic gains.

What are the benefits of using Anavar?

Anavar is a DHT-derived steroidal drug and is a powerful androgen. The effects of the drug are similar to other DHT based steroidal drugs, only milder.

Here are some of the results that are commonly associated with an Anavar cycle.

Strength:

Some users report a nice boost to their lifts by week 2. Others say that it kicks in by day two or three. It depends on how you react to Var and also the brand of the UG Lab that you buy. Nevertheless, you should feel the strength gains mid-cycle and it helps amplify your lifts.

Vascularity:

Those spider webs will start to pop out in a few days. And if you have never experienced steroid-grade vascularity, then you will be amazed at the results. Anavar is one of the only mild orals that can give you muscle hardness and vascularity by the way. The rest, including Winstrol and Masteron can be too harsh.

Lean Muscle:

It’s a given that you will gain muscle during your cycle. But it’s impossible to put a number to the gains because it depends on a lot of factors. If you have your diet sorted and are eating in a slight, or even a large surplus, you will gain up to 8-9 lbs. of lean muscle during your cycle. One of the reasons why people call Anavar weak is because it does not cause a dramatic weight gain like Dianabol or Anadrol does. But the gains that you make will be dry, without intracellular water retention. In other words, keep-able gains.

What are the side effects of Anavar?

Just the other day, someone on a messaging board called Anavar ‘safer than baby food’.

While we understand the jest in that statement, it’s an irresponsible and a misleading one. Because it can mislead newbies into thinking that the steroid does not cause any side effects.

That’s not the case.

Here are some of the side effects of Anavar.

Liver toxicity:

Being a 17-alpha-alkylated anabolic steroid, Anavar is liver toxic. But it’s not toxic enough to give you nightmares. It might make your liver values appear all over the place. But skewed liver values do not necessarily indicate liver damage. What’s funny is that Anavar has been used to treat alcohol-induced liver damage at doses exceeding 80mg/ED.

We conclude that the addition of nutritional supplementation and oxandrolone to standard therapy of moderately severe or severe alcoholic hepatitis is well tolerated, and leads to more rapid improvement in the laboratory parameters measured.

A randomized, controlled trial of treatment of alcoholic hepatitis with parenteral nutrition and oxandrolone. I. Short-term effects on liver function.

Be prudent, take your ancillaries. Your TUDCA, ALA and N2guard should be taken throughout the cycle and stay off alcohol. You should be fine.

Lipids:

Anavar will increase your bad cholesterol (LDL) while reducing the good cholesterol (HDL). If you are using it for short cycles, you can control the damage by following a cholesterol-friendly diet. Ensure that you are supplementing with heart-friendly oils (flax seed or fish oil). Add SR9009 or Stenabolic to your cycle. This is a very powerful compound that helps reduce LDL and triglycerides.

Oily Skin:

One of the commonest effects of Anavar is oily skin. This is individualistic. Some people do not experience it while others feel as bad as a perpetual oil slick.

Anavar does not cause gynecomastia. Nor will it cause acne or baldness unless you are a magnet for the slightest androgenic side effect.

What is the ideal dosage for Anavar?

Again, that’s widely debated. Experienced users consider any dose below 70mg/ED as pointless or too mild to produce significant gains.

But the gains start to taper after 80mg/day. So, if this is the first time you are using Anavar, we recommend that you start with 40-50mg/day.

Increase it to 70mg/day after a week or two if you do not experience any side effects.

Can you run Anavar solo?

Absolutely. We disagree with the theory that Anavar cannot be used solo. It is perfectly fine to run a solo Anavar cycle. The only thing to keep in mind is that you need to have realistic expectations with it.

Don’t expect to gain a boatload of muscle. Will not happen. You will gain some lean muscle, you will look shredded and your muscles will be hard.

Also, if you get suppressed, (Even a 2.5mg/ED dose can cause suppression in some people), you will mostly be unable to retain the limited gains that you make with Anavar.

That’s the reason why experienced steroid users harp on using Anavar with a mild dose of testosterone. Even a TRT dose will allow you to keep your gains, will prevent the side effects of suppression and will give you much better results than what you’d get with Anavar solo.

What are some Anavar stacks?

Lean Muscle Stack: Anavar at 40mg/ED, Test-Prop at 200mg/week and Tren Enanthate at 200mg/week.

Body Recomp stack: Anavar at 40mg/ED, Test-Cyp at 200mg/week, Proviron at 50mg/day, Tren Acetate at 300mg/week.

Beginner Stack: Anavar at 50mg/ED, Test-Cyp at 200mg/week. Nolva at 50mg/ED for 2-weeks post cycle.