If you’re serious about bodybuilding, you’ve probably already heard the name Dianabol — one of the most popular choices of steroid for bodybuilders over decades. Even with its fame, everyone at some point will ask the question: what exactly is Dianabol?

Dianabol is one brand name of Metandienone, an androgen and anabolic steroid. It is used in order to help promote muscle development, and if taken correctly, it can significantly speed up muscle growth. It is also often referred to as Dbol.

With changing rules and emerging alternatives out there, it can be difficult to know where to start. Keep reading to understand more about how Dianabol works and what its impact can be on the effectiveness of building lean muscle mass.

How Does Dianabol Work?

The purpose of Dianabol as an anabolic steroid is to mimic the properties of testosterone, with a focus on two areas.

  • Maximize the anabolic effects
  • Minimize the androgenic effects

Anabolic Effects

The anabolic effects of Dianabol relate to its ability to increase the focus of the body’s activity — the metabolism — on the biosynthesis of complex molecules. These complex molecules include proteins, and protein synthesis is a core element of building muscle in the body, which aligns with the core aim of increasing lean muscle mass.

Dianabol has been shown to be very effective in its anabolic effects, showing an impact twice that of testosterone. It achieves this by increasing the body’s retention of nitrogen, which is a core ingredient of amino acids — the building blocks of protein.

When effective, the body is said to be in an anabolic state, and this is the state that bodybuilders try to maintain in their cycle to maximize the gains in lean muscle mass they are able to make as a result.

Androgenic Effects

The androgenic effects of Dianabol are the same type of effects as testosterone, such as acne, oily skin, and high blood pressure. These are the primary cause of side effects typically associated with steroid use. Another reason for the popularity of Dianabol is that it has approximately half the androgenic effect of testosterone.

How Is Dianabol Taken?

Dianabol can be taken in a number of different ways.

  • Pills
  • Injections
  • Transdermal Patches

Each works in a different way to bring its active ingredient — the Metandienone — into the body.

Pills

Taking Dianabol orally in pill form is by far the most common way that Dianabol is used. This is, in fact, one of the most significant reasons for the steroid’s popularity, it being the first main alternative to steroid injections. Dianabol pills are typically manufactured in a heart shape and often colored blue.

Injections

Less common than the pill form, injections are another way of taking Dianabol. The impact is the same, with the faster uptake of the drug having only a minor impact on its efficacy.

Transdermal Patches

These patches are a far less common way for the body to take on Dianabol but provide a non-invasive and painless method of drug delivery. They work by applying a medical adhesive to the skin in a place on the body where the full patch will have a good connection with the skin’s surface.

The patches hold the Dianabol chemical inside until attached to the skin, at which point they start to permeate the drug into the bloodstream.

How Much Dianabol Do Users Take?

The dosage for Dianabol can vary depending upon the user’s tolerance and the desired effects. A typical dosage is generally considered to be between 15mg and 30mg per day; however, beginners generally start at a lower level — around 10-20mg per day. Some users report taking higher doses, but this does also increase the risk of side effects.

 

When taking Dianabol, it is important to consider that it has a short half-life in the body, meaning that the time it takes for the body to process half of the current amount is relatively low. As a result, many users look to split their dose throughout the day in order to maintain a more consistent level of the drug in their system. In some cases, this may mean cutting the pills up into smaller doses in order to take a small dose every few hours.

Dianabol is also usually taken in ‘cycles.’ This is a way of trying to minimize any negative effects of the drug on the body over the longer term.

Cycles

The consensus among bodybuilding enthusiasts is that Dianabol should be taken in cycles. This means the steroid is taken for a number of weeks before stopping for an extended period. This is for a number of reasons:

  • Reduction of adverse effects
  • Reduction of tolerance development
  • Time peak performance during competition

 

The most important benefit of cycling is the reduction of side effects of anabolic steroid use, such as damage to the liver and kidneys, as well as reducing the amount of naturally produced testosterone in the body.

What Can Be Stacked With A Dianabol Cycle?

Dianabol does not need to be stacked with another steroid; however, when experienced bodybuilders do this, there are three common pairings:

  • Testosterone
  • Deca Durabolin
  • Anadrol

Stacking Testosterone and Dianabol

Testosterone and Dianabol are an effective duo, with this being a common choice for beginners. That said, in all cases, dosing should be very conservative in order to build up experience with the effects.

Stacking Deca Durabolin and Dianabol

Deca Durabolin is better known by the popular brand name, Nandrolone. It is not c-17 alpha-alkylated, meaning that it does not have the same risks to the liver associated with some other steroids.

This duo has been a popular stacking choice since the 1970s and, with cautious dosing, is a common starting stack for relative beginners.

Stacking Anadrol and Dianabol

Similarly to Dianabol, Anadrol can take its toll on the liver. This attribute is called having high hepatotoxicity. In light of both steroids having this attribute, it is not recommended that they be stacked together, despite it being a relatively common choice.

If a user decides to stack Anadrol and Dianabol, it should be with very conservative dosing and for a very short period of time. This will also reduce the chance of significant growth in breast tissue as a result of the estrogen produced by the body.

How Much Muscle Can You Gain With Dianabol?

In order to maximize the gains in muscle mass for using Dianabol, users have to take ensure that their training is adjusted to make the most of the uplift in strength it provides over a relatively short period of time.

 

Users have reported gains in strength of as much as 30lbs to their bench press within just the first week of Dianabol usage. This means that the exercises being undertaken also need to adapt to ensure the highest level of muscle growth as a result.

Provided the training undertaken by the Dianabol user has adapted accordingly, it’s typical for a lifter to experience a 20lb increase in lean muscle mass in just the first thirty days, along with some water retention. Over a six-week cycle, this increases to 30lb.

It’s important to bear in mind, however, that results can vary between users. Depending on the dosage, overall fitness levels as well as the natural response each person has, results might be less or more than what is typical.

How Long Does Dianabol Take to Show Results?

Understandably, one of the most common questions when it comes to steroid usage is how long the results take. The first physical recognition of the impact of Dianabol often shows itself in three ways:

  • An increase in muscle mass
  • An increase in strength
  • An increase in libido
  • An increase in estrogen, which can add to water retention

 

Most guidance suggests that it takes around three weeks for there to be a noticeable set of results.

That said, there is often reported to be an increase in strength within a few days. The increases in strength as they are experienced should be factored into the weight being worked with in order to maximize muscle generation across the body.

What Should I Do After A Dianabol Cycle?

In order to improve the chances of maintaining the gains made during a cycle of Dianabol, many athletes look to enter a period of PCT (post-cycle therapy). This is targeted primarily at returning the body’s suppressed levels of testosterone to normal levels.

In order to do this, it is common to leverage additional supplements such as:

  • Aspartic acid – a non-essential amino acid
  • Tongkat ali – a natural supplement
  • Maca – – also a natural supplement

This helps return testosterone to normal levels so as to ensure that future muscle mass generation is not impeded by a lower level of free testosterone in the body.

In addition to the focus on testosterone, it is also vitally important that the focus on diet and training is maintained.

Continuing to train at a high level and even looking to increase workouts can help maintain the level of lean muscle gained and may also be beneficial in assisting testosterone recovery.

If the body is not adequately supported from a nutritional perspective, there is an increased likelihood that the muscle mass gained may break down and be lost. As a result, it is imperative that the body continues to be adequately fueled, especially in light of potential changes to training.

What Supplements Should I Take With Dianabol?

Supplements taken alongside Dianabol can help to mitigate some of the risks associated with it. Perhaps the most common example is to take a supplement to improve the function of the liver, given the impact that high doses or long-term use of Dianabol can have. There are three main supplements that aid liver function.

  • Liv-52
  • Milk thistle
  • Alpha Lipoic Acid

These are especially important if you are stacking Anadrol and Dianabol (although this is not recommended), as these both have a negative impact on the liver over time, compounding the risk.

How Long Does Dianabol Stay In Your System?

For a user to experience the benefits of Dianabol, it, of course, needs to remain in your system. Due to the nature of the steroid, it has a relatively short half-life — which is the time it takes for half of the current amount of the chemical to leave your system.

The half-life of Dianabol is approximately 3-6 hours, depending upon the way the Dianabol enters the body and the ability of the person to process it.

In order to mitigate the relatively fast rate at which the steroid passes through the body, many users look to stagger their dosing throughout the day. This is especially easy when taking Dianabol in pill form because you can simply cut up the pills to create smaller doses.

By taking smaller doses of Dianabol every few hours, you maintain a more consistent level of the steroid in your system throughout the day, maximizing the impact on your growth of lean muscle mass.

Can I Take Dianabol With Whey Protein?

When using Dianabol, you can expect that you will see a significant uplift in the ability of the body to synthesize protein, and so with appropriate training, this means a significant amount of lean muscle mass can be grown. In practice, though, the body also requires the usual efforts of bodybuilders to fuel their body through nutrition.

As a result, not only is taking whey protein alongside Dianabol no problem at all, users of Dianabol should be looking to increase the amount of protein they are consuming in order to ensure that their body has all of the required nutrients. Some of the main contributors to nutrition when looking to build muscle mass are:

  • Water
  • Protein
  • Calcium
  • Magnesium
  • Glutamine

In light of this, to maximize the results that come from using Dianabol, users should look to assess their current nutritional plans and supplement in areas where they assess that they might not be meeting the optimal levels.

Conclusion

Dianabol is a powerful way to increase the growth of lean muscle mass for bodybuilders. However, it is not without its risks, and so a comprehensive understanding of the impact it has, as well as possible alternatives, is an important consideration for all interested parties.

Sources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3961570/

https://www.wikihow.com/Take-Dianabol

https://insidebodybuilding.com/dianabol/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3465038/

https://steroidcycle.org/dianabol/#dianabol-history-and-overview

https://www.sfgate.com/market/article/dianabol-review-16566544.php

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metandienone

https://maxhealthliving.com/how-long-does-dianabol-take-to-kick-in/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3961570/

https://www.verywellmind.com/steroids-abuse-faq-69354