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Like most anabolic steroids in use today, Equipoise® was originally developed as a veterinary steroid, primarily for horses. Its purpose, like all veterinary steroids, was to bulk up the animals with additional muscle mass and definition. But, you're going to discover that what it can do for horse muscles, it can do for you too! The muscle building results gained with equipoise have naturally created an interest in the sports and bodybuilding community.

Equipoise is compared by many to Dianabol, primarily because of the great chemical similarity between the two. However, their usage and effects are actually quite different. Equipoise is an injectable anabolic, while Dianabol is ingestible, due to its 17 alpha alkylated (17aa) alteration, which is what allows it to be assimilated through oral application. There are other important differences, as well.

Equipoise Benefits

Equipoise, also known as boldenone undecylenate (or simply boldenone or EQ), offers superior muscle fiber growth with fewer (or more easily controlled) side effects than many anabolic steroids. It is just as anabolic as testosterone, but with its aromatization and androgenic effects being about half that of testosterone. It also causes manageably low water retention and increased hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, making it highly regarded for pumps during workouts.

Boldenone is favored by many for the hard muscle mass resulting from its use, which creates superior muscle definition and strength. Its results are also relatively stable over prolonged usage, due to its very long undecylenate ester chain. It also tends to create increased appetite, rather than suppressing it, which makes it favorable for those on a bulking cycle.

The fact that boldenone is less expensive than many similar steroids is another major attraction. A 10cc vial, dosed at 200mg/ml, will typically run around $50, whether purchased as a Mexican veterinary product or from an underground lab.

Equipoise Drawbacks

Like any anabolic, EQ has side effects, many of which can be effectively managed by a combination of proper stacking with other compounds and careful regulation of usage. Many individuals may experience side effects of:

· acne - for those with a tendency for acne issues, EQ can precipitate chest, back and shoulder acne, due to the oily skin that is a common side effect.

· aromatization - while boldenone aromatizes at a lower rate than many anabolics, there are still some potential estrogenic side effects, most of which are controllable with appropriate stacking.

· increased appetite - mostly considered a plus, particularly for those trying to bulk up, this can make dieting more challenging, particularly during a cutting cycle.

· gynecomastia - one of the side effects of the estrogenic potential of boldenone, but effective stacking can greatly reduce this risk.

· aggression - many anabolic steroids can cause increased aggression and boldenone is no exception.

· water/salt retention - another effect of estrogen conversion, which can be mitigated by a solid stacking protocol.

· sexual dysfunction - while EQ can cause increased erections, it can also cause sexual dysfunction. This can be greatly moderated by stacking with other compounds.

· accelerated male pattern baldness - boldenone won't cause baldness, but it can accelerate the process, if you're already prone to losing your hair.

· virilization in women - lowered voice tone, increased body hair and clitoral enlargement are effects that some women using this anabolic can experience.

· high blood pressure - because of the increase in hemoglobin and hematocrit, high blood pressure can certainly be a side effect of using this hormone, but medicinal control is relatively simple.

· high cholesterol - while less of a threat than with some steroids, EQ can sometimes suppress HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), which is needed to regulate LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). Careful dietary regulation should be employed, avoiding saturated fats and limiting sugar intake.

· suppression of testosterone production - with prolonged usage of boldenone, a man's body may greatly reduce or cease its production of endogenous testosterone, a condition that may not reverse itself after cessation of use.

· extended half-life - while the sought-after effects of equipoise will normally dissipate within 12-14 days, detectable levels will remain in the system for up to a year and a half. The long half-life also means that after cessation, the levels present in the system are too low for effective anabolism but too high for effective recovery.

Contraindications

Because of its virilization tendencies, the potential for increased body hair, clitoral enlargement and lowered voice pitch can be understandably undesirable side effects for women, making equipoise not the best choice for a female. Athletes that are periodically subjected to drug testing should also avoid this steroid, because of its extremely long half-life, as there have been reports of athletes testing positive as long as 18 months after their last use.

As is the case with any anabolic, immediate cessation after the appearance of symptoms of virilization or sexual dysfunction will often result in regression of the symptoms, but continued usage can cause the effects to become long term or permanent.

Speed of Results

As with any long-chain ester anabolic, a certain amount of patience is required, both when awaiting results and when recovering. While this can depend upon a number of factors, as with any anabolic, one aspect of equipoise usage is that because of its long half-life, it may be a number of weeks into a cycle before significant results are seen (this delay can be largely overcome with frontloading, however). Similarly, your system needs to fully dissipate the steroid in order for recovery to take place.

All in all, equipoise is widely regarded as a "slow but steady" builder of solid muscle mass. It may take longer to achieve the same gains seen with other anabolics, but the improved definition and hardness is usually considered to make the wait worthwhile.

Common Stacking Techniques

Equipoise is often stacked with a number of different compounds, with specific goals in mind. For instance, Winstrol, injectable testosterone, trenbolone, Masteron and Primobolan are often combined with equipoise. The combination you decide upon will be dependent upon your condition, goals and regimen, and you may need to adjust it several times before you find your "sweet spot."

Some will also use an aromatase inhibitor (AI) or selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) to moderate potential side effects. However, it should be noted that when used in conjunction with aromatizing steroids, AIs can amplify the negative effects on cholesterol.

Typical Dosages

400-600mg per week is the average dosage for men, with most users agreeing that while the jump from 400mg to 600mg yields significantly different gains, some felt that increasing above 600mg per week shows little difference.

For women, a more typical dosage would be 25-50mg per week, but because of the androgenic effects, care should be taken to carefully monitor yourself for symptoms and if any virilization is noted, reduce your dosage or cease its use altogether.

Personalized Cycle

At the end of the day, each of us has to determine what works best for us, at what dosage, cycle lengths and in what combinations. We typically start that process by reading everything we can find on the topic. That's when we discover that there are as many different opinions as there are people stating them. Much of that is simply because each person is different. Side effects that you find intolerable might never be an issue for someone else, and a cycle that delivers fantastic results for them might be a total waste of time for you.

Keep that in mind when designing your own cycles - don't assume that you'll experience the same results by following an identical program as someone else. When beginning a new program, remember that just because someone said in a forum that they got amazing results with 1000mg per week (of any compound), that doesn't mean that you should start out at that level. Try it at 300-400mg first, to see how it affects you, then step it up if your system deals with it well and you feel it's justified.

What are your thoughts? Here's a link to
Boldenone Undecylenate AKA Equipoise Use By Bodybuilders for Strength and Muscle Mass on the EliteFitness.com forums.