Are you thinking about whether to start with the first steroid cycle or not? Is it so that you wish to know the best steroids for beginners and their cycles to take the right decision? Well, any beginner would have these questions to ask, as there is no clear vision of what to take, how much to take, when to take, and what the results will be.

However, one thing is clear: As a first-time steroid user, you want to be safe and obtain solid results. Well, this is totally up to you. Maximum safety is only possible when you gain maximum knowledge about beginner steroids.

What you first need to know is that although there are safest steroids to take and safe steroid cycles to run, steroids can be unavoidably harmful. This is true if you do not know what you are doing and how you are using them.

Although steroids are a great way to put the body into the desired shape, they still interfere with the natural growth processes. Thus, it is essential to start your beginner steroid cycle wisely and watch your steroid intake.

This beginners guide to steroids is for anyone looking for the safest anabolic steroid for beginners and the best first-time steroid cycle to start with while minimizing the side effects.

Introduction to Steroids and Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS)

A steroid refers to an organic compound containing different hormones and vitamins. When it comes to athletic performance and bodybuilding, steroids in the form of AAS are used. They encompass synthetic and natural androgens based on or derived from testosterone.

In simple words, anabolic steroids are synthetic forms of testosterone. In males, this hormone results in muscle mass development and facial hair growth around puberty. This makes it clear why more of it is required to increase mass and bulk up.

The anabolic part corresponds to the rise of muscle growth; whereas, the androgenic section relates to the kindled development of male characteristics for which testosterone is responsible. Many anabolic steroids result in more red blood cells and increased oxygen supply to your muscles.

Anabolic steroids can aid in accelerating muscle growth, workout intensity, and healing or recovery pace post workouts. Thus, you can perform your workout for a longer time while overcoming injuries quickly. These steroids raise the overall effectiveness of your workouts.

Bodybuilders and athletes use anabolic steroids to improve their performance and/or bulk up quickly, which is not naturally possible.

While choosing any AAS, one of the main factors to consider is its half-life. The elimination half-life indicates how long it takes to reduce more than half of the steroid concentration in the blood. Knowing this measure makes it easy to choose the right steroid and schedule your steroid cycles. It also tells you what will happen in the case of substance testing.

This measure remains the same regardless of the dosage or duration for which you have used the steroid before. It can differ significantly from one steroid to another. Steroids with a shorter half-life take less time to withdraw than those with longer half-lives.

Introduction to Steroid Cycles

Do you know what a steroid cycle is? It is essential to know it if you want to know how to cycle steroids. Usage of steroids is not for regular periods. Further, injecting a high steroid dose into your body can be lethal if you become careless or less vigilant.

Keeping these facts in mind, bodybuilders and athletes consume one or more steroids in cycles. The gap between the two cycles helps in weaning off their effects and removing them totally from their body. It is important to run a Post Cycle Therapy (PCT) to control many side effects of anabolic steroids.

For beginners, a steroid cycle typically is for a 4- to 12-week period, which varies as per the steroid to be consumed.

First Steroid Cycle

It is common to come across different viewpoints when it comes to how to take steroids for beginners. Well, the most suitable viewpoint will vary from one individual to another. Currently, two main schools of thought exist in this regard.

First approach: One school of thought is to have no restrictions in your first cycle, as you are aware that the gains will be great. In simple words, you take high doses usually of testosterone, which are actually for intermediate or advanced users. You begin at 500 mg and increase it to 1000 mg a week, and further stack with other anabolic but oral compounds. However, doing so is highly risky for the starters because they have never consumed steroids before. They do not know how their body will react due to which the probability of side effects increases tremendously. Such a hardcore first cycle is only for those who are fully confident of controlling the side effects and are aware of what they are getting themselves into. The best steroid stack for beginners is the one that gives maximum muscle size with minimum side effects. So, you can try different steroid stacks for beginners and see which one is the most suitable for you.

Second approach: This is a moderate school of thought that believes in kick-starting the first cycle using around 500 mg of testosterone a week. No other compounds are added to this cycle. This is because you just want to find out how testosterone will work for you. Once this goes smooth, the future cycles would include another steroid to build upon the results gained. Although it is a more conservative approach, it is the one with fewer risks.

So, which one is better in terms of gains? Most of us would say that the cycle with a higher dose is the answer. However, it also means more side effects. If you are combating serious side effects, your results are anyways going to suffer. So, it is always wise to start with a low-dose cycle.

A first time user can expect substantial gains with a moderate dose in testosterone-only cycle. So, there is no reason to go with a higher dose in the first cycle.

First Cycle Steroids

Best steroids for beginners can affect in different ways. The impact varies as per age, genetics, gender, and environmental factors from one beginner to another. As there is no way to find out how a specific anabolic steroid will work for you, it is wise to know about them before starting with the first steroid cycle.

It is recommended to try different steroids across consecutive cycles to know how they individually work for you. Here are the best steroids for beginners:

Testosterone (Injectable) for Bulking

Testosterone or test is regarded as the base of a steroid cycle, regardless of whether the purpose is bulking or cutting. It works to give results and is quite safe. Thus, it is the best steroid for beginners to start their first cycle. Rather, it is one of the best injectable steroids for beginners.

The best test cycle is testosterone-only cycle for beginners, as they wish to get big muscles as well as strength gains but without any serious or harsh effect. Undoubtedly, testosterone delivers extraordinary gains without too harsh side effects.

For cycles, there are different common forms or esters of testosterone. None of them is universally the best test steroid, as all of them result in equal muscle and strength gains. Nevertheless, a few will kick in quicker than the rest, due to which they need to be injected more regularly. These shorter, faster-acting forms are considered slightly more potent, leading to more testosterone reaching the bloodstream.

Following are the different testosterone esters, which are recommended for beginners:

1. Testosterone Enanthate and Testosterone Cypionate: Both are different esters but are commonly used by most beginners. This is because they need to be injected once every four to five days. Enanthate and cypionate have half-lives of 10.5 and 12 days, respectively. The similar characteristics make the two interchangeable. Although the body absorbs them at the same rate, the major difference between the two is that cypionate has a longer half-life than enanthate. Still, using any of the two results in boosted testosterone, muscle and strength gains, fat burning, and accelerated recovery. These forms of testosterone are comfortable to use, although the consumers need to wait for some time for them to start working in the body.

2. Testosterone Acetate: This is a fast-acting ester with a half-life of two to three days. It delivers quick gains although one injection per day is required. This injection is not painful.

3. Testosterone Propionate: This is also a fast-acting ester but is slower than acetate. Thus, it is injected on alternate days. However, this injection can hurt and it is considered costlier than other esters. Thus, beginners do not go for it. Still, some beginners consider propionate for running shorter cycles due to its ability to release testosterone gradually.

4. Testosterone Undecanoate: This is a slow-acting form that is injected once every two weeks. As it takes much time to reach your bloodstream, you need a lot of patience for it to show the favorable effects, which is at least for a month. Interestingly, you can consume this testosterone orally. The oral form is known as Andriol, which is then a fast-acting ester working to get the testosterone level at its peak in just five hours. Another advantage of this oral form is that it is not harmful to the liver, unlike several oral steroids.

5. Sustanon 250: This is a blend of four testosterone esters namely, 30 mg of propionate, 60 mg of isocaproate, 60 mg of phenylpropionate, and 100 mg of decanoate. This is a mix of fast-acting and slow-acting esters. This means you get the best of both worlds, fast working and sustenance of testosterone for a long time. You need to inject it every two days. Just keep in mind that this is not the best testosterone ester; it is just a blend.

Benefits

1. More muscle (bulking)

2. Reduced weight

3. Boosted bone density

4. Boosted endurance

Side Effects

Testosterone is mild, and it is what doctors prescribed for Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT). Its side effects are there, but they are not severe.

• Mood changes

• Numbness

• Nausea

• Acne

• Water retention, although not as high as other bulking steroids such as anadrol or dianabol

• Scalp hair loss or hair thinning

• Breast swelling in men (gyno)

• Hypertension

• Reduced good cholesterol

Note: The probability of gyno decreases if you consume an Aromatase Inhibitor (AI). However, doing so can surge the blood pressure level. Scalp hair thinning reverses on its own after the test cycle. However, if you run steroid cycles for prolonged periods, this effect may become irreversible.

Testosterone-only Cycles

A testosterone-only cycle aids in retaining the body’s testosterone level if you will be consuming other steroids that are known to suppress testosterone. Testosterone enanthate and cypionate are the most popular esters for beginners. This is because they are non-invasive, affordable, and do not require too frequent consumption.

First Cycle

This is a typical beginner test cycle featuring conservative doses and minimal side effects. It helps in making your body ready for higher dosages in the future.

Second Cycle

This is the next cycle you can consider after the above one.

Alternate Cycle

Consider this cycle if you wish to take a single dose.

Weeks: 10

Dosage: 500 mg per week

Leave a gap of two weeks after the cycle and start a post-cycle therapy for three weeks, regardless of the cycle chosen.

Testosterone Stacks for Bulking

You can run testosterone solo or stack it with other steroids. A beginner steroid stack would include testosterone and steroids such as dianabol, trenbolone, or deca durabolin. A first time user will usually not try stacking due to the increased risk of side effects of each steroid included in the stack. However, some beginners consider stacking from their second steroid cycle for gaining better results.

Testosterone and Dianabol Cycle

As dianabol is lighter, several bodybuilders stack it with test enanthate to boost the overall efficacy. Both are considered good bodybuilding steroids for beginners. Following is its typical cycle:

Testosterone and Deca Durabolin Cycle

This testosterone cycle for beginners is considered the most stable stack cycle for bulking. It works to boost strength while testosterone itself decreases many Deca side effects such as erectile dysfunctions. Deca or nandrolone will not cause gyno, as it is not estrogenic. However, its high dose can result in gyno. Following is its typical cycle:

Note: Testosterone is an injectable steroid. So, for those who want to try orals during their first cycle, dianabol and anavar are preferable.

Dianabol (Oral) for Bulking

Dianabol, also known as dbol or methandrostenolone, is a popular steroid, which even Arnold Schwarzenegger and other known bodybuilders have used. It is one of the best steroids for developing mass and building size. It’s often consumed at the beginning of a bulking cycle to get quick results.

This oral anabolic steroid acts as a supplementary compound instead of a primary one. It is highly effective for gaining mass and bulking within a short period. You will experience its positive effects within a few weeks.

The steroid is also known to boost estrogen, as it can aromatize. This can trigger a few side effects such as water retention or bloating and gyno.

This oral steroid is not too harsh when consumed moderately during the first cycle. Nevertheless, the side effects are somewhat more pronounced than those of the former cycles of anavar and testosterone.

Nevertheless, it is one of the best anabolic steroids for strength, usually adding up to 70 lbs. during the first cycle, provided compound exercises are done.

Another benefit of dianabol beginner cycle is its very short half-life, due to which it will not take time to exit from your body.

Benefits

• Admired for fat burning

• Increased strength and muscle

• Boosted endurance

• Boosted recovery

• Support for longer workouts

Side Effects

The side-effects of Dianabol are:

• Gyno

• More water retention leading to swelling in feet

• Hair loss

• Hypertension (more than anavar and testosterone)

• Acne

• Liver damage

Dianabol-only Cycles

Dianabol is stronger than testosterone and anavar, it is recommended to start with a low-dose cycle. Its half-life is 4.5 to six hours.

Warm-up Cycle:

The aim of this cycle is to prepare the body for the next cycle.

Actual Cycle:

Note: If you directly start the second cycle, you will gain 30 lbs., which is more than what you gain by taking testosterone itself. Do not exceed the dianabol cycle length beyond six weeks to keep liver toxicity at bay.

Mandatory: Dianabol will increase blood pressure more than anavar or testosterone, due to which an AI should be taken only if any signs of gyno occur. To keep such a rise under control, consider doing cardio three to five times a week. As the steroid is hepatotoxic, consider taking some liver-friendly supplements such as TUDCA during your cycle.

Dianabol stacks

Most beginners will stack dianabol with testosterone although many prefer dianabol-only cycle. Well, this is a personal choice. Some of them can manage a solo dianabol cycle well, while others cannot adjust to the blood sugar changes and reduced appetite. However, those who can handle dianabol-only cycles well get rewarded in terms of quick size and strength gains. However, efforts are needed to maintain these gains.

Deca Durabolin (Injectable) for Bulking

Also known as nandrolone decanoate or simply nandrolone, deca is an ideal androgenic anabolic steroid for strength and bulking. It is admired for its ability to trigger tremendous gains in lean muscle mass. Its ability to retain nitrogen delivers a full look. The steroid also facilitates the repair of muscle tissue and recovery from joint pain.

Studies have concluded that deca results in boosted muscle mass in male bodybuilders. Thus, it is one of the widely used steroids for bodybuilding beginners. It is injected directly into the muscle to accomplish quicker muscle development.

Good to Know: Even female athletes prefer deca. Although androgenic effects are weak, deca’s anabolic effects are strong enough. This results in a diminished risk of side effects, which is impossible in case of other steroids.

Benefits

• More muscle growth instead of fat growth

• Great cutting mass result

• Boosted recovery

• Boosted endurance

• Increased appetite

• Improved mineral uptake

Side Effects

• Severe nausea and vomiting

• More probability of impotency (if high doses are used without testosterone)

• Full-body acne

• Liver damage

• Probability of surged male characteristics such as voice deepening, clitoris enlargement, and hair growth in women

Deca-only Cycles / Deca Stacks

Deca is an ideal steroid for beginners, as it is a slow-acting one. Its half-life is around 7 to 12 days. However, a deca-only cycle is discouraged for all types of users, as it shuts the natural production of testosterone. This itself results in some unpleasant effects such as lethargy, fatigue, and mental decline. Thus, beginners should always take it with testosterone.

Typical Cycle:

PCT to start once the effects of deca are almost over!

As a beginner cycle, you may start with half dose consumed two times in a week, and then raise it to full 200 or 300 mg. This beginner steroid cycle results in higher quality gains in size that you can retain with the right workout and diet.

Caution: As deca has stronger progesterone effects than just estrogenic, it is highly recommended to use an AI called Arimidex throughout the cycle. Half an mg of this supplement should be used even during the waiting period prior to PCT and during PCT.

Tip: The best first cycle for beginners is still testosterone to experience steroids. The second cycle is usually a beginner steroid stack and I mostly Test and Deca, a great mix.

Anavar (Oral) for Cutting

Also known as oxandrolone, anavar is one of the best steroids for beginners whose purpose is to get ripped but do not want to undergo the harsh side effects of steroids. It is powerful enough to impact metabolism and burn fat such that you achieve a lean and ripped form. It is not for building muscle but for getting ripped while burning fat and gaining some muscle.

It is not converted into estrogen (not aromatized), due to which it is ideal for cutting. The quantity of size gained is usually small but the steroid retains the anabolic state of the body rather than pushing it into a muscle-wasting state.

Anavar is safe, as it is prescribed to gain lean mass even to kids and women. Further, it is not liver toxic, as the kidneys help to absorb it, reducing the load on the liver. The fact that this steroid is minimally androgenic and highly anabolic makes it popular among bodybuilders. Overall, it is a mild option.

Benefits

• Boosted fat loss

• Boosted strength

• Removal of excess water

• Strengthened muscle

• More lean muscle mass.

• No harsh side effects

Side Effects

The side effects of anavar are hardly realized. Many have felt no side effects while or after consuming this steroid.

• Increased bad cholesterol

• Oily skin

• Hair thinning

• Testosterone suppression although minimal

• Costly

Anavar-only Cycles

The beginner steroid cycle using anavar involves modest dosages. Here is the typical cycle:

First Cycle:

Anavar Stacks

Anavar is usually stacked with testosterone to experience more muscle and fat loss gains. However, the side effects can rise a bit as compared to consuming only testosterone. The main side effect is natural testosterone suppression after the cycle, which is restored via an effective PCT. Here is the common anavar testosterone stack cycle:

Note: A few beginners will not go for a PCT after an anavar cycle, as natural testosterone level tends to recover swiftly. Nevertheless, PCT is essential if you stack it with testosterone.

PCT after the First Beginner Steroid Cycle

Sadly, beginners may ignore the importance of PCT after their first steroid cycle. However, it is as significant as the cycle. It is worth recalling that steroids destruct the body’s natural processes, not forgetting the testosterone production process.

Thus, when the cycle is over, your body needs some means to start generating hormones naturally once more without consuming artificial steroids. This is why PCT is essential. It not only prevents steroid side effects but also retains the muscle gained from the cycle.

PCT typically lasts for three to six weeks or a bit longer. Some common PCT drugs are Clomid taken 50 mg per day for three weeks, Nolvadex consumed 40 mg per day for the first two weeks and 20mg for next two weeks, and Arimidex taken 0.5 mg every two days during the cycle as well as the PCT.

Even PCT drugs have their side effects. Thus, it is recommended to research before you choose one for use.

Conclusion

The safest steroids to take for the first time steroid cycle are testosterone, dianabol, deca durabolin, and anavar. Testosterone is still the best steroid for beginners who want to bulk and forms the base of any steroid cycle, while anavar is an ideal choice for cutting. As testosterone is injectable, those looking for oral forms could switch to dianabol and deca durabolin. Dianabol with testosterone is ideal for the bigger size and mass gains.