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What is an Equipoise® Cycle?

Rebecca Harkin
Rebecca Harkin

Equipoise® is the brand name for the injectable anabolic and androgenic steroid boldenone undecylenate, a testosterone derivative. This steroid is a popular performance enhancing drug which promotes muscle hardening, cutting, and strengthening rather than muscle bulking. The popularity of equipoise® stems from its strong anabolic, or building, capacity and its lower androgenic side effects such as infertility, low sperm count, and waning testicles. An equipoise® cycle is a time frame when equipoise® and possibly other steroids are used to aid in bodybuilding.

An equipoise® cycle lasts about 12 weeks. Typical equipoise® doses are 400-600 mg per week for men and 50-150 mg per week for women. The chemical make-up of this steroid allows it to be taken up by the body slower than most steroids and as a result, the physical results of an equipoise® cycle are seen later in the cycle and continue after the cycle has ended. Due to the slow release, this bodybuilding supplement can be fairly easily detected in the body for as long as several months after the equipoise® cycle has finished.

Bodybuilders sometimes use steroids, such as Equipoise.
Bodybuilders sometimes use steroids, such as Equipoise.

The available concentration of equipoise® often requires injecting large volumes to reach the required dose. This can create significant pain and discomfort. To relieve this, the injection volume can be cut in half and given over two days, with a day in between. The site of the injection should be changed each time and never reused within one week.

Equipoise side effects may include gynecomastia.
Equipoise side effects may include gynecomastia.

Equipoise® is seldom used by itself in a cycle. It is usually stacked or combined with other steroids to minimize the side effects and manipulate the results. For example gynecomastia, or male breast enlargement, is a side effect of steroids caused when the normal levels of testosterone and estrogen are disrupted by the addition of artificial steroids. Stacking tamoxifen into the equipoise® cycle can reduce this side effect. In a different equipoise® cycle, testosterone can be added to improve muscle bulk.

Sometimes enhanced by drugs, testosterone is mainly produced in men in the testicles.
Sometimes enhanced by drugs, testosterone is mainly produced in men in the testicles.

There is an array of steroid side effects that should be carefully considered before starting any steroid cycle. Some of the short-term side effects include scalp hair loss, thickening of body hair, shrunken testicles, and uncontrollable aggression. Long term side effects include stunted growth, liver damage, high blood pressure, stroke, heart enlargement, and addiction to the steroid. The side effects are so wide ranging that nearly every steroid user will normally encounter one of the many steroid side effects either while using the steroid or in the future.

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    • Bodybuilders sometimes use steroids, such as Equipoise.
      By: Csák István
      Bodybuilders sometimes use steroids, such as Equipoise.
    • Equipoise side effects may include gynecomastia.
      By: semmickphoto
      Equipoise side effects may include gynecomastia.
    • Sometimes enhanced by drugs, testosterone is mainly produced in men in the testicles.
      By: Sebastian Kaulitzki
      Sometimes enhanced by drugs, testosterone is mainly produced in men in the testicles.