Dianabol Results (Before-and-After Pictures)

What is Dianabol?

Dianabol (methandrostenolone) is a bulking steroid commonly taken by bodybuilders to increase muscle hypertrophy and strength.

Despite Dianabol causing toxic effects, some bodybuilders illicitly supplement with it for its potent effects on mass gain.

We have had patients who have taken Dianabol as a first steroid cycle, with beginners wanting significant results fast. However, Dianabol poses dangers to novices due to its adverse effects on cholesterol and liver enzymes, potentially causing:

• Hypercholesterolemia
• Atherosclerosis
• Hypertransaminasemia
• Peliosis hepatis

Dianabol Results (Before-and-After Pictures)

The above user supplemented with Dianabol as his first steroid cycle. In our experience, his size gains are typical of what a beginner can expect when taking a moderately dosed Dianabol cycle, such as 15–20 mg/day for 5–6 weeks.

For intermediate users who have already taken anabolic steroids, such as testosterone, Dianabol is unlikely to produce exceptional results, as their bodies have previously been accustomed to steroid use. However, notable improvements in muscularity may still occur, as we have found Dianabol to be the more potent bulking compound compared to testosterone.

Disclosure: We do not accept any form of advertising on Inside Bodybuilding. We monetize our practice via doctor consultations and carefully chosen pharmaceutical recommendations, which have given our patients excellent results.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Before-and-After Dianabol)

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s dosage was stated as 15 mg/day, based on Frank Zane’s training diary, which detailed the typical amount bodybuilders from the Golden Era would take. Arnold’s transformation above demonstrates the long-term results of using Dianabol in combination with steroids, such as:

• Deca Durabolin (nandrolone decanoate)
• Primobolan (metenolone enanthate)

However, Arnold Schwarzenegger warns people against taking anabolic steroids, stating that “when I supplemented with them, they were legal.” He adds that “bodybuilders were not aware of the health risks that we are privy to today.”

It is important to note that users will not look like Arnold by simply taking Dianabol, as he had phenomenal genetics, which were illustrated by his exceptional muscularity as an early natural bodybuilder. Furthermore, Arnold’s training intensity and discipline when dieting were often unrivaled.

Arnold and other classic bodybuilders were taking authentic, pharmaceutical-grade methandrostenolone prescribed by a doctor. In contrast, Dianabol purchased today via the black market often contains fillers, diluting the product.

Weight Gain

In terms of weight gain, Dianabol will cause beginner steroid users to gain approximately 30 pounds, in our experience. Approximately 10 pounds of this will be water, with the majority being increases in lean muscle tissue.

Such temporary water retention can cause bloating and a puffy appearance to the muscles. Hence, Dianabol is typically utilized in the off-season, when users will typically be wearing ample clothing compared to beach season.

Muscular Strength

We have had patients increase the weight on the following compound exercises by 40–50 pounds:

• Deadlift
• Squat
• Bench press

Our patients also typically retain the majority of their strength gains if they continue to lift weights post-cycle.

Fat Loss

We have also seen Dianabol have a reductive effect on subcutaneous body fat, which can be attributed to it being exogenous testosterone, a potent fat-burning hormone.

However, we find that the amount of fat loss experienced by users is often determined by their eating habits. For example, those who are bulking will generally eat in a generous calorie surplus to assist with muscle and strength gains. Such overeating will contribute to some fat gain and thus blunt Dianabol’s fat-burning effects.

If users do not eat in a calorie surplus when taking Dianabol, instead opting for maintenance calories, we observe them simultaneously building muscle and burning fat.

Water retention obscures muscle definition and increases waist size temporarily, so we find that users typically appear leaner after a Dianabol cycle.

Although Dianabol can decrease subcutaneous fat, it can also increase visceral fat. We find that this occurs due to high estrogen levels causing insulin resistance, resulting in a more bloated or distended midsection.

How to Maximize Results on Dianabol

A person’s results on Dianabol can be determined by their:

• Training
• Eating habits
• Cycle protocol

Thus, for optimal results, users are recommended to increase their training frequency due to Dianabol:

• Accelerating muscle recovery
• Reducing the risk of overtraining

Dianabol’s positive effects on recovery enabled classic bodybuilders to train for several hours each day without experiencing exhaustion.

Following a standard bodybuilding split of training each muscle group 1–2 times per week is the minimum requirement for significant improvements in muscle hypertrophy.

Consuming sufficient calories is equally important to aid anabolism and protein synthesis. Thus, a small calorie surplus of 500 or more is often adopted during Dianabol supplementation. However, a person may choose to eat maintenance calories, particularly if they are conscious of their body fat increasing.

Drinking alcohol should be avoided on Dianabol, with studies showing it to be hepatotoxic and thus increasing the likelihood of liver injury (Wilder, 1962). When the liver is excessively strained, we notice that appetite can be suppressed. Satiety in this instance acts as a self-defense mechanism by the body, reducing the liver’s workload of processing food.

In cases of acute liver damage, users will naturally consume fewer calories, negatively affecting their results when bulking on Dianabol. TUDCA is a supplement utilized by our patients to inhibit hepatic inflammation and damage (De Miguel et al., 2019a).

What Are Bodybuilders Stacking With Dianabol?

Some novices conduct a Dianabol-only cycle before stacking it with other steroids, enabling the body to become initially accustomed to Dianabol’s toxic effects. However, major side effects can occur from a Dianabol-only cycle.

Some bodybuilders later stack Dianabol with testosterone and/or Deca Durabolin for additional results when bulking. However, such steroid combinations exacerbate side effects in our experience.

We have observed users gaining an additional 10 pounds of mass when adding testosterone or Deca Durabolin to a Dianabol cycle.

Testosterone and Deca Durabolin do not cause as much hepatotoxicity as oral steroids. They are also injectable steroids and have mild negative effects on cholesterol, based on existing research (Vieira et al., 2008b). Therefore, testosterone and Deca Durabolin are less cardiotoxic compounds compared to other anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS).

However, we see testosterone suppression worsen when users combine other anabolic steroids with Dianabol, thus increasing damage to the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (HPTA) and extending the duration of endogenous testosterone recovery.

Anadrol and trenbolone are highly toxic stacking options, despite their notable effects on muscle building and strength. This is due to Anadrol exacerbating hepatic and cardiac damage, with trenbolone also causing the latter.

What Are the Dangers of Dianabol?

High doses of Dianabol can significantly compromise a user’s health, particularly in regard to cholesterol and liver values. We have treated patients with hypertension as a result of using Dianabol in conjunction with other anabolic steroids.

Dianabol is one of the most hepatotoxic oral anabolic steroids in our experience, alongside:

• Anadrol
• Superdrol
• Winstrol

Therefore, liver-compromised individuals are highly vulnerable to the toxic effects of Dianabol.

Testosterone suppression will also be notable on Dianabol, with men frequently becoming hypogonadal from moderately dosed cycles. Endogenous testosterone levels often recover several months after supplementation. However, if users abuse Dianabol, they may experience long-term testosterone deficiency or/and infertility.

Women are also at risk of virilization from Dianabol; thus, it is not a common steroid among females.

Is Dianabol Safe?

No, Dianabol is not safe, hence how it is not approved by the FDA. This lack of approval is the result of researchers observing Dianabol’s toxic effects in studies.

Dianabol is a particularly dangerous anabolic steroid for beginners, as it significantly worsens cholesterol and liver enzymes. We find that steroid users can reduce toxicity if they:

• Do not take excessive doses of Dianabol.
• Take adequate time off between cycles.
• Take precautions with their lifestyle and supplements.

However, we recommend that individuals cycling Dianabol discontinue their supplementation for optimal health.

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