Top 5 Dianabol Stacks for Bigger Gains

Dr George TouliatosDisclaimer: The following article is for educational purposes only and does not promote the use of illegal steroids. If you have any questions or concerns, Dr. Touliatos is currently available for consultation.


Dianabol (methandrostenolone) is the most popular oral steroid on the market. We have seen novices gain up to 30 pounds from a Dianabol-only cycle.

However, after a few of these cycles, users will begin to plateau.

Then what?

If you want to continue getting stronger and build more mass, a Dianabol stack is the next step for many bodybuilders.

This means combining Dianabol with another steroid to enhance results. Considering Dianabol is a bulking steroid, it is typically stacked with other bulking compounds, such as Anadrol, Testosterone, Deca Durabolin, and more.

We’ll cover the most popular Dianabol stacks that bodybuilders have utilized from the golden era until today. We’ll also list cycle information so you know how much to take and for how long.

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

Legal Dianabol Alternative

dianabol rating

D-Bal is our #1 rated legal Dianabol product. It replicates the muscle-building and strength-enhancing effects of Dianabol, but without the unwanted side effects.

It is FDA-approved and can be purchased online without a prescription.

D-Bal is best suited for men wanting to build significant amounts of muscle; without shutting down their testosterone, straining their liver or elevating blood pressure levels.

Top 5 Dianabol Stacks

Dianabol and Deca Durabolin

dianabol deca stack

Note: The above cycle is mildly dosed; more experienced steroid users may wish to increase the Dianabol dose to 20 mg/day and Deca to 500 mg/week.

Dianabol and Deca Durabolin is a popular bulking stack, with many bodybuilders from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s era utilizing this stack in the off-season to pack on as much mass as possible.

Dianabol is an oral steroid, and Deca Durabolin is an injectable. Thus, the addition of Deca Durabolin doesn’t add any extra liver strain, which is important as we have found Dianabol to be hepatotoxic.

This stack should only be taken by users who have previously utilized Dianabol and tolerated it well. Deca will take size and strength gains to a new level while further suppressing testosterone levels and contributing to additional water retention.

This stack is good, as far as steroids go, for minimizing hair loss during a cycle. This is because neither compound is particularly androgenic, so DHT levels will not shoot through the roof.

Side Effects

  • Impotence
  • Liver strain
  • Low testosterone
  • Water retention
  • Gynecomastia

Supplements

Our patients typically take the following supplements to minimize side effects from this stack:

  • Fish oil, 4 g/day
  • TUDCA, 500 mg/day
  • Letrozole (optional), 1.25 mg every other day
  • Dostinex, 0.5–1 mg per week

These are to be taken for the whole duration of the cycle.

Fish oil will help to regulate blood pressure levels, which will inevitably spike from this stack (Dbol being the main culprit). This cardiovascular strain can be attributed to Dianabol being a toxic oral steroid. We find many oral steroids stimulate hepatic lipase when passing through the liver. Unfortunately, this enzyme significantly decreases HDL levels, the cardioprotective type of cholesterol (1).

We also see water retention from Dianabol negatively affecting blood pressure, with the heart having to work harder than usual to pump blood throughout the body. This is due to additional blood viscosity, the byproduct of more H20 in the bloodstream.

TUDCA (tauroursodeoxycholic acid) is naturally found in the bile and plays a role in repairing the liver from excessive strain. Supplement form gives steroid users higher quantities of this natural, liver-protecting substance (2).

We have found Dianabol to be one of the worst steroids for the liver, based on patient LFTs (liver function tests). Thus, TUDCA supplementation is essential.

There is a risk of gynecomastia from taking Dianabol and Deca Durabolin. Dbol can cause breasts to form in males due to its high aromatizing nature. This means that much of the exogenous testosterone will convert into the female hormone estrogen.

In our experience, the most effective way to prevent gynecomastia is to take an AI (aromatase inhibitor) or a SERM (selective estrogen receptor modulator). SERMs are generally preferable to AIs, as they don’t worsen cholesterol levels and thus won’t further elevate blood pressure (3).

However, SERMs such as Nolvadex or Clomid can worsen progesterone-related side effects. Deca Durabolin has the ability to cause gyno due to a rise in progesterone (which can act similarly to estrogen).

We typically monitor patients’ nipples when taking this stack, and if they start to become swollen or breast tissue begins to enlarge, then we administer an AI (to prevent further problems).

Letrozole is an effective AI that will reduce the conversion of testosterone into estrogen (4).

A SERM shouldn’t be used to reduce the chances of it provoking progesterone-induced gynecomastia (from Deca Durabolin).

We often see Deca Durabolin cause impotence during a cycle, which can negatively affect users sexually. This is due to Deca Durabolin significantly increasing prolactin levels. To combat this imbalance and keep sex drive and performance high, we prescribe Dostinex (Cabergoline) to patients to inhibit prolactin production.

Dianabol and Testosterone

testosterone dianabol stack

Dianabol and Testosterone were once archenemies in the 1950s, when Dr. John Ziegler had the task of creating a steroid more powerful than testosterone to help the US Olympic team defeat the Soviets.

Dr. Ziegler consequently created methandrostenolone (Dianabol), which was superior to testosterone in its anabolic rating, while androgenic side effects were milder than those of Testosterone.

Thus, Dianabol and Testosterone work similarly; however, Dianabol has the edge in regards to muscle-building, while testosterone has the edge in regards to fat loss (due to a higher level of androgenicity).

The biggest difference between the two is that Dianabol is an oral steroid, whereas Testosterone is an injectable. This makes for a complementary duo because users are essentially stacking another form of exogenous testosterone without additional liver toxicity.

This is one of the best stacks we have seen for gaining raw muscle mass and strength.

Any ester of Testosterone may be used for this stack; however, the most popular forms are Enanthate and Cypionate. 

Side Effects

In terms of side effects, testosterone suppression will be more dramatic post-cycle, thus requiring a powerful PCT to prevent long-term low testosterone levels.

Cholesterol levels will rise higher than when taking Dianabol alone, however. The good news is that testosterone is arguably the most cardiovascular-friendly steroid. Thus, cholesterol levels won’t rise exponentially higher than when taking Dianabol by itself.

The risk of developing gynecomastia increases significantly with this stack due to both steroids being estrogenic in nature. Thus, an effective SERM (such as Nolvadex) is essential from the start of a cycle.

Some androgenic side effects are also likely, with users experiencing oily skin or acne, hair loss, and more difficulty when urinating.

Supplements

  • Fish oil, 4 g/day
  • TUDCA, 500 mg/day
  • Nolvadex, 30 mg/day

These are to be taken for the whole duration of the cycle.

Dianabol and Trenbolone

dianabol tren stack

Note: This stack should only be utilized by advanced steroid users due to its high toxicity. Thus, these dosages are considered moderate to high and tailored for an experienced user.

Dianabol and Trenbolone should be viewed as a more powerful and harsher stack than Dianabol and Testosterone.

Trenbolone, like testosterone, is also an injectable steroid. Trenbolone works very differently from Dianabol, as it doesn’t aromatize and cause water retention. Therefore, we find overall weight gain to be less. However, Tren’s ability to add quality lean muscle rivals even Dianabol.

Trenbolone is extremely androgenic, with a rating of 500, roughly 10 times that of Dianabol. Therefore, Trenbolone can cause notable fat loss with AR (androgen receptors) having the ability to stimulate lipolysis as well as build large amounts of lean muscle.

Some people may ask: Why combine Trenbolone with Dianabol? If Tren is a dry steroid and Dbol is a wet steroid. 

This stack, therefore, is optimal in the off-season when trying to gain as much lean mass as possible. However, using this stack in the summer may be counterproductive, as Dianabol will smooth out the drying effects of Trenbolone (temporarily reducing muscle definition).

Regardless of the timing of this stack, we often see users gain a ton of muscle from it.

Side Effects

Liver toxicity will be significant just from Dianabol; Trenbolone will not add any further hepatic strain.

Gynecomastia is a strong possibility with this stack, with Dianabol increasing estrogen and Trenbolone increasing progesterone. We find that progesterone-induced gyno is more likely to occur when combined with an aromatizing steroid, such as Dianabol.

The best option to prevent gyno via this stack in our experience is to take an AI. However, doing so will exacerbate blood pressure levels, which is not optimal. If you are worried about gynecomastia or are prone to high blood pressure, this isn’t the stack for you.

Hair loss, oily skin, and acne are all probable with this stack due to Tren’s high androgenicity. These are generally temporary side effects, with acne clearing up post-cycle and hair follicles becoming thicker again. However, long-term use of androgenic steroids may cause more permanent side effects.

Our SHBG tests have shown testosterone suppression to be severe with this cycle, with users’ natural testosterone levels likely to take several weeks or months to recover (even with an effective PCT).

Supplements

  • Fish oil, 4 g/day
  • TUDCA, 500 mg/day
  • Letrozole (optional, if blood pressure is within normal levels), 1.25 mg every other day

These are to be taken for the whole duration of the cycle.

Dianabol and Anadrol

dianabol anadrol stack

The above cycle is heavily dosed, assuming only seasoned steroid users will take this stack (they are better equipped at handling higher doses). This should not be taken by beginners; intermediates may take lower doses than the above cycle (Dianabol: 20mg and Anadrol: 50mg).

A Dianabol/Anadrol stack is considered the best for gaining pure size and mass.

If there’s a stack more toxic than Dianabol/Trenbolone, this is it.

Dianabol and Anadrol are very similar compounds; both are oral steroids, highly estrogenic, and powerful for building muscle and strength.

Both are also considered to be ‘wet‘ bulking steroids, causing notable fluid retention.

However, their chemical structure is somewhat different, with Dianabol being a derivative of testosterone and Anadrol being a derivative of dihydrotestosterone.

Dianabol also converts to estrogen via aromatase, whereas Anadrol does not aromatize yet is highly estrogenic (stimulating the female hormone receptors directly).

Side Effects

We find liver toxicity to be a serious issue with this cycle, as Dianabol and Anadrol are two hepatotoxic orals. This stack should not be utilized by anyone with a less-than-perfect liver.

Cycles should also be kept relatively short to minimize damage to this organ. Liver damage is not typically irreversible post-cycle if the person doesn’t take any other hepatotoxic medications, refrains from drinking alcohol, and supplements with TUDCA or milk thistle.

The liver is an extremely tough organ that we see take years of abuse before failing. Thus, time off in between cycles is usually sufficient for the liver to recover and for raised enzymes to drop back to normal levels.

However, everyone reacts to steroids differently, and this stack is certainly going to test the liver.

This is not just the worst stack for your liver but also your heart.

We have recorded LDL and HDL cholesterol levels shifting tremendously from this duo, causing very high spikes in blood pressure. Fish oil and regular cardio are a must to prevent BP levels from reaching dangerous heights. All users should get regular blood work done when taking this stack and have good cardiovascular health at the beginning of this cycle.

Dianabol and Anadrol are two of the most estrogenic steroids around. An anti-aromatase inhibitor is certainly not recommended, due to it raising blood pressure further and having no effect on preventing gyno on Anadrol (with it not aromatizing). Therefore, our patients would run a SERM with this stack, such as Nolvadex at a high dose, which notably reduces the chances of breast tissue formation.

Being a DHT derivative, Anadrol is very androgenic; thus, we have seen cases of acne vulgaris and hair loss in prone individuals.

Natural testosterone production will be shut down post-cycle via the testes, so an aggressive PCT will help minimize the inevitable crash post-cycle.

Supplements

  • Fish oil, 4 g/day
  • TUDCA,  500 mg/day
  • Nolvadex, 30 mg/day

These are to be taken for the whole duration of the cycle. 

Dianabol and Anavar

This is a peculiar stack, considering Anavar is a cutting steroid and Dianabol is a bulking steroid.

However, surprisingly, many people want to know about this duo, so your wish is our command.

Anavar is used to burn fat, gain small to moderate amounts of muscle, and boost strength.

A person may stack Dianabol and Anavar together if they want to only take orals.

Generally, we find that combining orals often produces harsh side effects. However, in this case, it’s a relatively safe combination (as far as steroids go), due to Anavar being very mild.

Thus, liver strain and blood pressure levels won’t be a lot worse compared to taking Dianabol alone. We have had men and women take Anavar and notice zero side effects, which is why it’s so popular among both sexes.

Stacking Dbol with Anavar will increase lean muscle mass while stripping away some fat. Thus, this could be used as a cycle to gain lean muscle mass. This could, therefore, be classified as a bulking cycle.

However, if users are cutting and are worried about losing muscle, stacking Dianabol with Anavar will greatly reduce the chances of the body becoming catabolic, as opposed to taking Anavar alone. Thus, some bodybuilders may be willing to gain some water in return for not losing their muscle. It seems like a fair trade.

As we already know, Dianabol causes notable water retention; however, Anavar causes the opposite effect, expelling extracellular fluid out of the body.

Thus, the addition of Anavar may reduce bloating and water retention on Dianabol. However, muscle fullness is likely to increase further because Anavar not only has diuretic properties but also shifts water inside the muscle cells, causing a constant full and pumped appearance.

Note: With this stack, you may want to take adequate rest in-between sets because pumps on Anavar alone can be intense.

Side Effects

Although Anavar is one of the safest steroids in our experience, it’s not free from adverse effects.

Testosterone suppression will be heightened as opposed to taking Dianabol alone. Users may also experience extra hair thinning on their scalp, as well as some extra liver strain.

Anavar is also very expensive, so if you’re looking for a cheap Dianabol stack, this may not be for you.

Supplements

  • Fish oil, 4 g/day
  • TUDCA, 500 mg/day
  • Nolvadex, 30 mg/day

FAQ

What Should I Use for a PCT?

A PCT is recommended for all the above stacks to regulate hormone production (particularly testosterone).

The three main PCTs we utilize are:

  • HCG: 2000 IU administered every other day for 20 days
  • Tamoxifen (nolvadex): 2 x 20mg for 45 days
  • Clomiphene (clomid): 2 x 50mg for 30 days

If you have taken Nolvadex during a cycle, it would be more optimal to use Clomid and HCG for the PCT.

As testosterone suppression is likely to be significant in many of the above stacks, we recommend combining all of the PCT medications together simultaneously (or, at a minimum, running HCG and Clomid together). This will be more effective than merely using one of these medications.

Bodybuilders often buy the above PCT drugs from the black market instead of having them prescribed by a doctor. This way, they can take them wherever they want in the right dosages, rather than being limited by prescription dates or the doctor’s command.

Will These Dianabol Stacks Result in Permanent Gains?

In terms of weight gain, we find users will lose some water post-cycle, and thus the number on the scale may go down. This is especially true when Dianabol is stacked with other ‘wet’ compounds, such as Anadrol or Testosterone.

However, in regards to lean muscle gains, if the person continues to train hard after their cycle and runs a sufficient PCT (as outlined above), they should be able to retain virtually all of their gains.

Summary

dbol bottle
The 2 best Dianabol stacks are:

  • Dianabol/Deca Durabolin
  • Dianabol/Testosterone

This is because Deca Durabolin and Testosterone complement Dianabol’s powerful mass-building effects in the off-season without causing overly harsh side effects.

Despite the amazing gains that Anadrol and Trenbolone produce, we have seen them cause devastating effects on overall health (especially the heart and liver).

Anavar and Dianabol simply do not complement each other; however, they may be an effective combination for a specific person in the correct situation. For example, if someone is anxious about losing muscle or strength when cutting.

Co Authors :

(1) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7076794/

(2) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31236688/

(3) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16109320/

(4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2001216/