Equipoise could be considered an anabolic steroid that possesses moderate versatility, and some might even consider it slightly more versatile than Testosterone itself (this is because Equipoise retains the same anabolic strength as Testosterone while exhibiting far less androgenic and Estrogenic activity). The opinion of Equipoise among the anabolic steroid using community seems to be a very split and conflicted one where advocates of Equipoise tend to enjoy the fact that as mentioned above, it retains Testosterone’s anabolic strength with less incidence of undesirable side effects. At the same time, opponents of Equipoise consider that paying more for a synthetic derivative that possesses the exact same strength as its parent hormone (Testosterone) to be somewhat of a waste of money when many other synthetic derivatives have been granted anabolic strength ratings that of two, three, and even five times that of Testosterone itself. The truth of the matter is, Equipoise is an anabolic steroid that should most usually be stacked with other compounds, and all EQ cycles should always include Testosterone in them.
Equipoise cycles are most usually either bulking cycles or lean mass cycles in which the user’s typical goal is that of significant mass and size increases (including strength gains). Although it can be utilized for cutting cycles during periods of fat loss just as easily, Equipoise commonly finds itself used as a mass-adding agent. This is primarily resultant of the strange rumors from decades ago in which many bodybuilders would claim that Equipoise is an anabolic steroid that is a mere sister or a cousin to Nandrolone (Deca Durabolin). This could not be further from the truth, as these are two completely different compounds that exhibit very different effects. The origin of these rumor lies in the fact that Nandrolone and Equipoise do possess almost identical anabolic and androgenic strength ratings, as well about the same level of Estrogenic activity in the body – but this is where their similarities end. Therefore, many individuals have found that Nandrolone and Equipoise are interchangeable substitutes for one another in cycles. For example, an individual that finds himself very sensitive to certain side effects from Nandrolone but prefers an anabolic steroid of a very similar anabolic:androgenic strength ratio as well as a very similar rate of Estrogenic activity would instead opt for EQ cycles over Nandrolone. The exact same thing can be said for individuals that find Equipoise to be undesirable for whatever reasons – they may opt to run cycles that include Nandrolone over Equipoise. In general, the types of lean mass gain and the rate at which the gains occur are very similar between the two anabolic steroids. But once again, this is where their similarities end.
Advertisement
EQ cycles in particular must actually be run for cycle lengths longer than average. This is due to the use of the very long Udencylenate ester attached to Equipoise, which provides the drug with a very long half-life and a long extended window of release. As a result, peak optimal blood levels will not be achieved until several weeks into the EQ cycle. This is why ‘kickstarting’ compounds, such as Dianabol or Anadrol are commonly included in Equipoise cycles, in order to provide the user with anabolic effects while Equipoise slowly builds in the user’s system. By the time the kickstarting compound is discontinued (usually by weeks 4 – 6), Equipoise’s effects are in full force. A second method to overcome the long kick-in period with Equipoise is to frontload the substance (this is the practice of administering double the full dose on the first week of the cycle).
Beginner Equipoise Cycle
Beginner EQ Cycle Example (14 weeks total cycle time)
Weeks 1 – 14:
– Testosterone Enanthate at 300 – 500mg/week
– Equipoise at 400mg/week
A very basic and beginner variant of Equipoise cycles, this particular one introduces a minimum and safe amount of compounds while providing effective results and potential gains. This particular cycle can be utilized for almost any purpose: bulking, lean mass gaining, or cutting. However, every individual looking to run an EQ cycle of this type in which Testosterone is run at bodybuilding doses must ensure proper Estrogen control. While Equipoise itself exhibits low Estrogenic activity, Testosterone itself will commonly present an issue with aromatization at bodybuilding doses. Therefore, any potential user must ensure that Estrogen is controlled in some manner, most usually through the use of an aromatase inhibitor. Without such intervention, cycles such as this can present possible Estrogenic side effects such as water retention, which will provide the often undesired ‘soft’ and bloated look to the physique. Some individuals do not mind this, especially during bulking cycles. But this is an important detail to remember. Many readers will also notice as well that the typical cycle length of this particular cycle is 14 weeks long. This is to accommodate the slow and steady action of Equipoise, as the average user on such a cycle will typically not begin to see any significant gains in terms of strength or size until approximately the 5th week mark on average. Most steroid cycles will commonly be run in the window of 12 – 14 week cycles at a maximum for this reason. It is not uncommon to see users venturing above this recommended cycle length, every individual must understand that this will increase the likelihood of negative side effects, diminished gains, and increased potential damage to the HPTA (Hypothalamic Pituitary Axis).
Intermediate Equipoise Cycle
Intermediate Cycle Example (12 weeks total cycle time)
Weeks 1 – 12:
– Testosterone Enanthate at 100mg/week
– Equipoise at 600mg/week
Weeks 1 – 4:
– Dianabol at 25mg/day
This intermediate EQ cycle is very reminiscent of the typical and very popular Testosterone/Nandrolone/Dianabol stack. The difference in this case is the exclusion of Nandrolone, replaced by Equipoise, which serves to demonstrate to a variable degree that Equipoise is indeed capable of acting as a Nandrolone replacement of sorts. This cycle introduces a couple of distinct changes from the beginner cycle as well. The first noticeable change is the addition of the oral anabolic steroid Dianabol at 25mg daily. This is to provide a kickstart to the cycle for the first 4 weeks while EQ levels slowly rise to optimal target levels in the body. This is done to present to the user an example of how kickstarting is utilized (as explained above). Once Dianabol administration has been terminated, blood plasma levels of Equipoise should have reached a steady peak and therefore the user should be experiencing gains. The second change is the reduction of Testosterone to 100mg weekly, which is a TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) dose, and serves only to maintain normal physiological function of Testosterone during a period in which endogenous natural Testosterone is non-functioning or suppressed as a result of the use of exogenous anabolic steroids in this cycle. Testosterone is not meant to be a primary anabolic compound in this cycle and is instead relegated to the supportive position of providing normal physiological levels of Testosterone. The third change is that of a 12 week cycle total time instead of 14 weeks. This is to demonstrate that not all cycles must be at the upper end length of 14 weeks, as often times a cycle of such a length can result in increased potential for HPTA damage.
Advanced Equipoise Cycle
Advanced Cycle Example (12 weeks total cycle time)
Weeks 1 – 12:
– Testosterone Enanthate at 100mg/week
– Equipoiseat 600mg/week
– Trenbolone Enanthate at 400mg/week
Advertisement
There does not exist too much difference between the two previous steroidal cycles. The only major change is the addition of the very powerful injectable anabolic steroid Trenbolone. Trenbolone Enanthate in particular is chosen, in order to blend well with the other two anabolic steroids that possess longer half-lives as a result of the longer esters (Enanthate and Undecylenate). Trenbolone itself does not convert to Estrogen at any dose and is the strongest commercially available anabolic steroid known to man. It is also an anabolic steroid that is to be utilized by experienced anabolic steroid users only, and it is because of this that it fits very well with advanced users. Such a cycle should provide minimal Estrogenic activity and would be very suitable for cutting, lean mass addition, and even bulking cycles.
