Primobolan (methenolone acetate)

Primobolan is the common name given to the drug Methenolone Enanthate. It is an injectable steroid that is rather mild in nature when compared to other anabolic steroids (AS), and is generally seen as a more steroid more anabolic in nature rather than an androgenic one. Primo also comes in an oral form called Methenolone Acetate, however due to the non-alkylation of the methenolone in this form, it is not realistically a very useful drug for the male bodybuilder as the liver will mostly destroy the methenolone acetat

Properties of Primo

Primo is quite a unique steroid of which there are no other steroids quite like it. Firstly, Primo does not aromatise to estrogen, thus estrogen related side-effects are not seen in Primo use. This means that acne, water retention, gyno, etc, are all not concerns when using Primo. Thus primo becomes a very useful steroid for those who are easily prone to undesirable side effects such as acne and gyno. Due to the low water retention seen in its use, Primo is often used effectively when cutting. It is not only effective when cutting due to low/nil water retention, bit it also proves very useful when cutting due to its anabolic nature and nitrogen retention properties, which basically means that it holds onto muscle very well when in a calorie deficient mode as one would be when cutting.

Many claim Primo to be side-effect free, except for experiencing slow but steady, quality and retainable muscle gains when on it for longer periods of time (>8weeks). Due to lack of water retention, etc, the gains you see on Primo will be quality muscle gains. Gains on Primo are easily kept, however although Primo is not as harsh on your HPTA (hypothalamus-pituitary-testes axis) it will shut you down. Do not make the mistake of thinking that post cycle therapy (PCT) can be avoided with Primo use, because this is not the case. Recovery should be easier from Primo than most other AS, but proper PCT of Nolvadex and/or Clomid will be necessary.

Primo for many does not generally affect one's libido; however for some it lowers it if used in a cycle without test. Usually I find that this is the case with heavier users of gear, i.e. those that use larger amounts of test and/or stay on AS for longer periods of time. In such cases, if test is not used in the cycle with Primo, appropriate meds such as Viagra, Cialis, etc may be needed on hand in case of libido problems. However as said, for most recreational AS users, loss of libido generally is not a problem with Primo.

Primobolan is a DHT based steroid (Dihydrotestosterone) that possesses both anabolic and androgenic traits although its androgenic properties will prove to be a little on the low side as Primobolan is twice as anabolic as androgenic. Like most DHT steroids Primobolan does not aromatize which for many is a very nice trait, especially concerning those sensitive to aromatase effects.

While both oral and injectable forms of Primobolan are comprised of the same active hormone Methenolone the oral Acetate version will prove to be far less potent on a milligram for milligram basis for one simple reason. Most all oral anabolic steroids are 17-alpha-alkylated in order to allow the hormone to survive the first pass through the liver; oral Primobolan does not possess this trait. Due to this structural change being absent, when taken orally most of the active hormone will be destroyed before it ever enters the blood stream; however, as the 17-aa alteration creates a toxic effect on the liver, because oral Primobolan does not carry the 17-aa trait it is not liver toxic at all.

The Benefits of Primobolan:

As a very mild DHT steroid, most will not see any bulking benefits from its use as it does not possess traits apt for this purpose. You could use this steroid as part of a bulking cycle but it would necessarily require massive amounts and due to this steroid being outrageously expensive this is simply not feasible. Most will find Primobolan to be best served in a cutting cycle; while it will not promote muscle tissue growth to any great degree it is a fantastic steroid for the use of preserving existing muscle tissue. Further, as it can preserve it has also been shown to be one of the few anabolic steroids that can directly lead to fat-loss. While almost all anabolic steroids carry this fat loss trait to a degree, Primobolan appears to do so in a more direct manner.

Without question the greatest benefit to Primobolan use lies within its safe nature when taken by female anabolic steroid users. Make no mistake, this is not a girl only steroid but because so many steroids are so harsh on females, as steroids such as Primo and Anavar are generally well-tolerated by women they hold somewhat of a special place. The largest concern for most women and anabolic steroid use is virilization; however, with responsible use this is non-existent in almost all females. While it can occur, if symptoms start to show, simply discontinuing will see them fade away. This makes Primobolan very beneficial to females as they are able to enjoy a moderate anabolic affect without the nasty side-effects. It is however very important to note, if virilization effects set in there is often no turning back; don’t push the envelope.

Cycle and dosing info for Primo

Although Primo is a quality steroid, as said it is rather week. Also due to the fact that it contains (in injectable form) an enanthate ester, anything under 400mg per week is rather a pointless use of Primo and a waste of money. Generally with AS, more does not always mean better (due to side-effects and other issues), however in the case of Primo more does definitely equal better. If stacking Primo with testosterone, 400-800mg per week will be an effective dose, with obviously the higher doses being the most effective. Primo will have two main effects in such a stack. Firstly it will seem to amplify the effects of test, so 500mg of test enanthate may seem like 750mg or more. Secondly, Primo is very forgiving with one's diet. Quality muscle can still be obtained at a steady rate even with one's diet being off from time to time. However, with a spot-on diet, Primo and test will work wonders.

For those who would want to use Primo on its own or without test, you would really need to use a minimum of 600-800mg per week. If you can afford it, 1000mg per week of Primo will highly reward the user. Some people often ask about using Primo with Trenbolone. This can be done, however without test one must realise that you are likely to be quite shut down, and it is likely you would need some sex medicines as well as HCG. Despite this, for those that want a test-less cycle, Primo and Tren is a great cutting cycle. My ultimate cutting cycle however is one that incorporates Primo, Test Prop and Tren Acetate. Another very good cutting cycle that is test-free would be Primo (600-1000mg per week) with Anavar (60-80mg per day).

Due to the enanthate ester that is attached to the Methenolone base in Primo, it really should not be run for less than 8 weeks. In my opinion, I would run Primo for a minimum of 12 weeks, also bearing in mind that the Primo really kicks in at about weeks 5-6, where a real fullness of muscles is experienced. Primo is also useful at a high dose for those who use higher doses of test and experience appetite loss from this. Primo doesn't cause such appetite loss, thus when bulking this can give a chance for diet to be spot-on. Primo does suppress and shut you down as said, however it is roughly about half as suppressive as test, so a 12 week Primo cycle would shut you down similar to a 6 week test cycle. For this reason, Primo alone can be run up to 20 weeks without fear of a very difficult recovery in PCT.

Due to the enanthate ester, PCT should be run approximately 14-18days after last Primo injection

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The Side-Effects of Primobolan:

Lets flesh out some of the various general effects of Primobolan, before we get into the differences between the oral and injectable versions... One study performed on sheep involved administering 100mgs of Methenolone, and electronically stimulating their lats (electronic stimulation was used because they kept falling off the chin-up bars). Anyway, when compared with the lat muscles of sheep who didnt receive Methenolone, the receiving group gained significantly more muscle mass as well as strength . Its also has a relatively high affinity for binding to the AR, actually binding better than testosterone . This ability to strongly bind to the AR may be why Primobolan is such a good "fat burner." Strong AR binding has been positively correlated with lypolysis (fat-burning .

In addition, as this steroid can actually aid in reducing breast tumors, no ancillary products need be considered for use with Primobolan, and in fact, it may actually be a useful ancillary agent in its own right, similar to Masteron. Also, just like Masteron, Primobolan has no propensity to aromatize (convert to estrogen). Since it doesnt aromatize, alot of the side effects commonly associated with estrogen will not be of concern. This means water retention, acne, and gyno will be non-existent more or less. this lack of water retention combined with the slow and steady gains provided by Primo may help to explain why it has earned a reputation for creating quality muscle gains. This also helps to explain why it is so expensive. Although estrogenic sides are not a concern, hair loss still, remains a very real concern with Primobolan, as with many DHT-Derived steroids. Many primobolan fans always include Finasteride and Ketoconazole (shampoo) in cycles containing Primobolan.

Primobolan Profile (Methenolone)

•     (Oral Version is + Acetate Ester)
•     (Injectable Version is + Enanthate Ester)
•     [17beta-Hydroxy-1-methyl-5alpha-androst-1-en-3-one]
•     Molecular weight of base: 302.4558
•     Molecular weight of Acetate ester: 60.0524
•     Molecular weight of Enanthate ester: 130.1864
•     Formula: C20H30O2
•     Melting Point:
•     Manufacturer: Schering
•     Effective dose(oral): (Men)50-100mgs/day; (Women) 10-25mgs/day
•     Effective dose (injectable): (Men) 350-600mgs/week; (Women) 100mgs/week
•     Active Life: 10-14 days (injectable); 4-6hrs (oral)
•     Detection Time: 4-5 weeks
•     Anabolic/Androgenic Ratio (Range): 88:44-57

References:

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