Deca is a steroid often used by bodybuilders in the off-season to help them bulk up and pack on huge amounts of size and mass.
Deca is short for Deca Durabolin – also known as nandrolone.
Deca became very popular during the 70’s and 80’s. Arnold, Mike Mentzer and Lou Ferrigno are some of the big names who were thought to be running deca during this golden era.
Thus it’s fair to say that deca durabolin has helped build some of the best physiques in bodybuilding history.
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Deca Durabolin Gains
If you want to look HUGE, deca durabolin will do just that.
Deca durabolin will not only make your muscles blow up, but they’ll also start to look insanely THICK.
No steroid comes close to deca, when trying to develop thick and full muscles.
High-profile modern day bodybuilders who have this thick (deca) look are:
- Bradley Martyn
- Chul Soon
Here’s a couple of images of Bradley Martyn and Chul-Soon displaying this huge/thick look:
Deca Durabolin Side Effects
As far as steroids go, deca durabolin is considered a fairly healthy one.
In fact, some doctors even recommend people with joint problems cycle deca, due to its BMC boosting properties.
BMC = Bone mineral content.
Many other steroids can cause aching/sore joints, making deca a great steroid to take when running other steroids causing you these side effects.
Deca also boosts collagen levels, helping improve the quality of your skin and prevent accelerated ageing (associated with other steroids).
Deca only aromatizes at a modest rate, meaning you’ll retain less water than other steroids. Deca actually aromatizes at approximately 20% of what testosterone sustanon does.
Thus the weight you’ll gain on deca will mostly be lean muscle tissue, as opposed to water retention. Many people believe deca isn’t anywhere near as powerful as dianabol for building muscle because a user might gain 35lbs on dianabol and only 20lbs on deca.
However, dianabol is known to cause a fair amount of water retention, so 15lbs of the weight you gain on D-Bol might be water retention. Whereas deca may only cause 5lbs of water retention.
So in the above scenario, dianabol is only slightly superior to deca when it comes to packing on size; building 5lbs more muscle.
What About Deca Dick (Erectile Dysfunction)
Deca dick essentially is erectile dysfunction, caused by the use of Deca Durabolin (nandrolone).
A typical case of deca dick occurs in the movie Pain & Gain, where Adrian (played by Anthony Mackie) tries to masturbate to a porno movie; but is unable to, due to his flaccid penis.
The main reason is that ALL steroids shut down your testosterone, but erectile dysfunction is even more common in deca-use. Thus, this isn’t the only reason. Also, users can experience deca dick early into a cycle, whereas libido/erection problems from other steroids typically happen towards the end of a cycle (or afterward).
Deca dick can last up to 3 months or longer, where it can seem like things are seemingly frozen down below (with no action going on in the bedroom). Others, who are lucky, might only be affected for a month.
What Causes Deca Dick?
Deca increases a hormone called prolactin, significantly more than other steroids that aromatize T.
The excess prolactin interferes with the secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, resulting in decreased testosterone and erectile dysfunction.
Deca also reduces DHT, a crucial hormone for erections; due to it increasing nitric oxide production inside the penile tissue, sparking morning erections.
This is also the reason why drugs like finasteride, used to prevent hair loss in men, are often associated with sexual health problems, including impotence.
How to Prevent Deca Dick from Happening?
Simple – do not use anabolic steroids.
Some steroid users stack it with others such as testosterone, which might reduce erectile disfunction during the cycle but eventually, it will further aggravate the overall damage to the body.
Caberglobin (Dostinex)
Dostinex is a drug used to treat hyperprolactinemia (when there’s too much prolactin in the bloodstream). This is essentially what happens on deca Durabolin.
Thus steroid-users often combine ‘dost’ alongside deca Durabolin during cycles.
People on Dostinex often report very strong erections and their libido going through the roof (having multiple orgasms during intercourse). This is the perfect drug to combat deca dick.
You can get this via a prescription via your doctor if he tests your prolactin levels, and they’re excessively high.
Where to Buy Deca From Online?
Crazy Bulk manufactures a legal steroid called Decaduro, which mimics the effects of deca durabolin (without the side effects).
Decaduro has received a lot of positive feedback online and has a 5 out of 5 review on the Crazy Bulk website.
Here’s a transformation of a Crazy Bulk customer who used deca in the bulking stack:
#Gainsfordaaaays
Deca Durabolin Results: Before and After Pictures
Deca durabolin is a steroid primarily used for bulking. For those who don’t know too much about deca, here’s what you can expect from taking the steroid:
- Huge increase in muscle size
- Huge increase in strength
- Exceptional muscle fullness
…And it does all of this without causing too much in the way of side effects.
So when you take deca you won’t be playing Russian roulette with your health like you might with other bulking compounds such as anadrol.
And with deca you won’t retain much water either, making it a very aesthetic steroid, perfect for ‘lean bulking’.
…Basically meaning you’ll look like a Greek-God taking deca on a bulk instead of a fat mess.
Deca is similar to testosterone sustanon in the sense that it can give a user huge muscle/strength gains, without causing harsh side effects.
Deca and test are the only 2 bulking steroids I can say this about.
Trenbolone, injectable dianabol and anadrol are the baddies which you should stay away from if you’re anxious about steroids’ side effects.
Typical Deca Durabolin Results (Before & After)
Bradley Martyn is a well-known bodybuilder online who went from being a natty dude with good genetics; to a global icon.
…who is a beast by the way.
Bradley is thought to be taking deca due to his huge, thick muscles which deca is famous for creating.
When somebody is on deca, it’s usually pretty obvious. Guys can experience similar gains in terms of strength and size from other steroids; but the muscle fullness/thickness on deca is leaps and bounds ahead of any other compound on the planet.
It’s an extra dimension of thickness that no other steroid creates, and makes you look a lot bigger than you are.
Look at another picture of Bradley Martyn below, where this muscle thickness is obvious…
Deca was also used by Arnold – who had great success combining it with dianabol. This combination helped him build extremely thick biceps and pecs, enabling him to dominate the sport and become the greatest bodybuilder of all time.
Deca Side Effects
As already mentioned, deca is one of the better steroids when it comes to looking after your health. Deca is even prescribed by doctors in certain cases, helping non-bodybuilders with their joints.
However, no steroid comes completely free of side effects and deca is no exception.
The most notorious side effect of deca durabolin is ‘deca dick’. For some users this means they experience a loss of libido/erection quality when taking deca. Typically your sexual arousal decreases and erections can become less frequent.
This is due to your testosterone levels getting shut down on cycle.
This effect is only temporary and it’s completely normal for your erections and libido to go back to normal a few weeks post-cycle. If ‘deca dick’ is something that does concern you, it can be prevented by running testosterone sustanon alongside deca; keeping your test levels high…and your wood as strong as ever!
How Much Muscle Will You Build on Deca?
If you’ve never taken steroids before, the best steroids for a beginner are:
- Deca
- Testosterone
- Oral Dianabol
If you want to really maximize your gains on deca it’s to combine it with either testosterone or dianabol (oral).
Stacking deca with testosterone/dianabol will help you build around 30lbs of lean muscle from your first cycle.
If you’ve done a few cycles already, but you’ve never used deca; expect to gain an extra 10-15lbs of lean muscle tissue. This is actually a significant amount of muscle for a bodybuilder who’s been around the block a few times…and has consumed various cocktails of steroids.
Another bodybuilding great who was thought to be using deca throughout his career was Flex Wheeler. Flex is arguably the greatest ever bodybuilder who didn’t win an Olympia title.
Deca-Durabolin Cycles
Anadrol and Deca Cycle
Once someone has cycled Anadrol before and wants to take a more potent stack, but without a lot more side effects; Deca Durabolin is a worthy addition, as it is a mild compound.
Although natural testosterone production will become more suppressed and water retention may increase, the inclusion of deca does not greatly add to the negative effects of Anadrol. Also deca Durabolin’s most famous side effect is deca dick (erectile dysfunction). This is partly caused by it reducing DHT levels, which is crucial for nitric oxide production and blood flow inside the penis. Thus, with Anadrol being a particularly androgenic steroid, this will prevent this and enhance sexual health, compared to taking deca alone.
Sexual function usually declines at around the third week on deca, thus Anadrol is added around this time, due to its androgenic attributes. Deca is a slow-acting steroid, thus is usually cycled for up to 10 weeks, allowing enough time for it to peak in the bloodstream and have an effect.
Dbol and Deca Cycle
The above cycle will be less troublesome compared to Anadrol and testosterone stacked together, however, it will almost match the strength and size gains.
Blood pressure should be monitored and a PCT will need to be implemented to recover endogenous testosterone production; but as far as bulking stacks go, this is one of the best in regards to side effects.
This is thought to be Arnold’s favorite stack, helping him to win Mr Olympia 7 times and dominate bodybuilding. Huge, full-looking muscles are a certainty.
Deca Durabolin Cycle Facts
Here are some facts you should know before running a Deca Durabolin cycle.
It Causes An Increase In Appetite
As effective as this steroid is for building lean muscle tissue, if you’re using it during a cut, it can be counter-productive.
This is because Deca causes a big increase in appetite, meaning you’ll crave food more than ever and will struggle to feel full. If you’re bulking this is perfect, where a calorie surplus is optimal for maximum muscle gains.
Thus, if you struggle to put on size, this increase in appetite is a blessing. But if you’re trying to keep your body fat percentage on the low-side, you might need to be cautious about how many calories you consume on deca.
One of the Best Steroids for Size & Strength
Building strength and muscle size are 2 of the main goals for a bodybuilder, especially in the off-season.
If you want to gain a tonne of muscle and become as strong as an ox – deca is the steroid to take.
When using deca, it’s not uncommon for users to gain as much as 30 pounds of solid muscle from a cycle.
Dosages of course vary, but studies have found that even tiny dosages of around 100mg every 14 days, can still produce notable increases in lean body mass.
Deca Encourages Nitrogen Retention
One of the main reasons why deca durabolin is able to build large amounts of muscle is because of its effect on nitrogen.
Deca helps the cells within your muscles retain more nitrogen, which is crucial for the muscle-building process. Greater levels of nitrogen retention creates a more anabolic environment in the body, helping to synthesize more muscle tissue.
Deca Is Great For Your Joints
One benefit of running a Deca Durabolin cycle is that it’s great for your joints.
Bodybuilders especially, suffer with painful joints as they grow older, because they’re heavier than the average person, due to them carrying more muscle.
Deca, however, is very useful because it stimulates collagen synthesis within the joints, helping them to become more lubricated and supple.
Collagen helps to cushion the joints and provide a protective layer for them.
This in turn means less pain and discomfort, and increased levels of flexibility and resistance to wear and tear.
Deca Boosts Red Blood Cells
The more red blood cells we have, the more oxygen/nutrients that are transported around our bodies via the bloodstream.
What does this have to do with bodybuilding?
Studies have found that deca naturally increases our number of red blood cells.
This in turn helps improve our circulation and overall health, as well as improving our performance in the gym. This means huge pumps during workouts and more endurance; helping you complete more sets and reps than before.
Deca Can Shut Down Testosterone Production
When running any steroid cycle, it’s always recommended to run a PCT (post cycle therapy). This helps to ensure you don’t experience any adverse side effects that prolong after a cycle.
Deca, like with most other steroids, will shut down natural testosterone production within the body.
Testosterone is highly anabolic and plays a key role in muscle growth and repair, thus by running a PCT you’ll be able to elevate this hormone quicker than normal.
Note: Even when taking a low dose, deca can shut down your natural testosterone production.
Because of this, deca can cause a reduction in libido and sexual performance.
To combat this, deca can be stacked with testosterone, ensuring your test and libido stay intact.
Deca is Better For Your Organs
A lot of steroids have high toxicity rates, meaning they can damage the organs, especially the liver and kidneys.
Deca, however, is a lot more kind to your organs and is considered far less potent.
If used correctly along with a PCT, there should be no real damage to your major organs, which is a big positive.
Clomid is an Effective PCT For Deca
In most cases, either Nolvadex or Clomid will work equally as well for a PCT.
However, things are a little different with a deca durabolin cycle.
You see, deca interacts with receptors in the body, increasing progesterone and prolactin receptors. Nolvadex also increases these 2 hormones.
The idea with a PCT is to help restore hormone levels and get them back to normal after you finish a steroid cycle, not to further imbalance your hormones.
Nolvadex therefore, will fail to restore these hormone balances, which is why Clomid is usually run instead.
For example, if you were to experience prolactin-related gyno from taking deca durabolin and you took nolvadex – this side effect would only get worse.
Wondering What to Stack Deca With?
In order to experience the most gains on deca, it’s recommended to stack it with other powerful bulking compounds.
Single steroid cycles can be effective, but you’re almost certainly be cutting your gains short.
Steroids that work synergistically well with deca are:
- Dianabol
- Testosterone
- Trenbolone
Stacking these 4 steroids together in an 8 week cycle can usually result in 30lbs of lean muscle.
As a result of reading this article I hope you’ve learned a few new things about deca, a truly unique and powerful steroid.
FAQ
Can Deca Dick be Avoided (Without Taking Dostinex)?
Deca dick usually occurs in the 3rd/4th week when taking doses of 400mg or higher. Deca-only cycles are very likely to cause deca dick, as high doses will need to be used to experience good gains; and there’s no androgenic compound in the stack to keep DHT levels high.
What Are The Best Steroids For Sexual Function?
Generally, all steroids enhance sexual function during a cycle, then post-cycle, it typically declines.
This is due to a crash in testosterone, as exogenous testosterone has been discontinued, and endogenous testosterone levels are shut down.
The best steroid for the sexual function is possibly Anavar or Primobolan, as these two steroids will not completely shut down natural test levels. Instead, they will just cause a modest decline, thus sexual performance is not greatly impacted.
In terms of bulking steroids, testosterone is possibly the best steroid for maintaining a high libido and strong erections; as it doesn’t greatly affect prolactin levels. However, endogenous testosterone will still be low post-cycle from taking test, thus a PCT remains essential during this phase.
