For the ladies who love to lift weights, a topic that’s bound to come up in locker room chit-chat is steroids for women.
You’re with me on that, right?
It’s well known that steroids fast forward results, and it’s becoming a growing trend among the female bodybuilding sorority. The girls have seen the guy’s gains and want a piece of the action.
Here’s the problem.
Steroids are generally intended for men only, in fact, some are a total no-go for women. Plus the fact there’s good and not so good information out there, so it’s all too easy to make the wrong call.
What you’re about to read will solve all that.
I’ve put the fallacies to one side and picked out the pure facts of female bodybuilding steroids. I’m going to share with you exactly what you could be letting yourself in for.
So, if you are even remotely tempted to go down the steroids for women route, you need to read this first.
Best Steroids for Women
Before we get started, I would just like to make something very clear.
As mentioned, steroids for women work, we cannot dispute that. However, you also can’t deny they’re illegal (unless prescribed for genuine medical reasons) and accompanied by a long list of risky side effects.
Personally, I prefer to keep true to my efforts, by sticking with protein shakes and fat burners. That said, if I had to pick steroids for women, the following would be first in line:
1. Anavar
First of the female steroids, Anavar (oxandrolone) came out in the early sixties and is often referred to as the girl steroid.
In its official capacity, Anavar has been prescribed to prevent muscle loss in patients following severe trauma, surgery, or those suffering from a serious debilitating disease. 1
In the gym, it’s ideal for cutting cycles, which is why it appeals to the female following.
What Are the Benefits of Anavar?
This is what Anavar offers to boost your returns:
- Its potency is six times stronger than testosterone for muscle building.2
- Ideal for cutting cycles—burns fat but retains muscle.
- Doesn’t lead to water weight gain.
- Boosts body strength.³
- Lower on the androgenic scale—less chance of masculinization (man-like features)
- Reduces recovery times.
- Enhances protein synthesis—builds muscle.
- Improves athletic performance.
- Considered a tame steroid for side effects.
- It’s tablet form—no needles required.
What Are the Risks of Anavar?
Even though its side effects are played down by many, you could still experience:
- Damage to the liver.
- Decrease in HDL (good) cholesterol. 4
- Increase LDL (bad) cholesterol.
- Excessive oily skin.
- Irritability.
How to Take Anavar?
Women are seen to respond well to low doses of Anavar, so beginners often start out with 5mg per day, increasing to a max of 10mg. It’s usually cycled for around 6–8 weeks at a time.
2. Clenbuterol
Next on our list of steroids for women is Clenbuterol, which is one of the most popular steroids for women’s weight loss.
Ok, so it’s not strictly a steroid, but a stimulant, Clenbuterol opens up the airways which increases airflow to the lungs. It’s used in some countries to treat asthma; however, the US is not one of them. 5
So, how does a treatment for breathing difficulties help you lose weight?
The benefits of being a bronchodilator—Clenbuterol encourages more oxygen into the body. This is particularly important when you are trying to nail your workout—more O2 means you can hit the bench for longer. 6
There’s more.
Clenbuterol also stimulates the central nervous system in a similar way to amphetamines. Basically, while a chemical such as a beta-blocker reduces the production of epinephrine and noradrenaline, Clenbuterol does the opposite. 7
What Are the Benefits of Clenbuterol?
This is what it means for your physique and workout goals:
- Ramps up energy levels.
- Increases focus.
- Boosts metabolism.
- Promotes weight loss and body fat reduction. 8
- Retains and increases muscle mass by enhancing protein synthesis.9
- Increases body strength.
- Reduces visceral fat.10
- Improves cardiovascular endurance.
What Are the Risks of Clenbuterol?
Clenbuterol packs a punch for performance but, unfortunately, the side effects can be just as potent:
- Agitation.
- Nervousness.
- Sweating.
- Palpitations. 11
- Mood swings.
- Headaches.
- Shaking. 12
- Chest pain.
- Increased blood pressure.
- Enlargement of the heart muscle.
- Rapid heart rate. 13
- Causes potassium deficiency.
How to Take Clenbuterol?
The body adjusts to the effects of Clenbuterol quite rapidly, which is why it’s cycled in short periods at a time. The common methods are either a 2-day on/2-day off or 2-week on/2-week off cycle.
With some notorious side effects, don’t be tempted to jump in at the deep end with a large dose. Typically, you start with at the lower end of the scale—20mg is a good benchmark.
And remember.
Clenbuterol depletes potassium levels, therefore supplementing the mineral is also something you should factor in.
3.Winstrol
If you ever hear fellow gym bunnies talking about Winny, they’ll be referring to Winstrol (stanozolol).
Winstrol was first used for treating episodic swelling in genitals, bowel, throat, and face. Its aim was to decrease the severity of hereditary angioedema.14
The powerful effects of Winstrol came to the forefront during the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Canadian sprinter, Ben Johnson, beat American favorite Carl Lewis, only to test positive for the steroid and lose his medal.
Winstrol is one of the go-to steroids for women who want to look leaner and have an athletic appearance.
What Are the Benefits of Winstrol?
Winstrol can supercharge your training—here’s how:
- Primary use is to burn fat, build muscle mass and improve overall body definition.
- Produces fast results when combined with diet and rigorous exercise.
- Doesn‘t convert to Estrogen—makes it less harmful than other steroids and less likely to produce hormone-related side effects.
- Enhances muscle growth and also boosts strength.15
- Doesn‘t aromatase—which causes water retention. Instead, it promotes a leaner appearance.
- Encourages production of red blood cells, which carry more oxygen to your muscles, increasing muscle endurance.
- Speeds up recovery after exercise.
- Increases in speed, power, and agility—ideal for athletes.
What Are the Risks of Winstrol?
Let’s take a look at some of the potential side effects that come with the gains:
- Acne.16
- Insomnia.
- Headaches.
- Decline in sexual urges.
- Nausea, vomiting.
- Vocal raspiness, hoarseness.
- Increased facial hair.
- Disruption of menstrual periods.17
- Causes stress to the liver.
How to Take Winstrol?
Winstrol is slightly different to other steroids. It’s formulated in both tablet and injectable form, yet the chemical structure doesn’t alter between the two—meaning both are hepatotoxic and can endanger your liver.
With this in mind, cycles are kept around the 6 week period. As for dosage, most women take preference on pills—for obvious reasons—5mg per day should be enough to reap the benefits.
Risks of Taking Steroids for Women
You might be wondering.
What are the anabolic steroids effects on females?
Let me spell it out. The official term is anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) and it’s the word androgen that women need to pay special attention to.
Here’s why.
Androgens are responsible for building male characteristics.
Furthermore, they all stem from testosterone—the number one male sex hormone. In
short, taking steroids could make you feel more man than woman.
Taking synthetic hormones can cause masculinization, here are some signs a woman is using steroids: 18
- Abnormal growth of facial and body hair.
- Clitoral enlargement (atrophy).
- Deepening of the voice.
- Receding hairline/male pattern baldness
- Widening of upper chest.
- Irregular menstrual patterns.
- Reduction in breast size.
But that’s not all.
There are also typical side effects which aren’t gender specific—guys experience these too: 19 20
- Acne.
- Aggressive behavior.
- Infertility.
- Drop in libido.
- LDL (bad) cholesterol levels rise.
- Decline in HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
- High blood pressure.
While steroid use for women often produces positive physical results, their long-term effects are proven to be extremely harmful. Some effects of steroid abuse have been linked to irreversible results. 21
Other illnesses associated with long-term steroid abuse include: 22
- Blood clots.
- Mood changes, depression, thoughts of suicide.
- Liver disease.
- Kidney damage.
- Coronary disease, heart attacks and strokes.23
Safe and Legal Steroids for Women
Ok, so we’ve seen what steroids for women can do to you, the good points and the bad. But what if there was something that could do all that without the pitfalls?
Listen up.
Over the years, clever people have used science to come up with alternatives to synthetic hormones. Legal steroids are designed to copycat the illegal version, and they do this by working with your body instead of pumping it full of man-made chemicals.
In fact, some of the best results I’ve seen are from Crazy Bulk. They offer a cutting stack specifically geared for women, which consists of the following:
- Anvarol
- Winsol
- Clenbutrol
You will notice their names sound familiar, and that’s because they are legal alternatives modeled on our steroids for women—Anavar, Winstrol, and Clenbuterol.
Here’s the best part.
These alternatives are prepared with totally natural ingredients which means they won’t mess up your insides, yet they fast forward results so you look awesome on the outside.
Here’s a roundup of the highlights:
- Totally legal.
- No nasty side effects.
- Builds lean muscle mass.
- Increases endurance.
- Burns fat fast.
- Boosts strength.
- Bumps up energy levels.
What’s great is that they don’t have the insane side effects associated with steroids. This is a huge bonus for women when you consider the androgenic risks linked with steroids.
Bottom line.
If you want to smash your weight loss goals, legal steroids for women are the only sure-fire way of achieving them without making you look and feel like a guy.
More info:
Summary
I’ve shown you that there are steroids for women out there that are effective. However, it’s also very clear that there’s always an element of risk involved when using them.
Let’s not forget.
Steroids are not a magic formula—you still have to train hard and watch your macro intake. What’s more, when you factor in the risks, does it really seem worth it?
I’m not here to preach, we’re all adults, so I’ll leave you to make your own mind up. However, legal steroids would get my vote. They are natural, with zero side effects and they work.
Steroids for Women FAQ
Is It Dangerous for Women to Use Steroids?
In short, yes. Although some are considered more tolerable than others, there’s always the risk of side effects. Some anabolic steroids are highly androgenic and should be avoided.
Will Women Develop a Deep Voice If They Use Steroids?
Yes, this is possible.
Women who use androgenic steroids can sometimes develop “hoarseness” in their voice, as a result of asymmetrical changes in the vocal folds.24
What’s the Safest Steroid for Women?
Honestly, there isn’t a steroid that you could call 100 percent safe. If that’s what you are looking for, you would be better off considering legal steroid alternatives, such as those from Crazy Bulk.
What’s the Best Steroid for Women?
As far as steroids for women go, Anavar is considered both a mild and effective steroid. Research shows that Anavar is more tolerable—that’s if you want to risk it. 25
However, Anvarol is completely natural, without side effects, and is totally legal. It will give you the same results without the negatives.
Do Steroids Work for Women?
If you are trying to improve your physique, shed the pounds, increase tone or strength, and boost muscle mass, then yes, steroids work. I’m sure you’ve checked out the female steroids before and after shots—they can be pretty impressive.
Just remember this. You still have to workout and keep that diet in check. Plus, you will be exposing yourself to the side effects.
What Are Signs of Women Using Steroids?
The symptoms of female steroids side effects include:
- An increase in facial and/or body hair
- Raspiness or deepening of the voice. 26
- Patchy baldness or thinning of hair.
- Enlarged clitoris
- Disruptions in menstrual cycle.
- Breast reduction. 27
If you really need graphic evidence, then just check out some female steroid abuse pictures online—they will show you what steroids can really do.
References
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15025546
2. https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/22/9/921/2716724?redirectedFrom=fulltext
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4629627/
4. https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/102/1/176/2804818
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7476054
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7476054
7. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/clenbuterol#section=Top
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7476054
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1133617/
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8880429
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3550084/
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9478104
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23844963
14. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/stanozolol#section=Top
15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1834821/?page=1
16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15248788
17. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/stanozolol#section=Toxicity-Summary
18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7825634
19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3827559/
20. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482418/
21. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3315401
22. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/anabolic-steroids
23. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3827559/
24. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3827559/
25. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/oxandrolone
26. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2612649/#B12
27. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16618941
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