Equipoise

Equipoise (Boldenone Undeclynate) was created as an attempt to produce an injectable version of Dianabol. To do this, scientists simply added an ester (the very slow releasing Undeclynate ester) to the same steran nucleus they created out of testosterone to create Dianabol. This means they simply added a double bond between carbon atoms 1 and 2, and in this case, estrified it. This 1-2 double bond dramatically slows the rate of conversion to estrogen.



So what does this mean to us, in the real world? For starters, Eq, because of that simple modification is only going to convert to estrogen (aromatize) at about half the rate of Testosterone. ^[1] Although it rates as highly as Testosterone in terms of anabolic effects, but it’s only half as androgenic. However, in the real world, not too many users report the kind of weight gain on Eq as they do with testosterone, although strength gains seem to be very similar. This is probably why Eq has a well deserved reputation as a hardening agent, and a good cutting drug, but not really as a bulking drug. When it’s used in a bulking cycle, it’s primarily used to aid in appetite stimulation, which is a property of this drug that has been experienced by many athletes- myself included.

The aforementioned double bond is also responsible for Boldenone being somewhat resistant to the 5-Alpha-reductase enzyme. ^[2][3] This enzyme is responsible for converting Testosterone into Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and in this case only converts a small amount of Boldenone into Dihydroboldenone (DHB, I suppose?), which is actually a very potent androgen in it’s own right (7x as anabolic as testosterone)^[4]. However, to reiterate, only a small amount of Eq is converted to DHB, thus making it not much of a it’s really of no concern.

For some reason, Eq is usually compared with Deca Durabolin, and the only real comparison is that gains with the two are very similar, with perhaps the edge in strength going to Eq, and the edge in weight gain going to Deca Durabolin. In terms of actual action in the body, Eq doesn’t act much like Deca. In fact, Deca is a progestin and a 19-nor derived steroid whereas Eq is much more closely related to testosterone (being only one double bond different). Still, it’s very uncommon to see both of them in the same cycle, although there’s no real reason to avoid using the two together.

Most likely due to it’s long ester, most athletes and bodybuilders who have used Eq typically report something of a slow and constant buildup of quality muscle, rather than quick, watery gains. Typically, people use this compound for at least 10 weeks of a cycle, and 12 is often preferred as the weight and strength gains often come very slowly from EQ.

Lately, much shorter estered versions of Boldenone have become available from several underground labs. Since the ester takes up a good deal of “space” in actual oil, the real advantage to this is that there will be a more rapid build up of strength and weight, and less of a waiting period to see results. Boldenone Propionate and Boldenone without an ester (typically referred to as “BNE”) are both available, and I’ve experimented with the latter and found it to actually be very comparable to Masteron in the sense of gaining hardness and strength without much if any water or weight gain.

Equipoise is usually injected at a dose of between 400 and 600 mgs every week, but more than that would seem to not produce any additional benefits according to most experienced users.

Eq, just as with almost any anabolic steroids,  will cause suppression of your endogenous hormones, such as endogenous LH, FSH, and  testosterone. Typically, as exogenous androgen levels rise, endogenous (natural) levels fall. This is why Eq is almost never used alone, and some form of injectable testosterone is the most common addition to a cycle where Eq is being used.

For the last few decades, steroid users have enjoyed the fact that Eq is both widely available and relatively inexpensive.  Most underground labs offer their own version of Equipoise for around $50-75 for a 10cc bottle dosed at 200-300mgs/ml.

A very cheap “starter cycle” of Eq and testosterone is currently very popular and I would wager that unless something severe happens to either the price or availability of EQ, it’s going to be a cornerstone of both beginners and advanced users for decades more.