Dosing:
Liver toxicity is a concern when taking orals, but with proper protection and dosing, it is unlikely any harmful situations should arise. Common doses range from 20mg everyday (ED) to 50mg+ ED. The higher the dose generally translates to shorter duration of use. Those looking for benefits in the 20mg ED range can feel safe running dbol for around 8 weeks. This is of course a guideline and proper bloodwork should be taken to minimize risk. Those looking for more pronounced benefits, namely strength and pure size, can get away with running around 40mg ED for 3-6 weeks.
Timing:
Timing can play a large role with this drug due to its 6-8 hour half-life. Those looking for mainly strength increases would benefit from taking the majority of their daily dose pre-workout; usually an hour or so before hand. This will not translate soley to strength gains, but moreso than spreading the dose throughout the day. That leads me to the next way of dosing dianabol. Other users may chose to take 5-10mg every few hours to keep a steady stream of the drug in their system; thus leading to being more anabolic. However, there can be a compromise. Users can also benefit from taking a large portion of their daily dose preworkout and the rest a few hours postworkout. The only disadvantage to this route is that there is not as steady a stream of the drug in your system throughout the day. However, you get the best of both worlds by getting a great workout and being very anabolic postworkout. This will aid in muscle recovery when it is most important, postworkout, and when you should be getting in the majority of your high protein meals.
Precautions:
First and foremost, bloodwork should be kept track of to make sure blood levels remain in a reasonable and healthy range. Although liver toxicity is generally over-emphasized, it still is an issue that needs to be addressed. Therefore, a liver support such as NAC is a great addition to any cycle containing a liver-harsh drug. High amounts of water (ie 2+ gallons) should be consumed daily with Dianabol and other orals. Sodium intake should also be watched more carefully due to the fact that it increases water retention and bloat. That is not something you want alot of while taking dbol. Now what about alcohol? It should be avoided at all costs and that's all I'll say on the subject. If you're serious about this then you should already have a good answer.
What To Expect:
One should feel the effects (namely in the gym) within the first week of beginning the regimen. Increased blood pressure and intensity are common. Rapid weight gain within the first two weeks are also very common, but don't be fooled. Most of this gain is water based. The "real" gains will begin to show usually after the first few weeks once your body is able to synthesize more protein more effectively, therefore increasing lean body mass. As noted earlier, strength increase is a major side effect of this drug. Therefore, one should pay extra attention on the new weight they are lifting in order to minimize risk of injury of the tendons and ligaments. This is because the tendons and ligaments do not grow in conjunction with the muscles, so as your muscles continue to grow, you are asking more and more from the same tendons and ligaments.
Keeping Gains:
Since Dianabol only cycles are generally a bad idea, it is assumed you are using test as a base for this cycle. Running test for a longer duration than the dbol is usually a good idea as your body is still very anabolic and thus, the ability to retain new muscle is increased. This is just a general rule of thumb and does not equate to holding onto any portion of your gains as there are many factors involved. Another factor, and probably the biggest factor, is diet. Diet during your dbol use and after will be the biggest determining factor on what you gain and what you hold on to. For the most part, expect to lose ~5 or so pounds once the dbol is out of your system. This number will usually be around the same to as much weight (bloat and water) that you initially put on. Your post-dbol diet should not differ too much than when you were taking dbol, but increasing calories and protein slightly is usually a good idea. You will need to "eat at your new weight." If you were originally 200lbs and now you're 215lbs, you need to eat like a 215 pounder to STAY at 215lbs. The inverse is also true.
Summary:
All in all, Dianabol is a great compound and should meet every one of your expectations, but it isn't perfect and considerations need to be taken based on your goals and YOU. Therefore, in order for you to get the most from it, you need to understand what is going on and what you need to do to maximize your results. Hopefully this piece has helped you to do that and has answered any other questions and concerns someone new to dbol may have.
