Primobolan is the brand name of the anabolic steroid Methenolone.  You can find it mostly in injectable form but some sources also produce it as a weak oral. Known in the fitness world as a low side effect and mild compound, sporting just an 88:45 anabolic to androgenic ratio, it seems to be very misunderstood in the modern bodybuilding era due impatience.  In this profile, I will examine this very interesting steroid and show you how to best use it.

Development and history

Medical Uses

In 1962, Primobolan (Methenolone) was developed and marketed under the Nibal Depot brand briefly in the United States but was discontinued.  Some European countries started marketing it under the popular Primobolan Depot name, and is still being used sparingly in Turkey and Spain for muscle wasting and anemia.

Bodybuilding Uses

It is one of the few anabolic steroids that truly was adopted purely for bodybuilding and not for medical reasons in the United States.  The main reason for its popularity during the golden age of bodybuilding in the 1970’s was that it did not cause any sort of water retention or estrogenic risks.  Remember that in those days they did not have any access to aromatase inhibitors.  Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mike Mentzer and Frank Zane (all bigtime bodybuilders of the 70’s) were rumored to use it quite liberally throughout the year, even in their offseasons.

Availability

During the 1990’s and 2000’s, Bayer popularly sold Primobolan (Methenolone) in ampules that were 100mg/ml.  These were extremely expensive, with users routinely spending a thousand dollars on a cycle.

They were also known as being extremely painful injections due to the heavy molecular weight of the injectable steroid and its general thickness.   Due to price and the explosion of Equipoise and Trenbolone use, Primobolan (Methenolone) has fallen out of favor somewhat.  Today, due to the numerous fakes many shy away from this steroid, but the users that still use it will seek underground labs which develop the steroid at a much lower price.

Immune system

Primobolan (Methenolone) is one of the anabolic steroids that tends to not inflame the body and thus it can actually improve the immune system.  Some AIDS doctors around the world have lobbied Drug Administrations to make the steroid available for their patients due to the low side effects and effectiveness.  One can consider it the human growth hormone of steroids.

Athletic doping

Baseball

There have been some big-time names busted for using Primobolan (Methenolone) that you might not know about.  Baseball players Alex Rodriquez and Barry Bonds both tested positive for it in the early 2000’s.  Rodriquez had purchased the steroid while in his home country of the Dominican Republic and referred to it by its slang name “Boli”, which is short for Primobolan.

Basketball

Basketball player Hedo Turkoglu was banned for 20 games for using it.  In 2013, marathon runner Natalia Volgina had her title stripped and banned for 2 years.

The Olympics

Finally, Primobolan (Methenolone) was part of the “Duchess cocktail” which has Trenbolone and Anavar added.  This cocktail was what the Russians used during the Sochi Olympics to help their athletes cheat.

The science behind how it works

Primobolan (Methenolone) increases nitrogen retention, protein synthesis, and reduces catabolic hormones in the body.  It does a great job of binding to SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) which causes a rise in free testosterone ratio, which helps increase lean muscle mass, strength, and performance in the gym.  Another interesting fact is that it is a DHT (dihydrotestosterone) derivative, but is still quite mild and will not cause many side effects.  One of the nice things is that it does not convert to estrogen or bind to estrogen receptors, this means your gains will be quality muscle and not a bunch of bloat and water.

Primobolan depot vs. Oral

Bodybuilders mostly use Primobolan (Methenolone) in injectable form due to much better results.  Your liver may destroy the oral version, so you won’t get as much out of it.

How to use

Primobolan Only Cycle?

Primobolan (Methenolone) is very mild, and will not give an androgenic kick when used by itself.  Even so, it is said that the golden age bodybuilders routinely used 100mg per day solo. Especially ahead of a show just to sharpen up their physiques.  As mentioned earlier, this steroid is quite misunderstood and you should not expect to move the scale very much on it or at all.

Standard Dosage & Cycle Length

A weekly dosage of 400-700mg a week for 12 weeks is considered standard in the industry.  Many choose to run it 16 or even 20 weeks. However, keep in mind the longer you stay on any steroid the harder it will be to recover.

Stacking it with Androgenic Steroids

When used in a stack, I recommend you to add something androgenic, to give it a little kick.  A popular oral to use with it is Dianabol at 10-30mgs a day and a popular injectable is straight Testosterone at 200-400mgs a week.  Another strategy is using Trenbolone with it at a low dosage of 100-200mgs a week. While keeping your Primobolan (Methenolone) high to let it do the bulk of the work.

For Slow And Steady Results

Primobolan (Methenolone) is a great steroid for those who want clean, slow, lean, and mild results.  It is a poor choice for those who need to gain weight fast, or who want to break strength records.

For Contest Prep

Those who compete in physique competitions or who model consider it one of their favorite steroids and may stack it with Anavar or Winstrol to shred up.

Primobolan For Women

Some coaches have their female clients use the oral version. This is due to the ultra-low side effects at between 25mg-50mgs per day.  Males that choose to use the oral version will use double or triple that dosage.

Side effects

Although Primobolan (Methenolone) is more mild than almost every other steroid, you should still respect it.  You will become shutdown on the steroid. And you will need to run a post cycle therapy after using it.

Also, since it is a DHT (dihydrotestosterone) derivative you may experience some light head hair loss. Or some enlarging of the prostate especially when stacking it with a more androgenic steroid.

Overall you will not experience very much in the way of mood swings, anger, aggression, or heart strain.

Half-life and detection times

Primobolan (Methenolone) has the enanthate ester attached which has a half-life of about 10-11 days.  The detection time is 5 weeks.

The oral version is very short at a 5-hour half-life and detectable for about 5-6 weeks.