Anyone who’s ever competed professionally in bodybuilding would be aware of the work that goes in getting competition ready.

The last four weeks that lead to the day are spent measuring every tiny detail.

Every calorie, every drop of water, every steroid will be tailored towards making you look your best.

You have to look dry, vascular and absolutely ripped with zero water retention.

The Ultimate Hardener

Along with Winstrol and Clenbuterol, Masteron is one of the most widely used steroids for this purpose.

It’s called the ultimate ‘Hardening’ compound as it has a cosmetic effect on muscles and it makes them appear harder and dryer.

Further, it is an excellent anti-estrogen, which means that if you use it correctly along with the right compounds in a stack, you can make do without using Nolvadex in your PCT.

If you are using a stack that’s heavy on estrogenic sides (which most of the strong anabolic drugs are), then you must seriously consider adding a compound like Masteron to it, to limit the side effects.

And if you were skeptical about using Testosterone due to its high androgenic rating, then Masteron will fit right into your scheme of things.

Let us explain why.

What is Masteron?

Masteron or Drostanolone is an anabolic steroid that was developed by Syntex, (the guys who also developed Anadrol) in 1959.

However, it wasn’t released until 1970, almost a decade after Anadrol was released.

It was also sold under the brand names Metormon & Masteril for a while. But it is the Masteron name that has remained most popular.

Drostanolone is derived from dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by adding a methyl group at the second carbon position.

This seemingly simple alteration completely modifies the steroid’s absorption rate and bioavailability.

It also makes it a lot more potent.

The addition of appropriate esters control the release time for Drostanolone.

The Propionate ester is the short/small and fast acting one with a half-life of 2-3 days whereas the Enanthate ester is the longer acting one with a half-life of 10.5 days.

Due to its strong anti-estrogenic properties, Drostanolone was used in the treatment of breast cancer for almost two decades, until stronger and safer alternatives, like Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators were approved.

In fact, it is approved for therapeutic use even today but is rarely used.

In bodybuilding, people mainly use it as a cutting steroid or as part of a competition stack.

What are the effects of Masteron?

As we mentioned briefly, Masteron is a great compound to add to a cutting stack as it can promote fat loss, particularly if you are very lean to begin with.

Like at the end of a steroid cycle.

To add to this, it has a reasonably good anabolic rating of 62, which means that it will also help prevent muscle loss to an extent along with strength increases and a boost in libido.

But it is the hardening effect that it is most popular for.

Muscle Hardening:

Water retention is a reality for a lot of bodybuilders who start to look bloated even with a wee bit of testosterone or Trenbolone. Masteron will make that go away within a couple of weeks. By the end of a four or six-week cycle, you will have veins looking to rip through your skin all over your body. It will make your muscles rock hard with very little bloat.

Strength:

Masteron is a very powerful DHT steroid that will give you insane strength gains. The added strength is very desirable in a cutting cycle when you are lifting iron in a calorie deficit. It will keep you going without the crash that a lot of people experience.

Fat Loss:

There are mixed reviews about Masteron’s fat burning abilities. Some bodybuilders get great results and drop their bf by as much as 6 to 7% while they are on Masteron. Others don’t even get close to that. Well, the fact is that Masteron is a powerful androgen. And potent androgens do promote lipolysis. The only reason why someone might not have the same results is if the gear is bunk or if they have very high body fat percentage to begin with.

Libido:

If a steroid cycle kills your sex drive, then you MUST add Masteron to the stack. It will keep you alive between the sheets.

Anti-estrogen:

Masteron is an aromatase inhibitor which means that it will prevent testosterone or other compounds from aromatizing into estrogen. So, you will experience reduced bloating and no gyno. This makes it a great compound to add to a bulking cycle as well, which will most likely include some serious gear that can make your life hell if you are sensitive to estrogen.

Masteron Propionate vs Masteron Enanthate

If you are buying Masteron off an underground lab, then you are most likely to get the Propionate version rather than the Enanthate, which isn’t available as easily.

Masteron Propionate acts faster and clears the body sooner due to its short half-life which makes it better suited for short term use, particularly towards the end of a steroid cycle.

Masteron Enanthate on the other hand works a lot slower and people even add it to a stack purely for its anti-estrogenic properties rather than anything else.

The caveat is that you have to inject the Propionate version every day or every other day depending on the dosage.

You can inject the enanthate version once a week.

There’s no other difference in the type of results that you can achieve.

How to use Masteron

The normal recommended dose for a Masteron Propionate cycle is 300-400mg per week. You can split it into one 100mg injection every other day.

Women can achieve good results with 50mg/week for a 6-8-week duration.

If you are using the ethantate version instead, then you can divide 400mg/week into two injections or even take a single injection.

What are the side effects of Masteron?

Masteron is often touted as one of the mildest anabolic steroids, since it has a very low androgenic rating of 24.

However, this number can be misleading. Masteron is a DHT derivative and shows a very strong affinity for binding to androgen receptors.

In fact, it is more likely to trigger hair loss in people who are sensitive towards DHT, than many other compounds.

Having said that, it depends a lot on individual sensitivity.

On a positive note, it will not aromatize to estrogen. Nor is it hepatotoxic.

But it will shut you down. That’s why bodybuilders always use it along with exogenous Testosterone rather than as a standalone compound.

Masteron can also increase your levels of LDL and reduce your HDL levels.

To sum it up

A lot of experienced bodybuilders cite how Masteron is an underrated anabolic steroid.

That’s because its muscle hardening effect are comparable to none. Moreover, it does not cause any estrogenic side effects.

If you are looking for a compound that can amplify the aesthetics of any stack, here you have it.