1. INTRODUCTION

When it comes to planning a bulking cycle, more is not always better. Many bodybuilders wrongly assume that running low-dose, conservative cycles when bulking is sufficient to maximize gains, but that could not be further from the truth.

When bulking, the main priority is to gain muscle while minimizing fat accumulation. You are lucky if you even keep body fat gains under 10-15lbs during a proper bulking cycle. And guess what? Unless you are a complete beginner, you don’t need sky-high calories or endless compounds to build substantial muscle tissue on a surplus.

This article will teach you everything you need to know to plan a perfect bulking cycle, so let’s get right into it.

2. WHAT ANABOLIC STEROIDS SHOULD YOU OPT FOR?

Every cycle requires a Testosterone base, regardless of the end goal. Unless you are already massive, running 350 to 500mg of Testosterone per week is more than enough to drive significant muscle growth and strength gains while feeling your best - you don’t really need to go any higher or add additional compounds.

If you are already experienced with AAS and you want to maximize muscle fullness and overall mass gains, you can add a second or even third anabolic steroid to your bulking cycle. Popular options are:

• Dianabol (Methandienone) – Oral – 20 to 50mg a day for up to 6 weeks.
• Deca-Durabolin (Nandrolone Decanoate) – Injectable – 300 to 600mg a week.
• Anadrol (Oxymetholone) – Oral – 25 to 100mg a day for up to 4 weeks.
• Equipoise (Boldenone Undecylenate) – Injectable – 300 to 600mg a week.

These are all highly anabolic compounds, and they shine because they promote nitrogen retention, protein synthesis, and glycogen storage while increasing appetite and recovery, giving you that full, thick and powerful look (provided you eat enough).

Turinabol and Anavar can also work for milder gains, though they are not as effective as the heavier androgens when it comes to raw size and strength increases.

For advanced users or those chasing extreme mass, higher doses of Testosterone, Trenbolone or even Trestolone are also an option, but you should probably avoid them unless you already have many cycles under your belt.

Avoid compounds that are overly drying or suppress appetite, like Winstrol, Masteron, high-dose DHT derivatives, and most fat-burners.

3. THE MASS-BUILDING ADD-ONS

The Anabolic Steroids will enhance your recovery, strength, appetite, muscle fullness, and performance while you bulk, but they will not have a significant impact on how fast you gain muscle tissue without the right support.

Gaining muscle comes down to being on a calorie surplus, which can be achieved by eating more calories and progressive overload in training. In most cases, a solid diet and consistent lifting are enough to reach a massive physique, but athletes who want to get freakishly huge or those who simply want to accelerate the process may opt for adding other, non-AAS mass-building drugs.

Tried and tested options include MK-677, HGH, HGH Secretagogues, Insulin, and IGF-1 analogs, among others.

While they all have slightly different mechanisms of action, they all promote growth through nutrient partitioning, GH elevation, or direct anabolic signaling, which can lead to side-effects like hypoglycemia, water retention, and gut distension if not controlled.

While not strictly necessary (especially if you are not already very big), adding a mass-building add-on (or two) to a bulking cycle is an effective way to accelerate your results, break through growth plateaus, and get as massive as possible.

4. POST-CYCLE MEASURES

Once your bulking cycle is over, you have to take the right measures to preserve your muscle and avoid gaining fat.

If you are cruising, you can stay on a small calorie surplus to keep getting bigger without getting fat, you can opt for maintenance if you are happy with your size, or you can even aim for a small deficit if you are satisfied with your muscle mass and you want to shed some fat.

If you are doing a Post-Cycle Therapy (PCT), you should aim for maintenance calories. Staying on a surplus during PCT is a surefire way to gain unwanted fat while compromising hormonal recovery. Switching to a deficit during PCT is an excellent way to lose some of the muscle you just built.

5. FINAL NOTES

A successful bulking cycle is built on consistency, discipline and smart drug selection, not on reckless drug use and dirty diets.

If you approach your bulk with patience and structure, you will get bigger, stay leaner, remain healthier and retain far more muscle than those who chase shortcuts.