Equipoise EQ Cycle Before and After — Bulking or Cutting Guide, Gains and Side Effects

The mildest of hardcore steroids and the toughest of the mild - Equipoise is made for horses and gym maniacs with patience. How to take it and how NOT to take it - read in this guide.

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Equipoise (aka Boldenone Undecylenate, just Boldenone, or most commonly – EQ) is an injectable anabolic steroid. It can be both a bulker and a cutter, but most bodybuilders take it as a supportive compound to make the cycle longer and more effective. 

EQ History 


It’s one of the oldest formulas on the market, first synthesized in 1949. It was briefly marketed back in the 1960s as a treatment for people with severe tissue loss conditions (osteoporosis and stuff like that) but turned out to be too harsh for the medical world. In the 1970s, it went straight to the veterinary market as a horse steroid. Not a treatment – exactly a performance booster. Anecdotally, it makes horses: 

  • Bulkier; 
  • More energetic; 
  • Faster; 
  • More aggressive; 
  • Eat more (Increases appetite). 

Since the 1970s, it has changed owners and manufacturers multiple times, from Squibb to Pfizer and Fort Dodge. Now it’s officially produced only for veterinary uses – for dogs, cattle, and horses. Unofficially, though, it’s all over the black market as a popular steroid for athletes, a milder form of Testosterone. 

How EQ Works


So, how the «mildification» of the original male sex hormone happened? 

Step 1: You take the original Testosterone molecule and add a double bond between the first two carbons. That’s how you get Boldenone. 

Step 2: Here, you’ve got a crossroads. You can add 17-alfa-alkylation, and it will give you Dianabol – a powerful, quick-acting oral steroid. 
OR
You can add Undecylenic acid to the 17-Beta-hydroxyl group instead and make Equipoise, a way milder injectable that we’re talking about today. 

Yes, Dianabol and Equipoise are basically the same compounds. EQ is just injectable and way slower. You get the same amount of power, but it’s smeared on a more extended period, like an Avocado on your morning whole-grain toast. 

boldenon eq same but different

Practically, Equipoise is: 

  • 50% as androgenic as Testosterone 
  • 100% as Anabolic as Testosterone; 
  • Most importantly – the longest-acting compound available, with a half-life of about three full weeks. 

In comparison with Testosterone – EQ gives you FEWER side effects, works LONGER, but in exchange – it’s not THAT powerful. 

How to Buy Equipoise?

There’s no easier task: just find a decent source, make an order, and get it delivered to you. The main problem that you may encounter is that… well, not all sources are equally trustworthy. Some sell fakes, some sell underdosed compounds, some just blacklist you after purchase.

None of it happens if you buy Equipoise in our shop, though: it’s a guaranteed way to get pure, pharm-grade EQ, with hassle-free delivery in Canada. it’s lab-tested and comes from Apoxar, a long-standing and well-known brand. The quality should not be a concern: we talk so much about fakes and BS sources that we simply have no other option but selling good, authentic stuff.

EQ Benefits 


Here is what makes EQ so popular, even though it’s not THAT potent:

Stable Muscle Growth 

Yes, the word STABLE is necessary here. You get muscle hypertrophy on all anabolic steroids, but no other compound can give you this level of steady, guaranteed growth. What a great feature in our unpredictable, hard times, huh? 

Most of the time, I refuse to give you any predictions, but this time – you can expect about 50%-75% of your Testosterone-only gains. We can be sure because the chemical structure is so similar to the original Testosterone. 

Also, we’re talking about the BETTER QUALITY of gains since the androgenic properties of Testosterone are cut in half. It means: 

  • Less water retention; 
  • Leaner muscle; 
  • Muscle hardness without bloating. 

However, there is one more thing that you should know: Equipoise takes A LOT of time to kick in. We have a prolonged peak of several days, but the effects will come and come in the next 3 weeks non-stop. You won’t get a rapid blow-up. You won’t FEEL being on steroids in the first two weeks of the cycle (and possibly even longer). It’s not a monster drug. It’s essential to understand it since so many negative anecdotal reviews were just the result of impatience. 

Endurance 

Mediated through increased red blood cell production, EQ can give you the second breath in the most demanding conditions. As you know, your muscle can work as long as they get oxygen – and oxygen is transported to them by red blood cells. With EQ, you get a whole fleet of cargo trucks, loaded with so-needed oxygen, that rush straight to the muscle you’re flexing. 

Obviously, having TOO MANY red blood cells is not a good thing, and that’s why EQ has several cardiovascular side effects. However, if you’re not going to abuse the thing, your blood will stay in the healthy frames. Practically, you can: 

  • Run, cycle, do HIIT or any other cardio stuff for longer; 
  • Push that extra rep easier; 
  • Workout more with no exhaustion. 

As a nice little bonus touch, expect better pumps in the gym (and sometimes after it) and extreme vascularity

Synergy 

That’s what Equipoise a perfect stack gear: it suppresses your SHBG. Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin strips you from the free Testosterone – the only one that matters. EQ limits it and gives you more Test to actually deliver all the anabolic effects. 

Equipoisу cycle and benefits

EQ AI Effect 


I’d put it in the benefits part if it were obvious and well-documented – but unfortunately, it’s not. One of Equipoise’s most significant controversies is whether it acts as an aromatase inhibitor or not. 

Let me remind you that Aromatase Inhibitors are a special class of compounds that deactivate an enzyme in your body, called Aromatase, that exists for the sole purpose of turning Testosterone into Estrogen, the female sex hormone. 

Aromatization and elevated Estrogen can lead to numerous adverse side effects, but it doesn’t mean that you don’t need Estrogen at all.

No estrogen is just as bad as no Testosterone, so that you WILL fill like shit without it. 

Here is the problem: some athletes claim that Equipoise acts as a strong AI and trashes their Estrogen. Others claim that they still get high Estrogen, even on extreme doses of Equipoise. ALL the studies that we have on the issue are either 50 years old, purely theoretical, or just claim different things. 

I can give you a whole bunch of theoretical stuff as well, like, it’s not Boldenone that acts as an AI, but its metabolites, and so on. However, I’m not doing it. Instead, take a bit of simple advice: When in doubt, prepare for the worst and take all the cautious measures you can. Practically, with EQ and its AI effects, it means this: 

  • Go for regular (I’d even say weekly) bloodwork – monitor your E2 (Estradiol, a main part of Estrogen) thoroughly; 
  • DO NOT assume that EQ is a perfect AI and keep some real AI’s on hands. YOu can go with Arimidex, Aromasin, or whatever – here is our complete guide on AI’s and all you need to know about them. 
  • Pay attention to the news – since the subject gets a to of attention in the last years, maybe new discoveries will shed a little light on the issue. 

Simple as that. Buy Equipoise by NovoPharm, but don’t just baldly assume that EQ is the perfect AI that will save you a fuckton of money with no need to buy real AI’s. Opt for the worst and see how it works for you personally. It’s all personal anyway.

EQ FAQ


Want more controversies about Equipoise solved? Check out this little FAQ with the most popular questions on it. 

How To Take EQ 


Here we get to the most practical part. First of all – I don’t recommend it. Don’t try this at home, EQ is not safe, it will kill you, it’s a sin, Jesus would never do this (he would probably opt for Trenbolone), and all other disclaimer stuff. 

Now that you’re scared enough – here is how to take EQ. 

It’s an injectable oily solution, mostly produced in 50mg/ml doses. You’ll need a syringe, a needle (most of the time, 23g or 25g will work perfectly), and a place to stick it in. You can go with your buttock, your deltas, or whatever big and low-fat muscle you can find on your body. If you need a guide, stick with the official ones, like this step-by-step instruction from the University of Michigan. 

The most critical part of injection begins before you even open the vial: it’s disinfection. You’re doing a clean, professional medical procedure, not a heroin shot in a dirty dark alley. So keep it as safe as you can!

EQ Cycle Duration 

Since we’re talking about one extremely slow steroid, you can run it for extremely lengthy cycles. Most athletes take Equipoise for 8-20 weeks. Yes, you can stay on it for that long. 

EQ Before and After


Now, you know that EQ by itself is not that potent, right? That’s why EQ cycle before and after pictures won’t look impressive in any way. Let’s take a look at this guy:

equipoise before and after example

Might be a natural cut, might be EQ cycle results — there’s no way to be sure. And that’s the point: EQ alone won’t give you extreme results. Take. a look at the details: No hardcore gains in the pics — the guy looks fuller, less bloated, leaner, but not because of some extreme muscle growth.

You’ll surely find tons of inspiring transformation pics and impressive EQ cycle before and after pics, but none of them are, unfortunately, close to the truth.

  • Not everything that people claim to be true on the Internet is actually true (the guy could be a gifted natty);
  • EQ cycle before and after pictures are never really notable. It’s a mild compound that truly shines in a stack with other gear — never alone.

We’ll let this guy still be here as an example of mild gains. And you still should keep in mind that the majority of EQ before and after pictures are the result of OTHER compounds in the stack, not EQ by itself.

EQ Dose For Men 

Perfect Equipoise dose for a male athlete is between 300 and 700mg EW. 

Yes, some people take up to 1500mg, but it’s a weird protocol. Not just an apparent overdose, but just weird – why would you do it? If you try to achieve extreme effects – why not opt for a more potent steroid instead of abusing a mild one? 

You CAN get all the desired effects on a low dose. Just have a little patience. 

EQ Dose For Women 


First of all, I don’t recommend EQ for any female athletes. It’s not one of those female-friendly steroids. It WILL bring you to all the perks of virilization, sooner or later. However, since the sad truth is that many women still run it, I can just recommend staying in the safe frames: 

The female dose of EQ should be between 25mg and 100mg, and not a single mg more. 

Otherwise, you’ll see your periods get irregular, your clitoris will get bigger, your voice will get deeper, and you’ll end up looking like a Neanderthal man with hair on your ass. Virilization is not a joke, and even though EQ is safer than some other options, it’s still a close relative of pure Testosterone – with all the consequences. 

EQ Frontloading 


First things first, frontloading gear means starting with a double dose and then lowering it to achieve a higher concentration faster. I know that I always recommend to start low and climb up to see how the compound works for you, but it’s an excellent approach for the FIRST cycle. 

With a little experience under your belt (and something as safe as EQ), you CAN frontload it. Being a slow compound, this way, EQ will give you the desired effects 2 or 3 weeks earlier than it would without frontloading. Just don’t forget to get back to regular dose after a double one – otherwise, it’s not a frontload, but a straight-up abuse. 

EQ Testosterone Base


That one stack is so popular that I will even take it to its own paragraph. Practically no one runs EQ solo. Even though it’s possible, Equipoise will probably shut you down before any positive effects arrive. 

Besides, stacking it with Testosterone has several benefits. Remember the synergy thing? It works perfectly with Test. That’s why Testosterone+Equipoise stack is a golden classic of steroids. You don’t even need to run both in extreme amounts – they will give you muscle growth in a mild, low dosage. Here is how it looks like: 

WeekEquipoise EWTestosterone Enanthate EWPCT
1700mg300mg
2-8350mg300mg
9-10
11-1320-40mg ED

EQ Cycles 


Oh boy, there are so many options on the table. For bulking, you can stack Equipoise with 

  • Testosterone (not just Enanthate, as I mentioned above, but Cypionate as well); 
  • Anadrol (oxymetholone);
  • Dianabol (even though they’re so closely related); 

For a lean body structure and cutting, you can stack it with:

  • Trenbolone acetate (aka Finajet); 
  • Primobolan Depot; 
  • Winstrol
  • Halotestin; 
  • Parabolan. 

For any protocol, I would recommend to have some AI’s on hand and never, never skip the PCT. Also, there’s no need to run ANY compound in high doses with EQ. Everything will work in moderate frames. Otherwise, you risk getting some nasty side effects. You can find everything to counter them and even buy premium quality Parabolan in our shop. 

EQ and Deca Durabolin Stack 

So popular and misinterpreted that it deserves its own separate paragraph. Deca Durabolin is probably the most common stack option for Equipoise, second only to Testosterone itself. 

The protocol usually looks like this: 

WeekEQDecaNolvadex PCT
1-12400mg EW300mg EW
13-14
15-16-20-40mg ED

This stack is so widespread for a simple reason: it’s way milder than the testosterone-based one, so you – in theory – avoid more risks with just a little less gains . The mildness of EQ should balance out the power of Deca – the ‘just right’ combination for athletes that don’t want to risk it all.

Even though it all sounds rational, you should also note a couple of details: 

  1. Deca is suppressive as hell. Depending on your normal hormonal levels, EQ might be just not enough to replace the natural Testosterone. You can get several disastrous side effects, including Deca Dick in its harshest form; 
  2. Both compounds will aim at your androgen receptors, and you don’t have an infinite parking lot there. Deca and EQ will fight for the limited number of receptors. If your luck doesn’t shoot up, you can end up with way fewer gains than you would get from the same cycle with Testosterone. 
  3. Both are long-acting compounds. You risk having some bad time on PCT, especially in the very beginning of it.

This cycle MIGHT BE so popular, because anecdotally – athletes get fewer side effects. It can be caused by the fact that half of the gear they inject simply doesn’t reach its target. 

I would recommend staying away from this stack if you don’t have at least a year or two of experience under your belt. However, in case:

  • You know how your body reacts to both of the compounds separately:
  • You are not a heavy aromatizer.
  • Deca Dick doesn’t spark PTSD in you because of that_one_cycle a few years ago; 

You absolutely can go for it! Just stay careful. EQ has some side effects as well and should not be underestimated. 

EQ Side Effects 


The good news is, EQ is believed to be mild on the side effects. It’s also absolutely not liver-toxic and can’t mess up your metabolism. The bad news is that this is where the good news end. Here is what you should expect: 

Androgenic and Estrogenic Side Effects 

Yeah, even though it’s just 50% as androgenic as Testosterone, it’s still A LOT. You can expect: 

  • Acne; 
  • Water retention; 
  • Mood swings; 
  • Male pattern balding; 
  • Prostate issues. 

It all depends on your personal tolerance to the compound and the effects. With severe Acne – go for Accutane. To combat water retention – keep your diet on point and drink more water. For all the prostate issues, talk with your doc – it’s an area with so many variables that I can’t give any solid advice without sticking a finger up your butt for an examination. And I really, really don’t want to do it. 

Testosterone Suppression 

Yes, Equipoise is suppressive, just like Testosterone itself. It will send your natural T levels down to rock bottom, and you NEED both PCT and Testosterone (on cycle) to support the hormonal levels. Otherwise, you risk getting shut down, and it’s a cruel thing. Here is what you can get: 

  • Trouble getting an erection; 
  • Trouble sleeping; 
  • Low stamina; 
  • Low confidence. 

Don’t let things lead you there – take EQ in moderation, with a Testosterone base, and with a proper PCT afterward. 

Don’t think that you’re safe when you get no suppression effects in 2-3 weeks after the last EQ injection. The consequences, in this case, are long-delayed. You will fill all the nasty stuff in about two months after the cycle ends if you won’t do anything to prevent it.

RBC Overload 

When you get too many red blood cells, your blood gets thicker. Do I need to explain why it is a bad thing? Your heart is made to pump liquid – not strawberry jello through your veins. The effect can lead to a literal heart attack. 

That’s why I recommend getting weekly blood work. Without it, you will actually FEEL the negative effect only when the rates will be straight dangerous. Don’t let the situation make you add special medication to the cycle. 

High Blood Pressure 

Well, you literally get more blood – what did you expect? Elevated BP symptoms can be: 

  • Nosebleeds; 
  • Trouble breathing; 
  • Headaches; 
  • Chest pain; 
  • Fatigue. 

You really need to be as aware of your blood condition as possible on EQ. Ask your physician whether you need to get on some blood thinners. 

EQ Anxiety 

No, it’s not just low Estrogen. It’s much worse. Some athletes get panic attacks out of nowhere on EQ. We don’t have any hard data, but anecdotal reports mention severe anxiety in high doses. 

Of course, some athletes get it – and some don’t. You STILL need to be extra careful with your mental health, start low, and watch for this nasty effect. Question all your actions, decisions, and mood changes on Equipoise. Drop the thing if you feel too anxious. 

Personal Opinion On Equipoise 


So, you know the story of how wild wolves turned into modern pocket chihuahuas and pugs? Way before all the breeding began, they were tamed and domesticated by primal men. All the weird-looking Labradoodles that you see on the streets now were once fierce and fearless animals. The reason primal men decided to tame wolves is convenience. A wolf will bite your balls off and will rush back to his pack in the forest, and it’s not like you can control it. A dog, though, is obedient and takes you as a master. It’s safer, and you can give it multiple tasks that you need it to do. 

Boldenone, aka EQ, is the first-generation domesticated dog. It’s so close to the original wild beast, yet way more friendly. It will roll on its back to get belly scratches while still showing razor-sharp fangs. 

You can get those fangs around your nut sack if you treat your EQ with no respect (abuse, overdose, and so on), but it won’t fuck you up as badly as pure Testosterone would. 

Also, put it on a leash with as frequent blood works as possible. You need to look at two specific factors: RBC count and E2 (Estradiol). Until these two are in a healthy range, your Equipoise will be a good boy.