Testosterone Enanthate

Testosterone Enanthate is one of many testosterone steroid forms, or esters, we can choose from. The Enanthate ester is attached to the testosterone hormone and it controls the rate of release after you inject.

For some of us, Testosterone Enanthate might be the only available option but for others it’s the convenient slow release of this testosterone steroid that makes it appealing.

Does Testosterone Enanthate give you different results from any other type of testosterone steroid? No: results will be the same once the steroid kicks in.

It will make a difference however in how you plan your cycles, including how long they might be and what and where you might choose to include other types of steroids to compliment Testosterone Enanthate’s effects.

Testosterone Enanthate is simply a synthetic form of the testosterone hormone your body naturally produces, and this ester is one of the more widely used ones. It’s injectable, like most other testosterone steroids with few exceptions, but the big benefit of the enanthate ester is that you don’t need to inject too often.

This is ideal for those who want the benefits of testosterone, but don’t enjoy the very regular injections required of other steroids.

So what do you need to know about Testosterone Enanthate? How exactly can it benefit you, and what’s the best way to use it to get maximum results? All this and more is covered in detail below in my Testosterone Enanthate guide.

Author’s Note: The following guide is based on my personal experience and does NOT promote the illegal use of steroids (PEDs).

Testosterone Enanthate History and Overview

Testosterone Enanthate has been around since the 1950’s when it was first developed for medical use.

Its main medical application is in the treatment of low testosterone conditions in men. It is also sometimes used for women with inoperable breast cancer to reduce estrogen, and to treat delayed puberty and hypogonadism in males.

Testosterone Enanthate remains one of the most commonly used testosterone esters, with its slower release making it a convenient choice for those not wanting to inject frequently.

There are multiple brands names that this steroid is sold under at pharmaceutical quality, with Delatestryl and Xyosted being two well known brands.

Chemical Characteristics and Properties

Like all testosterone steroids, Testosterone Enanthate is a standard testosterone hormone with an ester attached to control the rate of release. In this case the Enanthate ester gives the synthetic testosterone hormone a slower release into the body after injecting compared to some other esters.

The testosterone hormone itself is unchanged from that which naturally occurs in your body – it’s just in synthetic form when you buy Testosterone Enanthate.

Without the attached enanthate ester you would need such frequent injections that the steroid would be unusable.

With Enanthate attached you get a steroid with a half life of around 8 days, making it possible to only inject once weekly if you choose; but most users will choose a bi-weekly injection schedule to maintain the optimal level of the hormone at all times.

Testosterone Enanthate has a high bioavailability when injected, and it does not cause stress to the liver. It is estimated that around 10% of Testosterone Enanthate that men inject will convert to DHT, and that’s where side effects like hair loss can become an issue.

Both males and females can see the promotion of masculine characteristics when using Testosterone Enanthate, and while it has approval as a treatment for breast cancer in postmenopausal women where it is used to counteract estrogen activity, at higher doses for performance use it poses a high risk of virilization in females.

Pharmaceutical grade Testosterone Enanthate comes in a sesame oil solution as well as the alcohol based preservative chlorobutanol.

Effects of Testosterone Enanthate (Testosterone Enanthate Benefits)

The benefits of Testosterone Enanthate are plentiful and bodybuilders will find that this steroid is able to provide beneficial effects that cover the entire spectrum of what’s desirable in bodybuilding.

Keeping in mind that the specific effects and results you can get with Testosterone Enanthate are heavily dependent on your dose, and your training and diet.

Those who use Testosterone Enanthate as a hormone replacement will find that this simply allows normal everyday function as a male, rather than enhanced anabolic effects. Higher performance doses is where you will start to see the well known benefits surrounding performance and muscle growth.

These higher Testosterone Enanthate result in an increase in testosterone levels well beyond what you’d normally produce and these are the benefits and expects you can expect to see from such use:

Faster and bigger muscle gains

Most users taking Testosterone Enanthate at performance doses will want to achieve some level of muscle gain, whether through the use of this steroid alone or in combination with other bulking steroids.

Testosterone Enanthate promotes muscle growth through several different actions, one being the increased red blood cell production and another being enhanced protein synthesis. Muscle tissue is built at a faster rate when the process of protein synthesis is increased.

The increase in nitrogen production also results in increased protein storage – and all of this is simply a result of higher testosterone levels. What the body normally does with testosterone is compounded upon and multiplied with higher doses of Testosterone Enanthate.

Endurance, stamina, strength

Another benefit of Testosterone Enanthate’s effects on red blood cells is the massive boost to endurance and stamina, and this is often one of the first benefits noticed with this slower acting ester.

More red blood cells carrying oxygen to the muscles increases training capacity and allows you to work out longer, with less fatigue.

Strength gains are also notable and will allow the lifting of heavier weights compared to normal. The combination of these important performance enhancements takes workouts to new levels with many users able to push through previous personal best lifting limits.

These performance boosts can also be substantially improved by stacking Testosterone Enanthate with some of the more powerful steroids like Dianabol.

Protection from muscle loss (anti-catabolic effects)

It’s possible to use Testosterone Enanthate in cutting cycles and this means eating a calorie deficient diet with the main goal of losing fat and reducing overall body fat percentage to a low level.

The risk of this is the loss of muscle along with fat, in the case of catabolic activity. Having a powerful anabolic to act as an anti-catabolic agent while cutting is essential.

One way Testosterone Enanthate does this is to minimize and even block the stress hormone cortisol, which is a catabolic hormone. The result is increased muscle protection and reduced accumulation of body fat.

Faster and more efficient recovery ability

Possibly the most important benefit above all is Testosterone Enanthate’s ability to quicken your recovery process after intensive weight lifting and other exercise.

Hardcore weights training as we as bodybuilders regularly engage in results in the tearing of muscle tissue. The body naturally rebuilds this tissue but that process is a slow one naturally.

Testosterone Enanthate speeds this repair up noticeably (but you’ll need to wait a few weeks to see this benefit with Testosterone Enanthate). With the way this steroid improves your muscle recovery efficiency, the amount of time between workouts can be reduced, ultimately leading to more regular workouts with less risk of over training and injury, and more rapid muscle gains.

Other effects not directly related to bodybuilding but rather are another aspect of the importance of testosterone in males is an often improved sense of well being, heightened mental energy and focus, improved libido and more.

All of these benefits can be achieved with any form of testosterone, with Testosterone Enanthate being a popular choice for those wanting infrequent injections and the benefits of a slower, steady, yet very powerful steroid that can be used for any number of different outcomes and goals.

Testosterone Enanthate Cycles and Stacks

The planning of your Testosterone Enanthate cycle is a critical factor in the success you’ll have in achieving your desired results.

First, defining the purpose of your cycle where you want to make use of Testosterone Enanthate’s effects is important: is it to bulk, cut, body recomposition, or just to take advantage of the strength and other performance benefits of Testosterone Enanthate?

Secondly, will you be stacking Testosterone Enanthate with any other steroids? A Testosterone Enanthate only cycle can be very effective when done right, but you will be waiting a while to see results as this slower ester form takes time to kick in.

For this reason most users beyond the early beginner stage will look to stack Testosterone Enanthate with faster acting compounds, which are often oral steroids which take effect almost immediately. This kick starts the cycle and, several weeks in, then allows Testosterone Enanthate to take effect for the remainder of the cycle.

Beginner Testosterone Enanthate Cycle

Beginners can see great results on a Testosterone Enanthate only cycle and this gives you the opportunity to evaluate how you respond to the steroid, and how to best mitigate any side effects before you start stacking it with other compounds.

A very basic (but also extremely effective) Testosterone Enanthate only cycle is a standard 12 weeks using Testosterone Enanthate at no more than 500mg per week. Adjust your dosage according to your response and any side effects that appear.

Remembering that with its longer time to exit the body, side effects that do appear will take some time to dissipate if you drop your dosage or stop using Testosterone Enanthate completely.

A starting dose of 300mg is a good point to introduce yourself to Testosterone Enanthate. But most users, for true anabolic effects, will be increasing this to 400-500mg weekly and this is considered a manageable dose for the majority of beginners.

Regardless of your chosen dosage, it’s essential that your Testosterone Enanthate cycle runs for at least 12 weeks.

If you feel confident in moving past a cycle that uses just this steroid alone, even beginners can and so use the tried and proven classic stack of Testosterone Enanthate, Dianabol and Nandrolone with success, provided doses remain moderate to keep side effects manageable. Follow the cycle suggestion below as a guide for using this stack for the first time.

Intermediate Testosterone Enanthate Cycle

Most intermediate users will be looking to move on from a Testosterone Enanthate only cycle and start reaping the massive benefits of stacking testosterone with other powerful anabolics.

One of the classic bodybuilding stacks is testosterone combined with Nandrolone (Deca-Durabolin) and Dianabol.

In this stack, Dianabol takes on the kick start right from the first days of the cycle with its fast acting oral form. Dianabol is a steroid that’s taxing on the liver and we should only use it for short period of time.

4 to 6 weeks is recommended and will provide substantial gains and performance benefits while Testosterone Enanthate takes time to take effect for the second half of the cycle in combination with Nandrolone Decanoate.

• Weeks 1 – 4: Dianabol 25mg daily
• Weeks 1 – 12: Testosterone Enanthate 500mg weekly, Deca-Durabolin 400mg weekly

Advanced Testosterone Enanthate Cycle

Advanced users will be comfortable using Testosterone Enanthate at the higher doses of 500-600mg weekly, or more.

But think carefully about raising the dose so high, rather than instead gaining additional benefits by stacking. There are countless options for stacking here, but it’s worth looking at possibly the most advanced and powerful steroid in Trenbolone.

A steroid that’s not for the faint hearted and preferably you will already have experience in running a Trenbolone cycle previously. The side effects of Trenbolone can be severe so doing your research on that is a must.

A 12 week Trenbolone and Testosterone Enanthate cycle will provide huge muscle and strength gains with the benefit of Trenbolone not being an aromatizing steroid so water retention should be easier to control here.

Both steroids should be used for the entire 12 week cycle with doses adjusted according to your individual response:

• Testosterone Enanthate: 600mg weekly
• Trenbolone: 150mg weekly

Stacking Testosterone Enanthate

Most users will look to stack Testosterone Enanthate with one or more other steroids and you can shape your cycle to achieve just about any goal. Testosterone Enanthate is such a versatile steroid so it can be used for bulking, cutting or types of cycles.

Whatever you stack Testosterone Enanthate with, if you use it at performance doses you will see impressive gains in strength and muscle, an ability to preserve muscle when dieting, and enhanced endurance.

When choosing what to stack Testosterone Enanthate with we need to consider not only the performance outcomes and results we can achieve, but the introduction of new side effects.

Testosterone Enanthate itself can have a negative effect on cholesterol to some extent, so stacking it with any other steroid that is also stressful to the cardiovascular system will increase those risks.

We can consider just about any other steroid in a stack with Testosterone Enanthate, but you will not want to include another testosterone steroid – they are the same hormone just with a different ester.

Dianabol, Deca-Durabolin, Anavar, Trenbolone and Anadrol are commonly stacked with Testosterone Enanthate.

With Testosterone Enanthate being a slow release steroid that takes time to take effect in a cycle, it’s a common strategy to stack it with a fast acting steroid – such as Dianabol – so a quick start can be had and then allowing Testosterone Enanthate to kick in a few weeks into the cycle to continue your gains and strength boost.

Testosterone Enanthate Dosages and Administration

There are two main purposes for using Testosterone Enanthate as part of a performance cycle: to combat the suppression of natural testosterone caused by other anabolic steroids, or to benefit from the anabolic effects of Testosterone Enanthate itself.

Basic testosterone replacement can be achieved with as little as 150-200mg weekly. This will maintain normal testosterone function and prevent you sliding into a low testosterone state where other suppressive steroids are halting normal production.

This purpose of Testosterone Enanthate use is suitable and useful for all users from beginners to advanced.

At performance doses, 500mg weekly of Testosterone Enanthate is a standard dose and one that should be tolerated well.

You will certainly find guys who are taking a lot more than that: sometimes up to 1000mg. Is it worth it? Well, the side effects will certainly be more pronounced and it’s likely that the level of water retention (and associated increased blood pressure), acne and other effects will outweigh the positives.

500mg, for most men, will provide excellent anabolic effects without taking side effects into more severe territory. Every individual will have different responses though.

Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Testosterone Enanthate Dosages

It might be surprising that the difference in doses taken between beginners and advanced Testosterone Enanthate users isn’t substantial and in most cases it’s the purposes of using Testosterone Enanthate that will determine the dose.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a beginner or advanced user, if you’re using Testosterone Enanthate only for testosterone replacement purposes then your dose will remain low at 200mg at the most as that’s all that’s required for that purpose.

The majority of users at any level will be satisfied with a performance dose of 400-600mg weekly and most will find this to be well tolerated.

If more extreme results are desired, it’s always recommended to stack Testosterone Enanthate with other powerful steroids rather than increasing the dosage to excessive levels.

Just about any steroid will stack very well with Testosterone Enanthate, but there’s no benefit in stacking it with any other ester of testosterone because they are exactly the same steroids. In a stacked cycle, your Testosterone Enanthate dosage can still perform very well at 500-600mg per week.

Again, you will come across people talking about taking 1000mg. It’s only at the more extreme level of experience where doses will rise to 800mg or 1000mg weekly and users will want to have very specific reasons for wishing to inject so much Testosterone Enanthate.

The common beginner mistake is to assume you can only get big results with big doses – but the most likely outcome is that the side effects will become the overwhelming focus of the cycle and that a more reasonable lower dose is far more beneficial and less taxing on your health.

Medical Testosterone Enanthate Dosage

As a low testosterone treatment, Testosterone Enanthate is prescribed at low doses to provide the normal amount of testosterone needed for healthy functioning.

This also ensures that side effects in men are very unlikely because the level of testosterone being injected is simply a replacement for what should normally be there if there were no medical condition causing a low testosterone state.

The most common Testosterone Enanthate medical dose is in the range of 100mg to 200mg every seven to ten days. This is a long term treatment for men suffering with low testosterone medical conditions, and many will require it to be ongoing for the rest of their life.

Female Testosterone Enanthate Dosage

Few women will consider using Testosterone Enanthate due to the high risk of developing virilizing side effects like a deep voice and body hair growth. While some females will use testosterone steroids at very low doses, most will find that there are far more suitable anabolic steroid options for women like Anavar and Primobolan.

Besides Testosterone Enanthate’s androgenic effects on females, its long half life means that if these side effects do develop it will take some time for them to recede – until the hormone exits your body. This can take several weeks. Women wanting to use testosterone steroids should consider using an ester with a shorter half life for this reason.

If the choice is still made to use Testosterone Enanthate, dosages for females should remain at the very low end of 50mg per week or less and then monitor your response.

Proper Administration and Timing

Whichever dosage you choose to go with, the most common way to administer this steroid is to split your desired weekly dose in half and inject it twice weekly. With its long half life of about 8 days, you can get away with a once weekly injection but ideally to maintain the most stable levels of the hormone a twice weekly split dose is recommended.

Another reason for splitting the dose comes down to comfort: at higher doses you’re injecting a lot of Testosterone Enanthate in one go and most users will find it more practical and comfortable to split that dose in half each week.

Sesame oil is used in Testosterone Enanthate preparations and this is a viscous or thick oil compared to some others, which can cause some pain and discomfort with injections. Injecting a smaller amount each time will go some way to reducing this discomfort.

Testosterone Enanthate vs. Cypionate

Both Testosterone Enanthate and Cypionate have similar benefits: they’re affordable, generally widely available, and require infrequent injections because both have large, long lasting and slow acting esters attached.

Testosterone Cypionate has a slightly longer half life than Enanthate but the difference is not much more than one day and is not likely to be noticeable to anyone injecting the steroid twice per week.

Both Enanthate and Cypionate are both very popular when it comes to testosterone steroids but depending where you live, you might find one is more easily available than the other and this alone can be the deciding factor.

For US users, Testosterone Cypionate has become the much more commonly used and favored of these two with it being more available than Testosterone Enanthate.

One of the more notable differences between them is the oil that the hormone is suspended in. This oil can have a big effect on how much discomfort you might feel when injecting. For Testosterone Enanthate, a sesame oil is used which is quite a thick oil. This can cause some users to experience irritation and pain when injecting.

In contrast, Testosterone Cypionate is based in olive oil which is more fluid thinner oil which is likely to cause less irritation when injecting compared to Testosterone Enanthate. Those users who have fortunate enough to have access to both these forms will almost always choose Testosterone Cypionate for this reason alone.

Testosterone Enanthate Risks and Side Effects

Like all anabolic steroids, there are risks and side effects to consider when using Testosterone Enanthate. With this being an unaltered form of testosterone that’s identical to the testosterone produced in your body as a male, most men will tolerate Testosterone Enanthate very well.

But when higher doses are used that gives your body higher levels of testosterone than it would normally produce, side effects can develop as a result of several factors: rising estrogen levels when testosterone is converted to estrogen through a process called aromatization, increased androgenic activity with more testosterone circulating, and impacts on the cardiovascular system.

Additionally we have to deal with what happens when the body is receiving an exogenous supply of testosterone and is “tricked” into slowing down or even completely stopping natural production of the hormone.

The most important Testosterone Enanthate side effects to consider are:

• Estrogenic – Water retention and gyno are possible, especially at higher doses. Anti-estrogen drugs can help reduce these side effects and water retention in particular should be closely monitored to avoid raising blood pressure.
• Androgenic – Men who are predisposed to male pattern baldness may see this issue develop, again usually at higher doses. Acne is also a possibility. Androgenic effects are very much tied to genetics and so will vary considerably between individuals.
• Cardiovascular – Cholesterol levels can be affected with HDL levels reducing, while LDL levels increase. This can also lead to an increase in blood pressure. Negative cholesterol changes can be worsened considerably if you are using an AI drug alongside Testosterone Enanthate.
• Testosterone suppression – Testosterone Enanthate will suppress your normal testosterone production while you’re using it. It will take some time for normal function to recover after your cycle, so a PCT plan is critical when using Testosterone Enanthate.

Testosterone Enanthate Results

It’s understandable to want to see quick results when you use any steroid, but with Testosterone Enanthate you will need some patience while the steroid takes effect and this can take a couple of weeks at least.

It’s not unusual to have to wait 4 weeks or more for noticeable effects to start showing, so if you want quick results at the start of a cycle, Testosterone Enanthate should be stacked with a faster acting steroid to get things moving.

Testosterone Enanthate results are obviously very much dose dependent. At the lowest doses you will be doing nothing more than providing a base level of testosterone Higher performance doses at 400mg or more per week is where the anabolic effects take effect and where the desirable results can start being achieved.

One of the first effects you will notice from Testosterone Enanthate is the great improvements to muscle endurance and overall stamina.

As with all results from this slower acting steroid, it will take time for endurance benefits to be felt but once they are you’ll quickly find your previous limits can be pushed through easily, simply meaning your workout intensity will be increased and you won’t find yourself feeling fatigued at the point where you previously did.

Muscle gains will greatly depend on dose, diet, and training as well as genetics and age. Other stacked steroids will play a strong role, so gains in the realm of 15-35lbs per cycle are possible depending on all these factors.

To get maximum results from Testosterone Enanthate it should be used for no less than 12 weeks. Using this steroid for a short cycle is a waste of time because you will be stopping it just as its maximum effects really start to kick in. There are other testosterone esters that are faster acting if you need quicker results from a testosterone steroid.

How to Buy Testosterone Enanthate?

Testosterone Enanthate is available in pharmaceutical grade, including generic brands. In the US it has become difficult to find pharmaceutical grade Testosterone Enanthate because of the very strict laws around anabolic steroids.

Black market products exist and with the know how to find it, most users will be able to track down Testosterone Enanthate.

Whether or not you can get a high quality source is another matter, and it’s critically important to make the effort to find a good supplier.

Poor quality, underdosed, or contaminated Testosterone Enanthate is not likely to give you the results you expect, and can also pose a serious health risk.

Another option is to purchase from underground labs, which are not likely to be pharmaceutical grade in their quality and again, seeking out reputable labs is essential. The best way to do this is via word of mouth through any local gym contacts who have experience purchasing Testosterone Enanthate.

Testosterone Enanthate FAQs

How fast does Testosterone Enanthate build muscle?

Testosterone Enanthate is a slower acting form of testosterone. You should be prepared to wait at least one month to start seeing results, and sometimes up to 6 weeks for muscle gains to start being noticed.

To get the best results, any cycle using Testosterone Enanthate should run for at least 12 weeks, with some users extending this to 16 weeks.

How much Testosterone Enanthate should I inject to build muscle?

To get noticeable anabolic effects for muscle growth and strength, at least 400mg per week of Testosterone Enanthate should be used by men.

It’s possible to take double that amount or even more but you’ll need to be prepared for side effects.

Whatever your dosage is, you still need to eat enough calories and lift weights regularly to achieve substantial muscle gains with Testosterone Enanthate.

How long should I cycle Testosterone Enanthate?

Testosterone Enanthate is a slow acting and long lasting testosterone steroid, so cycles need to be long enough to allow the steroid to take effect. Ideally cycles should be 12 weeks at a minimum with this form of testosterone.

Because it takes some time for Testosterone Enanthate to kick in at the start of a cycle, users often stack it with a fast acting oral steroid like Dianabol which will kick off a cycle much quicker with strength and muscle gains within the first few weeks.

How often should I workout on Testosterone Enanthate?

When you’re taking this steroid you should aim for regular workouts, just the same as if you aren’t using steroids. With Testosterone Enanthate’s ability to speed up recovery you will find it possible to do more frequent workouts.

It’s your personal choice but most guys will aim for at least 4 days a week, focusing on different muscle groups and still allowing sufficient time for recovery to avoid injury.

How often should I take Testosterone Enanthate?

Most users will inject twice weekly, which requires splitting your weekly dose into two. This helps maintain optimal levels of the hormone constantly, and also makes it easier to inject smaller amounts each time.

What type of Testosterone is best for bodybuilding?

All forms of testosterone steroids are the same, and will provide the same results. The difference is in the time frame of the release of the hormone into your system which is controlled by the attached ester.

In the case of Testosterone Enanthate, the ester provides a slower release but ultimately the testosterone hormone itself is exactly the same as other testosterone ester forms.

What’s the best place to inject Testosterone Enanthate?

Large muscle are the best place to inject this steroid, to avoid veins and arteries. Quads, glutes and delts are the recommended injection locations, and it should be rotated so you allow each injection site to recover. Testosterone Enanthate can be a slightly painful injection due to it being in sesame oil.

Final Thoughts

Testosterone Enanthate comes with many well known benefits and advantages. We know that testosterone is the least harmful or least, the most tolerable steroid for men to use. I won’t deny for a second that there’s plenty to like about Testosterone Enanthate:

• Nice strength and endurance gains
• Impressive muscle gains
• Muscle preservation
• Increased well being
• Fast recovery

But the downsides shouldn’t be ignored and for many of us, having to deal with testosterone suppression, PCT, anti-estrogen drugs, cholesterol stress and so on has become draining.