Dianabol (methandrostenolone) is perhaps the most popular oral anabolic steroid ever produced, and for good reason. While it is best used in combination with certain injectables, it also has considerable effect used by itself.

The prevalent philosophy regarding anabolic steroid use in bodybuilding, and one I generally subscribe to, is that if using drugs which will suppress the hypothalamic/pituitary/testicular axis (HPTA) anyway, one might as well get a high degree of effect at the same time. Half-measures are less efficient, as twice as much time being suppressed would be required for the same result. Using Dianabol alone is not consistent with this philosophy, and best-possible results are not achieved. 

But it is also a valid philosophy to employ anabolic steroids in a manner which, while not maximally effective, is not greatly inhibitory of natural production of testosterone. In earlier days, many outstanding physiques were built with Dianabol as the only steroid used. It is not the “all out” way to go, but this approach doesn't deserve quite the disdain it usually receives today.

Dianabol can serve well for either purpose – stacked with an injectable in the first case, or used alone in the second. 

Dosing of Dianabol is somewhat interesting, in that for most anabolic steroids it is a rather gray area as to what constitutes the maximum useful dose. In the case of Dianabol however, there has long been general agreement that while 50 mg/day is clearly more effective than anything substantially less, more than 50 mg/day adds nothing further, or nothing that can be noticed. This has been my own finding as well.

It is established that 50 mg/day Dianabol taken morning-only causes little HPTA suppression. When used as part of a stack, I recommend divided doses, such as 10 mg five times per day, or 20 mg on arising and 10 mg three times thereafter. The reason for such frequent dosing is that the half life is quite short: about four hours.

In terms of pharmacological properties, methandrostenolone is only a weak agonist (activator) of the androgen receptor (AR), with poor binding. It follows, then, that much or perhaps most of its value likely comes from non-AR-mediated effects. In any case, it exhibits synergistic effect – the combination being greater than the sum of the parts – with a Class I steroid such as trenbolone acetate. It is therefore categorized as a Class II steroid.

Other effective stacking choices, besides trenbolone acetate, are Primobolan or Deca Durabolin.