The main differences between Deca Durabolin or Nandrolone and Equipoise or Boldenone, how and when to use them, and the results they can produce.

This article specifically discusses the differences in athletic use during a cycle between nandrolone, such as Deca-Durabolin, and boldenone, better known as Equipoise or simply Eq.
If you’d like to see a detailed description of these two individual anabolic steroids, you can read our technical data sheets:

– Nandrolone Technical Data Sheet

– Boldenone Technical Data Sheet

We decided to publish this article following numerous requests from our users, who constantly ask us which of the two is best for building muscle tissue, what the applications of both are, and so on.

Nandrolone vs. Boldenone

To be honest, these two molecules are profoundly different and can actually be used to achieve very different results. It is often said that Deca (or Nandrolone) is better for building muscle because in just a few weeks "weight increases by several pounds," while with boldenone there are no sudden changes in weight. In reality, this theory is profoundly incorrect: nandrolone is what is known as a "wet compound," or a wet hormone: in other words, it makes the metabolism extremely sensitive to sodium and the body tends to retain water. Hence the sudden increase in weight (water, not muscle). Boldenone, or Equipoise if you prefer, is definitely "drier" and works by creating a very different anabolic environment.

Both products tend to use very long esters: Deca Durabolin uses the decanoate ester (although there is also a fast version: NPP), while Boldenone uses the endecanoate ester, which is even longer and slower. Neither product is designed for fast cycles, but rather for very long cycles lasting more than 8 weeks (or even longer).

It is important to note that while nandrolone is a pharmaceutical product approved for human use, boldenone was synthesized for veterinary use, specifically for horses (hence the name Equipoise). That said, the doses used by bodybuilders or athletes in general are MUCH higher than therapeutic doses, and therefore both are discouraged by physicians, doctors, or endocrinologists.

When to use Deca and when to use EQ

Both products are often used off-season in bulking cycles: since Deca is a hormone that tends to cause water retention, it is not suitable for cutting cycles, whereas Boldenone can be used in both scenarios. To be honest, even when they’re cutting, pros sometimes add a very small amount of nandrolone to their anabolic stack to retain just enough water to lubricate joints that would otherwise become dehydrated due to the cutting diet. As mentioned, both products have very long-acting esters, especially Equipoise, so the cycles for these steroids must be very long to be effective: additionally, keep in mind that even after you stop taking them, they remain in your system for a very long time.

In the era of classic bodybuilding, testosterone and Deca Durabolin were the standard cycle for gaining mass, partly because nandrolone was much easier to find (back then) than boldenone.

Deca aromatizes by about 20% (it converts to estrogen), while boldenone aromatizes by about 50%. This means that less testosterone is needed as a base when using boldenone compared to deca. Furthermore, if your diet is proper and balanced and your training is consistent, boldenone promotes very lean muscle gains; it’s no coincidence that it’s also used in cutting cycles.

Both Nandrolone and EQ have a good capacity to retain nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which creates excellent pumping, particularly Boldenone, which creates a lot of NO2 and retains a lot of oxygen in the blood, creating a perfectly anabolic environment and giving a lot of strength: the downside is that with so much oxygen in the blood, hematocrit and cholesterol levels increase, so blood tests are mandatory when using boldenone.

Deca also slightly increases strength, but this is mainly due to the ease of lubrication of the limbs and joints provided by water retention.

Boldenone will not cause a drastic increase in body weight, but when used correctly over a long period of time, it ensures gradual muscle growth—something that is generally not achievable with nandrolone.

Side effects of nandrolone and boldenone

The almost “comical” aspect of this issue is that many of the side effects are precisely why these two steroids are used in bodybuilding: increased blood oxygenation, enhanced protein synthesis, and so on are, in effect, “undesirable” effects in pharmaceutical applications. A major issue with Deca is water retention, which can lead to high blood pressure and liver and kidney problems. The problem with boldenone is its potency: significant blood oxygenation and the production of NO2, which boost performance but make using the hormone somewhat risky for your blood.

In both cases, we recommend checking your blood with the appropriate tests at the beginning, middle, and end of the cycle. If anything is significantly outside the normal range, we recommend discontinuing use of the product.

Deca can significantly raise prolactin levels and therefore cause problems with the glands in the nipples (gyno).

Miscellaneous

Boldenone brings great strength and optimizes energy consumption, but as a result it also tends to make you hungry: if you use it as an anabolic agent for definition, keep this in mind.

Many people ask us if Deca or Boldenone can be used without testosterone. Although there seem to be people who have been using ONLY Deca for years (in high doses), it is strongly recommended, if not mandatory, to use a testosterone base with both products: if not used, the increase in prolactin and low aromatization will lead to SERIOUS problems with libido and erection.

A boldenone cycle shorter than 8–10 weeks is practically useless given the hormone’s duration of action; in that case, it’s better to use a safer product like Primobolan.