Tbol vs Dbol as a kickstart - which are you running and why did you switch?

6 posts · started by FLbodybuilder · Oct 10, 2024

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FLbodybuilder
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FLbodybuilder
1,336 posts · joined Feb 2015
#1
Standard blast structure - Test E and Deca, both long esters, 3-4 weeks to reach working blood levels. The kickstart covers those dead weeks. Classic choice is Dbol 40mg daily but my preference has shifted to Tbol at 60mg over the years. Drier result, more of what you actually keep, and no bloat fighting the AI in week 3. Dbol for a mass phase is still legitimate and the scale moves fast. For guys who have run both - did you switch permanently to Tbol or do you go back to Dbol for a heavy bulk? And who is skipping kickstarts entirely these days?
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TEXMEX
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TEXMEX
334 posts · joined May 2017
#2
Still a Dbol man for mass phase kickstarts. 50mg for 4 weeks and the scale moves fast. Some of that is water but the strength that comes with it is real and it carries over after the oral stops. Tbol is cleaner but slower. If I am 4 weeks into a heavy off-season blast and I want to feel the cycle working immediately, Dbol is the answer. For a competition prep phase where water matters Tbol makes more sense. Different tool for a different job.
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BERLINER
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BERLINER
516 posts · joined Sep 2016
#3
Tbol at 60mg for the kickstart. The reasoning is clear - no conversion to estrogen, no water retention fighting the AI protocol in weeks 1-4, dry strength that carries over after stopping. Dbol produces more dramatic early scale weight due to water but the actual muscle is comparable. For a precision-oriented approach to a blast Tbol is the superior kickstart. The anecdotal reports from experienced members on this forum consistently favour Tbol for quality of gains retained after the oral stops.
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FrankfurtFit
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FrankfurtFit
783 posts · joined Jun 2015
#4
Tbol is the correct choice for a precision-oriented blast where water retention creates AI management complexity. The compound does not convert to estrogen, delivers dry strength gains, and what you retain after stopping the oral is consistently more than with Dbol despite a less dramatic scale movement during the kickstart phase. For a mass phase where scale weight is the primary goal, Dbol is understandable. For an intermediate or advanced lifter who is tracking body composition rather than just weight, Tbol is clearly superior.
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Chi Guy
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Chi Guy
669 posts · joined Apr 2015
#5
I have run both over 30 years and still go back to Dbol for a heavy mass kickstart. The scale moving 8-10 pounds in 4 weeks is partly water but the muscle is real and the strength carries over. For a serious off-season bulk where you are eating everything anyway, Dbol is the right tool. Tbol for a leaner or competition-phase cycle where water management matters. The argument that Tbol is always superior misses the context of what each tool is designed for.
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Beantown Rick
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Beantown Rick
552 posts · joined Jun 2016
#6
Tbol at 60mg is the move for me now. Used to run Dbol for years and the kickstart worked fine but I was always managing water and AI adjustments in the first 4 weeks on top of everything else. Switching to Tbol removed all of that. Drier result from day one, the strength carries over after stopping, and I am not fighting estrogen while waiting for the injectables to build. The only argument for Dbol is if you want to see the scale move fast for psychological reasons. Tbol just does the job cleaner.
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