Clenbuterol vs Anavar: Which is better for fat loss?

January 8, 2024 |

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Both Clenbuterol and Anavar are popular among athletes and bodybuilders for their ability to help with weight loss and muscle growth, but which one is the better choice?

Drug use amongst recreational lifters has grown dramatically over the past few years, and many are eager to say all drug use is bad. This is not true, as every drug has its use.

The problem comes when you mismanage a drug – which can happen when you practice polypharmacy – combining drugs.

Both Clenbuterol and Anavar can be used to achieve the dream physique.

They are massively different, however. Both are more often used by females and by bodybuilders very close to competition.

To see where the differences lie, you will have to spend the next 5 – 10 minutes reading this article to see which one would work best for you.

Clenbuterol vs Anavar Comparison table

Clen vs Anavar Comparison table
Clen vs Anavar Comparison table

Clenbuterol vs Anavar – Overview

Clenbuterol is known as a Beta-2 Agonist, and even though it is grouped with Steroids, it is not a Steroid.

It was medically used as an Asthma drug but has trickled down to the recreational world, where it is now used to increase Metabolism, resulting in fat loss.

Anavar, on the other hand, is an Androgenic Anabolic Steroid.

This was originally developed to be used in the medical world as it was prescribed to patients suffering from muscle-wasting diseases.

As a recreational Steroid, use it to build muscle mass or help retain muscle while on a cut.

Both Clen and Anavar can help with reaching your specific physical goals. The latter could help gain muscle, but Clen will only help with fat loss.

Because Clenbuterol does not possess any anabolic properties, it cannot help you accrue more muscle tissue. It has anti-catabolic properties, but scientists are not sure how that works.

Clenbuterol vs. Anavar: Which is better for Bodybuilding?

Bodybuilder strongman muscle

There are two main goals in bodybuilding: building more muscle mass and getting as lean as possible.

Both these go against human nature, and more often than not, these athletes would use a little something to increase their chances of winning on stage.

Clenbuterol cannot increase muscle mass for bodybuilding, whereas Anavar can increase muscle mass. Thus, if you could only choose one, you would be better off choosing Anavar.

Anavar can have both muscle-building and metabolism-boosting effects.

When preparing for a bodybuilding show, most bodybuilders would probably use both, but Anavar seems to be far better as an Anabolic Steroid.

Clenbuterol vs Anavar for Fitness

Fitness (whether it be just general fitness or the Bodybuilding Fitness category) has grown rapidly in the past few years. People are looking to progress as much as they possibly can as humans.

Unfortunately, some people have started using biochemistry to enhance their performance. They do so without any health concerns.

Anavar will be slightly worse for fitness than Clenbuterol for a few different reasons.

  • Anavar Has a Negative Impact on Cholesterol: Anavar will impact your cholesterol levels, but it may impact your blood pressure as well. This might be limiting your fitness levels.
  • Clenbuterol Can Make Breathing Easier: Clenbuterol was developed as an Asthma drug, meaning breathing is a breeze when on Clenbuterol.
  • You’ll Have Greater Access to FFA on Clenbuterol: When using Clenbuterol, your body will have greater access to Free Fatty Acids due to increasing Lipase. Potentially, this could lead to improved endurance.

Clenbuterol vs. Anavar Bulking

Bulking is simply the accruement of lean muscle mass over time. You’ll be eating, sleeping, and lifting MASS. That, of course, opens the book for using Anabolic Steroids.

Clenbuterol will do absolutely zero for bulking. It has zero anabolic properties for gaining muscle mass.

Anavar, on the other hand, also can’t be used for bulking.

Make sure you use an appropriate dose for a respectable amount of time and take care of your kidneys and liver.

If you’re in search of a bodybuilding bulking steroid, consider looking into something like Dianabol.

Clen vs. Anavar Cutting

Cutting is simply the pursuit of getting as lean as possible without digging into muscle mass. This means you need to live your life accordingly to preserve muscle mass as possible.

Clenbuterol and Anavar can be used when cutting, while ideally together.

Clen will only bring muscle prevention while losing body fat, while Anavar could potentially help you gain muscle mass while you’re cutting.

Anavar is also known to give exceptional strength and even fullness when in the gym. Thus, most would probably opt for Clen and Anavar, but Anavar would be slightly better.

Anavar vs. Clenbuterol: Which is best for fat loss?

When it comes to fat loss, getting in and out faster will always be better. No one wants to spend months and months in a calorie deficit – it simply is not fun. That said, for some people, it might be a bit harder and they might need a little boost, most people will reach for Clenbuterol.

Clen is actually not a Steroid, but rather a Beta 2 Receptor Agonist. The Beta receptors are primarily important for regulating your metabolism, breathing, and lipolysis. Clen will do an excellent job at helping you breathe as well since it targets the bronchial cells as well.

Clen will cause a great increase in metabolism, leading you to burn more fat. It does have a few side effects, however, such as tremors, sweats, increased heart rate, and anxiety. The one great thing about Clen is the fact that it is anticatabolic, meaning it cannot burn muscle.

Anavar on the other hand, will also not burn muscle – hah, got you. Anavar is known as an Anabolic Steroid, meaning it will bind to the Androgen receptors in the body and cause a biological change:

  • Step 1: Steroid Hormone binds to the Steroid Hormone Receptors
  • Step 2: Hormone-Receptor complex enters the Nucleus
  • Step 3: The complex will bind to the receptor sites on the chromatin
  • Step 4: This activates mRNA transcription
  • Step 5: mRNA leaves the nucleus
  • Step 6: Ribosomes translate mRNA into new proteins

Anavar has nothing within it that makes it a particularly good fat-loss drug, however, Sure, it will increase metabolism slightly, but not nearly as much as Clenbuterol would. If you have always been chubby, Clenbuterol will be better. If you are always lean, and now you are just cutting, Anavar will be a lot better.

What is Clenbuterol?

Clenbuterol is known as a Beta-2 Agonist, and even though it is often grouped with Steroids, it is not an Anabolic Steroid. It has nothing to do with Testosterone and will not cause any similar side effects.

Medically, Clenbuterol is used as an Asthma drug as it can dilate the bronchial muscles.

The side effects of Clenbuterol are actually why it is used recreationally; it can cause a great increase in Metabolism, making it an excellent weight-loss drug.

Interestingly enough, Clenbuterol will not ever cause a loss in muscle mass.

It appears to be Anti-Catabolic. Scientists are not quite sure why yet, but this theory makes it one of the best fat burners on the market, seeing as others will burn both fat and muscle.

That being said, Clenbuterol will not magically make you burn fat regardless of your diet. You still need to eat and train correctly.

How Does Clenbuterol Work?

So, we have established that Clenbuterol can be used as an asthma drug via the dilatation of the bronchial muscles and can also cause weight loss – but how does it do the latter?

Clenbuterol will bind to the Adrenoreceptors, particularly the Beta 2 Receptor.

By doing this, Clenbuterol can cause Lipolysis, which is the breakdown of fatty tissue into free fatty tissue. If you have access to these free fatty acids while exercising, you can use these as energy.

Clenbuterol also can protect muscle tissue when you’re dieting; it’s anti-catabolic.

Scientists are not quite sure why yet.

How Much Weight Can You Lose Using Clenbuterol?

Clenbuterol is often used for its weight loss properties, and the great thing about Clenbuterol is that, unlike T3, it cannot burn muscle tissue.

You can expect to lose 0.8 – 1.3% of your body weight per week while using Clenbuterol. However, your caloric intake and training regime will largely dictate the total amount.

Clenbuterol will not magically make you lose fat while eating like a pig.

How Long Does it Take to See Results with Clenbuterol?

Clenbuterol is often described as a drug with a tonne of small but irritating side effects. These include tremors, anxiety, and just a feeling of “life is too much at the moment.”

You will feel Clen within 3 hours of taking it, but you will only start seeing results after using Clenbuterol for 10 – 14 days.

Remember that Clen is not a magic pill and will still require you to make dietary and training efforts.

Legal Alternative to Clen

Since Clen is an illegal substance, most people will not use it. That being said, maybe you still want to see some increase in fat loss while dieting.

For that, we would highly recommend you take a look at the products of CrazyBulk.

If you’re looking to get similar results to Clenbuterol, you could look at CLENBUTROL, specifically designed to give you similar fat loss effects without causing bad tremors.

It will have fewer adverse effects, it’s 100% legal!

Many people, especially women, suffer a lot from the side effects associated with Clenbuterol. Clen also has a nasty habit of not working after 2 – 3 weeks of usage.

Clenbutrol aims to avoid these harsh side effects and gives you consistent results over a longer period. And less we forget – Clen is illegal!

What is Anavar?

Anavar forms part of a group of Steroids called DHT derivatives – dihydrotestosterone derivatives.

This means chemical engineers initially started with Testosterone and changed it to form DHT, which they then altered to create Oxandrolone – Anavar.

Anavar is an Anabolic Steroid that was originally used for medical purposes.

It is useful for increasing the muscle mass of patients who have a hard time gaining muscle.

As time went on, as with most drugs, it has found its way into the recreational area as an Anabolic Steroid for performance.

Here, Anavar increases muscle protein synthesis while also increasing fat loss capabilities.

What Does Anavar Do to Your Body?

As with most drugs, there are both good and adverse effects.

Anavar will cause the following good effects on the body:

  • Increase in Muscle Mass: All Steroids will cause some increase in lean muscle tissue
  • Fat Loss: Some studies suggest that Anavar can lead to increased fat loss compared to a placebo
  • Strength Increase: All DHT Steroids will cause a direct increase in strength, as the two are positively correlated
  • Slight Increase in Endurance: All Steroids will cause some increase in red blood cell count and hematocrit levels – which means a potential increase in muscular endurance

Anavar can also cause the following side effects:

  • Cholesterol: All Steroids will cause an increase in LDL and total cholesterol levels.
  • Blood Pressure: While typically less with Anavar, most Steroids will increase blood pressure to an extent.
  • Hair Loss: At higher doses, Anavar can cause hair loss.
  • Testosterone Shutdown: All Steroids will cause the shutdown of Endogenous Testosterone levels.

What Happens When You Stop Taking Anavar?

People will often fear stopping the usage of any Steroid in fear of losing their gains and/or strength. This is not a great mindset. It is possible to keep most of your gains after stopping the use.

Typically, you’ll have elevated liver enzymes and decreased testosterone production.

To avoid these, you’ll have to take both liver and kidney protective substances and use a Post Cycle Treatment.

After the use of any Steroid, we expect to see the following in your blood results:

  • Elevation in Liver Enzymes: Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Alanine transaminase (ALT) will be elevated, especially with Oral Steroids.
  • Elevation in Cholesterol: All Steroids will cause an increase in LDL and total Cholesterol that will slowly come down after usage stops.
  • Estrogen: While Anavar will not do this, other Steroids will cause an increase in Estrogen levels within the body.

Legal Alternative to Anavar

If you were thinking of using Anavar, you’ll not only have to deal with the fact that Anavar is an illegal drug but also extremely strenuous on your health.

You might be happy to learn you can still see a great increase in muscle mass and fat loss ability by using the ANVAROL from CrazyBulk.

Anavar CTA

This is 100% legal and will give you similar effects to the illegal substance known as Anavar.

Can You Take Clenbuterol with Anavar?

Making use of Polypharma is incredibly common, especially among athletes. Bodybuilders will make use of different drugs to yield the best results possible. Yes, you can take Clen with Anavar.

This is a common stack amongst those looking to increase fat loss while retaining as much muscle mass as possible. This is also very common among women.

You will still need to train and diet even though you use two substances. Some users would take Clenbuterol before cardio sessions while taking Anavar before weight training sessions.

There are some things you still need to look out for.

While there is some evidence to show that Clenbuterol itself can be renal toxic, it increases dramatically when used in conjunction with Anavar and other Steroid use.

Thus, make sure you practice safety to ensure your kidneys remain healthy; drink a lot of water and ensure your blood pressure is within range.

What are the Side Effects of Clen and Anavar?

Since Clenbuterol and Anavar are different types of drugs, they will have different effects and side effects on the body.

These are the main side effects of Clen and Anavar.

Clenbuterol

  • Tremors: Some people have noticed that using Clenbuterol can unleash a massive amount of Tremors in the body.
  • Anxiety: Due to the increased heart rate and a general increase in Metabolism, some users have experienced extreme anxiety.
  • Increased Heart Rate: As you might expect, a fat burner will increase your heart rate.
  • Some People Develop a Rash: This is not very common, but some people have experienced a small rash on the elbows and neck  – but nothing serious.

Anavar

  • Suppressed Testosterone Production: Any steroid use will decrease your endogenous Testosterone production.
  • Increased Cholesterol: Any steroid use will increase LDL and total Cholesterol while decreasing HDL.
  • Slight Increase in Blood Pressure: Most Steroids will cause an increase in blood pressure due to an increase in Cholesterol and red blood cell count.
  • Increased Aggression: Higher Androgenic count in the body has been linked to increased aggression.

Anavar and Clenbuterol Before and After Results

As mentioned before, Clenbuterol and Anavar will differ vastly from one another. That said, we can look at the differences in results to show the actual differences in results you may expect.

Clenbuterol Before and After

There are no fat loss studies on Clenbuterol, however, one animal study in 1991 found that Clenbuterol has the ability to increase lean muscle tissue by up to 15%.

That said, this does not translate well into human data, as we don’t know of any people who gain muscle on Clen alone.

clen before and after

There is certainly not a big chance of you gaining muscle on Clen, but you can lose a great amount of fat as this person has. That said, you still need to diet, train, and do cardio.

Anavar Before and After

There are more studies on Anavar for its physiological effects, for instance, this study shows that even just 15mg of Anavar doubles muscle protein synthesis. This study also found that a 12-week cycle of Anavar can lead to 4.5kg or 10lbs. They also found a slight decrease in adipose tissue.

Anavar before and after

Anavar is commonly known as the female drug due to its low Androgenic side effects, and this person certainly gained muscle mass, lost fat, and certainly got stronger in the process as well.

FAQs

Can Women Take Clen?

Female drug usage is a delicate subject because the female endocrine system is a bit more sensitive, whereas men are a bit more robust when it comes to PEDs.

This can also just be because men are larger.

Yes, women can take Clenbuterol. It is a commonly used fat loss drug amongst women looking to lose fat but not lose muscle.

Can Women Take Anavar?

Females want to avoid the Androgenic side effects associated with Steroids which may cause virilization in females.

Yes, women can take a respectable dose of Anavar for a reasonable time.

If you use too much for too long, you will run into great side effects.

Does Anavar Affect the Thyroid?

Yes, Steroids are known to alter Thyroid hormones. Another thing that will place strain on the thyroid is sheer size – the bigger you are, the less likely the thyroid is to keep up.

How does Anavar work?

All Anabolic Steroids will bind to Androgen receptors throughout the body and cause a biological change reflective of increased muscle protein synthesis.

Anavar will increase your ability to build and retain muscle mass.

Anavar will also do this while causing fewer Androgenic side effects than most other Steroids, as it has a remarkably low Androgenic rating.

Does Clenbuterol Show on a Drug Test?

Clenbuterol is a banned substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency, meaning that it is illegal in any tested sport. It is also an illegal drug to use, according to the law.

Clenbuterol has been reported as a false positive for amphetamines by some because there are some similarities between the two.

So if you are getting tested regularly, especially for PEDs – it might not be the best idea.

Can You Take Clenbuterol and Not Exercise?

Technically, you could take Clenbuterol and not exercise, but this is not advised.

Ideally, you would want to use Clenbuterol while doing the following:

  • Follow a Caloric Restriction Diet: This means you need to be eating less food than your body needs, and therefore the net energy needs to come from stored body fat.
  • Eat a High Protein Diet: To retain as much muscle mass as possible, you need to consume a lot of protein, a minimum of 1g per lb.
  • Train with Resistance: To get the most out of your Clenbuterol usage, you must train with resistance and weight training.

Final Thoughts

Clenbuterol is a great steroid (originally an asthma drug) used to increase Metabolism resulting in fat loss.

Anavar is an androgenic anabolic steroid used to build muscle mass or help retain muscle while on a cut.

If you want to increase muscle mass (bulk up), Anavar is the go-to choice. Clenbuterol cannot increase muscle mass for bodybuilding. Clen will only help with fat loss.

Again here’s a table comparison of both:

SteroidDosageDurationPriceBest for CuttingSide EffectsStacked with
Clenbuterol:20 – 120mcg8 – 10 Weeks$1 per 50mcg tabletClen is going to be better for fat loss, but will not give you nearly the same anabolism
  • Heart rate increase
  • Anxiety
  • Night sweats
  • Tremors
  • Any Steroid
  • T3
  • Any SARM
  • Any Peptide
Anavar:25 – 100mg6 – 8 Weeks$1.7 per 20mg tablet (Anavar is quite expensive to produce)Due to the fact that Anavar is an actual Steroid, it will give you more fullness and strength, but Clen will lead to more fat loss
  • Cholesterol
  • High blood pressure
  • Testosterone shutdown
  • Slight Androgenic side effects
  • Any Steroid
  • T3
  • Any SARM
  • Clenbuterol
  • Any Peptide

Don’t forget they both come with serious side effects and have been declared illegal and controlled substances in most countries and competitions – this is why we recommend safer and legal replacements:

If you have any further questions – do drop them in the comment section.

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