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Part 3.1 — The Anabolic Steroid Family Tree

14 min read

This is Part 3.1 of 5 in the Performance Enhancement Series — the "Tier 3" continuation of the Fitness Series' Pharmacology chapter. The full path:

Table of Contents

Framing

This article classifies anabolic-androgenic steroids by chemical family and describes the general character of each. It is harm-reduction education built on Derek (More Plates More Dates)’ “Anabolic Steroid Family Tree.”1 It is not a protocol or medical advice. Compounds are named by their common identifiers for transparency, without doses; all are prescription-only or illegal without a prescription in most jurisdictions, including Malaysia, and all carry real risk. The per-compound links point to Derek’s deeper write-ups for further reading, not to sourcing.

Two maps of the same territory

Part 3.0 mapped the body’s anabolic machinery by mechanism — eight receptors and signalling routes you can nudge. This article maps the same compounds by lineage — the chemical family each one descends from. They’re two maps of the same territory, and you want both: the pathway map tells you what a compound does, the family map tells you what to expect from it before you’ve even looked it up.

Derek’s framework is the cleanest version of the lineage map. Almost every commonly used anabolic steroid falls into one of three families:1

  • Testosterone and its derivatives
  • Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and its derivatives
  • Nandrolone (19-Nortestosterone) and its derivatives

Testosterone is the ultimate parent of the whole tree — both DHT and Nandrolone are derived from it. Compounds within a family tend to share attributes, so once you know the family, you already know most of what to expect (with a few important exceptions we’ll flag). The family predicts the behaviour; the pathway explains it.

How anabolics actually enhance performance

Before the families, the bird’s-eye view of how any of these compounds build muscle or improve performance. Derek lists four broad mechanisms1 — and each lines up directly with a pathway from Part 3.0:

  • Androgen-receptor activation, plus aromatization, 5α-reduction, and downstream metabolites that drive size and strength → the AR and estrogen pathways.
  • Antagonism of glucocorticoid receptors, inhibiting protein breakdown and sparing muscle → the glucocorticoid pathways.
  • Psychoactive effects in the brain that drive harder training (and therefore more growth).
  • Stimulation of erythropoietin (EPO), raising red blood cells and aerobic performance — useful for output, but the exact mechanism behind the hematocrit creep you have to monitor.

Keep these four in mind: most of what separates one family from another is which of these it leans on, and how cleanly.

Family 1 — Testosterone & its derivatives

Testosterone is the parent hormone of this branch and the root of the entire tree. The performance-relevant members:1

  • Testosterone — the base of most protocols
  • Boldenone (Equipoise)
  • Dianabol (Methandrostenolone) — Derek’s deep-dive sits inside his Arnold cycle breakdown
  • Halotestin (Fluoxymesterone)
  • Turinabol (Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone)

Character of the family. These are the broad-spectrum compounds — they touch anabolic and androgenic functions, interact with aromatase, and have strong effects on red blood cells and energy systems. They produce a middle-ground level of hypertrophy, neurological effect, and aerobic enhancement: anabolic, but not wildly so. They behave roughly the way balanced endogenous steroidogenesis would.1

Aromatization is the defining trait. Testosterone aromatizes to estradiol; Dianabol converts to methylestradiol. Boldenone is mildly estrogenic but much less than the other two (the data is genuinely murky). Because Testosterone, Dianabol, and Boldenone all aromatize and have broad activity, ==they are the only three compounds in this family that can serve as a “test base”== — the estrogenic, full-spectrum foundation a cycle is built on.

The two exceptions. Halotestin and Turinabol do not aromatize. They were designed to strip out estrogenic activity and mass, and lean instead toward pure protein expression and the neurological/strength end of the spectrum — meaning they behave far more like DHT derivatives than like their own family. A useful early lesson that the tree has exceptions in every branch.

Family 2 — DHT & its derivatives

DHT is the 5α-reduced metabolite of Testosterone — more androgenic than Testosterone, and responsible for male maturation at puberty. The performance-relevant derivatives:1

The big misconception. People assume DHT derivatives must be brutally androgenic. The opposite is usually true: ==DHT derivatives are almost all more tissue-selective than Testosterone.==1 They are not substrates for aromatase, they don’t act as agonists of a dozen satellite receptors the way 19-nors do, and they don’t 5α-reduce into something more androgenic. That selectivity strips out the unpredictable activity of the other two families.

What that means in practice. No water retention, no progestogenic side effects — just relatively pure muscle growth and proportionally higher strength gains. This is exactly why DHT derivatives get mislabelled “weak”: ==what people read as weakness is actually the absence of side effects.==1 They’re dry strength builders with reliable, predictable activity, and they’re the cosmetic tools (a drier, harder look) of the tree. The four most commonly leveraged are Primobolan, Masteron, Anavar, and Winstrol. Proviron is the outlier used more for androgen-replacement / SHBG effects than mass — see the SHBG pathway in Part 3.0.

The exception: Anadrol. Despite being a DHT derivative, Anadrol behaves like a 19-nor — it drives pronounced gains in sheer (watery) mass and acts as an estrogen-receptor agonist. Proof that the family label is a strong default, not a law.

Family 3 — 19-Nortestosterone (Nandrolone) & its derivatives

The last family. The parent is Nandrolone (19-Nortestosterone); the members:1

  • Nandrolone — “Deca” is nandrolone with a decanoate ester, “NPP” the same hormone with a phenylpropionate ester (same drug, different release speed)
  • Trenbolone (Trienolone) — Derek’s dosage write-up
  • Trestolone (MENT) — Derek’s experiment

Character of the family. Very anabolic, but defined by progestogenic activity — they’re agonists of the progesterone receptor (the PR pathway), along with a web of satellite receptor interactions that make them less predictable and more demanding to manage.1

  • Nandrolone converts to a weak estrogen (Estrone, ~10× weaker than estradiol), is mildly estrogenic as an ERα agonist in its own right, and 5α-reduces to less androgenic DHN — so it’s much less androgenic and estrogenic than Testosterone, and prized for joint/connective-tissue support.[^5]
  • Trenbolone doesn’t aromatize but is a potent glucocorticoid-receptor antagonist — it suppresses glucocorticoid expression and blocks cortisol from binding skeletal-muscle receptors, which is why it so dramatically outperforms other steroids in a calorie deficit (the cortisol-blocking pathways).[^4]
  • Trestolone (MENT) is the odd one: it does aromatize, behaving like a Testosterone/19-nor hybrid, which gives it some promise as a test-base alternative.

The 19-nor suppression warning

The 19-nors are the most suppressive family of the entire tree. Even minuscule trace amounts keep your HPTA shut down — a single nandrolone injection can suppress you for months regardless of what you do.1 Derek’s conclusion is the prudent one: reserve 19-nors until you’ve already decided you’ll be blasting and cruising for the long haul. This is the Part 1 lifetime-commitment question made chemically concrete.

19-nors also have unique GH/IGF-1 interactions (Pathways 7 & 8) that DHT derivatives lack — another reason they reward an experienced hand and punish a careless one.

The myth-buster: all of them retain similar nitrogen

This is the single most clarifying point in Derek’s article, and it reframes the whole “which steroid is strongest?” question. Classic nitrogen-balance studies found that the most potent compounds from every family produce roughly the same nitrogen retention — on the order of a daily gain of 60–75 g of lean body mass for the strong injectables, with oral 17-alkyl derivatives inducing a dose-dependent effect of the same order.12

In other words: ==the actual contractile tissue you build is similar across compounds. What differs is everything around it.== If Dianabol adds five pounds of water in a week, that doesn’t make it a better muscle-builder than Anavar — it makes it a wetter one. The destination (muscle gained) is comparable; the journey (water, estrogen, progestogenic effects, neurological feel, organ strain) is what varies wildly between compounds.1

Why this matters for the whole series

This is the chemical proof of Part 3.0’s “choose by the job, not the hype” rule. Since raw muscle-building is roughly equivalent, you select a compound for its side-effect and secondary-mechanism profile — its job — not for a mythical potency ranking. And it’s why “more / harsher” so rarely beats “moderate / multi-pathway.”

The family tree on one page

Testosterone familyDHT family19-Nor family
ParentTestosteroneDihydrotestosteroneNandrolone (19-NT)
Key membersTest, Boldenone, Dianabol, (Halo & Turinabol*)Masteron, Primobolan, Anavar, Winstrol, Proviron, Superdrol, Anadrol*, DHBNandrolone (Deca/NPP), Trenbolone, Trestolone (MENT*)
Aromatizes?Yes (Test, Dbol; Boldenone mild)No (except Anadrol = ER agonist)Weakly (Nandrolone→Estrone; MENT aromatizes)
Water retentionModerate–highMinimal (dry)High (RAAS / progestogenic)
Progestogenic?NoNoYes — raises prolactin
Signature traitBroad-spectrum base + RBC/energyTissue-selective dry strengthMax anabolism + glucocorticoid blocking, most suppressive
Can be a “test base”?Yes (Test, Dbol, Boldenone)NoOnly MENT (aromatizes)
Typical roleFoundation of the cycleHardening, strength, cosmeticsDeep anabolism / anti-catabolic (advanced)

*Exceptions that behave unlike their family: Halotestin & Turinabol act DHT-like; Anadrol acts 19-nor-like; MENT acts Test-like.

The learning ladder: Test → DHT → 19-nor

Derek’s recommended order of education is also the sane order of use, and it dovetails with Part 1’s “don’t waste blasts” and Part 3.0’s “lowest effective dose”:1

  1. Master the Testosterone family first. Understand why a test base anchors nearly every protocol,3 and how its aromatization and 5α-reduction create a self-balancing act of androgenic and estrogenic activity (with neuro- and cardioprotection from estrogen). For most people, testosterone alone is the first cycle.
  2. Add DHT derivatives only once you’ve fully leveraged Testosterone. They’re the next rung: dry strength and cosmetic refinement on subsequent cycles.
  3. Reach for 19-nors last — only if your goals genuinely can’t be met with Test + DHT derivatives, or you can’t tolerate those, and you’ve accepted blast-and-cruise. Their suppression and satellite complexity demand an experienced hand.

The whole ladder in one sentence

Climb one family at a time, exhaust the cheapest/safest lever before adding the next, and never skip to the most suppressive family just because it’s the most hyped.

How the families map onto the eight pathways

This is where the two maps connect — useful for re-reading Part 3.0 with the lineage in mind:

  • Testosterone family → AR + Estrogen pathways. Broad AR activation plus aromatization makes this family the natural home of the AR (Pathway 1) and ER (Pathway 3) levers — and the reason “manage estrogen, don’t crush it” lives here.
  • DHT family → SHBG + the “restraint” pathways. Non-aromatizing and tissue-selective, these are the SHBG (Pathway 2) tool (Proviron, Masteron) and the dryness/cosmetic side of estrogen management — they reduce estrogenic load rather than add it.
  • 19-Nor family → Progesterone + Glucocorticoid pathways. Progestogenic by nature (Pathway 4) and, in Trenbolone’s case, the strongest glucocorticoid-blocking (Pathways 5 & 6) tool there is — with the prolactin and suppression costs to match.

Up next

With the what (pathways, Part 3.0) and the which (families, this article) established, the next sub-article — Part 3.2 — Cycle Design — covers the when and how much: structuring a year of training around these compounds, the “lowest effective dose” first-cycle architecture, and why “cycling by the calendar” beats permanent blast-and-cruise. Then Part 4 defends the body through all of it.

Part 3.1 Takeaways

Key concepts to internalize

  • Three families, one parent. Testosterone, DHT, and 19-Nortestosterone — all descend from testosterone, and the family predicts most of a compound’s behaviour.
  • Testosterone family = broad-spectrum base. Aromatizing, RBC-driving, middle-ground; only Test, Dbol, and Boldenone can anchor a cycle. (Halo & Turinabol are exceptions that act DHT-like.)
  • DHT family = dry, tissue-selective strength. No aromatization, no water, no progestogenic sides; “weak” is a misread of “few side effects.” (Anadrol is the 19-nor-like exception.)
  • 19-Nor family = max anabolism, max baggage. Progestogenic, prolactin-raising, GH/IGF-1-interacting, and the most suppressive family — reserve for the blast-and-cruise-committed.
  • All families retain similar nitrogen. Raw muscle built is comparable; side effects and secondary mechanisms are what differ — the chemical basis for “choose by the job, not the hype.”
  • Climb the ladder: Test → DHT → 19-nor, lowest effective dose, one family at a time.

Your Family-Tree Task List

  1. Place every compound you’re considering into its family before anything else — it tells you aromatization, water, progestogenic risk, and suppression at a glance.
  2. Confirm you have a valid test base (Test, Dbol, or Boldenone — or MENT) anchoring any plan; most protocols need one.
  3. If you’re eyeing a 19-nor, re-read the suppression warning and the Part 1 commitment question. Have you actually accepted blast-and-cruise?
  4. Cross-reference each compound’s family with its pathway job. Two compounds in the same family doing the same job = redundancy = risk with no reward.
  5. Read Derek’s per-compound page (linked above) for anything you’re seriously considering — the family gives the gist; the deep-dive gives the detail.
  6. Honour the ladder. If you haven’t exhausted Testosterone, you have no business in the DHT or 19-nor families yet.

Disclaimer

This article is harm-reduction education, not medical advice or a protocol. Anabolic steroids are named by common identifiers for clarity and without doses; they are prescription-only or illegal to possess without a prescription in most jurisdictions, including Malaysia, and all carry serious health risks. The linked pages are for further reading, not sourcing. Family classification is a simplifying framework with real exceptions — individual response, esters, and stacking all change the picture. Rely on bloodwork, monitoring, and a qualified physician before acting on any of it.

Sources & references

Footnotes

  1. Derek (More Plates More Dates), “The Anabolic Steroid Family Tree — A Framework That Simplifies How Different Steroids Impact Muscle Building And Performance” — the source of the three-family classification (Testosterone / DHT / 19-Nortestosterone derivatives), each family’s characteristics and member lists, the test-base concept, the Halotestin/Turinabol and Anadrol exceptions, the 19-nor suppression warning, and the Test→DHT→19-nor learning ladder. moreplatesmoredates.com/anabolic-steroid-family-tree. Individual compound deep-dives are linked inline throughout. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14

  2. Nitrogen-balance equivalence across steroid families: the classic metabolic-balance literature finding that potent injectable 17β-esters (e.g., nandrolone phenylpropionate, nandrolone decanoate, methenolone enanthate) and oral 17-alkyl derivatives produce comparable nitrogen retentio ↩

  3. Derek (More Plates More Dates), “Testosterone Dosage For Bodybuilding” — the source for the “test base” rationale and his recommended dosage-titration / stacking approach across a first and subsequent cycles. moreplatesmoredates.com/testosterone-dosage-for-bodybuilding. ↩

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