Understanding Prohormone Compounds: 1-DHEA, 4-DHEA, 19-Nor & More

Look at a few prohormone labels and you’ll quickly run into names like 1-DHEA, 4-DHEA, 19-Nor-DHEA, epiandrosterone, and androsterone. They may all fall under the prohormone category, but they don’t follow the same hormonal pathways or serve the same goals.

Some compounds are more commonly used for lean mass and strength, while others put more emphasis on overall size and bodyweight. Some do not aromatize into estrogen, while compounds that convert toward testosterone can have a different estrogen profile.

Blackstone Labs makes those differences easy to see across supplements like Chosen1, Brutal 4ce, AbNORmal, SuperStrol-7, and Metha-Quad Extreme.

Blackstone Labs Prohormone Compounds at a Glance

Compound	Blackstone Labs Product	Main Focus
1-DHEA / 1-Andro	Chosen1, Metha-Quad Extreme	Lean mass, strength
4-DHEA / 4-Andro	Brutal 4ce, Metha-Quad Extreme	Size, strength, mass
19-Nor-DHEA	AbNORmal	Mass, strength
Epiandrosterone	SuperStrol-7	Hardness, definition, strength
Androsterone	Metha-Quad Extreme	Density, strength, androgenic support
7-Hydroxy DHEA	SuperStrol-7	Supporting compound
Arimistane	Metha-Quad Extreme	Estrogen support; not a prohormone

What Is a Prohormone?

A prohormone is a compound that acts as a precursor to another hormone or androgenic compound in the body. Enzymes convert those precursors into downstream hormones, and the end pathway changes depending on the compound.

Three of the major pathways found in Blackstone Labs products are:

1-DHEA → 1-Testosterone pathway4-DHEA → Testosterone pathway19-Nor-DHEA → Nandrolone-related pathway

Chosen1 uses 1-DHEA, Brutal 4ce uses 4-DHEA, and AbNORmal uses 19-Nor-DHEA, so even though all three are prohormones, they are formulated for different goals.

1-DHEA / 1-Andro

1-DHEA, also known as 1-Andro, is the main compound in Blackstone Labs Chosen1.

Chosen1 uses three forms of 1-DHEA within its blend. 1-DHEA converts first to 1-Androstenediol and then to 1-testosterone, a testosterone derivative that does not aromatize into estrogen. Chosen1 is aimed at lean mass, strength, and quality muscle rather than maximum overall size. The non-aromatizing pathway also separates it from 4-Andro formulas, which can contribute to estrogen conversion. If avoiding estrogen conversion is one of your priorities, our[Non-Estrogenic Prohormones Guide] looks at several formulas that follow non-aromatizing pathways.

You’ll also find 1-DHEA in Metha-Quad Extreme, where it is combined with 4-DHEA, androsterone, and Arimistane instead of carrying the formula on its own.

4-DHEA / 4-Andro

4-DHEA, or 4-Andro, is the main compound in Blackstone Labs Brutal 4ce.

4-DHEA follows a two-step conversion through androstenediol and ultimately toward testosterone. Testosterone can aromatize into estrogen, giving 4-Andro a different hormonal profile from 1-Andro. Blackstone specifically recommends estrogen support with Brutal 4ce for this reason.

Brutal 4ce puts much more emphasis on size, mass, and strength. It is the more natural fit when gaining bodyweight and adding overall size are higher priorities than keeping the cycle centered on a non-aromatizing compound.

4-DHEA also appears in Metha-Quad Extreme, where it provides the testosterone-oriented side of the formula alongside several other compounds.

19-Nor-DHEA

Blackstone Labs AbNORmal centers its formula on 19-Nor-DHEA, a precursor associated with the nandrolone pathway. AbNORmal uses three forms of 19-Nor-DHEA within its proprietary blend. The compound converts through a nandrolone-related pathway rather than the 1-testosterone or testosterone pathways used by Chosen1 and Brutal 4ce. You can also see how a 19-Nor pathway is used in a different formula in our [Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals Trenabol Guide].

AbNORmal is focused heavily on bulking, size, and strength, making it one of Blackstone Labs’ more mass-oriented prohormones. It gives athletes another route toward growth without simply duplicating the 4-Andro formula found in Brutal 4ce.

Epiandrosterone

Epiandrosterone is one of the main compounds in Blackstone Labs SuperStrol-7. Epiandrosterone follows a DHT-related pathway and does not convert into estrogen. SuperStrol-7 uses that compound in a formula aimed more toward muscle hardness, definition, and strength than maximum mass. It also works well in cutting-focused stacks, while its epiandrosterone-based formula stays non-aromatizing.

Androsterone

150 mg of androsterone is one of the compounds in Blackstone Labs Metha-Quad Extreme. Androsterone is part of the DHT pathway and ultimately converts toward dihydrotestosterone. It is non-estrogenic and gives Metha-Quad a stronger androgenic component alongside the 1-DHEA and 4-DHEA already in the formula.

For athletes who want to push Metha-Quad further, The Incredible Hulk Stack pairs Metha-Quad Extreme with Innovative Labs Helladrol. Helladrol brings additional 4-Andro and multiple prohormone compounds focused on mass, strength, power, and protein synthesis, making this one of our most aggressive bulking stacks. It’s intended for experienced prohormone users who want considerably more than a single-product cycle.

For the Incredible Hulk Stack, we recommend an eight-week cycle followed by one month of Hi-Tech Arimiplex for PCT. Both Metha-Quad and Helladrol already contain estrogen-support ingredients, so a separate estrogen blocker is not recommended with the stack.

What Is 7-Hydroxy DHEA?

7-Hydroxy DHEA is another compound found in SuperStrol-7, but it serves a different role from prohormone precursors like 1-DHEA or 4-DHEA. Rather than acting as the main anabolic component of the formula, it works alongside epiandrosterone as a supporting compound.

The similar names can be misleading. 1-DHEA, 4-DHEA, 19-Nor-DHEA, and 7-Hydroxy DHEA follow different pathways and should not be treated as interchangeable ingredients. In SuperStrol-7, epiandrosterone remains the primary compound driving the formula’s androgenic profile.

Arimistane: Not a Prohormone

Arimistane also appears in Metha-Quad Extreme, but unlike androsterone, 1-DHEA, and 4-DHEA, it isn’t included for anabolic conversion. Its role is estrogen support.

That’s especially relevant in a formula containing 4-DHEA, which converts toward testosterone and can aromatize into estrogen. Arimistane supports estrogen management while the other compounds handle the anabolic side of the formula.

Metha-Quad combines four compounds with distinct roles:

Androsterone: DHT-related androgenic support

1-DHEA: 1-Andro pathway

4-DHEA: Testosterone-oriented mass and strength support

Arimistane: Estrogen support

Rather than acting like one prohormone at a higher dose, Metha-Quad brings several different hormonal pathways together in the same formula.

Shop Blackstone Labs Metha-Quad Extreme

How the Major Compounds Compare

Compound	Best Known For	Blackstone Labs Product
1-DHEA / 1-Andro	Lean mass and strength through a non-aromatizing pathway	Chosen1
4-DHEA / 4-Andro	Overall size, mass, and strength through a testosterone-related pathway	Brutal 4ce
19-Nor-DHEA	Bulking, size, and strength through a nandrolone-related pathway	AbNORmal
Epiandrosterone	Hardness, definition, and strength through a non-aromatizing DHT-related pathway	SuperStrol-7
Multiple compounds	Several hormonal pathways combined in one formula	Metha-Quad Extreme