Is It Time to Start Using Pre-Workout Supplements?

Written by Guy Gustafson
July 02, 2021

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Using a pre-workout supplement could help you smash your goals. That’s because pre-workout supplements are formulated to prime your body for hard physical and mental work. Want to know how pre-workout builds muscle and the other countless benefits it can provide?

Not getting the results you want from your workouts when you feel like you've given it your all is frustrating. Consistency? Not a problem. You're showing up and dishing out intense workouts.

So where are you going wrong?

Maybe it’s time to take your progress up a level. Using a pre-workout supplement could help you smash your goals. That’s because pre-workout supplements are formulated to prime your body for hard physical and mental work.

Want to know how pre-workout builds muscle and the other countless benefits it can provide? We’ll cover it all. But first, let's examine why you're not seeing gains and then drill down on the solutions.

Using pre-workout supplements can help you in the following situations.

You’re Not Training Intensely

Building muscle is one of the reasons you show up at the gym every day. But to develop, your muscles have to undergo muscle hypertrophy. They can only get bulked up when forced to adapt to increasingly higher and consistent forms of resistance training. Progressive overload is the answer.

If you feel like you've hit a training plateau, take a look at the biggest driver of muscle gain over time – your effort. If you’re looking to take that effort up a notch, you’ll want to consider adding a pre-workout supplement into the mix. But before you do, you might be wondering… how do pre-workout supplements work to boost effort and performance?

A pre-workout supplement will fire you up with caffeine and other stimulants to provide you with a boost of energy and focus. This helps lifters work at higher intensities for more extended periods, and will do the same for you. The extra effort you're able to dish out in a session will pay off by spurring more efficient muscle growth.

You Need More Protein Support

If you're in a particularly demanding phase of training, you may want to 'double up' with protein supplementation. Protein supplements taken post-workout are something most builders know will ramp up the protein synthesis response needed to support muscle growth.

Here's the thing. Muscle breakdown while working out is inevitable. How to balance the scales? Providing amino acids to your body beforehand could reduce the muscle proteins breaking down throughout a training session. You'll also benefit from the protein synthesis that kicks in post-workout if you’re loading your body beforehand.

You Need To Beat Fatigue

There are days when DOMS (delayed onset muscle fatigue) tells you that you've done well because the discomfort in your muscles is brutal evidence you nailed yesterday's workout.

But there are days when muscle soreness and fatigue can truly take you out. Stiff, sore, angry muscles are going to hold you back at the gym. High-intensity workouts and new movements are the sauce needed in a training program to help encourage muscle growth and minimize the wear and tear on your body. Here, a pre-workout can help you get back in the game quicker.

Caffeine, a hero found in most pre-workout supplements, activates the nervous system. A sweet side effect of this stimulant is that it makes it feel like your exercise involves less effort and pain. Caffeine also shifts muscles to burn fat more quickly. This preserves the glycogen stores in your body, giving muscles more time before they give in to fatigue.

Looking for prevention rather than a cure? Another winner in conquering the DOMS are citrulline and malic acid. Getting them into your system before you work out will mean they will be circulating in your body when your muscles start to feel strain. These ingredients have been shown to decrease muscle soreness following exercise. Because they fight fatigue-causing ammonia buildup, you can push harder for longer.

You Are Sensitive to Caffeine

Lining up for a couple of shots of espresso at the coffee bar before a workout works for some. But if it gives you the jitters, you're sabotaging your workout before you even pick up a weight. You can’t focus on building gains and getting the most out of each repetition with this out-of-body feeling.

So how else do you get that surge of energy? A pre-workout thrown into the mix could be the answer. The majority of pre-workouts contain caffeine. But if you’re sensitive to caffeine, a stim-free pre-workout can deliver a steady form of focus and drive without the side effects.

If your goal is to maximize pumps and training output, a pre-workout like Dr. Jekyll might be your best bet. The mix of ingredients like L-Tyrosine, Lion's Mane, and Alpinia galanga can achieve a caffeine-like effect so you can take on workouts with ease.

What if a formula that contains caffeine is working for you but is still leaving you feeling flat? Take a time check. Have you considered how often you should use a pre-workout, but not the time you take it? Both elements matter.

Taking your pre-workout 30 to 60 minutes before you start training will give the ingredients a sufficient window to start to metabolize. You want that energy surge ready for use by the last set of your first lift, which is when you really need it.

You Want Vein Popping Pumps

You've put in the work; it makes sense you want an excellent muscle pump after a workout. Skin-stretching biceps and pulsating vascularity are the fruits of your labor, sure, but there's more to them than meets the eye.

The more blood flow you’re getting to your muscles means they are getting more nutrients and oxygen. There’s a ton of benefits:

It speeds up waste removal, which helps minimize muscle soreness
Less fatigue so you can move more weight
Better blood sugar level control

So, where do pre-workouts factor in? Getting a pump means increasing your nitric oxide. This is a gas responsible for dilating blood vessels in response to muscle stress. It increases blood flow and helps you enjoy all the benefits laid out above. Plus, the vein-popping results will be more prominent and stick around for longer.

Be on the lookout for ingredients in pre-workouts that are vasodilators, such as L-arginine, L-citrulline, and beetroot. They increase nitric oxide levels in the blood. But there’s a shopping list of other ingredients you’ll find in ProSupps’ pre-workouts that help with pump too like...

Glycerol is designed to fire up your stamina and improve blood flow during and after your workout
Arginine silicate is a known pump-enhancing ingredient
Arginine and silicone both increase blood flow and enhance energy levels

You Want To Burn Body Fat

How pre-workout builds muscle is well known. A question that trips up many lifters is how to burn body fat without losing the edge on the energy and nutrition your body needs to make gains in fitness and form. Your goal is to build while you burn. Fat-burning supplements taken in isolation aren’t going to get you there.

There are pre-workouts specifically designed to help burn fat, jump-start your metabolism, target fat deposits, and energize your exercise program.

Look for a supplement that contains thermogenic ingredients. The combination of heating up your body along with raised exercise intensity burns calories at a staggering rate. Because your metabolism is raised, your body targets fat deposits to tap into the energy before it starts burning carbohydrates. You burn and shrink.

Now You’ve Seen How Pre-Workout Can Squeeze The Most Out Of Your Workout

How often you should use a pre-workout supplement is up to you, but don’t cut corners on quality.

Just like your comrades on the gym floor, pre-workouts come in all shapes and sizes. Start by doing your research and choose a product that will support your goals. You can also check out our store locator to find a retailer near you.

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