How was your first time taking a pre-workout drink
I'm thinking of buying a pre-workout supplement to help me train harder in the gym but wanted to know what other people's experiences were and whether it was worth it.
Thank you.
10 Replies
Here's my story:
I usually go to the gym after work. I commute for 1-1.5hrs each way so by the time I get back home, I'm already knackered. My energy level is quite low and although I get some food in (bagel with cheese and a banana), I found I could not push myself as hard as I wanted to.
I began researching pre-workouts and it seems that the main ingredient is caffeine. A lot of people will tell you to just drink black coffee (no milk) and that's a natural pre-workout in itself which is true but I found that to be quite bitter and long term use will stain your teeth. A cup of black coffee will give you on average 100mg of caffeine and although at first this may be enough, you'll eventually needed around 200mg (so two cups).
Anyway, I started looking into some commercial products. I came across C4 and even though it had good reviews, I thought it was just hyped up. On Amazon I found this other pre-workout drink called AC8 which sells for £16. The reviews were great but more importantly I liked the ingredients (mainly Citrulline Malate, L-Taurine, Beta-Alanine, L-Glutamine, Creatine Monohydrate and obviously caffeine). One heaped scoop (7.5g) gave you 200mg of caffeine and the fruit punch flavour was very tasty.
Now non-coffee drinks (or should I say non caffeine consumers) will see the greatest effect with a pre-workout. I myself do not drink coffee at all, I may however have a cup of tea on the odd day. So I knew taking this would have a significant effect on me and as I read what other people were saying about the product, I built up great expectations in my mind.
On the day I took it, I had a feeling like ants were crawling on my arms as the high dose of caffeine entered my blood stream and I felt a tingling sensation on my face. My energy levels went through the roof. I started my warm up and hit the gym and I was blown away at how much power I had. My lifts were stronger and I lasted longer in the gym. After my sets, I still had so much more energy left. It actually scared me because my heart kept on pumping rapidly an hour after finishing my exercise routine.
It felt as if I could go back to the gym and workout more. I got really anxious because I wondered if that continued, I wouldn't be able to sleep and that would stop me from waking up early the next day to get ready for work. Eventually the high energy feeling subsided but it lasted a good 4-5hrs for me.
On the second day, I was ready for some more intense workout but that didn't happen. It was not like the first time. I had more energy than when I didn't take the pre-workout but compared to the 1st day, it was at a much lower intensity. I guess it could have been a placebo effect but nevertheless it does give me more than enough energy to exercise after a hard day at work.
So if it's your first time and you're not a huge coffee drinker, be prepared for the superpower!
PS: I've now switched to The Curse Pre-Workout and it's even more awesome.
my bro made me drink it. I rushed to the men's bathroom and vomit everything. Moral of the story. Eat then take it 2 hours later
Aww...that wasn't very nice of him. Bet the guys must have been confused to see a girl in their toilet, haha
actually my body was showing signs that i needed to start taking suplements. haha no don't worry. I knew all of them. I used to help them put their tanning on so I was often in their changing room. They were worried because I was rarely that 'sick' looking
@sarah_7 I seem to see your posts everywhere these days but I was most surprised to see you here, in a bodybuilding forum for skinny guys. So tell me, not that it really matters but I'm just curious, are you into bodybuilding, callisthenics, parkour, yoga or similar discipline?
I'm injured. I nearly died in a car accident. I have pain. The only thing that is making me happy is eating the few things that I crave. Besides I grow my own crops so I'm not affected by the huge amount of pesticides in the vegetables that are sold