All of the sudden, the weather is hot, and the humidity is back in the air. I don’t know about you, but with such extreme temperature changes, I am more susceptible to fatigue. So now more than ever choosing the right Pre-Workout for you is vital to a successful summer. There are already enough reasons to skip a day at the gym when everyone seems to be BBQing every. Single. Day…. So, let’s not give ourselves another reason to skip a day at the gym. Find the right Pre-Workout for you and get pumping!
Since the 80’s Pre-Workouts have been at the cutting edge of the science behind bodybuilding. Since that time the specific science has evolved, products are better and more efficient than they have ever been. However, the main ingredients are still fairly similar, and the desired effects have remained constant.
When choosing supplements, in general, we are all very picky about which ones we want to use and what goals we will achieve by using them. For the most part, when we choose a Pre-Workout, the goals stay similar. We want more juice, more focus, and a more intense PUMP when we get there. To achieve this, Pre-Workouts are always tweaking their formulas and using different vitamins and supplements to get us there. Even though the ingredients can vary from formula to formula, here are the most common ingredients you should be looking for.
Caffeine
Even though this one sounds obvious, caffeine is an essential part of Pre-Workout formulas. Studies have proven that caffeine improves our performance in both bodybuilding and endurance training. Even though you can get your dose of caffeine from coffee, trust me when I say Pre-Workout formulas are designed to get a higher (and safe) dose into your body the most efficient way possible.
Beta-Alanine
This is an amino acid that helps fight muscle fatigue and combat acid build up. It has been proven to be most effective in boosting performance during exercise lasting 1-4 minutes. It is known to still increase performance in endurance training; however, it is definitely more effective for our short, intense exercises.
Creatine
Creatine is widely known as one of the most important exercise supplements. It’s also naturally found in our cells. By increasing the amount of creatine in our body it has been shown to increase our muscle strength and our exercise performance. Studies have even shown that including creatine in our Supps can increase performance by up to 10%.
Citrulline
This natural amino acid is used to aid exercise performance by increasing our blood flow to our muscles and tissues. It’s incredibly effective in both short exercises and endurance races. In fact, studies have proved that cyclists performed 12% better before reaching exhaustion and bodybuilders achieve up to 53% more before their muscles are spent. That’s a staggering improvement all from blood flow. There are many different amino acids and Supps that have this effect. Nitric Oxide is another incredibly common and effective one. Both ingredients achieve the same thing… Higher blood flow and better performance.
Ok, so that’s the science behind pre-workouts. As I said before you will see many different ingredients and most of the time they will be derived from those key formulas. The best Pre-Workouts give us increased focus, energy, blood flow, and drive. So what are they?
Here are two of my personal favorite Pre-Workouts. They are both incredibly effective and pack one hell of a punch…
(pun definitely intended!)
Seismic Surge by Hard Rock Supplements.
Hard Rock Supplements have shown us time and time again that they are releasing industry-leading supplements! Seismic Surge is NO exception. Seismic Surge has been featured on our Top 10 Preworkout list for YEARS and I know why. It will increase your workout strength, enhance your endurance, increase muscle PUMPS, and one of my favorite things is that it actually increases your recovery time. Instead of using Citrulline to increase your blood flow, Seismic Surge uses Alpha Yohimbine which has the same effects and is known to help decrease fat synthesis by increasing fatty acid mobilization. One awesome added bonus of Seismic Surge is their addition of Theobromine. It’s derived from Cocoa and actually gives your body the same chemical ‘feel good’ sensation we get when we eat chocolate! This PWO is serious and I CANNOT recommend it enough!
Wild Thing is another great option for a PWO. It is LOADED with every single ingredient you could want or need from a Pre-Workout. It is formulated beautifully and has personally given me the best workouts of my career. It includes all of the above-mentioned ingredients, as well as key ingredients like L-Tyrosine to help keep your muscles from fatiguing and Phenylethylamine Hydrochloride to help stabilize your mood and enhance concentration. It’s an all-around winner and is definitely a must-try.
Pre-Workouts are the magic ingredient for success in the gym. You know it when you have a good one because you can feel like the very best version of yourself every single session you use it! Don’t let the heat and humidity suck out your energy this summer.
Let’s crush it, and by choosing one of these EPIC Pre-Workouts you are setting yourself up for success.
