Unleash the Beast Within with Pre-Workouts

Today, as promised, we are going to go over pre work out supplements, the what and the why. Before I begin, all of this is for Men and Women. Women take Pre Workouts. This will not make you huge or bulky either. Like I said in the protein section, that is a subject for another day. But for right now, 

WOMEN: THIS WILL NOT MAKE YOU GROW HUGE 

MUSCLES!

There, I said it, now onto the blog:

When I first started to exercise, I thought pre workouts were unnecessary. I would ask myself why I needed something that would just make me exercise harder. Would I not be producing my own natural results? I have talked to a lot of people that have felt the same way, and I was very on the fence about the subject for a long time. That is when I started to look into pre workout supplements, what they had in them, and what they were used for. I can honestly say now, that if you want results, and you want to really see what you are made of, pre workouts are the absolute way to go. So please bear with me. This is not exactly a simple subject. There are a lot of points and a lot of things to go over. My objective today is to give you guys a better understanding of what pre workout supps are, what they can do for you, and help you pick which one is right for you, because in the world of exercise, there are a ton, and I mean a TON out there!

So like I stated in the beginning, I was very on the fence about it. By taking a pre workout, was I not like a steroid user? I was using something to enhance myself and make me better? Was it considered cheating? The day I began to investigate things, I realized it wasn’t cheating, but it was very much an aide to help me get my results.

Example 1: Lets say that you can only do 10 pull ups without a pre workout, but can do 14 with a pre workout. What caused you to get the extra 4. Well duh, the only variable here is the pre workout. But the question remains why? Did the pre workout increase your strength? Actually, it didn’t. Here is what happens:

When you exercise, your body uses up ATP (adenosine-triphosphate), or basically energy created in your body. If you want to go over this process with me, let me know. There is a lot to it, (electron chains, krebs cycle, etc.) But suffice to say, your body produces energy using phosphate. When you break down ATP, it becomes ADP (adenosine-diphophate) and energy is released as the other phosphate is released. This same process also causes H+ (Hydrogen) Ions to accumulate. For you chemistry nerds out there, you know that Hydrogen is acidic. Hydrogen plays a major role of why your muscles hurt after a workout. This acid level also drops your Ph level in your body, making it run more and more inefficiently. This makes you get tired and feel weak, or become fatigued. As a person fatigues, they are able to contract less muscle fibers, and as consequence, limited to lifting more weight or moving faster and hindering their progress. That is where pre workouts come in and assist. Beta Alanine will actually help pump H+ ions back into the cells by interacting with the proteins on the cell membranes.  The tingling sensation and sudden rush of power and energy is actually energy being created by the hydrogen flowing back into your cells. For those of you that have never taken beta alanine, get ready for a maximum overload of raw energy. No word can really describe the feeling you get. As the Ph levels remain more basic, your body can perform better, helping you to do more reps, allowing your body to have a better breakdown of muscle so it can get bigger and stronger.

Example 2: Running the mile, you can comfortably run it in 7 minutes. But with some vitamin B that you took as a pre workout, you are able to run it in 6. Is that fair?

Different story, same ending. Unlike a steroid, the pre workout will not make a radical change in your body, rather it helps you make the change. If you are able to train just a little longer, run a little further, and increase your lung capacity, you are better off for the next round.

Pre Workouts really break down into 2 main categories: Increased Energy and Increased Weight Loss. At some points, the 2 go hand in hand. But at other times, they do not. The wy the body increases energy is by either some type of stimulant acting upon the nervous system to increase movement, or by an enzymatic reaction. There are also Stim and Non Stimulant types, or basically, high amounts of caffeine or naturally occurring, but ultra concentrated dosages. An example of a non stimulant would be green tea or green coffee bean extracts, or raspberry ketones, or CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). Stimulants would be high vitamin B dosages, beta alanine, or other powerful amino acid driven supplements. While non simulants are good and can give you a little bit more of a kick, stimulants are by far more powerful.

So what to get and what to use? I personally would look for a few things and decide if it is what you want and need. Things to look for are:

•        Fat Releaser: Caffeine or Yohimbe Bar
•        Simple Calorie Burners: Green Tea Extract, Raspberry Ketones, Pepper Based Supplements
•        Fat Transporters (Helps Body Metabolize Fat): Carnitine or L-Carnitine
•        Fat Stoppers (Blocks Fat from being on the body): Omega-6 Fats, Fish Oil, CLA
•       Enzymatic Reactors (Use things inside the body to metabolize): Vitamin B’s (Folic Acid, Niacin, Etc.)

Another thing to consider is Nitric Oxide. While there are a lot of people on both sides of the fence, I am a firm believer in Nitric Oxide. While there are a lot of NO supplements out there, just realize that not all work and carefully look in the ingredients (and amounts) in the supplements before getting one. N.O. opens up blood vessels to allow more oxygen and nutrients to pass thorugh. Just like Oxygen is needed to fuel a fire, Oxygen fuels your body and metabolism. It is all part of the electron chain, krebs cycle, and again, if you want to go into depth, just let me know and I will. But for now, good ole O2 is important!

So, to answer the question many of you have asked me lately, What do I take to get me going? Well, the long awaited answer has arrived. Take out your note pads!

Vitamin B based Supplements:

#1 Roxylean

So, I was skeptical. I had heard a lot about this stuff, but I wasn’t sure if it would work. I was very very wrong. It has an amazing boost of energy! It gives you 12,333% of your daily recommended value of Thiamin and 150% of your Niacin needs in one pill! It actually tells you straight up, do not take more than 1 per day. Evidence enough? One thing to be careful of. When you use it, you may experience Niacin flush, or your face and body might sting and turn red. Best way to get rid of it? Work Out! And trust me, after taking it, you will want to do just that! Also, remember to only use It for 2 months, then take a month off. It comes in a convenient 66 pill container. How nice of BPI Sports to do that!

#2 Methoxyburn

While not as strong as Roxylean, it still gives quite the burn. Thiamin levels are at 2000%, Niacin at 100%, and Vitamin B 12 at 8333%.

While not as strong as Roxylean, it still gives quite the burn. Thiamin levels are at 2000%, Niacin at 100%, and Vitamin B 12 at 8333%. The bottle instructs 2 dosages per day. Like I said, it works pretty well, and I was happy with it, but I didn’t get quite as much of a kick as I did out of the other.

N.O. and Amino Supplements:

#1 Nitrix

This stuff took me from looking pretty good to awesome. It gave me the energy I needed, but also gave me the pumps to keep going. I am very happy with this product. The downside to it is the dosages. 3 pills 3 times a day on an empty stomach for <200 lbs or 4 pills 3 times a day on >200 lbs. If you are willing to take the time to take it, it is worth it!

#2 N.O. Explode

I used to take this a lot, but for those of you who know me well, I hate powders. They are messy, a pain to watch over and then mix, and just drive me bonkers most day. But N.O. Explode does just what it says. Amazing energy release with 1-3 scoops recommended usage. If you can deal with powders, I would suggest trying some of this out. It comes in a bunch of different flavors too!

#3 Jack 3d

Pretty powerful stuff, and a lot of people like it, but it made me really upset to my stomach when I took it.  The Beta Alanine is pretty powerful. You really get that tingle in your muscles and it makes you want to work out. If I could work past the upset stomach I was good. I just hated battling it day in and day out.

#4 AmiN.O. Energy,

Packed with Amino Acids and Nitric Oxide boosters, this is great stuff as well. I haven’t used it a lot, but so far so good! My wife uses it and she loves it! She used to use N.O. Explode as well, but it made her sick. This stuff doesn’t make her sick and she is ready for a workout after taking it. Energy in a bottle!

Extras and Non Stims

#1 Raspberry Ketones

This stuff is really good and actually helps me digest food better. I take it after a meal (not dinner though) and it helps metabolize my food and give me some instant pick up when I am feeling slow and low for the day. Recommended dosage is 2 per serving, but I have found that 1 suits me pretty well. If I take 2 I tend to have raspberry burps. They are a lot like fish oil burps, but taste like raspberries. So not too bad.

#2 Refine

 It is a great pre workout, but it also upsets my stomach a little bit. I am currently using this, but once the bottle is gone, I will be pretty much done with it. I have been happy with it overall, but sometimes it is good to mix things up a bit and try new things!

I am going to be trying out some new products this month. I will be giving some reviews on them when I am done! If you have something you want me to try, please let me know!

I know I probably missed a few things, but for the most part I think I covered the bases. Best advice I can give is:

•       Do your research. Find out what is in something before you buy it. Don’t jusy get it because they say it works. Fitness and well-being is a science, something that is changing all the time. Read, review and learn. There are new breakthroughs all the time. Don’t always ride the hype. Stick with what you know but don’t be afraid to extend.
•       I say this all the time, but Every Body is different. You may react to something better than I do. You may not react to something at all. Go out and try things. Ask your doctor if you feel like you need to get an Ok. I am in no way shape or form saying these things will work for you, but the best thing you can do is try them!
•       Do not rely on these things to help you lose weight alone. Taking these supplements and then running and getting  cheese burger will not work. Eating clean and exercising are key to having success. Nothing worth having will come easily. You have to fight for them. I would be lying if I didn’t say there have been some major discouragements along the way. I still get discouraged at time. Make goals, and then keep them. Ask yourself if eating this or that will make me feel good later. Losing the 75 lbs I have over the year and a half of training hasn’t been easy on me physically or mentally. The fitness game is more mental than physical. Anyone can lift weights, swim, run, walk, or jog. But the mentality, the driving force behind you, the part of you that wants to reach your goals must always defeat your doubts first. It is an everyday battle. Do not give up. You never know if a major success is right around the corner. You wont know until you get there.

I               I am not into baseball at all. But this video, if you do nothing more but just close your eyes and listen,       is so inspiring: 

With that, I end todays blog. Don’t give up. Use this information as an advantage. Use it to help yourself. All of this comes from me studying and learning over the years. Im not saying I will always be right, but My results should speak enough that what I am doing isn’t wrong.

The true enemy is within. Make the choice each day to better yourself, and one day you can say I made it. A 1,000 mile journey begins with a single step. Take yours today!