For the fourth installment of my Motivation Series I want to recommend using drugs — pre-workout supplements.
We all have had good days and bad days in the gym. Have you ever wished there was a pre-workout supplement that could assure all of your workouts were awesome? Well I have been searching for this since I first started working out. Here is a short timetable of my pre-supplementation.
Ultimate Orange
In the mid 90s I discovered the pre-workout drink Ultimate Orange. The first time I took it I think I had the greatest workout of my life. But that night I didn’t sleep. I tried it a few more times and every night I took Ultimate Orange I tossed and turned restlessly until the morning. Then a few people died from taking it since it contained a dangerous ingredient — ephedra; and it disappeared from the store shelves.
Creatine
I then started drinking creatine and grape juice. The juice acted as a transport agent for the creatine. And this definitely made me stronger. I still think creatine is great, but if you need that pre-work out energy boost, then you will need more then just creatine.
Good Ol’ Fashioned Coffee
I think coffee works pretty well and it could be a cheap solution for anyone on a tight budget looking for pre-workout energy. I have taken it in the accelerator shake form (with whey and coconut oil), I have drunk it during the actual workout, and for the most part it works. I will say though it often leaves me feeling sick. I can’t explain why since I am an avid morning coffee drinker, but several times it has made me feel nauseous and given me a headache. (If anyone knows why this is, please share in comments section.)
Buzz Saw
The Canadians always seem to be on top of their supplement game. I think their food and drug people must just do a better job. So when I heard about the pre-workout drink coming from Canada I jumped on it. It worked pretty well too but then I started having these really strange blood sugar crashes where I felt like I was dying — it was scary and when I stopped taking Buzz Saw the crashes stopped. No more Buzz Saw.
Sweet Potato Baby Food
I first heard of this from Sean Sherk and anything he does I am willing to try — that guy is a bad ass. It makes sense to eat sweet potatoes before a workout since it is a good carb and carbs give you energy. The only thing I can say is it’s really hard to tell if it is working. And I usually like to spike my insulin post-workout not pre-workout so I gave up on the baby food. I will still recommend it though to people who can eat pre-workout and for people taking on a big event, such as a Superfit or CMC.
No Xplode
Since this supplement is so popular I had to include it. I only took this supplement a few times and my workouts were strong but I crashed so bad afterwards that I gave it up. I hated that post workout feeling. I also discovered Jack3D at the same time I was trying No Xplode and I had no crash from Jack3d so I switched.
Jack3d (old formula)
This was the holy grail of pre-workout supplementation. It had no crash, no jittery feelings, it was cheaper than No Xplode; it was AWESOME. It did have the ingredient beta alanine, so you got that strange tingling feeling under your skin, but I really didn’t mind that because my workouts were AMAZING. But then people started dying from it. It contained an ingredient called DMAA, which the FDA linked to at least one fatality. After all the controversy and warnings, Jack3d changed its formula and it was nowhere near as effective.
BCAAs
Branched Chained Amino Acids are awesome and if you are not taking them then you need to fix that. Most of your high quality wheys will include them. BCAAs are the building blocks of protein; they are crucial for muscle growth, repair, and recovery. But they will not give you that high energy feeling that most lifters want in a pre-workout supplement. I will say though if you are looking for a pre-workout drink, then this should be a primary ingredient.
Force
And this is where I am now: Progenex Force. I love this stuff. It is very similar in its effectiveness to Jack3d (don’t worry, no DMAA). I am still new to using Force but my workouts have been great. And right now I am only taking it on days that I need it. I love that! With Jack3d if I didn’t take it, my workouts sucked — it is like I became dependent on it. But with Force I just take it when I am having one of those days where I need motivation. Force does contain beta alanine, so if you don’t like the tingling feeling, it might not be for you. The tingly-ness goes away though soon as you start lifting. Just remember all that tingling is because your blood is flowing; moreover, it is a good thing.
Have you tried any of these supplements? What works for you?
If you missed the first three parts of my motivation series you can find them here:
Bagpipes Make Squatting Easier
5 Fun Ideas for Outdoor Fitness
Featured Image by Noodles and Beef
Hey Erik-thanks for writing a post on supplements! I’ve been wanting–and even drafting–supplement posts for a while. I plan on doing reviews in the next couple of months on some other Progenex stuff, so I’m glad you took care of the Force for me.
I also love Force and I agree–it’s the best thing I’ve found since they took Jack3d off the market. I think I love it for the same reason you do–I take it when I need that extra edge. On all the other days I lift, I actually take two caffeine pills. And of course, I drink some coffee first thing in the morning too. A few times, I’ve been known to down my caffiene pills with my coffee–lol. I think my favorite part of Force is that it has the same effect as a huge cup of coffee but even better. And I LOVE the tingly beta alanine sensation. Once, I bought a bottle of beta alanine just so I could add it to my other workout drink supplements–lol. Of course, the one time I put too much in, well, that’s a whole new post worthy of itself.
I also tried many of the supplements you listed above. I’ve taken creatine a lot over the past few years but I’m always so on again-off again with it. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen benefits, and then I was told that you retain water and look “soft” or even bloated with it, so I cut that out in a heartbeat.
I tried buzz saw when you were taking it and I remember thinking it was great because it not only was a pre-workout boost, but it had like 7+ grams of protein too. BUT I hated the taste SO much and it was really expensive. Shipping from Cananda? Enough said. Plus I had to drink like 12 oz of water with the mix to get it down. And you know me–I HATE having sh*t in my stomach when I’m trying to move!
I also did the No Xplode and hated the crash.
Sweet potato baby food rocks. Now I will get those squeeze pouches–like apple/cinnamon/sweet potato and keep those around for days I need a little carb boost before something big–like a competition or a race. LOVE it.
I also think every person should be supplementing with BCAAs. Scivation Xtend is my favorite brand…their blue raspberry is like adult kool-aid. Randy turned me on to Xtend years ago and I’m pretty sure I got several people hooked myself! If my recovery protein didn’t already have BCAAs in it, I’d be drinking the blue stuff non-stop!
Again, thanks for writing this–I’ve been wanting to touch on a lot of this stuff and you just gave me the platform to do so sooner and quicker. Thanks!
Anyone have any questions for us about supplements??