Have you ever taken a pre-workout supplement before?
If you have you’ll know when I say it feels like you’re entering ‘god mode’ shortly after drinking it and stepping into the gym is no lie.
However, like all other supplements aimed at bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts pre-workout supplements are ridiculously overpriced, not to mention the shopping list style nutrition label comprised of a plethora of ‘ingredients’ neither of us have heard before, let alone can pronounce.
Now, the majority of these ingredients in pre-workout supplements are BS – they provide no nutritional or performance benefit to the user and are simply added in as a ‘filler’ ingredient. Each and every pre-workout supplement does contain the essential scientifically proven ingredients as its foundation. So instead of purchasing overpriced fairy dust let’s acquire these base ingredients and make our own!
Ingredient 1:
Caffeine Anhydrous
Caffeine has been the subject of many scientific studies and has been proven time and time again to increase focus and blunt our response to pain, meaning fatigue will not set in as early during your workout.
Pre-workout supplements, energy drinks, coffee and pills to help you stay awake are all based around this baby, caffeine.
I recommend adding between 150mg and 300mg of caffeine to our DIY pre-workout supplement.
(start off with 150mg and assess your tolerance, increase or decrease after testing how receptive your body is to stimulants).
Ingredient 2:
Citruline Malate
Citruline malate is not quite as tried and tested as caffeine, however studies do suggest that citruline malate has been shown to support increase performance, blood flow and amino acid delivery during your workouts therefore leading to increased protein synthesis (leading to greater lean mass gains).
I have personally found a noticeable increase in endurance when I use use citruline malate, not to mention a crazy pump.
I recommend adding 6g of citruline malate to our DIY pre-workout supplement.
Ingredient 3:
Beta Alanine
If you’ve ever taken a pre-workout before you would be well and truly familiar with the ‘tingles’ you get shortly thereafter. These tingles are courtesy of the amino acid, beta alanine.
Beta alanine has proven in numerous studies to support increased endurance during an athlete’s workout.
Beta alanine is quite cheap and I personally love the tingling feeling it provides, however this isn’t for everyone.
I recommend adding 4g of beta alanine to our DIY pre-workout supplement.
Summary
DIY pre-workout
150 – 300mg Caffeine Anhydrous
6g Citruline Malate
4g Beta Alanine
Mix together and achieve god mode!