The Lowdown On Pre-Workouts

What is Pre Workout & What Does it Do?

 

You have the motivation, now here's the supplementation to smash out every workout!

What’s your method of motivation in preparation for a grueling sweat sesh? Is a stern pep talk in the change-room mirror all you need to bust out an extra set? Perhaps a triple shot espresso is more your style? Both are valid means to get you in the zone, but what if we were to tell you there was a better way! The truth is, while Metallica echoing down your earbud might give you somewhat of an amp up, there’s a special supplement that can get your body seriously tuned in for the mother of all adrenalin rushes - We're looking at you pre-workout!

 

Pre workout supplementation should always be an important component of any sports performance nutrition regime. Whether you’re training for bulging biceps, a single digit body fat percentage, or even just a simple boost in performance, what you put into your body pre-session can have a tremendous impact on how well you train and how quickly you recover. These workout- enhancing formulas have ingredients that increase oxygen to the muscles, boost heart rate, improve focus, upsurge blood flow to the skin and if you’re down for it, there’s even elements that give your body a nice little tingle. With all these added benefits you have the ability to train harder and faster for longer. Did we mention they taste delicious too?

 

So what are these magical ingredients and how do they give you lazer-like focus, roadmap veins and the strength of a bull, I hear you ask? Let us explain! First comes caffeine, AKA the energy giver. This vigor-inducing fuel lowers the body’s perceived rate of exertion, which translates into an affinity to workout both harder and faster, and the ability to use stored fat as fuel. Impressive, right? Because of these proven health benefits, majority of pre-workouts contain caffeine. However, if stimulants tend to send you a little loopy (we’ve all been there) - there’s a multitude of caffeine-free formulas! Big Noise pre-workout gets our vote in the non-stim department!

 

Next on the popular pre-workout ingredient list is Beta Alanine, AKA the fatigue fighter. This non-essential amino acid has the ability to increase levels of carnosine, or as we like to call it – the elixr of youth. This special substance has anti-oxidant capabilities which allow it to block the buildup of waste products that cause muscular fatigue. In turn, this handy little fella allows you to keep your intensity up for longer periods of time. And more volume means more gains. Bonus! With a clinical dose of Beta Alanine,RedCon 1 Total War pre-workout is a FIT fav!

 

Branched chain amino acids, AKA the mass builders are the three musketeers of the supplement industry and the star players when it comes to pre-workout formulas. BCAA’s are made up of a combination of three essential amino acids – leucine, isoleucine and valine; and are absolute key when it comes to regulating protein metabolism, increasing protein synthesis, and suppressing protein breakdown. On the flip side is creatine, AKA the strength donor and perhaps the most influential pre-workout ingredient when it comes to lower-rep workouts. Put simply, the rep-inducing substance helps to saturate the muscles with the specific energy source needed to produce big, fast, energy pumps. Basically if you want to be nailing Arnie-sized lifts a creatine loaded blend like Nitraflex where it’s at!

 

These are just a handful of the impressive credentials that pre-workouts have to offer, and if we were to be honest, this is only just the beginning! Alongside these bad boys are things like arginine to boost nitric oxide production, citrulline to delay fatigue, tyrosine for mental focus, glycerol for increased pump; and we’ve only just scratched the surface! You see, each pre-workout blend is formulated with a carefully selected combination of ingredients, which work synergistically to ramp up energy and endurance, increase strength, promote mental clarity, crank muscle growth, burn off body fat and assist with recovery. What’s not to love?

 

So if being fitter, faster and stronger is your goal then utilizing a solid pre-workout like 'Power Switch' by Switch Nutrition with key performance ingredients is step number one in taking your training to the next level. Say ta-ta to flaking out on sessions, failing reps, and pathetic performance and hello to rapid results, improved performance and speedy recovery time. When it really comes down to it, the food you eat is only one piece of the puzzle. It might provide you with energy, but it’s not going to prime your central nervous system, increase nitric oxide, or help your nifty little muscle fibers contract harder. That job is reserved for pre-workout pals!