All Natural Pre Workout vs Artificial Supplements
One of the 5 Pillars of MBP is natural supplements. Nothing could be more unnatural than a tub of pre workout. Still, this doesn’t change the fact that it’s one of the top three most effective supplements for building muscle.*
*aside from steroids and other banned, performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).
Top three in my opinion:
- whey protein
- creatine
- pre workout (stimulants)
Throughout my lifting journey, I had some good times taking pre. I also tried some that gave me cold sweats, heart palpitations, and tunnel vision, almost to the point of passing out right there on the gym floor.
So if you’re the adventurous type, make sure you do research on every product before taking it. And of course ask your doctor if it’s ok.
The amount of additional work you can do in the weight room, and intensity you lift with, makes pre workout one of the most effective tools to take your weight lifting sessions to the next level.
Just because I write about herbal supplements, doesn’t mean you should miss out on a great pre workout drink every now and again. Or every time you lift.
Just take it easy on the scoops though.
To ring in the voice of reason, pre workout is fine as long as you don’t take more than one scoop. There were times I took more than one scoop on a regular basis.
Don’t do that. What I’ve come to learn about pre workout is, it’s best to always stick to one recommended scoop. No matter what. Actually, you might only want half a scoop.*
*Not telling you what to do since I’m not allowed to tell you what supplements to take, or how much to take. This is simply what I would tell myself to do at 23 years old.
On a side note, I take pre workout maybe a couple times a month. I’m not even on creatine anymore. Last time I used it was pre-pandemic. Creatine is another one that needs no introduction.
Right now I’m only taking whey protein, pea protein, and ashwagandha. And the occasional half scoop of pre workout when I’m partying at the gym on a Saturday morning.
It would be disingenuous of me to tell a 20 year old in his first few years lifting to not take pre workout.
Especially if he doesn’t drink alcohol. If you’re about the gym, and you don’t drink, at that point you should be able to enjoy your pre workout, at the very least.
What I’m saying is it’s hard to deny the value of a good, clean pre workout. Even though it’s artificial.
As soon as you start to “not notice” the effects, you have a choice to make. Either keep taking it as part of your lifting ritual and continue getting minimal results, or take a few weeks off.
Taking time off allows your tolerance to go back down to a new baseline. During those few weeks, either cut out caffeine completely, or just stick to black coffee or tea.
If you set the habit of never exceeding one scoop, you’ll avoid frying yourself out from taking too many stimulants. It’s a slippery slope once you start adding more pre to the blender bottle.
What’s to stop you from taking more, when two scoops no longer does anything for you?
But eventually you’re going to want
a natural alternative.
Now that we got that out of the way, there are healthier options to get an energy and focus boost at the gym.
I’m not sure if there’s an herb that can increase your pump. I’ll have to do some research.
But you can make your own pre workout with fewer artificial ingredients. One idea would be to add in only the following ingredients to your herbal energy supplement:*
- L-citrulline
- arginine
- betaine
These three ingredients are the main pump drivers. [1]
Along with how hydrated you are, electrolytes, muscle glycogen, etc.
Also might even throw in some beta-alanine to add to the experience.
*Not telling you what to do, but that’s what I might consider doing.
Or maybe stop and ask yourself from time to time if you even need supplements.
During your first year of lifting weights, this is when you can teach your mind and body to lift weights without an artificial boost. Or there might be an herb that can give you the boost you need.
On second thought, is pre workout still popular?
I wrote this whole thing and just now realized how little I know about gym supplements right now. Taking pre on the daily used to be the norm. I’m assuming it still is for many people.
If I could go back and take fewer pre workout stimulants, I would. Either limit my use or find herbal options.
The reason I say that now, is because I can say with certainty that I would’ve gotten to the same point I’m at today, regardless of how much caffeine I took along the way.
In the moment, it seemed like the pre was helping me a lot — maybe it did. But if I went back and did it all over again with no stimulants, I would’ve accomplished the same fitness goals either way.
This highlights the point about how we should view supplements. They do not get you to your goal, but they can enhance and add value to the process.
So this really becomes a question of whether you need anything at all.
The reason I took pre workout from the start was because I was already addicted to caffeine. If you’re not, then I don’t know if you even want to start taking stims to begin with.
Think about it like this: you’re going to reach your genetic potential, eventually.
I would guess for most guys, after about 5-10 years of being consistent with every habit.
At that point, it would not matter how much pre workout you took to get there.
The question is, did you care enough about your health in the process?
References
[1] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-preworkout-for-pump#:~:text=Pump%2Dfocused%20pre%2Dworkout%20supplements,%2C%20and%202.5%20grams%2C%20respectively.
