Energy for your workout: pre-workout supplements
Pre-workout supplements make a noticeable difference when your energy is low — this is a category of supplements whose effects you feel directly, rather than indirectly. Below, I share my honest experiences with six different products: what works, what leaves me cold, how much is optimal and how to avoid overdosing on caffeine.
Why energy becomes critical during training
There are countless products on the supplement market. A common view among experts is that you really don’t need much beyond a quality protein powder, good creatine and a solid multivitamin formula. I partly agree: those three supplements probably provide 2/3 of the benefits you could get from all the products on the market.
Over the past couple of years, though, I’ve discovered another category whose effects you’re guaranteed to feel — pre-workout stimulants. While you notice the effects of protein and creatine indirectly and over time, stimulants have a direct impact. The relationship is inverse: the lower your energy levels, the more noticeable the stimulant supplement’s effects. That’s precisely why they’re especially valued by competitive bodybuilders and people training in a calorie deficit to reduce their body fat percentage.
Honestly, I’m a big fan of this category of supplements. I use different pre-workouts year-round. Whether it’s a placebo effect or not, I’ve felt the effects of absolutely every product, just to varying degrees. I won’t go into a detailed analysis of the ingredients here; instead, I’ll briefly cover what I consider important about each product.
Workout Shock — my most reliable boost to get started
“Workout Shock” (Fast) is something of a classic, despite being relatively new to the market. Few products establish themselves so convincingly in such a short time. It works — every time. Sometimes the effects are more noticeable, sometimes a little less, but it’s a reliable choice.
The tub recommends a single dose of 24 grams before your workout. That dose does the job. What’s interesting, though, is that mixing a little less into water makes the effect significantly weaker. I’ve tried mixing 15 grams, 18 grams and 20 grams into water — for me, 18–20 grams doesn’t have the same effect as the recommended 24 grams. It’s only a couple of grams’ difference, but I can clearly feel it. Placebo or not, that’s my experience.
Shock perks you up nicely and gives you a moderate pump — nothing outrageous, but it’s there. Your ability to push hard and your endurance on long sets clearly improve. As the stimulant effect kicks in, you feel a slight tingling sensation and become a little more excitable. Make sure you give it time: the 30–45 minutes stated on the tub is exactly what you need. I’ve made the mistake of not waiting long enough on several occasions — the result is that you only really feel it once you’re 2/3 of the way through your workout or already in the shower.
What I like about Workout Shock is that it provides practically no calories or carbohydrates — making it a good fit for contest prep, too. The taste is tolerable: nothing great, but it doesn’t bother me. It lets me sleep reasonably well at night.
The Olimp family: Massacra, Extreme Speed and Pump Express
“Massacra” (Olimp) is a powerful supplement, and it works. But I’ll say this straight away: in my view, a smaller man could reduce the recommended serving by as much as 1/3 or half. Massacra delivers a somewhat stronger pump than Workout Shock — it makes your muscles feel particularly full. It gives you plenty of energy to push hard through your sets. You get less of the slight trembling and tingling than with Shock.
The serving is quite large, though. Initially, it left me with a slightly sickly feeling and mild nausea — probably because the dose was unusually large. That no longer bothers me. Massacra’s effects seem to last a little longer during a workout than Workout Shock’s — the difference is small and probably comes from the modest amount of calories and 35 grams of carbohydrates in Massacra. For that reason, I don’t use it often when making the final refinements before a competition — every calorie counts then, and I’d rather eat.
One interesting observation: after taking Massacra, I don’t feel like eating for a long time, even when dieting. I find the taste more pleasant than Workout Shock’s, too. But it disrupts my sleep — if I’m training at 17.00–18.00, taking Massacra at around 17.00–17.30 will definitely make itself felt that evening.
“Soul Ripper” (Olimp) — I’ll say straight away that it felt weak. It tastes better than any other pre-workout stimulant I’ve tried, but the effect was underwhelming. Almost nonexistent. I’ve only taken it once, though; if I have anything to add, I’ll let you know.
“Extreme Speed” (Olimp) is a pre-workout shot, and it works — though in its own way. It’s surprising that such a tiny shot does anything at all, let alone has such a powerful, if brief, effect. I feel it within 10–15 minutes. It helps you push harder and channel your strength, with the first repetitions using heavy or moderate weights feeling particularly explosive. The effect is less noticeable during long sets with light weights. It gives you a pump — briefly, an even more noticeable one than Workout Shock, for example. On the other hand, its effects also wear off significantly faster than those of Massacra or Shock.
I recommend combining Extreme Speed with pure arginine and creatine: Extreme Speed + Olimp creatine + 2500 mg of arginine (AAKG) produces even better, longer-lasting results. One important detail: don’t take it right at the start of your workout. It kicks in so quickly that it makes sense to finish your warm-up first. I’ve even done the first exercises under my own steam when they’re less important, taking Extreme only after the 1st–2nd exercise when the most important strength exercises fall in the second half of the workout. If you’re combining it with arginine, creatine and BCAA, take those before your workout, of course.
What’s interesting about Extreme is that even with a small dose, I sometimes feel the effects wearing off in the second half of my workout — yet it still noticeably disrupts my sleep.
“Pump Express” (Olimp) sat unopened at home for a long time. The first time I took it, I got a splitting headache. I know why, too. Firstly, I think the recommended serving of 70 grams is too much — 40–50 grams already works extremely well. Those 70 grams were clearly too much for my body. Secondly, I’d had a good strong coffee just before taking Pump Express. The combination of the two gave me a headache.
That’s a lesson for anyone who likes pre-workout supplements: you mustn’t drink extra coffee on top. A cup of strong coffee already contains 150–200 mg of caffeine. On average, one serving of a pre-workout supplement adds another 100 mg of caffeine, plus other stimulants. Together, that can deliver a real energy bomb that starts doing more harm than good — overstimulation, headaches and reduced performance. An Extreme Speed shot alone contains 200 mg of caffeine; add a cup of strong coffee and you’re getting 300–400 mg in total. I’ve managed that combination (strong coffee + 2 capsules of pure arginine + Extreme Speed during my workout) without a headache — but I certainly had trouble sleeping that night. And you may not always be that lucky.
The pump you get from Pump Express is certainly powerful — this supplement makes your arms look huge. Seriously, try it if you get the chance, even if you have to split the cost with a group of friends. The pump is particularly pronounced in the arms. I find this product helps me keep going throughout a good 60–75 minutes of training. If you can usually do the most in set 1, less in set 2 and even less in set 3, with Pump Express you’ll feel that even working set 3 isn’t as hard as usual. The pump from this product is so strong that it overshadows vascularity and vein definition — but that makes sense, because the pump is the primary effect here, with stimulation secondary. It also contains calories, so it’s not in my contest prep arsenal.
NO Preload, NOX Pump and the hidden layers of energy
“NO Preload” (Olimp) is a pre-workout supplement that definitely works, but I don’t feel such a powerful, immediate effect from it. It doesn’t cause tingling or sharply boost performance — instead, there’s a moderate, subtle but fairly long-lasting effect. So long-lasting, in fact, that it definitely disrupts my sleep that night. I’ve combined NO Preload with arginine: 2 capsules of arginine, 2–3 capsules of NO Preload and fast-absorbing creatine. That makes the effects more noticeable.
“NOX Pump” (Dorian Yates) is the ultimate pre-workout supplement — for me, the most effective I’ve ever tried. The pump wasn’t particularly strong, but this stuff really got me going. Unfortunately, it’s no longer available in Estonia, and rumor has it that the supplement may contain compounds that could spell trouble for an athlete if detected in a doping test.
“Amok” — I haven’t tried this one myself yet. If you try it, let me know whether it worked for you and what effects you felt.
Practical rules for boosting your energy before a workout
- The fact is, these supplements aren’t miracle workers. You still have to put in the work and effort when you train.
- There are clear differences between the effects of different pre-workout supplements — trying them will help you learn which product is suited to which purpose.
- When you take a pre-workout supplement, give it 30–45 minutes to be absorbed. Otherwise, that big energy boost will hit you in the shower afterward, rather than while you’re lifting weights.
- These supplements generally all disrupt sleep to some degree — at least for me. A lot depends on your metabolism and the time of day you train. For years now, my workouts have been between 17.00–18.00, and taking pre-workout supplements at that time often causes sleep problems. Everyone is different — you may not have the same experience.
- Don’t take these supplements before every light workout. The more often you use them, the more your body adapts and the weaker their effects become. I keep having to remind myself that I don’t need them for every single workout.
- Keep track of which supplements you take and combine throughout the day, and how much you use. If you’re planning to take a fat burner and a pre-workout supplement before training, then drink a cup of strong coffee as well, that’s too much. In the worst case, that means 500–700 mg of caffeine in one go, at which point it starts hindering your performance rather than helping it.
- If you’re planning to buy one of the supplements described above, my firm recommendation is “Workout Shock” or “Massacra”. You can rely on these supplements — they work almost every time.
FAQ: common questions about energy-boosting supplements
How long before a workout should you take a pre-workout supplement?
30–45 minutes is the typical window for powders (such as Workout Shock and Massacra). Shots such as Extreme Speed start working in just 10–15 minutes — you can even take them after your warm-up rather than before.
Do pre-workout supplements disrupt sleep?
Most do, especially if you train in the evening (for example, 17.00–18.00). The effects vary from person to person, but if you’re sensitive to caffeine, opt for a morning or early afternoon workout, or choose a supplement with a milder formula.
Can you drink coffee as well?
It’s best not to. A cup of strong coffee contains 150–200 mg of caffeine, and the average pre-workout supplement already contains 100 mg plus other stimulants. Combining them can bring the dose to 300–400 mg, and in extreme cases (fat burner + pre-workout supplement + coffee), even 500–700 mg — at that point, caffeine starts to hinder performance rather than help it.
Author: Janar Rückenberg
Source: Turg.Fitness.ee
Come train with us! ArtGym
