The simple answer is NO❗️
I've been an athletic person pretty much my entire life. I played sports such as soccer, basketball, and baseball throughout most of my childhood. Then add in all of the other physical activities I participated in like swimming, playing outside, and endless other things. I don't remember ever struggling to find the energy to do these things in my younger years.
I turn thirty in October and I have to admit that being active isn't as easy for me as it once was. I've been hitting the gym consistently again for the last five months and it has had me feeling great. I go about five times a week and have felt a major difference now that I've given my body some time to adjust to this new, yet familiar habit.
In the past, I have never been a big fan of using supplements like pre-workout blends. I have tried a few different brands when friends have let me sample their supply. I even had a period where I was taking straight beta-alanine and niacin before going to the gym. I can't say that I didn't feel effects from these things, but never did I feel like it was essential to completing my workouts and actually pushing towards growth.
Now I am no expert on these types of things, but I can certainly understand the cues that my body gives me. I know when I like the way something makes me feel and I can decipher when something doesn't live up to the hype. To me, pre-workouts can give you a certain tingly feeling, but it is not something that I need for my workouts.
I recently tried two different types of pre-workout blends. I wouldn't have thought to do this, but my girlfriend purchased one for herself and I tried it. A week or so later, I found myself next to a GNC and decided to go inside and buy my own pre-workout. I basically just wanted to find something stronger than hers and see if it propelled me to new levels.
I mentioned already that I've used pre-workouts before, but it had been years. So I figured that I may as well give it another shot and see if things were different this time around.
Now let's take a closer look at each pre-workout.
Alani Nu Pre-Workout - Galaxy Lemonade
The product design looks so cool on this one, but it kind of has to be in order to succeed in this competitive market. This is the pre-workout that my girlfriend purchased for herself. It cost around $40 and claims to offer energy, endurance, and a pump. The funny thing is, my body can provide me all three of those exact same things without spending the $40.
I don't care at all about the flavor of these things, but some people really do. This one tasted fine, but don't expect the best flavor ever. I think people treat this stuff like it is their Kool-Aid mix and not a fitness supplement. I always just take an entire scoop and dump it into my mouth with a big gulp of water. I hate the feeling of a water belly while at the gym, so the idea of drinking an entire bottle of water with this stuff is out of the question for me.
Ingest this about 15-20 minutes before getting to the gym and it should kick in right as you get there. What I mean by kick-in is that you may feel a tingling feeling thanks to the beta-alanine. I'm sure science says the other ingredients do plenty of other things, but I really don't notice much else.
I'm able to stay locked in mentally with very little issue, but I know not everyone knows how to do that. Perhaps this pre-workout would help somebody who struggles to get in the zone. I personally wouldn't recommend it unless you are desperate for an invisible reason to make yourself go to the gym. I will add that if you take this and just sit on the couch, you will probably feel the need to work it out of your system.
In case you were curious, here is what is inside:
Redcon1 Total War Pre-Workout - Cali Splash
Next up is the pre-workout that I purchased for myself. It also costs about $40, but this one was a little bit larger than the Alani. The serving sizes are bigger, there is more beta-alanine and caffeine, plus some other differences in the ingredients.
The product design again is pretty cool looking. The flavor though is not so good. This stuff is sour and I can't even do my normal dump the whole scoop in my mouth method because of that. I have actually been having to mix this with half a glass of water just so I can bear the unpleasant taste. I would have much rathered this to have just been flavorless, but GNC didn't have much to choose from.
I can feel the tingling effects from this one a bit more, which I actually like. Some people hate this feeling or mistake it for being allergic or buying a bad product. You must understand that this is something that is supposed to happen and some people get addicted to this odd sensation.
Although this one seems more effective than the other, I still wouldn't recommend it. I guess I'm really just not much of a fan of pre-workouts, but certainly not ones that taste like this one.
Also, keep in mind that both products have a high amount of caffeine. Take a look:
Don't waste your money
I will keep using my pre-workout until my supply is depleted to zero, but I will not be purchasing more after that. A monthly supply of this is more expensive than my gym membership. Pre-workout seems like an unneeded cost to me. I have amazing workouts just going in with some headphones on and getting to it.
Then again, I've trained myself to push to my limits since I was very young. I try to imagine what it might be like to start going to the gym for the first time later in your adult life. Everyone has different bodies and needs, maybe a pre-workout would be hugely beneficial to somebody like that.
It really comes down to personal preference. If you try a pre-workout and notice a huge difference, keep using it. I would say that using it 100% of the time probably isn't a great idea, but you should be able to sort out what your body wants and needs.
I mainly just want to make sure people know that pre-workouts aren't some magical supplement that will turn you into an unstoppable beast. The only way to be a monster like that is to find that killer instinct that lies within you. Powdery madness that is pre-workout isn't going to be the skeleton key.
My NFTs: @daltono/nfts
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