The Only Time I Used A Pre-workout Supplement — My Experience
I am most likely never going to invest money in it again.
I am not a big fan of pre-workout supplements.
From the day I started my fitness journey, I always preferred taking coffee instead of investing my money in a supplement that had almost the same ingredients as coffee (at least from what I knew back then).
But at some point, when I was too fed up with the coffee, I decided to give it a go. To be honest, it was not only because I was bored but also because my body wanted it. It was the very first time I tried a pre-workout supplement and probably the last time I bought it (I may change my mind later).
Let me tell you the whole story from the beginning.
Reason to Start Taking Pre
I started taking pre-workout drinks when I was cutting. After trying powerlifting for more than 7 months and binging on nasty junk food for the whole time, I put on a lot of fat. So, I went on a cut.
My plan was to lose 8–10 kg of weight in a time frame of 7–8 months (about 1.2 kg per month). So, I jumped on a restricted diet and started burning off all the fried chicken and burgers I put inside my body for the last 7 months.
In the beginning, it went pretty well. I was losing weight, started to feel good again, and was motivated to continue with the plan. But as time went on and I neared the end of the cut, I started to feel low on energy.
While before, I was always motivated to work and train, due to a lack of food intake, all of that was declining.
I started to feel easily exhausted after 2–3 exercises per day. And it was maximum on leg days. On top of that, it was summer when I was cutting, and those who live in India know how unbearably hot it gets in the summer.
So, I was looking for ways or supplements to fuel me with my workouts, especially on leg days. That is when I came up with pre-workout drinks.
Even though I had never tried it before and heard of it as being very addictive, I was scared to try it.
But eventually, I decided to give it a go, at least for a month.
Effect and result
While searching on the internet, I read all the benefits, and I was really looking forward to starting to feel excited again for my workouts. And to be completely honest, it stood up to my expectations.
I was high in energy, I was lifting more weights, and overall I was back on track. The only thing I did not like was the itching that beta-alanine causes.
In terms of results, there was no day and night difference in the body, for obvious reasons. The only difference was how it made me feel throughout my workouts (that it’s an actual job).
My personal take on pre-workout supplements
There is some personal take that I feel I need to mention about pre. First, coffee can never replace pre-workout supplements. Those who say it can are simply making a fool of you. If you do not trust it, give it a try.
Second, pre is addictive. I mean, it's very addictive. Though my initial plan was to use it on leg days, I ended up using it every day. Even if I did not need pre, I was still craving it.
Last, do not take pre if you can’t handle beta-alanine. It was one of the reasons I stopped it. By the way, there are some pre-workouts that do not contain beta-alanine. But there is no point in buying them; rather, buy coffee.
Things you should keep in mind before using pre-workouts
Do not go for cheap options. For the sake of saving money, do not buy the cheapest product available on the market.
Think again: how does a company charging half the price for the same thing compare to other big companies?
In simple terms, do not sacrifice quality for something that you are putting inside the body.
And also, avoid it on an empty stomach.
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