Pre-workout help?

[FailFoxAsh]

I know Nerdfitness isn't about supplements and powders but I was wondering if anyone could help me out with a pre-workout issue I'm having.

 

It doesn't work. 

 

I have two different types and neither get me "hyped" to workout, it's basically like drinking kool-aid before the gym. 

Coffee and energy drinks have the same non effect on me. People say they get jitters from coffee and then there's the whole "red bull gives you wings" but I'm not feeling it. 

 

Is there a reason my body isn't responding to these caffeinated products? I've tried stopping for 2 weeks then going back and nothing except I'll have a small stomach ache afterwards. 

 

* neither of my pre-workouts contain creatine

[Corey1]

Hey there FailFoxAsh, not sure where you are getting your advice or how long you have been training, however, all these things you are trying will not help one bit! Working out is not about searching for a particular "hype", it is most specifically about preparation and discipline. I too am new to this site, but I have been training/working-out for more than thirty years, and like "nerd fitness" strongly believe in sound science based & non-supplemented nutrition. Consistent whole food snacks to maintain blood glucose levels will assist greatly in giving you the energy to complete your routines. Be sure you allow yourself 1-2 hours between snack and workout (depending on snack size). It takes this long for digestion and absorption to take effect. Most often, when you look for pep/hype it only lasts a very short time, leaving you even flatter than before. Once you establish your preparation, workout and recovery patterns, your body will respond to the stimulation, and you will realize your training ambitions are best achieved by considered planning, and not any spontaneous quick-fix. There are no shortcuts! Good luck, and have fun with it.

[Eleanorsbee]

pre-workouts rely on Caffeine to give you that buzz.

 

However your body can become quite tolerant of caffeine especially if you already drink a heap load of Coffee/tea/coke etc. If you are used to caffine, you will have trouble getting a kick from a pre.

 

Likewise if you are taking it later in the day when you are already awake, alert and up for it, the effect will be minimum as well.

 

Now, me ? ... I work out fasted at 5am ..... consuming 400mg of caffine at 4:30am means I go from deep sleep to freaking psycho by the time I hit the gym ... then crash about 9 and feel like crap !

[Tanuki]

Can't you just workout without needing something to get you in the mood? If you're not in the mood, maybe it's the workout you need to change.

[FailFoxAsh]

Eleanorsbee - Though I'm not a big coffee drinker I do take most of my pre-workout well into the day when I've been awake for hours. 

 

Tanuki - You misunderstood me, I don't need something to get me in the "mood" to work out I wanted an extra energy boost to push myself further. I was under the impression that's why most people use pre workouts.

People tell me when they drink pre-workout it makes them bouncy and they have a rush. That does not happen to me and I wondered why not, it's not that I'm bored at the gym. 

[kriket]

Can't you just workout without needing something to get you in the mood? If you're not in the mood, maybe it's the workout you need to change.

 

bad rap music gets me in the gym mind!

 

I have heard people take spark and bcaa tea something. Those monster muscles are a favorite too. I have also heard of people doing EC/A stacks, I don't know how healthy that is for you. I wouldn't NOT want caffeine before a workout, I can't imagine the extra strain on your heart is good. 

[TMedina]

As noted before, the "buzz" comes from caffeine.  To that end, you could buy a bottle of 100 caffeine pills at 200mg per pill, for about $7 (give or take).  Which is a frigging sight cheaper than most pre-workout concoctions.

 

Do you consume a lot of caffeinated products during the day?  That would account for a higher than usual tolerance level.  It could also be that you just have a higher than usual tolerance to caffeine in general.  Also if you have a lot of mass, it might take more to get your system running.

 

I'll take a pill about half an hour before I hit the gym, particularly in the evening, and it usually does wonders to energize me - as to whether or not it helps me to push further, I don't know.  I can't say that I've ever felt the need to experiment methodically.

 

You might try taking your pre-workout at some point into your workout and see if the "kick" helps perk up your workout.

[blackwatch]

I usually just eat a good helping of some protein (usually cottage cheese) an hour or so before my workout, and at/after lunch I've started to up my carbs a bit to prep for me workout.