Pre-Workouts that work.

TR0berts

For my Sunday AM bench session? Coffee.

For my mid-week squat/dead/ohp sessions? Breakfast, lunch, maybe a snack, and some sort of caffeine.

I also supplement with creatine daily in the AM.

not_a_runner

Peanut butter English muffin about 30 minutes before, usually some caffeine earlier in the day via Monster.
A lot of times when I'm using a preworkout I get too amped up and do wayyy too much.

_incogNEATo_

Sour Patch Kids and a Zero Ultra Monster

NorthCascades

allanrjudge wrote: »

Sorry if I sound like a complete novice, it's because I am.

Start slow and easy, and work your way into it.

ndj1979

OP - if you are not motivated to make changes then a pre-workout is not really going to do you any good.

nossmf

A caffeine pill and 6oz of water are all that come between me waking up and hitting the gym. I used to use a couple different pre-workouts, but never felt a "rush of energy" from either of them. Sure they made my treadmill runs feel easier, but how much of that was placebo I'm not sure. I did the same run for the same speed/duration with and without the pre-workout, so there was no performance boost. After a while I just stopped taking them to save on the expense.

MelanieCN77

I try to time a small meal an hour or so before and have a green tea. That will carry me through whatever as long as I don't leave it too long.

chemtrailz

i drink coffee and a banana or granola bars

Leadfoot_Lewis

If you're just looking for something to give you an energy boost, try Amino Energy.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/essential-amino-energy.html

It's my go-to pre workout when I workout early AM. I much prefer green tea for my Caffeine as Caffeine Anhydrous (which is in most pre workouts) just doesn't agree with me. That said, you may like it as it's more potent. Honestly, you'll probably end up buying different pre workouts before you find one that works for you.

cgvet37

Fruit works wonders for me. I eat a cup of fruit a couple of hours before my workout. Then another snack an hour later. Then I'm ready to hit the gym. I find eating small meals/snacks throughout the day keeps my energy level up. Try to fix it with your diet, instead of relying on stimulants.

serapel

I eat a nutbar covered in chocolate

VKetoV

Good old coffee

If you are into supplements, the non-stimulant based formulas have come a long way in the past 10 years or so. They've got to be adequately dosed though...i.e 8-12 grams Citrulline maleate, 3-4g Beta Alanine, ~3g Creatine monohydrate (these 3 ingredients have the most merit amongst the thousands of useless ones). They will also contain some form of a hyperosmotic or hydrating element for a "pump" feel (i.e. glycerol monostearate, taurine, etc.).

I personally hate stimulant based formulas for lifting but use them for cardio

aprilricks86

It just depends on what you like and what works for you.

If you want a really strong pre-workout with pretty good flavor, try RSP nutrition's Dyno pre-workout. I can't take that anymore because it's too strong for me. I almost threw up during my workout the first time I took a full scoop. . .

My personal favorite is cobra labs the curse. I love the watermelon and blue raspberry flavors, they are so tasty. It gives a nice, steady stream of long-lasting energy in my experience.

You can also just drink a strong coffee or take a caffeine pill and save some $$. It just depends on what you like and how much you're willing to spend.

7bull

I've always put in my workout first thing, and have never enjoyed the feeling of doing so with anything more than water on my gut. Have you thought about simple energy work to give you a little stimulation? I enjoy qigong and tai-chi. My routine is pretty regimented, I got up, put on a pot of coffee, fill up my water bottle, about 30 minds of cardio, stretch, qigong, tai-chi, then put in my workout for the day. The coffee is kinda my reward at the end.