Pre workout or coffee???!?!?

yazzi420

I preferably like to do weight training and just 2 days of cardio but im always feeling tired even with lots of water small meals and 7 to 8 hrs of sleep i try to get the safest lowest cal energy but ughhhh its hard i like coffee black (no cream or sugar) and if i use pre its either c4 or stimulate not sure if any one has better options pr advise pls help

Spliner1969

I've done both. I am currently using C4, and before that was using Pre-Workout Explosion by Muscletech. I don't personally think there's anything wrong with pre-workouts, and they have some ingredients that can also be a bonus. However, you will build up an immunity to them over time, so you'll need to take a break from them from time to time. For instance I just came off a break for about 5 weeks during which time I simply drank a couple cups of coffee before working out. I did miss the pre-workout though, many of them have beta-allanine in them which gives you sort of a tingle in your skin, and for me that's a push to get up and work out, so it's like I drink the pre-workout and then am committed to the workout so I get it done. There have been days with just coffee I didn't get the same jolt of energy and skipped the workout or wasn't able to go as long or as intense as I normally would.

Both C4 and Pre-Workout Explosion from Muscletech can be found at any Wal-Mart or Sam's club so it's cheap and readily available. Before you take a full scoop though, try a half scoop.. and work your way up. Some people take the maximum dose day 1 and regret it because it'll make them jittery. If they make you tingle, that's normal, and as soon as you start to work your muscles it goes away and turns into energy, at least it does for me.

yazzi420

@Spliner1969 thannnnk you i appreciate the insight i may need a break from coffee because it just is not cutting it for me no more im thinking of going back to pre but like you mention smll moderations first thank you

peaceout_aly

Personally, I'm not a fan of C4. I get the jitters and it makes me feel sick more than anything. I eat a protein bar pre-workout and drink coffee immediately after. Nothing wrong with switching it up and drink coffee as a pre-work out though!

Spliner1969

For me C4 seems weaker than the Pre-Workout Explosion I was using before. It's just something new to try. I may go back, but I like the flavor of the C4 better. Hasn't made me sick or jittery yet, but I start my workout with a ton of cardio so I may simply not notice it or I work through it.

yazzi420

@peaceout_aly i do love my coffee but i almost feel like it does nothing for me i can see what you mean with the c4 because i hve had that probem occasionally but i havent dabbled with c4 for about 2yrs so im not sure what to expect

Danny_Boy13

You want some crazy energy try some of this: https://insanelabz.com/shop/psychotic/

I will warn you though... do not be surprised if you take this at 5pm, workout and stay awake until 2 or 3am. Happened to me the first couple of time but I am used to it now not keeping me up all night.

MeanderingMammal

yazzi420 wrote: »

im always feeling tired p

What's your net calorie intake? You don't have anything logged in your diary but if you're always tired that would suggest that your deficit is a bit too deep.

You shouldn't need a pre-workout, particularly as many of them are just caffeine anyway

Chieflrg

Coffee, I don't find the need to spend extra money for nothing extra.

yazzi420

@Danny_Boy13 thank you i will look into that i work at a gym at 5am so the latest i would take it is 11am so good warning


And @MeanderingMammal i fell off frm the app for a while so todays log is pretty accurate as to how many cals i inrake around 2 to 3 thousand i eat atleast 3 "big meals " breakfast lunch dinner and 3 small meals in btwn and i drink alot of green tea and water

yazzi420

@Chieflrg but do you take breaks from coffee to still feel the effect or do u add sugar

erikfarrar

IMO there's generally not a lot of science behind pre-workout supplements. (Maybe in certain cases for individual components, but not as a whole mixture.) They're generally a mixture of a LOT of caffeine, some vitamins (particularly B-vitamins -- the niacin which gives you the tingles), and sometimes some amino acids. Maybe some creatine, if you're lucky. But since supplements aren't regulated, it's hard to know what other stuff is in there.

You're probably better off (your wallet, anyway) by just getting the individual components that "work" and avoid the price tag and fillers:

• Stick with your coffee if you like it, but add in a caffeine supplement (can be found in pills or powders) if it's not enough or if the coffee upsets your stomach
• Find a good creatine supplement -- creatine actually has some decent science behind it if you're looking for explosive muscle performance and recovery
• Throw some BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) into your water that you bring with you to work out -- flavored BCAAs can help with muscle recovery (and arginine is the one that supplies the "NO" in NO-Xplod and similar supplements) and will encourage you to drink more and stay hydrated
• B-vitamins (like the niacin/B3 mentioned above) are dirt cheap, but if your diet is good, you probably don't need them
• Note: your muscle cells really like L-glutamine, another amino acid, so getting enough protein containing glutamine (or supplementing) may also be beneficial, depending on how hardcore your workouts are

This allows you to toy with the dosages components to suit what feels best for you. And you'll probably save money, on a per-scoop basis. Again, remember that the caffeine is really the big hitter in all of these pre-workouts. Just be careful, because it can mess with your sleep, and a lot of growth and repair hormones are released when you're sleeping.

WatchJoshLift

Like @Chieflrg said, coffee is much cheaper than a pre-workout. I would say try both and do what works best for you.

MeanderingMammal

yazzi420 wrote: »

And @MeanderingMammal i fell off frm the app for a while so todays log is pretty accurate as to how many cals i inrake around 2 to 3 thousand i eat atleast 3 "big meals " breakfast lunch dinner and 3 small meals in btwn and i drink alot of green tea and water

So based on your reported location it should be about 1700 for you at the moment. Your log suggests a total of 960 calories, with your breakfast and lunch combined being about 500 of those. Your log also doesn't yet account for any training calories burned off.

Clearly this is just one day, but if it's typical I'd suggest that you may want to consider just eating more.

Packerjohn

Find and fix the reason(s) for lack of energy instead of using a pre-workout or extra caffeine.

Best of luck.

myheartsabattleground

canadianlbs

me, i'm voting for coffee. because only coffee tastes like coffee.

everything else is irrelevant.

H_Ock12

Vitamin B12 and caffeine pills would be my suggestion. The caffeine pills I use are 200mg each and around $3 for a bottle of 60.

yazzi420

@erikfarrar thank ypu soo much for the info !! Ive been meaning to do my research of bcaa because that does give me a little bit of energy as well thank you so much will def follow ur advice
@Run_Fit coffee is cheaper and dear to my heart ❤❤

yazzi420

@MeanderingMammal eat more def can do now question is mpre carbs pr protein?

yazzi420

@Packerjohn good point i may be over sleeping and putting my energy in the wrong things

yazzi420

@myheartsabattleground

yazzi420

@canadianlbs truuie coffee is coffee and its freakin deliciousness

yazzi420

@MotherOfSharpei ahhhhh did not have a fun experience on caffeine pill but they may not have been the best ones however b12 sounds like an excellent additive supplement i def need thanks

Packerjohn

myheartsabattleground wrote: »

Because too much caffeine can *kitten* you up.

pondee629

My experience has been that the best, and only needed, "pre-workout" is a good robust warm-up.

A self inflicted kick to the rump to get the warm-up started, warm-up and I'm good to go. Why would someone need anything else?

TR0berts

When do you exercise - morning, or night? Or noonish, for that matter?

Some people find that exercising in the morning is good, so that they have energy before using it on work/school/whatever's going on during the day. Others find that they just don't have that much energy first thing in the morning.

Another way of looking at that:

Some people find that exercising in the late afternoon (after work/school/whatever), having had breakfast and lunch is when they have the most energy, while others find that they're fatigued later in the day.



The point is: have you tried exercising at a different time? It might just be that simple. Of course, it might not, but it's probably worth a try.

deputy_randolph

Coffee and b'fast for me. I've never taken a pre-workout.

I've been feeling sluggish lately...I'd missed 3+ straight days of my vitamin d supplement; started taking it again and have improved. You might want to have that checked.

NoMeatAthlete66

I get up at 4am, have two cups of oatmeal and an one espresso. I'm back at the gym after work and that's when I could use a pre workout. I tried C4 but I prefer to stay away from that stuff. Good luck!