pre workout supplements????

ephedra!!!

I'd like to know this too - I don't get leg pains but it would be good to know what to take, even food and drink wise prior to a workout in order to optimise it

I take extra vitamin C and drink coconut water. Vit C and potassium can counteract lactic acid, I hear. Seems to work

http://www.life123.com/health/fitness/strength-training/lactic-acid-build-up-in-muscle.shtml (for reference)

And to the ephedra comment: I've seen some terrible advice barfed out in these forums and taken for truth. If it's a joke, be careful where you joke. If it's not, then the terrible advice scale has just been turned to 11.

What is coconut water/where would I likely find it? I hear people talking about it a lot but I'm not sure what I'm looking for in the shops!

I normally find it near the dairy section (sometimes at the end of the aisle) or in the produce section if they have a cooler. It's decent tasting, has more potassium than a banana and also hydrates as a lil extra bonus

My favorite is Naked (brand)

Ephedra use as been linked to high blood pressure, irregular heart beat, insomnia, nervousness, tremors, headaches, seizures, heart attack, strokes and death. It's been banned by the US FDA, IOC, WADA, US NFL and NBA.

Simply not worth the risk.

It's your funeral.

Creatine aids in allowing your body to send supplies to your muscles. It also gives somewhat a natural boost in overall performance.

ephedra!!!

This. Or crack...your choice!!

Creatine aids water absorption for muscles, making them firmer and larger, it is not a pro hormone. I'd recommend it if you are looking to add muscle definition. Micronised Creapure is what I take as its the purest form of Creatine and the easiest to absorb by the gut, other forms can cause bloating. Best taken in cycles, so a loading phase, maintenance phase and a recovery phase. So many different recommendations for how long and how much you should take for each phase with no definitive answer, try out the different methods and see what works for you. Personally I have a one week loading phase of 5g a time, maintenance phase of two weeks and 2.5g, and the recovery phase I take nothing for a week. This matches up to my normal four week cycles on my P90x/Insanity Hybrid.

Pre workout supplements like N.O. xplode are based around stimulants with the differentiator between products being added to enhance the benefits. Personally I find pre workout stimulants counter-productive as it raises my heart rate and I train by heart rate so I end up not pushing as hard as I should. I prefer something like SciVation Xtend that has all the good stuff from N.O. xplode but no stimulant. Glutamine and Citrulline Malate are the two most important bits if you are looking to feed and growth your muscles.

Proper fuelling for workouts start after your last workout. You need to be taking on some simple carbs (I like bananas for this purpose but there are better options) and some protein (I like Nutrisport 90+) with some creatine. A couple of hours before your next workout make sure you get some carbs and more protein, it is important to give your body time to digest it. Just before the workout drink half of a beaker of something like Xtend and sup the rest during the workout. Add in some decent multi vitamins (not the cheap one tablet a day jobs) and you should find that you have more energy for your workout. More supplements that this give diminishing returns for the investment in them and only really benefit if you are training at a very high level, most are aimed at bodybuilding.

However, having said all that if you are only feeling a burning or cramping in your muscles during the initial workout I suspect this isn't the issue. It is more likely you need a longer, gentler warm up followed by a concentrated stretching on those troubled areas. Do you have regular, dedicated, Yoga or Stretch days? It could be that your Hams or Achilles are just tight, only way round that is regular stretch/yoga days.