If you are reading any magazine which claims to teach you how to build muscle, you could be forgiven for groaning every time you turn the page to be met with an advert for a pre-workout supplement claiming to be the difference between success and failure in the gym. In today's article we are going to show you how effective, or ineffective, these products can actually be.
Just like any other business, it's all about money. The sales talk and marketing pitches are what make the supplement industry go around and that's why you will often see claims of ridiculous results with every new product on the market.
While the last three decades has seen countless improvements in our knowledge of fitness and nutrition, the basic rules of building a leaner, more powerful physique have remained largely untouched.
There is a big risk of getting lost when it comes to supplements. Every product claims to yield life changing results, or to be the best in it's class. This often leads most people down a path of trying every product and hoping for the best.
When you take a look at the actual job of a pre-workout supplement, some of that hype clears instantly.
A pre-workout supplement usually has one job and one job only. It is designed to help you get pumped up for your forthcoming workout. That's it, despite all of the big claims it might make on the packaging.
The hardest part, of course, is being able to tell which one is the best for you.
If you just go off the marketing claims and slogans you'll literally waste a ton of money trying every product on the market. The first thing you should check if you want any factual information is the nutritional information for the product in question.
Pre-workout supplements usually contain a big serving of N.O. boosters or caffeine, designed to ramp up your energy levels immediately before you hit the gym. The products often claim that they will increase your ability to experience muscular hypertrophy but in reality they do this indirectly. By increasing your energy, they are hoping you will be able to lift heavier weights or train with more intensity than usual, therefore increasing hypertrophy as a result. You're still doing the work, it is not a miracle pill.
One reason there is so much hype surrounding this type of supplement is that the market can become a little bit 'hit and miss' for most gym users. What works for one individual won't necessarily work for another, because you probably have your own tolerance level to most of the ingredients in them, like caffeine, through your daily diet. This is often why people switch between different products every month in a bid to find one which continuously works for them.
Our body adapts, of course, so you generally have to change pre-workout supplement every three months otherwise you will notice it has less impact each time you take it. Since the discovery of creatine monohydrate products in the late 1980's, the bodybuilding industry has been set on finding the next big breakthrough. Pre-workout supplements are not 100% necessary in order to get results. If you want to know how to build muscle, you can certainly do it without taking one of these before you hit the gym.
Just like any other business, it's all about money. The sales talk and marketing pitches are what make the supplement industry go around and that's why you will often see claims of ridiculous results with every new product on the market.
While the last three decades has seen countless improvements in our knowledge of fitness and nutrition, the basic rules of building a leaner, more powerful physique have remained largely untouched.
There is a big risk of getting lost when it comes to supplements. Every product claims to yield life changing results, or to be the best in it's class. This often leads most people down a path of trying every product and hoping for the best.
When you take a look at the actual job of a pre-workout supplement, some of that hype clears instantly.
A pre-workout supplement usually has one job and one job only. It is designed to help you get pumped up for your forthcoming workout. That's it, despite all of the big claims it might make on the packaging.
The hardest part, of course, is being able to tell which one is the best for you.
If you just go off the marketing claims and slogans you'll literally waste a ton of money trying every product on the market. The first thing you should check if you want any factual information is the nutritional information for the product in question.
Pre-workout supplements usually contain a big serving of N.O. boosters or caffeine, designed to ramp up your energy levels immediately before you hit the gym. The products often claim that they will increase your ability to experience muscular hypertrophy but in reality they do this indirectly. By increasing your energy, they are hoping you will be able to lift heavier weights or train with more intensity than usual, therefore increasing hypertrophy as a result. You're still doing the work, it is not a miracle pill.
One reason there is so much hype surrounding this type of supplement is that the market can become a little bit 'hit and miss' for most gym users. What works for one individual won't necessarily work for another, because you probably have your own tolerance level to most of the ingredients in them, like caffeine, through your daily diet. This is often why people switch between different products every month in a bid to find one which continuously works for them.
Our body adapts, of course, so you generally have to change pre-workout supplement every three months otherwise you will notice it has less impact each time you take it. Since the discovery of creatine monohydrate products in the late 1980's, the bodybuilding industry has been set on finding the next big breakthrough. Pre-workout supplements are not 100% necessary in order to get results. If you want to know how to build muscle, you can certainly do it without taking one of these before you hit the gym.
About the Author:
Coach: Russ Howe PTI is a popular fitness coach. Learn how to build muscle with our free video guide giving the 5 steps to a more muscular body and creatine.
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