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.
If muscle building magazines are to be believed, then it's hard to get any results in the gym unless you are packing the latest in pre-workout stimulants. Of course, this is more marketing hype than actual fact.
The basic principles of getting bigger have remained largely unchanged over the last twenty five years.
With pre-workout supplements costing an average of 30 for a month's supply, getting hooked on finding the next big thing can turn into a very expensive bad habit. It's a craze which has really taken off in the last two years in gyms around the world yet, despite the huge financial outlay involved, most people complain at a lack of physical results.
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.
The basic rule of marketing is that every company believes in their own product. As a result, every company is going to hype up their latest product by labeling it as the best in it's niche. As a consumer this can lead to confusion. The ingredients will tell you just how effective it actually is.
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 area where this particular niche of products are not so great is science. There isn't a whole lot of scientific data to back up the need for a fitness enthusiast to take this kind of supplement, with a lot of exercisers using them purely through personal choice.
While it is nice to boost your energy before any strenuous physical activity, there is a massive over-importance placed on the shoulders of pre-workout stimulants in today's society. If you desire to learn how to build muscle you can definitely succeed without spending your hard earned cash on a caffeine supplement, despite the big claims it might make to you.
If muscle building magazines are to be believed, then it's hard to get any results in the gym unless you are packing the latest in pre-workout stimulants. Of course, this is more marketing hype than actual fact.
The basic principles of getting bigger have remained largely unchanged over the last twenty five years.
With pre-workout supplements costing an average of 30 for a month's supply, getting hooked on finding the next big thing can turn into a very expensive bad habit. It's a craze which has really taken off in the last two years in gyms around the world yet, despite the huge financial outlay involved, most people complain at a lack of physical results.
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.
The basic rule of marketing is that every company believes in their own product. As a result, every company is going to hype up their latest product by labeling it as the best in it's niche. As a consumer this can lead to confusion. The ingredients will tell you just how effective it actually is.
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 area where this particular niche of products are not so great is science. There isn't a whole lot of scientific data to back up the need for a fitness enthusiast to take this kind of supplement, with a lot of exercisers using them purely through personal choice.
While it is nice to boost your energy before any strenuous physical activity, there is a massive over-importance placed on the shoulders of pre-workout stimulants in today's society. If you desire to learn how to build muscle you can definitely succeed without spending your hard earned cash on a caffeine supplement, despite the big claims it might make to you.
About the Author:
About the author: Russ Howe PTI is a trusted fitness coach. Learn how to build muscle with our new video guide giving the 5 steps to a more muscular body and creatine.
