Pre-workout

The best pre-workout supplement option is surprisingly the cheapest. And that is to make your own. Most of the pre-workout supplements out there are simply a waste of money. Here's why, you are pretty much paying for caffeine which is cheap as dirt. That's why I created this pre-workout recipe.

Most of the ingredients in supplements like NO-XPLODE and Jack3d simply aren't backed by science, meaning that dandelion extract or whatever is probably worthless and a waste of money. Ingredients in these supplements that do have scientific backing, like Creatine, L-Leucine (BCAA), and N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine are way under dosed and likely have little to no effect on your workout.

Making your own extremely effective pre-workout supplement is easy and cheap. I chose only the ingredients that have strong scientific evidence of effectiveness, and dosed them correctly.

Caffeine- Caffeine is probably the most common ingredient in pre-workouts. Caffeine improves mental alertness and causes that "buzz" you feel when you take pre-workout. This ingredient is usually over dosed. A good pre-workout dose is 100 mg per serving, though most pre-workouts contain close to 300 mg. Read more at WebMD.

BCAAs- Supplementing BCAAs before, during, and after rigorous exercise helps maintain muscle tissue. BCAAs are such a powerful supplement that bodybuilders often supplement over 20 grams of it a day. I recommend 5 grams before, 2.5 grams during, and 5 grams after your workout, along with further supplementation throughout the day. Most pre-workout supplements don't even contain a gram of BCAAs, if they contain any at all. Read more at Muscle & Strength.

Creatine Monohydrate- Creatine Monohydrate has been shown to aid in muscular strength, size, power, energy availability, and recovery. The common dosage is 3-5g. Creatine  is often cycled to maximize results. You can find more information at Muscle & Strength

With these ingredients you can make a powerful super effective pre-workout for as little as 36 cents a serving. Not only are you getting your supplement cheaper, you're supplement has approximately 5 times the muscle and strength building power than your standard pre-workout supplement (based on the BCAA dosage).

The most beautiful thing about building your own pre-workout is the customization. Are you cycling off of creatine? Do you want to restrict your caffeine intake? How about adding some new ingredients like Beta Phenylethylamine HCL that show promise? You have all the flexibility in the world.

One downfall is the taste. Try adding some citric acid to make the taste more neutral, then simply mix your pre-workout with your favorite sport's beverage or juice!

You are also going to want to buy a scale so that you can make your dosing's exact! If you are making your supplement by the serving you will want a scale accurate to the .001 gram. However if you are making it by the batch, a scale accurate to 0.1 grams should work.

**Remember to read all supplement labels completely and to consult with your doctor before starting any dietary supplement use.