Things You Need to Know About Pre-Workout Supplements

Everybody wants to look great and these days, it means having not just a pretty or handsome face but also having a great body to match. Getting a great body, however, takes a lot of work and you must be prepared to put up with a lot of untold sacrifices and shed a lot of blood, sweat and tears to ultimately have a body that you can be proud of and one that will be the envy of all your friends.

In order to get a ripped physique, bodybuilders do not merely rely on their intense workouts or strict diet regimens. They also get a little help from their little friends known as supplements and since there are varied changes to the workouts and the pace they work at, bodybuilding supplements are also divided in three categories, each designed for a specific bodybuilding stage - the pre-workout, the intra-workout and post-workout supplements.

We will be concentrating, however, on the pre-workout supplements which set the tone for any workout. Pre-workout supplements first off, are designed to primarily improve performance, increase strength, increase endurance and decrease muscle breakdown during training. They are also responsible for increasing protein synthesis and metabolism, as well as improving energy, focus and nutrient delivery and assimilation.

Simply put, pre-workout supplements put you "in the zone," helping you sail through your workouts without feeling any pain. While pre-workout supplements will help you achieve any fitness goal you set for yourself, getting the best one will depend on what you really want to achieve. For example, if your goal is to increase your strength and power, then you need to get pre-workout supplements with creatine monohydrate and taurine. If your aim is muscle growth, then you need to get ones with BCAAs (branched chain amino acids), whey protein and high glycemic carbohydrates as these prevent muscle breakdown.

Of course, nobody wants to go through their workouts feeling lethargic so you'll also need to get pre-workout supplements that have caffeine and tyrosine to keep you feeling energized and focused on your training. And to be able to keep up your endurance during training, you need supplements with beta alanine and citrus mallate which reduces the sensation of fatigue and delay you from feeling too tired best pre workout.

In addition to knowing what key ingredients you need to look for in your pre-workout supplements, you also need to know some ground rules to maximize their benefits on your body. One such rule is to cycle your supplements to keep your body from adapting to them. Getting too used to your supplements makes your body immune to it and makes them less effective. A good cycle to follow is to use one particular brand for 6-8 weeks then go off it for 2-3 weeks.

Pre-workout supplements are also best taken on an empty stomach unless you're sensitive to caffeine, in which case you will need to take your supplement along with a light snack. Knowing this much about pre-workout supplements will help you understand their importance and how the best ones will set you off on a good training session and lets you end up more than satisfied and "pumped" until your next session. Choose wisely and you'll soon be looking and feeling better than you've ever had in your life.