There used to be a time where I was against pre workout drinks. I thought they were not needed and that surely anyone should be able to motivate themselves to get off the couch and go workout right?
Well, I still believe that you need to have the motivation and drive to workout, but pre workout drinks just simply work to help you power through your workout, get motivated to go to the gym in the first place, and help you achieve the maximum intensity during these workouts.
There are so many supplements on the market these days, it is hard to choose what to buy. I wrote an article a while back on the best pre workout for women, as well as my favorite pre workout C4. While these are great options for a beginner, it is hard to beat a supplement you can make in your own kitchen and know EXACTLY what is going to go in it.
So without keeping you waiting, let’s get into what is needed to make the perfect workout drink at home.
How To Make Your Own Pre-Workout Drink
Caffeine – Kick it into overdrive
Caffeine is one of the main ingredients of any drink mix you will buy at the store. Not only does it help wake you up just like coffee, but it also lowers the response to pain and delays fatigue of the muscles. Put these two things together, and you will be able to work out for a longer period of time without tiring out.
There is a reason that there are very few pre-gym drinks that do not contain caffeine. They do not give you the immediate jolt to get your day going.
When making your drink, be very careful how you measure. If you take in too much caffeine, you can become violently sick and it could be fatal.
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Please Note: Only use 100-400 mg per serving, no more! Adjust in this range for your tolerance.
Beta-Alanine, Tingly Goodness
You know that feeling when you take a pre workout drink and all of a sudden your skin starts tingling everywhere and you want nothing more than to MOVE yourself to the gym? This my friends, is the effect of Beta-Alanine.
I really love this stuff. Anytime I drink something before the gym, I try to get some of this in there. Not only does it feel awesome (if you do not like the feeling, simply make your drink without this), but studies that have been done have showed that this supplement helps give longer endurance during workouts and delayed muscle soreness.
I like to use about 3-4 grams per serving. Any more you may start to feeling it between your eyes which is no fun.
Click here for pure Beta-Alanine powder
Creatine
Many supplements are just downright scams. Creatine is probably one of the only ones that has been proven to show an improvement in both strength and increase muscle mass. Many studies have proven this so the debate of rather or not you should take creatine when you are lifting is almost a moot point. (hint: you should!).
Creatine is actually a naturally occurring amino acid that is found in lots of food we eat daily such as meat and fish. The human body even produces small amounts of creatine in the kidneys, liver and pancreas.
One of the main reasons that I chose to include is because it drastically reduces your recovery time, leaving you less sore and ready to hit the gym again.
Aim for around 4-5 grams per serving for each drink you make.
Click here to check out some creatine powder
Gatorade Powder – Make it taste great!
After you add all the ingredients above, you want to make sure you are not choking it down. Anything you do not like, you are probably less likely to stick with it.
I like to use gatorade powder to flavor my home made pre workout drinks. If you are cutting, make sure to get a diet version of this product, but if not, you can opt for the normal powder which does contain more carbs and calories.
There are so many different flavors to try, I would suggest purchasing a few and seeing what you like best. Check the container to see how much powder you should add to your drink.
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Add If Desired
Citrulline Malate
I have seen a few youtubers suggest that people make their drinks with some Citrulline Malate. This stuff, unlike other ingredients on this list, does not come cheap and I have not read many studies to suggest it is effective.
That being said, people swear that it helps ward off soreness and does improve your performance in the gym. If you are someone who feels like this, and has the money to spend, you can add it to your pre workout drink.
If you chose to use this, put in about 5-6 grams per serving.
Click here to see the price on Citrulline Malate
Wrapping It Up
The only two ingredients you really need from the above list are caffeine, and in my personal opinion, beta-alanine. That makes for a very bland drink but it does work. I love the tingles I get in the gym and it helps push on through the workout.
If you decide to purchase all the ingredients above, it will end up being much cheaper per serving than what you would get if you bought a pre-formulated drink.
Let me know what flavors and combinations you have all tried in the comments below!
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