The Pre-Workout Problem Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Supplements The Pre-Workout Problem The Single Most Abused Supplement by Christian Thibaudeau October 23, 2021April 22, 2022 Tags Nutrition & Supplements Pre-workout stimulants are the most poorly-used supplements in the world. I'm not against the occasional use of these products, like when you're testing your max or competing, but be smart about it. The problem? People use stimulants to be able to train when they have no business training. If you're too tired to train, the workout is going to be a waste because you have no drive and no energy. The smart thing to do? Take the day off, then figure out why you're too pooped to train. The likely causes: Not enough sleep Improper programming Not enough rest days Too much training stress Not enough food Once you figure out what the problem is, you can fix it. This will not only help you train hard again, but it'll keep things more effective in the future. But if you take stimulants to give you fake energy to train instead of finding out what the issue is, you're just digging a bigger hole. The stimulant doesn't fix the lack of recovery. It temporarily masks it. The stress from that workout adds to the residual fatigue, making it even harder to recover in time for your next session. It can become a vicious cycle. Also, stimulants themselves can contribute to systemic fatigue by over-stimulating the beta-adrenergic receptors, which can make them resistant to your own adrenaline. When that happens, your strength, power, endurance, and drive go down the drain. Use stimulants wisely. more money to spend, but you have to pay it back with interest. Never let stimulants become a crutch for poor programming or nutrition. A Better Pre-Workout for Frequent Use Keep the pre-workout stimulant use to a minimal and instead look to nootropics like caffeine-free Brain Candy and Power Drive. Nootropics don't get you hyper; they get you more focused, more motivated, and in a better mood. This helps with performance, but it doesn't mask fatigue as stimulants do. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Supplements Tip Dopamine Serotonin and Toughness To be at your best, you need to understand the neurological components of performing under pressure. Calm Down & Sleep, Motivation, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips Christian Thibaudeau March 29 Supplements Tip Turning Off the Cancer Switch An old drug and a new supplement can help to activate AMPK, which may cause cancer cells to starve themselves. Info here. C3G, Nutrition & Supplements, Plazma, Super Health, Tips TC Luoma June 5 Eating Tip 5 Facts About Fat You MUST Remember Don't forget the importance of fat. Here's what kind, and how much you need (minimum) for testosterone production. Losing Fat, Nutrition & Supplements, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Testosterone Optimization, Tips Michael Warren August 15 Supplements The Jungle Gym and Malaria Craig Weller seems to have figured out the answer to two of the problems he faces almost every time he's deployed to some 3rd world country: how to keep working out and how to avoid malaria. Curcumin, Nutrition & Supplements, Super Health TC Luoma March 10