TopJLax

Now i'm not someone who believes in the all encompassing power of gym supplements: I believe that a change in your diet, lifestyle or workout programme will likely have a better effect on your training and the hitting of goals you might set for yourself, but I also do not deny that there are times when supplementation in your diet can be practical and useful. Pre-Workout supplements fall into this category for me. The vast majority of them are a blend of Creatine, Caffeine and Beta-Alanine, all of which should be read up on before taking, but they are fairly simple and straightforward ingredients that I have found make a lot of difference to your training and attitude. In this post I will be reviewing a number of Pre-Workout supplements that I have personally tried and will attempt to give you as honest an appraisal of their effects as possible. 

BSN No Xplode - This is probably the best known and most highly advertised Pre-Workout supplement on the market, with endorsements from a number of UFC fighters. It was also the first pre-workout supplement I ever took. No Xplode is alright, the flavours are passable and the effect, when enough is taken, is to provide a decent level of pump and drive. It's not the best, it's not the worst, but it's not a bad start.


Out of 10: 6.5/10

Garnell Enrage - A supplement I stumbled over on Facebook of all places. It is very poor. Not only does it taste pretty bad, like a really bitter Twister Ice Cream, it failed to make me feel as if I had taken anything before a workout, regardless of dosage. I didn't feel any pump from it and it did not even remotely motivate me to push myself hard. It failed in all these aspects and was not even that cheap, at around £30 a tub.


Out of 10: 2/10

MyProtein Pulse - Pulse is a fairly delicious supplement, the berry flavour ticking all the boxes in the taste bud department, and one that I found quite appealing. It delivers a feeling that can only be described as shivers, warmth and itchyness, yet despite that sounding quite weird, I liked it. It is cheap, cheerful and, like much of what myprotein.co.uk sells, it does what you would expect with minimal frills. Not the most pumped I have ever felt, but I still got something out of it and for the price I would recommend it.


Out of 10: 7/10

MRI Black Powder - What a waste of money. I had read all over the internet rave reviews of this supplement, so I decided to bite the rather pricey bullet and buy a tub: Not only did it fail to live up expectations, although to be fair these were quite high, I ended up mixing it with a can of Monster Energy everytime because I could not feel the caffeine in it at all. Yes, I have a high tolerance to caffeine, but other pre-workout supplements work, so i'm not sure what was wrong with this one. The pump it delivered was fine, nothing special though, and for the price I was very disappointed.


Out of 10: 4/10

Gaspari Superpump 250 - Awesome. The first time I took this supplement I got into the gym and wanted to tear the place down. The session ended up taking about 3 hours, as I refused to put the weights down, and it consistently delivered these results, unlike other supplements the effects did not become normalised after a few helpings. However, one thing that you should all be aware of, before you rush to the shops (or search online like a normal human being) you should know that this particular supplement is colloquially referred to as 'Superdump' because of the effect it has on your stomach, which can lead you to need the toilet during your workout. I'd say it's worth it, but be warned, not for those of a weak gastric disposition. 


Out of 10: 9/10 - Would have been 10 without the stomach issues.

Now there are many more pre-workout supplements out there, just waiting to tried out, but I thought I would give you all a heads up of some of the ones I have tried. I do think that supplements affect people differently, so by no mean take my word to be law, but these were my particular musing on a few that I have taken.


If you're looking for a way to give your own workouts a boost, maybe consider giving a pre-workout supplement a go. 


If you have any reviews of your own, have tried any I haven't or would just like to argue with me, please sound off in the comment section below.