I started taking pre workout supplements for women after a job change. The only time I could make it to the gym was 5:30am. I’m not a morning person! It was hard to find energy to work out to my full capacity.
For real gains, you’ve got to train hard! Pre workouts helped me do that.
Despite how popular they are, not every woman should take pre supplements. And if you do decide to give yourself that extra boost, you need to make sure you are taking it correctly. To get the best results, make sure you know these 5 facts about pre workouts for women first.
1. Start with Basics First
Pre workouts are called a supplement because it they aren’t supposed to substitute healthy diet and lifestyle habits. Before you even start thinking about supplements, does these basics first:
- Get adequate sleep
- Stay hydrated
- Stretch before workouts
- Do both cardio and strength
- Eat food with nutritional value, especially green veggies
- Get enough sunlight
2. Know Your Tolerance to Caffeine
Almost all pre workout supplements contain caffeine as one of their active ingredients. Caffeine is a proven workout booster and helps burn fat.
Be warned that there can be a lot of caffeine in those pre workouts. For example, one of the best pre workout supplements for women, ENEG SHRD, has 260mg of caffeine.
By comparison, a Starbucks espresso has 150mg of caffeine. Instant coffee has upwards of 80mg.
If you aren’t used to consuming lots of caffeine, you might get some unwanted symptoms of caffeine overdose:
- Feeling jittery
- Frequent trips to the bathroom
- Nausea
- Rapid heartbeat
- Sweating
- Insomnia
To prevent side effects, choose a pre workout with a caffeine amount matching your tolerance level. If you drink one cup of coffee per day, then a pre workout in the range of 80-160mg is probably safe.
Don’t take your pre workout supplement with other caffeine products, such as coffee or tea. You’ll get a massive dose and probably end up jittery.
Always start slowly. Take a quarter or half dosage and see how you feel. Gradually increase to the full dosage.
Note: When choosing a pre workout supplement, look beyond the caffeine. If the supplement doesn’t contain ingredients like BCAAs, Beta alanine, B vitamins, and superfoods, then you are basically taking an expensive caffeine pill.
3. Cycle Your Supplements
The stimulants in pre workouts can be addictive. Eventually, your body will build up a tolerance and you’ll have to take more to get the same effects.
Before this happens, take a break from your supplements for at least 3-4 weeks. Use some whey protein and possibly creatine in its place.
Remember, pre workouts are for a boost only.
They should be used to give you a bit extra of an edge in the gym — but not that you rely upon them so much that you can’t workout with your pre workouts.
4. Only Take Pre Workouts before Exercising
As far back as 2003 the people of Wall Street talked about pre workouts as an office supplement. Yes, pre workouts will give you energy – but that energy MUST be used for exercising.
Consider sitting still in a meeting after you’ve just had a dose meant for marathoners. You’d be jittery, sweating, talking too fast, and on edge.
While some people will still swear by pre workouts for studying and deadlines, it’s not worth a popped blog vessel!
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with your pre workout supplements. For example, Ask Men talks praise for what pre workouts can do for a man’s performance. Well, it isn’t just men who can benefit. Talk a small dose of your pre workout about 15-30 minutes beforehand and you’ll be a tigress in the bedroom. Just be warned you might not be able to get to sleep because of the caffeine!
5. Use Pre Workouts for Strength, Not Weight Loss
A lot of women take pre workouts to help them lose more weight while doing cardio. Sure, those supplements will help you run for twice as long without getting fatigued, but they aren’t great in the long run for weight loss.
Taking too many stimulants will mess up your metabolism. When you cycle off the supplements, you risk gaining lost weight back quickly – and weight cycling is dangerous to your health.
Instead, use pre workout supplements in combination with strength training. The research consistently shows that weight training beats cardio for fat loss.
Building strength improves your muscle-to-fat ratio, which is important for how your body utilizes energy. Extra muscle will also slightly increase your resting metabolic rate, which means you burn more calories throughout the day.
To get the best gains from pre workout supplements, look for one that contains BCAAs.
The Bottom Line?
Women already have a lot on their plate even without squeezing a workout in. If you are serious about working out hard and want an extra boost, then try a pre workout supplement formulated for women. Look for one with caffeine levels you can tolerate and take a break from them before you build up tolerance.
Tags: Conditioning, energy, exercise, fitness, fitness supplements, nutrients, nutrition, pre-workout, Sports, supplement, woman, women
