Caffeine vs Pre workout supplements

[NxtGenAesthetic]

How would Caffeine tabs compare against traditional PWO supps with 1,3 creatine beta alanine etc.

Caffeine is said to be safe up to 600 mgs

also banned in the olympics in certain amounts probably because its so effective


im sure 600 mgs would be more effective than a scoop or 2 of a PWO

[Willbbmma]

caffeine is great for pre workout. I also think they took it off the list of banned substances for the olympics

[TimMason91]

Definitely a good/cheap route.

But I like stimmed pwo's more than straight caffeine, because.. well check my signature for my DS Craze (PWO) review..

[Icicle]

I always drink coffee before my workouts instead of PWO waste of money ****. But 600mg of caffeine tablets is TOO much. First see what your body can handle...

[TimMason91]

I always drink coffee before my workouts instead of PWO waste of money ****. But 600mg of caffeine tablets is TOO much. First see what your body can handle...

Indeed this, don't just pop three 200mg pills your first time, take one, if it's not enough take 2.

Cycle off all stims for at least 1-2 weeks before taking them.

[Big.Jazayrli]

it really depends on the preworkout

far too broad of a question to have a single answer

[NxtGenAesthetic]

Tried it today worked great took 200mgs 15 mins before my workout.

even though i slept 4 hours the night before I broke a PR on bent over rows

[reverse79]

Caffeine and 1,3 are stims

Creatine and beta alanine are for endurance/strength/cellular benefits(in very modest amounts)

I prefer a pwo for the inclusion of those mentioned and tyrosine...as they hit me harder on an empty stomach

[justfive]

How would Caffeine tabs compare against traditional PWO supps with 1,3 creatine beta alanine etc.

Caffeine is said to be safe up to 600 mgs

also banned in the olympics in certain amounts probably because its so effective


im sure 600 mgs would be more effective than a scoop or 2 of a PWO

lol

[iabs]

I drink 2 cups of coffee pre-workout and it works for me.

I stopped buying any supplements about a year ago and made better gains relying on food than ever before.

[E-Tank]

Ive been taking just caffiene pills the past 2 years

at 4$ for 100, 200mg pills it cant be beat

[ChrisG12]

Only if they're sci-fit pills.

[ChristmasFnatic]

Some PWO supps are good(I can testify on Animal Rage, and Universal Shock Therapy)... iForce Maximize Intense is on the way to my house in the Philippines.

Caffeine pills are good but just gives energy. Doesnt really give that crazy mindset, and pumps as a PWO supps would.

I do take both. PWO supps at the gym; caffeine pills on cardio and Jiu Jitsu days.

[CanardLaque]

Only if they're sci-fit pills.

aware, i bought 3 bottles back then, wish I had saved my money lol.

[BenerakisFit]

Caffeine is an individual stimulant. A preworkout contains that and some. I prefer a preworkout to just caffeine because they contain more useful products as well

[gashcader]

600mg in one dose?? thats like 7 or 8 cans of pepsi. stick to the 200mg pills at most.

[mer-der-ah]

when i want to go the cheap route, i just take 8-12mg of ephedrine. it's cheaper than caffeine. as long as it's not leg day or not doing any deadlifts/squats (those lifts jack up your heart as is), it goes smoothly.

[Dead Cell]

Caffeine works and it is also cheap.

[Jarchibald18]

Pre-workouts contain a "proprietary blend" of things they add to help with pump and focus. I would imagine it would be a little healthier than just straight popping caffeine tabs as well.

[Khwaj]

I always drink coffee before my workouts instead of PWO waste of money ****. But 600mg of caffeine tablets is TOO much. First see what your body can handle...

how much does coffee cost for you? O.o

over here if i was to buy coffee, it would cost like 3+ dollars for a cuppacino (i hate short/long black)
my pre workout is 60c a scoop, so ends up 1.20 everytime i go to the gym vs 3+ bucks for a coffee

[D3Baseball]

I'll put SAN Fierce up against a solo caffeine tab any day. What's in Fierce that makes it better than straight caffeine, you ask?

-creatine nitrate. Nitrates are the far and away most clinically proven ergogenic aid out there. You may have heard about how great this or that thing "feels" -- creatine nitrate is proven to do the things that it feels like it's doing: pumps, endurance, strength.

-full daily dose of creatine. If you plan to use Fierce 4 or more times per week (and who wouldn't?) you can throw your other creatine supplements out the window.

-responsibly dosed, yet effective energy and focus blend. proven safe ingredients give you that boost you need, but no cracked out feeling...you won't be confusing Fierce for a street drug.

-a host of other endurance ingredients: b-alanine, l-aspartic acid, malic acid and more!

-fully dosed at 1 scoop. You won't gain tolerance over time and you may even find that effects increase with time. This makes it an amazing value...one of the best and certainly well-rounded preworkouts on the market and it is all there in 1 scoop. Even more, Fierce is buy 2 get 1 free in the bodybuilding.com store right now. That is 150 workouts for ~$63 with the coupon code.

If you don't believe me, check the reviews (bro ):
Reviews:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=139377063
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=139127393
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=138483363
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=138846323
or feel free to search for your own.

You know what to do.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/san/fierce.html

[KarmicEffects]

Watch out if you are going the caffeine pills route too (I loved jack3d but started taking them and happy I switched cause the cash wasn't worth it...would rather buy some good food, BCAA, etc.) because it's a quick dosage. People compare it to "cup of coffee" amounts but you gotta remember that it's effectively drinking "? amounts of coffee" in 2 seconds...600mg is A LOT...don't think anyone should be going over 400mg in 2 seconds. If you do, might be bordering on a dependency, whether it's from actually coffee in mornings, soda, whatever. But if I had to get a pre-workout like I said, I could find 10+ things I'd buy before it to help progress...except maybe going on an EC stack when get below 10%.

[Socalchoirboy]

Creatine and beta alanine progressively improve energy and endurance over the period you are taking them

Caffeine eventually builds tolerance; would rather take creatine and beta alanine (which I do)

[Icicle]

how much does coffee cost for you? O.o

over here if i was to buy coffee, it would cost like 3+ dollars for a cuppacino (i hate short/long black)
my pre workout is 60c a scoop, so ends up 1.20 everytime i go to the gym vs 3+ bucks for a coffee

Damn, where the hell do you live? I make my own coffee. I carry it in a insulated container. It probably ends up being literally a few cents per serving.

If I'm pressed for time and didn't have time to make coffee, I can buy it at the deli for $1

[robsuttonjr]

I just buy all of the standard ingredients minus the stimulant in bulk. So much cheaper. This lets you mix and match depending on what you are doing. Preworkout I just avoid fat and use waxy maize, trehelose, carbogen complex with whey, egg and beef isolates. I only use this pre/during/post workout. I avoid liquids and prefer whole foods all other times. Stimulants just mess your head up. Solid clean allergy free balanced meals spaced out through the day and night is the most important. If you HAVE to have stimulants, something is wrong. You may be too acidic therefore lethargic. Even if you are lethargic from acidosis a good warm up will push you out of acidosis. Patience in this case is rewarded by better long term health. The quick fix comes with a price called 'crash'. Every time you use stimulants you have to pay the price with more sleep to recharge the over spent energy. If you have lots of time for sleeping and don't mind the tired wired buzz for the day, go for it. Maybe this doesn't apply to everyone. I am sharing my experience.

[goalie1113]

I drink 2 cups of coffee pre-workout and it works for me.

I stopped buying any supplements about a year ago and made better gains relying on food than ever before.

^^^^^ this. real food >>>>> supps all day long. there's a reason they are called SUPPLEMENTS lol people often forget what that word means

both have their positives and negatives though. preworkouts arent exactly necessary, and can become extremely addicting (everyone here knows how brutal that 1-2 weeks is when you cycle off of them)... but they often do have nice additions like BCAA's and creatine....

i'd suggest just trying straight caffeine and seeing how it works for you. if you feel you need a little extra, try a PWO....

[goalie1113]

Creatine and beta alanine progressively improve energy and endurance over the period you are taking them

Caffeine eventually builds tolerance; would rather take creatine and beta alanine (which I do)

goes both ways you really should cycle off of caffeine as you would a preworkout and/or creatine