Caffeine / Pre-workout

[EstebanBrazoFuerte]

Howdy - Do you guys have a suggestion for pre-workout? I really just want a cheap source of lots of caffeine and can't bring myself to do caffeine pills. Not into coffee pre-workout due to stomach stuff (reflux when combined with working out, no problems in the AM / office...). I guess I should just get the pills. So cheap. Thanks y'all.

[RyanB]

I often drink a 0-calorie energy drink about 30 minutes before. I like their flavor, and they range from ~1.5-2.5 worth the caffeine in a cup of coffee.

[mgil]

I often drink a 0-calorie energy drink about 30 minutes before. I like their flavor, and they range from ~1.5-2.5 worth the caffeine in a cup of coffee.

This is about as good as anything, imo.

[EstebanBrazoFuerte]

cool thanks - i do the same i was just thinking i could get my fix for cheaper mixing up a powder of some sort.

[SeanHerbison]

I really just want a cheap source of lots of caffeine and can't bring myself to do caffeine pills.

Mind if I ask why not?

i was just thinking i could get my fix for cheaper mixing up a powder of some sort.

If you're talking about actual caffeine powder, that's generally not a good idea. Way too easy to overdo it. It's actually very hard to seriously overdose on caffeine (ask me how I know), but that's probably the one real way to do it.

[EstebanBrazoFuerte]

I really just want a cheap source of lots of caffeine and can't bring myself to do caffeine pills.

Mind if I ask why not?

i was just thinking i could get my fix for cheaper mixing up a powder of some sort.

If you're talking about actual caffeine powder, that's generally not a good idea. Way too easy to overdo it. It's actually very hard to seriously overdose on caffeine (ask me how I know), but that's probably the one real way to do it.

Thanks Sean - to answer your question - for the same reason you stated in the second part of your post, in college took too many and it wasn't fun. I guess I associate them with that. I am more of an adult now and could obviously avoid this easily. I know what proper dose is, etc. Also wanted something that tasted good cheaper than orange zero calories monsters. Kind of silly but I figured you guys might know of something that fit the bill. Thanks for the clarifying question.

[mouse]

I really just want a cheap source of lots of caffeine and can't bring myself to do caffeine pills.

Mind if I ask why not?

i was just thinking i could get my fix for cheaper mixing up a powder of some sort.

If you're talking about actual caffeine powder, that's generally not a good idea. Way too easy to overdo it. It's actually very hard to seriously overdose on caffeine (ask me how I know), but that's probably the one real way to do it.

Thanks Sean - to answer your question - for the same reason you stated in the second part of your post, in college took too many and it wasn't fun. I guess I associate them with that. I am more of an adult now and could obviously avoid this easily. I know what proper dose is, etc. Also wanted something that tasted good cheaper than orange zero calories monsters. Kind of silly but I figured you guys might know of something that fit the bill. Thanks for the clarifying question.

Rockstar Pure Zero Silver - my first choice

Caffeine pills - my economical choice

[SeanHerbison]

i was just thinking i could get my fix for cheaper mixing up a powder of some sort.

If you're talking about actual caffeine powder, that's generally not a good idea. Way too easy to overdo it. It's actually very hard to seriously overdose on caffeine (ask me how I know), but that's probably the one real way to do it.

Thanks Sean - to answer your question - for the same reason you stated in the second part of your post, in college took too many and it wasn't fun. I guess I associate them with that.

Gotcha. But to clarify, even with pills, it's hard to seriously overdose unless you're trying to. You can definitely hit the jittery/anxious/paranoid level if you take, say... nine of them over a six hour period, but you're not going to actually die.

My comment was specifically about the loose powder, like this, where a tablespoon will get you almost 15 grams, or the equivalent of 75 caffeine pills.

[mouse]

My comment was specifically about the loose powder, like this, where a tablespoon will get you almost 15 grams, or the equivalent of 75 caffeine pills.

Man and I thought just going to the pills meant I had a problem... I need to step up my game apparently...

[EstebanBrazoFuerte]

holy crap @SeanHerbison - gotcha. thanks @mouse for the input as well.

[lheugh]

Depending on the desired effect, I either take caffeine powder in the range of 1-3mg/kg (for tiredness) or 4-6mg/kg (for performance) of body-weight. For me, this is the entirety of my caffeine intake for the day just as a note. Adding onto what has been said, caffeine powder tastes foul and is easy to measure incorrectly.

[BenM]

I have been playing with a fair few different preworkouts, some of them non-stim (since most of my training is in the evening). I'm coming around to the idea that you're better off using a non-stim preworkout with the ingredients you want and dosing caffeine separately with pills or energy drinks depending on your requirements for that particular day/session.

In any case... I'm currently finishing a tub of Muscletech Neurocore in icy blue raspberry. It was cheap, tastes pretty good and mixes well. It also has most of the ingredients I want in it (beta alanine, l-citrulline, caffeine) but I could do without the creatine since I take that separately.

Bought a tub of Staunch Original a couple of weeks ago too. That is freaking delicious. But it doesn't have beta alanine in it and personally, I like the tingles I get from that, so I want it in my pre. Logically I know it's not making me perform any better (any more than the BCAAs I take are causing me to gain slabs of lean mass) but I just like the effect, especially if I'm not taking stims with it.

I really want to try Materia, it is a bit expensive though (probably more per serve than an energy drink so might be out for you) but it has clinical doses of all the good shit.

I bought some GAT PMP (which is a non-stim preworkout) a little while ago, and quite like that too. Not as mixable as some of the others but I saw on a youtube video recently that that tends to be the case with the pump type formulas.

Anyway... as far as recommendations go - if you like the tingles, get something with beta alanine in it and if you don't, avoid. If you want better pumps etc then citrulline might help. Try and get something with clinical doses (you really want 3+ grams of beta alanine depending on your tolerance, and probably 5g+ of citrulline IMO). And yeah; dose caffeine as needed. I have caffeine pills but tend to take a dose of preworkout, and drink a can of white or orange Monster mid workout if I think I need it.

[mgil]

@SeanHerbison is the dude that took something crazy like 7 in one day. Be cautious!

[Stenson]

Bang energy drinks FTW. About twice as much caffeine as most energy drinks

[MPhelps]

@BenM neurocore icy blue raspberry is the shit, and it was sold at the grocery store near me. Way more effective and tastier than C4 and way cheaper too.

Gave up the pre workout because it was giving me anxiety while lifting and poor sleep. Eventually I gave up caffeine all altogether. I still miss the neurocore though. If only for the beta alanine tingle and the icy blue raspberry flavor.

[thejosef]

Yeah I've been rolling with 200mg caffeine pills, powdered creatine & beta alanine, with a propel flavor packet with water for about two years now. Caffeine is starting to bother me (headaches), so I've started cutting way back, but you can even break the pills in half if needed and just use 100mg. They're so dang cheap. Those Mio water drops work nicely for flavoring as well.

[BenM]

@BenM neurocore icy blue raspberry is the shit, and it was sold at the grocery store near me. Way more effective and tastier than C4 and way cheaper too.

Gave up the pre workout because it was giving me anxiety while lifting and poor sleep. Eventually I gave up caffeine all altogether. I still miss the neurocore though. If only for the beta alanine tingle and the icy blue raspberry flavor.

Yeah I actually bought it because it was cheap and had everything I wanted (including a bit of yohimbe which is illegal here) in it. I just wish I trained earlier in the day so I could take it more often. Do love a good caffeine buzz!

If you miss the beta alanine tingle just buy some by itself or get a non-stim preworkout with it. I take HEAPS of it before my evening sessions and find it doesn't affect my sleep at all. Sometimes I do get a bit of an itchy face if I go overboard, the wife thinks it's funny when I start rubbing at myself.

[MPhelps]

I kind of feel like it's unnecessary now. I concentrate better without it and find that I don't really need the tingle.

[BenM]

I kind of feel like it's unnecessary now. I concentrate better without it and find that I don't really need the tingle.

Fair enough. I wish I didn't feel like I needed it all the time, that's for sure. But ya know, life.

[RobUK]

Have you tried just having your coffee a bit further away from the workout?

I usually have it 10 mins or so before a pressing workout but 30 mins or so before squatting after having some uncomfortable squatting sessions due to reflux.

I also leave a bit longer between last meal and squat sessions.