Gain Muscle and Build Strength with Pre-Workout
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Gain Muscle and Build Strength with Pre-Workout

Written by Guy Gustafson
July 09, 2021
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Are you looking to bulk up and put on some serious mass? Do you want to increase your strength and push through plateaus? If you’re having a hard time with muscle or strength-building, your pre-workout could be part of the problem.

Are you looking to bulk up and put on some serious mass? Do you want to increase your strength and push through plateaus?

If you’re having a hard time with muscle or strength-building, your pre-workout could be part of the problem.

Read on to learn more about using pre-workout for building muscle and strength and to get some tips that will help you achieve your goals.

How Does Pre-Workout Support Muscle and Strength Building?

It might seem strange at first to use pre-workout to build muscle and strength. Most people assume that only supplements like protein powder and Branched-Chain Amino Acids help with that.

In reality, though, your pre-workout drink can have a big impact on your energy levels, performance, and recovery, all of which contribute to muscle growth and strength gains.

How does pre-workout support muscle and strength-building? Here are some specific benefits it has to offer:

Increased Energy

Pre-workout supplements perk you up and help you feel energized and motivated to tackle your workouts. When you’re feeling energized and aren’t dragging your feet in the gym, it’s easier to push through tough training sessions and give every rep your all.

Pre-workout doesn’t do the work for you, but it does put more fuel in your tank so you can get in the gym and earn results for yourself.

Increased Stamina

In addition to increasing energy, pre-workout can also improve your stamina. If you find that your muscles start to feel fatigued halfway through your sets and you have a hard time pushing yourself to the limit, you may need to start using a pre-workout (or start using a different pre-workout). 

More Efficient Blood Flow

Many pre-workout drinks contain ingredients that support better blood flow. These ingredients dilate the blood vessels and make it easier for blood to travel throughout your body, including to your brain and muscle tissues.

When blood travels more easily, that means nutrients and oxygen get delivered more efficiently, which can help you to feel more energized and focused. Better blood flow also supports better post-workout recovery.

Better Focus and Concentration

Some pre-workouts boost your energy, but they increase it so much that you can’t concentrate. You’ll be bouncing off the walls and might even experience issues like tremors, which is the last thing you want to deal with when you’re lifting heavy weights, right?

A quality pre-workout will help you to feel energized but also focused. This combination improves the mind-muscle connection and helps you to ensure you’re performing every rep with care and intention, which will yield better muscle and strength-building results.

How to Gain Muscle and Build Strength with Pre-Workout

Are you ready to experience the muscle and strength-building benefits of pre-workout? If so, make sure you’re using your pre-workout powder the right way.

If you’re not sure how to gain muscle and build strength with pre-workout, or if you just want to maximize your results, keep these tips in mind:

Time It Right

Proper pre-workout timing can make a big difference for those who want to enjoy optimal results.

For most people, taking pre-workout 15-30 minutes before training works well. This allows them to experience the most noticeable effects from their pre-workout ingredients (don’t forget, caffeine reaches peak effectiveness within about 30-60 minutes).

Use the Right Amount

Most people can consume up to 400mg (0.014 ounces) of caffeine per day without any adverse effects. For reference, one cup of coffee typically contains about 100mg (0.003 ounces), and most pre-workout supplements contain 200-400mg (0.007-0.014 ounces) per scoop.

Everyone’s caffeine tolerance is different, and there’s no one right answer to the question of how much you should be taking. A good starting point for most, though, especially when taking pre-workouts that contain caffeine, is somewhere between a half and a full scoop.

This will help you experience the benefits of pre-workout while reducing your chances of dealing with side effects.

Use It Regularly

Some of the ingredients found in pre-workout supplements, like L-Citrulline and Creatine, are most effective when they’re taken regularly. They need time to build up in your system before you notice significant results.

If you’re taking a pre-workout drink that contains these ingredients, make sure you’re taking it consistently. Otherwise, you might not be getting as much out of it as you could be.

The Best Pre-Workout Supplement for Muscle Building

If your primary goal is muscle-building, there are some specific ingredients you ought to look for when shopping for a pre-workout. The best pre-workout for muscle-building will contain the following:

Caffeine

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. It works by blocking your brain’s adenosine receptors, which prevents the buildup of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that causes you to feel tired.

Beta-Alanine

Many of the muscle and strength-building benefits of pre-workout are attributed to caffeine. There are other helpful ingredients found in these products, though, such as Beta-Alanine.

Beta-Alanine is found in many stimulant-containing and non-stimulant pre-workouts. It reduces lactic acid buildup, which helps to prevent fatigue and soreness while also increasing muscle endurance.

Creatine

Creatine provides your muscles with additional energy and helps you to recover faster between reps. This, in turn, makes it easier for you to continue pushing yourself in the gym.

When you use Creatine regularly, you can progressively overload your muscles and make better progress toward your goal of building muscle or strength.

The Best Pre-Workout to Increase Blood Flow

Increasing blood flow is great for increasing energy, stamina, and power output during your workouts. As you know, all of these things can help you to build more muscle and increase your strength over time.

If you’re looking for the best pre-workout to increase blood flow and help you achieve your fitness goals, make sure it contains these ingredients:

L-Citrulline

L-Citrulline is an amino acid that’s known for increasing nitric oxide production. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator, which means it widens the blood vessels and allows blood to flow more easily throughout the body.

Because it improves blood flow, provides better pumps, and can improve muscle recovery, L-Citrulline is often included in both non-stim and regular, stimulant-containing pre-workouts.

Nitrosigine

Nitrosigine is another vasodilator that’s used in many pre-workouts, including HYDE XTreme.

Nitrosigine works similar to L-Citrulline, but it’s specially designed to improve sports performance. This makes it a good choice for athletes looking to maximize their training and increase strength and muscle mass.

Yohimbe

Yohimbe is best known for its fat-burning properties. However, it’s also a beneficial pre-workout ingredient because it dilates the blood vessels and enhances blood flow.

Yohimbe comes from the bark of an African evergreen tree and contains a compound known as yohimbine. Yohimbine is responsible for many of this ingredient’s benefits, including better circulation and increased fat-burning potential. 

Find The Best Pre-Workout Supplement for Muscle Building Today

With the right pre-workout and a fine-tuned pre-workout routine, you can smash plateaus, crush your workouts, and earn awesome results. Keep the tips outlined above in mind so you can find a pre-workout that helps you achieve your muscle and strength-building goals.

Don’t forget to check out our full line of pre-workout products, either.

It doesn’t matter if you’re interested in building muscle and gaining strength or burning body fat. We’re confident that we’ve got something for you.