A pre workout supplement is designed to be taken before an intense workout to give you a boost in energy. This can lead to increased performance at the gym and better results in each session. Pre workout supplements can be used for a variety of different workouts including weight lifting and bike sessions.
If you feeling like you’re starting to hit a plateau on the weights, the right pre workout supplement could improve your performance. Furthermore, if you usually run low on energy part way through a workout, a pre workout could give you the energy needed to complete the workout.
I like to use pre workout supplements for periods at a time e.g. when focusing on building solid muscle. It’s also good to keep track of the supplements you are using e.g on a laptop. This allows for increased intensity during this period and overall an increase in performance and results.
There is now a huge amount of pre workout supplements on the market, often with a different focus. Some will be full of caffeine to focus on providing you as much energy as possible during a workout. Others will be stimulant free and aim to provide your muscles with as much fuel as possible. One area of increasing popularity is the pump and finding a pre workout that can provide a great pump throughout your workout.
The Pump
A pump is something we all want to experience when we have had a good workout. usually, it coincides with a solid workout and ultimately muscle growth, as well as making your muscles feel bigger.
Achieving a pump requires a serious of complex functions to take place in the muscle. These first require a stimulus. In our case, this will be an intense workout such as lifting weights or endurance exercises.
It can be disappointing when we do not achieve a pump during a workout. this usually means something is missing to achieve it. For example, the intensity of our workout is not hard enough or we are not fueling our muscles correctly.
The pump is mainly caused by increased blood flow in the muscle during a workout, as well as increased glycogen use. During training, a muscle can recieve four time as much blood as it would usually get[1].
There are a range of key ingredients in a pre workout supplement to provide a great pump Take a look further down the post to see these ingredients in detail.
Bulk Powders – Complete Pump
The Bulk Powders website features a complete range of supplements. Everything from whey protein to fitness clothing can all be found. I am a big fan of Bulk Powders supplements for their low prices and impressive range of flavours.
Complete Pump pre workout is a stimulant free formula designed to give you a great pump. There is a high dose of over 22g of active ingredients to maximise your training sessions. Complete pump focuses on pump rather than stimulants. Per serving there are 6g of L-Citulline, 3g of creatine, 1.5g Taurine and 500mg Beetroot extract. This makes for an impressive set of ingredients to provide a great workout pump.
There are several flavours available including Watermelon and Mixed Berry. The Berry flavours usually taste the best.
Gaspari Nutrition superPump Max
Gaspari Nutrition was founded in 1998, way before many supplement brands of today. Many experienced athletes will already be aware of Gaspari Nutrition. Based out of the US, they offer a wide range of workout and protein supplements.
SuperPump Max has been around for a long time and is still one of the best reviewed supplements online. The complete pre workout supplement contains caffeine for an energy intense workout.
To increase the pump there is creatine, Citrulline, Leucine and L-Carnitine. These make for a powerful combination to increase pump and performance. There are many flavours available including Fruit Punch, Blue raspberry and Pink Lemonade.
Animal Pump
This supplement is designed as a complete and comprehensive pre workout to give the ultimate pump. Animal Pump has been insanely popular recently with great reviews. The addiction to “the pump’ lead to the creation of Animal Pump.
Animal Pump is built on a foundation of creatine. The high performance supplement is designed to be an all-in-one so you no longer need multiple supplements. The blend includes Beta-alanine, arginine, caffeine & taurine. There is no different flavours available for this supplement.
BSN Nitrix 2.0
BSN is one of the global leaders in sports supplements. Their wide range includes unique blends of pre workout and whey protein formulas. BSN have won a range of rewards and are stocked worldwide. I am a particular fan of the NO-Xplode pre workout formula for both its taste and performance.
Nitrix 2.0 is a concentrated Nitric Oxide formula that can support pumps, as well as performance and endurance. Each serving contains creatine. There is also L-Citrulline to promote Nitric Oxide. There is no caffeine in this formula. The tablet form makes it easy to consume on the move and without a shaker.
Sci-MX Pump
Since launching in 2007, Sci-Mx have produced some exciting supplement blends. I have tried multiple Sci-Mx supplements and found them all to be very good. The RRP for their supplements is often pricey but websites such as discount Supplements usually have them available for less.
Pump is a stimulant-free pre workout supplement for those looking for a great pump without the caffeine. This is great if you are looking to workout in the evening. There are many high doses of pump focused ingredients. This includes a huge 6g of Citrulline Malate. Theres also 3g of Arginine to increase blood flow. There is also 3g of glycerol and Vitamin B12 for energy.
As its stimulant free, Pump can be stacked with other supplements. There are several flavours available including Cherry Cola and Orange Soda.
MyProtein The Pre-Workout+
I’m a big fan of myProtein supplements on this site. They offer some of the best value supplements on the market, without the expensive price tag. I usually use Impact Whey from MyProtein but have also tried a wide range of their other supplements. Everything can easily be purchased direct from their website. This makes supplement shopping easy and convenient.
The Pre-Workout+ is a super potent formula for experienced users of pre workout supplements. There is a massive 300g of caffeine in each serving (one to avoid if you don’t like stim heavy pre workouts). Also, there is a lot of L-Citrulline (6g) to increase the flow of Nitric oxide and Beta-alanine to fuel the muscles.
Sadly there is no Creatine but this can be supplemented separately. There are several flavours available including Orange and sour gummy. I would avoid the Sour flavours though as they tend to be too much.
The Protein Works Pre-Works
The Protein Works was founded in 2012 as an innovate and original supplement brand. The vision is to raise the bar for sports supplements and this is evident in the range of products available. The Protein works have some of the most unique and exciting supplements on the market. Many of the standard supplements have a twist. This makes for some unusual blends you won’t find anywhere else.
Pre-Works from The Protein Works lives up to their exciting innovative reputation. There is a huge 27g of active research backed ingredients in each serving. You will struggle to find another pre workout with as much active ingredients in as this. Pre-Works is designed for strength, speed and endurance.
For a great pump there is Citrulline Malate to increase Nitric Oxide flow. There is also a wide range of amino acids including BCAA and Beta-alanine. While this may not be the lowest cost pre workout, the ingredients are research based and clearly listed.
Pre Workout Ingredients for a Great Pump
There are a number of key ingredients that go into a pre workout supplement. Take a look below at these ingredients.
Citrulline
This can comprise of both L-Citrulline and citrulline malate. L-Citrulline is an amino acid that helps decrease and soreness in the muscle. It also increases nitric oxide flow. This helps increase vascularity and reduce tiredness during a workout.
Citrulline malate is a free form version of the amino acid.
Agmatine
A popular choice in pre-workouts for increasing pump and vascularity. Studies have suggested that agmatine could help with blood flow by relaxing blood vessels[2]. This increases blood in the muscle and therefore increases pumps. Furthermore that it inhibits the breakdown of nitric oxide.
Beetroot
You may not necessarily think of beetroot juice when it comes to pre workouts and it can also be labelled as Beta Vulgaris. Beetroots are full of nitrates which help to increase blood flow around the body. This helps to support a great pump.
More Great Pre workout Ingredients
Caffeine
Caffeine is the most common stimulant in pre workout supplements.
The caffeine in pre workout supplements provides you with a rapid energy boost which makes you feel more alert and focused. On average caffeine takes around 20-30 to kick-in and start feeling the effects. This varies from each person.
Your caffeine sensitivity can also vary depending on how much you are used to consuming. For example, a regular coffee drinker will be less sensitive to caffeine as they are consuming it on a regular basis.
If you don’t like the sudden boot of energy from pre workout supplements containing caffeine, or are sensitive to caffeine, there are also non-stimulant pre workout supplements.
Amino Acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of your muscle. They are also small compounds of proteins. Amino acids are found naturally in whey protein. They can also be supplemented seperately and there are many BCAA supplements available.
Amino acids work to repair the muscle and help prevent further breakdown. Used before a workout they can help prevent catabolism and provide you with the protein required to begin repair.
There are a wide range of amino acids that could be included in pre workout formulas. Branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, & valine) are considered essential amino acids as your body cannot produce them. You must get them from your diet.
Other amino acids commonly found in pre workout formulas include Beta-alanine, Taurine, L-Theanine & Beataine.
Creatine
Creatine is one of the most researched sports supplements available. Many choose to supplement with creatine separately but it is also commonly found in pre workout supplements.
Creatine helps your muscles produce more energy. Creatine allows your muscles to produce more ATP energy to fuel your muscles during intense workouts. check out our full guide to creatine.
Nitrate
Nitate is what is found in beetroot. It can also be found in other pre workout ingredients. Nitrate is converted to Nitric Oxide. This can increase blood flow and give you a greater pump.
Summary
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best pre workout supplements for pump. Leave a comment below on your favourite supplement.
