Pre-workout complexes are a relatively young category of sports nutrition that has gained popularity quickly. For the correct use of these additives, it would be good to know the classification based on their action. It’s important to remember that taking supplements not only makes your workout more effective, but also requires careful attention to use. Consider the types of sports nutrition using the Ronnie Coleman pre workout supplement range as an example.
Main products
The main types of pre-workout supplements fall into three main categories:
- no-boosters (nitrogen donators, nitric oxide boosters), or “pump” preparations that do not contain stimulant ingredients
- stimulating pre-workout complexes without nitrogen donors
- complete pre-workout supplements containing both stimulants and nitric oxide boosters.
Energy drinks are not included in this list, because it’s much worse to train on clean energy without no-boosters — the pulse goes off scale and there is not enough oxygen. It may be good for cardio, but for strength training it’s better to take a normal pre-workout.
1. What are nitrogen donors?
Usually it is L-arginine and its derivatives (L-arginine, L-arginine ethyl ester, L-arginine hydrochloride and L-arginine nitrate), citrulline, agmatine.
Nitrogen donators are sold:
- in a separate form
- as part of more powerful, but more expensive, pumping supplements
- as part of complex pre-workouts, which contain both stimulating components and pumping
Nitrogen donors are one of the most useful components in sports nutrition. Experts note a positive feature of no-boosters: it’s strongly not recommended to mix different stimulating products, but nitrogen donators can be taken both separately and with full-fledged pre-workout supplements. And this is a favorite way of taking no-boosters with many athletes — they add to those pre-workouts that are not very pumping properties.
2. Stimulants without nitrogen donators
This is not the same thing as energy drink, as it might seem at first glance. And you need to compare not only the composition and dosages of active ingredients, but the effect of taking them and feeling in training.
Despite the fact that this is a stimulant supplement without pumping components, during a cardio warm-up, it usually has a lower heart rate. To notice this, it’s enough to use a heart rate monitor before “drying”.
Women’s heart rate is sometimes more indicative of the influence of various pre-workouts, because without them, during a cardio warm-up, unprepared girls quickly jump above 160, which is not very good by medical standards.
Supplements without nitrogen donors stabilize the pulse of both the male and female body. At the same time, sports energy may not give an instant effect, but will manifest itself in the form of lightness and cheerfulness after a workout. So, it doesn’t make sense to use it as a pre-workout complex.
3. Preparations with nitrogen donors and stimulants
There is a category of products that give both an incredible pump and the strongest stimulation at the same time. In addition to physiological indicators, they create motivation and a desire to train hard. Therefore, with a few exceptions, from all full-fledged pre-workout complexes, athletes often conditionally single out more pumping or more stimulating ones.
But each person is a universe, and the selection of supplements must be done taking into account the individual characteristics of the body. The same drug can affect different athletes in completely opposite ways.
Hence the main advice — buy one can of pre-workout for several people, and never draw final conclusions from the reviews of other people, because you never know how this pre-workout complex will effectively work for you. There is even a joke on this topic: each person is individual — and this individuality is especially pronounced in sensitivity to pre-workouts.
To maintain high training performance, it is recommended to alternate strong stimulating complexes with softer, more pumping ones, otherwise even the strongest preparations will lose their maximum effect after a while. To avoid getting used to and adapting to pre-workouts, when taking a more stimulating complex with a weak pump, you should add a nitrogen donator.
Leading suggestions from Ronnie Coleman
Ronnie Coleman’s product line is inspired by the experience of the company’s owner, who has won the eight-time Mr. Olympia title with his team. By selecting pre-workout supplements, the company has developed an optimal assortment, which, in terms of quality, is approved by international licensing authorities. Here are the main positions from this list.
- Yeah Buddy is a branded energy booster for connoisseurs of high-quality and effective pre-workout complexes. The supplement got its name for a reason in honor of the most famous bodybuilding slogan “YEAH BUDDY”, invented by Ronnie at the beginning of his career. Possessing outstanding strength, he could not find a worthy partner for training, and he had to motivate himself for mega-bursts.
- Pre XS is a highly effective and safe Ronnie Coleman’s pre-workout supplement that includes proven ingredients in optimal doses. With the help of this product, absolutely every athlete, regardless of age, gender and level of physical training, will be able to achieve real progress from training in the gym.
- L-Carnitine XS + Energy – supports metabolism and weight control, will add energy and help achieve dry lean mass. Safe and effective fat burning, maintaining optimal energy levels. Often, the process of losing weight is associated with inevitable negative consequences for health. This may be partly true if it comes to the use of excessively aggressive stimulants or fat burners.
- L-Arginine will saturate the body with arginine and help you gain muscle mass. The importance of amino acids in sports is undeniable, because they are involved in the course of all internal processes. Arginine is one of those amino acids that is synthesized in the human body, but with increased activity, stress, illness or age (children, the elderly), it requires additional intake as part of special products from sports nutrition manufacturers.
Despite the proven benefits of Ronnie Coleman’s pre workout supplements, they are best taken on a coach-approved program or in consultation with a sports physician.