The only way to push your limits and truly maximize your potential is to give your all every day and leave nothing on the table but sweat. Pre-workout supplements help you do just that.

Pre-workouts are popular with athletes and bodybuilders who take them prior to exercising to boost energy and endurance, focus, strength, and overall workout performance. But it doesn’t matter if you’ve got your sights on the podium or just need a little jolt of motivation for your early morning pump, pre-workouts can be the deciding factor between hitting the gym with vigor or lacking the drive and stamina to put up your best.

While forms and formulas vary widely, when it comes to supplements, the most common are pre-workout powders and chews. Which one is best really comes down to individual preference. Powders are great for mixing with water or juice for added hydration, while pre-workout chews offer an easy “anytime, anywhere” option with highly customizable dozing.

Common Pre-workout Ingredients

While every brand has their own formula, at Animal, we’re focused on supplying your body with optimum ingredients for a surge of energy and maximum pump. Some of the high-quality ingredients we use are: caffeine, creatine, BCAAs, Electrolytes, Beta Alanine, Nitrous oxide, Tyrosine, and Citrulline, plus patented ingredient blends to further maximize your workout.

Benefits of taking pre-workout supplements

There’s a reason why top athletes have dedicated to pre-workouts—they work. Here’s what you can expect from adding pre-workouts to your routine:

• A boost energy and stamina
• Increased blood flow and pump
• More muscle growth and mass 
• Increased focus
• Improved muscle endurance
• Less muscle fatigue 
• Faster muscle recovery 
• Elevated physical performance
• Balanced muscle cell hydration

The only way to push your limits and truly maximize your potential is to give your all every day and leave nothing on the table but sweat. This is where pre-workout supplements come into play, acting as the catalyst for unparalleled energy, endurance, focus, strength, and overall performance enhancement. Whether you're eyeing the podium or just need that extra push for your early morning sessions, the right pre-workout can be the difference between an average and an extraordinary workout.

Pre-workout supplements are especially popular among athletes and bodybuilders who seek to optimize their training sessions. These supplements are formulated to boost energy and endurance, sharpen focus, enhance strength, and improve overall workout performance. 

Choosing the best pre workout for you comes down to multiple factors, such as personal goals and expectations, product ingredients, and form (eg: powders, pills, chewables, etc.). Ultimately, it all comes down to personal preference, with pre workout powders offering a mixable, hydrating option and chews and pills providing convenience and easy dosing.

Pump is the noticeable boost in blood flow and muscle size and definition experienced after an intense workout. While gym pump is temporary, it plays an important part in bodybuilding for a few reasons.

1. It’s extremely motivational. That satisfying exhaustion after a workout is completely unique and one of the biggest factors for drawing us back to the iron and staying fit.
2. Pump is a sign of heightened blood flow, the result of elevated levels of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is an important, natural vasodilator and gets a huge boost from ingredients found in pre-workout supplements. Needless to say, good blood flow is important for optimum health in general.
3. All that blood flow is what causes our muscles to look and feel swole. This is “pump” elite athletes chase in the gym. It’s crucial for physique athletes competing in bodybuilding competitions, but let’s be honest—we all love looking strong and cut.
4. Aesthetics aside, pre-workouts that focus on pump can have substantive hypertrophic benefits, meaning that muscle gain is a definite possibility with increased gym pump.

For these reasons, this article hones in on pump-focused pre-workout supplements that will benefit all bodybuilders and fitness junkies, from those just starting out on their epic journey to those on top of their game.

The backbone of any effective pre-workout supplement is its ingredient list. These are meticulously selected to provide a surge of energy and ensure maximum pump during workouts. Key ingredients typically include:

Caffeine: A staple for energy and alertness.
Creatine: Enhances muscle strength and recovery, and cognitive function.
BCAAs: Support muscle growth and reduce exercise fatigue.
Electrolytes: Crucial for maintaining hydration and muscle function.
Beta-Alanine: Boosts muscle endurance and reduces fatigue.
Nitrous Oxide Precursors (e.g., Citrulline): Improve blood flow for better muscle pump.
Tyrosine: Increases focus and can help improve mental performance.
Patented Blends: Exclusive combinations designed to maximize workout benefits.

Additional Ingredients

Many high-quality pre-workouts will include other ingredients to fuel your energy, accelerate recovery, and flush your body with advantageous nutrients. Animal products traditionally tackle workout nutrition holistically, so you’ll also support complexes in many of our pre-workout powders, pill packs, and chews.

Among the most popular are:

• Antioxidants: Grape seed extract, beet root, green tea, alpha lipoic acid and more, which help reduce oxidative stress and promote overall health.
• Energy Rush Complex: A blend of stimulants to go beast mode at the gym. Found in our Pre Workout Pump pill pack, this complex can be easily removed for evening lifters or those sensitive to caffeine.
• Nootropics: Cognitive enhancers that elevate your focus, attention, and brain function to help keep you sharp and in the zone throughout your workout.

There’s a reason why so many athletes and fitness junkies never miss their pre-workout boost. Incorporating these energizing and stimulating supplements into your routine can dramatically enhance your output and endurance throughout each training sessions, offering benefits such as:

• Boosted Energy and Stamina: Empower your workouts with sustained energy.
• Increased Blood Flow and Pump: Experience superior nutrient delivery, muscle volume, and vascularity.
• Enhanced Muscle Growth: Support your body's ability to build and maintain muscle mass.
• Sharpened Focus:Maintain mental engagement and drive throughout your workout.
• Improved Muscle Endurance: Grind through even the most grueling and endless workouts with sustained energy and strength for longer periods.
• Reduced Muscle Fatigue: Experience quicker recovery times and less soreness.
• Elevated Physical Performance: Push your limits and crush your PRs.
• Improved Hydration: Keep your muscles hydrated for peak performance.

Choosing The Right Pre-Workout

There is no shortage of choice when it comes to pre-workouts. Even among Animal pre-workout supplements, selecting the right one for you involves considering several factors to match your specific needs and fitness goals. 

Here’s how we recommend you find your match:

Understand Your Needs

Different types of weight lifters and athletes will have varying requirements:
Bodybuilding Pre-Workout: Look for supplements rich in nitrous oxide precursors for that max pump, supporting intense muscle-building sessions.

Endurance Athletes: Prioritize ingredients that boost endurance and hydration, such as electrolytes and beta-alanine.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Choose pre-workouts with a balanced mix of caffeine and BCAAs to sustain both energy and muscle performance.

Pre-workout supplements also come in a variety of forms, which essentially come down to preference. Animal pre-workout supplements come in powders, pill packs, and chewable tablets. 

Here are the benefits of each:

Pre-Workout Powder: Ideal for those who prefer to adjust their dosage or combine supplements. Mixing with water helps with hydration before intense workouts.

Pre-Workout Chews: Best for athletes seeking convenience and portability, or those who prefer not to drink large volumes before training.

Pre-Workout Pill Packs: Perfect for anyone who wants to tailor their pre-workout intake by removing specific complexes, such as caffeine and stimulants.