How to Make a Pre Workout at Home
Have you been wanting to make your own pre workout, but don’t know where to start? You’re in luck, because this article will provide all the steps and tips you need to make a delicious and energizing pre workout at home.
Quick facts: How To Make A Pre Workout At Home
Choose Your Ingredients
Making a pre workout at home can be a great way to save money and make sure you know exactly what is going into your supplement. The key is to choose the right ingredients. For example, some good pre workout ingredients include caffeine, creatine, beta-alanine, and BCAA’s. In addition, you’ll also want to consider other ingredients such as electrolytes and sugar substitutes.
Let’s look at how to choose the right ingredients for your pre workout:
Protein
Protein is a key component for pre-workouts as it provides a source of energy, helps fuel muscles during exercise, and is a building block for muscle repair and growth.
When considering the type of protein powder to use for your pre-workout shake, be sure to look for one that has a good blend of both fast-acting proteins (e.g., whey) which help the body quickly get into action, and slow-release proteins (e.g., casein), which help keep energy levels up throughout the workout.
Additionally, look for ones that are made with natural sources such as raw eggs, wholegrains or dairy products if possible. If using plant-based protein powder be aware that some may contain added sugar in higher amounts than animal sources so check the label carefully. Finally, don’t forget to measure out the appropriate portion size for your needs!
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are key for fueling your workouts. Regardless of the type of exercise you’re doing, carbs are important for providing your body with easily-accessible energy. When it comes to making your pre-workout mix at home, carbohydrates come in various forms like fruit, grains or starches.
Fruit is a great source of carbs and can provide an extra sweetness to your pre-workout mixture. Choose fruits like bananas or apples which provide energy and give you added vitamins and minerals as well.
Grains such as oats or quinoa are also full of complex carbohydrates that offer sustained energy and help with stabilizing blood sugar levels.
Starches like potatoes and yams can also be used as they contain not only carbohydrates but also fibre, potassium and other vitamins important for exercise performance.
Healthy Fats
Healthy fats are an important part of any preworkout meal, as they provide fuel and slow the release of carbohydrates into your bloodstream. Some great sources of healthy fats include avocados, nuts and nut butter, olive oil, fish and flaxseed oil. If you’re looking to add some flavor to your shake then try adding a teaspoon of coconut cream or almond butter.
Fats are essential for providing energy and allowing you to sustain activity for longer periods of time. For pre work out nutrition it is best to stick with healthy monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats that contain Omega-3 fatty acids such as linoleic acid (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). These types of fats help reduce inflammation in the body as well as provide numerous other health benefits like playing a role in improving heart health, reducing cholesterol levels and helping with nerve functioning.
Vitamins and Minerals
When making your own pre-workout at home, it’s important to consider the vitamins and minerals that you should be adding to it. Vitamin B6, for instance, is an essential vitamin for energy production in the body that can help you maintain energy levels during a workout. Magnesium helps with muscle strength and contraction, as well as calcium which helps reduce muscle cramps. Minerals like sodium and potassium are important for replenishing electrolytes during exercise too. Lastly, vitamins A, C and E are important antioxidants that can help reduce cell damage from oxidative stress caused by exercise.
When adding these vitamins and minerals to your pre-workout blend make sure to include them in the right amounts so they don’t interfere with one another or leave you feeling uncomfortable during your workout.
Prepare Your Pre-Workout
Preparing your own pre-workout can be a great way to save money while ensuring you get all of the necessary nutrients and energy you need to maximize your workout. With the right pre-workout supplement, you can increase your endurance, strength and focus while increasing the amount of calories you burn.
Now let’s talk about how you can prepare your own pre-workout at home:
Measure and mix your ingredients
Making a pre-workout at home can be much more cost effective and customizable than buying a pre-made supplement. When making your own pre-workout, it’s important to measure out each ingredient you are going to use. This ensures that you’re taking the right amounts of each component for the best results.
Once all ingredients have been measured, add them to a blender or mixer and blend until everything is evenly distributed. To make drinking easier, add some liquid such as water or juice before blending. This not only helps hydrate your body but also boost muscle performance. After everything has been blended together, pour your pre-workout supplement into an airtight container such as a Mason jar or resealable bag and store it in a cool, dry place until you are ready to drink it before your workout session.
Refrigerate your pre-workout
Refrigerating your pre-workout is important because it helps the ingredients remain fresh, and it ensures that the drink remains cold when you get ready to consume it. If you’re making one of these drinks yourself at home, refrigeration will prevent oxidation and bacterial growth as well.
With that said, be sure to keep any pre-workout or energy drink in an airtight container or bottle so that there’s no chance of oxygen entering and spoiling your drink. If there’s any room for air to get in, the flavors and effectiveness of the ingredients can break down more quickly.
Refrigerating your pre-workout will also help keep the flavor intact for longer. Refrigerated drinks may taste better than unrefrigerated ones due to a reduction in separation of some ingredients over time.
Store your pre-workout in an airtight container
When making a pre-workout supplement at home, it’s crucial to store it properly in an airtight container. This is because the ingredients can become less potent and lose their effectiveness if they are exposed to too much light or oxygen.
To keep your pre-workout mix as fresh and potent as possible, you should select a container that seals completely shut and is made of opaque materials such as glass, metal, or ceramic. Make sure the lid fits securely so that no air can slip inside while your pre-workout is being stored. Storing your pre-workout at room temperature also helps retain its potency longer.
Additionally, make sure you label your container with its contents so that you don’t forget what’s inside!
Consume Your Pre-Workout
Consuming your pre-workout can be a great way to get energized and ready to hit the gym. Drinking a pre-workout before working out can give you an extra boost of energy and help you reach your goals faster.
It’s important to know how to make a pre-workout at home so that you can be sure you’re getting all the nutrients and vitamins you need to achieve optimal results.
Drink your pre-workout 30 minutes before exercise
Drinking your pre-workout 30 minutes before exercise is essential to maximize the benefits of the drink. Pre-workouts contain ingredients that work together to give you improved energy, mental focus, and endurance during your workout. During this 30 minute period, these ingredients help to kick start the metabolic process so that your body is ready for exercise, while providing you with sustained energy levels and enhanced cognitive function during your session.
Depending on the ingredients used in a pre-workout product, their effects can range from increased muscle pumps and fatburning potential with caffeine and L-Theanine or improved recovery with B Vitamins like Vitamin B12, B6 and Folic Acid. Be sure to take note of the instructions on a specific pre-workout product as some require more than 30 minutes before exercise for optimal performance.
Consider adding caffeine for an extra boost
Caffeine is a popular choice to add to pre-workouts due its energizing effects. It works by blocking adenosine, which is responsible for making us feel sluggish and low-energy. This helps us become more alert and motivated, allowing us to tackle our workout with more enthusiasm. It also increases alertness, focus, and reaction time.
If you’re looking for an extra boost from caffeine, there are plenty of options available that can be easily added to your homemade pre-workout:
- Coffee grounds or brewed coffee (cold or hot)
- Espresso shots
- Matcha powder
- Green tea extract
- Guarana extract
- Caffeine tablets/capsules
- Yerba mate powder/tea bags
- Energy drinks such as Red Bull
Experiment with different amounts to find the right dosage that works best for you without making you too jittery.
Troubleshooting
Making a pre-workout at home can be a rewarding experience but it’s not always easy. You may experience issues such as an odd taste or texture, too much of a certain ingredient, or an unbalanced blend of nutrients. Don’t worry, though—you can troubleshoot these issues and make the perfect pre-workout at home.
In this article, we’ll go over some tips and tricks to troubleshoot and optimize your pre-workout:
Adjust your recipe depending on your goals
When making a pre-workout from home, it is important to adjust the ingredients based on your goals. If you are trying to build muscle and increase strength, you should consider adding dietary supplements such as protein powder, creatine, and Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA). Additionally, if you’re aiming to reduce fatigue during exercise and improve endurance, then carbohydrate-based energy drinks can be beneficial. On top of that, drinks containing caffeine can help give an energy boost and increase alertness.
Ultimately, it’s important to tailor your mix depending on what types of activities you will be doing in order to maximize the benefit of the pre-workout. For example:
- Longer workouts requiring endurance may require more carbohydrates.
- Shorter workouts requiring intense strength training may require less carbohydrates.
Experiment with different ingredients
When making a pre-workout at home, it’s important to always experiment with different ingredients. There are countless combinations that can be used to make an effective pre-workout, so don’t be afraid to try something new.
Some essential ingredients that should always be included when making a homemade pre-workout are caffeine, B vitamins, and amino acids. Caffeine helps give you energy before your workout, B vitamins help regulate your energy levels and amino acids can support muscle growth and recovery. Learn more about each of these ingredients before experimenting with them in different combinations for the perfect pre-workout. You may also want to consider adding other ingredients such as fruit juice, honey or ginseng for added flavor and/or health benefits. Be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist before trying any new ingredient or supplement for safety reasons.
Keep track of your results and adjust as needed
If you are attempting to make a pre-workout supplement at home, it is important to keep track of the results you are getting from each batch. Tracking your results will allow you to adjust the ingredients as needed. It’s important to remember that every body is different and what works for one person may not work for another.
Sometimes tweaking the ingredients can be as simple as increasing or decreasing the servings of certain ingredients or adding different vitamins and minerals. You can also try taking different doses at different times of day to find out which works best for your exercise program. In the end, it’s all about trial and error until you find the right combination that works best for you!
FAQs about: How To Make A Pre Workout At Home
Q1. What ingredients do I need to make a pre-workout?
A1. To make a pre-workout you’ll need a source of caffeine, such as coffee, tea, or energy drinks. You’ll also need B-vitamins, electrolytes, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs).
Q2. How much of each ingredient should I use?
A2. It really depends on your individual needs and goals. Generally, it’s recommended to start with a small amount of each ingredient and increase as needed.
Q3. Are there any side effects to taking a pre-workout?
A3. Yes, pre-workout supplements can have side effects. These can include nausea, headaches, jitters, and increased blood pressure. It’s important to start with a small dose and increase gradually to avoid any adverse effects.
