INTRODUCTION
We all love a good pre-workout, they get you amped up for a workout. Allow you to have the energy to perform the workout and also help you in getting some huge pumps. However, there has been a huge rise in another product, A Non-Stim pre-workout. These are pre-workouts without stimulants in them. This brings us on to the question. Which one is better? And which one is best for you?
That is what we are going to go over in this article. Breaking it down into several points will allow you to decide which one is best for you. At the end, I will also go over which one I prefer and use and why I use it! Do I prefer a Stim Pre-workout or a non-stim Pre-workout! So let us kick straight into it.
THE MAIN DIFFERENCE
The main difference between the two is one has caffeine and the other one doesn’t. There are some other differences between the two, a non-stim pre-workout will have a slightly different formula to increase blood flow and allow you to get bigger pumps. However, for this article, the main difference we are focusing on is the lack of caffeine.
THE IDEAL TIME TO USE EACH?
Due to the main difference being the caffeine content, this can alter the best times to take them. For a Standard Pre-workout, I would aim to take it 20-30 minutes before the gym, and I wouldn’t take it past 1 pm. However, for a Non-Stim Pre-workout, I would take it 20-30 minutes before working out but the difference is you can take it whenever you want.
As we know caffeine has a 6-hour half-life, so if you take a highly caffeinated pre-workout at say, 5 pm. You will still be feeling the effects long into the night. This Will affect your sleep and also your recovery. So I would recommend avoiding high caffeine consumption in the evening. Allowing you to get the best sleep and recovery.
IS THERE A PRICE DIFFERENCE?
Not really, the only main difference is that standard pre-workouts are a lot more readily available than pump products. You will find a lot of supermarkets and health shops that will stock a generic pre-workout but rarely a non-stim.
As far as actual prices go, you will find that both types will be around the same kind of price. If you want a good quality product, either of them, then you are going to be paying £30+.
CAN YOU MIX THEM?
This is a great thing to do! Mixing up a pre and pump product will give you some amazing pumps and amazing focus and energy! I would advise that you half the quantity of stim pre-workout. So maybe go half a serving size on the stim and 1 serving on the pump.
Something else I have also been doing is mixing a carb powder (Foresight Nutrition Re-Carb, check out the review here) with a scoop of pump product and found you get amazing results! That rush of carbs and the pump formula hits. I haven’t yet tried the carb powder with a pre-workout.
ANY SIDE EFFECTS FROM EITHER?
I think side effects are a personal thing, if you are suffering from severe side effects from using either consult your doctor. Also if you are sensitive to caffeine then consult your doctor as well.
The only “side effect” I have ever experienced with a stim pre-workout is “the crash”. This is where your body has a high amount of caffeine and then you have a crash, your body runs out of energy. You end up feeling sleepy and tired and can sometimes feel cathartic.
WHICH ONE DO I PREFER?
Personally, it all depends on what time I am working out. If it is a morning session then I might go for a pre-workout, but if it is an evening session I will opt for a Non-Stim Pump formula. I also keep an eye on my caffeine consumption. I try not to have more than two high caffeine drinks per day. For this reason, I will prefer to have a coffee and a non-stim over a stim pre-workout.
CAN YOU RECOMMEND ANY?
I have a few I turn to, all of which can be purchased from Insight Supps. We aren’t sponsored by them, they just provide great service and high-quality products.
For a Stim Pre-workout, I would say MVPre is top tier. This is a great pre-workout and will hit most people hard. I highly recommend starting with half a serving first to gauge your tolerance. Great panel breakdown and the effects are incredible. I would also recommend RedCon Total War. Another great pre-workout. Great flavour and great results.
For Pump formulas or non-Stim pre’s, I always turn to either Supplement needs Non-Stim or MV pump. The latter is the same brand as MVPre but it’s just their pump formula.
You can also look into nootropics and focus products. We will do another article on these because the effects are different but they can be really useful for that hyper-focus.
CONCLUSION
So there you go, That is the difference between Pre-Workouts and a Non-Stim Pre-Workout. Hopefully, this will help you decide on which type you want. Please remember that not all pre-workouts are the same, some of the cheaper brand massively under dose their fomula. Resulting in you needing to use more to get the right effect, thus getting less serving from your product, This means that the cheap tub you bought will eventually end up costing you more. Invest in a mid or top tier product you will get more bang for your buck.
Please remember that you are dealing with a highly caffeinated substance. So if you are sensitive to caffeine or any of the other ingredients in these formulas please consult your doctor first. Also, You shouldn’t rely on Pre-workouts to give you a good workout. If you are taking a Stim based Pre because you are tired. might be worth finding out why you are tired? Lack of Sleep? Caffeine to close to bed time?
Written by Kieran Blacker
Kieran is the CEO and Founder of Sets & Reps. He decided to make an application that helped people get a gym workout when not at the gym. He designed, Coded and built the application himself.