I tried to cycle off but my workouts suffer; can’t keep the same intensity especially on deads and squats!
what do you guys do? how do you guys get pumped ready to murder some weights?
im trying to cut back cause i don’t want to become so reliant on them.
I don’t get a ‘buzz’ from stims, which blows, so if I take them or not, I don’t find much difference. I love training, I love hitting PR’s, I love lifting heavy stuff, watching people look at me and wonder how someone so small can do it.
Thats what gets me pumped. Bit gay, but hey, it works!
Sh*t that works fine…i remember when i first started working out years ago i never knew about pre-work out supps… those were the good old days.
Chocolate and 50g of an isolate.
Today though I had a cup of white rice, half a chicken breast, 6 eggs and a couple cups of coffe an hour before working out and had the best back and bicep workout EVAR. Pre workouts are a crutch put on some of mice and men-still ydg’n get angry and hit it.
While I make use of Finibars and SWF, I wouldn’t consider them “pre-workout supps”. No stimulants for me. Too many people seem to rely on 'em. Sure if I’m really dragging mid-diet I’ll grab coffee, or a fatburner when prepping for shows, but I prefer the ones that don’t speed me up. When I get to the gym, I just do what I need to do.
Lately my motivation has been in looking at pics from my last show, and seeing how close the guy who came in 2nd came to beating me. All the motivation I need to bust my ass -lol.
S
Definitely way too many people rely on them. You either have the motivation to train hard or you don’t. No pill or powder will give you that. Plus they make it hard to get hard and I don’t know about you guys but I love boning after a good workout.
I drink a Spike before each session. Honestly, it doesn’t give me a “Get to work!” feeling like some say. I drink it because I love a good cold energy drink, and I would much rather order in bulk through Biotest than paying for one can every day at the gas station. It saves money and I prefer Spike to any other drink.
Also, as soon as I open the can before my session, it puts me in the mindset that it’s time to train. Again, it doesn’t get me wired or anything, it’s more like the Pavlov’s dog effect. Once I crack open the can and eat a FINiBAR or two, it’s time to lift.
My neighbor gave me a canister of No-Xplode. I tried it once before a workout and it made me feel unrealistically and overly happy the whole time. Very strange. I haven’t taken it since. Besides, it’s full of chemicals with weird brand names.
This recent thread kinda goes over this. I made a few posts regarding why I personally dont like stims for workouts, but I got one guy bent out of shape over it! lol!
I just take a 250mg caffeine tablet and leave it at that.
[quote]Gl;itch.e wrote:
This recent thread kinda goes over this. I made a few posts regarding why I personally dont like stims for workouts, but I got one guy bent out of shape over it! lol![/quote]
Your premise is based on the ASSUMPTION that it is possible, or always possible, to train to max recovery capability sans the use of supplementation.
I dont think that’s the case for most, let alone some, people.
Stimulants are a very valuable tool in an athletes arsenal. Obviously not necessary 100% of the time to make gains.
The counter productivity argument you make is overblown. IMO.
[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
[quote]Gl;itch.e wrote:
This recent thread kinda goes over this. I made a few posts regarding why I personally dont like stims for workouts, but I got one guy bent out of shape over it! lol![/quote]
Your premise is based on the ASSUMPTION that it is possible, or always possible, to train to max recovery capability sans the use of supplementation.
I dont think that’s the case for most, let alone some, people.
Stimulants are a very valuable tool in an athletes arsenal. Obviously not necessary 100% of the time to make gains.
The counter productivity argument you make is overblown. IMO. [/quote]
Well the poster I was arguing my theory with made it hard to find a middle ground. I still believe in what I wrote as it applies to myself and like minded personalities, which is all I was really debating. Everyone is different, and I wouldnt rule out stims usefulness for something like competition or a planned max-effort day here and there. But generally I follow what the bodies telling me. If I dont have the omph on a particular day there would be a reason Id rather not “cover up” with a stim. Im pretty confident that I could push myself well beyond my recovery abilities every time I train if I felt like it.
For a training newbie that still hasnt learned what true intensity is, a stim (or at least its placebo effect) might be all it takes to get them to finally do some hard work. Going into the gym expecting to smash the weights and having taken something designed to help you do so would definately change your frame of mind enough to accomplish something.
As stated in previous thread this stuff is all just my own opinion, I dont claim any scientific backing. Just using it as a tool to spark conversation.
Out of curiosity how do you use stims BONEZ? I imagine at your level you know what works for you and how they fit in.
Music. I recently had my ipod shuffle stolen, BUMMER! the last couple days in the gym its been tough to zone in. The new method, until i get a new ipod, is selecting thoughts that make me angry, or picking out a guy in the gym whom is bigger than me (just about everyone haha). It’s pretty awesome when you can draw motivation/drive strictly from internal sources. Find your Zone. It’s kind’ve mentally exhausting but think about someone trying to hurt your family or you, or picture yourself winning something awesome if you get the lift up. seems cheezy but it works.
BCAAs and Beta-Alanine are nice to consume pre/intra workout, the “sweet” taste of scivation Xtend gives me a little boost, and beta-alanine manages to give me a good shot of energy.
[quote]Gl;itch.e wrote:
Im pretty confident that I could push myself well beyond my recovery abilities every time I train if I felt like it.
[/quote]
You can do this even easier with anabolic steroid (and AAS actually improve recovery capacity). That doesnt mean AAS isnt a very effective tool in an athelte’s arsenal.
I agree 100% that beginners should not be using powerful stims all that often.
Ive been training since Im 16. I just started taking stims pre workout since I started grad school, at 23. I use the smallest amount possible to get the beneficial effect. Theres simply no way Im going 10-12 hours at school then coming home and being able to summon 100% effort at the gym. Day after day. Not going to happen. Not the way I lift; of course I could just go through the motions and stay ‘fit’ but come on, I wouldnt spend a few hundred dollars a year on a gym membership for that.
I use a pre workout powder before I workout. Nothing fancy. Is that what you meant?
And to be clear, I think you underestimate the body’s ability to adapt and thus recover from training. You say that you think you can train past your recovery capacity whenever you want. OK. What do stimulants have to do with that? That can be doen with or without stimulants. Just because a pre workout powder is thrown into the mix doesnt automatically force a person to train for 4 hours a day/7 days a week.
You ability to recover depends on how genetics, the program you follow, nutrition and supplementation. Stimulants do not force you to do more work, they just (may) allow you to do better work.
[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
[quote]Gl;itch.e wrote:
Im pretty confident that I could push myself well beyond my recovery abilities every time I train if I felt like it.
[/quote]
You can do this even easier with anabolic steroid (and AAS actually improve recovery capacity). That doesnt mean AAS isnt a very effective tool in an athelte’s arsenal.
I agree 100% that beginners should not be using powerful stims all that often.
Ive been training since Im 16. I just started taking stims pre workout since I started grad school, at 23. I use the smallest amount possible to get the beneficial effect. Theres simply no way Im going 10-12 hours at school then coming home and being able to summon 100% effort at the gym. Day after day. Not going to happen. Not the way I lift; of course I could just go through the motions and stay ‘fit’ but come on, I wouldnt spend a few hundred dollars a year on a gym membership for that.
I use a pre workout powder before I workout. Nothing fancy. Is that what you meant?
And to be clear, I think you underestimate the body’s ability to adapt and thus recover from training. You say that you think you can train past your recovery capacity whenever you want. OK. What do stimulants have to do with that? That can be doen with or without stimulants. Just because a pre workout powder is thrown into the mix doesnt automatically force a person to train for 4 hours a day/7 days a week.
You ability to recover depends on how genetics, the program you follow, nutrition and supplementation. Stimulants do not force you to do more work, they just (may) allow you to do better work. [/quote]
You’ve brought up some good points. I hope the OP has taken something from the different views. At the end of the day its all personal preference.
My advice to the OP would be to chill on the stims and get your diet and recovery (sleep,rest etc) up to par.
I started getting dependent on stims for a while so I just cut them out and de-loaded for a few weeks and worked my way back up. Felt like I was dragging ass for about 3-4 weeks but then it sorted itself out and I got the natural drive back. I’ve gotten back into the habit of drinking a cup of coffee before working again.