Many of us adhere to a specific routine prior to exercising. The procedure is well-known: select your preferred flavor, quickly review the ingredient list to ensure nothing is particularly daunting, and then hasten to the checkout before another lucky shopper snags it. There might also be a temptation to buy more than one bottle, just as a safeguard in case one gets lost or spills in your gym bag in the meantime.
You may also like: Best Creatine Supplements – 2021 Reviews
The truth is that most people are wasting their money on pre-workouts they could easily make at home with just a few simple ingredients and a blender! Here’s how:
What You’ll Need
Citrulline Malate (CM)
- 2 parts citrulline to 1 part malic acid (if you can’t find citrulline malate, use straight citrulline)
- 4.5 grams for men and 3.2 grams for women
Creatine Monohydrate
- 1.5 grams for men and 1 gram for women
Beta-Alanine
- Caffeine (200 milligrams)
- B Vitamins: B1, B2, B3, & B12 – 2 parts each of Thiamin (vitamin b1), Riboflavin (b2), Niacin (b3), Pantothenic Acid (b5), Pyridoxine HCL (B6) – Use any combination of each to create a total of 30 milligrams, but no more than 10mg of B6
Optional Ingredients
- Green Tea Extract/Matcha Powder: 1-2 grams for fat burning and better endurance
- Agmatine Sulfate: 1-2 grams for better pumps and performance
- ZMA: 30 milligrams zinc, 450 milligrams magnesium, and 10.5 milligrams vitamin B6
What You Need To Know Before You Start
The doses here work well for an average-sized male (180 pounds) and female (140 pounds). If you’re smaller than that, reduce the doses accordingly.
You’ll want to use a blender and not a shaker cup because it’s important to mix up the ingredients evenly and thoroughly. You don’t want one sip with too much caffeine and another without any at all! Also, make sure your CM is real citrulline malate and not one of the cheap knock-off formulas.
Also read: 5 Reasons to Take Supplements as a Part of a Workout Plan
If you don’t have access to a scale, use teaspoons instead of grams whenever possible. For example, 1/2 teaspoon is about 3.1 grams.
The servings are based on ingesting the entire recipe, not drinking it throughout the day. You can either take all of it at once or split it up how you prefer.
How To Make It:
- 8 ounces of water (for caffeine)
- 32 ounces of water (for hydrating the creatine)
- 1/2 teaspoon citrulline malate (3.1 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon creatine monohydrate (3.5 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon beta-alanine (3.6 grams)
- 1 serving of your choice from the optional ingredients list – see above for more information on each one and what you’ll need to do to make your total 30 milligrams of B6
- 1 serving of your choice from the optional ingredients list – see above for more information on each one and what you’ll need to do to make your total 200 milligrams of caffeine (200 milligrams is approximately 2/3 cup of coffee)
- 5 teaspoons B Vitamins: B1, B2, B3, & B12 (5.2 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon green tea extract (if you’re using it for its fat-burning and endurance benefits; if not, leave it out.)
- 2 teaspoons matcha powder (if you’re using it for its fat-burning and endurance benefits; if not, leave it out.)
- 1 serving agmatine sulfate (2.5 grams)
- 30 milligrams zinc (1/4 teaspoon of ZMA powder)
- 450 milligrams magnesium (1/4 teaspoon of magnesium citrate with no additives or fillers; if you don’t want to use ZMA, buy any other brand that contains magnesium and no other ingredients)
- 10.5 milligrams of vitamin B6 (1/4 teaspoon of pyridoxine HCL; if you don’t want to use ZMA, buy any other brand that contains Vitamin B6 and no other ingredients)
Instructions:
Place all powders in the blender first so they can mix easily. Add in the caffeine followed by the water and ice cubes, honey if you’re using it, green tea extract (if you’re using it), matcha powder (if you’re using it), agmatine sulfate (if you’re using it), ZMA (if you’re not skipping it) or any other supplements you’re using. Blend it all.
Yield
About 36 ounces, or just over 2 servings of pre-workout, will each have 200 milligrams of caffeine – enough to get you going!
Tips
If you want a more intense yet shorter workout, use a half serving instead of a whole serving before your workout. To save money, buy a giant jug of citrulline malate and creatine monohydrate from your local wholesale store.
Benefits of Pre-Workout
You have complete control over how much caffeine you want to use. Skip them altogether if you don’t want to spend the extra money on agmatine sulfate or green tea extract.
If you buy a giant jug of citrulline malate, you’ll save money in the long run because it’s cheaper to make your pre-workout with bulk ingredients than to buy smaller bottles full of fillers and additives.
What Does A Pre-Workout Do?
A pre-workout will get your mind and body ready to work out. When you feel tired, it’s much easier to come up with reasons not to work out than when you’re full of energy. It helps give you the motivation you need to lift heavyweights in the gym.
A common and effective blend is:
- 1 teaspoon citrulline malate
- 1/2 teaspoon beta-alanine
- 1/4 teaspoon creatine monohydrate
- 2 tablespoons BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) in a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
- 1/4 teaspoon caffeine (optional)
If you wanted to make a pre-workout with these ingredients, it would look like this:
1. In a blender, add 1 teaspoon of citrulline malate and the other half of the beta-alanine. Blend them into a fine powder. The resulting mix should be a slightly off-white color.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon of creatine monohydrate and blend those as well. The resulting mix should be a slightly off-white or yellowish color, depending on the brand you have or are getting.
3. In a separate bowl, add 2 tablespoons of BCAAs in a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
4. Add 1/2 teaspoon of caffeine (optional).
5. Pour the BCAAs into the blender with everything else.
6. Blend it all until you have an even powder that’s slightly off-white or yellowish.
7. You can add ice cubes and water if you want, but the powder will dissolve regardless, so it’s not necessary
8. Enjoy!
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a pre-workout that’s not expensive and easy to make, this recipe is perfect for you. We’ve provided all the ingredients needed, so there’s no need to buy any supplements at the store – pick up some bulk powders from your local wholesale club! This way, you can save money in the long run by making your personalized blend with only what works best for you.
It doesn’t matter if it takes a little more time or effort because now when fatigue sets in during those late-night workouts, all it’ll take is one sip of your homemade pre-workout drink before hitting the weights.
