I love pre workout, don’t get me wrong. I mean, I have a fucking website dedicated to pre workout, and outside of creatine, pre workout is the supplement I use the most. However, pre workout probably gets used improperly far more than any other fitness supplement. I spent a couple years obviously addicted to pre workout, which kept me going to the gym but essentially crushing my body and never giving myself a chance to recover.
Read More: Do You NEED Pre Workout?
Pre Workout Can Fuel Overtraining
Pre workout supplements over ride your body’s messages by stimulating your central nervous system. When you continuously shut down these messages your body will be able to accumulate far more fatigue than if you were training without pre workout. I’ve noticed this in my own training. When I was taking more and more pre workout for months at a time, eventually the pre workout wouldn’t do anything for me and I wouldn’t be able to train even with pre workout. I’d do a couple warm up sets and find myself totally exhausted before I even started my main workout.
So while I still use pre workout, I use it more sparingly and avoid increasing my dosage. This way I won’t build up a greater tolerance to the supplement, and require more to get the same effect.
What Should You Do?
- Cycle Off Pre-Workout Regularly: Every so often, you should take a break from pre workout to prevent building a tolerance to the supplement.
- Listen To Your Body: If you show up to the gym feeling sluggish and tired, you may want to take the day off or just do a light workout. This will help prevent you from overtraining your body and running yourself down. If you find yourself losing motivation to train, you might need a few days off to focus on rest and recovery.
