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Packing on muscle, increasing strength and building an attention-grabbing physique don't just happen overnight. You've got to consistently follow the right training program, as well as stay on top of your dietary needs, and sometimes that's just not enough. Even if you're on the right program, you have to make sure you're working out at your maximum intensity all the time. We've all gone into the gym at some point and haven't had the energy, strength or focus to get the most out of our workouts, and that can be detrimental to your progress.

Through proper supplementation you can increase your workout intensity, strength, endurance and overall performance in the gym. In turn, the added edge can push your muscle gains to a whole new level. Pre-workout supplements can give you the boost you need to help you make the gains you're looking for.

With new research findings being published every year, it's hard to keep up with the latest in supplement science, especially with so many preworkout products now on the market. Read through the following review, and you'll have everything you need to know about the hottest preworkout supplements.

Nitric Oxide Pills

Nitric oxide pills are one of the most popular preworkout supplements on the market. NO is a molecule that acts as an intracellular messenger. It's synthesized from arginine and oxygen via the enzyme nitric oxide synthase and is produced within the endothelial cells, which line the blood vessels. Once produced, NO diffuses into the smooth muscle tissue of blood vessels.

That signals the smooth muscle within the blood vessels to relax and widen, a process called vasodilation that increases blood flow and ultimately creates a muscle pump. The increased blood flow enhances nutrient delivery to and waste removal from the muscles, improving muscular growth, strength development and recovery—during and after workouts.

Since NO is produced from arginine, pretty much all NO formulas are arginine based. MuscleTech NaNOX9 and BSN's Nitrix are two of the most popular products on the market. They both feature arginine alpha-ketoglutarate as the primary ingredient. I've tried a few different NO stimulators, and I did seem to get a better pump while I was working out. I can't really say I noticed a huge change in terms of muscle or strength gains, however, even after being on them for about eight weeks.

One thing a lot of people hate about NO pills is that they usually come in the form of big, hard-to-swallow caplets. Although some NO stimulators may increase muscle pumps during your workouts, if you're on a tight budget, you might want to spend your money on something proven to directly stimulate increases in muscle growth and strength.

Plasma Expanders

Plasma expanders make up one of the newest categories of preworkout supplements. They're designed to pull interstitial fluid into your blood, creating an increase in blood plasma volume—which can result in increased vascularity and a full, round, muscular look. In my experience, however, plasma expanders work best for bodybuilders who are very lean.

NxLABS was the first to introduce a plasma expander to the market, Plasmavol. Rumor has it that Gaspari Nutrition is looking to follow suit. Plasmavol has a solid formula and has helped competitive bodybuilders step onstage in peak condition. In fact, many top pros have used the stuff to increase their vascularity and muscle pumps 48 hours before a competition. Plasma expanders can certainly bring out vascularity and increase muscle pumps. Still, it's important to remember that the stuff works best when you're really lean.

Stimulants

Bodybuilders have used stimulants for decades as a preworkout tool for increasing intensity and energy in the gym. About 10 years ago we used to stack Wake Ups (a.k.a. caffeine pills) with straight ephedrine, and that was powerful enough to do the trick. Since ephedrine was banned in the United States, the market has been flooded with countless stimulant-based preworkout supplements —each claiming to be more powerful than the next. These days the base of nearly all preworkout drinks and fat-burner supplements as is simply a megadose of caffeine. Some of the popular preworkout drink mixes also contain such ingredients as NO stimulators.

Gaspari Nutrition's SuperPump250 and BSN's NO-Xplode are among the top-selling preworkout drinks. Actually, NO-Xplode is the number-one-selling preworkout drink right now. I've tried it, and it works very well (my favorite flavor is blue rasp- berry).

If you're going to use a stimulant preworkout and you want to take the cost-effective approach, I recommend using either caffeine pills like Prolab Advanced Caffeine, straight coffee or even a sugar-free Speed Stack. Sometimes you can pick up ephedrine Like Hi-Tech Lipodrene W/Ephedra, but it's becoming much harder to find. Fortunately, if you live in Canada, ephedrine is still legal and can be found at just about any sports supplement shop. You've seen all the bad press on ephedrine, and I'm sure you've been concerned about its "dangers," so I have to tell you to check with your doctor before using ephedrine.

Nootropics (Brain Boosters)

Nootropic compounds have been gaining popularity in the bodybuilding-supplement industry. Nootropic is the name given to a class of compounds that can increase cognitive function, including memory, mood, alertness and focus. Because they can improve focus, nootropics can benefit bodybuilders or any hard-training athlete.

Increased mental focus can directly translate into increased intensity in the gym. We all know that the harder you train, the more strength and muscular size you gain. So the benefits of nootropic compounds help explain why many preworkout products now include a nootropic complex in their formulas. Met-x Amped ECN NOS has a good nootropic complex, adding to its excellent formula. NxLABS just released Betasine, a cutting-edge beta-alanine and carnosine formula, which also includes a solid nootropic complex for increased intensity in the gym. I got to try a sample of Betasine, and I like it. I felt the increase in energy at the muscular level as well as an increase in mental focus—quite a combination that gave me some killer workouts.

If you decide to use a product with a nootropic complex, some of the more effective agents that you'll want to look out for include n-acetyl-l-tyrosine, standardized Ginkgo biloba extract, vinpocetine and huperzine A.

Cell Volumizers

Cell volumizers are among the most beneficial supplements for muscle growth and strength. Basically, they expand muscle cells by pulling water inside, which triggers an immediate anabolic response. An increase in muscle cell volume stimulates protein synthesis—that is, new muscle-fiber growth—to fill up the intracellular space. So by regularly using a cell volumizer before your workouts, you can heighten the anabolic effects of a heavy weight-training session.

Common cell volumizers include creatine and glutamine; however, with recent advancements in science and technology there are much better options than just using plain old creatine and glutamine. ISS's Satur8 , Gaspar' Nutrition's SizeOn, BSN's Cell Mass , Armageddon by StarChem Labs and an incredible new product made by NxLABS-Anavol Hardcore are four of the more popular cell volumizers on the market. Satur8 is a decent formula. I tried the Orange Octane flavor, and the taste was okay, but the effects were solid. SizeOn is also a decent formula but a bit too high in simple Garbs for my liking. Its best feature is the presence of creatine gluconate, a powerful form of creatine that you see in all the top creatine products in 2007 and 2008.

Anavol Hardcore could prove to be the best cell volumizer ever formulated. Each serving starts with the top three most advanced forms of creative known to science, plus glycerol monostearate, L-glutamine alphaketoglutarate, L-arginine alpha- ketoglutarate, leucine and the compound that everyone is talking about, Forslean. There are also a few other mystery compunds that NxLABS wouldn't let me write about at this time, as competitors are likely to knock off the product in short order. I know a lot of bodybuilders who've gotten great results from the original Anavol, so I can only imagine how awesome the new version will be.

Muscle Fatigue Inhibitors (LacticAcid and Hydrogen Ion Buffers)

If you're training at a high intensity, then you've experienced lactic acid burn in your muscles. Basically, the pH in your muscles and blood drops, causing them to become very acidic. That acidic environment hinders muscle contraction and therefore muscle performance. When lactic acid is produced, hydrogen ion concentration also increases, and the combination is detrimental to muscle performance, which is why lactic acid and hydrogen-ionbuffering supplements have become quite popular in recent years.

Back in the day, lifters used mega-doses of ordinary baking soda to buffer lactic acid and prevent the burn. It worked, but side effects such as diarrhea outweighed the benefits. Former supplement giant TwinLab used to make a great product called PhosFuel that worked the way baking soda did but without the negative side effects. You'll rarely find it available these days.

Today's fatigue inhibitors primarily focus on buffering the increase in hydrogen ions associated with lactic acid production. Compounds such as beta-alanine and carnosine have a dramatic effect on buffering hydrogen ions and increasing performance in the gym. carnosine appears to prevent certain enzyme reactions that lead to increased acid in muscles. Supplementation with beta-alanine can increase carnosine synthesis in the muscle. So by combining the two compounds, you can effectively decrease the muscle acidity during exercise and improve muscle performance, enabling you to push past the burn and crank out more reps.

Isatori was the first company to come out with a great beta-alanine and carnosine product, H+Blocker, and I'm told it's bringing out an improved version that incorporates newer science. BodyWell Nutrition First Order is also a quality beta-alanine product that has met label claim in every lab test I've seen. More recently, NxLABS has introduced Betasine, bodybuilding's first nano-particulated beta-alanine and carnosine blend.

The researchers at NxLABS included beta-alanine ethyl ester and carnosine ethyl ester to maximize absorption. As with creative esters, beta-alanine esters represent the next wave in supplementation for that compound. Don't forget that Betasine also includes a nootropic complex, making it perfect for preworkout. When I tried a sample, I was surprised because it was the first beta-alanine supplement I could actually feel—it powered me to bang out extra reps the first time I used it. If you want to notice benefits right away, then your top choices are Betasine and NO-Xplode. Try stacking them if you're truly hardcore.

A Final Word On Preworkout Supplements

Now, the next time you go to throw down your hard-earned cash for a supplement stack, you should be able to make an educated decision. If like most of us you have the goal of building more muscle and increasing strength, I recommend that you start by using a potent cell volumizer such as Gaspari's SizeOn, BSN's Cell Mass or NxLABS' Anavol Hardcore when it's available. A cell volumizer will have the most significant impact on increasing muscle growth and strength.

Then, depending on your budget, you can build your preworkout supplement stack. If you're after the best results possible, stacking Anavol Hardcore with a product like Betasine would probably be your best option. On top of that, good strong coffee or a Speed Stack is a cost-effective way to get another little boost.. Remeber, though, that the foundation of your bodybuilding plan must be solid training and nutrition. Once you have that covered, the right preworkout supplements could give you a real edge in achieving the results you're looking for.

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