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Make Your Own Homemade Pre-Workout

Supplement

It's time to get creative in the kitchen! Learn how you can save
money by creating your own custom pre-workout with these two
easy recipes.

Pre-workout supplements are a big business.

The supplement industry combines many ingredients to form some rather potent potions
to get you geared-up for your upcoming training session.

The cost of pre-made drinks, shakes, or mixes can quickly add up when taken on a daily
basis. With the right ingredients, you can recreate these formulas at home.

Below are two homemade pre-workout options so you can act like your very own
supplement Frankenstein and save a little (or a lot) of money along the way.

1. Homemade Pre-Workout Stimulant

This pre-workout is custom made for those looking for an energy boost without going
broke. Read how easy and inexpensive it is to craft your very own stimulant-based
supplement cocktail.

Caffeine (100-200mg)
This will be the main ingredient for your homemade pre-workout supplement. This
stimulant improves focus and mental alertness. This is essential, especially for those who
have early morning workouts.

Start small, around 100mg, and then increase the dose only if you feel the need. Never
go over 200mg – you don’t want to overstimulate your system and then start to
experience lack of sleep and shaking.

Normally, you can get around 100 pills of 100mg or 200mg caffeine for a little more than
$6. That’s around only 6 cents per pill.

L-Arginine (5g)
L-Arginine has been shown to increase nitric oxide levels in the bloodstream which will,
in turn, increase blood flow to your muscles resulting in less fatigue and increased
muscular endurance. This happens through blood vessel dilation and the end result is
bigger pump. 5g should do the trick.

You can get 500g of L-Arginine for around $25 which translates to about 25 cents per
dose.
Creatine (5g)
As the most studied supplement around, creatine monohydrate improves strength,
muscular endurance, and muscle recovery. Creatine is also found as an added
ingredient in quite a few other supplements as well. As this is often viewed as a bonus
ingredient, you don’t always know the amount or the quality added. In your own shake,
shoot for 5g.

You can easily find 500g of creatine monohydrate for around $15. That’s only 15 cents
per 5g serving.

Beta-Alanine (2g)
The final ingredient to consider adding to your pre-workout shake is Beta-Alanine.
Shown to increase muscle mass, workout endurance, and recovery between bouts, this
supplement will actually give you a slight tingling feeling at your skin’s surface. 2g should
be plenty.

In powder form, you can get Beta-Alanine for about $15 per 250g. That comes out to be
12 cents per 2g serving.

Total cost per pre-workout drink: $0.58

2. Homemade Pre-Workout Muscle Builder

If energy isn’t a problem for your workouts, then shoot for a little muscle boost pre-
training. Muscle building whey, creatine, and a few other ingredients will help you get
bigger and stronger without breaking the bank. It's easy – just watch!
Whey Protein (20g of protein or about 1 scoop)
Of course you can’t have a muscle-building, pre-recovery workout shake without whey
protein. Taking in a little whey prior to training will not only kick-start recovery, but also
fuel your workouts without eating up muscle tissue. Go with about 20-25g.

You can easily get a 2, 3 or 5 pound bag of quality protein on the cheap – around $40
for a 5 pound jug. This can come out to be anywhere between 18 and 24 cents per
serving.

Creatine (5g)
As stated earlier, creatine is a must, especially if building quality, new muscle is your
goal. A relatively small dose is needed to fuel your workout, help you recover quickly
from set to set, and increase muscular endurance for the long haul.

Again, you can easily find 500g of creatine monohydrate for around $15. That’s only 15
cents per 5g serving.

Blueberries (½-1 cup)

Rich in antioxidants and other essential vitamins, blueberries are the perfect pre-workout
carbohydrate to help boost your training and aid in energy production. Loaded with
complex carbs and rich in fiber, you’ll love the muscle-sparing benefits of blueberries.

At about $3 per bag, a simple ½ cup serving will only run you about $1.

Greek Yogurt (½ cup)

Rich in casein protein, Greek yogurt will add to your protein punch and give you an even
better head-start on the recovery process. Since casein contains slow digesting amino
acids, it will be at your service even after training is over. Who wouldn’t want a leg up on
recovery?

½ cup provides about 12 grams of protein, and at around $4 per container, you will only
have to shell out 50 cents per serving.

Total cost per pre-workout muscle-building shake: $1.83

That is serious money savings when you can easily pay $5, $6 and sometimes $7 per
pre-made shake at the gym.

What do you take pre-workout?

Do you have your own homemade pre-workout recipes? Leave your concoctions in the
comments below!

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About The Author

Brad Borland
Brad has a Master's degree in Kinesiology and is a strength and
conditioning specialist, military veteran, and cancer survivor.
View all by Brad Borland »

38 Comments + Post Comment

Posted Tue, 03/19/2019 - 17:09 LIKE 1

Thomas C Canty
Citrulline Malate, Beta Alanine, Creatine, Spark (Advocare amino acid drink with tons of other
goodies).

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Posted Tue, 01/15/2019 - 08:44 LIKE 0

cathleen
Almost 52 & 40lbs overweight. Just joined a gym but cannot get there until 9pm. Which is fine,
no problem there. But, I am so sluggish in the morning. Any suggestions?

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 Posted Tue, 01/15/2019 - 11:39 LIKE 0
JoshEngland
Hi Cathleen,
How's you sleep and nutrition? Start there. :)
Make sure you're getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep and eating a healthful diet.

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Posted Wed, 03/21/2018 - 16:06 LIKE 1

Maxxx
What i use for weight loss or build muscle if i allergy on caffeine ?? Thanks.

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Posted Wed, 03/21/2018 - 16:10 LIKE 3

JoshEngland
Hi Maxxx,
A calorie deficit oughtta do the trick.
Hope this helps!

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Posted Wed, 03/21/2018 - 17:01 LIKE 1

Maxxx
Thanks.Will it work if I throw out caffeine and I use everything else?

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Posted Thu, 03/22/2018 - 09:07 LIKE 2

JoshEngland
Hi Maxxx,
Yep, a calorie deficit without caffeine should still help you lose fat.
Hope this helps!

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Posted Sun, 10/14/2018 - 02:35 LIKE 0

Abdul Qadir Khan
No, caffeine is the main ingredient. It improves mental alertness

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 Posted Fri, 10/07/2016 - 08:48 LIKE 13
Sully
I have mixed my own pre workout for years now. I used 2g creatine HCL 6 g citrulline malate 2
g beta alanine 2 g betaine 1 g tyrosine 1g taurine and 200-300mg caffeine

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Posted Sun, 06/10/2018 - 09:59 LIKE 0

Brian
I find that anything with hcl in it makes the taste to bitter and makes my throat irritated,
do you mask the taste with anything?

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Posted Sun, 09/18/2016 - 17:57 LIKE 13

Mike
My pre workout recipe: Citrulline Malate, Beta Alanine, Creatine Mono, BCAA's, betaine,
Taurine, and of course caffeine.

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Posted Sun, 09/18/2016 - 14:19 LIKE 9

Ben
Cup of strong chilled coffee mixed with a scoop of raw fusion protein and 5mg of beast
nutrition glutamine.
And
A glass of juice made from a whole beet, 1 green apple, 2 carrots and a little chopped ginger
root and a cucumber.
I found this mix equally as good and any pre work .... And I have tried a lot of pre-workouts.

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Posted Sun, 09/18/2016 - 13:54 LIKE 10

Kardo
L-Arginine has been shown to be pretty useless for increasing NO. L-Citrulline is much better.

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Posted Mon, 11/02/2015 - 17:28 LIKE 10

chris cooke
I've experimented with various things, but what seems to work best for me at the moment is:
whey, creatine, bcaa's, hmb, glutamine, beta-alanine, cirtulline and caffeine.
I'm 43, so I feel I need the extra help. I seems to be working. Any comments appreciated.

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Posted Tue, 11/03/2015 - 11:58 LIKE 13

daido
Sounds like a lot going in Chris. Believe me most of us need a little something to
motivate. Water and some bcaa before and after is enough. If you feell the need to
supplement more wait til the training ends. But as I mentioned before today determines
tomorrow.

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Posted Tue, 10/13/2015 - 16:46 LIKE 13

MC
I workout at 5 am, a female at 40. I need to coffee! I cold brew my coffee in advance for the
week. I mix 1 scoop of protein, about 1/2 cup of coconut water, about 1/4 of coffee because
it's concentrated, and a little bit of water...mix it all up the night before. The taste is great. I was
yawning through my workouts but now, I'm awake and ready to go. I drink half before I
workout and the other half after my workout. Do you think this is good combination?

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Posted Wed, 10/14/2015 - 10:03 LIKE 10

daido
Brilliant. Sounds like the perfect combination and of course if it works for you. Nothing
else matters.

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Posted Thu, 09/24/2015 - 02:23 LIKE 9

MARS
I am trying type 1: Homemade pre-workout Stimulant for couple of weeks.
But it does not work for me, instead it makes me so weak. I feel powerless, dizziness in the
gym.
Any solution ?

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Posted Fri, 09/18/2015 - 11:17 LIKE 12

Nikolay @ Organ...
Great selection of pre-workout stimulants and muscle builders! Speaking about the stimulants
though, some people have increased intolerance to caffeine and even 200mg could cause
them side effects. I say this, because I am one of those people. My alternative to high-caffeine
energy drinks and coffee is usually the green tea matcha. It has a lot less caffeine, yet
possesses the same effects that help you stay focused and vigorous. Not to mention all the
other health benefits it brings.

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Posted Wed, 07/08/2015 - 22:29 LIKE 14

Mike Sullivan
5g creatine
6g citrulline malate
2g beta alanine
1.5g tyrosine
200mg caffeine
1.5g betaine
1g taurine
3 Splenda packets
1 packet Hawaiian punch berry limeade for flavor
14-16 Oz water

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Posted Thu, 07/09/2015 - 15:45 LIKE 13

BradBorland
That's quite a list! Thanks for sharing!

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Posted Sun, 09/18/2016 - 17:59 LIKE 13

Mike
I like it!

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Posted Tue, 07/07/2015 - 19:20 LIKE 13

Steven hunter
My preworkout is just a plain cup of black coffee with a scoop of bakers coco.

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Posted Wed, 07/08/2015 - 22:37 LIKE 13

BradBorland
Right on, Steven!

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 Posted Tue, 07/07/2015 - 11:25 LIKE 13
ian wallace
Any advice what to take for a 6am pre-workout...

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Posted Wed, 07/08/2015 - 22:37 LIKE 10

BradBorland
Try one of the pre-workout stimulants above that includes coffee.

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Posted Tue, 07/07/2015 - 10:50 LIKE 13

Ray
Here is my pre-workout:
1. 25mgs of yohimbine hcl
2. 50 mgs of synephrine
3. 6 grams of citrulline malate
4. 4 grams beta alanine
5. 200gms caffeine
6. 2 grams of betaine
7. 2 grams of l-carnitine l-tartrate
8. 750mgs of agmatine
9. 10mgs of biperine
10 900mgs of turmeric extract
Then I kill it.

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Posted Wed, 07/08/2015 - 22:38 LIKE 16

BradBorland
Wow!

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Posted Tue, 07/07/2015 - 09:40 LIKE 15

Raimo Johannes ...
Hyphy mud!!

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 Posted Tue, 07/07/2015 - 09:35 LIKE 13
Michael Hunt
Why L-Arginine when citrulline maleate is more effective at raising arginine levels?

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Posted Wed, 07/08/2015 - 22:38 LIKE 17

BradBorland
Hi Michael. Great suggestion!

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Posted Mon, 07/06/2015 - 22:17 LIKE 16

BradBorland
Do you have your own concoction you would like to share?

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Posted Tue, 07/07/2015 - 10:58 LIKE 17

Erik
For the pre workout, I sometimes will include Citrulline Malate in place of L Arginine
and use some Vitamin Water Zero to mix it all up in.
I often prefer to make my own mix because I can control how much or how little
caffeine I want to use for a particular workout.

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Posted Wed, 07/08/2015 - 22:39 LIKE 19

BradBorland
Good one! Thanks for sharing!

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Posted Wed, 07/08/2015 - 04:36 LIKE 19

John
having 40 plus years of training experience the BEST pre workout is the MIND! all of
this stuff going into the body right before a workout does little outside of the mind for
the workout. if you are eating right and have timed your nutrition correctly you will have
plenty of energy to get through your training and still have the nutrients in your body to
begin replenishing afterwards. give yourselves a few minutes before your first set to
actually think about what you NEED to accomplish with your training today. Stimulate
 yourself, believe me all the mixing and sipping in the world won't do a thing for your
training. What you eat yesterday is going to determine what your training is like today!

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Posted Wed, 07/08/2015 - 22:39 LIKE 14

BradBorland
Great thoughts, John! Thanks!

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Posted Sun, 12/13/2015 - 21:49 LIKE 20

Peter mullen
Bro really?

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Posted Mon, 12/14/2015 - 11:19 LIKE 19

daido
Yes really. I just left the gym and saw the same people doing the same thing and
looking exactly the same as always. But one thing they all want is to see what new
supplement will make them different. Yea Peter really.

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