The most common pre-workout powder question is creatine or no creatine? Many doctors and GNC employees would recommend that women don’t use any sort of supplement that contains creatine because it’s an ingredient that bulks you up. Men, however, are free to take creatine in their pre-workout formulas.
A pre-workout powder called C4 is the most recommended for both men and women. It’s a powder containing NO3 (which is a mixture of creatine and nitric oxide). Since it does contain a small amount of creatine (1 gram), if you’re a girl and want to stay completely away from bulking, this is not for you. And if you’re a guy who wants to build up lots of muscle, choose something a little heavier on the creatine. But truth be told, C4 is a great in-between and comes in 11 different flavors.
Photo by Alyssa DiFrancesco
I personally use C4 and love it. It does make my face burn slightly and gives my skin the tingles with cardio, but that’s common with some pre-workout formulas. C4 gives you immediate energy so you aren’t waiting around to start feeling the effect. Unfortunately, with long amounts of cardio, like running more than 4 miles, it does make me nauseous. Nothing to stop my workout, but enough to make me feel uncomfortable.
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A different pre-workout called Ravage contains a much larger amount of creatine — 3 grams of micronized creatine monohydrate to be exact. This powder is definitely meant for bulking up. Ravage also has 3.2 grams of beta alanine, whereas C4 only has 1.5 grams. Beta alanine is a big ingredient in all pre-workouts because it increases energy and strength while also combating lactic acid build up, which is the fatigue feeling in your muscles. This ingredient helps build more muscular endurance.
Photo by Alyssa DiFrancesco
So to wrap up, C4 is great for beginners who aren’t super into getting pumped up, while Ravange is more for heavy weight lifters who can rapidly adjust to pre-workout stuff and are looking for a big time bulk-up.
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