If you've walked past the supplements aisle or scrolled past a gym influencer's Instagram story, you've probably seen someone scooping a bright orange powder into a shaker before hitting the weights. That's pre-workout, and it's one of the most popular supplements in strength training for a reason.

A pre-workout is a supplement, usually a powder you mix with water, taken roughly 20 to 30 minutes before training. The idea is simple: give your body and brain a head start before you pick up a barbell or step on a treadmill. Most formulas combine a handful of ingredients that each do a different job, rather than relying on one single ingredient to do everything.

What's actually in it

Read a typical label and you'll usually find caffeine for alertness, beta-alanine for muscular endurance, an amino acid like AAKG or citrulline to support blood flow, and sometimes creatine or B vitamins added as well. Our own Pre-Workout follows that same approach. Each 10g serve carries 200mg of caffeine, 1,500mg of beta-alanine, 1,000mg of AAKG and a dose of N-acetyl-tyrosine, all printed on the label rather than hidden behind a "proprietary blend."

That transparency matters more than it sounds. A lot of cheaper pre-workouts bundle their ingredients into blends so you can't tell how much of anything you're actually getting. Reading the panel before you buy is the easiest way to know what you're putting in your body.

Why people use it

Training first thing in the morning or after a long day at work isn't always easy. A pre-workout won't do the lifting for you, but the right formula can help you feel more switched on for the session ahead, push a few extra reps once things get hard, and hold your focus if your mind starts to wander around set four of five. Some people use it every session, others save it for heavier training days or early starts when they need the extra nudge.

Is it for everyone?

Not necessarily. If you're sensitive to caffeine, pregnant, or on medication that interacts with stimulants, it's worth talking to a doctor before adding any pre-workout to your routine, ours included. For everyone else, starting with a smaller serve to gauge tolerance is a sensible way to find out how your body responds.

Getting started

If you're new to pre-workout, our Orange and Lemon Pre-Workout is built to be straightforward: a balanced dose of caffeine plus supportive ingredients, without the jitters-and-crash formulas some brands lean on. Prefer something you can just crack open and drink? The Pre-Workout Ready to Drink can skips the shaker altogether.