My pre workout - not as good as I thought

So in the many many years I have invested in training I have never really taken a pre workout apart from an espresso coffee.

So I decided to do a little research and found out that citrulline malate was one of the main ingredients which created the pump affect through vasodilation.

I combine this with a coffee and creatine 30 minutes prior to training.
What I have noticed this past week is that my pumps are practically not even evident.
It is like it has made the reverse effect on me.

I do have a theory though a pump is generally caused by forced blood into the muscle causing vascular restriction meaning the blood is Damned inside the muscle and cannot escape due to the blood vessels being restricted. So it would make sense that if your blood vessels were dilated it would allow more blood flow in and out of the muscle meaning less pump.

Does this make sense to anybody else

i'm not sure why you would be experiencing reverse effects from these ingredients, but i have had some great experiences and pumps with preworkouts. i know that increased amounts of caffeine can constrict blood flow, maybe that's the problem?

Maybe you're just taking too much caffeine. Like you when I want a good pump I use citrulline along with some beet root powder about 30 minutes before the gym. Sometimes I can get away with the good old ECA stack and still get a good pump. I would just lower the caffeine and take it from there. Let us know how it goes.

You can take some good old Niacin (non flush version) about 15 min before training and I have gotten some excellent pumps.

drtbear1967 said:

You can take some good old Niacin (non flush version) about 15 min before training and I have gotten some excellent pumps.

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to change subject a bit on what not to do. is the Niacin ( the flush version) with potent yohimbine with you ECA. You will be very uncomfortable..........some preworkout do put a good amount of yohimbine in their formula so you can "feel" it work, but I don't enjoy a strong yohimbine feeling.............it is an incredibly potent fat burner, just work your way up.

chihuahua said:

Maybe you're just taking too much caffeine. Like you when I want a good pump I use citrulline along with some beet root powder about 30 minutes before the gym. Sometimes I can get away with the good old ECA stack and still get a good pump. I would just lower the caffeine and take it from there. Let us know how it goes.

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I'm with you. Possibly to much caffeine. Some research has shown caffeine may block a hormone that helps keep arteries opened.

Best pre-workout for me is EC and a small amount of yohimbine. Preworkout drink of peptopro and HBCD.................that is all anyone could ever ask for unless you want to inject some igf-1 into the muscle about to be worked.

So I haven't dropped the coffee before training but I do have it way before I take the citriline and it's made huge difference. Pumps are great.. but the taste is shocking

Best prework for me is Beta-alanine(Sp?)

How many grams of citrulline did you take?