The science, the strategy, and how it all works together.

Pre-workout routines have become ritualistic. For many, it’s just a caffeine blast and a prayer. But when you’re playing the long game—recomposition, recovery, and brain-body harmony—every ingredient needs to earn its place.

This is my current pre-workout stack. It’s simple, purposeful, and synergistic—designed to activate blood flow, neural drive, and muscular readiness without frying my nervous system or setting me up for a crash.

Let’s break down exactly what I take and why I take it.

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1. Arginine – Nitric Oxide Priming

Dose: ~6g (taken ~30 mins before training)
Why: Arginine is a direct precursor to nitric oxide (NO), the molecule responsible for vasodilation. It helps open up blood vessels, allowing more oxygen and nutrients to reach the muscles during training.

Effect:

• Bigger pumps

• Better vascularity

• More nutrient delivery = better muscle activation

• Longer time-to-fatigue

While citrulline may be more bioavailable in some cases, I’ve chosen arginine for its fast-acting NO support—particularly when combined with beet juice. It’s a clean, foundational blood flow booster.

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2. C4 Pre-Workout – Energy, Focus, Drive

Why this one:
C4 is reliable. It’s not overloaded with exotic stimulants or aggressive ingredients that wreck recovery. The blend includes:

• Caffeine anhydrous – sharp energy

• Beta-alanine – tingling included; buffers lactic acid

• Creatine nitrate – helps with strength and endurance

• Tyrosine – enhances focus by supporting dopamine

Why I use it sparingly:
I only train 4x per week (Thurs–Sun), and caffeine is strictly reserved for those days. This avoids adrenal fatigue, tolerance, and dependence. Using C4 tactically keeps it effective.

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3. Beet Juice – Nitrate-Fueled Performance

Why:
Beet juice is a natural source of dietary nitrates, which increase nitric oxide production through a different pathway than arginine. This dual mechanism means compounding blood flow effects.

Benefits:

• Boosts endurance

• Enhances muscle oxygenation

• Reduces perceived effort

• Improves time-to-exhaustion during high-intensity training

It pairs beautifully with arginine for layered NO production—great for HIIT, resistance bands, and circuits. I typically take this as a small shot ~30 mins before training.

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4. Cognition (Optional) – Mental Clarity On Demand

When used:
Only when I feel foggy or mentally underpowered before a session—usually if sleep or focus has been disrupted. One capsule is enough.

What’s inside:

• N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine – dopamine precursor for drive and focus

• CDP-Choline – sharpens attention and memory

• L-Theanine – smooths the edges without sedation

It’s a clean nootropic blend that enhances mental clarity without jacking up heart rate. Perfect on days where the body’s ready but the mind needs a kick.

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Synergy Over Stimulation: Why This Stack Works

Each ingredient in this stack plays a specific role:

• Arginine + Beet Juice = Vasodilation and blood volume

• C4 = Energy, alertness, muscular activation

• Cognition = Optional brain boost without over-stimulating

And none of this is taken mindlessly.

Caffeine is only used on workout days—and never into the afternoon. The goal is performance without sacrificing sleep, recovery, or long-term hormonal balance.

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The Invisible Factor: Mindset Rituals

Supplementation is only part of the prep. Alongside this stack, I include:

• Belly tapping – to activate vagal tone and the core

• TVA engagement – abdominal bracing to fire deep core stabilisers

• Breathwork – slow exhales and nose breathing to steady arousal

These somatic rituals anchor the session. They remind me: I’m not training for hype, I’m training for harmony—mind and body aligned under tension.

Intra-Workout: NXT BCAAs + Electrolytes – Sustain, Hydrate, Recover

Why I use it:
During intense training—especially resistance bands and HIIT—muscle breakdown, electrolyte loss, and mental fatigue start creeping in. That’s where NXT’s BCAA + Electrolyte formula comes in. It’s not just a “sip as you go” drink—it’s a performance support system mid-battle.

What it includes:

• Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs):
  These are the three amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine) that directly stimulate muscle protein synthesis, reduce muscle soreness, and delay fatigue.
  Leucine, in particular, is key for maintaining an anabolic state during training.

• Electrolytes (Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium):
  These help replenish minerals lost through sweat. Without proper electrolyte balance, you risk cramps, reduced power output, and central fatigue.

• Hydration support:
  Increases endurance and helps maintain mental sharpness throughout the session, especially under lights or in warm conditions.

Why it works for me:

• Keeps performance stable across long or high-rep sessions

• Prevents the “fade” that can happen mid-workout

• Reduces post-training soreness and supports quicker recovery

When:
I start sipping it during warm-up and continue throughout the session, particularly when training in higher volume or when ambient temperature is high.

Final Thoughts: Train With Intelligence, Not Hype

There are a million pre-workout formulas on the market. Most are crutches. Some are chemical chaos. But when you tune into your body—its rhythms, its limits, its needs—you realise that less is often more.

This stack:

• Supports blood flow, without blowing out your heart rate

• Enhances mental focus, without creating dependence

• Supports muscle performance, without wrecking recovery

It’s not just about fuel—it’s about flow. Use it wisely, and the results won’t just show up in your training—they’ll ripple into every area of your life.