This fall kicks off an epic pre-workout campaign team GNC has been working tirelessly over for the past few months. Hours of planning, meetings, dialogue and effort have been put into this project – many thanks in part to pre-workouts themselves!
Our Nutrition Content team was tasked with numerous writing projects aimed to educate consumers about pre workout supplements, ingredients and ways to incorporate their use. But the more we discussed it, the more we realized just how different our routines were. Especially when it comes to product, working out, and… life! What better way to learn more about how folks are using pre-workouts than by asking our in-house experts at Team GNC.
I sat down with a few of my fellow office mates at our GNC corporate office, armed with a series of questions to better understand the what, when, how and why of their pre-workout routine. And what I found surprised me! For starters, we’re not all experts – at taking preworkouts anyway (it’s me). In fact, some of us are relatively new to the game (me again). And, if you’re part of the camp who believes pre-workouts are just for gym rats and lifting heavy weights (slowly raises hand…) – think again!
But first, a little intro…
We are associates at GNC’s Corporate office in downtown Pittsburgh, PA. Our roles include:
– Rob Martin, Manager of Product Development
– Rachel Namery, MS – Manager of Product Design
– Lauren Green, PhD, RD, LDN – Senior Manager of Product Design
– Tyler McGlasson, MS, ISSN – Senior Manager of Product Design
– Tony Mianzo – Senior Brand Manager of Global Performance Brands
– Cody Kishur – Senior Category Merchant for Performance Supplements
– Ken Huntly – Senior Director of Merchandising
– Jennifer Gabelman – Senior Director of Digital Marketing
– James Inlow – Vice President of Store Operations
And me! I’m a Manager on our Nutrition Content team. I’m also a Registered Dietitian, Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, Health Coach, and newly minted investigative reporter (adding that to the resume!).
Join me on an adventure into the minds of Team GNC to learn their pre-workout habits, favorite products, flavors, ingredients, do’s and don’ts!
Team GNC’s Take on Pre Workout Supplements
Demographics (They’re Just Like Us!)
– 10 active men and women in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s
We’re not professional athletes by any means. Rob and Lauren have experience with power lifting and bodybuilding competitions. Ken and Cody enjoy CrossFit at their local box. James and I have dabbled in endurance sports like cycling, running and triathlon. But for the most part, we’re just trying to stay active and healthy. We’re business professionals by day and parents (to humans or pets) by night. Jen, Lauren and I are tired, busy Mom’s trying to set an example for their kids – fitting workouts in whenever and however we can.
Pre-Workout History and Level of Experience
– One to 17 years, with an average use of 14 years.
On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 was novice and 5 was an expert, Team GNC ranked themselves on their knowledge and use of pre-workout products – the average response was four. Slightly skewed results as we’re all GNC employees who are likely more familiar with performance products than the average Joe. To add to that, three members of our product design team were part of this interview – including Dr. Lauren Green, the product formulator behind Beyond Raw® Concept X!
READ MORE: BEYOND RAW® CONCEPT X – A Q&A SESSION WITH THE PRODUCT FORMULATOR
How We Workout, When and How Often
We’re all over the place in this department! One thing is for sure, we like to MOVE! Below are some of the activities we partake in:
– Weightlifting/Strength Training
– Bodybuilding
– Ju-Jitsu/Mixed Martial Arts
– Cross Fit
– HIIT/Bootcamp
– Kettlebells
– Cycling
– Running
– Chasing small children and animals (not a sport, but tiring nonetheless)
We train two to seven days per week and, for the most part, workout in the late afternoon or evening. A couple of us like to rise and grind or sneak off for a mid-day sweat sesh.
Ingredients We Love
– Caffeine (obviously)
- Unless we’re training in the late afternoon or evening. Or we’ve had (or plan to have) too many stimulating beverages throughout the day.
- Our Goldilocks range is somewhere between 100 and 250mg.
– Beta Alanine
- We’re Team Tingle!
- This sensory ingredient geared to fight muscle fatigue is a must for most of us.
- When asked to describe the sensation beta alanine provides…
- “It get’s me up and ready to go”
- “It makes my hands and feet itchy”
- “Love the tingles” – Cody Kishur
- “It makes me want to rip my face off… in a good way”
- The more beta alanine in a formula, the more we feel it. Lower dose formulas work better for some folks, while others like it so much, they use Beyond Raw® Chemistry Labs and add more.
– Nitric Oxide Boosters
- We want vasodilation and blood flow! We want the pump!
- We look for ingredients like citrulline, Nitrosigine® and beetroot
– Creatine
- We like the extra muscle fuel and the fact it supports building muscle
– Adaptogens
- Cordyceps ingredients like PeakO2® are fan favorites.
– Nootropics
- Nootropic ingredients like Alpha-GPC or L-theanine, which works synergistically with caffeine to help promote cognitive ability
Ingredients We Tend to Avoid
There are a few things we definitely do NOT like:
– Overstimulation
- High doses of caffeine
- Yohimbe
LEARN MORE: COMPLETE PRE-WORKOUT GUIDE: WHAT IT IS, BENEFITS, INGREDIENTS AND MORE
Flavors and Formats
Flavor is king! There are SO many flavors to choose from. Fruity flavors, candy flavors, throw back nostalgic flavors… the sky is the limit. Some of our favorites include:
· Sour Watermelon
· Gummy Worm
· Jolly Rancher Blue Raspberry
· Lemonade or Iced Tea Lemonade
· Cherry Limeade
And while pre-workouts are available in capsule, powder, shot or on-the-go formats, we prefer powders. OTG’s are great when you’re in a pinch or don’t have the means to fill your water bottle.
What Do We Look For?
· “A good blend of ingredients at the right dose”
· “Formulas that are efficient and effective, ingredients that make sense and have a good macro profile”
· “Nothing that overstimulates or impacts my ability to focus”
· “Natural products without artificial colors or ingredients”
Fan Favorites
Which pre workout supplement stands out in this crowd of experts?
- Beyond Raw® LIT – powder
- “Love the formula… has the right amount of caffeine, stimulants and focus”
- “A solid pre-workout”
- “Ideal pre-workout for lifting and endurance”
- “Great flavors”
- Beyond Raw® LIT – OTG
- “Great stim dosage and feel”
- Beyond Raw® Concept X
- “Use on heavy strength days” or “if energy levels are low and need a boost”
- Ghost® Legend®
- Glaxon™ Specimen®
- C4®
- Alani Nu
- Coffee (where my Mom’s at?)
Pre-Workout Routines
We switch things up!
· Typical pre-workout formulas (energy, focus and pumps) for strength training
· ½ serving of a typical pre-workout formula, BCAAs or BCAAs + caffeine for cardio and other aerobic activity
· When gearing up for a body building competition, may choose a thermogenic for fat burning cardio sessions
· Flavor! Having a few flavors to choose from to prevent flavor boredom
When
· Anywhere from 15-60 minutes before a workout at their gym, or home gym – Sweet spot ~30 minutes
· Tony Mianzo takes precision to a new meaning – “At XX intersection 10 minutes into my drive on my way to the gym”
· Will have a non-stim pre workout in the late afternoon and evenings
· After lunch to rally for an afternoon of back-to-back meetings (yes, this is really a thing some of us do!)
What Other Products are Part of Our Routine?
Team GNC is a well-rounded bunch, so we aren’t just shopping for performance products. Our cupboards are also stocked with:
· Hydration products
· BCAAs
· Whey or Plant Based Proteins
· Multivitamins
· Fish Oil
· Probiotics
Words of Wisdom
So, now you know that pre-workouts aren’t just for the gym obsessed… they’re for EVERYONE! Not sure where to start? Lucky for you, Team GNC has put together a few words of wisdom to share as you start your journey into the world of pre-workouts!
· Start with ½ a serving and work your way up
· Avoid advanced or “extreme” preworkouts that have more hard-hitting ingredients at higher doses. Start slow with a basic formula with a low dose of ingredients
· If you’re sensitive to caffeine, be mindful of the caffeine content in the formula – choose a lower dose or select a non-stim or caffeine free pre workout
· Tyler McGlasson recommends being patient. “You may need to try several products before you find the best pre workout supplement for you!”
· Adjust pre-workouts based on your training plan and health and performance goals
· “Try different brands, play with ingredients levels, etc. and find what works for you and helps you achieve what you’re looking for. A lot of brands try to convince people that you achieve that with more and more caffeine, but every person reacts to the amount and types of ingredients differently, so trying different products and not being afraid to switch things up when what you take is no longer helping you achieve your goals is critical to building success over time.” – Ken Huntly
Need a little motivation to get that morning workout in? Or push past the fatigue that’s been holding you back? Pre-workouts can help – and we’ve got plenty to choose from here at GNC. Find the product that works best for and your journey to Live Well.
