One of the biggest things to hit the supplement market in the past 5 years is the pre workout. If you do not know what this, I would say the best way to explain it would be a mild stimulant that you take normally around 20-30 minutes before you train.

Most of them will contain L-arginine , Beta-alanine , Tyrosine , Caffeine & possibly other ingredients. Out of all of the ingredients they contain , caffeine will be the most prominant .

Whilst caffein is a great product to use before you train , too much of it can be a bad thing & many of these pre workouts can contain 3 – 4 cups of coffee in one shot which can be counter productive & not good health wise long term for you.

For me , a good old cup of coffee about 30 minutes before I train does the trick. Here are some of the benefits of having a cup of the stuff before you train.

Improves focus

Along with increased energy to push through tough workouts, coffee also provides an increase in mental focus, keeping your workouts productive and effective.

Increases performance

Several studies have demonstrated a link between caffeine intake before exercise and increased athletic performance. A report published in Sports Medicine refers to caffeine as a “powerful ergogenic aid,” and mentions that athletes can “train at a greater power output and/or train longer” after caffeine consumption.

Accelerates fat loss

Perhaps the greatest benefit of having coffee before your workout is its  fat burning properties. Coffee—when consumed before exercise—can cause fat cells to be used as an energy source as opposed to glycogen. Also, the high amounts of caffeine in black coffee will increase your metabolism, which makes you burn more calories throughout the day. Having coffee before exercise enhances that effect.

As a bonus, caffeine and other compounds found in coffee act as an appetite suppressant, making you consume less overall.

Decreases muscle pain

A lot of recent  research found that subjects who consumed coffee prior to exercise experienced less muscle pain during their workout than their non-caffeinated counterparts.

The takeaway? You can complete more reps at a higher resistance during your weight training sessions, as well as run faster and longer during your cardio workouts.