Supplements have gotten a bad reputation over the last few years and many people simply avoid them, perhaps thinking it is more virtuous to build muscle ‘naturally’.

What they may not realize is that a lot of ‘naturally occurring’ pre-workout supplements (as opposed to steroids) may help build muscle a lot quicker. Used properly, supplements can get you rapid results.

My favorite analogy when talking about supplements is one that involves carpentry. You can certainly become a carpenter without power tools but why not take advantage of them if they make your job significantly easier?

In this article I want to cover just pre-workout supplements i.e. supplements supposed to be taken a few minutes before you train. I’ll cover two.

1. Creatine

This is the most important one. It is 100% naturally occurring and aids muscle growth primarily by making you less tired during your workout.

The exact mechanism through which it works is beyond the scope of this article as I would have to bore you by talking about phosphates and cells. All you need to know is that when you train heavy with weights, you cause micro-tears to your muscle tissue.

It is the healing of these micro-tears (in the presence of excess protein in your body) that result in muscle growth.

The more intensely you train, and therefore the more micro tears you cause, the better for muscle development. Intensity is usually attained by lifting heavier and resting less between sets.

With creating you will be able to lift heavier weights and require less rest, thus resulting in more intense workouts.

It should generally be taken at least half an hour before your workout for the best results but follow whatever directions are on the particular product you are using.

2. Caffeine

Not exactly what you think of as a supplement, right? Well, taken before your workout caffeine can actually help your energy last longer through a mechanism known as ‘glycogen sparing’.

Normally your body gets work done by tapping its most readily available form of energy, glycogen.

When this is exhausted you experience fatigue. Caffeine spares glycogen by tapping your body’s fat reserves for energy thereby increasing the duration in which you can perform strenuous activity.

My recommended source for caffeine, though, isn’t caffeine pills! Stay away from those.

If you’d like to take advantage of this pre-workout supplement, take a few cups of coffee or any of the popular energy drinks - Redbull, Spark, 5 Hour Energy. The absorption is much better and you are less likely to experience a crash afterwards.

There are obviously more but these two should get you started as pre-workout supplements.