Optimum Nutrition Pre-Workout Leave a comment

Now I know it isn’t the most important thing when choosing a pre-workout but aesthetics are important to me – & the Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard pre workout is pretty visually pleasing. Unlike many pre-workouts with their burning skulls & raging dragons, ON stick to a simplistic typography based design with signature gold detail. Stating ‘energy + focus + power & performance’ as it’s key features let’s see how it stands up…

The serving size is ‘one level scoop’ (because everyone who uses pre workout follows this to the T… ahem… no heaped scoops here!) of 11g, with the container offering 30 servings. It seems to contain all the right ingredients: Citrulline, Beta-alanine, Creatine, L-Carnitine & Caffeine to name a few.

Taste – Well the initial smell of the dull green coloured powder is slightly reminiscent of Apple Sours… so if you have any negative/sickly memories of nights fuelled by Apple Sours this is not for you…The mixed liquid is a dark-ish green hinting into tones of blue, not overly offensive! Similarly to the taste – not delicious, but an inoffensive sour-ish appley taste. Like a watered down apple sours, the main thing it doesn’t leave filmy layer over your teeth… Or stain your lips! Because I just love walking through the gym with blue lips unknowingly!

Mixability – It didn’t mix 100%. I didn’t have a super smooth silky liquid drinking experience, but again – inoffensive. It had a slightly gritty feeling to it, but more like drinking undissolved sugar in a cold tea than trying to drink sand mixed into water…

Pump & Strength – They do say the pump is the cure, & the pump from this pre-workout was pretty damn good. To the point where I couldn’t grip a dumbbell without it sliding through my hand until my little fingers where crushed against the side of the weight… Plus veins! Everyone likes to see veins during a workout & this did give me a little vascular enhancement. Strength wasn’t horribly obvious, or very obviously enhanced. But I did feel strong & DID get a deadlift PB 2.5kg over last week’s. However they may also have something to do with the fact I am 6kg heavier… but let’s ignore that! Endurance however did seem mildly enhanced, with shorter rest periods between sets.

Energy & Focus – Again not a horrendously obvious buzz, though it very definitely perked me up! A lot of the time after an 8 hour shift at work I don’t feel 100% psyched to train, but this definitely gave me the kick I needed to get pumped for my session! Although the first time I took it I hadn’t had pre-workout in six weeks & at that point I did literally feel like a hamster running around it’s wheel… But at 175mg caffeine per serving, if your tolerance to caffeine is low, you may be running up the walls!