if you’ve been on your fitness journey for a bit, you’ve likely dabbled in pre-workouts to elevate gym performance. for someone who’s never tried one, adding in pre-workout feels like a whole new world: energy! focus! pumps! muscle contractions! once you start, it’s hard to imagine a workout without it. there are thousands on the market with tons of different ingredient profiles, but you’ll find two main categories: stimulant and stimulant-free. what’s the difference and which should you choose? we’re diving in!
stimulant vs. stimulant-free
stimulant pre-workout simply means the formula has caffeine. different brands / products offer different forms: caffeine from green tea, coffeeberry / coffee fruit, or synthetic. if the product has a solid ingredient profile with other amino acids, this helps balance the metabolism of caffeine so you’re not experiencing a hard hit of energy followed by a crash.
stimulant-free (also called non-stim) means there is no caffeine in the formula. so, what’s the point? a quality non-stim pre will have other ingredients to greatly improve focus and increase blood flow, helping you get a better pump! results are an awesome mindset going into your session with incredible muscle contractions.
which one is right for you?
preference comes into play here plus whatever time you like to workout! if you train in the morning / midday and you perform well with caffeine, a stimulant pre-workout is your move. if you’re working out later at night or want to save your caffeine for coffee / other sources, stimulant-free is your best friend. some people don’t do well with caffeine regardless of the form, so stim-free is a great option here.
at beam, we’ve perfected the formulas of both our regular and non-stim pre-workouts:
our regular pre-workout:
- has a lower dose of caffeine than most on the market, with 125 mg / scoop coming from natural coffeeberry extract and green coffee bean. this dosage is ideal to ensure you get an energy boost without over-doing it and causing a crash.
- the highest form of ashwagandha, ksm-66 is one of our 4 trademarked ingredients here. this plus l-theanine puts you in the best headspace to train, while stabilizing the caffeine release to prevent those jitters.
- delicious flavors like sour blue gummy and hawaiian breeze have you excited for your pre-workout ritual!
our stimulant-fee pre-workout:
- most non-stims simply have no caffeine but will contain another ingredient called cocoa bean that will still cause jitters or a crash. not with beam's formula! our non-stim truly has zero stimulants so you're not crashing.
- includes ingredients like taurine and l-tyrosine to promote smooth, natural energy and focus.
- ensures solid blood flow & muscle contractions with l-citrulline.
- increases exercise capacity & performance with beta-alanine dosed appropriately at 1600 mg / scoop.
- improves focus, strength, endurance, and mood even without caffeine.
- has adaptogens to make this the perfect night-time pre, so you can stay locked in but also get some quality sleep.
- allows you to manage your caffeine: mix 1 scoop regular pre + 1 scoop non-stim to reap the benefits of the formula / full serving while controlling your stimulant intake.
- tastes amazing with our watermelon candy flavor!
both products have naturally sourced colors, are gluten / soy free + vegan friendly 😊
