🏋️ 16 best pre-workout supps to energize your training

Enjoy these relatively quiet gym days over the holidays. Once 2023 rolls around, the New Year rush will ensure you don't see an empty squat rack again until Groundhog Day. Let's get started, shall we? 

The quality of your pre-workout supplements can determine the quality of your lifts. And we’ve got the inside scoop on which supps are worth the 💰💰💰. 

At 51 years old, rapper Method Man still hits some big PRs in the gym. And his latest feat is a monstrous set of incline presses with 120-pound dumbbells. 

The 2022 Dubai Fitness Championship is in the books, and we’ve got a full rundown of all the events that took place over the weekend. 

Buyer’s Guide

The Best Pre-Workout for Your Goals 

Of all the workout products you can buy, pre-workout supplements may have the widest variety of ingredients, dosages, and effects — which is why it can be hard to find the best one for your needs. Aside from caffeine, scores of other ingredients appear in these products, including amino acids and plant extracts meant to improve your overall performance. 

But we don’t like it when you’re confused, so we’ve tried dozens of pre-workouts, from the biggest brands to the newest up-and-comers, to find the best product for your goals. Whether you want to lose weight, improve your cardio, boost your strength, or just get a good pump, we rounded up our picks below. 

Celebrity Workout 

Method Man Brings the Pain 

You probably know Clifford Smith Jr. — a.k.a Method Man — as a rap pioneer, actor, and star of the criminally underrated GameCube game Def Jam Vendetta. He also happens to be a gym rat, and he recently reminded us of that by showing off a 10-rep set of incline presses with 120-pound dumbbells on Instagram. 

This feat is just weeks removed from the rapper successfully locking out a 227.3-kilogram (500-pound) deadlift PR, so he's obviously in a gym groove right now. Don't be shocked to see the 51-year-old hoisting even more impressive weights on social media over the next few months.

Event Results

Wrapping Up the 2022 Dubai Fitness Championship

The 2022 Dubai Fitness Championship (DFC) took place over the weekend and featured a field of elite men and women locked in competition over the course of three days. And the DFC set the tone early with a unique opening event involving all the athletes climbing up the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa.

Alex Kotoulas won the opener for the men, while Jamie Simmonds took the top spot for the women. From there, the athletes participated in seven more events at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena, putting their strength, endurance, and mental toughness to the test. See who came out on top in our full results breakdown.

Everything Else 

A Prolific Deadlifter Adds to His Résumé

• ​​Ivan Makarov successfully deadlifted 483 kilograms (1,064.3 pounds) during the 2022 Eisenhart Black Competition in Bavaria, Germany, on December 3. It’s his heaviest-ever deadlift in a sanctioned competition — and one of THE heaviest ever.

• Can you muscle your way through WWE Superstar Rhea Ripley’s “nightmare” biceps and triceps routine? We suggest loading up on the pre-workout first. 

• The crunch is a staple of abs training — but the reverse crunch might outdo it. Get the full rundown on how to do this core-blasting move the right way for maximum results. 

• Greens powders have plenty of benefits for strength athletes. We’re detailing eight of the most important ones you should know about.