I get a lot of complaints about the cost of Pre JYM. People see the $37 price tag on a 20-serving container of Pre JYM and $49 for 30 servings (I'm referencing current GNC prices here), and they think that's a bit steep. Beside the fact that GNC often does promotional deals on my products ranging anywhere from 10% off to buy-one-get-the-second-50%-off, when you dig deeper into the Pre JYM formula you'll realize it's not so expensive after all.
Don't get me wrong, I realize that money doesn't grow on trees and that many people are on limited budgets. You want to make sure you're getting the most bang for your hard-earned buck – I want that for you, too! But if you think that buying all the Pre JYM ingredients individually and building your own pre-workout is going to save you money, I can assure you it won't.
Ingredient Breakdown
Let's look at exactly what's in Pre JYM, since it's all right there on the Supplement Facts panel, with no proprietary blends and every single dose of every single ingredient listed:
- Creatine Hydrochloride (HCl), 2 grams
- Beta-Alanine, 2 grams
- Betaine, 1.5 grams
- Taurine, 1 gram
- N-Acetyl L-Cysteine, 600mg
- Alpha-GPC, 300mg
- Citrulline Malate, 6 grams
- Beet Root Extract (Beta vulgaris L.), 500mg
- BCAAs, 6 grams (3g leucine, 1.5g isoleucine, 1.5g valine)
- L-Tyrosine, 1.5 grams
- Caffeine Anhydrous, 300mg
- Huperzine A, 50mcg
- BioPerine (to aid in aborption of the above ingredients), 5mg
This precise blend of ingredients, all at full doses and all supported by scientific research, will help enhance training performance and promote sustainable results. Pre JYM will also provide that “boost” during workouts that most people desire without the use of unproven stimulants (caffeine is the only stimulant present in Pre JYM).
By my estimation, it would cost right around $50 to make 20 servings of a "homemade" version of Pre JYM by cobbling together individual ingredients – significantly more expensive than the $37 price tag at GNC (before any discounts).
Keep in mind, I use the highest quality ingredients in Pre JYM. For example, the citrulline malate in Pre JYM is at a ratio of 2:1, citrulline to malate. The citrulline malate used in many other products is either at a 1:2 ratio or at best 1:1, citrulline to malate. It's a similar case with alpha-GPC. I use "AlphaSize" – a patented form of alpha-GPC that's used in studies showing its effectiveness and is guaranteed for purity. The alpha-GPC found in many products is not the same high quality AlphaSize.
Size Matters
Each serving of Pre JYM (one scoop) contains 25 grams total of ingredients, and this is where the price starts to justify itself – many other pre-workout products on the market provide only 5 or 6 grams per serving and are around the same price as Pre JYM. All you have to do is look at the size of the scoop; these 5-6-gram scoops are way smaller than the Pre JYM scoop!
Think you're getting a lot more beneficial ingredients in Pre JYM? You bet! At least four times more for not that much more money. When you consider these other products, their smaller scoops and missing ingredients, you soon realize that you're paying money for little more than various stimulants that make you feel "amped up."
What's the point of saving money on products that don't deliver anything except a bunch of stimulants and no real ingredients that you need to grow bigger and get stronger in the gym like BCAAs, creatine, beta-alanine, and betaine (to name a few)?
Mining the Marketplace
Here's one more product comparison. Pre JYM costs less than $2 per serving (no more than $1.67 when you buy the 30-serving contain, a slightly better deal than the 20-serving size). How much does a can of Red Bull cost at the grocery store or gas station? Definitely more than $2, I know that. The reason I'm comparing Pre JYM to Red Bull is that both can be considered "energy drinks" (using that term loosely), yet Pre JYM contains WAY MORE beneficial ingredients than Red Bull – it's not even close.
Another comparison is this: It costs more than $2 to get 240mg worth of caffeine in a Starbuck's coffee. Pre JYM provides 300mg of caffeine for under $2, and of course the Starbuck's beverage doesn't include any BCAAs, creatine, betaine or other ingredients found in Pre JYM.
So right there you see that Pre JYM is way cheaper than more mainstream caffeine-containing beverages (Red Bull and Starbuck's, in particular). And I didn't even get around to another well-known product claiming to boost alertness for "5 hours."
Crunching Numbers
I'm dedicated to providing you the best advice, training programs and products available. Obviously, manufactuing JYM supplements costs me and my business partners money – a LOT of money – so I can't give them away for free. All I want to do is continue to provide you guys the best supplements, period. That's what the JYM line is all about, and that's what I'm all about.
Yet some people will still complain about the price. Yes, Pre JYM is more expensive than most other pre-workout products on the market. But most pre-workouts don't provide the quality ingredients at the full correct doses that Pre JYM does. Instead, they provide minute and insignificant quantities of cheap ingredients – that's why they have to use proprietary blends and only provide about 5 or 6 grams total (or less) per serving. The supposed "expensive" price tag of Pre JYM is not a reflection of how expensive Pre JYM is; rather, it's a reflection of how cheap most of other pre-workout supplements are.
You get what you pay for. And with Pre JYM, you get quality ingredients that deliver real results at reasonable prices. You have my promise!
Taking Pre JYM
For those unfamiliar with how to take Pre JYM, I recommend mixing one scoop of it with 12-32 ounces of water (personally, I prefer 16-20 ounces) 30-45 minutes before workouts. I suggest letting your Pre JYM sit for at least 10-15 minutes after mixing it to ensure all ingredients go into solution. I also recommend sipping Pre JYM slowly over the course of 15-30 minutes to enhance absorption in the body and avoid any gastric discomfort.
For more of the finer points on how to take Pre JYM and the rest of the JYM Supplement Science line of products, read my JYM Supplement Users Guide.