We Reviewed And Listed The Best Supps
Many people find it difficult to get active and stay active. A lack of energy is a common reason why. To get an extra boost of energy for exercise, many people take a pre-workout supplement. However, a multitude of supplements is available, each containing many ingredients. Because of this, it can be confusing to know what to look for in a pre-workout supplement.
When considering a pre-workout supplement, it is important to think about your goals and the type of exercise you normally take part in. Typically, individual ingredients found in pre-workout supplements will only improve certain aspects of exercise performance. Some ingredients may increase strength or power, while others may boost your endurance. Each of the seven supplements below targets a specific type of exercise.
Knowing which ingredients are best for certain types of exercise will help you find the supplement that may work best for you.
#10 Evlution Nutrition ENGN Shred: Complex product formula
Best for: Value seekers who want a fat burning pre workout for boosting energy.
ENGN Shred by Evlution nutrition is a top selling pre workout that has been getting a lot of attention in major supplement stores. This is specifically the weight loss version of the original ENGN pre workout, and has a very attractive price tag of about $35.
This pre workout appears to be performing well due to its extreme promotion.Evlution Nutrition is constantly doing promotions with this product, and placing it on ideal sales.
ENGN Shred versus all: While many supplement stores rank ENGN Shred very high, we consider its only consumer-centric advantage to be its low price tag. For that reason, we rank it only #10 while many other places place it higher strictly due to sales volume.
Positives for ENGN Shred:
- Extremely inexpensive
- Always on sale or promotion
- Relatively clean energy experience
Potential Negatives:
- Proprietary mind-muscle-matrix blend
- Under-dosed beta-alanine
- Artificial flavors, sucralose, dyes
Our view: “ENGN Shred was an add-on to our last supplement haul, and we were surprised to see it ranking so high on other sites. This pre workout does have notable fat burners in it, though the cumulative formula is dosed low and not quality-competitive.”
#9 Muscletech Neurocore: Cheapest pre workout
Best for: Athletes wanting an easy to take most bang for your buck energy pre workout.
Neurocore doesn’t introduce any new novel ingredients, provide PR breaking dosages, or really anything exceptionally ‘fancy’. Instead, Neurocore covers the basics for an extremely cheap price.
With Neurocore, you’ll get a clean energy experience on the cheap. We’re talking less than $20 per 30 servings cheap! Though, if you would like this pre workout to pack a stronger punch, they recommend 2 scoops which cuts total servings in half.
Neurocore versus all: It all comes down to the price tag and good taste. That is the unique advantage for this pre workout.
Positives for Neurocore
- Most inexpensive pre workout
- Decently reliable energy
- Contains creatine HCL
- Tastes half decent
Potential Negatives:
- Contains Yohimbe (pro/con)
- Not Ideal for those looking to upgrade
- Artificial colors, flavors, and dyes
Our view: “This supplement is a great option if you are new to pre workout supplements and want a moderate energy boost but nothing too crazy or extreme. This isn’t a pump, strength, or endurance formulated pre workout, just an inexpensive energy supplement”
#8 Betancourt B-NOX Androrush: Previously Bullnox
Best for: hardcore bodybuilders who want a maca root containing testosterone boosting pre workout.
Quite a few years ago, B-NOX was rated best pre workout on this list. Back then, it was called Bullnox, and the formula was much more potent.
B-NOX’s unique advantage was that it contained testosterone boosting ingredients. This effectively made it the only test boosting pre workout available. However nowadays, a bad reformulation of B-NOX alongside rising competition has lowered it in the ranks.
B-NOX versus all: B-NOX is a historically awesome pre workout that still touts its use of maca and other testosterone promoting ingredients. However, from a performance and quality standpoint it isn’t as competitive as it used to be.
Positives for B-NOX:
- Contains maca root for testosterone
- Reasonable tasting pre workout
- Epic lineage / history
- Medium energy level
Potential Negatives:
- Reformulated for the worst
- Contains a ton of sugar
- Generally under-dosed ingredients
Our view: “Bullnox Androrush used to be a much higher quality product before it was reformulated. Today, while it has been marginalized, some of its character still shines through. We’ll always love B-NOX despite the competition rising and over-taking it.
#7 Prosupps Jekyll and Hyde Stack: super stim wildcard
Best for: Athletes that want to make their own concoction and enjoy a super stimulant pre workout.
You would be surprised by how many people enjoy pushing pre workouts to the limit and doing something crazy. The ever infamous Jekyll and Hyde stack is just that.
Combining Jekyll and Hyde increases stimulants to a blistering level, while also adding noticeable pump to the equation. This combo isn’t for everyone, only the semi-insane.
Jekyll and Hyde versus all: By combining both Prosupps pre workouts into one product, you manage to make your own ‘hardcore’ pre workout while still getting a good pump complex and accessory stimulant aids. This makes the combo a more meaningful experience than typical ‘hardcore’ options not included on this list, though more expensive.
Positives for the stack:
- Very high caffeine with co-stimulants
- A unique experience
Potential Negatives:
- Not intended for most (high caffeine)
- A quite costly combination
- Strictly high energy and pump
Our view: “On their own, Jekyll provides quite good pump while Hyde is the real stimulant power. Though, when you combine these two, powers unite and you get a mix of both worlds with a huge caffeine rush being the feature most noted. This certainly isn’t for everyone, but is quite notable considering how popular high caffeine products have become”
#6 Cellucor C4 Original: Best pre workout at Costco
Best for: athletes looking for a quick and easy energy boost that tastes good and is available worldwide.
If you didn’t know already, Cellucor C4 is the most popular and widely sold pre workout on the market. But does that make it the best? Well, its likely best for availability.
Cellucor’s unique edge with C4 is its massive availability at nearly every health store, paired with 10 specialized variants. For our top 10 pre workouts, our data and experience leads us to recommend the original C4 extreme as #6 on this list.
C4 versus all: compared to most pre workouts, C4 isn’t necessarily special. However Cellucor is very good at making C4 the first pre workout most people try. So, C4 is a pretty good pre workout but doesn’t have a unique quality advantage over other supplements.
Positives for Cellucor C4:
- Cost-effective energy pre workout
- Available worldwide in most major retailers
- 10 specialized variants for fine-tuning
- Several great tasting flavors to chose from
Potential negatives:
- Not a clinically dosed pre workout
- Uses artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners
- Generally an over-hyped supplement
Our view: “Each C4 model is good for the purpose of energy creation. However, pump and endurance just isn’t there. This really doesn’t faze us though, because we’ve always loved C4 for its convenience and cheap price tag! Now however, the price has gone up and the formula got less effective with special versions.”
#5 PES Prolific: Multi-scoop pre workout
Best for: Bodybuilders wanting a quality pre workout without beta-alanine.
PES (Physique Enhancing Science) has been making reliable workout supplements for ages. Their pre workout Prolific does a good job representing their commitment to safe supplements.
Prolific manages to deliver great tasting flavors in a 1 and 2 scoop serving size depending on how pumped up you’d like to get. While ‘multiple scoops’ used to be common in pre workouts, lately it has phased out with extreme caffeine levels making it not possible. Prolific brings it back.
Prolific versus all: at two scoops, prolific delivers a great tasting 6 grams of l-citrulline paired with 320 mg caffeine. This greatly out performs other small-dose pre workout supplements.
Positives for PES Prolific:
- Solid 6 grams of pure l-citrulline
- Contains 3:2 caffeine-to-l-theanine
- Good accessory stimulants
- Fantastic tasting pre workout
Potential Negatives:
- Expensive at recommend 2 scoop serving size
- Doesn’t contain beta-alanine
- Contains artificial flavors
Our view: “Prolific is a good small-scoop pre workout made by the long-lasting and respectable PES nutrition. The energy was clean and works quite well as a quick pick-me-up for increasing energy before the gym.
#4 Kaged Nutrition Pre-Kaged: Hybrid pre workout
Best for: Athletes who want a large-formula but also demand that their pre workout tastes good.
Kaged Nutrition is still a new brand, led by popular bodybuilder and trainer Kris Gethin. His pre workout, Pre-Kaged contains several similarities to our top 3 as well as a few distinct divergences.
What sets Pre-Kaged apart from other leading pre workouts is that it tastes really good, while being naturally flavored and strongly dosed. This makes Pre-Kaged the preferred pick for flavor chasers.
Pre-Kaged versus all: Pre-Kaged delivers almost all of the clinical pre workout promises, while still tasting fantastic. This is like a supercharged version of Kinobody Kino Octane.
Positives for Pre-Kaged
- Tastes good for a large-scoop pre workout
- Naturally flavored and sweetened
- Large dose of creatine hydrochloride
- Available in most retail locations
Potential Negatives
- L-citrulline instead of l-citrulline malate
- Significantly under-dosed beta-alanine
- Stimulant matrix lacks l-theanine
Our view: “If you demand that your pre workout taste really good, but also want to hit key dosages on l-citrulline, caffeine, and creatine HCL; then Pre-Kaged is a fantastic pre workout to consider.”
#3 Legion Pulse: Most anticipated pre workout
Best for: natural pre workout lovers that want the largest dosage of l-citrulline malate and beta-alanine on the market.
Legion Pulse is one of the greatest recognition deserving pre workouts, climbing from bottom-to-top on the best pre workouts list. You can consider it a ‘breakout product’ with very humble yet honorable beginnings.
Pulse’s unique edge is that it has been expertly formulated by fitness guru Mike Mathews. Mike is a best selling author who has dedicated his life to helping the willing and motivated achieve their fitness goals.
Pulse versus all: No other pre workout supplement contains both a 4.8 beta-alanine and 8 gram l-citrulline malate dosage. If you enjoy the raw caffeine energy sensation of Pulse, and demand a product that maxes clinicals, then Pulse wins every time with the 6 ingredients they use.
Positives for Pulse:
- 8 grams l-citrulline malate for massive pumps
- Leading 4.8 grams beta-alanine per serving
- Fastest acting high caffeine energy complex
- Made by fitness guru Mike Matthews
Potential Negatives
- Only 21 servings per container
- Premium price tag
Our view: “Legion Pulse was a pleasure to take and you really feel in your body the benefits that Mike wanted for you. For being loaded with beta-alanine, the tingles aren’t any worse than other lower dosed products. The most notable sensation is the raw caffeine that hits hard.”
#2 Niyro Enerix Pre-workout: Most powerful blend
Best for: energy, focus & endurance system for professional athletes.
Niyro Enerix Pre-workout is a full blast of workout powder that cannot be altered. It’s essential trait of pre-performance activity acts on three totally isolate stages.
Like Pre-Jym, Enerix has the advantage of being science backed.
The first stage is an extremely intense energy boost that permits Niyro Enerix to ignite and empower its user within minutes, through a precise combination of highly dynamic compounds. The second is through a balanced ratio of key amino acids and derivatives.
Enerix versus all:
Niyro Enerix is a high intensity system that takes over and allows enhanced performance to actually serve one purpose… energy, focus and endurance!
Positives for Enerix:
- High energy with good endurance
- Fully disclosed active ingredients list
- Science backed formula
- Awesome tasting pre workout
Potential Negatives:
- Strong formula for beginners
- Premium price tag
Our view: “Greater muscle pump, more strength and lasting endurance has been experienced during use.”
#1 JYM Supplements Pre-Jym: The original clinical pre workout
Best for: comprehensive pre workout lovers who also require high caffeine.
Pre-Jym is the original large-scoop clinically dosed pre workout supplement. Back when it first came out, it was all the rave, with absolutely no competition. Literally no other pre workout was better for years.
Like Pulse, Pre-Jym has the rare advantage of being expert formulated. This time by none other than Jim Stoppani who has a long history in performance research. This is a big plus, considering that the majority of nutritional supplement brands do not disclose who actually formulates their products.
Pre-Jym versus all: The pre workout market has continued to slowly evolve and improve which is why Pre-Jym is rated #1.
Positives for Pre Jym:
- High energy with good endurance
- Fully disclosed active ingredients list
- Developed by Jim Stoppani (reputable)
- Best pre workout you’ll find at GNC stores
Potential Negatives:
- 20 Servings per container
- High in caffeine
- Beta-alanine is under-dosed
Our view: “While reviewing Jym Pre-Jym, we were heavily impressed with how this pre workout energizes not just the mind, but the body as well. The citrulline malate works fantastic to promote high levels of performance that can dominate any workout routine.”
SUMMARY
While the individual ingredients in pre-workout supplements have been studied extensively, most pre-packaged combinations of supplements have not been evaluated scientifically. However, based on the information in this article, you now know some of the main ingredients to look for.
General Health Magazine 