Top ten pre-workout supplements to give you power and help you blast through heavy weight like a beast.
Having energy when training is essential for maximizing muscle gains. If you had a long night out the day before, or a rough day at work, you are most likely going to struggle with energy. A good pre-workout can make all the difference in the world between going through the motions at the gym or training with intensity.
In this article, I will review what I believe to be(from personal experience) the top ten pre-workout supplements. Most of these pre-workouts pack an incredible punch! If you are sensitive to stimulants, proceed with caution, most of these pre-workouts are hardcore and are meant to help you train with the highest intensity possible.
- CT Fletcher Sidewalk Kraka
CT Fletcher is known for his crazy training style and the phrase “It’s still yo muthaf**#in set” SideWalk Kraka pre workout delivers a powerful punch! It’s packed with ingredients to get you motivated and train like a beast.
Sidewalk Kraka is loaded with the right ingredients and it is not intended for the newbie, to say that this pre-workout is incredibly strong is an understatement. It’s packed with Beta-Alanine, Glycerol Powder, Choline Bitartrate and a whopping 300mg of caffeine (7 times the caffeine of your average cup of coffee). Sidewalk Kraka comes in 3 flavors, raspberry, watermelon, and my favorite fruit punch.
- Redcon1 Total War
Total War pre-workout is made by Redcon1 supplements. It makes the perfect pre-workout for those looking for a boost in strength and energy. Besides giving you plenty of energy you get an incredible pump.
This pre-workout is more than a stimulant, taking it 30 minutes before you train will put you in beast mode! This is one of my favorite pre-workout supplements, especially when training major muscle groups like back, legs, and chest.
- Cellucor C4 Pre-Workout
Cellucor C4 has long been a favorite among bodybuilders. If you read the various bodybuilding forums this is a top pick. It’s reasonably priced and delivers great results. C4 is packed with several key ingredients that are slightly different than what you will find in other leading pre-workout supplements. Some of those include Creatine Nitrate, Vitamin B 6, B12, Vitamin C, 30 mg of Niacin, Folic Acid and Calcium.
Besides the above-mentioned ingredients, C4 contains 371mg of what they call their special energy blend. The blend contains 150mg of caffeine N-Acetyl- L-Carnitine, Mucuna Pruriens and TeaCor (Tetramethylurea Acid). If you like to train hard with intensity, Cellucor C4 will give you the boost you need.
- B-Nox by Betancourt Nutrition
B-Nox is a very powerful pre-workout, the first time I took it, not only did it give me an incredible blast of energy, it gave me an irritable(pissed off feeling). I am not complaining, after taking it my lifts were boosted by 30lbs that day and my reps almost doubled with some serious weight.
B-Nox is a strong testosterone and nitric oxide booster, this supplement will definitely feel like it can grow hair on your chest! The B-Nox formula contains Maca, Tribulus, caffeine, creatine, Arginine and is loaded with BCAA’s. This is one of the few pre-workouts that offers a testosterone boosting formula, I guess that’s what makes me feel aggressive after I take it.
Since this formula is loaded with BCAA’s you can take it on an empty stomach 30 minutes before your workout.
- GAT PMP
PMP by GAT is a pre-workout developed to make sure you maintain energy and focus. PMP taken 15-30 minutes before you workout will give you overwhelming performance. GAT PMP contains 78mg of sodium chloride, 900 mg of pure pump accelerators along with L-Arginine, L-Citrulline, L-Citrulline Malate and L-Arginine.
There are two different presentations of the GAT PMP (normal) and (stimulant free) Stim Free. Both presentations look similar. If you want incredible muscle pumps, strength, and focus GAT PMP delivers.
- Blackstone Labs Dust v2
Blackstone labs Dust is a powerful pre-workout formula that gives you some killer intensity. I don’t care how weak you are feeling on an any given day, this pre-workout will light a fire under your ass and help you train insane like a hardcore bodybuilder.
The first time I took this supplement it made me hyper, but the good kind. I don’t think I have ever squatted so much in one day, rep after rep, set after set, it was incredible! So are the ingredients in this pre-workout. One container of Dust comes with 300 grams of powder and all it takes is one 10 gram scoop before you train. Some of the ingredients include Citrulline, N-Methyl Tyramine, Acofeul, Eduramax. and (Noopept) for incredible mental focus.
What I liked about this product was the fact that I did not crash and burn at the end of the workout, the only downside to this supplement is that I did not get as good of a pump as I expected.
- 1.M.R. Vortex Limited Edition
1.M.R. Vortex is a powerful product made by BPI, this stuff is powerful and contains 1705mg proprietary blend that contains Caffeine anhydrous, Wheat leadwort root, Securinega Yohimbe and a whopping 20mg of Niacin 100,000%. The rush you get from taking this supplement is incredible, this is the Niacin kicking in, after that, it’s time to hammer the weights. This pre-workout will help you bust through strength plateaus.
The only downside of this products is the flavors are not very tasty, I tried the Blueberry lemon Ice, Yuck! However, the sour watermelon flavor tastes pretty good when mixed with water. This is one of the strongest pre-workouts supplements in its category, the company recommends not using the products for more than 8 weeks straight.
- Centurion Labs Blood Rush
Blood Rush is a powerful (stimulant free) Nitrix Oxide booster. This is a good pre-workout that deserves respect, it delivers a good pump. What I noticed about this product besides the great pump is enhanced vascularity.
Blood Rush contains several ingredients including 3000mg of high yield Glycerol, 300mg of Norvaline, L-Arginine, 1500mg of Citrulline Malate, 500mg Beet Root Extract and 30mg Vinpocetine. Blood Rush comes in three different flavors, Cotton Candy, Lemon Cherry and Mixed Berry.
The only complaint I have about this pre-workout is that the flavor is bearable, but it’s not one that is going to win over your taste buds, regardless of the flavor you choose.
- Edge of insanity Pre-Workout by Psycho Pharma
Edge of insanity claims their product has been previously tested by hardcore, hard to please supplement junkies. This product gives you the feeling of psycho-energy. Edge of Insanity delivers incredibly explosive muscle pumps! So far this product is one of the strongest pre-workouts I have tried.
This product will give you incredible energy for intense an intense cardio workout or heavy lifting. this is an excellent pre-workout to take on heavy lifting days when doing squats, deadlifts, or training chest. It will help you max out and bust through strength plateaus with ease.
Some of the ingredients in Edge of Insanity pre-workout include Beta-Alanine, l-arginine alphaketoglutarate (2:1), agmatine sulfate Panthergy N-Methylpentyl-Iminoglutaric Acid, Caffine Anhydrous, Synepherine HCL, Halostachine, Theobromine, Octopamine HCL, N-Methyl L-Tyramine HCL, Rauwolfia vomitoria Root Extract.
The company recommneds taking a half scoop for starters to see how you react, if its all good you can gradually increase the dose to a full scoop.
Edge of Insanity comes in two flavors Cosmic Candy and spiked punch, the flavors are ok but nothing worth savoring, the pre-workout simply gets the job done.
- BlackWolf Pre-Workout
Black Wolf pre-workout is the mildest pre-workout formula on my list and is my last pick. BlackWolf has a formula for both men and women. The Blackwolf Trail is a special formula made just for women and is part of the huntress pack. The Track formula is formulated for men and is one of three supplements that make up the hunter pack.
BlackWolf is a clean formula (no fillers) packed with BCAA’s, minerals, and essential vitamins to improve mental focus and boost energy. BlackWolf can be taken by anyone of any fitness level. Whether you do intense cardio sessions or train with heavy weights, BlackWolf makes a great pre-workout supplement that can be mixed in water, fruit juice, yogurt or your favorite smoothie.
BlackWolf is not a strong pre-workout, it will not get you amped! its main focus is to replenish the nutrients your body loses when you train, this is a great pre-workout suitable for anyone and does not contain any strong stimulants
Conclusion
Most of these pre-workouts contain on average 30 servings per tub, some more, some slightly less, all are reasonably priced and are from some of the most reputable supplement companies in the industry.
If you are sensitive to stimulants start off with less than the recommended serving to get a feel of the product, if its all good you can increase it to the recommended serving, in most cases it’s one scoop 30 minutes before you train.
