The Top 5 Pre-Workouts Reviewed!
The Top 5 Pre-Workouts Reviewed! It’s about time I wrote an article like this, right? There can be no doubt that Illpumpyoup.com has a wide selection of phenomenal pre-workouts. This article reviews 5 of them – along with an Honorable Mention that was just too good to ignore! When it comes to Pre’s there’s literally something for everybody, from high stim to stim-free, nootropic-based to value-based. If you’re ready to check out this comparison and review, let’s rock!
A Quick Look At The Top 5 Pre-Workouts
- Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode – Best Overall
- Panda Supplements First Blood – Runner Up
- NutraBio Base Pre-Workout – Best Budget Pre-Workout
- Panda Supplements Skull – Top Nootropic Pre-Workout
- Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode Nitric – Best Stim-Free Pre-Workout
Honorable Mention: Condemned Labz Convict High Stim Pre-Workout
Reviews – The Top 5 Pre-Workouts
The Top 5 Pre-Workouts – # 1 – Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode – Best Overall
Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode is a Pre that I often suggest in my articles, and for good reason. This brand came seemingly out of nowhere a few years ago and completely rocked the industry with its high doses of such ingredients as citrulline. Up until Gorilla Mode came along, 3-4 grams was the typical dose but this upstart brand more than doubled it! And they didn’t stop there! Look at the label and you will see a balanced, complete Pre with exceptional dosing, including 10g of citrulline, 5g of tyrosine, 4g of betaine, 4g of HydroPrime® glycerol, and 400 mg of caffeine. Plus, it’s one of the few that includes a full 5g creatine monohydrate – that’s my kind of Pre!
Rating: 5 Stars!
PROS
- Well Balanced, Complete Formula
- Introduced High Dosing
- Fully Open Label
CONS
- If anything, Gorilla Mode could use a slower release caffeine source.
The Top 5 Pre-Workouts – # 2 – Panda Supplements First Blood – Runner-Up
Panda Supplements does a lot of pre-workout collaborations (they’ve even done one with Gorilla Mind). First Blood is a collaboration between Panda and ‘Merica Labz. This is a high stim Pre with 400+ mg of caffeine and 100m mg of Bitter Orange. This is also a product that has looked at Gorilla Mind dosing – that’s clear with 10 grams citrulline and 6400 mg of beta-alanine. As if the 10g citrulline wasn’t enough, First Blood also includes VasoDrive-AP® for even more nitric oxide stimulation. There’s also a lot here for focus and mood. You can’t make a bad choice between our first two pre-workouts!
Rating: 4.5 Stars!
PROS
- High Doses of Citrulline & Beta-Alanine
- 3 Sources of Caffeine
- Several Focus & Mood Ingredients
CONS
- The Higher Dosing Stops With The Two Ingredients Mentioned Above
The Top 5 Pre-Workouts – # 3 – NutraBio Base Pre-Workout – Best Budget
Like everything else, pre-workout (and all supplement) prices are high. That has led many manufacturers to come up with a “Base” or “Core” pre-workout. Kudos to these manufacturers for creating a category designed for budget-minded users. NutraBio Base features 8 well-dosed ingredients such as citrulline (6g), betaine, beta-alanine, tyrosine, and taurine. There is also caffeine, Himalayan pink salt and AstraGin®. The other thing is this is a flexible formula. Go with one scoop (30 servings), and your doses are ideal for beginners or those that prefer moderate amounts of caffeine. Use 2 scoops (15 servings) and you have 12g of citrulline and 400 mg of caffeine, just like that!
Rating: 4.5 Stars!
PROS
- Flexible 1 or 2 Scoop Dosing
- Balanced Formula
- Value Priced
- Fully Disclosed Label As Only NutraBio Can!
CONS
- No Cons That I Can See
The Top 5 Pre-Workouts – # 4 – Panda Supplements Skull- Best Nootropic
Here’s Panda Supplements again, this time with a very impressive nootropic pre-workout, another more recent category. This is a very comprehensive formula with lots of stims and nootropic ingredients. There’s dl-dmae, tyrosine, alpha-gpc, lion’s mane, CognatiQ®, rhodiola, and huperzine-a – what a list! Plus, there’s 3 types of caffeine for a total of 403 mg. Skull hasn’t forgotten about the pump with 8 grams of citrulline malate (providing 4g of pure citrulline) and 1000 mg of agmatine sulfate.
Rating: 4.5 Stars!
PROS
- Features an Extensive List of Nootropic Ingredients
- 3 Forms of Caffeine
- There’s 2 Absorption Enhancers
- Fully Disclosed Label
CONS
- Uses Citrulline Malate Instead of Pure Citrulline
- No Betiane or Glycerol
The Top 5 Pre-Workouts – # 5 – Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode Nitric – Best Stim-Free
Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode Nitric is a very well-dosed 100% stim-free pre-workout. This impressive product features 10 grams of citrulline plus creatine (5g), agmatine sulfate (1.5g), betaine (4g), VasoDrive-AP® (254 mg), and Nitrosigine®. There’s also malic acid and electrolytes. Like any stim-free, pump-based Pre you can use this by itself or stack with your favorite stim-based Pre.
Rating: 4.5 Stars!
PROS
- Very Generously Dosed Ingredients
- Well Balanced Formula
- Fully Disclosed Label
CONS
- Only 20 Servings – You Can Use 1 Scoop, but You Lose The Dosing.
Honorable Mention – Condemned Labz Convict High Stim Pre-Workout
For stim-lovers only, this is too good to pass up. Lots of stims, plus 6 grams citrulline. However, there’s no performance or endurance ingredients to speak of, so it might be advisable to stack this with a stim-free pump and performance Pre such as Gorilla Mode Nitric.
Rating – 4 Stars!
The Top 5 Pre-Workouts – Buying Guide
A great pre-workout doesn’t focus on just one or two areas of workout performance. It should be exceptionally well dosed using effective ingredients that attack all workout performance pathways. This buying guide will help you choose one that fits that description.
Pre-Workout Benefits
Clearly when most users think of pre-workouts they think of caffeine. However, a good pre-workout should be balanced, rather than containing just high doses of stims. A balanced Pre that’s effectively dosed provides the following benefits:
- Increased Energy & Elevated Focus – This is one of the primary benefits of any good pre-workout. Depending on how much caffeine and what, if any, other stims are in a product, the energy can be extreme. Also, many energy ingredients enhance focus. The best pre-workouts provide several pure focus ingredients to create an “in the zone” mindset.
- Extended Endurance – There are several ingredients that support extended endurance. If you can knock out a few more reps at the end of a set, you can stimulate a little extra growth. That alone makes a pre-workout worth it for many users.
- Promotes Massive Pumps – For many lifters, getting a mind-blowing pump is what it’s all about. After all, what can be better than looking in the mirror and looking bigger than ever? Not to mention, the pump is one of the avenues of growth. A great pre-workout should target a great pump. It should also be noted that there are two kinds of pumps, nitric oxide and water-based (cell volumizers), and the best Pre’s target both.
- Enhances Strength & Power – Smart lifters use a progressive overload approach in their training by adding weight to the bar consistently over time. The best pre-workouts can help them do this successfully by including ingredients that promote strength and power.
- Enhances Motivation – There’s a few pre-workouts that go beyond focus ingredients and also contain ingredients that improve your motivation to train. As noted, this enhances the crucial mind-muscle connection.
Ingredients You Should Look For
These are just some of the ingredients that should be in a great pre-workout. The main things you want to look for when considering a Pre are:
- Are the Ingredients Well-Dosed?
- Is There Research Backing Them?
- What Do They Do, and Do I Want Those Benefits?
- Is The Label Fully Open?
- Is It a Balanced Formula?
Caffeine
It’s safe to say that most people know what caffeine does. (1) When you’re talking about the strongest pre-workouts, it’s assumed that stims are a big part of it. While you can find a strong stim-free pre-workout, energy, one of the key areas of workout performance, is not being covered by a stim-free product. A strong pre-workout needs to target every workout pathway and do it effectively.
With that in mind, here’s a rundown of the types of caffeine typically found in a pre-workout:
- Caffeine Anhydrous – This is caffeine with all the moisture removed, making it more concentrated.
- Infinergy® Dicaffeine Malate – This is a patented complex consisting of 75% caffeine and 25% malic acid. The caffeine is absorbed more slowly, reducing jitters and the “crash” effect.
- Caffeine Citrate – Here’s a synthetic caffeine that consists of caffeine anhydrous and citric acid monohydrate. It’s 50% caffeine.
- InnovaTea® Natural Caffeine – This is a very pure tea grown by farmers that use sustainable farming practices. InnovaTea is 98% caffeine. (2)
- Yerba Mate – Here’s an herb from South America. The tea form of yerba mate is a popular caffeinated drink, especially in South America.
- Green Tea – This is a natural form of caffeine as well as the antioxidant EGCG.
- Guarana – This ingredient originates in Brazil and is a natural source of caffeine.
L-Tyrosine
This amino acid has an important role in the manufacture of the neurotransmitters dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. These are neurotransmitters that improve focus and mood, while also relieving anxiety. (3)
Choline
Choline promotes cognitive function, including an improved mind-muscle connection. It’s a member of the B Vitamin family and involved in the synthesis of phospholipids which supports cell signaling functions and the structural integrity of the cell. Choline is also a precursor of acetylcholine synthesis. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that’s involved in mood and memory as well as promoting the mind-muscle connection, or the mental connection you should have with your working muscles when you train. In fact, it’s the difference between a poor workout or a great one. (4, 5)
Alpha GPC
This is a potent nootropic ingredient that occurs naturally in the brain. It’s 40% choline by weight. Alpha GPC is a premium type of choline due to its enhanced absorption. And as noted, the choline in this compound is used in the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The glycerol/phosphate content is used for phospholipid production. (6)
Huperzine A
This impressive ingredient improves focus and indirectly increases levels of acetylcholine. It performs this function by blocking an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, which controls acetylcholine breakdown. By inhibiting this enzyme, more acetylcholine is available for cognitive enhancement. (7)
L-Citrulline
This is arguably the most effective nitric oxide stimulating, pump-producing ingredient on the market. It’s actually an amino acid that converts into arginine once in the body. What’s the advantage of citrulline over regular arginine? Simple, it absorbs much better than arginine. This means that citrulline does a better job of performing like arginine than arginine does. Ironic, huh? Some products use citrulline malate, which is a mix of citrulline, and malic acid (supports ATP). Still, for me, I want pure citrulline for the pumps. (8, 9, 10)
Agmatine Sulfate
This is another fairly common pump ingredient that promotes the increased production of nitric oxide. (11)
Betaine Anhydrous
Betaine is an osmolyte, meaning it pulls water into the muscle cells (water based pumps). The ingredients creatine, glycerol, and taurine are also osmolytes. Betaine works similarly to creatine. Plus, betaine, like creatine, is thought to help improve strength and power. It’s believed that these two compounds work well together. (12)
Creatine Monohydrate
This is the most researched and proven effective supplement on the market bar none. The best pre-workouts add creatine to promote water-based pumps. It’s also used to improve endurance, power, and strength. Amazingly, not very many Pre’s use this, most likely because it has to be taken every day. You won’t get it daily if your only source is your pre-workout. (13)
Beta-Alanine
This ingredient indirectly extends endurance. It does this by increasing carnosine levels in the body. This buffers lactic acid so you can push your sets farther. It also causes a temporary, harmless tingling effect. While this effect doesn’t bother most lifters, there are some that just don’t like it. This has caused a few supplement manufacturers to lower the dose, sometimes to the point of it being underdosed. If you want to use a top pre-workout, it should include at least the clinical dosing of this compound (3.2 grams). In fact, some Pre’s are using 6.4 grams, which is the high end of clinical dosing. Remember that a glass of water and a little bit of time relieve the tingling effect. (14)
Summary
There you have my Top 5 Pre-Workouts (and an Honorable Mention)! I tried to include a Pre for every lifter, and I included only the best Pre’s we carry. All that’s left now is to stop by illpumpyouup.com today and stock up on the one you want – and then go hit the gym!
References:
- https://examine.com/supplements/caffeine/
- https://nutriscienceusa.com/product/innovatea/#:~:text=InnovaTea%C2%AE%20High%20Purity%20Natural,to%20help%20reduce%20environmental%20impact.
- Deijen, J. B., & Orlebeke, J. F. (n.d.). Effect of tyrosine on cognitive function and blood pressure under stress. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8293316
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/#h7
- Choline – PubMed Central (PMC). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2518394/
- https://examine.com/supplements/alpha-gpc/
- Treating senile dementia with traditional Chinese medicine. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2684515/
- Figueroa, A., Wong, A., Jaime, S. J., & Gonzales, J. U. (2017, January). Influence of L-citrulline and watermelon supplementation on vascular function and exercise performance. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27749691
- Breuillard, C., Cynober, L., & Moinard, C. (2015, April). Citrulline and nitrogen homeostasis: an overview. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25676932
- Bahri, S., Zerrouk, N., Aussel, C., Moinard, C., Crenn, P., Curis, E., … Sfar, S. (2013, March). Citrulline: from metabolism to therapeutic use. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23022123
- Haulică I, et al. Preliminary research on possible relationship of NO with agmatine at the vascular level. Rom J Physiol. (1999). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11068606
- https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/80/3/539/4690529
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-creatine
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/beta-alanine-101