My review on all the pre-workout drinks I have tried

[SwissMuscle]

As my 500th post I decided to make an honest review about all the pre-workouts I have tried. I will not go into too much depth regarding each product I tried since I tested over 17 different brands the last couple of years. Most of the products are similar (similar ingredients) so its not always easy to note a clear difference. My review is based on personal experience and opinion so please don't flame or neg. There is a summary at the end where I list my favorites!

Product Listing (alphabetical)

1.M.R by BPI Sports (Fruit Punch): After trying this product I gave it to my buddy. It wasn't bad but it wasn't anything special either. I felt stimmed up but not in a good way. I know some of the people in this forum like it so I guess its not bad but I think there are much better products out there. The taste was OK but nothing special either.

Anadraulic State GT by LG Sciences (Strawberry Lemonade): Unfortunately this is one of 3 products that gave me nausea and made me vomit so I had to discontinue its use. My body did not agree with this product. As far as the taste and mixability I was very disappointed but I heard that its a good product so I was disappointed I couldn't give it a fair try.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/le...-state-gt.html

Assault by Muscle Pharm (Blue Arctic Raspberry): I like this product a lot. It works very well and has a very generous dose of Beta-Alanine from what I can tell from using it. This is my favorite caffein based product that does not include Dimethylamylamine. Had some great workouts with Assault. The taste is amazing, one of my favorite tasting pre-workout formulas. The one thing you will notice with using this product is that it gives you a blue tongue from the artificial coloring which some people pointed out to me in the gym.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/mu...m/assault.html

Body Octane by MAN Sports (Citrus Breeze): This product is a stim-free/creatine-free pre-workout formula. This is a great product to take when taking a break from Stims. Some people dont take breaks and their body builds up more and more tolerance to caffein which then requires higher and higher dosing. I think its good to take a break and cycle the stim loaded pre-workout drinks. Either 4on/2off, 6on/3off, 8on/4off. There are a few things I loved about this product. For one its a none prop blend so you get to know exactly how much of what your taking. Everything seems very generously dosed (3.5g of Citrulline Malate, 1.6g of Beta Alanine). Another thing I love about this product is that it tastes amazing, just awesome the way they flavored it. I was really happy with Body Octane, I couldn't expect too much from coming from a stim-free product but I definitely felt it working. It is my favorite or second favorite STIM-free pre-workout.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/man/body.html

Clout by Man Sports (Thunder Punch): I have it on hand but have not tried it yet. I will fill this section in with the data after I have tested it. This product is also a stim-free product just like Body Octane but with a different formulation and the addition of creatine. Its also a none prop blend so you get to see the amount of all ingredients in the formula.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/man/clout.html

Flashover by Omega Sports (Fruit Punch): This product is also a none prop blend which is actually one of the reasons I first purchased it. I like the product and it tasted OK but the mixability sucked. This is due to the addition of Glycerol Monostearate. The product is similar to products such as Jack3d and presurge unleashed due to its inclusion of 1,3-Dimethylamylamine. This product is good there is no much else to tell.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/omega/flashover.html

Hemavol by IForce Nutrition (Pills): This was the first pre-workout I have tried which was pill based. Its stim-free and creatine free. I heard good this product is good for pumps. The main ingredients are Citrulline Malate, Agmatine Sulfate and Glycerol Monostearate. I tried the product once (might need to give it another try) and I wasn't impressed at all. I did not notice more of a pump than usual.
(Bodybuilding.com discontinued this product)

Jack3d by USP Labs (Tropical Fruit Punch, Grape Bubblegum): This was the first product I tried that contained the ingredient 1,3-Dimethylamylamine. The first time I took this product I felt like I was like WTF, the 1,3 Dimethylamylamine was a new experience for me and definitely upped the bar with pre-wrokout drinks. I quickly built tolerance to this product, already taking 2 scoops in week 2 and 3 scoops in week 3. At the time I was taking it I could honestly say it was my favorite pre-workout to take. Then I reordered the product and found out they reformulated it. I tried out the re-formulated new version and did not get the same results as I did from the old formula/version. Some people said this cant be but I clearly noticed a difference. The old version worked a lot better for me for some reason. Weird. As far as taste and mixability, this product is spot on. The fruit punch was good but the grape bubble gum is awesome! Definitely one of my favorites tasting pre-workout drinks.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/usp/jacked.html

Muscle Marinade by Purus Labs (Purus Punch): This product is interesting and its also a none prop blend. It is dosed so that you never have to take more than one scoop (some other products require 2-4 scoops to match the ingredients). With this product you can start by just taking half a scoop. 1 Serving/scoop contains over 6g of creatine and 2g of Beta Alanine, 380mg of Stims etc (probably 300mg caffein and 80mg 1,3 Dym). The product was OK, but honestly I did not notice much of a difference. I guess what is cool about this product is the fact you get lots of ingredients for your money. The taste wasn't bad at first, but it was definitely weird and after a couple of times I decided that I didn't like the taste at all, a bit chemical tasting. I would say that this product is definitely one of the most potent out there if not the most potent.
(Bodybuilding.com does not sell this product)

Neogenix by Bodyforge (Hardened Lemonade): This product is also a stim-free product. The product wasn't bad but I clearly remember that Body Octane + Creatine worked much better for me which is why I switched back to Body Octane from MAN. The taste was a bit odd, definitely not my flavor. I also gave it to a friend since I knew I wouldn't take it anymore. I stick to MAN sports when it comes to stim-free.
(http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/neo/bodyforge.html)

NO Explode by BSN (Fruit punch, Grape): This product was my first pre-workout drink I ever took. Was my first real caffein buzz ever. At the time this product did its job, there was nothing to complain about. These days there are a lot better options and i would consider this product inferior. Its heavily based on Arginine which doesn't actually do anything for vasodilation (according to all the recent research and studies). I liked the taste of both flavors and would switch between grape and fruit punch every day while I was taking it back in the day.

Presurge Unleashed by Athletic Edge Nutrition (Wild berry punch): This is my favorite pre-workout product out there. It is similar to Jack3d and Flashover but this definitely takes the cake. I had good results using this product, great energy and great pumps. I have re-ordered this product multiple times and keep it on stock so I never run out. The taste is also really good and makes drinking it enjoyable. Awesome product.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/ae...unleashed.html

Pump-Bol by Thermolife (Citrus Rush): I will probably do a separate review for this when I get the chance (with pics). This product is also stim-free. The product contains nitrates which is something I have always wanted to try. I purchased this because it was marketed to be a good pump product and o fcourse the Thermolife marketing that this gives you an 8 hour pump. My first time I did 1 scoop which didn't do anything for me. The next time I decided to try 2 scoops and to combine it with the product Glycergrow which is a Glycerol Monostearate product. I put the GMS on my tongue and washed it down with Pump Bol. After my second chest exercise I felt as if my chest is going to explode. The combination of these two products has given me the most insane pump I have ever had in my life. I will make a review soon with a couple of close up pics I made. Taste-wise pump-bol is top notch. It tastes almost like Body Octane but with a slight aftertaste.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/thermo/pump-bol.html

Shotgun by VPX (Grape Bubblegum, Exotic Fruit): There are a lot of VPX haters out there although they make some awesome products. Shotgun was one of the better pre-workouts I have tried. Gave me intense energy and focus every time. The Grape flavor was disgusting, had to hold my nose every time but the exotic fruit flavor was much better. Definitely not a great tasting pre-workout drink. Shotgun will always have a place on my top 5 list of pre-workout products. The only thing that pissed me off about shotgun was its dishonest label. Definitely a lie when they say you also get 20g or protein with every scoop of shotgun formula.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/vpx/no.html

Superpump250 by Gaspari (Fruit Punch Blast): Unfortunately I was not able to properly evaluate the product. I tried a few times but kept on getting nausea and also vomited. My body did not agree with this product for some reason.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/gn/super.html

Ultima by Omega Sports (Citrus Dew): I decided to try this product out as an alternative to MAN's stim-free products. I bought this product because its none prop like flashover. I also heard so many good things about this product so I was very disappointed to find out my body did not agree with this one either. I started feeling like crap in the gym and then suddenly got weak and felt like puking. Was a shame because lots of you guys in the forum said good things about Ultima. Taste was good.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/omega/ultima.html

White Flood by Controlled Labs (Furious Fruit Punch): A lot of people in the forum recommended this product, they said it gives great pumps. I didn't notice anymore of a pump from this product than I noticed from PSU or Jack3d. This product was OK, wasn't any worse than the other ones but it definitely didn't stand out as being superior. The taste was also OK. No complaints.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/clabs/flood.html


Summary:

Favorite caffein/Dimethylamylamine based product: Presurge Unleashed
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/ae...unleashed.html

Favorite caffein based product: Assault
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/mu...m/assault.html

Favorite stim-free product: Body Octane
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/man/body.html

Favorite pump product: Pump Bol combined with Glycergrow
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/thermo/pump-bol.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/clabs/grow.html

Favorite tasting products: Assault Blue Arctic Raspberry, Body Octane and Jack3d Grape Bubblegum
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/mu...m/assault.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/man/body.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/usp/jacked.html

Hope this review helps some of you out there who are overwhelmed with the thousands of pre-workout products on the market these days.

Cheers ; )

[sloop]

Presurge Unleashed by Athletic Edge Nutrition (Wild berry punch): This is my favorite pre-workout product out there.

Good post, dude. You put a lot of time into it for sure.
Nice to see AEN at the top of your list.

[BNR]

great reviews, thx

[patricksushi]

just read the whole thing. sick review bro. i have yet to try PSU... i should order it soon

[The Solution]

Next time you order toss a sample of Quake 10.0 into your cart. Would be eager to see how it stacks against everything you rated above!

[pand2190]

Awesome reviews man. Great work

[liftTENhard]

Awesome reviews man. Great work

nice review im loving assault right now.... ^_^

[shadar]

Nice post man, agree with a lot of your thoughts. PSU is my top 1,3 product and has given me the best workouts I've ever had... just trying to stay off 1,3 for a while now.

Assault was good as well, though I prefer SPMax and Bullnox to it, they just work slightly better for me but assault is probably the best tasting pre-workout if not supplement ever made.

[airrade]

Just have to say thanks for the post. Great info and effort. It's cool to see how they stack up against eachother in your opinion. I might have to do the same some day.

[CytoRoc]

Awesome list here, definitely a great list to reference off

[liam1682]

Great list man, appreicate the time and effort gone into it!

[pigpen75]

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/neo/bodyforge.html

I believe you got this one backwards and its back in stock.

Great reviews, thanks. May give VPX shotgun another try, its been a while. Also check out Neogenix Cryshock if you get a chance. I've had my best workouts on this product, but it pricey

[SwissMuscle]

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/neo/bodyforge.html

I believe you got this one backwards and its back in stock.

Great reviews, thanks. May give VPX shotgun another try, its been a while. Also check out Neogenix Cryshock if you get a chance. I've had my best workouts on this product, but it pricey

When I google search "neogenix bodyforge" it shows me this link

www.bodybuilding.com/store/neo/bodyforge.htm

which says the product is discontinued. Anyhow I updated the list with the link you gave me.

[BipolarBrah]

wow 5 star post!! i'm considering bookmarking this thread haha, very nice information. thank you for putting the time and effort into making a preworkout review thread. i would be interested in reviews of other products from you as well

[theculture]

great reviews, i love assault as well. the taste is the best, bar none

i just got my Ultima, trying it tomorrow, hope I have better experience than you did. I kind of wish I got pump-bol, but at the time I read 3 negative reviews in a row so I was like, screw that. TONS of good reviews about ultima, some saying its the best PWO period, stim or non stim.
I'll end up trying pump bol in a few months i'm sure.

[.:Chris:.]

Nice list! Try to get a hold of a Cryoshock sample, I found it very effective.

[ddfox]

Great reviews, thanks. May give VPX shotgun another try, its been a while. Also check out Neogenix Cryshock if you get a chance. I've had my best workouts on this product, but it pricey

Nice reviews by the OP, I'd like to see his review of CryoShock as well.

BTW, the NEW CryoShock has 25% more servings for the same price!!
(45 servings vs 36 in the old version)
Much better value now!

[Kung-fusion]

Cryoshock is the best I've used. I've used Flashover, NO Shotgun, Bodyforge (non-stim), Black Cats (not designed as a pre-workout, but is similar), Dialene 4 (designed as a fatburner), White Flood

After Cryoshock, I'd say White Flood and Flashover are the best

[DarkAngelLCD]

Well my Rep power sucks donkey dunage, but the pre' s I've had has been jack3d, sp250, asgt, and no xplode. They only two I enjoyed was jack3d and asgt.

I'm going to look into cryoshock, next.

Awesome thread OP!

[Peter LeDrew]

great reviews, i love assault as well. the taste is the best, bar none

i just got my Ultima, trying it tomorrow, hope I have better experience than you did. I kind of wish I got pump-bol, but at the time I read 3 negative reviews in a row so I was like, screw that. TONS of good reviews about ultima, some saying its the best PWO period, stim or non stim.
I'll end up trying pump bol in a few months i'm sure.

I'm sure you will love Ultima. Well the majority do, but like all products everyone reacts differently in different ways at different times. I can say one thing about Ultima that most products lack, that is the overall health benefits of the formula. There are real benefits from supplementing things like those highly bioavailable B vitamins, the quality A-GPC, CDP-Choline, TMG, Phosphatidylserine, bioavailable mineral forms, etc... This is far beyond anything that exists in the market. This is why it costs more than most products as well. The quality is exceptional.

If you're expecting a big stim energy boost then you will be dissapointed. Ultima gets better and more effective with time, not worse. Your mind and body will be healthier for it.

[JHumiston]

Awesome thread, i enjoyed reading it. It also introduced me to some new potential Pre Works.

[SupaNatural]

Great thread. Thanks for your honest input on Pump-BOL. My first dose was good, second was better. By my third workout I was really able to notice its effects. The muscle fullness lasted for about 4 hours, and afterwards I did a little bit of flexing and noticed that the pump came back with ease.

[Mr.Cooper69]

Great thread, me and you are one and the same OP. PSU is amazing, and I agree with almost all of your reviews as well. Our only disagreement is ASGT, but you obviously couldnt give it a proper try (you woulda like it ). I am currently dosing 2 scoops PSU with 0.5 scoops clout preworkout when I need a kick, and just 1 scoop clout preworkout when I don't. I loved body octane, but clout is even better for stim free pre-wos! You will love it bro

[Peter LeDrew]

Great thread. Thanks for your honest input on Pump-BOL. My first dose was good, second was better. By my third workout I was really able to notice its effects. The muscle fullness lasted for about 4 hours, and afterwards I did a little bit of flexing and noticed that the pump came back with ease.

A couple of my recent chest workouts were full of Pump on Pump-Bol. I was impressed! I think P-Bol will become one of my all-time favorite products in all honesty... alongside the likes of Ultima, Ortho Core, IntrAbolic and only a couple others. It's too bad I didn't get to use it during my summer of endurance training/racing and I really look forward to 2011 and utilizing it to the full capacity. I'm very appreciative of the formula... almost like it was designed for me. Well, I will just consider it Peter-Bol.

[Peter LeDrew]

Great thread, me and you are one and the same OP. PSU is amazing, and I agree with almost all of your reviews as well. Our only disagreement is ASGT, but you obviously couldnt give it a proper try (you woulda like it ). I am currently dosing 2 scoops PSU with 0.5 scoops clout preworkout when I need a kick, and just 1 scoop clout preworkout when I don't. I loved body octane, but clout is even better for stim free pre-wos! You will love it bro

PSU as a stim choice is great and Clout is also a very good non-stim.

[SupaNatural]

A couple of my recent chest workouts were full of Pump on Pump-Bol. I was impressed! I think P-Bol will become one of my all-time favorite products in all honesty... alongside the likes of Ultima, Ortho Core, IntrAbolic and only a couple others. It's too bad I didn't get to use it during my summer of endurance training/racing and I really look forward to 2011 and utilizing it to the full capacity. I'm very appreciative of the formula... almost like it was designed for me. Well, I will just consider it Peter-Bol.

Ultima + Pump-BOL = Peter-BOL

Have you tried flexing later in the day to see how easily the pump comes back?

[Mr.Cooper69]

PSU as a stim choice is great and Clout is also a very good non-stim.

PSU is my staple stimmed pre-WO from now on...I really see no need to try anything else, its just that good. As for non-stim, I am actually gonna get ultima once my clout is kicked, since I need a pre-Wo with a full serving of creatine (I dont have any bulk creatine). While clout has been unreal for strength gains, it has two downsides: one TERRIBLE taste, and its rock hard atm (massive clumping). But that taste...god I get shivers just thinking about it

[Peter LeDrew]

Ultima + Pump-BOL = Peter-BOL

Have you tried flexing later in the day to see how easily the pump comes back?

I'm always flexing and always pumped. haha Peter-Bol has to be seen to be believed.


srs though, I might see such an effect? I will go flex now.

[Peter LeDrew]

PSU is my staple stimmed pre-WO from now on...I really see no need to try anything else, its just that good. As for non-stim, I am actually gonna get ultima once my clout is kicked, since I need a pre-Wo with a full serving of creatine (I dont have any bulk creatine). While clout has been unreal for strength gains, it has two downsides: one TERRIBLE taste, and its rock hard atm (massive clumping). But that taste...god I get shivers just thinking about it

I actually ordered 12 or more PSU`s since it was released! I kinda like it too. I wish I had some of the new flavors now though and esp. the citrus to try with Ultima.

I am soon going to try our Flashover which many regularly also give great feedback.

[ohmygoodieSA]

Op should try mesomorph and muscle warfare napalm, keen for reviews!