Pre Workout Reviews

Find the best pre-workout supplements reviewed for their potency and value. Pre workouts are highlighted for their strength, inclusion of special ingredients, and overall value. If you're tired of wasting money on ineffective pre workouts, check out our recommended pre workouts below.

Recommended Pre Workouts

Apollon Nutrition - Hooligan (Best overall strength with a clean ingredient list)
Apollon Nutrition - Assassin (Strongest pre workout, contains ingredients banned from many competitive sports)
Metabolic Nutrition - ESP Extreme Pre Workout (Best Value Pre Workout)

You can also check out our round up lists:

For the latest pre workout reviews, please see the posts below.

Gulag Pre-Workout Review

By Kyle Risley
Last updated August 31, 2022

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Gulag Pre-Workout is a pre-workout supplement manufactured by Just Vibes. Containing the powerful DMHA stimulant, It’s marketed to those who prefer high-stim pre-workouts.

The most notable effect of Gulag is mood elevation. If you like to feel good during and after your workout, Gulag is worth checking out. The energy is smooth and not overwhelming.

Because it contains DMHA, I would not recommend Gulag to beginners. Instead, I’d recommend checking out the top pre-workouts for beginners. However, this is a nice starting point if you want to try your first DMHA pre-workout.

Continue reading below for the full review and links where you can purchase Gulag.

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Enjoy the Hysteria Pre-Workout Review

By Paul Tiller
Last updated August 6, 2022

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Enjoy the Hysteria is a pre-workout supplement from The Nutrition Store. It contains 3.2 g of Beta-Alanine, 300 mg DMHA, 225 mg of caffeine (from two different sources), and 50 mg of Theophylline. Enjoy the Hysteria provides the energy and focus for almost any workout.

Enjoy the Hysteria is the second in a series of Nutrition Store supplements; the first being “Enjoy the Insanity.”

Both products contain 3.2-grams of Beta-Alanine, two grams of L-Citrulline, 300 mg DMHA, 25 mg Isopropylsynephrine, and 10 mg Piperine 95%.

The newer formula, Enjoy the Hysteria, omits the 200 mg Eria Jarnesis, 150 mg VitaShure (™), 100 mg Caffeine, and 50 mg Halostachine and replaces them with 150 mg Caffeine Anhydrous, 100 mg Di-Caffeine Malate, and 50 mg Theophylline. The caffeine total changes from 190 mg yield to 225 mg yield.

Insanity prompts better focus and an elevated mood, while Hysteria stimulates superior and more intense energy levels.

Due to the 300 mg DMHA, I would only recommend this for advanced users of pre-workouts.

Read on for additional details of my experience, the best prices for the Enjoy the Hysteria pre-workout, and a breakdown of its ingredient label.

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Pre Black by SP Nutrition Pre-Workout Review

By Paul Tiller
Last updated August 5, 2022

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Pre-Black is a pre-workout supplement from SP Nutrition. Fueled by 3 g Beta-Alanine, 100 mg L-Norvaline, 350 mg Caffeine, 255 mg AMP Citrate, 120 mg DMHA, 20 mg Noopept, Pre-Black has plenty of focus and energy to go around.

Due to the AMP Citrate and DMHA, I would only recommend this to advanced users of pre-workouts.

Read on for additional details of my experience, the best prices for the Pre-Black pre-workout, and a breakdown of its ingredient label.

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Hybrid by Kilo Labs Pre-Workout Review

Hybrid is a pre-workout supplement from Kilo Labs. Fueled by a potent label of 3.2 g Beta-Alanine, 3 g Betaine, 2 g HydroPrime (™), 400 mg Caffeine, 200 mg DMHA, and 100 mg Eria Jarensis, Hybrid provides the energy, focus, mood, and pumps for an intense workout.

Due to the stimulants, I would only recommend this product for advanced pre-workout users.

Read on for additional details of my experience, the best prices for the Hybrid pre-workout, and a breakdown of its ingredient label.

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Pre-Workout by Ryse Up Supplements Pre-Workout Review

Pre-workout is a pre-workout supplement from Ryse Up Supplements. Fueled by 3.2 g Beta-Alanine, 1.5 g Choline Bitartrate, 1.5 g Betaine Anhydrous, 500 mg Sodium Nitrate, 400 mg total caffeine from two different sources, 200 mg Theobromine, and 10 mg Huperzine-A, this pre-workout provides the energy, focus, and pumps required for a grueling workout.

I would recommend this for beginners taking at least 300 or so mg of caffeine (such as a Bang or Reign energy drink). The focus, energy, and pumps should be enough and the product can serve as a stepping-stone to other more intense pre-workouts.

Read on for additional details of my experience, the best prices for the Ryse pre-workout, and a breakdown of its ingredient label.

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Pre-Kaged vs Pre-Kaged Elite Pre-Workout

By Kyle Risley
Last updated July 28, 2022

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

In January 2022, Kaged announced a rebranding from Kaged Muscle to Kaged. Alongside this announcement, they introduced a new pre-workout: Pre-Kaged Elite.

This naturally led to the question: what is the difference between regular Pre-Kaged pre-workout and Pre-Kaged Elite?

When it comes to Pre-Kaged vs. Pre-Kaged Elite, we’ll give you a full comparison of their key differences and which one may be right for you.

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Loaded by Ryse Up Supplements Pre-Workout Review

By Paul Tiller
Last updated July 25, 2022

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Loaded is a pre-workout supplement from Ryse Up Supplements. Features include 4.5 g L-Citrulline, 3.5 g Beta-Alanine, 440 mg total caffeine from two different sources, and 100 mg Theobromine. Loaded by Ryse is a high-energy pre-workout.

I would easily recommend this for beginners. The energy is good enough, with sufficient focus and pumps to benefit a beginner. Paired with the licensed, well-known, and incredible flavors, a beginner would not have any trouble with this product as long as they can handle the initial 350 mg of caffeine.

Read on for additional details of my experience, the best prices for the Loaded pre-workout, and a breakdown of its ingredient label.

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Pumpaholic by Freedom Formulations Pre-Workout Review

Pumpaholic is a pure pump product supplement from Freedom Formulations. Utilizing 5 g Citrulline Malate 2:1, 1 g Agmatine Sulfate, 500 mg Beet Root Powder, and 150 mg Norvaline, Pumpaholic promises Crazy Pumps and Extreme Vascularity. Unfortunately, the pumps are lacking.

I would recommend this for someone looking to stack this with a pre-workout to get some extra pumps. However, that’s pretty much the only scenario I could see it being used, as the pumps are deficient.

Read on for additional details of my experience, the best prices for the Pumpaholic pure pump product, and a breakdown of its ingredient label.

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Nutrifit Symbiote Pre-Workout Review

Symbiote is a pre-workout supplement from NutriFit. Fueled by 4 g Beta-Alanine, 1 g L-Tyrosine, 400 mg Caffeine, 200 mg Eria Jarensis, 200 mg DMHA, 75 mg Hordenine, and 1 mg Alpha Yo, Symbiote is a powerful stim pre-workout.

This pre-workout had me feeling like a sparkplug.

Due to the stimulants, I would only recommend this supplement for advanced users of pre-workouts.

Read on for additional details of my experience, the best prices for the Symbiote pre-workout, and a breakdown of its ingredient label.

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Spartacus Pre-Workout Review

By Paul Tiller
Last updated July 10, 2022

As an affiliate of various sites, including Amazon Associates, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases via links in this post at no extra cost to you. See Full Disclosure

Spartacus is a pre-workout supplement from VHi Fit. Fueled by 6 g L-Citrulline Malate, 3.2 g Beta-Alanine, 1 g L-Tyrosine, 357.5 mg of total caffeine (from 3 different sources), 200 mg Eria Jarensis, and 250 mcg Huperzine A, Spartacus provides the energy and focus required for a great workout.

I took Spartacus six times (twice before workouts and four before work). It consistently gave me the energy and focus needed to complete the workout or the shift at work.

Due to the Eria Jarensis, caffeine dosage, and levels of focus, I would only recommend this for intermediate users of pre-workouts looking to explore a higher-stim pre-workout. Since Spartacus is not overly strong, it is a good stepping stone towards higher stim pre-workouts.

Read on for additional details of my experience, the best prices for the Spartacus pre-workouts, and a breakdown of its ingredient label.

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Pre Workout FAQs

Below you’ll find some of the most frequently asked questions about pre workout supplements.

Is pre workout bad for you?

Because the type of ingredients in pre workouts varies, it is impossible to provide a one size fits all answer. There are certainly safe pre workouts that are fine to take as recommended for most healthy individuals. Some of the more extreme pre workouts contain stimulants that can cause unwanted side effects and can build a tolerance if taken too frequently, which can result in negative withdrawal effects. However, just a little research from reading pre workout reviews can make it much easier to find a pre workout that is right for you.

What effects does pre workout achieve?

Pre workouts are usually taken to improve energy levels, increase blood flow, and enhance focus during a workout. The main difference between various pre workout supplements is how much they emphasize these effects. Some are mostly focused on blood flow (aka “the pump”) while others focus on boosting energy for long workouts. This is why doing some pre workout research before making a purchase is important.

Is pre workout right for me?

Pre workout may be worth considering after you have tracked your diet and sleep for several weeks and are still having issues with completing your workouts. At that point, some extra caffeine may be a good place to start when seeking supplementation. Lift Vault’s list of safe pre workouts is a good place to start if you’re a beginner.

What are the best pre workouts?

If you ask 10 people this question, you’ll likely get 10 different answers. It really is a personal decision that depends on what kind of effects an individual is seeking. With that said, Lift Vault has compiled a list of its favorite pre workouts for different occasions, including pre workouts without banned substances, pre workouts with banned substances, pre workouts with excellent value, and pre workouts without caffeine.