The 10 Best Pre Workout Supplements for 2021

If you love pre workout supplements, if you settle for nothing less than the best, then welcome home.

Without naming any names, I’ll just say that most of the other lists you find floating around the internet are… terrible, to put it nicely.

We understand that “best pre workout” means different things to different people. There is no single “best.”

Want your face ripped off? I’ve got the strongest pre workout covered.

Maybe you want DMAA pre workout or DMHA pre workout. We have separate lists for each because we care about the little details like that.

Looking to not get swindled out of your hard-earned cash while buying your first or second pre workout? Our list of the best pre workout supplements for beginners is your guide.

Not totally sure? That’s fine too – just keep scrolling.

Below are the best of the best, followed by a detailed breakdown of why each product is on this list.

Finally, there is some additional information on how to choose a good pre workout supplement if you’re new to the supplement scene.

Let’s get to it.

Best Pre Workout Supplements for 2021

• Best Pre Workout without Banned Substances: Hooligan (Apollon Nutrition)
• Best Pre Workout with Banned & Illegal Substances: Assassin (Apollon Nutrition)
• Best Value Pre Workout Supplement: ESP Extreme (Metabolic Nutrition)
• Best Pre Workout without Caffeine: Superhuman Pump (Alpha Lion)
• Best Pre Workout for Beginners: THE Pre Workout (MyProtein)
• Best Pre Workout for Weight Loss: Superhuman Burn (Alpha Lion)
• Best Pre Workout for Women: Superhuman Woman (Alpha Lion)
• Best Pre Workout Supplement without Beta Alanine: Loco (Myoblox)
• Best Pre Workout with Low Caffeine + No Beta Alanine: Amino Energy (Optimum Nutrition)
• Best Pre Workout Supplement with Creatine: Pre-Kaged (Kaged Muscle)

Best Pre Workout without Banned Substances

Winner: Hooligan by Apollon Nutrition

Let’s be honest: pre workout supplements can have a shady reputation. Part of this is because they can include stimulants that are banned in sports competition, which can lead to concerns about the safety of the pre workout.

But the good news is that it is not necessary to include banned ingredients in order to create an amazing pre workout.

Want proof? Try Hooligan by Apollon Nutrition.

Hooligan contains fully dosed ingredients, clearly displaying all amounts on the supplement facts label.

The star of the show here is the caffeine content, coming in at a whopping 600 mg per serving. If that sounds like a lot (and it is), then starting with a half scoop still delivers a punch.

This is one of the best pre workout supplements available and a personal favorite of mine. It delivers massive energy levels, clean ingredients, and no crash. While it is not for beginners, it also does not contain any ingredients banned by sports federations, making it safe for athletes to take.

Key ingredients:

• Caffeine anhydrous – 450 mg
• Di-caffeine malate – 200 mg
• L-Citrulline – 7 g
• Beta Alanine – 3.5 g
• L-Tyrosine – 2 g
• Agmatine Sulfate – 1.5 g
• elevATP – 150 mg
• Alpha GPC – 600 mg
• Vitamin B6 – 50 mg
• Vitamin B3 – 20 mg
• Bitamin B12 – 150 mcg

For a full ingredient breakdown, check out my Hooligan pre workout review.

Best Pre Workout with Banned & Illegal Substances

Winner: Assassin by Apollon Nutrition

If taking ingredients banned by tested sports federations is not an issue for you, then Assassin is a pre workout supplement you need to experience.

If you’re looking for pre workouts that the FDA would prefer were not sold, check out the list of DMAA Pre Workouts or DMHA Pre Workouts. Although I’ll just say, Assassin is the strongest pre workout supplements I’ve taken, even without DMAA or DMHA.

The first thing I noticed when trying Assassin was just this overwhelming focus and aggression. This pre workout was practically made for heavy squats or intense deadlifts. When you need to summon every ounce of focus and muscle you have, Assassin gets the job done.

In short, Assassin is the most intense pre workout I’ve tried that didn’t make me feel crazy, messed up, or give me a terrible crash. It hits the sweet spot between being powerful and not making me feel like crap.

Still, I would strongly recommend starting off with a half scoop of Assassin to see how you respond. Its 2.5 mg of alpha yohimbine per serving can be uncomfortable to some people. I use 3/4 of a scoop – never needed a full scoop.

On top of clinical doses of the typical pre workout ingredients like L-Citrulline, Beta-Alanine, L-Tyrosine, and caffeine (600 mg worth per serving), Assassin also contains some more exotic stimulants.

B-Phenylethylamine (BPEA) and N-Phenethyl Dimethylamine (aka Eria Jarensis) are two stimulants with significant amounts of anecdotal evidence suggesting their efficacy. BPEA has even been suggested as a safer alternative to amphetamines to treat disorders like ADHD.

Unfortunately, BPEA and Eria Jarensis are banned by WADA (World Anti Doping Agency). So while you won’t go to jail for buying or owning assassin, it’s “illegal” to use these ingredients in sporting competition.

For a full breakdown of Assassin, check out my Assassin pre workout review.

Key ingredients:

• L-Citrulline – 4 g
• Beta Alanine – 3.5 g
• Agmatine – 1 g
• Caffeine anhydrous – 500 mg
• Di-caffeine malate – 133 mg
• B-Phenylethylamine – 500 mg
• N-Phenethyl Dimethylamine (Eria Jarensis) – 300 mg
• Isopropylnorsynephrine – 60 mg
• Alpha Yohimbine – 2.5 mg
• Vitamin B3 – 30 mg
• Vitamin B6 – 50 mg
• Vitamin B12 – 1 mg

Best Value Pre Workout

Winners: ESP Extreme by Metabolic Nutrition

If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, then be sure to check out ESP Extreme by Metabolic Nutrition.

ESP Extreme is a great choice for those looking for energy. Dosed at a scoop and a half, ESP Extreme provides over 375 mg of caffeine and 150 mg of Eria Jarensis per serving.

There is essentially nothing delivered in the pump category here, so this is really for the energy seekers.

In terms of energy levels and stimulation there may be no better value out there. At 37 servings (1.5 scoops per serving), ESP Extreme comes in under $1.00 per serving.

Key ingredients (2 scoops):

• Caffeine anhydrous – 400 mg
• Di-caffeine malate – 112 mg
• Eria Jarensis – 200 mg
• Beta Alanine – 3.3 g
• Vitamin B3 – 13.2 mg
• Vitamin B6 – 2.8 mg
• Vitamin B12 – 330 mcg

Best Pre Workout without Caffeine

Winner: Superhuman Pump by Alpha Lion

If you’re looking for one of the best pre workout supplements with insane pumps and no caffeine, look no further than Superhuman Pump.

Just like all Alpha Lion products, Superhuman Pump contains massive doses of all its ingredients.

You can see the full ingredient list below, but most notable are the 8 grams of Citrulline Malate (2:1), 3 grams of glycerol powder, and 140 mg of S7. These help boost nitric oxide and improve cell hydration, giving you a great pump and stimulant free experience.

On top of that, Superhuman Pump also has some fantastic mental focus ingredients. 600 mg of organic Lion’s Mane and 300 mg of Alpha GPC will help increase focus levels in your workout, even with a stimulant free formula.

If you want more, check out the full list of the best pre workouts without caffeine.

Key ingredients:

• Citrulline Malate (2:1) – 8 g
• Beta Alanine – 3.5 g
• HydroPrime Glycerol Powder – 3 g
• Lion’s Mane – 600 mg
• Alpha GPC – 300 mg
• S7 – 150 mg
• Huperzine A – 300 mcg

Best Pre Workout for Beginners

Winner: THE Pre Workout by MyProtein

THE Pre Workout is an excellent starting point for someone’s first pre workout powder. If you’re looking for a solid beginner pre workout, you’ve found it.

If this isn’t quite what you’re looking for, check out these other best pre workout supplements for beginners.

Here’s why:

• 150 mg caffeine is plenty for those who are not regular caffeine users
  • If you do have an existing caffeine tolerance, I’d recommend checking out Pre-Kaged, which has 275 mg of organic caffeine.
  • If you want even more caffeine, go with Superhuman Pre Workout, which has 375 mg of caffeine.
• Clinical dosage (4 grams) of L-Citrulline, one of the best-researched pre workout ingredients. Proven to help boost nitric oxide production and increase blood flow after acute supplementation and increase power after regular supplementation.
• 2 grams of beta alanine, which is a little lower than we’d like to see, but may be good for those who are not sure how they feel about beta alanine tingling (don’t worry, it’s normal and harmless).
• MyProtein is always running deals, so you can probably pick up this pre workout for about $0.75 per serving.

Key ingredients:

• L-Citrulline – 4 g
• Betaine Anhydrous – 2.5 g
• Creatine Monohydrate – 2 g
• Caffeine Anhydrous – 150 mg
• Theacrine – 50 mg
• Vitamin B12 – 25 mcg

Best Pre Workout for Weight Loss

Winner: Superhuman Burn Pre Workout by Alpha Lion

Superhuman Burn is a great choice for those looking for a pre workout that also has fat burning properties. While there is absolutely no substitute for a healthy diet, regular exercise, and tracking your macros in order to achieve weight loss, Superhuman Burn can be a nudge in the right direction.

Here’s how Superhuman Burn can help you achieve your weight loss goals:

• Superhuman Burn contains 500 mg of MitoBurn, a patented ingredient that helps convert fat into energy more efficiently.
• It also contains 100 mg of synephrine, which may help boost your metabolic rate slightly.
• This supplement is a solid pre workout, containing clinical dosages of L-Citrulline, Beta Alanine, and L-Tyrosine to help with pumps, strength, and focus.
• Superhuman Burn has limited negative side effects, which are commonly experienced with many fat burner products.

If this doesn’t seem like what you’re looking for, check out the other best pre workout supplements for weight loss.

Key ingredients:

• L-Citrulline – 4 g
• Beta Alanine – 3.6 g
• Taurine – 1 g
• Caffeine Anhydrous – 225 mg
• Di-caffeine Malate – 100 mg
• L-Theanine – 225 mg
• MitoBurn – 500 mg
• Advantra Z Bitter Orange Extract (50% Synephrine) – 100 mg
• Grains of Paradise (6-Paradol 12.5%) – 40 mg

Best Pre Workout for Women

Winner: Superhuman Woman Pre Workout by Alpha Lion

Let’s get one thing out of the way first: any pre workout can be a pre workout for women. The only difference between a “regular pre workout” and a “pre workout for women” is that a pre workout for women can contain ingredients that are generally more useful for women vs. men.

Here’s why:

• Superhuman Woman helps balance hormones, alleviating PMS symptoms like hot flushes, cramps, bloating, and headaches.
  • It does this with a clinical dosage (250 mg) of chaste berry, which has consistent research demonstrating its efficacy at reducing PMS symptoms.
• 200 mg of EnXtra, a patented ingredient shown to improve alertness levels, is included in every serving. EnXtra is a “caffeine amplifier” that can safely be taken with caffeine or without – the choice is yours.
• A variety of mood supporting ingredients are included, such as L-Tyrosine, KSM-66 Ashwagandha, Magnesium, and Myo-Inositol.
• Calcium and magnesium are included, two minerals that women are commonly deficient in.

If this doesn’t seem like exactly what you’re looking for, check out some of the other best pre workout supplements for women.

Key ingredients:

• L-Tyrosine – 500 mg
• KSM-66 Ashwagandha – 200 mg
• EnXtra – 200 mg
• Myo-Inositol – 2 g
• Vitex Agnus Castus – 250 mg
• 3,3-Diindolylmethan – 150 mg
• Vitamin B6 – 50 mg
• Electrolytes

Best Pre Workout without Beta Alanine

Winner: Loco Pre Workout by Myoblox

Love energy but hate the beta alanine tingling? Then Loco Pre Workout is worth checking out.

By removing beta alanine from its ingredient list, an ingredient famous for the skin tingling sensation it can create, Loco immediately set itself apart from the pre workout crowd.

Loco has smooth effects, no crash, and a pleasant mood enhancing feel. I tend to drink it as a replacement for energy drinks, but it is a solid choice as a pre workout too.

If 400 mg of caffeine is too much for you, then I recommend you check out the next option below: Amino Energy by Optimum Nutrition.

Related: Best Pre Workout without Beta Alanine

Key ingredients:

• Citrulline Malate – 6 g
• L-Taurine – 2 g
• L-Tyrosine – 1 g
• Caffeine anhydrous – 400 mg

Best Pre Workout with Low Caffeine + No Beta Alanine

Winner: Amino Energy by Optimum Nutrition

If you’re a beginner looking for a little caffeine and no beta alanine, then Amino Energy is a solid pick.

Amino Energy has 100 mg of caffeine anhydrous and 5 grams of amino acids (including branched chain amino acids). Its popularity is based primarily around its price point ($0.66 per serving) and its lack of beta alanine.

It does contain 5 grams of beta alanine, but they’re part of an amino blend. This makes it impossible to determine if they’re included at the proper 2:1:1 ratio that is backed up by clinical research.

For folks looking for something lightweight and easy to take, Amino Energy remains a popular pick.

Key ingredients:

• Caffeine – 100 mg
• Amino acids (including branched chain amino acids) – 5 g

Best Pre Workout with Creatine

Winner: Pre-Kaged Pre Workout by Kaged Muscle

Pre-Kaged pre workout is an excellent choice for people who are looking for an “all-in-one” pre workout supplement.

In its colossal 31 gram serving, it contains:

• 1.5 grams of creatine HCL
• 6.5 grams BCAAs
• 500 mg coconut water powder
• 274 mg organic caffeine
• 6.5 grams L-Citrulline
• 1.6 grams beta alanine
• 2 grams betaine

It is one of the most stacked pre workout labels I’ve seen for “all-in-one” type pre workout supplements. Everything is here: pump ingredients, caffeine, focus ingredients, hydration ingredient, an amino acid matrix, and even power output enhancers like betaine and creatine HCL.

It’s worth noting that 1.5 grams is a clinical dosage of creatine HCL. As creatine HCL is more soluble than creatine monohydrate, you do not need to take as much to achieve the same effects. So you’ll get all of the increased power that comes along with creatine monohydrate at a much smaller dosage.

A Word on Proprietary Blends in Pre Workout

A proprietary blend is when a manufacturer combines multiple ingredients into a single ingredient blend. By doing this, they do not have to disclose how much of each ingredient is present in the blend – or the serving of their product.

For example, here are two ways the same three ingredients could be represented on an ingredients label:

Product A

• L-Taurine – 1,500 mg
• Caffeine – 200 mg
• L-Tyrosine – 100 mg
• Alpha GPC – 100 mg

Product B

• Secret Sauce Energy & Focus Blend – 1,900 mg
  • (L-Taurine, Caffeine, L-Tyrosine, Alpha GPC)

By combining the four ingredients into one proprietary blend, it makes it easier to make it less obvious that two of the ingredients, L-Tyrosine and Alpha GPC, are underdosed.

Far too often these are used by manufacturers to mask under dosed ingredients, allowing them to overcharge customers.

Let me be clear: I’ve enjoyed many pre workouts that use proprietary blends. It does not necessarily mean that the manufacturer is trying to hide something from the consumer, but it is a practice you should be wary of. This is why it is important to read pre workout reviews before making a purchase.

Pre workouts are expensive enough as it is – the consumer deserves to know what they’re paying for. If you see a product on here with proprietary blends, it means I am experienced enough with the product that I feel comfortable making a recommendation for it.

Pre Workout Supplements That Did Not Make the Cut

We have sampled & investigated lots of different pre workout supplements to come up with this list of the best pre workouts.

Here are some supplements that we tried but didn’t love enough for inclusion on the list. This doesn’t mean they’re bad products, we just didn’t think they were the best of the best.

• Performance Lab – Pre
• Powher – Pre Workout for Women
• Old School Labs – Vintage Blast Pre Workout
• Genius Pre Workout
• Evlution Engn Shred Pre-Workout
• Nutrex Research – Outlift
• Citadel Nutrition – Tier 1
• Dymatize PreWO
• NutraBio Pre
• Rari Nutrition Infinity
• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre Workout
• MyProtein – THE Pump
• Cellucor – C4 Original Pre Workout

How to Safely Choose the Best Pre Workout for You

Pre workout supplements are generally safe, but there definitely are some that push the limits and can create uncomfortable side effects for the user.

Below you’ll find a quick list of common, safe pre workout ingredients and other ingredients to watch out for.

For more detail, see this post on safe pre workout supplements.

Common, Safe Pre Workout Ingredients

Below are some of the most common ingredients found in pre workout supplements.

But honestly, it’s much simpler to highlight the ingredients to be careful of. Those are listed in the next section below.

• Beta alanine
• Caffeine
  • Common variants include caffeine anhydrous, di-caffeine malate, and caffeine citrate
• Citrulline
  • Commonly paired with malic acid to form the compound citrulline malate
• Creatine
  • Common variants include creatine monohydrate and creatine hydrochloride
• BCAAs (branched chain amino acids)
• Betaine (trimethylglycine)
• L-Theanine
• L-Tyrosine
• L-Taurine
• Choline
• Alpha GPC
• Lion’s Mane
• Glycerol Powder

Pre Workout Ingredients to be Careful With

The most common negative side effects of pre workout are anxiety, nausea, chills, cold sweats, increased heart rate, and headaches. And while these are not fun and can be uncomfortable for a few hours, they’re not deadly.

Most of the ingredients below are stimulants that can cause discomfort for a few hours. I’ve experienced all of these ingredients in pre workout products with mostly positive results.

If you decide to take a pre workout supplement that contains some of these ingredients, I’d recommend starting out with a half serving to determine how you react.

For whatever reason, different people can have different reactions to the same pre workout. Start with a half serving before increasing your dosage.

• DMAA
  • Also known as geranium extract and 1,3 dimethylamylamine
• DMHA
  • Also known as aminoisoheptane, juglans regia extract, english walnut extract, and dimethylhexylamine
• DMBA
• β-phenylethylamine (PEA)
• Alpha Yohimbine
  • Also known as rauwolscine
  • This ingredient is an effective stimulant and fat burner, but commonly causes side effects such as chills, anxiety, and increased heart rate.
  • Some people don’t like any alpha yohimbine in their pre workout products, while other folks can handle dosages up to 2-3 mg.

Pre Workout Supplements: The Pros and Cons

Below you’ll find some of the most common pros and cons of pre workout supplements.

These lists are just a sample. They do not apply to all pre workout products. Most pre workouts range from “fine” to “excellent” with minimal negative side effects.

Pros

• Increased energy levels & exercise performance
• Help increase motivation to exercise
• Mood elevation
• Increased nitric oxide, blood flow and muscle pumps
• All of the above are designed to help you train harder and longer, resulting in better training outcomes over time

Cons

• Increased caffeine tolerance due to high caffeine content
• Negative mood effects after it wears off (a “crash”)
• Chills & cold sweats
• Anxiety due to high caffeine content and other stimulants
• Increased heart rate

Frequently Asked Questions about Pre Workout Supplementation

Do pre workouts help me lose weight?

Some pre workouts, like Alpha Lion’s Superhuman Burn, do contain ingredients that are designed to help you burn a few more calories while you train. Still, there are no pre workout supplements that will cause you to lose weight without exercising and burning more calories than you eat.

There are no magic pills or silver bullets, but pre workouts may help you lose weight by helping you train longer, work harder, and potentially burn a few extra calories with thermogenic ingredients.

Do pre workouts help me gain muscle?

In short: no, not really. Muscle is built with protein and rest, primarily.

Pre workout could theoretically be beneficial for successfully completing long, arduous training sessions that you otherwise may not have finished. In that way, it can indirectly contribute to gaining muscle.

What are the benefits of taking pre workout supplements?

The primary benefits of pre workout supplements are the psychological effects: increased focus, stimulation, energy levels, and motivation to workout. Through these effects they can make it “easier” workout and perhaps allow you to push yourself a bit harder than usual.