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Home » Supplement Reviews » Pre Workout Reviews » C4 Original vs Six Star Pre-Workout Comparison

C4 Original vs Six Star Pre-Workout Comparison

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By Kyle Risley
Last updated November 1, 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

If you’re trying to weigh between the option of Six Star Pre-Workout vs C4 Pre-Workout, you’re in the right place.

In this detailed pre-workout review, we keep it straight and break down the C4 and Six Star Pre-Workout, as well as why we recommend other pre-workouts instead.

Table of Contents

  • 1 Key Differences Between Six Star and C4
    • 1.1 Which pre-workout is better overall?
    • 1.2 Which pre-workout is better for energy?
    • 1.3 Which pre-workout is better for pumps?
    • 1.4 Which pre-workout is better for beginners?
  • 2 Product Overviews
    • 2.1 Six Star Explosion Pre-Workout Overview
    • 2.2 C4 Original Pre-Workout Overview
  • 3 Conclusion
    • 3.1 Use Six Star Pre-Workout if:
    • 3.2 Use C4 Pre-Workout if:
  • 4 Links

Key Differences Between Six Star and C4

The main difference between Six Star Pre-Workout Explosion and C4 Pre-Workout is the price range. Six Star’s Explosion is half the price of Cellucor C4 at around $0.50 per serving.

These two pre-workout supplements are similar in many ways in that neither brings much to the table in terms of their ingredients and dosage. Both have minimal amounts of caffeine, creatine, beta-alanine, l-citrulline, and arginine.

For this reason, we don’t recommend either of these pre-workout supplements as they lack the key ingredients and high doses needed in an effective pre-workout supplement.

Instead, we recommend Bulk by Transparent Labs or our list of the best pre-workouts for beginners.

Best Low Caffeine + Nutrition Support
BULK Pre Workout - Transparent Labs
BULK Pre Workout - Transparent Labs

With just over 200 mg of caffeine, BCAAs, Vitamin D3, and Zinc, BULK is a great choice if you're looking for a normal amount of caffeine + extra nutritional support.

Caffeine: 202 mg
Recommended for: Beginners, tested athletes, daily driver pre-workout
Shop Transparent Labs
Lift Vault earns a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no extra cost to you.

Which pre-workout is better overall?

C4 is the better overall pre-workout. Both pre-workouts have many of the same ingredients and dosages, but C4 could be considered a slightly higher-quality product.

Which pre-workout is better for energy?

Both pre-workouts ring in with just a little more caffeine than a cup of coffee. C4 is the slightly better option for energy as it has 150 mg of caffeine, while Six Star only has 135 mg.

Which pre-workout is better for pumps?

Neither pre-workout has a sufficient dosage of ingredients meant to stimulate increased blood flow to give you the desired pump.

Which pre-workout is better for beginners?

Both C4 and Six Star Pre-Workout Explosion are suitable for beginners, but Six Star has a better price point. We’d also recommend checking out our list of the best pre-workouts for beginners.

Product Overviews

Six Star Explosion Pre-Workout Overview

Budget Pick
C4 Original Pre Workout - Cellucor
C4 Original Pre Workout - Cellucor
$26.99 ($3.93 / Ounce)

C4 is the first pre-workout many people try. While this doesn't necessarily mean it's good, it does give it a popularity that is hard to ignore.

It's biggest advantages are that it is cheap and tastes good. Most ingredients are underdosed, but if you don't care about that then it's a fine starting point for beginners.

Servings: 30
Caffeine: 150 mg
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Lift Vault earns a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no extra cost to you.
03/27/2023 12:22 pm GMT

Six Star Pro Nutrition is a supplement that targets athletes more than bodybuilders. Therefore, it would be fair to say that their pre-workout, Six Star Explosion, shouldn’t be considered a viable option to add to your workout routine.

Six Star Pre-Workout Explosion is a very vague product. It contains two proprietary blends; the Pre-Workout Explosion Blend and Advanced Pump Complex. Both proprietary blends include key ingredients, but neither discloses the amount used.

However, it is clear that these key ingredients are significantly underdosed, with only 135 mg of caffeine.

In addition to this, Six Star Pre-Workout Explosion also contains artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners that some may like to avoid.

Pros:

  • 30 full servings
  • Cheap, low price point.

Cons:

  • Many ingredients are part of a proprietary blend, including key ingredients like L-Citrulline
  • Many ingredients are significantly underdosed (Beta-Alanine, L-Citrulline, L-Tyrosine, Caffeine Anhydrous, Choline Bitartrate, L-Citrulline Malate).

C4 Original Pre-Workout Overview

Budget Pick
C4 Original Pre Workout - Cellucor
C4 Original Pre Workout - Cellucor
$26.99 ($3.93 / Ounce)

C4 is the first pre-workout many people try. While this doesn't necessarily mean it's good, it does give it a popularity that is hard to ignore.

It's biggest advantages are that it is cheap and tastes good. Most ingredients are underdosed, but if you don't care about that then it's a fine starting point for beginners.

Servings: 30
Caffeine: 150 mg
Shop Amazon
Lift Vault earns a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no extra cost to you.
03/27/2023 12:22 pm GMT

Cellucor is one of the biggest names in the health and fitness supplements industry, with C4 being their flagship product and one of the most popular pre-workout supplements on the market.

This pre-workout supplement packs a blend of vitamins and minerals, but let’s be honest – these are not the main selling points of a pre-workout.

All ingredients found in C4 are notably underdosed, with only 1.6 g of beta-alanine, 1 g of arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, and 1 gram of creatine nitrate. C4 also has a proprietary blend, Explosive Energy Blend, which contains 150 mg of caffeine anhydrous and an undisclosed amount of L-tyrosine, theacrine, and velvet bean seed extract.

C4 relies solely upon marketing, price point, and distribution to achieve its popularity. With such low doses of key ingredients, this pre-workout only appears to be effective for absolute beginners.

Pros:

  • Pretty cheap on a per-serving basis (30 full servings)
  • Tastes good
  • Easy to find.

Cons:

  • All ingredients are significantly underdosed (except for caffeine, which comes in at a respectable 150 mg – for beginners)
  • Uses a partial proprietary blend.

Conclusion

While both these pre-workouts might work to some capacity, there are not nearly enough doses of key ingredients in either to consider them well-rounded pre-workouts.

There are much better options on the market that have proven to help improve your gym or sports performance and achieve your fitness goals.

Use Six Star Pre-Workout if:

  • You’re sensitive to caffeine
  • You’re a beginner
  • You want a cheaper pre-workout.

Use C4 Pre-Workout if:

  • You want a pre-workout with more beta-alanine
  • You’re looking for a pre-workout that tastes great
  • You’re a beginner.

Links

https://cellucor.com/products/c4-original
https://shop.sixstarpro.com/products/pre-workout-explosion
Avatar

About Kyle Risley

Kyle Risley founded Lift Vault in 2016 to make finding great powerlifting programs easier. Since then, the site has grown to include hundreds of programs for strength, bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, and more. He currently lives in Massachusetts and continues to compete in powerlifting.

Filed Under: Pre Workout Reviews, Supplement Reviews




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