Apocalypse Pre-Workout Review

Are you ready for the Apocalypse? FCK Normal Labs brings you an extreme pre-workout supplement formulated to take you into insanity. 

I can’t recommend this product for everyone. The effects were quite extreme, with an uncomfortable heart rate increase. In addition, natural competitors need to look elsewhere, as many of these ingredients are illegal in many federations. Those seeking an extreme pre-workout and those who love their alpha yohimbine should continue reading.

Thank you, Muscle Factory SC, for sending this full product for review! 

Where to Buy Apocalypse by FCK Normal Labs 

You can buy Apocalypse by FCK Normal Labs from the following retailer:

• Muscle Factory SC
  • LV5 = $5 off

Experience

The entire experience can be explained as a highly dosed yohimbine pre-workout, featuring increased stamina and endurance with great vascularity. 

After the first 10 minutes, I felt increased energy and mild beta-alanine paresthesia tingling. My heart rate increased slightly for 25 minutes, especially during warm-up exercises and cardio. Once I began my workout, I felt improved stamina and endurance. There was an aggressive feeling, which helped me move the weights more productively. 

At this point in the workout, I could see substantial vascularity, with my veins popping out more like rivers on a map. This led to a decent pump feeling, more attributed to endurance training at higher repetitions. I didn’t notice much of a head tingle for focus, nor did I experience any euphoria. Lastly, as you may imagine, this pre-workout led to a high-training cardio aid, which gave me quite a thermogenic feeling dripping with sweat.

Side Effects

I experienced shortness of breath, possibly due to many reasons, but I suspect it is mainly due to the increased heart rate. When your heart rate increases, your hemoglobin circulates more quickly, making it harder for oxygen (O2) to transfer onto the hemoglobin (Hgb) and carbon dioxide (CO2) to be offloaded. When the circulation of the Hgb comes back around, it may contain excess CO2, offsetting the loading of the O2.

The second side effect was somewhat positive. Yohimbe is an aphrodisiac and produced sensations of desire. It was an enjoyable side effect, however, it did cause a few workouts to end earlier than expected.

Flavor

Cherry Lime was the flavor I was sent for review, which is very interesting. The flavor was about a 3.5/10 regarding the desirability of flavor, as it starts very sweet and then finishes bitter. It almost tastes like Sprite soda mixed with vinegar on the back end. The suggested amount of water is 16 ounces of water, while I didn’t enjoy this flavor much, I felt it needed less water to get it down more quickly. 

Dose/Scoop Size

It is more common to find rounded scoopers in these underground products, and it wasn’t surprising to find it in Apocalypse. The serving size is 22.8 grams in two slightly below-level flat scoops, as seen in the picture below. With the stimulants on this label, you might want to start with less than the full serving as it states 12 mg of alpha yohimbine, a potent stimulant. At times manufacturers will change packaging, including the scooper, so please weigh out your scoops, specifically when it contains high stimulants like DMHA or Yohimbe. With each serving of this pre-workout, I used one whole serving, except for the first serving, when I used just one scoop.  We are given an excellent 30 servings in this container, which is currently greater than the market standard.

Ingredients

Everything plus the kitchen sink? This is the approach many companies have taken in the past, some successful and others not. Many sport supplement ingredients are clinically studied as a singularity sample ingredient, meaning it wasn’t tested with a surplus of ingredients like most pre-workouts. This is why reviews are important, as companies will always try to lure you into purchasing a product based on labels.

I like many aspects of this formulation, and I feel the dosages are up to par with the industry for illicit stimulant-based pre-workouts. As implied by the manufacturer name “FCK Normal,” this product isn’t something you want to compete in a natural bodybuilding event as it is likely to test positive. The NPC/WBFF/OCB, natural bodybuilding federations, ban many ingredients such as DMHA, and the products are likely made alongside others that contain illegal ingredients. I would love to see the proprietary energy blend dosages, but that doesn’t mean anything on the label is truly present.

Citrulline Malate – 11 g

L-citrulline is one of the most common pre-workout ingredients. Extensive evidence supports its ability to increase nitric oxide production, power output, pumps, blood flow, and endurance. It is typical for this ingredient to contain malic acid in malate, which has some benefits similar to beta-alanine. However, you want 6-8 grams of pure l-citrulline for proper clinical dosage, and some products may list the malic acid as a separate ingredient. While the ratio isn’t shown on the label, this is a hefty dosage, which exceeds the clinical dose, which isn’t a bad thing to do.

Beta-Alanine – 3,750 mg

Beta-alanine has been shown to support muscular endurance and act as a lactic acid buffer. Depending on the source of this ingredient, you may feel the paresthesias tingling effect. This feeling is often desirable in the sports community, as it makes you feel the intensity after ingestion. This may be negated by diet and intake of beta-alanine. 

Beta-alanine requires regular intake to be effective, akin to creatine. Daily beta-alanine supplementation is recommended to become effective, with a three to five weeks loading period. Three to four grams is the recommended daily dosage for beta-alanine, putting Apocalypse in the standard clinical dose range.

L-Taurine – 3 g

Taurine is a common ingredient with many positive effects, such as enhanced physical performance, improved DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), improved blood pressure via higher cardiac output, possible reduction of cholesterol and triglyceride levels, increased uptake of glycogen to mitochondria for energy utilization (Examine). 

Taurine supplementation might block Beta-Alanine uptake as they are antagonistic, which wouldn’t be an issue if used aside from pre-workout. It is not commonly known that Beta-Alanine/Carnosine is a taurine-depleting antagonist (Examine). A three-gram taurine dose is excellent, with one to six grams daily in studies.

Agmatine Sulfate – 1,700 mg

Agmatine is often included in pre-workout supplements as a pump ingredient, but more research is needed to understand how reliable these claims are. Theoretically, since agmatine can increase endothelial nitric oxide, it can help boost nitric oxide in the body. A comparable dose in similar product categories would be 750 – 1,000 mg.

N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine – 500 mg

While L-Tyrosine is an excellent ingredient for enhancing focus and reducing stress, NALT (N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine) is less bioavailable than pure L-Tyrosine. Examine claims of “limited practical evidence on NALT as an alternative to L-Tyrosine.” The typical dose is between one and two grams.

Mucuna Pruriens (L-Dopa 98%) – 250 mg

Also known as Velvet Bean, mucuna pruriens extract is a traditional herbal supplement with minor dopamine-increasing and cortisol-reducing effects, among other things. One of its more reliable effects is a noticeable reduction in Parkinson’s Disease symptoms, though that is irrelevant here.

Arginine Alpha Ketoglutarate – 225 mg

While arginine is important for blood flow and boosting nitric oxide levels, direct oral supplementation has not been shown to increase blood flow in humans reliably. This may be due to poor absorption. For that reason, L-Citrulline or L-Citrulline DL-Malate is preferable for exercise supplementation.

Choline Bitartrate – 225 mg

Choline is a focus ingredient and chlorogenic source. Compared with alpha gpc, choline bitartrate may be less effective as a nootropic.

Dosages usually range between 500 and 2,000 mg, so the 225 mg included is very low, but users may still experience the benefits of choline.

DMHA – 225 mg

DMHA is a stimulant similar to DMAA, which boosts energy, focus, and mood. DMHA shares similar effects as DMAA but requires a larger dosage. This made it a popular pre-workout ingredient for replacing DMAA in DMHA pre-workout supplements.

It comes in many different forms: juglans regia extract, English walnut extract, 2-aminoisoheptane, kigelia africana, octodrine, 2-amino-5-methylhexane, 2-amino-6-methylheptane, 6-amino-2-methylheptane, 2-isooctyl amine, 2-heptylamine, 6-methyl-, 2-metil-6-amino-eptano, amidrine, vaporpac, 1,5-DMHA, and 1,5-dimethylhexylamine. Read about the comparison of DMAA vs. DMHA here.

The dosage in Apocalypse is 225 mg, above the industry standard but varies based on the product. However, just because it says something on the label doesn’t necessarily mean you will always “feel” it due to different sourcing purities.

Octopamine Hydrochloride – 30 mg

This stimulant may also have minor fat-burning properties (Examine). It is a metabolite of synephrine. The dosage hasn’t been established in sports supplements, but more information about this ingredient can be found here.

N-Phenylacetyl-L-Prolyglycine Ethyl Ester – 30 mg

Noopept, known as N-Phenylacetyl-L-Prolyglycine ethyl ester, is a synthetic nootropic ingredient with cognitive boosting and psychostimulatory effects. 10-30 mg per serving is the typical range, with 30 mg being a substantial dose of noopept.

Alpha Yohimbine – 12 mg

Alpha Yohimbine, or “alpha yo,” is a “love it or hate it” stimulant. While it contains similar alkaloids as Rauwolfia Vomitoria Extract, they are different as the Rauwolfia can contain more purity. Some individuals are particularly sensitive to alpha yohimbine and avoid any pre-workout with it outright. Common adverse side effects include anxiety, headaches, sweating, frequent urination, and increased blood pressure. The dosing for this ingredient is typically seen as per body weight (0.2 mg per kg), although it can be as high as 30 mg. 12 mg, if contained in this product, would be quite the intense dosage for most of the extract quality is refined and pure.

Huperzine-A (1%) – 10 mg

Huperzine A is cholinergic and acts as a cognitive enhancer. As an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, it helps lengthen the half-life of cholinergic sources (Examine).

Depending on the extract percentage, it tends to be taken in 50 to 200 mcg dosages. A 10 mg dosage of huperzine, standardized to 1% huperzine A, would yield 1000 mcg, making it a highly effective dose in this pre-workout.

Black Pepper Fruit Extract – 7 mg

Black pepper extract acts to increase the bioavailability of nutritional supplements. In other words, it helps your body absorb all the ingredients in the product, which helps the effectiveness of the ingredients. As the serving size increases, so does the need for a digestion aid like black pepper extract. Doses usually range from 5 mg to 15 mg, but the quantity in Apocalypse is at a good dosage. 

Energy Blend – 720 mg

• Caffeine 400 mg – The Big Poppa of stimulant supplements is in your coffee, tea, soda, or even in your sweets and gum (some confectioners add caffeine to their sweets for a kick). Well-known for increasing energy, power, and focus, it’s the staple ingredient in all stim-based products. 400 mg is heading towards the higher end of the range you mostly see in pre-workout supplements nowadays (usually between 250 and 450 mg). 

• Phenylethylamine Hydrochloride – also known as PEA or Beta Phenylethylamine  (usually shortened to Beta PEA), is a neurotransmitter that inhibits uptake and efflux (i.e., removal) of dopamine norepinephrine and serotonin levels (2008 study). It is included here to increase focus and motivation. Typical dosages range between 200 mg and upwards of 600 mg. As MAO-B primarily metabolizes it rather quickly, it requires an MAO Inhibitor to length the feeling, as stated in this study. Dosage is unknown in this proprietary blend, however, since the 400 mg of caffeine is disclosed minus the 720mg for the entire blend, this dosage and the following ingredients are probably underdosed in their own right.

• Dicaffeine Malate – essentially the “extended-release” form of caffeine. This helps achieve two things: longer-lasting effects of the pre-workout and a smoother ride on the energy train with fewer crashes as dicaffeine malate is 75% caffeine and 25% malic acid, a 50 mg dosage (guessing, as it isn’t disclosed) yields 37.5 mg of caffeine. Combined with the 400 mg of caffeine anhydrous, the total caffeine dosage could be around 437.5 mg in a full serving (suspected).

• Synephrine Hydrochloride – a well-researched ingredient shown to aid in weight loss. “In general, bitter orange extract alone (p-synephrine) or in combination with other herbal ingredients did not produce significant adverse events such as an increase in heart rate or blood pressure or alter electrocardiographic data, serum chemistry, blood cell counts, or urinalysis. p-Synephrine alone and in combination products were shown to increase resting metabolic rate and energy expenditure, and modest increases in weight loss were observed with bitter orange extract/p-synephrine-containing products when given for six to 12 weeks.” Synephrine Meta-Analysis. The typical range for synephrine is 10-50mg, which is supported by evidence for fat-burning effects.

• Naringin – a flavonoid found in grapefruit. It may help regulate glucose, which may help lower glucose levels over time. This could satisfy control cravings for carbs and aid users in controlling their weight. From NIH, “naringin and its aglycone naringenin belonged to this series of flavonoids and displayed potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Several lines of investigation suggest that naringin supplementation is beneficial for treating obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome.”

• Higenamine Hydrochloride – Thought to have similar mechanisms to ephedrine, it has seen its use as a fat burner, though this research is quite limited. Examine says it is typically taken in 20 mg to 30 mg two to three times daily.