We know how crucial it is to find a pre-workout that gets the job done for you. So which one gets it right – Pre-Kaged or Total War?
After reviewing the ingredients, dosages, and quality of both, we’ve determined that Pre-Kaged by Kaged Muscle is the best pre-workout of the two. But with the pros and cons of each pre-workout detailed below, you’ll be able to see which one will work best for you.
Pre-Kaged is one of the best "all-around" pre-workouts on the market today. When it comes to delivering proven ingredients at effective dosages, Kaged is a brand that delivers time and time again.
Pre-Kaged supplies pump, energy, and focus without any banned or shady ingredients, making it a great choice for tested athletes or anyone that cares what they put into their body.
Key Differences Between Pre-Kaged and Total War
If you’re not sure what the basic difference is, then Pre-Kaged is more of an “all in one” premium pre-workout, while Total War is more of a “mass market” pre-workout.
Those with a significant stimulant tolerance might benefit more from Total War, which delivers more beta-alanine (3.2 g), while Pre-Kaged is fairly underdosed with only 1.6 g.
That said, Pre-Kaged is the product that may give you more energy and better pumps, delivering a higher dose of L-citrulline and 1 whole gram more taurine than Total War.
Which pre-workout is better overall?
Pre-Kaged delivers a better overall experience, with more bang for your buck despite the higher price per serving.
Which pre-workout is better for energy?
If you’re looking for more caffeine in your pre-workout, Total War delivers 325 mg from two different sources. This is 50 mg more than Pre-Kaged and its effects may last longer due to the 100 mg of di-caffeine malate, which is “delayed release.”
Which pre-workout is better for pumps?
With 6,500 mg of pure L-Citrulline, Pre-Kaged is the better pre-workout for those wanting better pumps.
Which pre-workout is better for beginners?
Both pre-workouts are equally well-suited for beginners. Pre-Kaged has slightly less caffeine, which may be better suited for beginners.
Product Overviews
Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout Overview
Pre-Kaged is one of the best "all-around" pre-workouts on the market today. When it comes to delivering proven ingredients at effective dosages, Kaged is a brand that delivers time and time again.
Pre-Kaged supplies pump, energy, and focus without any banned or shady ingredients, making it a great choice for tested athletes or anyone that cares what they put into their body.
Pre-Kaged by Kaged Muscle is a versatile pre-workout supplement that packs many of the ingredients you’d expect from an established supplement brand.
The 6,500 mg of L-Citrulline and 2,500 mg of betaine combine to create respectable muscle pumps. The BCAAs and creatine should help with muscle retention, and it contains a good dose of caffeine to help drive a grueling training session.
One of the few missteps of Pre-Kaged is its blend of N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine and L-Tyrosine. L-Tyrosine is a great ingredient for enhancing mental focus, and it would have made more sense to provide more of this ingredient instead of blending it.
Overall, it’s a solid pre-workout that is slightly more expensive than other pre-workout supplements, but we think it’s worth the price tag for the dosages and blends of ingredients.
Pros:
- Well-rounded blend of ingredients, most clinically dosed
- Nice dose of caffeine
- 3rd party tested by Informed Choice – certified banned substance free.
Cons:
- Only 20 servings
- BCAAs are at a 4:1:1 ratio instead of 2:1:1
- Uses a less effective form of tyrosine
- Beta-Alanine is underdosed.
Total War Pre-Workout Overview
RedCon1 Total War Pre-Workout is a complete nutritional punch that contains an extensive range of clinically-dosed ingredients to increase focus, endurance, and energy. Beta-alanine is dosed at 3.2 g to enhance muscular endurance, and caffeine is dosed at 325 mg to boost energy.
This pre-workout acts as a decent nitric oxide booster with 6 grams of L-citrulline malate 2:1 (providing 4 g citrulline and 2 g malic acid) and 1 gram of agmatine sulfate to enhance blood flow and training capacity.
Despite having a good blend and dose of ingredients, RedCon1 Total War suffers from a common issue with mass-market products, namely lots of fluff. Some ingredients (juniper berry) have dubious effects, while others (green tea, naringin, theobromine) are included at very low doses.
Pros:
- Citrulline Malate and Beta Alanine are clinically dosed
- Nice combination of 200 mg caffeine anhydrous + 100 mg di-caffeine malate
- 30 full servings.
Cons:
- Many ingredients are underdosed
Conclusion
Out of the two pre-workout supplements, we advise Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout. While this pre-workout is by no means perfect, it’s still a higher-quality product that has all the essentials needed to maximize your gym sessions.
Use Pre-Kaged Pre-Workout if:
- You’re looking to take your exercise performance to the next level in terms of muscle retention, energy, and focus.
- You want coconut water powder in your pre-workout to potentially help with hydration.
- You’re a beginner seeking a well-rounded, effective pre-workout.
Use Total War Pre-Workout if:
- You want a pre-workout with more caffeine for long-lasting energy.
- You want to increase endurance with more beta-alanine.
- You want more servings.
