BEST OVERALL
- Best muscle building blend
- Potent energy and focus
- Big 21g scoops with 25 servings
BEST FOR BULKING
- Completely disclosed label
- Enhances testosterone production
- Strong energy and focus
We believe there's absolutely no such thing as “the best pre workout”.
So this guide will show you recommendations based on your preferences.
If you'd like to see our top 10 list, scroll down and you'll find it.
Behind every pre workout is a well thought out formula and what ingredients are chosen are going to make or break it's overall effectiveness.
They can fuel you for an intense workout and help you get into your “Terminator Zone”.
But this isn't any list…
This is a carefully and uniquely crafted buying guide (with a top 10 list of course) but listed with pre workouts that cater to different purposes and goals…
The problem with most top 10 lists out there, is that there's nothing is in it for you.
You should pick a pre workout according to what you want to achieve, not what someone else recommends to everyone.
If you're on a budget, you can always check on our Best Deals page for ongoing sales and coupon codes.
No Pixie Dust or Proprietary Blends
Gains can't be made from mini 5 gram scoops that are filled with 5 to 10 different ingredients.
There may be some proprietary blends but it won't be 12 different ingredients hidden in a 5 gram blend.
Not For Sale, No Ads
We never accept bribes from supplement companies to get to a certain position in our list.
There are absolutely no ads on our website and we don't sell our opinions.
Pre workouts here are ranked according to a couple factors, one being that they are open-label (Some may not be fully disclosed but they still work), and that they have ingredients that support their claims.
Whether a pre workout is banned in your country or if it's just regular but clinically dosed formula's, we list it.
You can use any of these pre's (if you have the consent of a medical professional) as long as you don't go over the recommended servings or have any pre-existing conditions.
These are well rounded pre workouts that'll help you push beyond your limits with or without exotic stimulants like DMHA.
Perfect for bulking or mass building, you'll likely find a pre workout for you.
Best Pre Workouts For 2021: Muscle and Strength Gains
Wrecked is one of the best pre workouts to come out recently.
Not only is it a monster formula, but it is disclosed completely.
Not a single ingredient is under a prop blend, it’s what we like to see.
The only downside? If you’re drug tested by the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), you would be tested positive because of higenamine.
In fact, it’s banned because it’s a performance enhancer and a bronchodilator, making it a top notch ingredient to have in a pre workout.
The stimulant blend starts with a moderately big caffeine dose of 275mg with a mix of both, slow and fast acting forms. And it continues with N-Methyltyramine, higenamine, theobromine and alpha yohimbine.
It uses a strong form of synephrine, isopropylnorsynephrine.
Wrecked also helps with performance by using a huge blend of ergogenic aids like 9g citrulline, 3.2g beta alanine, 2g betaine anhydrous and much more.
This blend of stimulants and performance aids will help with long lasting pumps and energy from all angles.
Use 10% off coupon code FITFREK.
PROS
- Completely open formula with disclosed dosages of ingredients
- Strong performance and stimulant blend
- Big scoops with 25 servings
CONS
- None
PreSeries Bulk is one of those pre workouts that'll never fade away.
It's not a “buy it once, get the amazing-energy, and build up tolerance” type of preworkout.
It has no hype or marketing that leads it to it's success.
Because it's jam packed with massive but proven doses of ingredients like 6 grams of citrulline malate, 4 grams of beta alanine, 4 grams of BCAA's, 2.5 grams of betaine anhydrous, and a whole lot more.
Not to mention the nootropic and energy aspect…
It has 500mg of choline, 180mg of caffeine, and a little bit of theanine for Jedi-like focus.
21 ingredients all to support one goal and that's muscle gains!
PreSeries Bulk is one pre workout that is made with future-proof ingredients.
Testosterone support, nitric oxide boosters, BCAA's, this has got it all.
It gives some nice smooth, long lasting energy however with the help of the massively dosed l-theanine and caffeine.
Bulk is one pre workout that can seriously enhance performance and recovery.
If you can't handle the beta-alanine, try PreSeries Lean which has less beta alanine and less BCAA's but features a fat burning blend.
PROS
- Nice pumps and muscle fullness
- Made for lean muscle gains
- Testosterone optimization support
- Future-proof ingredients and formula
CONS
- Only available at one source
It’s hard to find a pre workout that is not only strong, but has a reputation for clean formulas without being too expensive.
Hooligan is the solution to these problems.
It uses a monster dose of caffeine at 600mg, along with performance aids including lion’s mane, alpha GPC and betaine HCl.
Nothing is underdosed.
It’s a lot and if you haven’t taken more than 300mg caffeine before, then you’ll definitely want to start with half a scoop.
This is easily one of the best pre workouts to get without exotic stimulants, and it even performs better than most exotic pre workouts.
Use coupon code FITFREK to get this at $34.98.
PROS
- Strongest stimulant blend
- 3 forms of stimulants
CONS
- None
NutraBio is making it look super easy.
With what they've done with Pre-Extreme, it's quite amazing as it has quality ingredients with fully disclosed information (even the fillers are disclosed!
For energy, it's all going to come to how much you can handle because this has got a mix of 500mg of stimulants, or it probably wouldn't be called “Extreme”
If you can handle that, then you're in for a mighty fine treat.
You'll get some swole on as it has 3 different nitric oxide ingredients which includes agmatine (1g), citrulline malate (yields to 4g pure citrulline), and 750mg of nitrosigine.
Multiple Muscle Building Ingredients!
There's also betaine anhydrous (1.5g), creatine (2g) and 3.5 grams of leucine. You may add in some extra creatine to get your fully days worth but you'll still destroy your workout with this.
The thing that we love about this is that it's got 15 grams of cyclic dextrin (carbs) which helps with gylcogen, making it perfect for those early morning workouts if you don't have time to load up with breakfast!
Staple Pre Workout
The only pre workout you'll buy over and over again.
This is one of those pre workouts that'll give you that mental and physical boost for every single one of your workouts.
It's packed with ergogenic aids so cycling is not really required unless you're cycling caffeine of course.
PROS
- Enhances physical and mental function
- Massive servings for gains and performance enhancement
- Completely open formula
CONS
- None
We’re not one to fall for flashy branding but Alpha Lion has superb formulas that are wrapped around cool looking branding.
While they look expensive, they are actually competitively priced, making it a worthy contender for this list.
For the muscle building blend, it has your basic citrulline malate and beta alanine, but it goes up another level with 750mg NitroSigine and 100mg S7.
Both of these are excellent nitric oxide boosters.
On top of the nitric oxide ingredients, there’s a big stimulant blend of 400mg caffeine, along with n-methyl tyramine and theobromine.
These together will create a strong energy blend and it’s smoothed out with the huge 350mg dose of theanine.
The focus coming from Superhuman will be long lasting and smooth, without a crash.
This means even after your workout, you’ll still feel that energy.
If you prefer the exotic version, containing DMHA and eria jarensis, then check out our review on the Supreme version here.
Use this 15% off coupon code FITFREK
PROS
- Potent stimulant blend
- Great pump support
- Various ergogenics and performance enhancers
CONS
- Prop blend
When it comes to pre workouts that come with everything, it’s hard to find them.
However El Jefe is quite literally the boss of pre workouts.
Its clinically dosed formula is made for enhancing performance and energy.
It starts off massive with 7g citrulline malate, then the tingles will kick in from the 4g beta alanine.
And it doesn’t end there.
The pumps are strong, with 1.5g Nitrosigine and 2g taurine. Both of these will help muscles fill up and look bigger.
ElevATP, along with beta alanine, betaine and citrulline malate will fight fatigue and help increase strength / power.
The stimulant mix is in a prop blend, but it’s a big mix from potent fast acting to smoother and longer lasting stimulants.
Use this discount code FITFREK.
PROS
- Maximizes effectiveness by using massive dosages
- High quality ingredients for mental and physical enhancement
- Good mental support
CONS
- Uses prop blend
If you're looking for a pre workout that helps not only help with muscle gains, but also energy then Convict is the pre workout you need to try.
This pre workout is packed with DMHA, more than anything we've seen, with 225mg of it.
Paired with 300mg of caffeine, 50mg higenamine and 3mg yohimbine, this stimulant blend will help increase energy, focus and physical performance.
It combines 4g citrulline with 2.5g beta alanine, making it work great for pumps while being able to delay fatigue as beta alanine can clear out lactic acid.
The 500mg tyrosine in here will help increase energy further as it can help produce more dopamine while providing motivation for your workouts.
Try out Convict and use coupon code FITFREK.
PROS
- Highest dosage of DMHA
- Contains multiple muscle builders
- Performance enhancing ingredients
- Good mood support
CONS
- None
If strength and energy is important to you, then perhaps you’ll want to be an Immortal X.
Puns aside, this pre workout is one of the best.
When it comes to energy, it has you covered with 550mg caffeine, along with theobromine, synephrine, halostachine and yohimbine.
There’s 3 forms of caffeine here, so you’ll not only get fast acting caffeine, but also medium to slow digesting.
Not to mention the hard hitters which include synephrine, halostachine, and yohimbine.
The yohimbine dosage is small at 2mg so if you’re sensitive to that, this might be a good dose for you.
PROS
- Completely open formula
- Excellent non-stimulant energy enhancers
- Supports mood and enhances workout performance
- Big beta alanine dose
CONS
- Beta alanine may be a con for tingles
Defiant unleashed is an exotic pre workout, but it still includes muscle building ingredients that will help with gains.
The problem with all around pre workouts is that they usually contain everything needed for increasing muscle growth but the stimulants are often an afterthought.
But Defiant Unleashed has turned this around by using 250mg eria jarensis along with 200mg DMHA with 3 clinically dosed performance boosters.
It uses 8g citrulline, 3.2g beta alanine, and 1g choline. These 3 ingredients will not only help with muscle size but it will also help fight physical and mental fatigue.
You’ll be able to squeeze out more reps and sustain higher intensity before giving out.
Use coupon code FITFREK
PROS
- Maximum dosage of stimulants
- Two forms of carnitine for non-stimulant thermogenesis support
- Fully disclosed
- Combines 250mg eria jarensis and 200mg DMHA with big doses of stimulants