Written by Tyler DiGiovanni | BSBM
Fact checked by Sam Coleman, Co-founder
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aAs the leaves change color and the weather cools down, it's the perfect time to refresh your supplement stack with the latest and greatest pre-workouts hitting the market this fall. With new formulations designed to enhance energy, focus, and performance, these pre-workouts are tailored to meet the diverse needs of fitness enthusiasts, from hardcore bodybuilders to weekend warriors.
Below, in no particular order, we explore some of the best pre-workout supplements of Fall 2024 that are making waves in the fitness community.
1. Transparent Labs BULK Black
Transparent Labs might not be a household name yet, but they damn well should be. TL has made significant efforts to ensure you know exactly what you're getting when using their products.
No hiding behind proprietary blends or dodging third-party testing here. Each label has a clear amount of every single ingredient in the container. And when you look at the label of BULK Black, it's jam-packed full of effective ingredients.
Formula Breakdown:
- Citrulline Malate - 8,000 mg (breaking down to 6,000 mg of l-citrulline and 2,000 of malic acid)
- Beta-Alanine - 4,000 mg (this is a little meh, but I'll get to that a little lower)
- Betaine Anhydrous - 2,500 mg
- Taurine - 1,300 mg
- L-Tyrosine - 1,000 mg
- Alpha-GPC - 300 mg
- Caffeine - 275 mg
- L-Theanine - 200 mg
- Theobromine - 100 mg
- DiCaffeine Malate - 75 mg
- SenActiv™ - 50 mg
- Black Pepper Extract - 5 mg
- Boron - 3 mg
- There is also vitamin B6, vitamin B12, zinc, sodium, and potassium
So, some of these you might be aware of what they do and some you may have no clue. Luckily, on their product page, TL has a breakdown of what each ingredient does and studies to back up those claims.
Alright, now let's move on to the minor gripe with this product. The inclusion of beta-alanine. Beta-alanine can work, but it needs to be taken every day. Now, can you take a pre-workout every single day? In theory, yes, but we only recommend taking it on days you train. Now, for something that isn't an opinion, your body can acclimate to SenActiv™ somewhat quickly, and the makers recommend taking it, at most, 5 days a week. So you can see where the issue is. If you want to get more than just skin tingles from the beta-alanine in this product, you'll need to buy a separate product to take on days you aren't taking BULK Black.
That being said, as someone who has been taking pre-workouts without beta-alanine for years, this isn't a huge issue. Everything else in this product works exactly as it should. The 375 total mg of caffeine isn't a crazy amount, and the DiCaffeine malate does help prevent a post-workout crash.
They taste pretty good flavor-wise (the sour gummy is my favorite). However, they are sweetened with Stevia, which some people have an issue with, so that is also something to be aware of.
Price-wise, they run at a pretty standard $54.99 for a high-quality pre-workout powder. Unlike some other powders I've seen, all you need is one scoop, and that keeps the serving size at a respectable 30 servings. If you're looking for something cheaper, they offer a subscribe-and-save option, which will save you $6 and get you free shipping.
Transparent Labs Bulk Black is the pinnacle of a clinically dosed pre-workout supplement for stim lovers...
2. Huge Supplements Pump Serum
This isn't your typical pre-workout, and that's not a BS sales pitch. Pump Serum is a stim-free pre-workout that actually does the trick. Every six months or so, I take a caffeine break, and this is my go-to pre-workout. As you would expect, without the caffeine, I'm not wired/jittery going into the gym, which is a pleasant change.
The pumps on it are fantastic, which one would expect, but what really surprised me was the improvement on my endurance and recovery during the workout. I'm able to scrape out an extra set or several more reps before I need to tap out. As you can tell, I'm a big fan. Let's look into what makes this a great pre-workout choice.
Formula Breakdown:
- Choline - 205.75 mg
- Sodium - 97.5 mg
- L-Citrulline - 4,000 mg
- Betaine Anhydrous - 1,500 mg
- GlycerPump™ - 1,500 mg
- Beet Root Extract - 1,000 mg
- L-Tyrosine - 750 mg
- Nitrosigine® - 750 mg
- Agmatine Sulfate - 625 mg
- Pomegranate Extract - 500 mg
- VasoDrive-AP® - 127 mg
- Huperzine A 1% - 10 mg
- Black Pepper Extract - 2.5 mg
*Note: All values are for a single scoop
So, full disclosure: I use two scoops. Some of the values are a little low for a single scoop, but even when assessing my tolerance to it, one scoop gave me workout benefits.
There are five flavors to choose from, and the taste is intense, to put it mildly. An 8-oz glass of water won't cut it. I find myself needing close to double that, especially with two scoops. I'm not complaining, though; I'm just helping get some more hydration before hitting the gym.
Here is my biggest issue: cost. This is a premium product, with a premium price. At around $55, it's not a bad value for 40 servings, but if you're double-scooping, almost $3 per serving is what you might pay at your local gym. That said, I'll continue to use Pump Serum during my caffeine breaks, and if you need a non-stim option, you should consider giving this a shot.
Pump Serum has one of the largest scoop sizes currently on the market. Every serving has a whopping 31 grams of active ingredients...
3. Kaged Pre-Workout Elite Series
Kaged is the first offering on our list to include creatine in the actual formula. There are differing opinions on when you should take creatine, with some in the camp of before a workout and others swear post-workout is the way. Here's a secret: As long as you're getting it in your system, it really doesn't matter that much. But this isn't a creatine article, we're here to talk pre-workouts. This is going to be our most expensive pick on this list, but once you see the dosages offered, you'll see why they charge what they do.
Formula Breakdown:
- L-Citrulline – 10,000 mg
- Beta-Alanine (as Carnosyn®) – 3,200 mg
- Creatine Monohydrate – 3,000 mg
- L-Tyrosine – 2,500 mg
- Creatine Nitrate – 2,000 mg
- Taurine – 2,000 mg
- Betaine Anhydrous (as BetaPower™) – 2,500 mg
- Coconut Fruit Water Powder – 500 mg
- Caffeine – 388 mg
- Alpha-GPC – 300 mg
- Sodium - 280 mg
- Potassium - 250 mg
- ElevATP® (Ancient Peat and Apple Extract) – 150 mg
- AmaTea® (Guayusa Leaf Extract) – 100 mg
- Magnesium - 65 mg
- Vitamin B6 - 35 mg
- Niacin - 30 mg
- Huperzine A – 10 mg
- MAX Catalyst™ (Piperine from Black Pepper Extract) – 4 mg
- Vitamin B12 - 1000 mcg
As you can see, Kaged is not bashful about the amounts they put in. Beta-alanine is the only mildly underdosed ingredient, and we've covered my thoughts on that anyway. But you really have all you need here: ingredients for pump, focus, energy, and hydration.
The flavors are somewhat limited, with only fruit punch, strawberry lemonade, and cherry limeade as options. If you're accustomed to pre-workout, you'll find the flavors pretty good. Newbies, beware, there's a bit of a bite, but it's not overwhelming.
The biggest downside of this product is the price. $60 for 20 servings. Yeah, it's not the best, but you can always do a bit less than a scoop and make it last a little longer.
Our most elite pre-workout ever formulated, with 21 premium ingredients for your most intense training sessions...
4. LEGION Pulse
So, the ingredient lists have been pretty extensive compared to all the previous options. Pulse scales back quite a bit. That doesn't make it a bad pre-workout; it just means it's an excellent option for someone who doesn't need all the bells and whistles that the others offer.
Formula Breakdown:
- Citrulline Malate 2:1 - 8,000 mg
- Beta-Alanine - 3,600 mg
- Betaine Anhydrous - 2,500 mg
- Potassium - 440 mg
- Sodium - 400 mg
- Caffeine Anhydrous - 350 mg
- L-Theanine - 350 mg
- Alpha-GPC - 300 mg
- Calcium - 27 mg
That's it. You've got your citrulline for getting the blood pumping, beta-alanine for muscle endurance (make sure you're taking it every day), betaine for strength and endurance, caffeine for energy, theanine to avoid a crash, and Alpha-GPC for cognitive function. These straightforward ingredients help you make the most out of your gym session.
The taste? There are 11 flavors to choose from, so you can surely find something you would like (Arctic Blast is my personal favorite).
Another solid selling point is the price. $40 for 20 servings. I know the 20 servings is a little frustrating, but trying the subscribe-and-save option brings it down to $36, which is less than $2/serving.
Get the only 100% natural pre-workout drink with clinically effective doses of 6 scientifically proven ingredients for more energy, focus, and strength without the jitters...
5. Live Evolved Phasic (Old Formula)
Okay, okay. I know, old formula? Yeah, I have a good reason for it. This is a high-stim pre-workout, and I mean high-stim. The combined total for stimulants in this version is 502 mg per scoop, which in itself is pretty dang high. The new formula shoots up to 781 mg of stimulants. Now, that's not all caffeine, but man, that's more than I'm comfortable recommending to anyone. Getting back to this version, let’s take a look at what’s inside.
Formula Breakdown:
- L-Citrulline - 6,000 mg
- Beta-Alanine - 3,200 mg
- Betaine Anhydrous - 2,500 mg
- Malic Acid - 2,500 mg
- nooLVL® - 1,600 mg
- L-Tyrosine - 1,500 mg
- Agmatine Sulfate - 1,000 mg
- Alpha-GPC - 600 mg
- Caffeine Anhydrous - 325 mg
- L-Theanine - 200 mg
- Di-Caffeine Malate - 100 mg
- Theobromine - 100 mg
- AstraGin® - 50 mg
- Huperzine A 1% - 20 mg
- Raulwolscine - 1 mg
- Yohimbine HCl - 1mg
So, at a quick glance, most of the dosages look pretty good. The beta-alanine is technically a little bit low, but if you read the previous recommendation, you would know I'd be fine with it not being in there at all.
The other questionable ingredient is nooLVL®. Some studies on it have favorable results (some users had a great experience with it, while others didn't see any difference at the same dosages), but research is pretty limited. The company that produces nooLVL® funded the other studies, which could be seen as an issue. I don't think its inclusion is a real issue, but the benefits might not be there for some people.
When it comes to flavor, I really hope you like peach rings because that's all there is. To me, the taste was pretty good, but there's not a lot that turns my taste buds off.
At the time of this writing, Phasic is available for $35 per container, which is good. But you only get 20 servings per container, which is not so good. If you want to make it last a bit longer, you should follow Live Evolved's suggestion and start with half a scoop (theirs is more to assess tolerance than save money, but you can make it work for your benefit too).
What do the ingredients actually do?
You might've noticed that how these pre-workouts are made is somewhat similar with common ingredients, but why are they in there? This section will give you a quick breakdown of each ingredient's function.
- Citrulline: Enhances blood flow and pumps by increasing nitric oxide production, leading to better oxygen and nutrient delivery to muscles.
- Beta-Alanine: Buffers lactic acid buildup in muscles, reducing fatigue and allowing for longer, more intense workouts.
- Betaine Anhydrous: Supports power output and muscle endurance by enhancing cellular hydration and promoting creatine synthesis.
- Taurine: Helps with hydration and electrolyte balance, improving endurance and reducing cramping during exercise.
- Tyrosine: Boosts focus and mental clarity under stress by supporting neurotransmitter production, particularly dopamine and norepinephrine.
- Alpha-GPC: Enhances cognitive function and mind-muscle connection by increasing acetylcholine levels in the brain.
- Huperzine A: Prolongs the effects of acetylcholine, further improving focus, memory, and overall cognitive function during workouts.
- ElevATP: Increases ATP production, providing more cellular energy to improve strength, power, and exercise performance.
- GlycerPump: Enhances muscle pumps and hydration by increasing water retention in muscle cells, leading to fuller, more vascular muscles.
- Agmatine: Supports nitric oxide production and reduces pain perception, contributing to better pumps and endurance.
- Theobromine: Provides a smooth, sustained energy boost and mild stimulation without the jitters commonly associated with caffeine.
- Theanine: Promotes relaxation without drowsiness, balancing the stimulating effects of caffeine to prevent crashes.
- Caffeine: Increases energy, focus, and fat oxidation by stimulating the central nervous system, making it a staple in most pre-workouts.
- Di-caffeine malate combines caffeine with malic acid to offer a longer-lasting, smoother energy boost with less crash compared to regular caffeine.
For a more in-depth look at some of these ingredients, check out our article on key preworkout ingredients.
Wrap Up
Instead of bombarding you with 20 different pre-workouts, we wanted to give you five top-quality products that are worth every penny. Most of these pre-workouts are pretty intense, so we suggest starting with a half dose first to see how you tolerate them. No matter which one you decide to go with, one thing is for sure: You're about to have a helluva workout.
Tyler DiGiovanni
Author