TLDR: If you’re in a hurry the Gorilla Mode Pre-Workout is the Best Pre-Workout according to Reddit!
u/BackgroundPomelo7188 “I like Gorilla Mode because it gives me smooth energy. Like I don’t feel jittery and I don’t crash after. Also, it helps a ton with recovery. Unbeatable for cardio, my legs don’t even burn and I don’t feel out of breath. Worth it though IMO.”
- 9000 MG PURE L-CITRULLINE - The ONLY pre-workout in the entire industry featuring the maximum effective dosage of PURE L-Citrulline that IS NOT artificially inflated with Malic Acid on the label (with Citrulline Malate, you're only getting 1/2 - 2/3 as much L-Citrulline as the label implies). The huge spike in Nitric Oxide significantly increases pumps, endurance and can cut DOMS in half after training.
- 5000 MG CREATINE MONOHYDRATE, 3000 MG GLYCERPUMP, 2500 MG BETAINE, 1000 MG AGMATINE - Supersaturates the muscle with blood and induces a state of hyper-hydration for massive pumps, endurance and power. Also includes your full daily saturation dose of Creatine. Creatine has shown time and time again to significantly improve strength, power output and muscle size.
- 1500 MG L-TYROSINE, 500 MG KANNA, 400 MCG HUPERZINE A - The high doses of these Nootropics top off the cognitive enhancing component of Gorilla Mode and contribute to a significant increase in energy, mood and overall mental acuity.
Pre-workouts can be a great solution if you ever feel unmotivated or tired when you have to go to the gym. Adding a pre-workout to your routine will give your body an energy boost and help you smash all your gym goals. Pre-workout helps increase your endurance and complements your hard work by increasing your performance. They can come in the form of drinks, pills, powders, or more but the most common type is a powder pre-workout. We have hunted down the five most recommended pre-workouts by Redditors and listed them below.
Reddit is the third most visited social media platform in the US today. It is the number one community forum for thought-provoking and informative discussions. Reddit posts and comments are sorted according to their scores which makes the posts and comments trustworthy and reliable. The community-oriented sentiment of the site ensures the quality of the content is maintained, and any spam or sponsored content gets downvoted. This has contributed to some legit recommendations for the best pre-workouts in 2023. Keep scrolling to know more!
Types of Pre-Workouts
- Endurance pre-workout: This pre-workout is great for people who want to exercise for longer hours. Although they are not the most common type, they keep your energy high throughout a high-rep or cardio-style workout. You can sustain your performance longer. Some of the main ingredients found in high-endurance pre-workouts are beta-alanine, caffeine, sodium bicarbonate, and BCCAs. If you train for long durations with low rest periods then this is the best type of pre-workout for you.
- Strength pre-workout: This pre-workout type increases strength levels and pumps. The most common ingredients found in this type of pre-workout are caffeine, creatine, citrulline, and betaine. If you do strength training, go to the gym, or lift weights this is a great choice.
- Nootropic pre-workout: This pre-workout boosts mental focus to improve performance. You can also use this for studying or gaming as well to increase your focus. One of the main ingredients is caffeine as it is a potent nootropic. Some of the other key ingredients are Alpha GPC, Acetyl L Carnitine, Huperzine A, and Choline Bitartrate.
- Non-stimulant pre-workout: These pre-workouts do not include CNS stimulants like caffeine. Not only do they boost your strength and endurance, but they also increase your mental focus without using any stimulants. This ensures that you can sleep in case you have the pre-workout at night time.
- Combination pre-workout: These contain ingredients from all kinds of pre-workouts giving all the above benefits. It boosts your overall fitness and performance. As they have all ingredients they are the ultimate choice for anyone but are also expensive.
What to look for in a good Pre-workout
- Good ingredients: There are some key ingredients that a pre-workout must contain. Let’s go through some of them below.
- Creatine monohydrates are a well-known supplement among gym-goers due to their potential to increase muscle power and performance during training.
- BCAAs are branch-chain amino acids that improve endurance during workouts and increase your strength as they maintain cellular energy and support protein synthesis.
- Taurine is usually found in animal meats and is a sulfonic acid that is necessary for the metabolism of fats and for fighting oxidative stress during a workout.
- B vitamins like B1, B2, B5, and B6 are important for energy production and efficiency. Vitamin B12 ensures blood production while Vitamin B3 boosts DNA repair and keeps the skin healthy.
- NO2-boosters like citrulline or arginine act as a vasodilator that expands your veins and arteries. It results in increased blood flow in the body delivering the nutrients in your body more quickly and efficiently.
- Beta-Alanine helps prevent muscle soreness and enhances athletic performance. It prevents muscle fatigue so you can increase your exercise capacity.It is great for high-intensity interval training.
- Quality: A good quality supplement can save you from a lot of side effects. Third-party tested products ensure that the supplement contains all the active ingredients on the label and is safe to consume. We have listed only third-party tested supplements in this article so you can buy any of them without hesitating.
- Allergens: It is crucial to check the ingredient list of the supplement to make sure you are not allergic to any of the listed ingredients. Some pre-workouts come in flavors that you can be allergic to, for example, peanut flavor, milk-based pre-workouts, or other nuts flavors.
- Price: Pre-workouts can be expensive if it has an extensive list of ingredients. Some brands can also be overpriced. But this does not mean you should compromise on the quality based on the price of the product. Every pre-workout on the list below is the best quality and worth the price and there are budget options too.
- Brand integrity standards: The product should adhere to allowable health claims and labeling requirements as per FDA regulations. It should be manufactured in facilities that adhere to good manufacturing practices as per FDA and should be produced by a medically credible company.
These are some of the aspects you need to keep in mind while buying a pre-workout. All the pre-workouts mentioned in this article fulfill the above criteria (except some that may not be FDA approved) and have been third-party tested. The companies that manufacture them follow the best industry standards and are reputable brands.
Best Pre-Workouts Reddit 2023
1. Gorilla Mode Pre-Workout by Gorilla Mind
Most Redditors swear by this pre-workout. It comes highly recommended and there is a lot of hype around this product. Created by the Gorilla Mind company, Gorilla Mode claims to be the strongest legal pre-workout supplement in the market. The Gorilla Mode pre-workout is maxed out in the pump and performance category. It contains clinically proven doses of active ingredients known to increase nitric oxide levels and is the best everyday pre-workout for beginners. It is excellent for people who do not want beta-alanine in their pre-workouts. The GlycerPump in the pre-workout hyper-hydrates your muscles which increases your endurance and prevents loss of hydration. It has cognitive enhancing components that increase energy and focus.
What Redditors Had To Say About It
u/BackgroundPomelo7188 “I like Gorilla Mode because it gives me smooth energy. Like I don’t feel jittery and I don’t crash after. Also, it helps a ton with recovery. Unbeatable for cardio, my legs don’t even burn and I don’t feel out of breath. Worth it though IMO.”
u/Weird-Grass-6583 “I have tried so many and I’m not fanboying when I say gorilla mode. Gorilla mode is made for training and has helped me perform better in the gym so I swear by it, wish I had a product like this as a young athlete back in the day”
u/osotimson “Been using the gorilla mode pre-workout for a couple of months. It’s as good as anything you’ll find on the market that isn’t dangerous. I mean it’s a pre-workout, it’s good, and it does what it says it’ll do. I like supporting transparent ingredient lists so that’s why I plan on sticking with it. Can’t find a better ingredient list anywhere else.”
Specifications
- Benefits: It improves strength and endurance and increases energy levels. It boosts your focus and mental sharpness and improves pumps during a workout.
- Ingredients: L-Citrulline (4500mg), GlycerPump (1500mg), Agmatine Sulfate (500mg), Creatine Monohydrate (2500mg), Betaine Anhydrous (1250mg), Caffeine Anhydrous (175mg), N-Phenethyl Dimethylamine Citrate (175mg), L-Tyrosine (750mg), Kanna (250mg), Malic Acid (1500mg) and Huperzine A (200mcg) per 1 scoop of serving. This may vary according to the flavor selected.
- Flavors: Tigers Blood, Mango Peach, Cherry Blackout, Volcano Burst, Bombsicle, Mouth Watering Watermelon, Jungle Juice, Firefly Lemonade, Krush, Mojo Mojito, Fruit Punch, Lemon Lime, Fruit Flavor Variety Pack, Summer Flavor Variety Pack, Lemon Lime Variety Pack.
- Serving Size: 1 scoop is around 15.425g and one tub has up to 40 servings.
- Other ingredients: Silicon Dioxide, Natural and Artificial flavors, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium.
- Gives you good energy
- Makes your mind more focused
- Decent amount of pumps
- Not all flavors are good
- Expensive
- Takes a while to kick in
2. Woke Af Pre-Workout by Bucked Up
Another favorite of Redditors, Woke Af is not for the faint-hearted. Woke Af is the pre-workout for you if you are looking for something much stronger than the other pre-workouts in the market. But we’ve got to warn you, this supplement is for those with a high tolerance as it contains a stimulant-heavy dose. It contains three stimulants combined with clinically proven cognition enhancers that give you insane levels of energy and focus as claimed by the brand. This pre-workout is keto-friendly, GMP Certified, and has zero sugar and zero calories. This Bucked Up product is formulated to give you energy levels over 9000. The ActiGin in it helps increase exercise to exhaustion times. It also contains Dendrobium, which is an ancient Chinese herb that boosts energy and synephrine is an added stimulant. The Deer Antler Velvet Extract helps with recovery. If you are looking for a solid pre-workout then this is a brilliant choice.
What Redditors Had To Say About It
u/Muesl1Muesl1 “I freaking love Woke pre-workout, serious superpowers”
u/LuukeyBoy “My buddy gave me 1 full scoop and I had the best workout in a long time. While lifting and listening to music I was getting waves of euphoria. I just felt so good. Lifting physically felt good. Bought a tub right after because this stuff was the best I’ve ever felt in the gym.”
u/Apprehensive_Cap7975 “Woke AF is good, I get a good workout out of it when I use it. It gets the job done.”
Specifications
- Benefits: It gives you long-lasting energy, helps you train harder and longer, gives powerful pumps, increased athletic performance, great mood, motivation, and focus. The effects of this pre-workout last throughout your training or workout period.
- Ingredients: Vitamin B12 (100mcg), Sodium (39mg), Citrulline Malate (6000mg), Beta- Alanine(3200mg), Caffeine Anhydrous (333mg), Alpha GPC (200mg), Taurine (100mg), Himalayan Rock Salt (100mg), Dendrobium (100mg), Deer Antler Velvet Extract (50mg), Synephrine HCl (40mg), Astragalus, Panax Notoginseng (25mg), ActiGen (25mg) per 1 scoop of serving. This may vary according to the flavor selected.
- Flavors: Breezy Blast, Swole Whip, Blood Raz, Blue Raz ( Cherry, Blue Raz, Lime), Grape Gainz, Killa OJ, Miami (Strawberry, Mango, Pineapple), Rocket Pop, Strawberry Watermelon, Watermelon Lemonade, Hot-Caramel Apple.
- Serving Size: 1 scoop is 11.7g and one container has up to 30 servings.
- Other Ingredients: Natural and Artificial Flavors, Silicon Dioxide, Calcium Silicate, Sucralose, and Artificial Colors.
- Great stimulants that increase energy levels
- Good for people with a high tolerance for caffeine
- Not the best for caffeine-sensitive folks
- Could cause jitters
3. Total War Pre-Workout by Redcon1
This pre-workout is as good as the ones mentioned above. Redditors can’t seem to get enough of it. This is a professional grade and award-winning pre-workout that provides you with unstoppable power to dominate challenging workouts. It has transparent ingredient labeling and is moderately priced. It contains evidence-backed ingredients that makes it a reliable pre-workout. It contains Juniper which increases antioxidant concentrations and has antidiabetic effects. Theobromine is an alkaloid known to relax body muscles and reduce blood pressure, promote weight loss, and act as a stimulant to give you enough energy. The green tree extract improves brain function and reduces the risk of heart disease. It offers quality ingredients while being a budget-friendly alternative.
What Redditors Had To Say About It
u/TheN1njTurtl3 “I have tried many total war doses, and I can tell you it’s a very smooth pwo. Recommend it for people who are not beginners, but neither advanced. And it has 320mg of caffeine bc the second caffeine type only provides 70% caffeine. So yes definitely recommend it. The green apple taste is the one I recommend.”
u/bigpapabullshit “I’ve always been a fan of RedCon1 products. If you’re balling on a budget I believe they have one of the best price points for their products. I always get a great pump when I stack total war with Moab and big noise.”
u/HPsyche “Total War is by far the winner. I have far better pumps and it’s not nearly as expensive. I don’t feel stimmed out of my mind and on the verge of an anxiety attack.”
Specifications
- Benefits: Prevents muscle fatigue, helps promote aerobic energy, enhances blood flow, increases exercise performance, endurance, and focus, and promotes more oxygen flow.
- Ingredients: Citrulline Malate (6000mg), Beta Alanine (3200mg),Agmatine Sulfate (1000mg),Taurine (1000mg), Caffeine Anhydrous (250mg), Juniper (150mg), Di-Caffeine Malate (100mg), Green Tea Extract (45mg), Naringin (25mg),BioPerine (10mg), Theobromine (5mg) per 1 scoop of serving. This may vary according to the flavor selected.
- Flavors: Sour Gummy Bear, Green Apple, Blue Lemonade, Blue Raspberry, Grape, Orange Crush, Pineapple Juice, Rainbow Candy, Strawberry Kiwi, Strawberry Mango, Tigers Blood, Vice City, Watermelon, Lemon Lime Blast.
- Serving Size: 1 scoop is 14.7g and one container has up to 30 servings.
- Other Ingredients: Natural and Sodium Artificial Flavors, Disodium Phosphate, Silica, Calcium Silicate, Sucralose, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, Acesulfame-potassium.
- Best tasting pre-workout with tons of flavors
- Transparent labeling
- Dissolves easily in water
- Some flavors may not be great
- Doesn’t deliver when it comes to “focus”
4. Amino Energy Pre-Workout by Optimum Nutrition
Optimum Nutrition is known for its health and fitness products. This trustworthy brand’s Amino Energy is another highly recommended pre-workout on Reddit. Amino Energy is a blend between a BCAA supplement and a pre-workout supplement. The supplement mixes consistently with water and tastes great. Just two scoops of serving should do the trick as it supports essential amino acid delivery with the help of micronized amino blend. It provides great hydration which helps increase performance. It consists of essential amino acids and BCCAs to help with energy levels and muscle recovery. The Beta Alanine helps you train for longer hours.
What Redditors Had To Say About It
u/adomingo2 “A pre-workout is a supplement that can increase energy levels, improve exercise performance, and stimulate muscle growth.” Amino energy checks all 3 of those boxes.”
u/TheCryptoNerd “Not only did I feel stronger than normal, but I also needed less time in between sets. I wouldn’t say I was frantic but I was moving quickly and with more purpose. I was impressed as the additional energy and feeling of well-being lasted a couple of hours.”
u/pingkypop “Surprisingly it is effective for mental focus at least for me. I cannot believe how productive I am just using half a scoop. I do notice if I take too much it gives me a headache and is jittery… so if I work out I only use 1 scoop!”
Specifications
- Benefits: It contains only 100mg of Caffeine per serving so it is safe to consume. It has 5 grams of amino acids per serving that help in muscle recovery. It contains zero sugar and supports energy focus and muscle support. It helps in Nitric Oxide production and increases the uptake of amino acids by the body.
- Ingredients: Amino Blend which is 5 g contains Micronized Taurine, Micronized L-Glutamine, Micronized L-Arginine, Micronized L-Leucine, Beta- Alanine, Micronized Citrulline, MicronizedL-Isoleucine, MicronizedL-Valine, Micronized L-Lysine, Micronized L-Histidine, Micronized L-Tyrosine, Micronized L-Lysine HCl, Micronized L-Phenylalanine, Micronized L-Threonine, Micronized L-Methionine. The Energy Blend is 160 mg containing Caffeine, Green Tea Extract, and Green Coffee Extract per 2 scoops of serving. This may vary according to the flavor selected.
- Flavors: Blue Raspberry, Blueberry Lemonade, Blueberry Mojito, Concord Grape, Cotton Candy, Fruit Fusion, Green Apple, Juicy Strawberry, Lemon Lime, Orange, Peach Lemonade, Pineapple, Strawberry Lime, Watermelon, Wild Berry.
- Serving size: They are available in various sizes 6vstick packs, 20 servings, 30 servings, or 65 servings. Two flat scoops are about 9 g.
- Micronized free-form amino acids for faster absorption
- Caffeine from natural sources
- Low calories per serving
- Not vegan friendly
- Not as strong as other pre-workouts
5. C4 Pre-Workout by Cellucor
This pre-workout is a safe option according to Redditors if you are a beginner and don’t know where to begin or don’t have much understanding of what ingredients suit you. This pre-workout has a moderate amount of caffeine that doesn’t give you jitters. It is easy to find anywhere and comes in various flowers to choose from.
What Redditors Had To Say About It
u/Encyclopeded “I have used C4 since 2010. the C4 Ultimate is still a great pre-workout. I recommend orange mango C4 Ultimate.”
u/ThatCarGuy1 “I’ve been using C4 pre-workout usually 6 days a week when I go workout. One scoop never had any issues.”
u/DomesticChaos “I love C4 – definitely my favorite pre-workout that I’ve tried. I never noticed any bad side effects from C4. I also work in a gym and I’d say C4 is most people’s favorite choice!”
Specifications
- Benefits: It increases your focus and motivation along with better endurance. It decreases muscle fatigue and gives you more energy to train harder and lift heavier. It provides fast recovery and enhances performance as well.
- Flavors: Some of the sugar-free flavors are Orange Burst, Fruit Punch, Cherry Limeade, Icy Blue Razz, Watermelon, Pink Lemonade, Strawberry Margarita, and Green Apple.
- Ingredients: Vitamin C (250mg), Niacin (30mg), Vitamin B6 (3.4g), Vitamin B12 (60mcg), Beta-Alanine (1600mg), Creatine Nitrate (1000mg), Citrulline Malate (1000mg).The Explosive Energy Blend is 215mg and consists of Caffeine Anhydrous (150mg), Velvet Bean seed extract, and Theacrine.
- Serving size: This is available in two sized 30 servings or 60 servings and 1 scoop is up to 6g.
- Other Ingredients: Natural and Artificial Flavors, Silicon Dioxide, Calcium Silicate, Sucralose, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Acesulfame Potassium.
- Very tasty and refreshing
- Number one selling brand
- Dramatically improves brain function
- Can get clumped up into chunks
When selecting pre-workouts be mindful of any unwanted ingredients on the label and select products that add to your current lifestyle. These are some of the best pre-workouts that are safe to consume in quantities advised by the brand. We hope this list helps you on your health and fitness journey.
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Last update on 2023-06-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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