5 Best Pre-Workouts for Strength (Tested)

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Almost every pre-workout on the market advertises “Increased Strength” as one of its key benefits. I have spent the last two years thoroughly testing more than 30 pre-workouts on the market, and I’ve determined the top 5 products that actually deliver on that promise. 

In a Hurry? Here’s The Top Pick!

Transparent Labs Bulk is my number one pick as the best pre-workout for increasing strength. It contains clinical doses of proven ingredients like betaine, citrulline, and taurine. Bulk has the best combination of high-quality standards and effective ingredients at a reasonable price point. 

Why Trust Our Recommendation? 

I’ve been a supplement store manager for more than a decade and a strength athlete, personal trainer, and pre-workout supplement user for nearly twice as long. 

This has given me insight into industry trends and access to research, and it has also allowed me to personally test every recommended product.

Our Feastgood.com team is diverse, including Registered Dietitians, coaches with Ph. D.s in Human Nutrition, and internationally ranked athletes. This gives us a breadth of knowledge and experience to assess which products are safe, effective, and worth investing in. 

Key Criteria

The first filter I used to assess whether pre-workouts were qualified for this list was whether they received a 5/5 star rating for “strength” in my in-depth individual reviews. 

When I filtered out only the products with a 5/5 rating for strength, I was left with 10 pre-workouts out of the 30 that I started with.

To further narrow it down to the best options, I considered the following criteria:

• Cost per serving: Not everyone has the same supplement budget, so I made sure to choose a variety of products to suit anyone’s budget. My in-house analysis found that the average cost of pre-workout is around $1.61 per serving.

• Taste/Mixability: I am assessing products based on their effectiveness, but a product is only effective if you can actually drink it. For this reason, I evaluated the products on their overall taste and how well they mix.

• Effective Ingredients: Does this product contain ingredients proven to increase strength? If so, are those ingredients high-quality and in clinical doses? These factors help ensure that your product will deliver its advertised benefits. The five key ingredients I identified are creatine, betaine, citrulline, taurine, and caffeine.

• Caffeine Content: I’ve combined caffeine-free and very high-stim pre-workouts to provide an option on this list that suits your preferences.

• Side effects: Some of the highly-dosed products that I used improved my strength, but they also elicited some pretty significant gastrointestinal side effects. I have eliminated these products from the list.

Best Pre-Workouts For Increasing Strength

• Best Overall: Transparent Labs Bulk
• Best Value: DIY Pre-Workout
• Best High-Stim Formula: Ryse Godzilla
• Best With Creatine: Black Wolf Pre
• Best Stimulant Free: Transparent Labs Stim Free

1. Transparent Labs Bulk

Overall rating: 4.9/5

Features:

• Strength Boosting Ingredients: Citrulline, Betaine, Taurine, Caffeine
• Cost per serving: $1.50 – $1.66
• Caffeine content: 200mg

Highlights

• Great value at $1.66 per serving
• High quality ingredients and third party testing
• Moderate caffeine level with no post-workout crash

Drawbacks

• Requires a large volume (12oz) of water to completely dissolve
• Has a slightly bitter aftertaste

Our Thoughts:

If you are looking for a one-stop, well-rounded pre-workout to support strength and muscle growth, Transparent Labs Bulk checks all of the boxes. 

It features clinical doses of many key ingredients like betaine and taurine which have been shown to support strength output, plus additional ingredients to support pump and mental focus.

Bulk has 200mg of caffeine per serving, a level suitable for most lifters, especially those who are new to pre-workouts or find that other high-stim options often leave them feeling jittery or anxious. 

I appreciate a moderate dose of caffeine because it allows me to safely consume a cup of coffee or energy drink at other times throughout the day. 

When I tested Bulk for my in-depth review, it immediately shot to the top of my favourite pre-workout list. My strength and stamina improved immediately, and I didn’t experience any negative side effects, like an upset stomach or a post-workout crash. 

I had been routinely doing 45-minute HIIT strength training workouts, but when I took Bulk, I felt like 45 minutes wasn’t enough. I had so much energy left in the tank that I wanted to add additional lifts to the end of my workout.

I also appreciate that Bulk is available in 9 different flavors, which makes it likely that you will be able to find one that you enjoy (my personal favorite is Black Cherry). 

• Related: I Tested Every Flavor of Bulk Pre-Workout

Transparent Labs does not use any artificial flavors, sweeteners, or colors in their formulas and is third party tested. 

These testing results are publicly available online, which provides an extra level of security that your pre-workout contains no contaminants. This also helps guarantee that your product actually contains the doses it claims to. 

The Bulk formula does not contain creatine, but creatine is inexpensive and should be taken daily for optimal results. I recommend supplementing with 5g of creatine monohydrate daily on top of taking Bulk. 

• Read my complete Transparent Labs Bulk Review.

2. DIY Pre-Workout

Overall rating: 4.7/5

Features:

• Strength Boosting Ingredients: Creatine, Betaine, Citrulline, Taurine, and Caffeine
• Cost per serving: $1.30 – $2.71
• Caffeine content: Zero to 300mg

Highlights: 

• Can be completely tailored to suit your daily needs 
• Potential for it to have the lowest cost per serving of any other on this list
• Does not contain any artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, etc

Drawbacks

• More tedious to order all of the ingredients and measure them individually
• The powder will not taste good on its own
• Some key ingredients in capsule form are expensive and require lots of capsules to get effective doses

Our Thoughts:

A DIY pre-workout is where you buy all the bulk ingredients yourself and then mix the ingredients together.  

DIY pre-workouts are great for getting clinical doses of the most important strength-boosting ingredients at a reasonable cost per serving. 

I have provided two options here: one that features only unflavored powders and one that features only capsules. 

My ultimate strength pre-workout features five key ingredients:

• Creatine Monohydrate – 5g
• Betaine Anhydrous – 2.5g
• Citrulline Malate – 6g
• Taurine – 1.5g
• Caffeine – 200mg (personal preference, this may be higher or lower for you)

Note that the capsule option requires taking 34 total capsules, which many individuals may not find ideal. 

Citrulline is the key culprit here, requiring 18 capsules to get the full 6g serving (and being ridiculously expensive). 

The tradeoff is that the capsule method will not require any type of flavoring for it to be palatable. Taking the raw ingredients in powder form is less expensive but will taste terrible on its own. There’s no best option here; it just comes down to personal preference. 

What I love about this DIY method is that you can easily adapt it to suit your day and preferences. If you are working out late in the evening, you can simply forego the caffeine. If you want an extra muscle pump one day, you can choose to take a higher dose of citrulline. 

For this formula, I got all of my ingredients from BulkSupplements.com. I have used their products in the past, and I trust their quality and third-party testing standards. This also makes it easiest to shop from and will save you on shipping costs since you can order all items in one shipment. 

BulkSupplements.com offers a variety of sizes for all of these products. The more you buy, the cheaper your product will be per serving, but a higher total investment will be required. For this article, I’ve used the smaller product sizes to minimize the upfront investment. 

Note: Betaine comes in 750mg capsules. 3 capsules = 2.25g (just shy of a clinical dose) and 4 capsules = 3g. I have calculated using 4 capsules to get 3g per workout

3. Ryse Godzilla

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Features:

• Strength Boosting Ingredients: Citrulline, Betaine, Creatine, Caffeine
• Cost per serving: $2.84
• Caffeine content: 400mg

Highlights

• One of the only ultra-dosed products that didn’t give me any negative side effects
• Contains 5g of creatine monohydrate per serving
• Combination of caffeine sources provides prolonged energy with no crash
• Good taste

Drawbacks

• Requires a 2-scoop serving to meet clinical doses
• Most expensive pre-workout on this list ($2.84 per serving)
• 400mg of caffeine will be too much for many users

Our Thoughts:

This pre-workout is definitely not for everyone. It is what I would call an ultra-dosed product, which puts it into a category above “highly” dosed. 

A 2-scoop serving, which is what’s required to get clinical doses, provides 400mg of caffeine and additional stimulants, which puts it right at the limit of what the FDA considers to be a safe. 

This same 2-scoop serving measures 35.7g, which is bigger than most protein powders. This product requires a fair bit of water to mix properly (I used around 10 oz) and will have a bitter aftertaste because of the natural flavor of some of the raw ingredients. 

I was very pleasantly surprised by Ryse Godzilla when I tested it out. Other ultra-dosed products that I tested, like Kaged Elite, gave me some really uncomfortable stomach issues. I expected that the combination of high doses of ingredients and high stimulants would make for an uncomfortable experience. 

But I actually felt really great taking Ryse Godzilla. I had some memorable workouts where I had to double-check the pin stacks or plates on the equipment I was using because the exercises felt so easy, I was sure I must have misloaded the machine. 

For individuals who consider themselves “stim junkies”, or those looking for the highest-dosed pre-workout that is ACTUALLY effective, Ryse Godzilla is a fantastic option, providing you have the budget for it. 

At $2.84 per 2 scoop serving, Ryse Godzilla tops the list in terms of price. 

Anyone who trains late in the evening or considers themselves sensitive to caffeine would be better served opting for the next product. 

• Read my full Ryse Godzilla review here

4. Transparent Labs Stim-Free

Overall rating: 4.2/5

Features:

• Strength Boosting Ingredients: Citrulline, Betaine, Taurine, ElevATP® 
• Cost per serving: $1.50 – $1.66
• Caffeine content: 0

Highlights

• Caffeine-free formula makes it suitable for late night lifters or anyone sensitive to caffeine
• Third Party Tested
• No artificial flavors or colors
• Addition of patented ingredient, ElevATP®, provides a massive performance boost 

Drawbacks

• Doesn’t provide significant increases to mental focus or alertness
• Fewer flavor options compared to Transparent Labs Bulk

Our Thoughts:

Because I have a pre-workout for those looking for insanely high stimulants, it was important to me to have one that suits the opposite end of the spectrum. 

Transparent Labs Stim-Free features clinical doses of all of the same strength-boosting ingredients found in Transparent Labs Bulk, with the obvious exception of the stimulants. 

In place of the caffeine and nootropics found in the traditional Bulk formula, Stim-Free features the addition of a patented ingredient called ElevATP, which has been shown in clinical trials to increase strength and power. 

More than a year after I tried Stim-Free for the first time, it’s still a staple in my household. As I juggle the demands of work and parenting, sometimes I am not able to get my workout in until after my other responsibilities are done for the day, which can take me well into the evening. 

I love having a pre-workout supplement that supports strength and athletic performance without negatively impacting my sleep quality. 

This is a great pre-workout for anybody who is sensitive to caffeine or works out late in the evening. I also recommend Stim-Free to anybody who is trying to reset their caffeine tolerance but wants to maintain their strength and individuals who have deload weeks programmed into their regimen.

Like all Transparent Labs products, Stim-Free does not use artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners. It is third-party tested, and the results are freely available online. 

This product is also Informed Choice Certified, guaranteeing that it is free of any banned substances making it a safe option for elite or drug-tested athletes. 

• Read my full experience with Transparent Labs Stim-Free here

5. BlackWolf Pre-Workout

Overall rating: 4.0/5

Features:

• Strength Boosting Ingredients: Citrulline, Creatine, Betaine, Taurine, Caffeine
• Cost per serving: $2.27
• Caffeine content: 200mg + 125mg of additional stimulants

Highlights

• Combination of caffeine sources provides a quick boost to energy with no crash and no negative impact on sleep quality
• Contains all 5 key ingredients for boosting strength
• Uses natural ingredients like spirulina for coloring

Drawbacks

• Limited flavour selection (only 2 options) 
• No transparency in regards to testing, quality, or unbiased reviews

Our Thoughts:

BlackWolf Pre-workout was an interesting one for me because, like many other workouts, I felt a fairly noticeable sensation of them “kicking in.” Sometimes, this feeling comes from the beta-alanine tingles, and other times, it’s from an increase in mental focus. 

I didn’t really experience this with BlackWolf Pre. I remember feeling disappointed the first few times I tried it because I thought it was ineffective. 

The other thing that caught me off guard before I even tried this product was the admittedly dodgy-looking website. It looked cheaply made, and I couldn’t find any review section aside from a few “verified customer reviews” that the company hand-picked for its landing page. 

When I reflected back on my workout logs, however, I realized that I was resting less between sets, I was hitting higher repetitions more consistently and had higher volume during every single workout I did. 

The performance boost and recovery benefits were undeniable. I was lifting heavier and recovering faster between sets and workouts. However, this just may not be the pre-workout to choose if you want to feel a “buzzy” kind of energy from your products. 

BlackWolf Pre is the only pre-workout on this list that contains all 5 key ingredients for our supporting strength criteria. While it falls just shy of a clinical dose of betaine (with 2g instead of 2.5g), it does contain clinical doses of citrulline, creatine, and taurine. 

BlackWolf Pre contains 200mg of caffeine and an additional 125mg of Dynamine ®, a stimulant similar to caffeine. This combination will provide a quick energy boost but the shorter half-life of Dynamine means it is designed to be eliminated from your system quicker. As a result, if you take this pre-workout in the evening it should not affect your sleep as significantly as taking 300mg of traditional caffeine anhydrous or slow-release caffeine options. 

BlackWolf Pre is a more expensive option, around $2.27 per serving. However, compared to our list of pre-workouts, which range from $1.30 to $2.84 per serving, BlackWolf Pre falls more or less in the middle. 

Because the website lacks transparency, there is no indication of it being third-party tested, and there are no third-party retailers, BlackWolf Pre-workout wouldn’t necessarily be my first choice. 

That said, using BlackWolf Pre did significantly increase my strength and recovery. 

These results, plus the fact that BlackWolf Pre is the only product that contains all 5 ingredients that we’ve deemed key for increasing strength, solidify BlackWolf’s spot on our top list of Strength-Boosting Pre-Workouts.

• For more on my experience testing BlackWolf Pre-Workout, click here

Key Ingredients for Increasing Strength

• Creatine Monohydrate: Creatine is one of the most thoroughly studied sports supplements available and has been shown to increase performance in short-duration high-intensity activities like sprinting or strength training. Creatine should be taken daily at a dose of 3-5g for optimal results. 

• Betaine: Betaine is a compound found naturally in some plant foods that can improve strength, power output, and body composition when taken as a supplement. Optimal dosing for betaine is to take it daily at a dose of 2.5g. 

• Caffeine: Caffeine is a compound found naturally in plants like tea and coffee beans. It is a stimulant that speeds up the central nervous system and can improve all aspects of physical performance, including strength. Individual responses to creatine vary and dosing typically ranges from 100mg to 400mg in pre-workout supplements. Note: The FDA recommends a safe upper limit of 400mg daily.

• Citrulline: Citrulline is most commonly advertised as a nitric oxide boosting ingredient for supporting muscle pump. Because of its effects on blood flow, citrulline can help delay fatigue which results in increased strength, endurance, and recovery. The ideal dose appears to be 6-8g taken approximately 1 hour prior to exercise. 

• Taurine: Taurine is an amino acid found naturally in meat, fish, and dairy products. As a supplement, taurine can increase strength and power output as well as cardiovascular performance. The ideal dosing strategy is accepted at 1-3g taken approximately 1 hour prior to exercise.

References

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Kurtz, J.A., VanDusseldorp, T.A., Doyle, J.A. et al. Taurine in sports and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 18, 39 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-021-00438-0

Reyes, Tania & Nemzer, Boris & Argumedo, Ruby & Cervantes, Melissa & Pietrzkweski, Zbigniew. (2016). The Effect of ElevATP ™ on Exercise Output: A Single Dose, Blinded, Three-Way Cross-Over Study. Current Trends in Nutraceuticals. 1. 1.

Buford TW, Kreider RB, Stout JR, Greenwood M, Campbell B, Spano M, Ziegenfuss T, Lopez H, Landis J, Antonio J. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007 Aug 30;4:6. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-4-6. PMID: 17908288; PMCID: PMC2048496.

Guest NS, VanDusseldorp TA, Nelson MT, Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Jenkins NDM, Arent SM, Antonio J, Stout JR, Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE, Goldstein ER, Kalman DS, Campbell BI. International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021 Jan 2;18(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4. PMID: 33388079; PMCID: PMC7777221.

Gough, L.A., Sparks, S.A., McNaughton, L.R. et al. A critical review of citrulline malate supplementation and exercise performance. Eur J Appl Physiol 121, 3283–3295 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04774-6

Gonzalez, Adam M.1; Trexler, Eric T.2. Effects of Citrulline Supplementation on Exercise Performance in Humans: A Review of the Current Literature. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 34(5):p 1480-1495, May 2020. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003426