{ "category": { "slug": "pre-workouts", "name": "Pre-Workouts", "description": "Pre-workout supplement powders and capsules, with or without stimulants; plain creatine belongs to Creatine, and protein powders and canned energy drinks are separate." }, "url": "https://stierproducts.com/categories/pre-workouts", "markdown": "https://stierproducts.com/categories/pre-workouts.md", "updated": "2026-09-17T06:37:50.931Z", "productsRanked": 17, "citedSources": 215, "citedSourceKinds": { "editorial": 66, "video": 122, "community": 27 }, "summary": "On the stierproducts pre-workouts board, Transparent Labs BULK Black ranks #1 in S tier, ahead of Transparent Labs Bulk (#2, S tier) and Nutricost Pre-X Pre-Workout (#3, A tier). The board ranks 17 pre-workouts from S (best) to F (avoid), last researched 17 Sept 2026, drawing on 215 cited reviews, videos and discussions. Placed in the bottom tiers as ones to avoid: Cellucor C4 Sport, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout, Kaged Pre-Kaged Stim-Free, and 4 others.", "method": { "summary": "Each category is researched in four independent runs, one per lens (expert consensus, value, reliability, community pulse). Every run ranks a board of candidates that deliberately includes products buyers cross-shop but should avoid. Placements score on a ranked ladder (LP), and tiers are derived from LP, so no tier is ever assigned by hand.", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/methodology" }, "limitations": [ "We do not test products ourselves. Every placement is consolidated from published reviews, owner reports and community discussion, so a board is only as good as the sources behind it.", "LP is points on this category ladder. It is comparable within a category and never across categories.", "A board is a snapshot with a research date. Anything released or changed after that date is not in it yet.", "Evidence is uneven across this board: products carry between 1 and 31 cited sources. The count for each is in the table above." ], "dataset": { "doi": "10.5281/zenodo.22062813", "url": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22062813", "scope": "every board at once, one dated snapshot per release", "excludes": [ "price", "currency", "image" ] }, "license": { "name": "CC BY 4.0", "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "terms": "https://stierproducts.com/license", "covers": [ "text", "rankings", "tiers", "lp", "verdicts", "pros", "cons" ], "excludes": [ "images" ], "imageRights": "Product photographs are not covered: they belong to their respective owners and are reproduced to illustrate the product being reviewed. Do not redistribute them under this licence." }, "tierMeanings": { "S": "Exceptional. Finishes top run after run; capped at 3 slots per category.", "A": "Excellent. Strongly recommended, beaten only by the very best.", "B": "Good. A solid choice with real caveats worth knowing.", "C": "Fair. Acceptable in the right situation, outclassed at its price.", "D": "Weak. Hard to recommend when better options cost similar money.", "F": "Avoid. The evidence points you elsewhere." }, "products": [ { "rank": 1, "tier": "S", "lp": 911, "name": "Transparent Labs BULK Black", "brand": "Transparent Labs", "slug": "transparent-labs-bulk-black", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/transparent-labs-bulk-black", "verdict": "Clinically dosed, fully disclosed, third-party tested, and named best overall by three separate outlets. The most durable ownership story in the category.", "pros": [ "Named the strongest pre-workout overall by Fortune's testing panel, citing potency and clinically supported dosages", "Rated a full five stars and best pre-workout overall in Forbes Health's lab-tested guide", "Named best overall pick in GQ's gym-rat survey", "Fully disclosed clinical doses with third-party testing", "Brand does not reformulate by stealth, so it holds up year after year" ], "cons": [ "Not the cheapest option", "Higher stimulant load makes it harder to live with daily for years", "Flagship money for stimulant levels many buyers do not need", "Priced like a potency flagship; overkill for most users" ], "citations": 12, "distinctOutlets": 7, "thinlySourced": false, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/transparent-labs-bulk-black.webp" }, { "rank": 2, "tier": "S", "lp": 854, "name": "Transparent Labs Bulk", "brand": "Transparent Labs", "slug": "transparent-labs-bulk", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/transparent-labs-bulk", "verdict": "Forbes Health's best overall, a slightly gentler sibling of BULK Black. Superb, but the Black version edges it on performance per dollar.", "pros": [ "Lower-stimulant formula", "Earned a five-star rating from Forbes Health's research team", "Fully transparent label with no proprietary blends", "Third-party tested", "Clinically supported dosages with multiple flavors" ], "cons": [ "High stimulant load", "A premium tub", "Premium per-serving cost" ], "citations": 9, "distinctOutlets": 9, "thinlySourced": false, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/transparent-labs-bulk.webp" }, { "rank": 3, "tier": "A", "lp": 757, "name": "Nutricost Pre-X Pre-Workout", "brand": "Nutricost", "slug": "nutricost-pre-x-pre-workout", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/nutricost-pre-x-pre-workout", "verdict": "The cheapest honest formula on the board. Nothing wasted, nothing hidden, nothing to fail.", "pros": [ "Included in Garage Gym Reviews' current tested guide", "No proprietary blend, no gimmick ingredients, just a straightforward transparent formula", "Brand reputation built entirely on consistency", "One of the cheapest honest options in the category", "Strong formulation with 300 milligrams of caffeine" ], "cons": [ "Not elite in absolute terms", "Refinement is basic", "Basic formula without extras or gimmicks" ], "citations": 7, "distinctOutlets": 6, "thinlySourced": false, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/nutricost-pre-x-pre-workout.webp" }, { "rank": 4, "tier": "A", "lp": 739, "name": "Kaged Pre-Kaged", "brand": "Kaged", "slug": "kaged-pre-kaged", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/kaged-pre-kaged", "verdict": "Informed Sport certified, transparent, and batch-consistent. Loses to the top two only on flavor breadth and stim ceiling.", "pros": [ "Informed Sport certified with a fully transparent label", "Batch-to-batch consistency is a core strength", "Carried in Garage Gym Reviews' current roundup", "Well-dosed, transparently labeled formula", "Strong pump and energy ingredients" ], "cons": [ "Loses to the top flagships on flavor breadth and stim ceiling", "Premium positioning" ], "citations": 14, "distinctOutlets": 11, "thinlySourced": false, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/kaged-pre-kaged.webp" }, { "rank": 5, "tier": "A", "lp": 736, "name": "Legion Pulse", "brand": "Legion", "slug": "legion-pulse", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/legion-pulse", "verdict": "Complete label transparency and a brand built on formulation consistency. Everything BSN used to be.", "pros": [ "Placed at the top of the market in Garage Gym Reviews' current tested guide", "Every ingredient and dose is on the label, with no proprietary blend", "Formulation consistency and customer support reputation are among the best in the category", "A scoop in year three is the same scoop as day one", "Fully disclosed doses of citrulline and beta-alanine" ], "cons": [ "You pay a premium for the brand and the formulation rigor", "Per-serving cost is well above the budget tier", "Full retail cost per serving is among the highest in the category", "Only represents good value when bought on discount" ], "citations": 25, "distinctOutlets": 23, "thinlySourced": false, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/legion-pulse.webp" }, { "rank": 6, "tier": "A", "lp": 700, "name": "Gorilla Mode Base", "brand": "Gorilla Mind", "slug": "gorilla-mode-base", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/gorilla-mode-base", "verdict": "All of Gorilla Mind's dosing honesty with none of the caffeine liability. Niche, but built to last.", "pros": [ "Mega-dosed pump ingredients (citrulline and glycerol) without the caffeine load", "Same transparency and build quality as Gorilla Mode", "No long-term tolerance problem", "High-dose stim and pump core", "Stripped-down, cheaper tub than the flagship" ], "cons": [ "Niche formula serving a narrower job", "Less complete than the brand's flagship formulas" ], "citations": 3, "distinctOutlets": 3, "thinlySourced": false, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/gorilla-mode-base.webp" }, { "rank": 7, "tier": "A", "lp": 661, "name": "Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode", "brand": "Gorilla Mind", "slug": "gorilla-mind-gorilla-mode", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/gorilla-mind-gorilla-mode", "verdict": "The best high-stim option with a fully disclosed label, but its potency demands tolerance management that not every owner will practice.", "pros": [ "Named the best high-stim pre-workout in GQ's current guide", "Fully disclosed and heavily dosed label", "Lasts when used judiciously", "Large citrulline, beta-alanine and caffeine servings", "Cost per gram of active ingredient among the best in the category" ], "cons": [ "Very high caffeine means tolerance management is on the user", "Jitters and nausea are the common side effects of this style of pre-workout", "Stim-heavy ride", "Stimulant load builds tolerance fast with daily use over years", "Costs more than Gorilla Mode Base for pump extras most buyers rarely need" ], "citations": 19, "distinctOutlets": 16, "thinlySourced": false, "flaggedToAvoid": { "runs": 2, "ofRuns": 12 }, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/gorilla-mind-gorilla-mode.webp" }, { "rank": 8, "tier": "B", "lp": 639, "name": "Jacked Factory Nitrosurge", "brand": "Jacked Factory", "slug": "jacked-factory-nitrosurge", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/jacked-factory-nitrosurge", "verdict": "Transparent, adjustable, and one of the best value-for-longevity plays here. A notch below the flagships on dose ceiling.", "pros": [ "A long-standing staple of Garage Gym Reviews' recommendations", "Fully disclosed formula", "Adjustable scoop dosing lets it grow with your tolerance instead of being discarded", "Transparent, fully dosed actives", "No-frills formula without paying for a brand name" ], "cons": [ "A notch below the flagships on dose ceiling", "Gives up some potency versus the top formulas" ], "citations": 10, "distinctOutlets": 9, "thinlySourced": false, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/jacked-factory-nitrosurge.webp" }, { "rank": 9, "tier": "B", "lp": 538, "name": "Naked Energy", "brand": "Naked", "slug": "naked-energy", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/naked-energy", "verdict": "The cleanest formulation on the board per Illuminate Labs. Simple, honest, and built to be taken for years.", "pros": [ "Named top overall pre-workout pick in Illuminate Labs' 2026 guide", "Called the cleanest formulation on the market with several effectively-dosed actives", "Simple and transparent, competing on what is in the tub", "Several effectively dosed active ingredients", "Cleanest formulation of any pre-workout reviewed" ], "cons": [ "Loses ground on raw potency against the top five", "Stimulant effect is milder than the category leaders", "Less punchy than the top-ranked formulas", "Clean-label premium caps its value", "Moderate dosing" ], "citations": 17, "distinctOutlets": 17, "thinlySourced": false, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/naked-energy.webp" }, { "rank": 10, "tier": "C", "lp": 475, "name": "Kaged Pre-Kaged Sport", "brand": "Kaged", "slug": "kaged-pre-kaged-sport", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/kaged-pre-kaged-sport", "verdict": "Kaged's trust with a deliberately lighter formula. Honest ownership, but you are paying the premium brand price for fewer active grams.", "pros": [ "Third-party tested with a transparent label", "Honest and consistent formula", "Lighter stimulant content", "Each serving delivers 250mg of caffeine", "Genuinely complete formula" ], "cons": [ "Less citrulline and a deliberately diluted formula", "You pay a trusted brand's premium for fewer active grams", "Vitacost reviewers note the Glacier Grape flavor runs very sweet" ], "citations": 3, "distinctOutlets": 3, "thinlySourced": false, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/kaged-pre-kaged-sport.webp" }, { "rank": 11, "tier": "D", "lp": 336, "name": "Cellucor C4 Sport", "brand": "Cellucor", "slug": "cellucor-c4-sport", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/cellucor-c4-sport", "verdict": "The diluted version of a good product. Nutricost Pre-X gives you the honest budget alternative without the trimmed doses.", "pros": [ "One of the cheapest products here", "Sensible spend for a first-time buyer who mostly wants caffeine plus a token pump dose", "At least a functional formula", "Widely available at big-box stores", "Lighter caffeine hit" ], "cons": [ "Trimmed doses on the actives that actually drive performance", "Built to hit a shelf price rather than a clinical target", "Trimmed, diluted formula compared to the C4 flagship", "Falls short of the fully dosed, clinically justified standard for the category", "Less citrulline and less beta-alanine than the original formula" ], "citations": 12, "distinctOutlets": 11, "thinlySourced": false, "flaggedToAvoid": { "runs": 3, "ofRuns": 6 }, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/cellucor-c4-sport.webp" }, { "rank": 12, "tier": "D", "lp": 335, "name": "Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout", "brand": "Optimum Nutrition", "slug": "optimum-nutrition-gold-standard-pre-workout", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/optimum-nutrition-gold-standard-pre-workout", "verdict": "Brand-trust coasting with doses below the current evidence-based standard. Nutricost Pre-X and C4 both beat it at their respective jobs.", "pros": [ "Backed by Optimum Nutrition's brand reliability and reputation", "Informed Choice certified", "Universally stocked and formulation-stable for years", "Reliable, no-surprises ownership experience", "Budget-friendly and one of the cheapest per serving in its class" ], "cons": [ "Modest citrulline and beta-alanine doses that fall short of the evidence-based standard", "Cross-shopped on brand trust alone rather than formula strength", "Conservative dosing that will not out-punch stronger formulas", "Beta-alanine is underdone", "Unremarkable next to the fully dosed specialist picks" ], "citations": 7, "distinctOutlets": 7, "thinlySourced": false, "flaggedToAvoid": { "runs": 1, "ofRuns": 4 }, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/optimum-nutrition-gold-standard-pre-workout.webp" }, { "rank": 13, "tier": "D", "lp": 319, "name": "Kaged Pre-Kaged Stim-Free", "brand": "Kaged", "slug": "kaged-pre-kaged-stim-free", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/kaged-pre-kaged-stim-free", "verdict": "The right answer for stim-free buyers, from a certified line. Niche by nature, excellent within it.", "pros": [ "Stim-free option from a certified, transparently dosed flagship line", "Same Kaged consistency and testing standards as the flagship", "Right answer for evening trainers or anyone cycling off caffeine", "Best-built stimulant-free option among mainstream products", "Gives caffeine-sensitive buyers the same citrulline and beta-alanine performance floor as the caffeinated flagship" ], "cons": [ "Niche by nature", "Niche product", "Flagship-level price", "Narrower job than full-stim formulas", "Trails its own Sport sibling badly as a value proposition" ], "citations": 1, "distinctOutlets": 1, "thinlySourced": true, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/kaged-pre-kaged-stim-free.webp" }, { "rank": 14, "tier": "D", "lp": 245, "name": "Cellucor C4 Original", "brand": "Cellucor", "slug": "cellucor-c4-original", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/cellucor-c4-original", "verdict": "The dependable moderate-stim default with two decades of consistency behind it. Unexciting but it will never let you down.", "pros": [ "Named best pre-workout for beginners in a Yahoo Health dietitian-reviewed guide, citing ingredient effectiveness, affordability, and functionality", "Two decades of continuous production with ubiquitous availability", "A formula that does not chase fads, making it dependable for moderate-stim users", "Balanced effectiveness, affordability and functionality for beginners", "Approachable formula" ], "cons": [ "Active doses are light for the money", "Buyers past their first month get clearly more per serving from rivals", "Slightly softer doses than the clinical-dose leaders", "Part of the formula sits behind a proprietary blend", "Formula is lighter per scoop than C4 Sport" ], "citations": 31, "distinctOutlets": 28, "thinlySourced": false, "flaggedToAvoid": { "runs": 4, "ofRuns": 12 }, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/cellucor-c4-original.webp" }, { "rank": 15, "tier": "F", "lp": 209, "name": "1st Phorm Project-1", "brand": "1st Phorm", "slug": "1st-phorm-project-1", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/1st-phorm-project-1", "verdict": "An influencer-affiliate product absent from every independent testing roundup consulted, with a proprietary blend hiding part of the formula. Kaged Pre-Kaged is the honest version of this purchase.", "pros": [ "Marketed as a comprehensive energy, focus and performance pre-workout", "Reported smooth, sustained high-stim energy without the crash", "Named best pre-workout for muscle building by Garage Gym Reviews", "Very affordable compared to the average pre-workout" ], "cons": [ "Appears in none of the major independent expert testing roundups", "Hides part of its formula behind a proprietary blend", "Market presence built on a sponsored-athlete army rather than independent testing", "Mid-tier 200 milligram caffeine formula at a flagship price", "Absent from independent expert roundups; coverage is brand and influencer content" ], "citations": 14, "distinctOutlets": 12, "thinlySourced": false, "flaggedToAvoid": { "runs": 2, "ofRuns": 3 }, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/1st-phorm-project-1.webp" }, { "rank": 16, "tier": "F", "lp": 0, "name": "Alani Nu Pre-Workout", "brand": "Alani Nu", "slug": "alani-nu-pre-workout", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/alani-nu-pre-workout", "verdict": "A well-built moderate-dose option that people actually stay on. Below the flagships purely on dose ceiling.", "pros": [ "Well-formulated moderate-caffeine option carried by a wide range of current roundups", "Disclosed doses", "A flavor lineup that keeps people taking it consistently", "Hugely popular on taste and branding", "Flavor-first formula that clears the expert bar" ], "cons": [ "Below the flagships purely on dose ceiling", "Doses sit well below what the value picks deliver", "Weak per-serving performance for the money", "Not the strongest formula in the category", "Modest caffeine and underdosed pump ingredients" ], "citations": 8, "distinctOutlets": 7, "thinlySourced": false, "flaggedToAvoid": { "runs": 6, "ofRuns": 9 }, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/alani-nu-pre-workout.webp" }, { "rank": 17, "tier": "F", "lp": 0, "name": "GHOST Legend", "brand": "GHOST", "slug": "ghost-legend", "url": "https://stierproducts.com/products/ghost-legend", "verdict": "Style-heavy marketing with a formula that trails the picks on key doses. Buy Transparent Labs BULK Black instead and stop paying for the can design.", "pros": [ "Cross-shopped constantly because of the aesthetic", "Candy-collab flavors", "Strong social media presence", "Strong aesthetic and flavor appeal", "Strong dosing" ], "cons": [ "Classic version has historically run key pumps ingredients light relative to clinically supported doses", "Marketing-forward brand where the formula does not earn the hype", "You are paying for the aesthetic, not the formula", "Delivers fewer actives than rivals at the same spend", "Formula built more around flavor and branding than performance per scoop" ], "citations": 23, "distinctOutlets": 16, "thinlySourced": false, "flaggedToAvoid": { "runs": 6, "ofRuns": 8 }, "image": "https://stspimgdevmfyk46r5vwkay.blob.core.windows.net/images/products/ghost-legend.webp" } ] }