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If you are new to pre-workouts, determining which one to choose can be extremely overwhelming.
There is a ton of information, and you will find evidence from every brand declaring that their pre-workout is the best.
Furthermore, hearing claims like “SKIN-TEARING MUSCLE PUMPS!” and “LASER-FOCUSED MINDSET” can be intimidating.
At FeastGood.com, I have bought, tested, and reviewed 28+ pre-workouts. Combined with my 11 years of experience as a supplement store owner, I have tried more than 50 different pre-workout products.
I have helped hundreds of people choose their first pre-workouts, and I am happy to share my honest and transparent list of my top five pre-workouts for beginners.
Key Criteria
So, what constitutes a good pre-workout for beginners?
I used the five key criteria to evaluate which products made this list.
1. Effective Ingredients
I assessed whether the pre-workout uses ingredients that have been proven to be effective in research trials.
This helps to guarantee that you will see the desired benefits, like strength and energy, that the product claims to provide.
2. Effective Doses
It’s not enough that the products have those ingredients but also that they contain effective doses.
Many inexpensive pre-workouts will do what I call “dusting,” where they sprinkle in tiny amounts of ingredients that people know to be effective so that they can say that their product has these ingredients.
These tiny doses, however, will be ineffective and won’t produce the desired performance benefits.
What is clinical dosing? Clinical dosing means that a company is using the same doses of ingredients that have been proven effective in research.
If a company adheres to clinical dosing standards, it’s an added assurance that your pre-workout will deliver the results it promises.
3. Affordable
If you are new to pre-workout, you may not want to invest top-tier dollars without first knowing how you’ll react to them and whether you’ll like the benefits.
The average cost of pre-workout is $1.61 per serving (based on our internal analysis of over 50 pre-workouts).
Therefore, I have tried to choose products that fall close to the average or below.
4. Taste and Mixability
I have tried to stick to products that I thought tasted great.
While I don’t think that taste should be the number one factor in determining which pre-workout to take, the reality is if you don’t like the taste of a product, you may not drink it, so you definitely won’t get any benefit from it.
5. Minimal Side Effects
I have chosen formulas that minimize problematic ingredients that could cause negative side effects.
No two people will respond to pre-workout the same way.
This makes it impossible to say whether or not you will experience side effects like upset stomach or jitteriness, even if you choose a pre-workout on this list.
However, some ingredients are more likely to cause these side effects, so I’ve avoided pre-workouts with these ingredients.
Medical Disclaimer: The material presented in this article aims to offer informational insights. It should not be perceived as medical guidance. The views and writings are not designed for diagnosing, preventing, or treating health issues. Always consult with your physician prior to starting any new dietary or supplement routine.
Transparent Labs Bulk: Best Overall For Beginners
Overview
- Caffeine: 200mg
- Clinical doses for 8/8 ingredients
- No artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners
- Publicly disclosed third-party testing results
Why It’s Good for Beginners
- A reasonable caffeine level makes it good for energy without jitteriness
- Independently third-party tested by a gold-standard facility
- It is a very well-rounded formula that will benefit all aspects of fitness (strength, endurance, pump, mental focus, recovery).
Since I first tried it a few years ago, Transparent Labs Bulk has held the top spot on my pre-workout shelf, literally and figuratively.
As a supplement store manager, I have access to an almost unlimited supply of pre-workout products, which says a lot.
For me, Transparent Labs Bulk checks all the boxes. It contains high-quality ingredients, has clinical doses for all of the ingredients that have clinical doses established, and has a low-moderate caffeine level.
Bulk contains ingredients that support strength, endurance, energy, mental focus, pump/blood flow, and recovery. It also has ingredients that support increasing muscle mass, making it a great option for someone looking to take their performance and/or physique to the next level.
The 200mg of caffeine in Transparent Labs Bulk equals approximately a medium (14 oz) commercially bought coffee. The FDA recommends a safe upper limit of 400mg of caffeine daily.
This means that if you take a serving of Transparent Labs Bulk, you can still safely consume an additional source of caffeine like coffee or an energy drink without going into unsafe caffeine levels. I love this fact because I enjoy a daily coffee outside of my pre-workout.
The lower caffeine level may also make Bulk Pre-Workout suitable for evening workouts without negatively impacting sleep, but this will be a very individualized experience. If you like the sounds of Bulk Pre-Workout but always work out in the evenings and want to guarantee that you won’t have any problem falling asleep, opt for Transparent Labs Stim-Free instead.
Bulk is available in 9 different flavors and costs around $1.66 per serving, which is phenomenal value for its quality and quantity. This drops to $1.50 if you take advantage of Transparent Labs’ Subscribe & Save feature, which also gives you free shipping.
Want more? Read my full experience with Transparent Labs Bulk here.
Transparent Labs Stim-Free: Best For Beginners Without Caffeine
Overview
- Caffeine: None
- Clinical doses for 7/7 ingredients
- No artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners
- Publicly disclosed third-party testing results
Why It’s Good for Beginners
- Caffeine-free formula that still delivers on performance
- I experienced zero negative side effects like jitteriness, anxiety, or stomach upset
Transparent Labs Stim-Free takes everything good about Bulk: clinical doses, great value, high-quality testing standards, and a well-rounded formula; they’ve removed the stimulants.
If you read about Transparent Labs Bulk above and liked what you heard but are someone who always works out in the evening or you are trying to stay away from stimulants, then Transparent Labs Stim-Free is a fantastic option.
Stim-Free contains a unique ingredient called elevATP™. This ingredient has been shown to increase the amount of ATP (the body’s energy molecule), increasing strength, power, and performance. This allows you to feel the certain benefits of caffeine, like endurance and physical stamina, without the caffeine.
Transparent Labs Stim-Free also has huperzine, an ingredient that can boost mental focus without having a stimulatory effect.
My work and life schedule can be really unpredictable, and my days can also leave me feeling absolutely exhausted. I always make sure to have this product on hand for days when my workout gets pushed back into the late evening, but I still want to perform well and get the most benefit from my training.
Like its caffeinated counterpart, Stim-Free has no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives and is third-party tested by a state-of-the-art lab.
Stim-Free is available in 4 flavors and costs $1.66 per serving ($1.50 if you use the subscribe and save feature).
Read my in depth review of Transparent Labs Stim-Free here.
Alani Nu Pre-Workout: Best Budget For Beginners
Overview
- Caffeine: 200mg
- Clinical doses for 3/3 ingredients
- Only 5 ingredients
Why It’s Good for Beginners
- Lowered risk of negative side effects because of the short ingredient list
- Tastes great and mixes well, even with a small amount of water
- Low cost per serving ($1.33)
Of all the pre-workouts available on supplement store shelves, Alani Nu is one of my favorite ones to recommend to beginners. But I have a warning, which I’ll share shortly.
It’s good for beginners because it only has five ingredients, but these ingredients all have effective doses.
While Alani Nu is not the best pre-workout for increasing strength and muscle mass, it delivers really clean energy with no crash or jitteriness (thanks to the addition of L-theanine) and is a great formula for increasing blood flow and endurance.
Like Bulk, it contains 200mg of caffeine, which is enough to give you a good energy boost while still allowing you to consume other sources of caffeine in your day, like coffee or an energy drink. (Personal note: Alani Nu also has canned energy drinks, which taste delicious, in my humble opinion).
Because Alani Nu Pre has a short ingredient list, the overall scoop size is very small. The scoop measures 10 grams, nearly half the size of the Transparent Labs products.
This small scoop size has two positive impacts on your overall pre-workout drinking experience: It’s a lot easier to make pre-workouts taste good when they have fewer ingredients, and they dissolve much easier.
If you are particularly sensitive to taste or texture, then Alani Nu pre-workout is the best option on this list.
Alani Nu Pre-Workout is the most budget-friendly pre-workout on this list, at $1.33 per serving ($1.26 with Subscribe & Save).
Alani Nu Pre-Workout is available in 7 different flavors, including Hawaiian Shaved Ice and Galaxy Lemonade.
So what’s the warning I have?
I DO NOT recommend this product if you’re not a beginner. Because of Alani Nu’s social media presence, you may think this is a great overall pre-workout to continue long-term. But that’s not the case.
If you’ve been working out for one or more years, you’ll benefit more from exploring other products that enhance muscle pump, strength, and endurance.
As an experienced pre-workout user testing this product, I found the effects minimal. That’s because I’ve been working out for over a decade, and I would never buy this pre-workout for myself outside of testing it for FeastGood.com.
Read my complete review of Alani Nu Pre-Workout here.
4 Gauge Pre-Workout: Best For Cardio-Focused Workouts
Features
- Caffeine: 150 mg
- Clinical doses for 4/5 ingredients
- No artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners
Why It’s Good for Beginners
- Low caffeine provides energy without side effects like jitteriness, crash, or insomnia.
- Prioritizes natural ingredients like coconut water and beetroot powder, which are rich in nutrients and electrolytes.
Like Alani Nu, 4 Gauge Pre-Workout has a short but effective ingredient list. However, there’s one circumstance where I would take 4 Gauge over Alani Nu.
Despite 4 Gauge’s aggressive marketing (their pre-workout tub is literally shaped like a shotgun shell), the formula is designed more for clean, sustained energy and endurance than explosive or intense performance.
4 Gauge has an ingredient called Rhodiola, which is considered an adaptogen. This means that it helps the body respond to physical and mental stress.
In a pre-workout, this ingredient can enhance mental focus and mood, reduce jitteriness or anxiety from caffeine, and help the body recover from the physical demands of your workout.
When you pair the recovery benefits of Rhodiola with the added coconut water, which is rich in electrolytes and supports recovery, the result is a pre-workout that leaves you feeling great overall.
4 Gauge was a breath of fresh air after I had just finished testing some intense products that caused some significant negative side effects like nausea.
I recovered really quickly between sets and had to go back a few times to double-check my workout log because my perceived effort was so low, and I had so much stamina left over that I thought I must have accidentally lowered my weights.
In a perfect world, I would use 4 Gauge for my cardio or low-weight/high-volume days, and save Transparent Labs Bulk for my heavy strength training days, and then sprinkle in Transparent Labs Stim-Free for late-night sessions.
On their website, 4 Gauge promotes itself as the “best tasting pre-workout on the market,” while I admire their boldness, I respectfully disagree.
Beetroot powder is incredibly effective for supporting blood flow and muscle recovery, but it has a very difficult taste to mask. When I tested 4Gauge, I distinctly remember the overpowering taste of beets.
Now, I like beets and appreciate the all-natural approach to 4 Gauge, but some users may find the beet taste too strong.
When I first tested 4 Gauge, it was only available in one flavor (fruit punch). They have since added two new flavors, Lemonade and Pina Colada, so they may have adjusted the flavor profile overall.
Lastly, 4Gauge is reasonably priced at $1.50 per serving. They offer a Buy 3, Get 1 Free option, which drops the cost to $1.13 per serving.
Read about my full experience with 4 Gauge Pre-Workout Here.
Swolverine Pre-Workout: Best For Beginners With Fat Loss Goals
Overview
- Caffeine: None
- Clinical doses for 4/6 ingredients
- No artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners
Why It’s Good for Beginners
- The caffeine-free formula and all-natural ingredients make it unlikely that you will experience negative side effects.
- Contains clinical doses of ingredients to support strength, endurance, and recovery.
- Has natural, food-based ingredients like pomegranate powder and coconut water for hydration and electrolytes.
Swolverine Pre-Workout is a stimulant-free formula that contains clinical doses of beta-alanine, betaine, taurine, and ginseng. These ingredients support endurance, strength, power, and mental focus.
Swolverine also contains reasonably high doses of citrulline and l-carnitine, which support blood flow and energy production.
Overall, Swolverine is a great, well-rounded pre-workout that will enhance nearly all aspects of your pre-workout without causing any jitteriness or anxiety.
With no caffeine, Swolverine will not negatively impact your sleep, even if you take it late at night.
When I tested Swolverine, I found it was really good for my workouts lasting between 60 and 90 minutes. The pre-workout took around 30 minutes to “kick in,” so I would drink it on the way to the gym so that by the time I was changed and warmed up, I was ready to go.
I also felt like I sweated A LOT more than usual with this pre-workout (carnitine is an ingredient known to cause this). Since carnitine is also effective at helping to break down fat for energy, this pre-workout is also a good option for anyone whose goal is to lose some body fat.
Swolverine is currently available in two flavors: Mango Lemonade and Strawberry Dragonfruit. When I tested Swolverine, it was only available in the Lemonade flavor, which I found quite sour. Now that they have Strawberry Dragonfruit, which sounds like a much sweeter flavor, I am keen to try it!
Swolverine is slightly more expensive than the other products on this list, at $2.20 per serving. However, I still find It worthy of this list since other stimulant-free pre-workouts with all-natural ingredients cost the same or more and have smaller ingredient lists.
If you like Swolverine, you can take advantage of their Subscribe & Save feature, which saves you 15% and drops the cost per serving to $1.87.
Ultimately, if I were picking between two stim-free pre-workouts, I’d choose Transparent Labs over Swolverine. Still, since Swolverine is an awesome pre-workout and it’s not discussed much, I wanted to give it some attention.
To learn more about my time testing Swolverine Pre-Workout, click here.
Our Testing Methodology Explained
When evaluating pre-workout products, I go deeper than just reading the label. I test pre-workouts for weeks at a time, using them for a variety of workouts and at different times per day. I also evaluate different aspects of the purchasing experience like ease of ordering, shipping/return policies, and the brand itself in aspects like transparency and customer service.
Why Trust Our Recommendation?
I have managed a supplement store for more than a decade, and have been a pre-workout user and personal trainer for nearly twice as long. This combination of experience gives me both first-hand and insider industry knowledge for what makes a great product.
We have a diverse team at FeastGood.com, which includes Registered Dietitians and coaches with PhDs in Human Nutrition. We have personally tried and tested all of the products mentioned in this article.
I do not receive any compensation from these companies in exchange for these reviews and nobody has “paid” for their spot in this article.
About The Author
Jennifer Vibert is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Nutrition Coach, and supplement store manager. She has a Bachelor of Kinesiology with a major in Fitness and Lifestyle and a minor in Psychology from the University of Regina. She is a Certified Nutrition Coach through Precision Nutrition, with a passion for helping clients learn the fundamentals of nutrition and supplementation in order to build healthy, sustainable habits.
Why Trust Our Content
On Staff at FeastGood.com, we have Registered Dietitians, coaches with PhDs in Human Nutrition, and internationally ranked athletes who contribute to our editorial process. This includes research, writing, editing, fact-checking, and product testing/reviews. At a bare minimum, all authors must be certified nutrition coaches by either the National Academy of Sports Medicine, International Sport Sciences Association, or Precision Nutrition. Learn more about our team here.
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If you have any questions or feedback about what you’ve read, you can reach out to us at info@feastgood.com. We respond to every email within 1 business day.