The 5 Best Pre Workout Supplements of 2024 [Ranked] 

Pre-workout products have become increasingly popular among fitness enthusiasts, as they provide an extra boost of energy and focus to enhance workouts. With so many options available on the market, it can be difficult to determine which product will work best for your specific needs. In this article, we will review different pre-workout products and assess their effectiveness, ingredients, and overall value. Whether you're a seasoned gym-goer or a beginner looking to improve your performance, our comprehensive guide will help you make an informed decision on which pre-workout to choose.

To simplify your decision-making process, here are 5 of the top pre-workouts currently found in the market.

1. Best Overall:

TAKEOVER 
 SZN Supplements

Best Overall Pre-Workout    

If you're seeking the ultimate pre-workout supplement, SZN Supplements TAKEOVER is the answer. Its exceptional formula, fantastic taste, and unbeatable price have quickly made this a top choice. TAKEOVER features three distinct blends for Hydration (Potassium/Pink Himalayan Salt), Strength & Pump (8000mg Citrulline, 3500mg Beta-Alanine, 2000mg Betaine), and Energy & Focus. With high caffeine content (350MG) and nootropic ingredients (300mg Alpha GPC, 1000MG Taurine, 200mg Theanine), TAKEOVER provides unparalleled focus, pump, and motivation without crashes or jitters. Two scoop options allow for perfect dosage customization. Rated as the Best Overall Pre-Workout, we loved the Fruit Punch and Cherry Lemonade flavors, which mixed perfectly with no sourness. In our blind taste-test, this pre-workout was rated the best flavoring. The top-tier formula, functionality, and taste, plus a 50% discount on a second tub, make TAKEOVER both high-quality and affordable. The price for a single tub at $39.99 was a better price than the other products with less potent formulas and less desirable effects. In short, SZN Supplements TAKEOVER is a game-changer, offering superior performance enhancement at a great value.

Pros:

•​ STRONGEST FORMULA
•​ BEST PRICE
​• BEST TASTE AND SOLUBILITY ​
• INGREDIENTS FOR HYDRATION 
​• HIGHEST NOOTROPIC INGREDIENTS FOR FOCUS ​
• TRANSPARENT LABELING
•​ NO ARTIFICIAL COLORING
•​ GET A 2ND TUB FOR 50% OFF
• Gluten-free and Non-GMO
• Free Shipping Available
• 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Cons:

• Only Available Online
• Sells Out Often

2. Runner up: AlphaLion Super Human Pre - alphalion

Runner upAlphaLion Super Human Pre

Grade: B
AlphaLion Super Human Pre

• Effect: 9/10
• Ingredients: 9/10
• Price: 6/10
• Overall: 8/10

The AlphaLion flagship pre-workout: High caffeine content at 325mg split into different versions for enhanced functionality. Not recommended for evening use. Super Human Pre offers multiple flavors, beta-alanine, and citrulline, but label confusion may lead to under-dosing and fewer servings than expected.

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Installments: Available

Shipping: Free

This pre-workout is split into different versions of caffeine anhydrous and delayed release caffeine. This is definitely not a pre-workout I would recommend taking in the evening... The Super Human Pre offers multiple flavors and also contains beta-alanine and citrulline which I also feel is necessary in any good pre-workout. The label information is both transparent and confusing, offering both options for a 1/2 scoop and 1 scoop value in ingredients. The 1/2 scoop option gives the illusion that there aren't only 21 servings in this tub and if you extrapolate to only 1/2 scoop servings, this product is grossly under-dosed in the important ingredients you want from a rather expensive pre-workout.

Pros:

• Acceptable Beta-Alanine
• Decent caffeine levels even though some of these are delayed
• Many flavors to choose from

Cons:

• Citrulline content should be higher
• I wouldn't take this in the evening due to extended release caffeine (personally)
• No creatine content
• Very expensive per serving - $2.38 per serving
• ONLY 21 servings... This wouldn't last me a full month of workouts

3.High Stimulant Pre-Workout:  Bucked Up Woke AF - buckedup

Bucked Up Pre-Workout

Grade: C+
Bucked Up WokeAF

• Effect: 8/10
• Ingredients: 7/10
• Price: 7/10
• Overall 7.5/10

Woke AF by Bucked Up: Intense pre-workout for high stimulant tolerance, providing an extreme pump with 333mg caffeine and questionable compounds. Recommended for occasional use, not as a daily choice.

Guarantee: 45 Days

Shipping: Free

Woke AF provides a decent pump and the Citrulline and Beta-Alanine levels are both acceptable but below our top choice. This pre-workout contains 6g of Citrulline, but only comes in with 3.2g Beta-Alanine. Now for the stimulants... Woke AF contains 333mg of caffeine. In addition to Caffeine, they also added Synephrine and Dendrobium. Synephrine and Deer Antler Extract are both BANNED in nearly all athletics, so any athletes should steer clear. This product did taste good and was effective in my workouts, but I would take this out for special occasions instead of making it my "daily driver."

Pros:

• High stimulant content
• Good Taste
• Citrulline and Beta-Alanine

Cons:

• High Stimulant content!! (If you're NOT into that)
• Could cause jitters and nausea
• BANNED substances
• Underdosed substances
• High Cost! ~$1.83 per serving

4.Bucked Up - Pre-Workout:  Bucked Up Original 

Bucked Up - Pre-Workout

Grade: C
Bucked Up Original

• Effect: 7/10
• Ingredients: 7/10
• Price: 6/10
• Overall: 6.5/10

Bucked Up®: Developed to elevate workouts and be a top pre-workout. No proprietary blends, only effective doses. Suitable for serious athletes, bodybuilders, and those seeking pump, focus, energy, and growth. Contains approximately 200mg caffeine per serving.

Guarantee: 45 Days

Shipping: Free

Unlike the WokeAF version from Bucked up, the flagship pre-workout offers a more reasonable stimulant quantity minus the additional stimulants Synephrine and Dendrobium. I would like to point out that another big difference between the two is the Beta-Alanine content. The original Bucked Up only offers 2g of Beta-Alanine per scoop which is largely underdosed in comparison to the top 3 pre-workouts listed and is a major reason for dropping this to the #4 spot. Outside of this, the 200mg of caffeine are a nice energy content and the 6g of Citrulline will provide the boost needed to push through for those extra reps. This product still contains the Deer Antler Velvet which gave Bucked Up its name as is still banned in multiple sports categories making this a pass for those in organized athletics.

Pros:

• 6g Citrulline
• 200mg Caffeine
• Tastes good
• Provides a nice pump

Cons:

•Underdosed Beta-Alanine
• No creatine content
• Banned Substances
• High Price Point - $1.66 per serving.

5.Original Pre Workout Powder:  C4 Original

Original Pre Workout Powder

Grade: D+
C4 Original Powder

• Effect: 3/10
• Ingredients: 3/10
• Price: 9/10
• Overall: 5/10

C4 Original is built to take your energy, muscular endurance, and pumps to the next level.  

Guarantee: 60 Days

Shipping: Free

Cellucor's C4 original pre-workout is their flagship pre-workout and easily places last in our list. Despite the respectable legacy that C4 has provided over the years, when it comes to a functional pre-workout, for me, this falls extremely short. C4 contains the lowest caffeine content, no citrulline at all, vastly underdosed beta-alanine and proprietary blends that don't provide accurate information and transparency for the doses you're taking of certain ingredients. C4 DOES contain a creatine nitrate, but unfortunately, this is under dosed and ultimately isn't providing any useful quantities of the ingredient to hit the desired results. This is an affordable pre-workout though, which is a plus and also extremely warranted for the ingredients.

Pros:

• Multiple flavors to choose from
• 150mg of Caffeine - will provide some energy during your workout
• No Banned Substances

Cons:

• Severely underdosed Beta-Alanine and Creatine Nitrate
• 1.2G citrulline content
• Proprietary Blends
• I didn't notice any real pump effects

So there you have it, for me, the winner was TAKEOVER by SZN Supplements. Perfect doses of the ingredients that helped me get through my workout, great taste and mixability, no jitters or negative side effects, great price point plus options to subscribe and save on their website.