Best Pre-Workout Supplements For Muscle Building (Updated 2021)

Give yourself the best chance to improve performance and strength training with these great pre-workout supplements to see great muscle growth.

When it comes to building muscle and getting a great pump, pre-workout supplements are exactly what you need. As great training aids to improve performance and strength training, pre-workouts have the ability to provide enhanced focus, increased heart rate, weight loss, and insane muscle pumps to assist with those big lifts and really force our muscles to grow. While our busy schedules do tend to drain us, it is important we find that all important energy from somewhere and pre-workout supplements have just what you need to really make that happen for that desired improved performance, weight loss, and muscle building goals. Great for shedding fat, increasing muscle, and hitting you with amazing energy boosts, a pre-workout can enhance recovery and allow to bounce back faster for your next big lift.

We’ve put together a list of the Best Pre-Workout Supplements for 2021 so you can start to see the desired growth you want. You won’t be disappointed with the results from a good quality, highly effective pre-workout on your endurance, strength training, weight loss, and exercise performance for optimal training.

Best Pre-Workout Supplements For 2021

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Best Pre-Workout Overall

Finding a great pre-workout may seem daunting but their are those out there that can cover all your bases. From energy, to muscle pumps, reduced fatigue, and more, Performance Lab has the top pre-workout for you.

Performance Lab Sport Pre

Stim Or No Stim	No Stim
Calories	0
Carbs	0g
Sugar	0g
Number Of Servings	20
Flavors	N/A
Best Way To Take	Take up to 6 capsules 30-45 minutes before your workout. Take on an empty stomach with 16-32 oz. of water

Performance Lab Sport Pre is another high quality pre-workout supplement available to the public at a great price point. Performance Lab Sport is one of the most rigorously scientifically vetted brands and all of their pre-workout products are free of synthetic additives (which might dehydrate the muscles), non-GMO, and vegan friendly. Sport “Pre” increases nitric oxide in the blood to support the oxygenation of muscles during workouts, improves endurance by hydrating the muscles, and enhances both anaerobic and aerobic exercise by increasing ATP reductase for the best benefits out of strength training, weight loss, and performance.

Pros

• Vegan friendly
• Capsules are easy to take
• Will help with strength and endurance
• Caffeine free for those looking for no caffeine

Cons

• Premium priced option
• Only available through their site

Price: $39.00

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Best For Strength

Of course, we want our pre-workout to work for our benefit in terms of strength. Transparent Labs has this amazing option to do just that.

Transparent Labs PreSeries BULK

Stim Or No Stim	Stim
Calories	0
Carbs	0g
Sugar	0g
Number Of Servings	30
Flavors	Orange, Green Apple, Sour Grape, Blue Raspberry, Tropical Punch
Best Way To Take	Mix 1 scoop with 16-24 fl. oz. of water 20-30 minutes before your workout.

Backed by science with clinically effective dosages, this pre-workout is most effective for those looking to increase in size and muscle mass. BULK contains 6,000 mg of citrulline malate, 4,000 mg of beta-alanine, 4,000 mg of BCAAs, and 2,500 mg of betaine to boost your workouts, blood flow, weight loss, and muscle growth, all in attempts to improve performance. BULK will reduce fatigue and increase your energy to give you a more impactful and longer lasting workout. Transparent Labs prides themselves on a 100% label and there are artificial additives, colorings, or preservatives to ruin this clean product.

Pros

• High amount of citrulline malate for awesome pumps
• Very clean ingredients for an honest product
• From a reputable company in Transparent Labs

Cons

• High in beta alanine
• Premium priced option
• Only available directly from their site

Price: $49.00

Check out our individual review for Transparent Labs PreSeries BULK here! Also, use the promo code GENIRON10 for 10% off!

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Best Natural Ingredients For Energy

You deserve to have the best ingredients when it comes to your supplements and National Bodybuilding Co. seeks only the best for it’s pre-workout and other supplements.

National Bodybuilding Co. Stage Ready

Stim Or No Stim	Stim
Calories	0
Carbs	0g
Sugar	0g
Number Of Servings	30
Flavors	Fruit Punch
Best Way To Take	Take 1 scoop and mix with 8-12 fl. oz. of water.

National Bodybuilding Co. has a great pre-workout supplement called Stage Ready Pre-Workout which delivers quality muscle pumps, enhanced stamina, weight loss, and a solid boost of energy to really elevate your performance. With an advanced and effective blend, this pre-workout can hydrate and buffer muscle tissue, raise nitric oxide levels and blood flow, optimize ATP production, and boost neurotransmitter synthesis. With great ingredients and a clean formula, it is no wonder why National Bodybuilding Co. Stage Ready Pre-Workout won for Best Pre-Workout in GI Supplement Awards.

Pros

• An effective blend with solid benefits for muscle pumps, energy, and stamina
• Patented ingredients and great taste
• From a reputable company

Cons

• Premium priced option
• Only available directly from their site
• Could use more beta alanine as a key ingredient

Price: $48.00

Check out our individual review for National Bodybuilding Co. Stage Ready here!

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Best Stim Ingredients & Intensity

Having a pre-workout that can boost energy and intensity is huge and with the right stim ingredients, this can happen instantly. Enhanced has a great product to power you through any workout so you see the gains you want most.

Enhanced Ramy’s Rage Stim Reloaded

Stim Or No Stim	Stim
Calories	0
Carbs	0g
Sugar	0g
Number Of Servings	30
Flavors	Grape
Best Way To Take	Take 1 scoop 30 minutes before your workout with 8 oz. of water.

Ramy’s Rage Stim is different. It has a fully disclosed supplement facts panel, so you know exactly what you’re getting in each serving. Ramy’s Rage Stim contains full dosages of ingredients scientifically proven to boost energy levels, improve physical performance and enhance focus. Best of all, Ramy’s Rage Stim doesn’t contain mega dosages of caffeine so there is no crash. With a smart 8-stim matrix, all of your energy and focus enhancing needs are met with a great pre-workout. With 17 clinically dosed ingredients grouped into 4 synergistic matrixes, this pre-workout is perfect for boosting intensity.

Pros

• No crash
• 17 clinically dosed ingredients
• Fully disclosed supplement facts panel
• Novel stimulants like Dynamine, Theacrine, and Cocoabuterol

Cons

• Only one flavor option

Price: $25.99

Use code GENIRON for 15% off your order!

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Best Stim-Free Without Caffeine

With many pre-workouts loaded with stimulants, finding a great stim-free option can be hard. But Transparent Labs has made a stim-free product to still offer great benefits to your workouts.

Transparent Labs PreSeries Stim Free

Stim Or No Stim	No Stim
Calories	0
Carbs	0g
Sugar	0g
Number Of Servings	30
Flavors	Strawberry Lemonade, Tropical Punch, Orange, Sour Grape, Blue Raspberry, Green Apple
Best Way To Take	Mix 1 scoop with 12-16 fl. oz. of water 20-30 minutes before your workout.

Transparent Labs Stim-Free is an amazing option for those looking for stimulant free supplements for strength training, weight loss, and to improve performance. Containing key ingredients like citrulline malate and betaine, all of these ingredients are clinically dosed and effective for providing great gains. With a 100% transparent formula, this product is great for those who are intolerant to caffeine or other stimulants, or for those looking to cycle off of them. With 13 active ingredients all designed for enhanced focus and increasing lean muscle, you cannot go wrong with this great stim-free, non-caffeine option that will still enhance energy like other products.

Pros

• Great advantages while being stim-free
• Perfect for those insensitive or looking to get off caffeine
• Clean ingredients and advanced formula
• Provides for energy and focus while decreasing muscle fatigue

Cons

• Premium priced option
• Only available directly through their site
• Does not have caffeine or other stimulants for those looking

Price: $49.00

Use the promo code GENIRON10 for 10% off!

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Best For Pumps

With quality muscle pumps being a staple benefit for pre-workout, Kaged Muscle took that and made sure their supplement gave you the best pumps around.

Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged

Stim Or No Stim	Stim
Calories	15
Carbs	2g
Sugar	1g
Number Of Servings	20
Flavors	Berry Blast, Fruit Punch, Grape, Krisp Apple, Orange Kush, Pink Lemonade
Best Way To Take	Take one scoop with water before your workout.

Increase the performance and intensity of your workout with this high quality pre-workout powder available from Kaged Muscle. Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged is unmatched in terms of ingredient quality and synthesis of the blend of proteins. Kaged Muscle lab tests every batch to make sure each is fully loaded as advertised — 274 mg pure caffeine, 2 g taurine, 6.5 g fermented BCAAs, 6.5 g pure l-citrulline, and 2 g of their patented betapower blend. It’s an unbeatable combination that is guaranteed to supercharge any workout with great pre-workout ingredients from supplements to increase muscle and promote weight loss.

Pros

• Contains BCAAs and has well-dosed ingredients
• No artificial colors or flavors
• Great taste

Cons

• A bit expensive
• Does contains sucralose, which is an artificial sweetener
• Caffeine content may be high for those sensitive

Price: $39.99

Use code GENIRON10 to save 10%! Check out our individual review for Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged here!

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Best For Cutting

For those looking to lose weight and tone, a good pre-workout can help you get there. Transparent Labs made a solid formula to assist with all your cutting needs.

Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN

Stim Or No Stim	Stim
Calories	0
Carbs	0g
Sugar	0g
Number Of Servings	30
Flavors	Sour Grape, Orange, Blue Raspberry, Tropical Punch, Strawberry Lemonade
Best Way To Take	Mix 1 scoop with 12-16 fl. oz. of water 20-30 minutes before your workout.

The perfect supplement for cutting, LEAN is great for those looking to target stubborn fat while keeping on that lean muscle. LEAN contains 6,000 mg of citrulline malate, 2,500 mg of betaine, 2,000 mg of BCAA, 1,500 mg of beta-alanine, and 600 mg of L-tyrosine to improve strength and muscle endurance, increase blood flow and nitric oxide levels, reduce fatigue, and improve memory. LEAN is great for those looking to slim down and encourage weight loss without losing that hard work done in the gym through your exercise performance from a great pre-workout powder with ingredients like citrulline malate and betaine.

Pros

• Well-dosed and third party tested
• All-natural ingredients
• Good for cutting and increasing strength and power

Cons

• Premium priced option
• Only available directly from their site
• Does not have the greatest ingredients for fat loss

Price: $49.00

Use the promo code GENIRON10 for 10% off! Plus, check out our individual review for Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN here!

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Best For Women

Pre-workouts for women are great for helping you tackle any of your workouts needs. With certain ingredients and different doses, this is geared for all the needs of those female athletes.

Cira Nutrition Pre-Game

Stim Or No Stim	Stim
Calories	0
Carbs	0g
Sugar	0g
Number Of Servings	30
Flavors	Peach Bellini, Pink Candy
Best Way To Take	Mix 1 scoop with 6-8 fl. oz. of water 30-40 minutes before your workout.

Cira Nutrition Pre-Game is that pre-workout you need to give you more energy to perform harder, better, and faster. With great ingredients to increase energy, endurance, focus, weight loss, and muscle strength, this pre-workout has you covered with whatever your needs may be. Packed with all the essential ingredients to stand out as a top pre-workout for women, this supplement is what you want most for your pre-workout routine. With great flavors at an affordable price, you can’t go wrong with Pre-Game.

Pros

• Packed with essential pre-workout ingredients
• Fully disclosed label
• Great flavors and price

Cons

• Does contain caffeine for those sensitive
• Only available directly from their website

Price: $39.99

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Best For Weight Loss

Losing weight is hard, but supplements like pre-workout can help immensely. With the right ingredients and a solid training plan, your desire to lose weight is just around the corner.

Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN

Stim Or No Stim	Stim
Calories	0
Carbs	0g
Sugar	0g
Number Of Servings	30
Flavors	Sour Grape, Orange, Blue Raspberry, Tropical Punch, Strawberry Lemonade
Best Way To Take	Mix 1 scoop with 12-16 fl. oz. of water 20-30 minutes before your workout.

The perfect supplement for cutting, LEAN is great for those looking to target stubborn fat while keeping on that lean muscle. LEAN contains 6,000 mg of citrulline malate, 2,500 mg of betaine, 2,000 mg of BCAA, 1,500 mg of beta-alanine, and 600 mg of L-tyrosine to improve strength and muscle endurance, increase blood flow and nitric oxide levels, reduce fatigue, and improve memory. LEAN is great for those looking to slim down and encourage weight loss without losing that hard work done in the gym through your exercise performance from a great pre-workout powder with ingredients like citrulline malate and betaine.

Pros

• Well-dosed and third party tested
• All-natural ingredients
• Good for cutting and increasing strength and power

Cons

• Premium priced option
• Only available directly from their site
• Does not have the greatest ingredients for fat loss

Price: $49.00

Use the promo code GENIRON10 for 10% off! Plus, check out our individual review for Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN here!

Benefits Of Pre-Workout

The benefits of pre-workout should not be ignored for what they can do for your strength training and performance is incredible. Great tasting and safe to use, a good pre-workout supplement can:

• Increase focus and energy: Provide for more intense workouts while being locked into every exercise so nothing interferes with a good workout (1).
• Reduce fatigue: Allow for longer training sessions and calorie burn giving your body the fuel it needs from endurance and strength exercises while reducing muscle soreness and unwanted pain for improved performance.
• Muscle pumps: Watch your strength and muscle gains flourish  and allow blood to flow through your muscles.(2).
• Enhanced recovery: Bounce back faster and promote more efficient growth while recovering more effectively for faster turn arounds.

Key Ingredients In Pre-Workout

Here are some key ingredients to look out for when choosing a pre-workout supplement:

• Caffeine: Works to elevate energy so you can tackle any grueling workout while boosting focus and reaction time to improve performance. There are stim-free pre-workouts that work just as well (3).
• Creatine: This will provide your muscles with fuel to boost athletic performance and strength training (4).
• BCAAs: Great for promoting muscle protein synthesis, they can help with recovery and intra-workout needs (5).
• Beta-Alanine: Works as a buffer for pH levels to push past fatigue that may strike.
• L-Citrulline: Can boost nitric oxide while maintaining good blood flow for increased muscle pumps.

How We Decide

Choosing the right pre-workout can be difficult and with so many on the market, the choices do seem endless. With this list, we sought to bring the best to you by combing through all the nonsense pre-workouts to bring you the best around. We look at ingredients closely because many companies will put in ingredients you just don’t need. Quality of the brand and where they get ingredients from is also important because you deserve to have an honest company backing you up. Of course, price matters and since supplements can add up and be a real hit on the wallet, we sought to bring you top tier products at a reasonable and affordable price.

FAQ Section

What is the best pre-workout?

National Bodybuilding Co. Stage Ready. This pre-workout is a really high quality product designed to deliver pumps, enhanced stamina, promote weight loss, increase strength training, and provide solid energy for elevated performance. An advanced and effective formula is highly safe to use and is produced with clean ingredients from a reputable and top tier company in National Bodybuilding Co.

What does pre-workout do?

Pre-workout is designed to give you the edge for your strength training and performance. It will enhance energy and focus for more efficient workouts, increase your heart rate and get your blood pumping for better blood flow and weight loss, and increase muscle so you turn that unwanted fat into a shredded physique to have confidence in the effects.

Are there stimulant-free pre-workouts?

Yes! Since many people are sensitive to caffeine or just don’t want it in their daily routine for strength training, companies have created stim-free options to give you the same results without the caffeine.

Check out some amazing stim-free pre-workout supplements here!

Is pre-workout safe?

Pre-workouts are not monitored by the FDA but are safe for public use. Many contain caffeine, so for those sensitive it is something to be cautious of. Some potential side effects are dizziness, nausea, dehydration, and high blood pressure, but many of these come from the overload in caffeine for some. Also, many companies will have their products be third party tested to ensure quality pre-workout products for exercise performance.

When is the best time to take pre-workout?

It is ideal to take pre-workout 30 minutes before your strength training workout. This will ensure all of the ingredients will kick in so they work as effectively as possible for optimal effects and results. It is important to stay hydrated in the time in between your workout and during your workout for pre-workout can dehydrate you.

Wrap Up

Pre-workout supplements are great to use for those looking to build their muscle and really start to see that shredded physique unfold. With the power to increase energy, provide for great focus, promote pumps, and enhance recovery, a good quality and highly effective pre-workout will boost your gains to the next level. Check out our list above and see which one is right for you, for you won’t be disappointed with the results. A solid pre-workout can only add to your gains and those gains are what you want most. Give these products a try and really see what they can do for your gains. You won’t be disappointed with the results when you buckle down and get a good supplement to accompany you on your muscle building journey.

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References

1. Ellerbroek, Anya C.; Antonio, Jose (2019). “Effects of Pre-Workout Supplements on Strength, Endurance, and Mood”. (source)
2. Kedia, A.; Hofheins, J.; Habowski, S.; Ferrando, Arny; et al. (2014). “Effects of a Pre workout Supplement on Lean Mass, Muscular Performance, Subjective Workout Experience and Biomarkers of Safety”. (source)
3. McLellan, Tom M.; Caldwell, John A.; Lieberman, Harris R. (2016). “A review of caffeine’s effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance”. (source)
4. Kreider, Richard B. (2003). “Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations”. (source)
5. Negro, M.; Giardina, S.; Marzani, B.; Marzatico, F. (2008). “Branched-chain amino acid supplementation does not enhance athletic performance but affects muscle recovery and the immune system”. (source)