I have put together a list of the strongest pre workout supplements for 2020.
If you’re a seasoned veteran of the pre-workout supplement industry, you may find yourself wanting something that kicks a little harder. The more often you consume caffeine, the less effective it has. Therefore higher dosages of caffeine and other stimulants are needed. Today we’re discussing the most intense pre-workouts on the market and their benefits.
We’ll be outlining the strongest pre-workouts for the most hardcore gym rats. We’re going to look at caffeine first and foremost, discuss other vital ingredients, and list the strongest pre workout for your consideration.
Keep in mind that, in my opinion, caffeine is not a sports nutrition product or bodybuilding product. I have written several articles recommending people that want to build muscle do NOT use caffeine. Caffeine is a strong catabolic compound. It puts one on the cortisol train. Catabolic is the direct opposite of anabolic. To create muscle, one wants to be anabolic, not catabolic. Catabolism helps decrease muscle mass and increase fat gains. Instead, use a pre workout supplement with beetroot powder, like our Tectanic Red, or something with D-Ribose, like our DAM’d pre workout. Or even a hydrolyzed protein powder like Peptopro. Stay away from a caffeine pre workout; it is one step forward, two steps back.
But in the meantime, I’ll review some of the strongest pre workout supplements for 2020 on the market for those who feel the need to use amphetamines before they workout.
What Makes The Strongest Pre Workout Supplement?
Caffeine and Stimulants
This is where most of the punch comes from. Caffeine is a psychological and physical performance booster – and we see these benefits across a variety of stimulants.
Caffeine load should be considered per gram, or per scoop: some products have much larger scoops which makes them weaker by comparison. This is one of the key factors in the strength of a pre-workout if we’re using the same amount of each product.
There are alternative stimulants you might want to also consider. These include compounds like synephrine and theobromine, among others. While they’re not caffeine, they act on some similar pathways and have similar effects on the body and mind.
Amino acids
Even the strongest pre-workout isn’t complete with just caffeine. If it were that easy, you’d just need to go and buy caffeine powder.
Rather, combinations of ingredients can make pre-workouts more effective. Things like Theanine power up the effects of caffeine and reduce the risks of side-effects all at once. You want 100-200mg of theanine to get these effects.
This kind of secondary ingredient is a huge benefit to the power of the pre-workout while taking up very little space.
Citrulline, Arginine, Creatine, and Beta-alanine
A good pre-workout is about improving performance, as well as getting you hype. You don’t want to be rattling off of caffeine only to under-perform your session and go home with the jitters.
Powerful pre-workouts combine caffeine with effective secondary ingredients that boost performance, including things like:
- Creatine (around 2.5g per day)
- Citrulline (3g) or Arginine (5g+)
- Beta-Alanine (2-5g)
- Capsaicin (500mg-5g), Green coffee extract (100-300mg), or EGCG (50mg)
These are some of the best ingredients and they’re best combined with a hefty dose of caffeine. Let’s look at 10 of the strongest pre-workouts on the market…
Product Review List: Strongest Pre-Workouts on the Market For 2020
I am supplement manufacuring expert because I have been producing and formlating supplements for over 20 years. I will give a grade on each of the products below. The grading is based on how “strong” or “powerful” the stimulate effect is, not muscle building effect. It is also based on government compliance of the CFR 111’s for dietary supplements. Which are the regulations supplement comapnies are legally obligated to follow.
Super Bio Freak #1 On My Strongest Pre Workout List
Super Bio Freak packs a huge caffeine content at 400mg, but that’s not why it’s winning our list today. It’s at the top because it’s secondary stimulant content is varied and jam-packed, it is on my strongest pre workout list.
The only place I found to buy it was on Ebay. Price last I saw was $54.99 plus free shipping.
We’re talking agmatine, tyrosine and n-acetyl-tyrosine, norvaline, octopamine, synephrine, higenamine, and a bunch more. The sheer variety of this product is providing is the best and worst thing about it. Worst because it’s a powerful effect, and you’re going to need to be careful when you start using it.
This variety of effective ingredients promises amazing effects, but it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. It’s immensely powerful, and the different pathways it uses can make it more prone to standard stimulant side effects.
If you’re looking for something to blow your face off, this is the one for you. Be careful with it and make sure you’re not taking anything it could interact with, because that’s a rough ride.
Pros: Great secondary ingredients, big caffeine content
Cons: not for the faint of heart!
Supplement Expert Opinion Regarding Compliance: The supplement facts panel looks to be in compliance. I have a hard time believing that they test this product for strength with every lot that gets turned out by their contract packager. Just way to many ingredients, almost falls under my kitchen sink description. I’d love to see it the 3rd party tests. These tests are required by the FDA via the CFR 111’s for dietary supplements. I don’t see the need for the vitamins in this product as most are underdosed and the L-Norvaline has been proven in research studies to have negative effects.
I give this supplement a B minus.
Faze II
Faze II comes in at #2 for on my strongest pre workout supplement list. This product’s predecessor disappeared from the market under ‘mysterious’ circumstances, most likely because a single serving of this product has a higher caffeine serving than the FDA recommends taking in a whole day.
With 500mg of caffeine, this is one of the most powerful stimulant pre-workouts on the market. This is basically the largest caffeine dose on the market – and it comes with other powerful ingredients like yohimbine, which is a volatile compound by itself.
The result is a hardcore pre-workout that is only suitable for the most experienced and committed gym rats. It’s a wild ride for those who are willing to deal with the side-effects for an unparalleled caffeine buzz.
Pros: the highest caffeine content on the list – and on the market!
Cons: very powerful and high risk of side effects.
Supplement Expert Opinion Regarding Compliance: The supplement facts panel is not compliant. It looks like it was designed by someone that TRIED to be compliant but failed miserably. If you look at the word “supplement facts” in the panel that is the wrong font, size, and placement. In addition it contains 3 grams of creatine. One should never take caffeine and creatine together as the caffeine may negate the effects of the creatine. Finally it contains artificial colors which I believe may cause serious health issues. . I give this product a C-.
Phenta Inferno
The name isn’t far wrong; this product is amazingly powerful, with a diverse mixture of ingredients. It’s not shy on the caffeine, either, with 400mg right off the bat. It stacks these with Synephrine and DMAA. Phenta Inferno can be bought on Ebay for about $30.00. Click here to buy
DMAA itself is a hugely powerful novel stimulant that puts it way up on our list of powerful pre-workout supplements. These pack an enormous punch but does mean you need to be more careful for side-effects since DMAA is a totally different compound to caffeine.
This is a good example of the high-risk, high-reward kind of product you’re going to see on this list. Don’t be stupid: talk to your doctor before taking this kind of product if you have any concerns about your health before you start.
It’s that powerful.
Pros: incredibly powerful and a balance of quality ingredients
Cons: can be pretty intense – watch out for sides and talk to your doctor!
Supplement Expert Opinion Regarding Compliance: The product would most likely be misbranded by the FDA because it contains DMAA. Being that is has DMAA it tells me that most likely it is not manufactured in a facility that is inspected by the FDA. If it was the FDA would find this product and then send a 483 warning letter to this company to have them remove it from commerce. What I do not like about this product is that it is deceiving the consumer by its dietary supplement label. This is an attempt to scam the potential consumer. I give this product an F. If they took the words dietary supplement off the label and removed the supplement facts panel I would improve its score to a B.
Jekyll
Jekyll is a beautiful product that walks the line between hardcore and crazy! It offers a wide variety of secondary ingredients, but still packs a huge 100mg of caffeine, blending anhydrous and dimalate. This means less risk of digestive side-effects, but a huge pick-up for a crazy workout.
The secondary ingredients – like theanine, GABA, and Yohimbe – are powerful and interesting in their own right. They support better recovery after an intense lifting session and help you wind down after the amazing high you get from this huge caffeine dose.
Pros: popular for its amazing choice of ingredients, and a powerful but smart caffeine profile, and great synergy with theanine and malate!
Cons: yohimbe is a sketchy ingredient with some concerns around anxiety and depression risks.
Arez
This is a cool product – and we’re not just talking about the pseudo-Japanese, clean design. It’s a powerful caffeine-rich product at 350mg, but it shines with the secondary stimulants and performance-boosting ingredients.
These include yohimbe, Rauwolscine, and Phenylethylamine for more alkaloid action. The overall result is a product with one hell of a kick, but additional benefits in performance and mental performance during your workouts.
The caffeine dose is lower here than in some products but has a decent overall profile for boosting performance at a physical and mental level, all at the same time.
Pros: cool design, interesting choice of ingredients, and a variety of pathways for focus and energy.
Cons: lower caffeine content than those above.
Supplement Expert Opinion Regarding Compliance: The supplement panel looks good, nothing stands out. It does contain artificial colors, so I give this product a C. Average on my strongest pre workout list.
Hellnox
We’re coming back to aggressive labz, who put out Faze. Hellnox is a pretty different product and focuses on different areas of the pre-workout formula, with “only” 350mg compared to Faze’s 500.
However, this extra space in the product is taken up with crucial performance-boosters and secondary ingredients. These include agmatine, norvaline, and a hefty dose of theobromine. These offer a well-rounded stimulant profile instead of just hammering the caffeine.
It also has some questionable secondary compounds like Tribulus and vinpocetine, which aren’t clearly useful. They’re popular, but that doesn’t mean they’re good, and the supplement industry can get the line between the two blurred.
Hellnox is a decent overall product but doesn’t stand toe-to-toe with things like Mr Hyde or Faze.
Pros: good product with a variety of interesting choices and a hefty stimulant load.
Cons: some of the ingredients just aren’t that good – and out-performed by others on the market.
Supplement Expert Opinion Regarding Compliance: This product fails FDA label compliance in so many ways. Not only that but it contains DMAA which is not a dietary supplement as of May 23rd 2020. By lableing it dietary supplement this company is being deceptive. I give this product an F for that very reason. If they took off the dietary supplement wording, I would give it a B. Very powerful.
Jack3d
A long-time favorite, Jack3d isn’t quite the powerhouse it was during the original formula days. The current take on the product is more mainstream and that popularity meant accommodating a wider audience and toning the product down.
The result is a powerful pre-workout, still: 405mg of caffeine, alongside some decent performance-boosters and secondary stimulants. AAKG is a good form of Arginine but not as good as citrulline, for example, and Aminoisoheptane is a controversial ingredient choice.
The latter is basically an analog for decongestants that are banned in sport for performance-enhancing effects. Whether it’s as powerful or not isn’t as clear, but it’s basically going to act like a discount version of clenbuterol or similar bronchodilators.
This means a better workout, but it definitely means you need to be careful if you’ve got any heart problems!
Pros: more mainstream and a strong contender for best ‘normie’ hardcore pre-workout
Cons: lives in the shadow of the original formula, and proprietary blends suck.
Koala Freak Strongest Pre Workout
It might sound cute and cuddly, but Koala freak is a legit pre-workout in its own right. It comes with a decent 350mg of caffeine, but the rest of the product is stacked with agmatine, norvaline, higmatine, and hordenine for improved mental performance and focus.
On top of this, you’re going to get an amino acid profile that supports these effects without increasing the stimulant load. In many ways, this is a more mainstream entry with this lower caffeine content but widened appeal through secondary ingredients.
The product overall is a good one and subverts the expectations you might get from the name. Overall? A good product with a lower caffeine load and some interesting secondary stimulants and amino acids!
Pros: out-performs your expectations, hard-hitting secondary ingredients
Cons: not as powerful as some of the products on this list.
Kreed
This is another entry from Aggressive labz, who is clearly living up to their name with the number of places they’ve taken on this list! Kreed is only 305mg of caffeine, but there’s a small amount of DHEA in the product for powerful secondary stimulant effects. One can buy on Ebay for about $35.00
This is a well-rounded product, but less hardcore overall. The benefits come from secondary stimulants, but primarily from compounds like beta-alanine, which supports better performance in the mid-range where most bodybuilding workouts happen. It’s clear this product is out for great results, as well as powerful focus and a hype workout.
There are some great mental support amino acids in this product, and the beta-alanine means you’re getting a good workout. The overall profile is thus plenty of stimulant power, but also a more mainstream take on the hardcore pre-workout supplement.
Pros: a great combination of stimulants and performance-boosting compounds like beta-alanine
Cons: lacks the clear design idea seen in Faze or Hellnox – making it a strange choice.
Supplement Expert Opinion Regarding Compliance: I had a hard time finding the latest Kreed Pre Workout supplement. I found one with DMAA and ephedra, and some without. However none were available to purchase. I went to Agressive Labz website (I think, not verified and found none for sale. Therefore I cannot grade this product. Seems like it comes and goes.
Phena 1,3
This is another take from the alpha labs people, the same brand that made Phenta Inferno, which made it much higher on this list. There are a few reasons for that – not least of which is that this is a capsule product, meaning you get far less control over your own dosages. You can take one capsule, because 2 would be a megadose of stimulants. It is the only pill product on my strongest pre workout list.
This product can be purchased on Ebay. Click here to buy
With 305mg caffeine per capsule, you’re not getting tons. However, it makes up for this with an increased load of synephrine and other secondary stimulants. These don’t have the same power so they’re not making up for the weakness compared to other stimulant pre-workouts on our list.
This is the best hardcore pre-workout in capsule form, but it is missing some of the freedom and dose-control we like in the powder pre-workouts.
How am I meant to heap my 3rd scoop?? Ridiculous.
Pros: capsule form, decent doses, and ingredients choices.
Cons: capsule form, no control over your dose, not as effective as many powder forms of pre-workout on this list.
Supplement Expert Opinion Regarding Compliance: This product is not FDA compliant because it contains DMAA. However, it is pretty basic and packs a powerful stimulant effect. I give it a B plus. I like the fact that it comes in capsule form.
Stimulants and stim load
The overall stimulant load is useful for improving performance, but you should still watch your intake. The FDA recommendation is 400-450mg a day, so consider how your PWO fits into the overall daily intake.
Caffeine is great before a workout, but keep tabs on how it affects you personally, and watch out for taking it later in the day. Training benefits from better sleep, so try and time your pre-workout intake around your workouts and your daily routines.
Other stims
Alternative forms of stimulants are available online, including those which blur the line on legality. Concerns arise around hyper-powerful products like ephedrine, which are associated with heart damage, especially since products tend not to be labeled accurately.
These obscure the boundaries between effective supplementation and at-home use of illicit compounds. Ephedrine and similar experimental supplement ingredients should be avoided – especially by those with heart conditions or other medical pre-conditions.
We can’t tell you what to do, and the draw of these products is often tempting, but the cost/effect ratios just don’t make sense for most people. Performance and fat loss are associated with time, and this kind of pre-workout exists, but at a significant price to your health.
Closing thoughts
The strongest pre workout supplements are judged across a few areas. Caffeine is the most obvious of these and it is something we’ve really looked into with this list. Combining caffeine with performance-enhancing ingredients is what makes a good pre-workout supplements.
These are the strongest pre-workouts on the market and the strongest is either SuperFreak or Faze II – depending on what you’re looking for. Faze is the most caffeinated product on this list, while the SuperFreak approach incorporates a better variety of secondary ingredients with a powerful caffeine dose, as well.
If you’re looking for the strongest pre workout supplement that can keep up with you (and your caffeine tolerance), this is a great choice. Hopefully, this list has something for you – and if we’ve missed anything, feel free to drop a comment on your favourite hardcore pre-workout supplement!
If you’re looking for raw power in your pre-workouts, this list provides 10 amazing examples that all have specific uses. Figure out what you want from a pre-workout and we guarantee there’s a product on this list that fits the bill.