mr.cooper69
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I have a similar thread going on BB.com, and I thought you guys could stand to benefit from this as well.
In this review of every pre-workout I've ever tried, I will specificy whether I used a full tub or whether it was a sample. The numerical ratings will be based on effects/profile only.
Anadraulic State GT - Very underrated in my opinion. Yes, it has a big prop blend. But when it comes to clean, stimmed energy, this was the best in my books. I didn't notice any of the advertised hormone modulating benefits, but I just loved the energy it provided. 1 scoop was all it took to get me going, and yes, it even gave me some focus. There were a few occasions where I'd use it as a morning pick-me-up instead of coffee, it made me feel that good.
Tub - 8.5/10
Presurge Unleashed - When I had my first scoop of this, I knew I had found the one. I was getting ready to do some very heavy deadlifts, and never before did I feel so eager to just get on my knees and RIP. PSU gave me everything I wanted: great energy, noticeable pumps, and a very, very intense focus. Adequate dosing of creatine made it an instant staple in my routine.
Tub - 9.5/10
1MR - I have tried multiple samples of this. The energy was outstanding, but the crashes were horrible. Strangely, nothing in the supplement besides caffeine can really potentiate a pump, but the pumps I got on this were second only to nitrated products. Really weird, but I liked it.
Sample - 8/10
White Flood - I thoroughly enjoyed the energy on this stuff. The profile is lacking due to the prop blend, but nonetheless, I had a fair bit of focus on it. Also, no crash which was nice. One of the better stimmed preworkouts without 1,3.
Tub - 8.5/10
Infinite Labs Juggernaut - Didn't get much out of this to be honest. Not even energy really. The guys over at Infinite Labs are great people, so I feel bad saying this (yes, it was a free sample ), but I always give honest reviews, and I have to say this is one of the worst pre's I've ever tried. Didn't do anything negative, but I literally noticed nothing.
Sample - 2/10
Quake 10 - I can't really comment on this, because the sample I tried was clumpy and black. Something was wrong, and it basically made me puke.
Sample - N/A
BBS Carnivore - To date one of my favorite products so far. Really gave me superior strength on the day I took it, and I also just felt great in the gym. Would recommend to anyone, its a shame it doesnt get much hype on these forums.
Sample - 9/10
Neogenix Cryoshock - This provided me with outstanding energy, but like so many other supplements mentioned above, there was no focus or pump. No real performance enhancing benefits. I.e. another cup of coffee.
Sample - 6.5/10
Neogenix Bodyforge - Now this I liked a little bit more. I could feel a noticeable increase in endurance on the days I took this; just an overall better attitude in the gym, and I was in no rush to get out of there. Made lifting days enjoyable.
Sample- 8.5/10
Superpump250 - This was a lot like juggernaut; it did nothing positive or negative for me. Literally felt no effects in all departments. I know a lot of people swear by this, but it just didn't work too well for me.
Sample - 2/10
Universal Shock therapy - So I'm not thrilled about the profile of this, but the workout I had on it was nothing short of amazing. The pumps were there, the energy was there, the endurance was there. Didn't feel much focus, but the product delivered and is another very underrated preworkout on these forums.
Sample - 9/10
SNS Agmatine - Whether you consider it a preworkout or not, the pumps on this were great, and the endurance was even better. Inter-set recovery time was decreased for all 3 workouts I used this, which definitely helped speed up my workouts while reaping the same strength benefits.
Sample - 9/10
Thermolife Pump-Bol - From the first few days of using this product, my endurance was through the roof. High rep sets became way easier. Squatting became way easier. Pumps wer incredible. And the profile is well-formulated and non-prop. To date the second best preworkout I have ever tried.
Tub - 10/10
MAN Clout - Another stud in the preworkout category. Two major things I noticed: my mood was instantly elevated after taking clout, and my strength started to skyrocket after a few weeks of using clout. This stuff is the real deal folks.
Tub - 9.5/10
MAN Body Octane - I did not get as much out of this as I would have hoped. Much like pump-bol this made high rep sets easier, but not to the same degree. Other than increased endurance, I did not notice any stim-free energy or focus. Good formula, but wasn't incredible.
Tub - 8/10
Omega Sports Ultima - After coming off a heavy stent with stims, this was my go-to supp. For the first week, I felt nothing. It just couldn't compete with 400mg caffeine. But then the effects slowly crept in. Now that I have been stim-free for 4 months, the effects are outstanding. My focus after taking it is simply unreal. I do get very real stim-free energy. I don't get pumps from this, but instead I get something much greater: consistent improvements in performance. I can't explain how, but this amazing blend has given me consistent improvements in strength, endurance, and overall health ever since I started using it. To date, the best preworkout I have ever tried.
Tub - 10/10
BSN No-Xplode- This product always provided me with good, clean energy. It often put me in a good mood and got me ready to lift. I didn't notice any pumps while on the product, and my focus wasn't noticeably better either, but as far as clean energy, this is up at the top. The profile leaves more to be desired and is definitely behind the times with that big of a prop. blend.
Tub- 7/10
ABB Speed Stack RTD - This provided a serious rush of energy. At high levels of caffeine, this stuff gave me headaches at high doses. I also experienced shortness of breath and a rapidly beating heart. Nonetheless, I feel it gave me some serious energy for heavy sets, so its effects should not be underrated.
Sample - 7/10
ABB Speed Stack Pumped N.O. RTD - This had less energy than the original speed stack, but I must say, the pump was very real. I was noticeably fuller for about an hour after the workout as well. The energy level was just right; not enough to cause any nasty sides. Still no focus though.
Sample - 7.5/10
CytoSport Fast Twitch RTD - Simply put, another good energy supplement. Obviously profile is lacking. Not much to be said here; provided about the same benefits as a cup of coffee.
Sample - 6/10
BSN Endorush RTD - Had it on 2 occasions. Both occasions, there was some VICIOUS energy. Probably one of the best if not the best energy supplement I've ever used. Yes, better than supplements with 1,3 like 1mr. Again, no pumps and no focus; just insane energy.
Sample - 7.5/10
Betancourt Bullnox - When Shadar first told me he liked this preworkout, I was surprised to be honest. CEE? Big prop blend? But much like Universal Shocl Therapy, this product delivered despite the big prop blend. But it was very different too. The pumps weren't really there. But let me tell you what was there. Some sort of weird strength I didn't know I had. I just felt great in the gym. I couldnt wait until my next set, and I had positive thoughts flowing through me the whole workout. It was particularly effective for my high rep sets, and it kept my willpower strong. Great supplement.
Sample - 9/10
SP MAX - Alright, I've heard a lot of great stuff about this so I was eager to try it. It may have been that my expectations were too high, but I wasn't blown away. it seems that whatever energy complex gaspari is using for the superpumps does not work on me. no negatives but no positives. However, my strength was definitely up in the workout and the pumps were very, very good. In this respect, it is a well-rounded preworkout that would go well with some nootropics or a caffeine tab.
Sample - 7.5/10
Lit-Up
Taste - This wasn't the best tasting preworkout I've ever had, I'll be honest. In fact, it really wasnt very good at all. Not something I enjoyed sipping on, but it also wasnt anything I had trouble downing (ASGT I'm looking at you ). I honestly don't care much about taste though, I just include this because I've seen posters say they've actually thrown products away because they disliked the taste.
6/10
Mixability - If you've used PSU, it's very similar to this. Mixes up pretty much instantly, like I really don't even need a shaker or a spoon, it seems to just liquify right away. however, like PSU, there is a tad bit of residue that never seems to dissolve (i'm guessing DAA?).
9.5/10
Energy - Simply amazing. It was exactly the type of energy I love. Very similar to ASGT in how clean it felt, but even stronger. This is a very tough medium to reach, and I feel like in terms of stimmed preworkouts without geranamine, nothing comes close to this except maybe Animal Rage. Also, let me note that the focus on this was pretty close to the best I've ever had on a stimmed preworkout, and the inclusion of DMAE is sweet.
9.5/10
Pumps - They were pretty solid, but I used this on a power day. Really not a fair assessment, but above average, and less than when on nitrates.
8/10
Endurance - On Lit-UP, I could not bang out higher rep sets with more efficacy. But I had a kind of big picture boost in mood, and therefore endurance. I wanted to stay in the gym and I wasn't dreading my next set but rather looking forward to it.
9/10
Overall - Sample - 9/10
Animal Rage
Taste - .....Being honest sucks. I feel bad for Universal because they sent me this for free. This tasted terrible. Worse than ASGT? No. I'd say the same. Thankfully, the serving was much smaller so I held my nose and downed it.
3/10
Mixability - Good, very good. A couple stirs of the spoon, a whisk of the bottle on the final sip, and it was all in my belly.
9/10
Energy - Before taking this, I had a vision of myself getting this huge rush of energy and slamming the weights around (good marketing I suppose). However, what I got was strangely different. In fact, the energy was actually SLOW to set in. And I loved it. It lasted the whole workout with no crash, and it was clean from start to finish. I feel like this stuff would be awesome for studying without killing appetite on a bulk. Right up there with lit-up for best energy from a stimmed, non 1,3 product.
9.5/10
Pumps - I would say fair. I was glycogen depleted for this workout so it was tough to get pumps period. But somehow it was giving me pumps on the 8 rep sets and not so much on the 12 rep sets. I'm confused, yes, but usually when I'm glycogen depleted, I get ZERO pumps, so I'd say it did its job well.
8.5/10
Endurance - This was the odd part. The energy came and went so slowly that you'd think I'd be able to last forever in the gym. But I actually could not push on once I hit the halfway point of my workout. I kept going of course, but I lowered almost all my weights. Again, I was glycogen depleted so it's tough to read too far into this.
8/10
Overall - Sample - 8.5/10
Focus XT - Probably the #1 focus supplement I have ever used, it is seriously tunnel vision. You see the weights and only the weights, and you even get a little annoyed if your buddies try to distract you. Very slight edge over PSU for best focus. If this is combined with a product containing ergogenic aids like Pump-bol, I can see this being the premiere preworkout combo.
Tub (2 uses though) - 9.5/10
EC Stack - This is seriously SOOOO hit or miss. On the workouts where it works, I feel incredible. It's like doing homework on adderall, you just love it SO much. I do feel like this detracted from my pumps though, which is odd since caffeine should act as a vasodilator during workouts. Now for when this didnt work: feelings of weakness, anxiety, and a sick-to-my-stomach feeling that makes me want to leave the gym then and there. The appetite suppression honestly carries over to drinking water sometimes. It's like any expansion of my stomach makes me feel sick, which can make working out a b!tch. I definitely would not recommend this long term, but it is by far the best energy supplement combo I've used when it's a "good day."
Many uses - 8/10
Jack3d:
I'm long overdue for having tried the number 1 selling supplement on BB.com. Cracked open my tub, took 2 scoops, and headed to the gym. First, I will say I got the BA tingles. Now I know this isn't that big a deal and doesn't mean much, but it is the ONLY preworkout to ever give me the tingles, which means that their BA may actually be well-dosed. But the best part came about 30 minutes into the workout. Hate jack3d all you want, it provides some awesome energy. Awesome as in you want to throw some serious weight around, but without jitters. Kind of like a weaker EC. Didn't notice much in the pump department, but my weights were up on the lifts that required intensity, showing that there is definitely a benefit to a powerful energy supplement like jack3d. I can imagine this would be great when taken in conjunction with something like pump-bol. Also, note that this 1,3 rush felt NOTHING like that in other 1,3 products...felt a lot better actually.
Tub - 8.5/10
C4 Extreme
Took 2 scoops of this as well. Headed to the gym, and I must say, this kicked in INCREDIBLY fast. I started tapping my toes like crazy while I was sitting on the bus to the gym. When the energy hit full force, it was like a weaker version of jack3d. I didn't feel like an animal with an "out of body" sensation; it was a milder energy which kept me alert and going from set to set with minimal distractions. I also got tingles from c4. Funny, the second time I ever got tingles from a preworkout occured the day after the first. But here's the best part. The pump. My god. I've taken c-bol, pump-bol, what have you. On C4, these were among the best pumps I've ever had. I can imagine the high nitrate dose + caffeine did the trick. But interestingly, even at the high dose of Creatine nitrate, I experienced no side effects. Great, well-rounded energy/pump product. Didn't get much focus, but I'll take it.
Tub - 9/10
Assault
I will start by saying that regardless of how my workout with assault went, its a great product simply because it has adequetly dosed ingredients. Full creatine dose from what I hear. Also, everyone is right, the best tasting preworkout ever, even better than pump-bol. Now, to the effects. Focus, not much. Pumps, mehhh, above average but barely better than normal. Energy/strength = win. This must be the cleanest energy I have ever had on a preworkout supplement. Cleaner energy than white flood. I just felt...great. Like I was looking forward to each set. And then I started hitting unexpected PR's. And then I looked forward to the next set even more. It was an awesome cycle of joy.
Sample - 9/10
Maximize v2
Ok. I've taken EC. 3 doses of Presurge Unleashed. 1MR. I've been exposed to stimulants. But something in maximize v2 made me go OFF THE WALLS. The energy on this is seriously insane. Stronger than EC? Yes, at least for me. So much damn energy it was scary. Sweating, slightly jittery, speaking extra fast. Hands shaking a little bit. But the cons were outweighed by the pros, as this energy translated into some serious iron-moving for me. Made my upper body day fly by. Also, the pumps on this were definitely noticeable, and despite my off the wall energy, I definitely noticed some serious focus. So the downside? Horrific crash about 15 minutes after the workout. I felt like death and had to go to bed. Moral of the story: if I ever have a workout where I need to pull out all the stops with no concern for functionality post workout, nothing will provide more energy than Maximize v2. I probably won't buy a tub until I have acquired some more stim-tolerance.
Sample - 8.5/10
FlashOver
Cracked open my tub and took 2 scoops. Wow! This stuff was awesome. Energy took a little while to kick in, but when it did, it felt a lot like MAN swagger, for those of you who have tried it. Just felt really "warm" inside, but still capable of bringing intensity. No side effects or jitters. Secondly, I know this has GMS (which I'm not a fan of), but the pumps were simply unreal for arms day. My biceps seriously blew up after a 15 rep set of spider curls, to the point that I couldnt superset it with overhead tricep extensions without hearing a "cracking" noise. The focus was alright as well, definitely helped me get through my workout faster. But in terms of "feel-good" energy and pumps, Flashover rocks!
Tub - 9.5/10
In this review of every pre-workout I've ever tried, I will specificy whether I used a full tub or whether it was a sample. The numerical ratings will be based on effects/profile only.
Anadraulic State GT - Very underrated in my opinion. Yes, it has a big prop blend. But when it comes to clean, stimmed energy, this was the best in my books. I didn't notice any of the advertised hormone modulating benefits, but I just loved the energy it provided. 1 scoop was all it took to get me going, and yes, it even gave me some focus. There were a few occasions where I'd use it as a morning pick-me-up instead of coffee, it made me feel that good.
Tub - 8.5/10
Presurge Unleashed - When I had my first scoop of this, I knew I had found the one. I was getting ready to do some very heavy deadlifts, and never before did I feel so eager to just get on my knees and RIP. PSU gave me everything I wanted: great energy, noticeable pumps, and a very, very intense focus. Adequate dosing of creatine made it an instant staple in my routine.
Tub - 9.5/10
1MR - I have tried multiple samples of this. The energy was outstanding, but the crashes were horrible. Strangely, nothing in the supplement besides caffeine can really potentiate a pump, but the pumps I got on this were second only to nitrated products. Really weird, but I liked it.
Sample - 8/10
White Flood - I thoroughly enjoyed the energy on this stuff. The profile is lacking due to the prop blend, but nonetheless, I had a fair bit of focus on it. Also, no crash which was nice. One of the better stimmed preworkouts without 1,3.
Tub - 8.5/10
Infinite Labs Juggernaut - Didn't get much out of this to be honest. Not even energy really. The guys over at Infinite Labs are great people, so I feel bad saying this (yes, it was a free sample ), but I always give honest reviews, and I have to say this is one of the worst pre's I've ever tried. Didn't do anything negative, but I literally noticed nothing.
Sample - 2/10
Quake 10 - I can't really comment on this, because the sample I tried was clumpy and black. Something was wrong, and it basically made me puke.
Sample - N/A
BBS Carnivore - To date one of my favorite products so far. Really gave me superior strength on the day I took it, and I also just felt great in the gym. Would recommend to anyone, its a shame it doesnt get much hype on these forums.
Sample - 9/10
Neogenix Cryoshock - This provided me with outstanding energy, but like so many other supplements mentioned above, there was no focus or pump. No real performance enhancing benefits. I.e. another cup of coffee.
Sample - 6.5/10
Neogenix Bodyforge - Now this I liked a little bit more. I could feel a noticeable increase in endurance on the days I took this; just an overall better attitude in the gym, and I was in no rush to get out of there. Made lifting days enjoyable.
Sample- 8.5/10
Superpump250 - This was a lot like juggernaut; it did nothing positive or negative for me. Literally felt no effects in all departments. I know a lot of people swear by this, but it just didn't work too well for me.
Sample - 2/10
Universal Shock therapy - So I'm not thrilled about the profile of this, but the workout I had on it was nothing short of amazing. The pumps were there, the energy was there, the endurance was there. Didn't feel much focus, but the product delivered and is another very underrated preworkout on these forums.
Sample - 9/10
SNS Agmatine - Whether you consider it a preworkout or not, the pumps on this were great, and the endurance was even better. Inter-set recovery time was decreased for all 3 workouts I used this, which definitely helped speed up my workouts while reaping the same strength benefits.
Sample - 9/10
Thermolife Pump-Bol - From the first few days of using this product, my endurance was through the roof. High rep sets became way easier. Squatting became way easier. Pumps wer incredible. And the profile is well-formulated and non-prop. To date the second best preworkout I have ever tried.
Tub - 10/10
MAN Clout - Another stud in the preworkout category. Two major things I noticed: my mood was instantly elevated after taking clout, and my strength started to skyrocket after a few weeks of using clout. This stuff is the real deal folks.
Tub - 9.5/10
MAN Body Octane - I did not get as much out of this as I would have hoped. Much like pump-bol this made high rep sets easier, but not to the same degree. Other than increased endurance, I did not notice any stim-free energy or focus. Good formula, but wasn't incredible.
Tub - 8/10
Omega Sports Ultima - After coming off a heavy stent with stims, this was my go-to supp. For the first week, I felt nothing. It just couldn't compete with 400mg caffeine. But then the effects slowly crept in. Now that I have been stim-free for 4 months, the effects are outstanding. My focus after taking it is simply unreal. I do get very real stim-free energy. I don't get pumps from this, but instead I get something much greater: consistent improvements in performance. I can't explain how, but this amazing blend has given me consistent improvements in strength, endurance, and overall health ever since I started using it. To date, the best preworkout I have ever tried.
Tub - 10/10
BSN No-Xplode- This product always provided me with good, clean energy. It often put me in a good mood and got me ready to lift. I didn't notice any pumps while on the product, and my focus wasn't noticeably better either, but as far as clean energy, this is up at the top. The profile leaves more to be desired and is definitely behind the times with that big of a prop. blend.
Tub- 7/10
ABB Speed Stack RTD - This provided a serious rush of energy. At high levels of caffeine, this stuff gave me headaches at high doses. I also experienced shortness of breath and a rapidly beating heart. Nonetheless, I feel it gave me some serious energy for heavy sets, so its effects should not be underrated.
Sample - 7/10
ABB Speed Stack Pumped N.O. RTD - This had less energy than the original speed stack, but I must say, the pump was very real. I was noticeably fuller for about an hour after the workout as well. The energy level was just right; not enough to cause any nasty sides. Still no focus though.
Sample - 7.5/10
CytoSport Fast Twitch RTD - Simply put, another good energy supplement. Obviously profile is lacking. Not much to be said here; provided about the same benefits as a cup of coffee.
Sample - 6/10
BSN Endorush RTD - Had it on 2 occasions. Both occasions, there was some VICIOUS energy. Probably one of the best if not the best energy supplement I've ever used. Yes, better than supplements with 1,3 like 1mr. Again, no pumps and no focus; just insane energy.
Sample - 7.5/10
Betancourt Bullnox - When Shadar first told me he liked this preworkout, I was surprised to be honest. CEE? Big prop blend? But much like Universal Shocl Therapy, this product delivered despite the big prop blend. But it was very different too. The pumps weren't really there. But let me tell you what was there. Some sort of weird strength I didn't know I had. I just felt great in the gym. I couldnt wait until my next set, and I had positive thoughts flowing through me the whole workout. It was particularly effective for my high rep sets, and it kept my willpower strong. Great supplement.
Sample - 9/10
SP MAX - Alright, I've heard a lot of great stuff about this so I was eager to try it. It may have been that my expectations were too high, but I wasn't blown away. it seems that whatever energy complex gaspari is using for the superpumps does not work on me. no negatives but no positives. However, my strength was definitely up in the workout and the pumps were very, very good. In this respect, it is a well-rounded preworkout that would go well with some nootropics or a caffeine tab.
Sample - 7.5/10
Lit-Up
Taste - This wasn't the best tasting preworkout I've ever had, I'll be honest. In fact, it really wasnt very good at all. Not something I enjoyed sipping on, but it also wasnt anything I had trouble downing (ASGT I'm looking at you ). I honestly don't care much about taste though, I just include this because I've seen posters say they've actually thrown products away because they disliked the taste.
6/10
Mixability - If you've used PSU, it's very similar to this. Mixes up pretty much instantly, like I really don't even need a shaker or a spoon, it seems to just liquify right away. however, like PSU, there is a tad bit of residue that never seems to dissolve (i'm guessing DAA?).
9.5/10
Energy - Simply amazing. It was exactly the type of energy I love. Very similar to ASGT in how clean it felt, but even stronger. This is a very tough medium to reach, and I feel like in terms of stimmed preworkouts without geranamine, nothing comes close to this except maybe Animal Rage. Also, let me note that the focus on this was pretty close to the best I've ever had on a stimmed preworkout, and the inclusion of DMAE is sweet.
9.5/10
Pumps - They were pretty solid, but I used this on a power day. Really not a fair assessment, but above average, and less than when on nitrates.
8/10
Endurance - On Lit-UP, I could not bang out higher rep sets with more efficacy. But I had a kind of big picture boost in mood, and therefore endurance. I wanted to stay in the gym and I wasn't dreading my next set but rather looking forward to it.
9/10
Overall - Sample - 9/10
Animal Rage
Taste - .....Being honest sucks. I feel bad for Universal because they sent me this for free. This tasted terrible. Worse than ASGT? No. I'd say the same. Thankfully, the serving was much smaller so I held my nose and downed it.
3/10
Mixability - Good, very good. A couple stirs of the spoon, a whisk of the bottle on the final sip, and it was all in my belly.
9/10
Energy - Before taking this, I had a vision of myself getting this huge rush of energy and slamming the weights around (good marketing I suppose). However, what I got was strangely different. In fact, the energy was actually SLOW to set in. And I loved it. It lasted the whole workout with no crash, and it was clean from start to finish. I feel like this stuff would be awesome for studying without killing appetite on a bulk. Right up there with lit-up for best energy from a stimmed, non 1,3 product.
9.5/10
Pumps - I would say fair. I was glycogen depleted for this workout so it was tough to get pumps period. But somehow it was giving me pumps on the 8 rep sets and not so much on the 12 rep sets. I'm confused, yes, but usually when I'm glycogen depleted, I get ZERO pumps, so I'd say it did its job well.
8.5/10
Endurance - This was the odd part. The energy came and went so slowly that you'd think I'd be able to last forever in the gym. But I actually could not push on once I hit the halfway point of my workout. I kept going of course, but I lowered almost all my weights. Again, I was glycogen depleted so it's tough to read too far into this.
8/10
Overall - Sample - 8.5/10
Focus XT - Probably the #1 focus supplement I have ever used, it is seriously tunnel vision. You see the weights and only the weights, and you even get a little annoyed if your buddies try to distract you. Very slight edge over PSU for best focus. If this is combined with a product containing ergogenic aids like Pump-bol, I can see this being the premiere preworkout combo.
Tub (2 uses though) - 9.5/10
EC Stack - This is seriously SOOOO hit or miss. On the workouts where it works, I feel incredible. It's like doing homework on adderall, you just love it SO much. I do feel like this detracted from my pumps though, which is odd since caffeine should act as a vasodilator during workouts. Now for when this didnt work: feelings of weakness, anxiety, and a sick-to-my-stomach feeling that makes me want to leave the gym then and there. The appetite suppression honestly carries over to drinking water sometimes. It's like any expansion of my stomach makes me feel sick, which can make working out a b!tch. I definitely would not recommend this long term, but it is by far the best energy supplement combo I've used when it's a "good day."
Many uses - 8/10
Jack3d:
I'm long overdue for having tried the number 1 selling supplement on BB.com. Cracked open my tub, took 2 scoops, and headed to the gym. First, I will say I got the BA tingles. Now I know this isn't that big a deal and doesn't mean much, but it is the ONLY preworkout to ever give me the tingles, which means that their BA may actually be well-dosed. But the best part came about 30 minutes into the workout. Hate jack3d all you want, it provides some awesome energy. Awesome as in you want to throw some serious weight around, but without jitters. Kind of like a weaker EC. Didn't notice much in the pump department, but my weights were up on the lifts that required intensity, showing that there is definitely a benefit to a powerful energy supplement like jack3d. I can imagine this would be great when taken in conjunction with something like pump-bol. Also, note that this 1,3 rush felt NOTHING like that in other 1,3 products...felt a lot better actually.
Tub - 8.5/10
C4 Extreme
Took 2 scoops of this as well. Headed to the gym, and I must say, this kicked in INCREDIBLY fast. I started tapping my toes like crazy while I was sitting on the bus to the gym. When the energy hit full force, it was like a weaker version of jack3d. I didn't feel like an animal with an "out of body" sensation; it was a milder energy which kept me alert and going from set to set with minimal distractions. I also got tingles from c4. Funny, the second time I ever got tingles from a preworkout occured the day after the first. But here's the best part. The pump. My god. I've taken c-bol, pump-bol, what have you. On C4, these were among the best pumps I've ever had. I can imagine the high nitrate dose + caffeine did the trick. But interestingly, even at the high dose of Creatine nitrate, I experienced no side effects. Great, well-rounded energy/pump product. Didn't get much focus, but I'll take it.
Tub - 9/10
Assault
I will start by saying that regardless of how my workout with assault went, its a great product simply because it has adequetly dosed ingredients. Full creatine dose from what I hear. Also, everyone is right, the best tasting preworkout ever, even better than pump-bol. Now, to the effects. Focus, not much. Pumps, mehhh, above average but barely better than normal. Energy/strength = win. This must be the cleanest energy I have ever had on a preworkout supplement. Cleaner energy than white flood. I just felt...great. Like I was looking forward to each set. And then I started hitting unexpected PR's. And then I looked forward to the next set even more. It was an awesome cycle of joy.
Sample - 9/10
Maximize v2
Ok. I've taken EC. 3 doses of Presurge Unleashed. 1MR. I've been exposed to stimulants. But something in maximize v2 made me go OFF THE WALLS. The energy on this is seriously insane. Stronger than EC? Yes, at least for me. So much damn energy it was scary. Sweating, slightly jittery, speaking extra fast. Hands shaking a little bit. But the cons were outweighed by the pros, as this energy translated into some serious iron-moving for me. Made my upper body day fly by. Also, the pumps on this were definitely noticeable, and despite my off the wall energy, I definitely noticed some serious focus. So the downside? Horrific crash about 15 minutes after the workout. I felt like death and had to go to bed. Moral of the story: if I ever have a workout where I need to pull out all the stops with no concern for functionality post workout, nothing will provide more energy than Maximize v2. I probably won't buy a tub until I have acquired some more stim-tolerance.
Sample - 8.5/10
FlashOver
Cracked open my tub and took 2 scoops. Wow! This stuff was awesome. Energy took a little while to kick in, but when it did, it felt a lot like MAN swagger, for those of you who have tried it. Just felt really "warm" inside, but still capable of bringing intensity. No side effects or jitters. Secondly, I know this has GMS (which I'm not a fan of), but the pumps were simply unreal for arms day. My biceps seriously blew up after a 15 rep set of spider curls, to the point that I couldnt superset it with overhead tricep extensions without hearing a "cracking" noise. The focus was alright as well, definitely helped me get through my workout faster. But in terms of "feel-good" energy and pumps, Flashover rocks!
Tub - 9.5/10