Pre-workout is one of the best supplements on the market when it comes to improving your performance, endurance, and focus during a workout. Tons of proven ingredients all packed into one little tub of powder, flavored to taste like an energy drink. The problem is, pre-workout these days can easily run you over $2 per scoop, which can quickly convince you to stick to a simple cup of coffee instead. So today we’re going to go over the best budget high-stim pre-workouts on the market. That is, the pre-workouts that can knock your socks off and get you feeling like superman for as little cost as possible.
We recently made a list of the best high-stim pre-workouts, which also describes in detail many of the top pre-workout ingredients and how they help your performance in the gym. If you’re not a stim fiend and prefer stim-free pre-workouts, we also have a list of the best budget-friendly stim-free pre-workouts.
The Top 5 Best Budget High-Stim Pre-Workouts, Ranked
5.
Ryse — Loaded Pre
Price: $1.33/scoop
Notable ingredients in a 1-scoop serving (30 servings):
Stimulants:
Caffeine: 390mg (90mg delayed release)
Pump:
L-Citrulline: 4500mg
Choline Bitartrate: 200mg
Endurance:
Beta Alanine: 3500mg
Electrolytes: 140mg Sodium, 130mg Potassium
Ryse’s high-stimulant pre-workout is a delicious, caffeine-packed powder at a great price. In addition, the inclusion of l-citrulline and choline help to boost nitrous oxide levels and blood flow to the muscles, enhancing your pump. You can’t go wrong with a simple and effective formula at an affordable price.
Try it out on Amazon today.
4.
Redcon1 — Total War
Price: $1.16/scoop
Notable ingredients in a 1-scoop serving (30 servings):
Stimulants:
Caffeine: 320mg
Pump:
Citrulline Malate: 6g in a 2:1 ratio = 4g Citrulline
Agmatine Sulfate: 1g
Focus/Mood:
Taurine: 1g
Theobromine: 50mg
Endurance:
Beta alanine: 3.2g
Electrolytes: 310mg Sodium
Total War is probably one of the most well-known high-stimulant pre-workouts out there, and for good reason. It boasts a strong dose of caffeine, coupled with taurine and theobromine to turn your energy into focus. Overall, it is slightly lower dosed than Ryse’s Loaded Pre, but dollar for dollar Redcon1 edges it out just barely.
Try it out on Amazon today.
3.
Dark Labs — Flame
Price: $1.99/scoop, or $0.99/half scoop
Notable ingredients in a half-scoop serving (50 servings):
Stimulants:
Caffeine: 200mg
Eria Jarensis: 150mg
Juglans Regia (DMHA): 150mg
Isopropylnorsynephrine: 12.5mg
Alpha Yohimbine: 0.75mg
Mood/Focus:
Beta Phenylethylamine HCl: 250mg
Theobromine: 150mg
Pump:
Agmatine Sulfate: 750mg
Dark Labs’ Flame has one of the most potent stimulant formulas on the market. Even though it’ll cost you $1.99 per scoop, half a scoop of this pre-workout will still make you feel like superman. In fact, I wouldn’t consider going near a full scoop of this stuff unless you’ve already built up a very strong tolerance for stimulants. The only downside is the lack of pump-boosting ingredients, with just a modest dose of agmatine sulfate.
Try it out on the Dark Labs website today.
2.
SUPER bioFREAK OMG
Price: $1.98/scoop, $0.99/half scoop
Notable ingredients in a half-scoop serving (60 servings):
Stimulants:
Caffeine: 200mg
Juglans Regia (DMHA): 100mg
Octopamine HCl: 15mg
Alpha Yohimbine: 1.5mg
Synephrine: dosage not listed
Pump:
Citrulline Malate: 5000mg in 9:1 ratio = 4500mg Citrulline
Agmatine Sulfate: 750mg
L-Norvaline: 50mg
Mood/Focus:
Taurine: 1.25g
Tyrosine: 250mg
Mucuna Pruriens: 125mg
Phenylethylamine HCl: dosage not listed
SUPER bioFREAK OMG is a similar case to Flame, having an insane stimulant formula that will give you crazy amounts of energy even with just a half scoop. I prefer this over Flame due to its stronger pump formula, particularly the 4500mg of citrulline. However, I would caution against taking this, as DMHA and synephrine are not guaranteed to be safe stimulants, and you may want to stick to safe options like caffeine and Alpha Yohimbine.
Try it out on the Global Formulas website today.
1.
Nutricost PRE
Price: $0.63/scoop
Notable ingredients in a 1-scoop serving (60 servings):
Stimulants:
Caffeine: 300mg
Pump:
Citrulline Malate: 6000mg in 2:1 ratio = 4000mg Citrulline
Agmatine Sulfate: 500mg
Mood/Focus:
Taurine: 2000mg
L-Tyrosine: 500mg
L-Theanine: 300mg
Theobromine: 200mg
Endurance:
Beta-Alanine: 3g
300mg of caffeine and a solid pump complex for $0.63 per scoop is already a bargain. But what I really like about Nutricost’s pre-workout is the high dosages of taurine, tyrosine, and theobromine, which are key in giving you the focus, excitement, and mental energy to push harder and enjoy your workouts.
Try it out on Amazon today.
So, those are the top 5 budget-friendly high-stim pre-workouts based on my experience plus the hundreds of polls and online reviews I read through. Please leave a comment below and let me know if you agree or disagree with my selections, and let me know of any amazing pre-workouts that I missed!
— Mr. Bro
Other Recommendations:
If you are also looking for a tasty, high-quality, and affordable protein powder, make sure to check out our detailed lists of the best budget protein powders: