Here we review and rank the very best pre-workout supplements to help you find the most effective, proven-to-work products to supercharge your workouts.
Come with us as we put the very best pre-workout supplements under the magnifying glass. Read on for this:
We look into the detail behind the very best pre-workout supplements for women, analyzing each formula to bring you the most effective and safest products available.
Check out the highest rated pre-workouts for women that’ll give you the edge below. NOTE: We will be updating this list throughout 2021:
Quick Overview
4 Gauge is ultimate pre-workout that’ll give you the motivation & confidence – to help you achieve your dream bikini body.
It’s the best pre-workout on the market that doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners, flavors or stevia; these have become known for causing side effects such as headaches. Instead, 4 Gauge is naturally sweetened with monk fruit extract.
We also like the clean energy boosts from the sensible dosage of caffeine. Without blowing your head off, you’ll avoid jittery side effects while you stay focused on sculpting a toned figure.
How it works
Ingredients
Flavors
Summary
With an effective, 100% natural nutrient profile, 4 Gauge has quickly established itself as the #1 pre-workout on the market. It’s already helped other women make serious changes to their body, and almost every review online agrees – making 4 Gauge the must-try product this year.
from 4gauge.com
*Individual results may vary. Please speak with your doctor or physician before undertaking any new weight reduction, supplement, or exercise regime.
Quick Overview
Women looking to target stubborn fat while energizing their workout sessions will appreciate PreSeries Lean pre-workout by Transparent Labs.
This 100% transparent formula features a potent thermogenic and thyroid support complex, alongside key pre-workout ingredients, making it one of the best ‘cutting’ pre-workouts on the market. Each serving is designed to provide a high-intensity workout experience, while helping you to focus on additional energy expenditure and better fat loss.
How it works
Ingredients
Flavors
Summary
PreSeries Lean contains an impressive array of ingredients with a lot of benefits. Its fat burning complex helps it stand out against the majority of pre-workouts on the market right now. It’s also well dosed with all the performance enhancing ingredients you’d expect for a product in this price range.
There’s no denying that PreSeries Lean offers the best support for performing your best in the gym and reaching your health goals.
From TransparentLabs.com
*Individual results may vary. Please speak with your doctor or physician before undertaking any new weight reduction, supplement, or exercise regime.
Looking for a fat burner? Check out our top picks for 2021.
Quick Overview
As far as women’s-only products go, this one is at the top of its field.
The responsible serving of stimulants is well suited to women, as we metabolize caffeine much more quickly than men. A lower dosage combined with ingredients that prolong the release of the stimulant help to provide a slower, more controlled release of energy. This is great for bolstering your gym sessions, without the risk of frustrating crashes.
How it works
Ingredients
Flavors
Summary
Overall, Powher is a well-dosed, high-quality supplement that should provide a clean lift ahead of a workout, along with other benefits that should boost your athletic performance. Our only issue is that it doesn’t contain creatine, a powerful pre-workout ingredient that has been proven to enhance performance. However, the creators say this is to avoid bulkiness, which is a priority for a lot of women.
There’s no doubt in our mind that this female-focused product will help to enhance your workouts and boost your athletic performance for a bigger, better training session.
From powherofficial.com
*Individual results may vary. Please speak with your doctor or physician before undertaking any new weight reduction, supplement, or exercise regime.
Quick Overview
As women, we are naturally more sensitive to caffeine than men which is why Transparent Labs’ PreSeries STIM-FREE Pre-Workout is the answer to all our caffeine-related woes! Its clean label doesn’t stop there, either. The formula is 100% transparent and free of gluten or artificial flavors and preservatives, making it wholly more inclusive than many other pre-workouts on the market.
But don’t be fooled by the all-natural, stim-free formula – PreSeries STIM-FREE still promises to take workouts to unprecedented levels, without the need for caffeine. From the carefully selected ingredients – all featured at clinically proven doses – you could see enhanced natural energy and endurance, no crashes normally caused by caffeine, along with improved focus, strength and muscle growth.
How it works
Ingredients
Flavors
Summary
If you’re looking for a pre-workout that is completely stimulant-free, we think PreSeries STIM-FREE is one of the best out there. It brings together everything you could want in a pre-workout – enhanced energy levels, better endurance and mood elevation so you can smash through workouts with ease.
It also provides you with building blocks to grow lean muscle and get stronger, which can help you to achieve that toned, sculpted figure you’ll be dying to show off.
For women with caffeine sensitivity, PreSeries STIM-FREE provides a safer alternative to other caffeinated pre-workouts and gives them the opportunity to reach the same goals – without any unpleasant side effects.
From TransparentLabs.com
*Individual results may vary. Please speak with your doctor or physician before undertaking any new weight reduction, supplement, or exercise regime.
Quick Overview
Created by the very credible Dr Jim Stoppani, Pre-Jym is a smart pre-workout which powers both your mind and muscles. The potent formula features clinically relevant dosages of the best pre-workout ingredients around including beta-alanine, L-citrulline malate and caffeine anhydrous. Alongside, nootropic elements like L-tyrosine[11] and Huperzine A[12] support brain health.
Pre-Jym should provide you with all the power, strength and endurance that you need to crush every workout and reach your body goals.
How it works
Ingredients
Flavors
Summary
Pre-Jym is a fair-priced pre-workout which should help you rule your workout. Not only do you get muscle-supporting benefits from the formula, Pre-Jym includes ingredients that break through that mental barrier, helping you to stay focused.
The only thing we would have an issue with is the caffeine content. Pre-Jym packs quite punch with 300mg of caffeine anhydrous. For caffeine-sensitive women, this is something to bear in mind.
From Amazon.com
*Individual results may vary. Please speak with your doctor or physician before undertaking any new weight reduction, supplement, or exercise regime.
Quick Overview
Another pre-workout developed for women, IdealLean is a clean and natural blend of ingredients that should help you make the most out of your workouts and get the lean look you’re looking for.
What’s more, powerful fat burning ingredients in the formula may increase the way your body burns fat to help you see results faster. The beneficial vitamins and minerals are also a welcome addition.
How it works
Ingredients
Flavors
Summary
IdealLean is a decent option for women looking to gain a competitive edge in the gym. It’s a good cocktail of ingredients for energy, stamina and focus – it’s also relatively nutritious with the added vitamins and minerals that are important for female health.
Despite this, the serving sizes aren’t on par with other similar supplements. This means you may not see the results you want. The fat loss blend also hides behind a proprietary blend, which means it’s hard to see the exact dosage details of each ingredient within it. This may render it less effective and probably shouldn’t be depended on as a fat burner.
From Amazon.com
*Individual results may vary. Please speak with your doctor or physician before undertaking any new weight reduction, supplement, or exercise regime.
Quick Overview
A nice hard-hitting, yet mellow pre-workout, Cellucor’s C4 should deliver all your pre-workout needs. Cellucor uses premium ingredients and packs a relatively mellow punch. It’s also jam-packed with lots of vitamins, helping to support overall wellbeing.
Many people mention the “tingles” you get when taking this supplement, which is from the beta-alanine. It helps buffer acid build up in muscles, increasing physical performance[20]. The taste is also amazing, as usual for Cellucor.
How it works
Ingredients
Flavors
Summary
Cellucor C4 brings together a striking blend of ingredients that help you take your fitness to the next level. The element of nutritious vitamins and minerals also help to keep your body healthy and ticking over.
While we don’t agree with the energy proprietary blend, the ingredients included are all well studied for their ability to give your body a motivational boost. We also like the sensible dose of caffeine – 150 mg is perfect for women.
From Amazon.com
*Individual results may vary. Please speak with your doctor or physician before undertaking any new weight reduction, supplement, or exercise regime.
Quick Overview
Optimum Nutrition delivers some of the best quality supplements on the market. There are a lot of carefully chosen ingredients in this pre-workout to help with your energy, focus, endurance, and strength.
A healthy dose of L-citrulline boosts blood flow, allowing for better muscle-pumping performance[22]. Beta-alanine supports your endurance goals to help you knock down personal bests. What’s more, capsimax boosts your metabolism[23] for higher calorie burn.
How it works
Ingredients
Flavors
Summary
This is a well-rounded, quality pre-workout ideal for women looking for better focus, drive and energy during workouts. Even better, the capsimax content works to boost fat burn and help you reach your weight loss goals faster.
The PhytoBlend also provides antioxidant-packed compounds to aid general health and recovery.
From Amazon.com
*Individual results may vary. Please speak with your doctor or physician before undertaking any new weight reduction, supplement, or exercise regime.
Quick Overview
ENGN Shred pre-workout will power up your workouts while supporting your fat loss goals. With a powerful thermogenic formula, your body temperature and metabolism will rise – burning even more fat as you work through your exercise regime.
There’s also a powerful mind-to-muscle matrix formula which contains some well-studied and effective pre-workout compounds.
How it works
Ingredients
Flavors
Summary
Overall ENGN Shred is a solid choice which packs a powerful punch.
There’s a wealth of pre-workout aids but its biggest ingredient is its own ‘Mind-to-Muscle Matrix’ blend containing ingredients like, Betaine Anhydrous, L-Tyrosine, Huperzine A and more. While proprietary blends are normally ones to avoid, ENGN could be worth considering – each ingredient is named on the label.
What’s more, you get a hit of beneficial vitamins and minerals which boost both brain and body power.
From Amazon.com
*Individual results may vary. Please speak with your doctor or physician before undertaking any new weight reduction, supplement, or exercise regime.
Quick Overview
Health-conscious women will appreciate the completely clean, vegan pre-workout formula offered by Naked Energy.
You get essential energy-boosting vitamins including vitamin C, B3, B6, B12 and Folate. Alongside are common, well-studied pre-workout ingredients like beta-alanine and creatine monohydrate to deliver much needed energy to your muscles[26]. More energy naturally means more time working on your ultimate summer body.
How it works
Ingredients
Flavors
Summary
Naked Energy is a solid contender for women looking for an all-natural, clean pre-workout. It supports all the elements of a good workout, boosting energy, performance and blood flow for heightened muscle engagement.
It’s also great for keeping your body ticking over nicely, with recovery and immune system support elements.
From Amazon.com
*Individual results may vary. Please speak with your doctor or physician before undertaking any new weight reduction, supplement, or exercise regime.
The supplement industry has created great competition between manufacturers. And increased competition means companies have to boost the quality of their products, in order to stay at the top of their game.
When choosing a pre-workout, you have the option of having one with or without stimulants.
When most people hear the word pre-workout, they think about the teeth-chattering super buzz that some supplements will give you.
If you aren’t interested in the excess energy or the ingredients that come with it, we’ve got you covered too.
A pre-workout without stimulants can be taken later in the evening, and you won’t have to worry about the possible crash. But one of the main reasons for taking a pre-workout is to experience that ‘kick’ – giving you the energy to take control of your gym session.
Ultimately, a pre-workout without stimulants won’t elevate your energy levels at all.
For this reason, we prefer pre-workouts that contain stimulants every-time. Just make sure that they contain less than 200mg caffeine per serving to stay safe, and avoid jitters or energy crashes.
A quality pre-workout will contain natural ingredients that’ll deliver a boost in athletic performance – to help you reach your fitness goals, faster.
Here’s the benefits of taking pre-workout supplements:
Whether you’re trying to increase your performance, get focused, or have a pick-me-up during your workouts – pre-workouts are your best option.
Simply put, a good pre-workout will help you reach your goals faster; given you put in the work to get there.
If you’ve spent months in the gym without seeing any solid progress, then the right pre-workout could be the difference between your dream bikini body, and giving up.
It isn’t magic fairy dust, but sometimes it might feel like it.
You’ll find that almost every pre-workout on the market contains artificial sweeteners, flavors or stevia.
These are all commonly reported to cause side effects such as headaches and stomach pain.
Not everyone is negatively affected by artificial sweeteners, but natural sweeteners are always the better option – to stay safe and avoid side effects.
You might have been fooled into thinking stevia is a ‘natural’ sweetener. But it’s not.
Simply put, although it begins as stevia leaf, it goes through chemical processes. For this reason, this chemically-made sweetener has been reported to cause migraines and diarrhea.
As a result, we prefer pre-workouts that only contain natural sweeteners. But saying that, you don’t consume these supplements for their taste – you want to see results!
Once you’ve bought a supplement, you want to get the most out of it, right? Let’s check out a few tips that will help you get the best bang for your buck with your newly-purchased pre-workout.
By choosing the right pre-workout and following our tips, you’ll ensure that you give yourself the best chance of realizing your fitness goals – whether it’s fitting into those jeans or gaining lean muscle without adding too much body fat.
Or why not add a fat burner to your stack for an extra fitness boost?
Looking for more supplement recommendations? Check these articles out:
Disclaimer: The information on this site has not been evaluated by the FDA. The products on this page are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Results in description and Testimonials may not be typical results and individual results may vary. We may earn commission if you click the links and buy the products featured on this page.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8232842
[2] As source 1
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21537493
[4] https://examine.com/supplements/beta-alanine/
[5] https://medlineplus.gov/caffeine.html
[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25226311/
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3374095/
[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7572228/
[9] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18992136/
[10] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12945830/
[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6084775/
[12] https://examine.com/supplements/huperzine-a/
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17662090
[14] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260683377_Effect_of_taurine_and_potential_interactions_with_caffeine_on_cardiovascular_function
[15] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3021443/
[16] https://www.jimstoppani.com/supplements/pre-jym-ingredients
[17] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4772032/
[18] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27749691
[19] As source 3
[20] As source 3
[21] https://examine.com/supplements/l-tyrosine/
[22] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17662090
[23] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6088424/
[24] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27749691
[25] As source 3
[26] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12701817
This post was last modified on Apr 16, 2021 2:34 pm
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View Comments
I really enjoyed your article on pre-workout. I'm new at lifting and I'm most definitely new at taking supplements. My question is, does a person take a pre-workout and fat burner (both with stimulants) at the same time? How do you stack them? For an early 4 am workout?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Yvonne,
We'd definitely recommend being careful with how much caffeine you're taking on. Overall, we'd say don't use them at the same time, as you could end up with a lot of caffeine in your system. That could lead to headaches, nausea and dehydration if you're not careful! Not to mention you won't be getting the most out of your supplements.
If weight loss is your goal, a good stimulant based fat burner should have enough caffeine in there to power you through a workout. So try taking your fat burner before your early workout and spread the rest of the capsules out throughout the day. If you're set on using a pre-workout, we'd recommend opting for a stimulant free fat burner to complement it.
Hope that helps!
Lauren