Caffeinated pre-workouts for the days you need a push: Bucked Up, Ghost, RAW, Alpha Lion, Apollon, Panda and other brands we hand-pick. Available online and at every Next Level store. We only carry the absolute best stim pre-workouts, every product hand-selected for its exact ingredients, potency and quality standards.
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A stim pre-workout is a pre-workout built around caffeine and other stimulants, made for early sessions, heavy days and anyone who wants to feel it in the first ten minutes. Most of the formulas on this page carry 200 to 400 mg of caffeine a scoop, plus pump and endurance ingredients like citrulline and beta-alanine.
The right one depends on how much caffeine you already handle and when you train. Below we line up the caffeine in every major stim pre-workout we carry, explain the other stimulants you will see on labels, and show how to size a dose so you get the energy without overdoing it.
We only carry the absolute best stim pre-workouts. Every product in this section was hand-selected by our team for its exact ingredients, potency and overall quality standards.
Caffeine is the main thing that separates one stim pre-workout from another. These amounts come straight from the brands' labels, per one full serving:
| Pre-workout | Caffeine per serving | Other energy ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| Mother Bucker (Bucked Up) | 400 mg (300 mg fast + 100 mg delayed release) | Theobromine, rauwolscine |
| Thuper Thavage (RAW) | 400 mg | Alpha yohimbine or rauwolfia, by label version |
| SuperHuman Extreme (Alpha Lion) | 376 mg total, in three release speeds | Synephrine, rauwolscine |
| Woke AF (Bucked Up) | 333 mg | Synephrine, dendrobium |
| Bulk Black (Transparent Labs) | 325 mg | None listed |
| Total War (REDCON1) | 320 mg | Theobromine, green tea extract |
| SuperHuman Burn (Alpha Lion) | 304 mg | Fat-burner ingredients |
| SuperHuman Elite (Alpha Lion) | 175 mg per scoop, 350 mg in 2 scoops | None listed |
| 9-Volt V2 (Like A Pro) | 200 mg anhydrous + 100 mg Infinergy | 250 mg Dynamine |
| CBUM Essential Pre (RAW) | 200 mg | None listed |
| Alani Nu Pre-Workout | 200 mg | L-theanine to smooth it out |
Labels change. If your tub reads differently, the label on the tub is the one to follow.
Research on caffeine and performance uses about 3 to 6 mg per kilogram of body weight. For a 150 lb adult that is roughly 200 to 400 mg. The FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally linked to negative effects in healthy adults, and that total counts every source: coffee, energy drinks, fat burners and your pre-workout.
Trying a new stim pre-workout? Take half a scoop the first time. Almost every label in this category says the same.
Many high-stim formulas add more than caffeine. Synephrine (from bitter orange) and rauwolscine or yohimbine hit harder for a lot of people and can make you feel jittery. Theobromine and slow-release caffeine stretch the energy out so the drop-off is gentler. Dynamine (methylliberine) and Infinergy (dicaffeine malate) are other energy sources brands use to change how the caffeine feels. If you are sensitive, pick a formula whose energy comes from caffeine alone, like Bulk Black or CBUM Essential Pre. Formulas with delayed or extended-release caffeine, like Mother Bucker and SuperHuman Extreme, are built to soften the drop-off at the end of a session.
A stim pre-workout still has to support the workout itself. Look for citrulline malate around 6 to 8 g (about 3.4 to 4.5 g if the label lists L-citrulline) and beta-alanine at 3.2 g or more; research on beta-alanine uses 4 to 6 g a day. Bulk Black, Woke AF and Mother Bucker all hit those numbers. Formulas that also add 5 g of creatine, like Thuper Thavage and Pre Script, cover your daily creatine too.
Caffeine has a half-life of about 4 to 5 hours, so half of a 300 mg scoop is still in your system 4 to 5 hours later. A sleep study found that 400 mg taken 6 hours before bed still cut sleep time, so if you train after work, take your stim pre-workout early or switch to a stim-free pre-workout on late days.
Our most-bought high-stim formulas, plus a few moderate ones for building up. Every product shown is in stock now.
Bucked Up's self-described "mother of all pre-workouts": 400 mg of caffeine with full doses of beta-alanine and citrulline.
Alpha Lion's highest-intensity formula, with caffeine in three release speeds for long sessions.
High caffeine with nothing else stimulating, fully disclosed and third-party tested.
A strong, fast kick from caffeine plus synephrine.
REDCON1's long-running all-in-one formula for energy, pump and focus.
Pre-workout and fat burner in one scoop for cutting phases.
Scoop-adjustable: 1 scoop for a moderate day, 2 for a full dose with 10 g of citrulline.
Caffeine plus Dynamine and Infinergy for a longer-lasting feel.
A moderate, Informed Sport certified formula that works for beginners through advanced lifters.
Amounts are per serving from the brand's label at the time we wrote this guide; formulas change, so check the label on your tub. Prices and stock update live.
By caffeine per serving, Mother Bucker and Thuper Thavage top our shelf at 400 mg, followed by SuperHuman Extreme at 376 mg. Strongest is not always best: a formula with 300 to 330 mg and full pump doses, like Bulk Black or Woke AF, is plenty for most lifters.
The FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally linked to negative effects in healthy adults, from all sources combined. A 400 mg pre-workout uses that whole budget, so skip coffee and energy drinks that day. If you are new to stimulants, stay under about 250 mg until you know how you respond.
Stim is short for stimulant. A stim pre-workout contains caffeine and often other stimulants such as synephrine, theobromine or methylliberine. A non-stim pre-workout has none and focuses on pump, endurance and focus ingredients.
You can, but it will likely cost you sleep. Research shows caffeine taken 6 hours before bed can still shorten sleep. If you train within a few hours of bedtime, a stim-free pump formula is the better pick.
Many lifters do. Your body adjusts to caffeine with daily use, so the same scoop feels weaker over time. A week or two off every couple of months, or a stim-free pre-workout on lighter days, keeps your usual dose working without moving up to a bigger one.
Anyone under 18, anyone pregnant or nursing, and anyone sensitive to caffeine. Check with your doctor first if you have a heart or blood pressure concern or take medicine. Follow the label, start with half a scoop and never take more than one serving in a day.
Not sure which one fits? Stop by any of our nine stores in Kentucky and Southern Indiana and ask the team, or order online with free shipping over $100.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
