Very few, outside the fitness community, are aware of the concept of pre-workout supplements. It’s not because these drinks are a trade secret but because no one outside the fitness world would have any use for them. Pre-workouts have been around for close to two decades and in that time, a lot of brands have tried to get a piece of the action. Many failed whereas others triumphed.
If you are looking for something that would give you the right zeal for intense workouts without you feeling like you have been kicked in the guts, you’ve come to the right place. First, you need to know what you should be looking for in a pre-workout. Below are what a great pre-workout should do for you.
- Pre-workouts should do more than energy drinks. The latter is designed to increase energy levels and that’s about it. A pre-workout supplement should be able to improve your stamina, endurance and should help you stay focused on your workout regime.
- A good pre-workout should include some, if not most, of the following – caffeine, citrulline, glucose, electrolytes, beta-alanine, and creatine. These components help to reduce fatigue and boost strength.
- Most users of such supplements users complain of side effects like headaches, nausea, anxiety, dehydration, and increased heart rate. This is because the dosage of ingredients may be too high. It would be best to check the dosages of the ingredients before you settle on a product.
- A good pre-workout supplement should help hasten muscle growth, aid muscle pumps, and enhance physical performance. Read reviews – they really help.
To help you choose what is right for you, we compared three dietary supplements, all of which claim to be the best pre-workout there is. Let’s take a closer look at each to see if they actually live up to their marketing propaganda.
NO Xplode vs C4 vs Intensive Pre-Train: What Are They?
NO Xplode
NO Xplode is a self-proclaimed ‘legendary pre-workout formula’. There is some truth to the claim as the supplement has been in the business since the dawn of pre-workouts. From BSN, a fitness giant that deals with products for protein, pre-workout, energy, and recovery, N.O. Xplode is a supplement that is designed to help you focus and push athletic performance to the limit and beyond. Each serving of N.O. Xplode has 275 mg of caffeine. The caffeine helps you to concentrate and push yourself to perform more and better.
It is available in 5 flavors; i. Fruit Punch, ii. Watermelon, iii. Green Apple, iv. Grape, and v. Blue Raspberry to appeal to every palate. Working to boost workouts since 2004, N.O. Xplode has gone through several formats and the current version is the 3.0 version. This is what the supplement promises to do for you.
- Supports explosive energy
- Enhances endurance and stamina
- Strong muscle-mind connection
- Helps to cross previous limits
- Increases intensity of workouts
- Strengthens focus
- Maximizes performance.
How to use NO Xplode?
Mix 1 scoop with 4 to 6 ounces of cold water. Stir and do not shake. Consume 20 to 30 minutes before beginning your workout.
C4 Original Pre-Workout Powder
Cellucor C4 is from a range of sports and fitness products. Cellucor has a multiplicity of dietary supplements from fat burners to testosterone boosters. C4 Original Pre-workout powder claims to deliver extreme energy, endurance, and focus – everything you need during a session at the gym. Each serving of the supplement includes 150 mg of caffeine for that extra push. Available in 7 flavors – i. Icy Blue Razz, ii. Fruit Punch, iii. Strawberry Lemonade, iv. Cherry Lemonade, Grape, v. Watermelon, vi. Frozen Bombsicle and vii. Strawberry Margarita. C4 is approved by NSF to facilitate a natural increase in energy, clarity, and focus to fuel your workout sessions so that you get the muscle mass you want. C4 uses a patented combination of creatine and nitrates intended to rev your training sessions. Benefits claimed by this product include:
- Boosts energy to the next levels
- Enhances strength
- Increase muscular endurance
- Boost muscle pumps
- Reduces muscle fatigue
- Hastens recovery after exercise
- Help you focus and boosts mental alertness.
How to use C4 Original Pre-Workout Powder?
Add one scoopful of powder to 6 ounces of water and consume 30 minutes before you hit the gym.
Intensive Pre-Train
Intensive Pre-Train is a pre-workout supplement from the brand CrazyNutrition, a branch of the CrazyBulk which is a pioneer in the fitness and bodybuilding community for natural supplements that replace the use of steroids and SARMs. Intensive Pre-Train is the first product from CrazyNutrition and is considered to be a booming success already. The natural ingredients used in this drink are designed to promote protein synthesis for greater muscle building and to enhance the workout you are about to have. Intensive Pre-Train offers 3 flavors – i. Blue Raspberry and ii. Fruits Punch, which uses caffeine as a performance enhancer and offers iii. Green Apple – as a caffeine-free alternative if that is what you prefer. Adding En-Xtra® to its formula, Intensive Pre-Train can stop the jitters or caffeine crashes that usually occur after the effects of the supplement wear off. It is one of the few dietary supplements to make amends for the headaches and nausea that some people face. Positive benefits of using this pre-workout include.
- Spiked energy levels
- Sharp focus and stronger pumps
- Reduced soreness and fatigue
- Nitric oxide retention and muscle mass growth
- Helps break through plateaus
- Boosts endurance and stamina
- Faster recovery from workouts.
How to use Intensive Pre-Train?
Add one scoop of product to 8 to 12 ounces of water. Consume 30 minutes before you hit the gym.
For more info and news of Intensive Pre-Train visit this link!
It is best if pre-workouts are used only on workout days. These supplements are designed to give your gym sessions extra propulsions so if you use them on a day you don’t plan to exercise, you would have all that energy with nowhere to spend it.
The Pre-Workout Supplement Formulae
The three pre-workouts have their own unique combinations of high-quality ingredients to provide you with positive benefits. For you to make an informed decision, you need to know what has been added, how much of it is added, and what each ingredient brings to the pre-workout supplement.
The NO Xplode Formula
Of the three products discussed here, N.O. Xplode is the most popular pre-workout supplement simply because it has been around for a while. However, it had to go through several reconstructs as the ingredients in versions 1 and 2 were considered slightly dicey. The 3.0 version is standing strong so far and is believed to be the best version yet of the supplement. One serving of N.O. Xplode provides you with 20 calories and 5g of carbohydrates. It gives you your fair share of vitamins and minerals which includes vitamins D, B4, B12, pantothenic acid, thiamine, niacin, folate, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium.
N.O. Xplode employs the use of proprietary blends and each blend includes ingredients that provide you with a specific set of benefits. The whole range of components is called the N.O. Xplode Master Performance Blend.
- Myogenic Matrix
This blend includes Creatine Blend (creatine monohydrate, creatine anhydrous, creatine peptides), Taurine, Di-calcium phosphate, Di-sodium phosphate, AstraGin® proprietary, and Panax notoginseng extract. - Endura Shot
This group includes Beta Alanine and Beta Alanine HCl, Potassium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Magnesium Oxide, and Cholecalciferol. - Thermic Energy
N-Acetyl-Tyrosine, Tyrosine, Caffeine Anhydrous, Grapefruit Bioflavonoids, Pterostilbene, and Caffeine Cocrystal are included here. - N.O. Alpha Fusion
Here you would find, L-Citrulline Malate, Danshen extract, Grape skin extract, Phyllanthus emblica extract, Hawthorn extract, and folate.
Shock Composite
This blend comprises DMAE bitartrate, DL-Phenylalanine, Niacin, Calcium D-pantothenate, Toothed Clubmoss extract, Thiamin HCl, Pyridoxine HCl, and Cyanocobalamin.
If you are wondering what each blend is specified to do, you would be disappointed as this information is not available anywhere on the official website. If you are a newbie to the fitness world, most of the components mentioned above would sound alien – as they should. The fact that the proprietary blends are not explained anywhere is a bit of a red flag, especially for someone new to the business. The enigmatic names given to each group of ingredients only add further to the confusion. For a third-generation pre-workout supplement, this is an amateur mistake.
The C4 Formula
C4 is a part of a series and this is the formula for the Original Pre-Workout Powder. Each serving of the drink would give you 5 calories and less than 1g of carbs. Should you choose to go with C4 Original Pre-Workout Powder, you should make sure to eat a healthy and balanced meal as there would be no contribution from the supplement. In terms of micronutrients, you get Vitamin C, B6, B12, and Niacin. C4 uses one proprietary blend and includes individual components – a mover smarter than N.O. Xplode.
Explosive Energy Blend
This blend includes Caffeine Anhydrous for extra focus, thermogenic fat burning and concentration, Velvet Beans for improved coordination, physical performance, and improved mood and motivation, and Theacrine which reduces fatigue and boosts concentration.
- CarnoSyn® Beta-Alanine – 1.6g
Alanine is a non-essential amino acid that influences carnosine present in skeletal muscles. It also curbs lactic acid buildup, helps to metabolize glucose for fuel, and speeds up recovery. Beta-alanine is a staple with pre-workout supplements because it allows for longer workouts without muscle soreness and this leads to better muscle building and quicker recovery. - NO3-T® Creatine Nitrate – 1g
This element is held to increase blood flow to and from the muscles ensuring a steady supply of fuel, oxygen, and nutrients to the muscles. Creatine is also believed to improve protein synthesis for bigger and better-quality muscles and boosts strength and stamina as well. Creatine is also what many turn to for a good pump at the gym. - Citrulline Malate – 1g
Another essential amino acid, citrulline is responsible for overall well-being and athletic performance. This amino acid benefits the body by removing toxins and unhealthy agents like ammonia from the body. This helps the body to recover quickly and curbs muscle fatigue. It is also a vasodilator, widening blood vessels to improve blood flow throughout the body.
By including just one, easy-to-understand blend, C4 has made a more user-friendly pre-workout powder. The inclusions in the blend are also easy to understand and easier to look up, so if you were to check on the ingredients you would be able to find answers that do not sound like a chemistry lesson.
The Intensive Pre-Train Formula
This pre-workout formula believes in transparency. Unlike other pre-workout supplements that club obscure-sounding components together, Intensive Pre-Train individually cites each of the components used, how much of it was used, and the site of the role each of the components used. The label does not specify the number of calories or the amount of carbs you get but you get a good hard look at the ingredients. The micronutrients included are vitamin C, B1, B6, B12, Niacin, and Iron.
The formula includes Citrulline Malate (7g), Beta-Alanine (2.4g), Caffeine Anhydrous (200mg), and the following.
- Betaine Anhydrous – 1.8g
This is a compound found in beetroots and helps to keep you hydrated. Betaine aids energy production and promotes protein synthesis. It is often said to be a better muscle-building agent than creatine. With betaine in your system, you should have the energy to spare even after your workout session has ended. Moreover, it can influence cell reproduction and carnitine synthesis. - L-Tyrosine – 1g
Tyrosine is now found in nootropic and fitness supplements because of its ability to improve mental capacities in stressful situations. It can also boost levels of adrenaline, dopamine, and norepinephrine which help you feel euphoric during and after exercise. Tyrosine also influences athletic performance and endurance. - L-Taurine – 1g
Responsible for brain and heart health, nerve growth, and maintenance of cells, taurine is an amino acid that can benefit many biological systems. It also helps to lower blood pressure and can calm you down in times of stress. It is even an antioxidant that would stop free radicals from damaging tissues. This would help to speed up recovery. - L-Arginine AKG 2:1 – 1g
This amino acid helps to raise nitric oxide levels in the blood and also boosts protein synthesis. Arginine is also believed to increase HGH – human growth hormone levels that facilitate muscle mass growth and bone strength. Arginine can also increase blood flow to the muscles and promote nutrient absorption. - Glycerol Monostearate – 1g
The component gives you that extra energy boost, enhancing performance and stamina. It also helps the muscle to absorb more water and can help to improve the general look and feel of muscle mass. - Glucuronolactone – 400mg
Many would swear that glucuronolactone can improve performance and make training sessions last longer. However, there is no scientific evidence that backs this claim. This element has been added to protect the body from carcinogens. - L-Phenylalanine – 400mg
Another amino acid, phenylalanine is known to reduce mental and physical fatigue. It is added to most pre-workout supplements because it can increase protein synthesis, aid weight loss while protecting muscle mass, and improve the quality of muscle tissue. - KSM-Ashwagandha – 300mg
An adaptogenic herb, ashwagandha is known to boost testosterone levels and also boost overall health and well-being. The herb can help the body adjust to stress – physical and mental and can help the body better respond to exercise and intensive training. For men, it can also improve fertility and sexual health. - Ex-Xtra® – 100mg
This trademarked ingredient is exclusive to Intensive Pre-Train. This component protects your body from jitters, headaches, and nausea, known symptoms of caffeine crash. All pre-workouts include caffeine and with caffeine intake comes the crash. Intensive Pre-Train has intuitively added a component that gently lets you down from the caffeine high. - Piperine – 5mg
Piperine is found in black pepper and induces thermogenesis which promotes fat burning and arrests weight gain. Piperine also has the unique quality of improving bioavailability. It is often added to dietary supplements because the presence of piperine can ensure that the nutrients in the supplement are actually absorbed into the system.
N.O. Xplode, C4 Original Pre-Workout Powder, and Intensive Pre-Train also include a number of additional ingredients, most of which are to keep the supplements in powder form. Powders, as you know, have a tendency to clump.
Where Can You Buy These Supplements?
N.O. Xplode can be bought from its official website, at your local drugstore or fitness store, or online merchant sites like Amazon or iHerb. It is available in 2 sizes – 30 servings and 60 servings. The former would cost $39.99 while the latter costs $69.99, depending on where you make your purchases from. Shipping and refund policy would again depend on the merchant you make the purchase from.
Cellucor C4 can be bought from the official website or locally or online. On the website, you are given the option to subscribe which would bring the prices of the pre-workout down. However, for a one-time Purchase, the price of 30 servings pack would have you to pay $29.99 and the 60 servings pack costs $49.99. The brand also offers you a 60-day money-back guarantee in case you are not happy with your purchase. It is unclear if the money-back offer still stands if you make your purchases from other portals.
Intensive Pre-Train can be bought exclusively at the Official CrazyNutrition Website, visit here! Prices are the same for standard and caffeine-free options at $59.99 for a single tub. Here too, you have the option to subscribe where you get a 30% discount on auto-delivery. CrazyNutrition offers you a 60-day money-back guarantee on your purchase.
So, which is the Best Pre-Workout Supplement?
If you were to quickly glance at the three supplements, you would find it hard to find fault with any of them. On the whole, they are wholesome products and they all make promises of boosting your training session and provide energy levels higher than ever before. There are some similarities and yet what would affect your choice of supplement would be the differences. The parallels first.
Similarities
All three supplements include vitamins and minerals. These micronutrients support the immune system, promote metabolism, influence nutrient absorption and, to a certain extent, help muscle growth and bone strength. This would support your fitness goals in the long run.
All three contain caffeine (Intensive Pre-Train offers a caffeine-free version too). Almost all pre-workout supplements would include caffeine as this element would help to increase focus, and concentration, boost energy, and give you the drive to push yourself more. It goes without saying that when you take pre-workout drinks, you should consider reducing caffeine intake from other sources.
Like almost all other pre-workouts, NO Xplode, C4, and Intensive Pre-Train are in powder form and recommend a similar serving size. Reviews suggest that every one of them tastes great and blend well.
This is where the similarities end. And we have found a few faults with the products.
Differences
Both N.O Xplode and C4 Original Pre Workout Powder take to the use of proprietary blends. While C4 uses just one, uses a simple and self-explanatory name, and includes easy-to-understand ingredients, N.O Xplode uses one proprietary blend after another. The names of the blends make no more sense than the actual inclusions in the group. Many customers are now more conscious of what they put into their bodies and NO Xplode is not doing its users any favors.
The use of blends has another downside. It is unclear as to how much of each ingredient is added and whether the amount added would have the desired effect, no effect, or an adverse effect on the user. Other pre-workouts try to steer clear of blends and it is about time N.O Xplode and C4 followed suit. Intensive Pre-Train makes a point to individually mention ingredients and dosage as well.
Of the three, only Intensive Pre-Train includes an ingredient that can help with the possible jitters from the caffeine. That is thoughtful, to say the least.
To make a better comparison, here is a side-by-side review of all three supplements. It would help you decide.
| N.O. Xplode | Cellucor C4 | CrazyNutrition Intensive Pre-Train | |
| Benefits Claimed |
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| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Caffeine Content | 275mg | 150mg | 200mg |
| Flavors | 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Price | $39.99 | $29.99 | $59.99 |
| Refund | No clear refund policy | 60-day money-back guarantee | 60-day money-back guarantee |
| Where to Buy? | You can Buy NO Xplode on iHerb, Amazon, GNC, the Vitamin Shoppe, M&S. | You can Buy C4 Original Pre-Workout Powder on its official website its official site, Amazon, Flipkart and other Health Stores. | Intensive Pre-Train is only and exclusively available at the CrazyNutrition Official Website with Lucrative Deals, Discounts, Securities and Guarantees. |
NO Xplode vs C4 vs Intensive Pre-Train: The Verdict
Using a pre-workout supplement is an excellent way to get more out of your everyday workouts – provided that you choose the right product. We compared N.O. Xplode, C4 Original Pre-Workout Powder, and Intensive Pre-Train and after giving the three an in-depth look, we find that Intensive Pre-Train from CrazyNutrition is the best choice. Not only does it carefully state what has been used in the supplement, but it also mentions individual dosages and includes vital micronutrients that promote anabolic gains. It also includes the use of components that help with the caffeine jitters and neither of the other two has made such provisions. Also, the Intensive Pre-Train has a caffeine-free version, to meet the requirements of people who are sensitive to caffeine.
For your pre-workout needs, we highly recommend Intensive Pre-Train.
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