10 Best Stim-Free Pre Workouts – Get Pumped Without The Side Effects!

If you’re a gym bunny, you’ll probably know the importance of a good pre workout. And no, we’re not just talking about having a stretch and some water before you start. Crammed full of vitamins, these supplements help boost your energy a LOT.

However, the majority of powders, drinks and gummies on the market designed for such purposes also contain a ridiculous amount of caffeine. Yes, so much so that you might actually start physically shaking just from eating or drinking them. 

Although some might want to make themselves jittery before they hit the gym, others know better. For a clean, mean crossfit workout, check out these supplements below; all of them are caffeine and stimulant free, but still pack quite the punch.

10 Best Stim Free Pre Workout

Legion Athletics Legion Pulse Caffeine Free Pre Workout Supplement Powder

Made without the assistance of any stimulants whatsoever, Stim-free Pulse is a vegan pre workout powder that still manages to hone your mental focus, set your endorphins racing, boost your strength and keep you working out for as long as possible.

Combining key nutrients like beta-alanine and citrulline for the biggest possible pumps, extra strength and all of the endurance you need, betaine and alpha-GPC also help to give your brain a boost too, so you don’t lose any focus.

Being one hundred percent naturally sweetened and flavored, it’s available in four delicious editions that contain zero chemical dyes, unnecessary fillers or cheap nasties. Only the goodness that your body needs to fuel any workout!

If you’re sick of feeling jittery or experiencing crashes thanks to pre workouts packed full of unnecessarily high amounts of caffeine and other stims, this is definitely the alternative for you. Don’t love it? Legion provides a full refund, no questions asked.

Offering all of the pumps with none of the unpleasant side effects, every single ingredient has been peer-reviewed and backed by scientific research, proving its effectiveness even in clinical settings. Build your muscle with the power of science!

Pros:

• Perfectly dosed to give the best value for money
• Scientifically backed by published proven research
• Free of chemicals, artificial dyes and fillers
• Reviews state it’s just as effective as the caffeinated version

Cons:

• Can be a little pricey but worth it for committed pumpers

#2 The Genius Brand Genius Pre-Workout Powder, All Natural & Caffeine Free

Want to unlock strength and power beyond your raw capabilities, pushing yourself to new and greater heights? Try Genius Pro, the world’s first clinically dosed nootropics-based pre workout, guaranteed to engage you will all natural nutrients.

From a scientific standpoint, this is absolutely the best formula, superior to those pre workouts packed full of caffeine, DMAA and DMHA, which actually decrease blood flow and cause you to eventually crash!

Gain real energy, both mental and physical, from naturally sourced ingredients such as taurine, tyrosine and huperzine A. Six grams of l citrulline malate, beta alanine and ATP ensure the ultimate nitric oxide boost for full pump mode the whole workout.

100% naturally sweetened with vegan friendly stevia, organic ingredients and no artificial flavorings, colors or preservatives, there are no nasty sugary surprises with Genius Brand. Just total pump factor, without any nasty sound effects!

Thanks to their GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certified facility, you know you’re getting a consistently wonderful product, and their fully transparent packaging shows exactly what ingredients you’re consuming, for full peace of mind.

Pros:

• Vegan friendly and free of artificial ingredients, colors, dyes and sweeteners
• Third party tested for quality and purity
• No proprietary blends, fake ingredients or unnecessary stimulants
• Supports the increase of lean muscle whilst boosting natural strength

Cons:

• On the expensive side!

#3 TypeZero Ultra Clean Stim-Free Pre-Workout + Nitric Oxide Booster

Everything you desire in an organic, natural pre workout supplement, with none of the nasties you don’t, TypeZero’s UltraClean powder is exactly what it promises to be. Prepare to pump harder than ever with the natural boost of Nitrous Oxide.

Nobody wants a drink that tastes like baby powder: that’s why TypeZero prioritizes making their supplements take delicious, with a gorgeous cherry limeade flavor that actually tastes like that sweet summertime soda.

Lab tested and adhering to all GMP guidelines, you can purchase this powder with full confidence that every pack has been formulated and packaged in a USA facility that maintains a strict routine and provides only the finest of products.

Zero sugars, carbohydrates, artificial sweeteners or flavorings, colors, GMOs, dairy, gluten or any major allergens have made their way into these tubs. They really are the cleanest, meanest supplements on the market today!

And for full peace of mind, you don’t feel totally satisfied with your purchase, simply contact their excellent customer service team. Get a full refund or trade for a different flavor, it’s entirely up to you and requires zero hassle.

Pros:

• Caffeine, gluten, sugar and dairy free, vegan, no artificial flavors 
• Great taste and clean ingredients in every cup
• Full refund available if you’re not satisfied 
• Promotes killer pump without the caffeine

Cons:

• Only 21 servings per tub – not really the best value for money

#4 NutraBio PRE Stim-Free Pre-Workout Powder

NutraBio’s Pre Stim-Free is a very popular option amongst caffeine fans and clean freaks alike, for its ability to maximize strength, endurance, energy and focus without the use of stimulants. Plus, it’s a delicious dragonfruit candy flavor!

Using a combination of L-Citrulline, Nitrosigine and Agmatine, you’ll achieve a powerful pump matrix ready to explode your nitrous oxide levels. Feel like you could lift a car above your head, and all without ANY caffeine whatsoever!

Other ingredients like Beta Alanine, Creatine and L-Leucine help you decrease your necessary recovery time, as well as naturally increasing the synthesis of ATP. Get more workouts in every week, without over-exerting yourself.

Using the amino acid Taurine, this stimulant not only boosts your body, but it also helps regulate its temperature and maintain the desired balance of water. It reduces any signs of bloating AND gives you enhanced endurance levels.

Other additional electrolytes are replenished with every sip of this tasty pre workout, helping to prevent the chance for a sudden bout of cramp as well as offering you an additional burst of energy right as you require it.

Pros:

• State of the art ingredients analysis to ensure zero impurities, ever
• Small batch manufacturing to deliver the freshest products 
• Manufactured direct from an DFA inspected cGMP certified facility
• Clinically dosed, full therapeutic formulas for every active ingredient

Cons:

• Only available in one flavor

#5 ProSupps Dr. Jekyll Signature Pre-Workout Powder, Stimulant & Caffeine Free

Don’t want any caffeine? ProSupps have got you covered! Their Dr. Jekyll powder has been designed with stimulant-free ethics in mind, delivering maximum pumps and training without the use of caffeine – ideal for training day or night!

800mg of NOOLVL increases blood flow, enhancing and optimizing the way nutrients are delivered to your muscles. Boosting your muscles and your energy levels all at once, alongside Creatine and Beta Alanine, this is one scientific supplement.

Informed Choice certified and free of all banned substances, the IC logo demonstrates this product has undergone rigorous routine testing, as well as manufacturing audits, so athletes and fitness advocates can use guilt free.

You won’t find anything artificial or unwanted in this formula! Zero sugar, no carbs, no calories and gluten free, it’s all of the nutrients and minerals you need, and none of the nasties that you absolutely do not.

Every tub comes with 30 servings, in a delicious blueberry lemonade flavor that you’ll actually look forward to drinking! At such an affordable price, you really can’t deny that this supplement definitely offers a bunch of bang for your buck.

Pros:

• Stimulant free compounds that offer powerful focus, energy boosts and primo pumps
• Banned substance tested and manufactured in a certified US facility
• Scientifically formulated to deliver maximum pump and endurance with zero caffeine
• Supports muscle recovery as well as lean growth

Cons:

• Only available in one flavor

#6 Alani Nu Pump Stim-Free Pre-Workout Supplement

So named for its ability to seriously enhance your iron pumping capabilities, Alani Nu’s Pump supplement is guaranteed to help build muscles, maintain energy and stay focused, throughout your entire workout.

Being both tested for all 200 banned substances and manufactured in a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) compliant facility in the USA, Alani Nu cares as much as you do about the quality of the ingredients going into your body.

Delivering all of the key ingredients you need to push through the hardest point of your pumping on any given day, such as L-Citrulline and Glycerpump for added pump and Astragin and Huperzine A for fueling your mental function, too.

Naturally flavored (with some artificial additions) it has a delicious black cherry taste that you’ll be tempted to drink outside of the gym! 30 servings per tub mean you’ll have plenty of powder to see you through, and great value for money as well!

As well as that, it’s also completely vegan and gluten free, so those on a dairy free diet or with specific requirements can enjoy a pumped up workout without compromising on their beliefs or making themselves ill.

Pros:

• Delicious black cherry flavor
• 30 servings per tub
• Boosts your focus, energy and pump ability – a triple threat!
• Builds lean muscle mass and increases your natural strength

Cons:

• Does feature some artificial flavors

#7 VASOBLITZ by BFF Build Fast Formula Dual Nitric Oxide Pre-Workout

Get ready to power through your workouts harder than ever before with VASOBLITZ from BFF, created using the best, most cutting edge ingredients, ready to boost your blood flow and increase your power after just one dose!

Thanks to the high percentage of nitric oxide enhancing ingredients, your blood vessels are relaxed and expanded continuously, so you can train longer and push harder, creating the optimum nutrient delivery system for every muscle.

With an array of delicious flavors, from Lemon Drop and Rocket Pop (a childhood classic!) to Strawberry or Fruit Punch, you can choose the one that suits you best. Get pumped and enjoy the taste of your supplement – a win win situation! 

As a non-proprietary blend, BFF promises their label displays absolutely every ingredient it contains – what you see is what you get, so you know exactly what it is you’re consuming. No hidden surprises or banned ingredients here!

Worried about paying for something you might not like? Don’t worry! If VASOBLITZ doesn’t take your workout to the next level, you can get a no questions asked refund, guaranteed. This is a zero risk purchase that you surely won’t regret.

Pros:

• Plenty of fruity and candylike flavors to choose from
• Scientifically formulated to provide all of the desired effects with no stimulants
• Affordable price with 30 servings per tub
• Fully disclosed, clinically dosed and transparent formula

Cons:

• Can be difficult to mix with water – takes some vigorous shaking according to customer reviews

#8 Animal Pump Pro Powder Non Stimulant Pre-Workout

Choose from sweet and sour Green Apple or classic Strawberry Lemonade when you get your supplements from Animal Pump. Their pre workout might be stim-free, but you’ll still be releasing the beast, don’t worry!

Designed to be just as effective as stim-full formulas without those jitters or shakes, you can fully focus and pump as hard as you can, and not experience any of the unpleasant side effects which can actually reduce blood flow to your muscles.

Delivering a pump and cell volumization complex, focus complex and added sea salt for a boost to those electrolytes, this is one formula that helps you mind, body and soul. Okay, maybe not soul, but you’ll definitely have a stronger mindset!

Having been developed by professional bodybuilders, as well as manufactured in New Jersey at a fully cGMP compliant facility, every Animal Pump tub is fully transparent. Everything on the label is exactly what you will be consuming.

Pros:

• Chock full of crucial ingredients for maximum pumps
• Designed by bodybuilders and Olympic athletes
• Free of caffeine, yet still delivers an enormous boost to your workout
• UL certified and made in the USA

Cons:

• Limited flavor choice

#9 HardBody Supplements Ripped to Shredz Stimulant and Caffeine Free Pre-Workout

Over at Hardbody Supplements, they’ve come up with the ultimate in stim-free pre workout: Ripped to Shredz. Designed to help you shred, tone AND drop body fat, with no stimulants, it’s a premium capsule you can actually depend on.

Get physically and mentally prepared for your workout, sports practice or big games, thanks to their ethically produced formula that’s third party tested with every batch. Premium ingredients at affordable prices, from a manufacturer you can trust.

GMO free and without any of those banned substances, their science-backed formula is FDA inspected, produced in a GMP certified laboratory and produced only in the USA or Canada, for the purest, most potent supplement around.

Not only will you boost your energy levels and find yourself concentrating harder than ever before, but this supplement also boosts the loss of fat, as well as helping you to build up lean muscle and recover your sore spots quickly.

Their clinically effective dosages are designed to fuel your mind just as much as your body, as well as being naturally flavored and sweetened, using Stevia only. No artificial flavors, sweeteners or junk fillers, whatsoever.

Pros:

• Natural clean energy from twelve key ingredients – caffeine and stim free
• Fat loss benefits thanks to the CLA+ Carnitine included
• Zero jitters, no aches and never any crashing
• Replenishes electrolytes to restore your body

Cons:

• One of the pricier products on our list

#10 Cutler Nutrition Amplify Stim Free Pre-Workout

The tried and true nitric oxide boosting ingredients found in Amplify, Cutler Nutrition’s amazing stim free formula, offer a huge dosage of L Citrulline and Grape Seed Extract. In other words? Get ready for skin-tearing pumps, every workout!

Not only does this pre workout give you all the energy and focus you need, but it also provides a quality dose of important electrolytes, to ensure you’re properly hydrated and that those awful muscle cramps are left in the past.

Stackable and free of stimulants, you can combine this powder with any other pre workout on the market without any side effects; the manufacturer recommends you pair up with Cutler Nutrition’s focus driven supplement, Prevail, for best results.

At Cutler, every single tub is manufactured in the USA, in a cGMP compliant, rigorously tested facility. This ensures the highest of quality in every single batch, so you’ll never be disappointed with your results.

Choose from sour lemonade, watermelon, peach mango or unflavored, depending on your preferences. No matter if you’ve got a sweet tooth or you prefer the natural taste of H20, this product’s got you covered.

Pros:

• Promotes plenty of pump, vascularity and lean muscle growth
• Key ingredients to promote nitric oxide production and an energy boost
• Electrolytes ensure maximum hydration and zero untimely muscle cramps
• Zero artificial colors, flavors or preservatives

Cons:

• Customer reviews are mixed – make up your own mind!

Buyer’s Guide

Picking Your Pre-Workout – Things To Consider

Form of Consumption

The great thing about pre workouts is that they’re available in a variety of formats. Capsule, mix-in powder, ready made drink in a can or tasty gummy candy: the world is your oyster, and you can get whichever you prefer.

It’s worth noting that the powder products usually offer the most servings per pack, and therefore tend to be best value for money overall; that said, certain tubs contain more servings than others, so keep your eyes peeled and get the best option.

Flavor Choices

When it comes to pre workouts, you might be used to holding your nose and chugging it back without stopping to taste it. Stop right there! There are so many delicious flavors available out there, you just have to search for them.

Inspired by tropical cocktails, fruits, childhood candy favorites, even sweet dessert treats, you can get a pre workout in just about any flavor these days. You can even get UNFLAVORED if you prefer to only taste your water and nothing else.

Health AND Exercise Benefits

Sure, your priority is probably finding a pre workout that’s packed full of nitrous oxide boosting, scientifically formulated and backed ingredients, so as to get that pump-boosting power you would otherwise gain from sugar, caffeine or other stims.

• Arginine is an amino acid and a nitric oxide predecessor AKA your body needs it to produce nitrous oxide; Nitrosigine also does this, but more successfully, being a combination of silicon AND arginine.
• Agmatine Sulfate doesn’t produce nitrous oxide, but it does prevent its breakdown, allowing you to train for longer and with more effort, prolonging the period of time you’re delivering maximum pump.
• L-Citrulline is another popular ingredient, produced when arginine is being converted to NO in your body – it works with all of the other ingredients to increase NO levels in your body and naturally boost your blood flow.
• HydroMax, aka concentrated glycerol powder, is a very popular ingredient in many sports nutrition powders and beverages, naturally attracting water to your areas of lean muscles for that all important vascularity.

However, there are other things to think about. From nutrients and vitamins to those all important electrolytes, some pre workouts are designed to also give you additional mental and physical boosts that aren’t about your lean muscle growth.

Number Of Servings

This might sound obvious, but to get the best value for your money, you should be paying attention to how many servings you get from each tub. You’ll find most products offer around 30 portions, but some have less and others have more.

When comparing prices, be sure to account for the portion size/number of portions in your calculation of which works out the most affordable. This is probably the least important factor to you fitness fanatics, however!

Frequently Asked Questions

What does non-stim pre workout mean?

A supplement to be taken before your workout that contains zero traces of caffeine or other ingredients that are considered to be stimulants. These are perfect for those who prefer to work out at night and get a full eight hours of sleep afterward.

A stimulant-filled pre workout is designed to use such ingredients to activate your central nervous system, which in turn makes you feel more energized by speeding up your heart rate and creating a feeling of alertness.

Quite the opposite, stim-free formulas are intended to have a similar effect, but they do so by increasing the amount of nitrous oxide present in the body. This promotes good blood flow, lean muscle gain and quicker recovery times post-workout.

What effects do non-stim pre workouts have?

Primarily, they replicate the effects of all other pre workouts: from increasing your vascularity and encouraging the growth of muscle to help you achieve your best pumps yet, it’s a more natural process that achieves the same overall goals.

Non-stim pre workouts, then, use ingredients that promote the increase of nitrous oxide in the body, which works to encourage the blood vessels to expand and contract more frequently, delivering nutrients to where they are most needed.

Thanks to such pre workout formulas, you get that all important increase in blood flow, which in turn leads to the stimulation of protein synthesis (creation) as opposed to breakdown, as well as expanding those muscle-maintaining amino acids also.

Do non-stim workouts give you energy?

Yes, but you can’t feel it in the same way as you would with a stimulant-packed pre workout, because it’s the caffeine and other stims that give you that energized (sometimes a little too much, hence the shaking) feeling.

That said, you will still get plenty of benefits, from the increase in stamina and overall endurance, to extra pump and additional blood flow around the body. Most formulas are also designed to help you avoid unpleasant cramps by increasing your hydration.

Likewise, non-stim workouts are usually also focused on supporting the recovery of your muscles after a workout, as well as the growth of them during, so you’re getting the added benefit of less soreness the day after you exercise.

Is too much caffeine in a pre workout bad for you?

In a word: yes! Just one of the side effects many fitness fans will be familiar with is the jitters or shakes that caffeinated pre-workouts can cause. Your body becomes overstimulated and your heart starts pumping way faster than it needs to.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a limit of around 400mg of caffeine per day is the safety limit for the majority of adults; this is approximately four cups of coffee, but you’d be surprised to learn that many pre-workouts far exceed this amount!

It’s also worth noting that pregnant people or those trying to become pregnant or who are currently breastfeeding should reduce their caffeine intake by half. Ideally you’d have none at all, but 200mg should be safe enough if you can’t go without.

Side effects of too much caffeine include nervousness and irritability, headaches, an increased heart rate (to the point where you can feel it and it is unpleasant) tremors in your muscles, constant peeing or a loss of control in your bladder, plus insomnia!

Everybody is different, so depending on a variety of factors like height, weight and metabolism, amongst other things, the amount of caffeine you can consume before feeling these effects may differ, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe.

It’s also worth noting that too much caffeine is actually known to impact your workout negatively, by decreasing your body’s blood flow and causing you to crash before you’re actually ready to finish. That’s not the kind of boost you’re looking for!

As you can see, ingesting more than the recommended amount is unpleasant, and at the end of the day is only going to hinder your workout, rather than help it. We’re not saying remove caffeine from your diet altogether… but taking it out of your pre workout is a good start!