About
PreSeries STIM-FREE is a pre-workout made by Transparent Labs. It was developed to boost endurance and focus without stimulant effects.
The pre-workout features 11 ingredients. The Transparent Labs website refers to citrulline malate as “the star child of pre-workout science”. It is included to increase nitric oxide and improve “strength”, “muscle endurance” and “aerobic performance”. L-norvaline is said to work alongside L-citrulline malate to produce nitric oxide.
The brand also says it includes beta-alanine to “promote the formation of healthy proteins” and to reduce “neuromuscular fatigue”.
Meanwhile, L-tyrosine could reduce stress, improve focus and boost endurance.
horsty –
The Most Versatile Preworkout On The Market
– Introduction –
This has been a preworkout I have been using for a little while now, and have been excited to review as soon as I got the time. My life is rather hectic with full time work, school and ROTC on top of that. Due to my lack of free time I went ahead and simplified everything I could in my life. From how I eat, to what I eat or how I workout, it was made simpler and less time consuming. I eat once or twice a day, I workout up to three times a day due to PT, strength training and crossfit(It’s apparently functional), and on top of that I have a full time job and full time in college as well. The things I look for in my supplements are versatility, dosages and the usage of natural ingredients over certain artificial ones. Transparent Labs created three preworkouts, and I am reviewing their Stim Free one which might just be my favorite preworkout of all time…maybe anyways.
– Ingredient Profile –
This is one of those supplement profiles you look at, and just want to thank the supplement gods for. When I first found Transparent Labs, I right away noticed they did not skimp on any ingredient. Everything is maxed out, and dosed properly for the most part. Starting from the with 6 grams of L-Citrulline, followed by 4 grams of BCAA’s. Wait BCAA‘s you might ask? In a preworkout? Yes, and I love that they added them. The whole purpose behind adding BCAA’s to a preworkout is to get protein synthesis started without having to consume a bunch of protein. For someone like me who fast upwards of 20 hours a day, and doesn’t have a meal or calories till roughly 2:00pm, yet still works out at 6:00am everyday BCAA’s are important part of my supplementation. At 4 grams it’s a little low than the normal 10 grams I usually dose at, but it is still a great dosage of them.
Next, I want to talk about what isn’t in this. Artificial sweeteners. Why is this important? Well to me it is, I use to use the common products ridden with artificial sweeteners without regard. Started doing some research on what I was taken in and made the decision to switch to more natural ingredients. Now I’m not saying artificial sweeteners and flavors are going to murder you family, and eat your dog; however I am saying I think they are harder on our bodies than we realize. Once I made the switch to only using Stevia sweetened products, I noticed two things. One, I felt better and I didn’t have the some of the stomach issues I had accepted as normal. Its not all good however, if I take in too much Stevia the stomach issue hit hard. From what I can tell my body can handle a higher amount of Stevia than I can sucralose or acesulfame potassium(I suggest doing your own research on this one, it does not seem like a safe ingredient to take in).
Transparent Lab put together a well rounded stim free preworkout, with ingredients for pump, focus and endurance. Looks amazing on paper, however we all know that just because it looks good, doesn’t mean it performs good which I’ll be getting into the effectiveness shortly.
– Taste –
Had both green apple, and blue raspberry and lets just say they’re easily drinkable. Both are close in taste. Very tart, and have a subtle hint of the flavor involved. This does not matter much to me at all, as long as it is drinkable it’s fine for me because I know the limitations of Stevia.
– Mixability –
Mixing this is easy. Much easier than you would think after you see the size of the scoop. Add one scoop to 10 ounces of water and a few shakes and it is mixed, with some fizzing action going on, but nothing major.
– Dosing –
30 servings total at one 23.44 grams per scoop. This isn’t a two scooper either. Try that and your skin will be burning from all the Beta Alanine at 4 grams per scoop.
– Effectiveness –
The entire reason for me to get a stim free preworkout is for the versatility of it all. See, on Mondays I have Army PT at 6:00am. This isn’t something you take a preworkout for, and after that I do some strength training but nothing serious. Later in the day around 7:00pm however I have crossfit, and this preworkout has been excellent for that. If it had caffeine I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night and would probable have a heart in the middle of the WOD(A part of me dies every time I say WOD. But how about days I want caffeine with my preworkout you ask? Simple, I get caffeine pills. The best part about this is that I can then control the amount of caffeine I take preworkout. If I want 100mg, then I take that. If I want 300mg I take that. It’s that great actually, I honestly think I will not be going back to a stimulated preworkout for a long time, if ever. My favorite combination is to take 2 of NooWave’s The High Performer(Not recommending this, just something I tried and liked). I get intense focus and stims, and again can control how much. This reivew is on the stim free preworkout on its own though, so keep that in mind.
Pumps: 9.9/10
The pumps I get from this are incredible, and there are a few reasons why. One is that it has a hefty dose of L-Citrulline, and two is that it doesn’t have stimulates. Caffeine actually constricts pumps, and when I take this without caffeine my arms blow up. Muscles pop out of places I didn’t know existed. So much so, the pump I get from this is slightly addicting to the point I won’t even take any stims with this for my Sunday morning workout because I know how excellent the pumps will be without stims. Pumps are amazing, enough said.
Endurance: 9.10
Again, I think this excelled in this area because of the lack of caffeine. With 4 grams of Beta Alanine my muscles last longer in workouts, and I do not burn out so easily on high rep work. And in my crossfit WODs(Ugh…) I noticed when I took this prior my times are better, and I do not feel as wore down after the workouts.
Stim Free Focus: 8.5/10
The focus is there. Not in your face screaming at you to stop being such a wuss and lift heavier, but it is there. Its smooth, and you won’t even realize how zoned in you are because of how slowly in hits you. Roughly 30-40 minutes after taking this I’ll notice a calming type focus, where my mind slows ever so slightly and my thoughts turn to lifting the heavy weight in front of me.
Overall this has been my favorite workout to date. Not because it pumps me up, or has me pulling 50 more pounds than normal(I miss you Jack3d…), but how I can use this pre in all sorts of occasions. I love having things that can be used in more than one situation, and this is one of them. My suggestion is if you want to get this, but want the ability of having stims sometimes, buy some caffeine pills with it. Or get their Lean or Bulk version.
– Value –
$50 for a preworkout? The horror! However in this case I will argue it is a solid price a little on the high side though. At $50 per 30 servings this put the price higher than most preworkouts. My argument is when you compare this to heavily dosed preworkouts like it, the price isn’t so bad. NutraBio‘s stim free preworkout is sold at $38. $12 dollars less for the not so math incline people. A lot of the dosages are quite similar, however again I’ll go back to the value one places on having their supplements naturally sweetened. I am completely fine with paying $50 for this, and I have already. And currently(3/18/2017) esupplements.com has these bogo 50% off plus a free shakers. A great deal if you ask me, as I have already taken advantage of it.
– Side Effects –
None
– Conclusion –
Buy it. If you’re new to supplements and want a preworkout, get this. If you’ve been using supplements for years, get this. You won’t be disappointed. If you value the naturalness and the versatility of products like I do, this will easily become a favorite. Love this product, and recommend it to everyone looking for a good pre.
royalapple –
A Versatile Choice That Works
—-Introduction—-
I want to start by thanking PricePlow for this product. I never heard of it before. Once I read the profile, I was interested. This is a very unique product facing away from stimulants. But, don’t be fooled. You will still feel it. I’ll explain below.
—-Ingredient Profile—-
Citrulline Malate: (6g)
This is used to target the pump. It’s a 2:1 ratio so there is only 4g of Citrulline. I prefer no lower than 6g and no higher than 8g. I would of replaced this with 8g pure cit to enhance the pump.
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BCAA 2:1:1: (4g)
This is just a smart move personally. I believe in BCAA and the way they bypass the liver allowing the muscles to reap full benefits.
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CarnoSyn Beta-Alanine: (4g)
This is to promote longer workouts by buffering the burn. I’ve said this before I don’t think it needs to be in a PreWorkout. You can get the full effects from Beta by taking it separately. BUT, this product personally seems like it can be taken everyday. I’ll explain what I mean more below. Also, 3.2g is the clinical and popular dose. I still didn’t get any tingles from this product standing at 4g!
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BetaPure (Betaine Anyhdrous): (2.5g)
This is used to target the pump like Citrilline. I love this ingredient and believe it works. 2.5 is a cool dose, but I like 3g. This with Citrulline are the core reasons one would receive a pump from this product.
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Creatine HCL: (3g)
This is used for many purposes, but I feel it should be taken separately to reach its full effects. Although, if one took this product everyday then I approve because this product is more than a PreWorkout to me. It contains ingredients that can be taken at anytime. I wouldn’t mind pretending this is just a BCAA product with added ingredients.
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Taurine: (1.3g)
This is used to target the mind and energy. Since there aren’t any stims, they needed to find an alternative way to provide energy. 1.3g is a great dose. Way more than energy drinks. This by itself doesn’t due much for me, but stacking it with the next ingredient makes it works better. Or the next ingredient is just awesome!
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N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine: (600mg)
I love this ingredient. It works! And it’s at a higher dose than average. Clash uses 500mg which is awesome, but you don’t feel it the way you feel it with this product. I consider this a nootropic. Regular Tyrosine works just as well, but I believe in absorption so the acetylation grabs my attention.
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Choline Bitartrate: (500mg)
I love this ingredient as well! Why? Neurons. Signaling. Contractions. I wouldn’t mind this being replaced with Alpha-GPC, but it works just fine. Alpha hits a little harder for me. I’m glad they included this ingredient at such a high dose. They are making up for the lack of “stims”.
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L-Dopa : Mucuna Pruriens: (70mg)
I like this ingredient as well. Just not at this dose. I felt 100mg would of changed everything. This is used to target the mind and usually gives a “feel good” response.
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L-Norvaline: (60mg)
This is used to target the pump like Citrulline and Betaine. I feel it’s way under-dosed! I wish it was around 100-150mg to help increase the pump. I don’t feel this contributes to the pump at this dose.
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BioPerine: (5mg)
Obtained from black pepper fruit to help enhance absorption of the above ingredients. It believe it works.
—-Taste/Mixability/Dosing—-
Taste – The black pepper gave it a little kick, but it tasted like it’s name. Strawberry Lemonade. It tasted citrusy. Like lemons. Tasted good enough to finish.
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Mixability – It mixes just fine. No floaters. You’ll see in my photo that it foams big time, but then it will go away. No worries.
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Dosing – I take one scoop. I don’t do more because of the Beta. I don’t need more than that at one time. I have never done less than a scoop. But, one scoop just does job.
—-Effectiveness—-
Pump – I judge the pump hard. You will get a pump from this product, but you will have to work for it. It doesn’t come easy. That’s because there are only 3 pump ingredients. This product isn’t geared towards the pump though so I can’t complain. It didn’t make me look in the mirror forgetting to workout 😉
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Muscle Output – My contractions were nice and hard. I thank the Choline for this. Choline gives me great muscle output. Alpha GPC would of gave me more. But, this product contains a great group of ingredients for focus and strength.
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Focus – Yes I was focused. No tunnel vision, but I did feel a sense of concentration. It wasn’t overwhelming. I was able to switch between thoughts easy. Some PreWorkouts make me think one thing over and over. This gave me a clear concentrated focus. If that makes sense. It contains a good group of ingredients for focus that also rolls over to strength.
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Energy – My heart started beating kinda fast after 15min, but then went away real quick. I think it’s the Taurine. Energy drinks do that also. At least it didn’t last long. The energy wasn’t special, but it was there. Just not the way stims do. No jitters. No shakes. Clean. Smooth. Not sustainable, but there.
—-Value—-
They have it for sell at $50. It’s almost a 25g scoop. $50 seems a bit high. I wouldn’t pay no more than $40. I would pay $50 if they removed CitMal and added PureCit. I would pay $50 if they replaced Choline with AlphaGPC. I would pay $50 if Norvaline was at a higher dose. I feel it’s at $50 because of the BCAA involved.
—-Side Effects—-
None. You may feel the tingles. I didn’t, but 4g of Beta is higher than most.
—-Conclusion—-
Overall, this product works. It works in different ways. It can act as a way to take a break from stimulants. It can act as a Neuro Based BCAA supplement. It can be an alternative to caffeine. I think this product is versatile. I wish the pump was better. I wouldn’t buy it with my own money because I’m so picky. I would recommend, but not at that price. It’s versatile and it works. I would love to know how it works for you.
Stevenz –
Impressive Stimulant Free, Fully Transparent Labeled Pre-workout
—-Quick Summary—-
Transparent Labs Stim-Free is a well rounded, fully disclosed pre workout that i believe everyone should try that enjoys going stim free.
—-Introduction—-
I bought this product to begin with to try a Non-Stim preworkout. All other previous preworkouts i had used were stim based. We had a conversation in my cardiology class about caffeine and stimulants which peaked my interest in trying a Non-Stim for once. I really debated on it due to the pricing, $49 for 30 servings, but i am glad that i did. With Transparent labs they are true to their name with full transparency. They even include the exact amount of stevia, flavoring, etc within their product. This is an aspect i have never seen before. One aspect that some may care about is the packaging. The company has stopped using tubs and has switched to bags (picture below). This can be somewhat of a nuisance when at the end of the bag you are trying to dig out the last serving or 2. To fix this though you could save the tub of another sup and just pour it into the old tub.
—-Ingredient Profile—-
[u]L-Citrulline Malate 2:1 (6,000 mg)[/u]- This is a combination of the non-essential amino acid and malic acid. The L-citrulline will be converted into L-arginine in the kidneys which will then help to dilate the blood vessels and increase nutrient flow to the muscles. Due to this it will enhance the activation of the creatine and also the BCAAs with being funneled into the muscle for energy and protein synthesis. With this 2:1 ratio you are getting 4 grams of L-citrulline and 2 grams of malic acid. Malic acid plays a role in the Krebs cycle which promotes ATP (energy) production. These two ingredients together will increase the production of energy and will promote the removal of waste products from exercise like ammonia, carbon dioxide, lactic acid.
[u]BCAA 2:1:1 (4,000 mg)[/u]- The BCAAs used in this product are of a 2:1:1 ratio. This means we are receiving 2 grams of Leucine, 1 gram Isoleucine, and 1 gram Valine. These amino acids will be used as energy during the workout and the leucine will be used to kick start muscle protein synthesis. These amino acids may also help to keep your body from going into a catabolic state during the workout especially if you train fasted.
[u]Beta-Alanine (4,000 mg)[/u]- This amino acid is one of two building blocks that make up carnosine. Carnosine is an important buffering agent that helps fight to maintain a balance of muscle acid. This lactic acid buildup is what causes the burning sensation during exercise. Carnosine levels quickly plummet when exercise is intense. Beta-alanine ultimately slows down muscle fatigue.
[u]Creatine HCL (3,000 mg)[/u]- Creatine has many benefits like the ingredients above. It helps with ATP formation by recycling and donating a phosphate to ADP to make ATP. This increases energy stores. Creatine also helps to buffer the pH levels in muscle like carnosine does. This form of creatine has a hydrocloride bonded to it which makes it soluble in water and also increases absorption in the body.
[u]BetaPure Betaine Anhydrous (2,500 mg)[/u]- Betaine is a compound that is found in beets and also within our body. This compound has good synergy with creatine. This is because it improves natural creatine producting by being a carbon donor in a reaction to produce methionine. While methionine is used for creatine production it also increases muscle protein synthesis so betaine improves that as well. There is also new studies saying that it promotes a rise in HGH and IGF-1.
[u]Taurine (1,300 mg)[/u]- This is a compound that is in most energy drinks and is known to have a lot of benefits. It is a good antioxidant compound in which it can help to promote health all over the body. It has been shown to particularly promote good cardiovascular health in which it can protect heart cells from damage and even prevent atherosclerosis (hardening, narrowing of the blood vessels due to plaque)
[u]N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine (600 mg)[/u]- This ingredient is L-Tyrosine with acetyl group attached which allows the molecule to cross into the brain. Tyrosine is an amino acid that can be converted in the body readily into L-Dopa and then dopamine to increase mood. This has not been able to be proven for oral intake though. L-Tyrosine has been found to have an anti-stress factor for the body when put into physically stressing situations. This is because it increases the catacholamine known as noradrenaline, which buffer for stress in the body.
[u]Choline Bitartrate (500 mg)[/u]- Choline is used for the cognitive side of the product. Choline is used within the synthesis of new DNA but also in the production of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that aids in the delivery of signals between nerves.
[u]Mucuna Prurians 98% L-Dopa (70 mg)[/u]- This is an interesting ingrediant to put in a preworkout. This is a species of bean that grows in the tropics and is known to have high levels of Levadopa. L-Dopa when ingested can cross the blood-brain barrier and is directly converted into dopamine. Dopamine will help to provide a euphoric feeling and will also lower prolactin levels. This may seem like a low dosage of Mucuna but they standardized it to 98% which means we are getting almost all of it L-Dopa.
[u]L-Norvaline (60 mg)[/u]- This compound provides the 1,2 punch for nitric oxide. While other ingridents work to raise nitric oxide this ingredient prevents you body from stopping NO production. The body will naturally cease NO production through an enzyme called arginase. While arginase limits NO production L-Norvaline inhibits arginase which forces your body to continue production.
[u]BioPerine (5 mg)[/u]- Everyones favorite absorption agent
—-Taste/Mixability/Dosing—-
The taste of this product was good considering it was sweetened naturally. I do LOVE the fact that they went with stevia for a natural sweetener but you cannot expect it to taste like pie. I had the green apple flavor and it was very tart. This went along great with the flavor though since green apple is already tart normally. The mixability was great considering it contained amino acids. Aminos are hydrophobic compounds so they do not like to mix with water well. This could be seen with floaters here and there but nothing serious. I even mixed this product several times with a glass and spoon with no problems at all.
[u]Dosing[/u]
L-Citrulline- Recommend: 6,000-8,000 mg / Product: 6,000 mg
BCAA: 1-1.5 g/kg daily / 4g
Beta Alanine: 2-5g / 4g
Creatine HCl: 2.5-5g / 3g
Betaine: 2.5g / 2.5g
Taurine: 500-2,000mg / 1,300mg
N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine: 500-2,000mg / 600mg
Choline Bitartrate: 250-500mg / 500mg
Mucuna Pruriens: 250-5,000mg / 70mg
L-Norvaline: 2-5 g / 60mg
As you can most of the ingredients in Stim Free are dosed within clinical dosages. There are a few that are lower than recommended dosages but i believe these may be for reason. High dosages of L-Dopa can show negative side effects such as heart arrythmias. High dosages of L-Norvaline can bottom out a persons blood pressure. While i wish these were a little bit closer to clinical values i understand the risks putting these into a supplement in which some consumers may not research these effects.
One scoop of this preworkout is 24.82 grams of product. Transparent Labs advises that you take this 20-30 minutes before your workout with 6-8fl oz of water. I took this product by mixing it up and drinking it over the course of about 30 minutes before i worked out. I felt that the effects were better when i drank this slower and did not chug it real quick. Also the flavor was a lot stronger when mixed with 6-8 fl oz so i did more around 12 fl oz to make it taste better for me personally.
—-Effectiveness—-
[u]Energy[/u]- I did feel very energized while taking this product which surprised me since it didn’t have any stimulants. The difference is that this was a very clean, controlled energy. If you are used to stimulants than this product will not give you the same energy that those do. I did not take this product and have a raging energy burst. It comes on slower but it also lasts longer with absolutely no crash.
[u]Focus[/u]- The focus on this product was amazing for me. I usually workout in the morning and go to school soon. On most days i would continue to have a very focused and motivated mood in school throughout the day after taking this. The sensation wasn’t a “tunnel vision” feel but it did make it easier to not wander off in thought or get distracted. This was an aspect that really surprised me and provides benefits outside of just muscle building and exercise.
[u]Pump[/u]- The pumps on this product were there but they really showed while doing high volume. When training with high volume the pumps were incredible and felt great but you definitely had to earn them. This was not a product that gave you a pump with little effort. The pumps that i got stayed with me longer than i usual get. Im not sure whether this was the product itself that did this or the fact that i could push myself for the extra reps.
—-Value—-
The value on this product did seem to be lacking to me at first. It is 49$ for 30 serving. I do wish it was cheaper than this but after looking at buying individual ingredients and making my own preworkout i do see why it is this price. At the end of the day it is expensive but it is worth a definite try. I am willing to pay the extra money to get a natural preworkout that benefits me as much as this one does.
—-Side Effects—-
Only side effect was the itches from the beat-alanine. It should go away after repeated use.
—-Conclusion—-
At the end of the day this product worked wonderful for me and is my new favorite preworkout. I will be buying another bag of this and would recommend it to anybody interested in a non stimulant preworkout. The price point may be high for a supplement at 1.63/ serving but i will fork over the extra change for a natural, well dosed product. Unfortunately this is not widely available and you mostly have to buy from Transparentlabs.com. They will rarely run a promotion for 10 or 15% off so keep an eye out if you are interested.