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Drinking a pre-workout before a workout is a key ingredient that separates an average workout from a great one.
And trust me you will start seeing the positive outcomes after a few weeks.
But how to identify and select the best pre-workout for your P90X workout regime?
If you stick to the end you are going to find out the answers to these and more questions that may be flowing around your head.
Now I’m going to show you 5 great products to choose from and explain to you what makes them great, what you should look for and how to pick something the best option for you.
Sit comfortably, take a cup of tea and let’s start…
In a hurry?
If you have very limited time I recommend you to check out the VINTAGE BLAST Pre Workout.
It gives great results on people, uses good ingredients, tastes good and you are getting awesome value for the price.
Click Here for the latest price on Amazon
Top 5 Best Pre-Workouts for P90X
I know that there are a ton of different pre-workout supplements all promising great results and natural and safe ingredients but we all know the majority of that is just clever advertising and the real products are not that great.
Here are our favorite 5 products we recommend for anybody who is looking to get actual results while not consuming dangerous junk.
Before we continue I want to mention that all 5 products do have differences one another so make sure to check them and pick the one that fits your needs the best.
Comparison Table
Here’s a quick overview and close comparison so you can see some of the pros and cons each one has.
Pre-Workout | Doses | Caffeine | BCAAs | Creatine | Beta-Alanine | Citrullinr Malate | Taurine | Vitamins |
VINTAGE BLAST | 20 | 150mg | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Optimum Nutrition Essential | 65 | 100mg | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
BSN N.O.-XPLODE | 30 | 275mg | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Legion Pulse | 21 | 350mg | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
RSP AminoLean | 30 | 125mg | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
All 7 columns used in this table are very important. The more ingredients a certain product does have the better. Later on this article, you are going to learn more details on each column and why it’s important.
#1 – VINTAGE BLAST Pre Workout – Winner
Included Ingredients:
Doses | Caffeine | BCAAs | Creatine | Beta-Alanine | Citrulline Malate | Taurine | Vitamins |
20 | 150mg | No | No | 1g | 5000mg | No | Yes |
The first option we are going to review is made by a big trustworthy company we have previously also recommended on a few other their products because they are simply great.
And that’s not only us – go online are you are going to find thousands of happy customers worldwide who like their products and the results they get.
Many people share than this product does taste good and most importantly does provide with the promised energy and endurance you need.
I believe the reason behind that is that this product is made only with natural products – harmless flavor and sweeteners.
In addition is also packed with essential beneficial ingredients such as caffeine, beta-alanine, citrulline malate and a lot of vitamins and minerals.
Another great thing about this product is that you won’t find any GMO, banned or dangerous substances or artificial ingredients so I may say this is a pretty safe option to take and that’s the main reason why we have selected it as a winner.
The lack of such additives results in far fewer side effects and health problems that may occur.
In addition to that this product is third-party tested for extra security and it’s made in the USA in an FDA certified manufacturing.
A few extra additions some people may find useful are that this pre-workout doesn’t use any soy, dairy or gluten making it a perfect option for vegetarians or people following the keto diet.
Quick Summary:
Even with it’s little higher price I’m certain that this product is going to do a hell better job of providing you with good energy levels and endurance for your P90X workouts compared to a ton of other similar products.
The main reasons are the natural and effective ingredients, happy customers and the FDA certification.
#2 – Optimum Nutrition Essential Amino Energy – Best Value Per Price
Included Ingredients:
Doses | Caffeine | BCAAs | Creatine | Beta-Alanine | Citrulline Malate | Taurine | Vitamins |
65 | 100mg | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
The second product we are going to check out has one of the best prices per doses in the whole market.
That is making it a really good option for somebody who doesn’t have a lot to spend but is looking for some great product who is going to provide him with all the important essentials.
A big plus is that this is a product that is offered by a fairly big and famous company from the supplement industry who does have high standards and it’s proven to be good.
A lot of people have confirmed that this product does actually work and gives a nice boost in both energy and stamina.
In addition to that, there aren’t any repeated issues with the taste, mixing abilities and after use stomach problems making it a safe option to use.
What I like about this supplement is that it also helps with recovery because of the 5 grams of important BCAAs you are getting per serving.
Unfortunately, I do not like the fact that Optimum Nutrition uses artificial flavors but except that we find all other ingredients to be good and safe to you.
It is also very good that this supplement does contain almost every essential for a proper energy boost – caffeine, BCAAs, Beta-Alanine, Citrulline Malate, and Taurine.
Finally, I want to add up that this product is also gluten-free and it’s going to work well in a keto diet.
Quick Summary:
Even if not perfect Optimum Nutrition is offering pretty nice product which does have all the important essentials you really need.
We are talking about solid energy boost, good and clean overall ingredients, nice taste and super affordable price per dose. It’s something worth checking.
#3 – BSN N.O.-XPLODE Pre-Workout Supplement – Contains everything
Included Ingredients:
Doses | Caffeine | BCAAs | Creatine | Beta-Alanine | Citrulline Malate | Taurine | Vitamins |
30 | 275mg | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The next option provided by BSN is one of our favorites because it’s the only pre-workout that does contain all the important ingredients to give you the best possible results and it actually works.
The big downside is that with such huge mixture of many things some people can’t digest it properly which may lead to stomach problems. But it’s not certain that this is what may happen to you because many people don’t have any side effects from taking it.
So if we look percentagewise we can see that even with this problem it’s still worth it because of a few things.
To start the price and size of each serving is very good and it actually does provide you with good stamina and energy for your workouts.
It also does come in a lot of different flavors to choose from. Sadly some of them do come from non-natural sources.
I don’t find that to be so bad because each scoop you take is going to be packed with a lot of very important ingredients that are going to help you a lot before, during and after your P90X workouts.
Another thing I want to add is the fact that it has additional vitamins and minerals.
I know that’s not the main reason why somebody will buy a pre-workout but I believe they are important because many of us lack some of them and having them included makes it really easy to hit your daily requirement pretty easy.
The quality of their products is good and a big factor to that is the fact that they are made in cGMP compliant facilities with NSF certification.
So even with its issues I still believe this is a great product to use.
Quick Summary:
If you are looking for a pre-workout packed of everything that is reasonably priced and does what it promised you should give BSN a try. I know it’s not ideal for some people but if you can take it without any issues you’ve hit a goldmine.
#4 – Legion Pulse Pre Workout Supplement
Included Ingredients:
Doses | Caffeine | BCAAs | Creatine | Beta-Alanine | Citrulline Malate | Taurine | Vitamins |
21 | 350mg | No | No | 3.6g | 8g | No | No |
The fourth pre-workout is a very famous and very well known product. But there’s a reason behind this – it simply does the jo bright.
Many people have confirmed over and over that this supplement gives a good energy boost, helps with focus, motivation, and durability.
It doesn’t have a problem with mixing it in water and it does taste pretty well.
What I and many other people do like about it is that it’s made from simple but effective ingredients – caffeine, beta-alanine, citrulline malate in a combination with natural sweeteners and flavors for the good taste.
The mixture of all those beneficial ingredients can give you very good results during your workouts without the side effects of bloating, stomach cramps, etc.
One thing that makes this product unique is that all its different flavors do all come from natural sources.
In addition to that, the CGMP- and NSF-certified facility make sure you are not getting any fillers, artificial additives, GMO or dangerous sugar alcohols in your body.
Something interesting is that this US-based product doesn’t contain creatine and that is a double-edged sword.
As it’s proven that creatine does bring a ton of great benefits it’s also the thing that may cause stomach discomfort in some people.
If that’s your case you may find the lack of it beneficial.
Even with the fact that this product isn’t one of the cheapest options and there are people about complaining about the formula being updated we still do like it.
That’s because of all the good things we have explained above we still recommend it because it’s simply a good product which is going to help you get what you want.
Quick Summary:
Legion has one of the best pre-workouts for P90X on the market because of the simple natural ingredients that do actually work.
Even if the price per dose is a little higher than similar products it’s still worth it because of the good results it brings. It’s also creatine free.
#5 – RSP AminoLean Pre Workout – Best Taste
Included Ingredients:
Doses | Caffeine | BCAAs | Creatine | Beta-Alanine | Citrulline Malate | Taurine | Vitamins |
30 | 125mg | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Even if not made from a famous brand this product is still a lot better than the majority of them.
With it’s simple yet effective formula it has become a favorite to a lot of people.
And if many people do recommend it and tell it’s good then it’s really good. That’s one of the main reasons why we have included it on our list.
The low price per dose in combination with solid ingredients is what differentiates it from the rest.
Speaking of ingredients it does contain a lot of important amino acids, taurine, and vitamins which are all things scientifically proven to help with energy boost and endurance.
And the best thing about them is that they actually do work.
People are very happy with the energy the receive which helps them with their overall performance during working out.
As for your taste concerns go, it’s proven again and again to be very tasty with good flavors that do mix well in any liquids.
Also, I want to mention that this is one of the few products that are third party tested which may be the main reason why there aren’t any common side effects and complains.
Another few important facts about this product are that it doesn’t contain any sugar, carbs, calories or gluten so it can easily be included in any diet plan.
I don’t know if this is a problem you have but RSP has added just enough stimulants so you can have enough energy without negative impaction on your sleep.
Quick Summary:
I love how simplistic but effective is this pre-workout. Even if it’s not made by a big brand it still offers excellent quality, results, and price.
And to be completely honest with you I do like it more than a lot of other much more famous options. And I’m not alone – just check out the reviews.
5 Important Things to Know Before You Buy the Best Pre-Workout for P90X
If you want to make the best decision that you won’t regret later on I highly recommend you to take a few minutes and read this part of the article.
That way you won’t make blind decisions because you are going to be informed so you can use that information to your advantage.
So here we go…
[#1] – Essentials you must-have in your pre-workout
I believe this is more important even than the price because having some or all of the 8 ingredients below is going to be the main reason if a pre-workout does provide you with enough energy and stamina or not.
Every pre-workout is made from a bunch of those 8 main ones and many additional non-vital ingredients such as sweeteners, flavors, etc which are responsible for the taste, smell, etc.

That’s why these are ones you should mainly focus on.
I have given a brief description of what each ingredient does so you can have an idea of what’s important for you and what’s not.
At the end of the is not really required you have all of them included in a product but the more there are the better.
The Main Ingredients
Caffeine – Very famous stimulant that boosts your energy levels, helps with sleepiness, focus and increases your metabolism. That has a positive effect on losing weight and burning fat because it helps convert fat stores into energy. Depending on what you want this is going to certainly help with your energy during the workout.
BCAAs – Because some of them can’t be synthesized in your body it’s very important for you to take them with your food but that’s not always possible so it would be really great if you have them with your pre-workout. They help you with muscle growth, prevent muscle soreness and improves focus during your P90X workouts. Focus on pre-workouts containing valine, leucine, and isoleucine.
Creatine – It helps you in a lot of ways during your workouts – it improves performance, give you extra energy, and it’s going to help you with your endurance.
Other important ingredients:
Beta-alanine – helps with muscle fatigues and endurance
Citrulline Malate – increase energy, helps fight toxins in your blood and can help with a better pump
Taurine – helps with athletic performance, weight loss and helps with endurance
Tyrosine – it can improve concentration and focus by lowering the amount of stress you have.
Vitamins, electrolytes, and minerals – Even if not essential they can bring a ton of great benefits for your workouts such as better energy, health and results.
Some pre-workouts contain vitamins that are quite hard to get for some of us (B12, Calcium, Magnesium, etc.) so if that’s your case it would be really beneficial to add it with this supplement.
[#2] – What are the other ingredients being used?
So after you have seen what are the 8 essential beneficial ingredients the next thing you should do is to look at the product label of a product you like and try to see how many of them you are going to find.
If it’s difficult for you to remember all their names you can always use the information above as a reference point.

If you don’t have specific wants then aim for a product that has the biggest number of them but doesn’t lack quality on the other things we are going to tall next.
After you have checked and seen how many of the basic ingredients are there the next thing you should take a quick read to find out what are the other ingredients and if they are dangerous or not.
Quick Tip:
If you come up to an unknown ingredient you have never heard before doing quick internet research with its name and find out if it’s healthy or not.
More great tips you follow are these:
- Check if the sweeteners, colors, and flavors are delivered from natural sources. The more natural ingredients you have the better for your digestive system.
- Make sure the list doesn’t contain any harmful or banned substances (dmaa, dmha, etc.)
- Stay away from products that have a lot of calories, sugar or additives. The product should taste well but that shouldn’t be at your expense.
- If you have food intolerances and allergies make sure to pick a product that is free to foods that may cause problems. The same thing applies if you are vegetarian or vegan. The good news is that our first product is vegetarian-friendly so feel free to check it out if that’s your case.
- If you want to be safe it’s always a good thing to go for a product that has a lower number of total ingredients. And of course, they have to be healthy as well. If you do stumble upon such supplement I may say you have struck gold. If it has some of the essentials and everything else is good go for it!
[#3] – What is the price per dose?
It’s really going to worth it if you take a few seconds to find out the exact number because with it helps you can easily compare different products and see which one does provides the highest value in return for your money.

Don’t worry, it a very simple calculation.
In order to find it out, you simply have to divide the total price of the product (shipping included) by the total number of doses.
Here’s a quick example to show you how it’s done:
Example:
The price of certain product + shipping is $27 per 30 doses.
27/30 = 0.9 or $0.90 which is a great price per dose
A good price per dose varies usually between $1 up to $2.
But don’t forget that price isn’t the most important factor when it comes to buying things you are going to eat or drink. Ingredients and quality come first!
Quick Tip:
I recommend you to buy supplements always in bulk using the price per dose. They usually come with about 1-2 years of expiration date so you shouldn’t have problems with it.
The two main reasons are that you save money (buying in bulk is usually cheaper per unit) and time (you won’t have to order, unpack and prepare the same thing again and again).
Aim to supply yourself for at least a month upfront.
[#4] – How good it tastes and does it mix well?
I know that taste is a pretty individual thing and while I may like the new chocolate flavor you may find it repulsive and say that it tastes like paper.

Even with such big differences, there are still a few ways you can increase your chances of getting a product you would love drinking every day.
Before I share them with you I want to add up that many brands do use some artificial flavors to get to the desired result which is not that bad but if you can go for a more natural source of taste.
So in order to find out how good a certain product tastes (or a specific flavor) read some of the reviews and see if the majority of people do like it or not.
The reason behind this is simple – if a big portion of different people does like something then it’s more likely that you are going to like it either.
The second thing you can do is to simply pick a flavor you simply like eating or have used before.
That way you are increasing your chances of a good taste.
Whatever taste you buy firstly make sure it does mix well with both cold or warm beverages.
Even if rare there are some products that don’t mix very well leaving sticky chunks of powder that you have to chew or scrape off the bottle/cup.
Unfortunately, I know how it’s like because I had the same issue with a similar product.
A good tip I can give you about it is to read some of the reviews and see if there are repetitive complaints about the mixing abilities of a certain product.
[#5] – Who is behind this product and what people think?
While the last step is not crucial to do I still highly recommend you took a few minutes to find out the answer to some great questions we have prepared for you.

That way you are going to be sure that you are getting a supplement with good quality that is tested and proven by the majority.
Few good questions to ask yourself before you buy a product:
- Have you previously heard of the brand and if yes can you trust it?
- From how long are they in business selling such products?
- What other similar products are they selling and are they good?
- What are people talking about the company?
- Where is the product manufactures and does it use any certificates (FDA, etc.)?
- Is the product third-party tested for extra quality verification or not?
- What are the majority of other people thinking about a certain product?
- Do they like the taste, side effects, product quality, and customer service?
- Etc.
I know it’s going to take some time and the majority of you will not take the effort to do this type of research but if you really want a good product it’s worth it.
And the good news is that this type of research is applicable to any other type of product there is.
Feel free to use it on whatever else you like.
Final Thoughts
If you had reached this part of the article and have read everything congratulations!
Now you have a good understanding of what is a good pre-workout made from, what things are important to know before you purchase one and most importantly what’s going to be the best choice for you.
I really hope this article was useful to you so you have picked a product you like.
If you are having a tough time deciding which one to go for I would recommend checking the VINTAGE BLAST Pre Workout.
You can’t go wrong with this one. It fits all our recommended factors and it’s loved by many making it the best pre-workout for P90X in our opinion.
Check the latest price on Amazon
Quick Tip:
If you want to speed up your results I highly recommend you to combine a pre-workout with some of the other effective supplements. I’m talking about protein bars, recovery drinks, creatine, protein powder, BCAAs, etc.
Doing that will ensure you are getting the maximum out of every workout you do. But nothing of that would matter if you don’t follow a solid meal plan!
If you are really into P90X you may want to check some of our similar posts:
- Top 5 Fitness Trackers for P90X
- Top 5 Heart Rate Monitors for P90X
- Top 5 Adjustable Dumbbells for P90X
- Top 5 Resistance Bands for P90X
That being said I want to thank you for reading my post. I would write another one if you had found it useful.
It would mean a lot for me if you leave a comment below or share this post with your friends.
I hope to see you again,
– Bozhidar
Would you also recommend Vintage Blast for P90X3?
Thanks!
Hi Gill, yes, you are going to get the same benefits no matter if you are doing P90X or P90X3. It’s a really good supplement that works great. Hope this helps!
– Bozhidar