Let’s face it. Most pre-workouts are not good at all. 

The majority of them are just a bunch of stimulants with a little bit of beta-alanine sprinkled in there.

The ads get you all hyped up, make you feel like they’re doing something, but then they skimp on the ingredients that actually matter when it comes to strength and muscle growth.

The ones that do have good ingredients typically just put a little bit of those ingredients in there just to say that they have them in there, but in reality, the dosage is so low that they don’t actually do anything. 

That’s why in this article, I’m going to take a closer look at the new Bulk Pre-Workout V2 by Transparent Labs.

Let’s begin.

My Bulk Pre-Workout Honest Review: What exactly do you get? 

In this Bulk pre-workout review I’m going to take a look at:

• What is the ingredient list
• Review about the claim to benefit of each ingredient (based on science)
• Talk about whether or not the science supports those claims
• See what has changed from the original formula (Bulk pre-workout V1 vs Bulk pre-workout V2)
• Share my own experience with this supplement
• Mentioned and review the flavors
• Talk about the price
• And finally, I’ll give you my final recommendation on whether or not you should purchase this pre-workout supplement.

Before I start with the ingredients let’s see something small but really important:

The Scoop Size

If you just take a look at the scoop that you get with the new Bulk Pre-Workout compared to the scoop that you get with most pre-workouts, that should give you a pretty good indicator already of what you’re getting with bulk versus those other pre-workouts.

Bulk Pre-workout Ingredients List Reviewed (Based on Science)

Let’s talk about the ingredients. 

Rather than going down the list in order, we’re going to start with what stays the same from version one to version two, and then we’ll talk about the things that were swapped and the things that were added for version two.

First, let’s begin with vitamin D3. 

1. Vitamin D3

There was a 2011 study with 165 participants that showed supplementation of 3,332 IU of vitamin D daily for a year improved testosterone levels. [1]

That is a much higher dosage than what is present in bulk v2 but if you’re the type of person who is taking a pre-workout, you’re probably also taking a multivitamin, which means you’re already getting vitamin D from your multivitamin.

And vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin meaning that you can actually take too much vitamin D so they could just be erring on the side of caution here, but I can’t say for sure.

2. Zinc

Next on the ingredient list is zinc.

If you’re deficient in zinc, it can decrease your testosterone levels.

Correcting this deficiency can also help correct that decrease in testosterone.

So with the new Bulk Pre-workout, you get a decent amount of Zinc.

3. Boron 

There is some limited evidence to suggest that boron could help increase testosterone levels. 

These 3 ingredients collectively are for testosterone support. 

They’re not testosterone boosters. They’re just intended to help you maintain healthy testosterone levels. 

4. Citrulline malate 2:1 ratio

The two to one ratio means that for every three grams of citrulline malate, two of those grams are L citrulline and one of those grams is malic acid. 

So with 6 grams of citrulline malate, that means you’re getting 4 grams of L citrulline. And citrulline malate is one of those ingredients that are typically just sprinkled into a pre-workout to say that it’s there when, in reality, it’s in such a low dose that it doesn’t actually do anything.

In a specific study [2], 6 to 9 grams of L citrulline has been shown to reduce fatigue during exercise:

Which increases work capacity, which can lead to increased muscle growth.

One of the critiques that I gave Bulk version one is that I wish they would’ve gone with either 6 grams of pure L citrulline or 9 grams of citrulline malate, which would yield 6 grams of L citrulline so I was a little bit disappointed to not see a change in that dosage between version one and version two.

5. Beta-Alanine

Beta-Alanine is another of those ingredients that are typically just sprinkled into pre-workouts just to be able to say that it’s in there. 

Typically you’ll see it in there and dosages of 500 milligrams or 1 gram. 

I have seen it as high as 2 grams, but really to get the benefits that you want out of beta-alanine, you’re going to want 4 to 6 grams of it. 

As you can see from the image above Bulk Pre-Workout has 4 grams. 

Most people seek out alanine for its muscle endurance benefits, but it only seems to improve muscle endurance in the 60 to the 240-second range. 

So it’s probably not going to help you peak out those extra one to two reps on your typical failure set. 

But there are at least three studies [3] I’m aware of that showed a slight improvement in lean body mass when supplementing with beta-alanine.

Quick disclaimer: Beta-alanine is the ingredient that makes your skin tingle and bulk has 4  to 8  times the dosage of most pre-workouts so if you don’t like that feeling, or if you’re particularly sensitive to that feeling, this may not be the product for you. 

6. BCAA 2:1:1 Ratio

BCAA has been shown to improve aerobic endurance. [4]

This isn’t something that’s relevant to me or most of our audience, but hey, maybe it’s something that’s relevant to you.

BCAA’s were once thought to be important for muscle growth and studies do show that BCAA stimulates muscle protein synthesis but if your goal is muscle growth, you’re probably already consuming enough protein that you’re maxing out your muscle protein synthesis response in a day anyway. 

So you’re not getting any benefit out of the BCAA.

In my opinion, they should have dropped the BCAA  to cover the cost of adding more Citrulline malate or switching to pure L citrulline.

7. BetaPure Betaine Anhydrous

A 2013 study [5] compared 2 groups following a six-week workout program.

One group supplemented 2.5 grams of Betaine daily, which is the dosage that Bulk Pre-Workout contains.

The other group did not. 

The betaine group had greater increases in muscle mass and work capacity than the non-betaine one. 

8. Taurine

Transparent labs state on their product page that Taurine is necessary to supplement with beta-alanine because they use similar transporters in the body. 

Meaning that beta-alanine supplementation could lead to taurine deficiency.

However, a 2012 systematic review [6] points out the dosage of beta-alanine that would be required to cause Taurine deficiency is higher than what would be consumed by humans. 

So there’s no need to be concerned about taurine deficiency with beta-alanine supplementation.

That said I’m perfectly fine with transparent labs, better safe than sorry approach here.

And Taurine has been shown when used in conjunction with BCAA to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness.[7]

9. Caffeine anhydrous 

Caffeine obviously gives you energy. 

Everyone knows that, but a lesser-known fact about caffeine is that it can actually reduce perceived effort, meaning that it can help you squeeze out a few more reps before hitting failure.

10. L-theanine

L-theanine is another cool ingredient that companies typically just pixie dust into their products. 

And L-theanine is a little bit unique because it actually promotes relaxation. 

I know it sounds strange to put a relaxation ingredient in a pre-workout, but stay with me here. 

Theanine promotes relaxation without drowsiness, meaning that it works synergistically with caffeine so that you get the energy and focus but without the jitters. [8]

Transparent Lab’s Bulk Pre-Workout contains a two to one ratio of L-theanine to caffeine, which means it’ll give you a very calm, clean, focused energy. 

It’s not going to give you that rage-type feeling. 

And one thing that’s pretty cool that I shared in my previous articles is that there are times where I was extremely tired on my way to go work out and I took my pre-workout, I took Bulk Pre-Workout, and then on the way to the gym, I actually started to feel my thoughts kind of clear up and become a little bit more focused.

I don’t believe this to be a placebo effect either because I didn’t expect it to produce that result. 

What are the differences between the old Bulk Pre-Workout and the new Bulk Pre-Workout?

Now let’s see what are main differences between the old Bulk Pre-Workout and the new and improved Bulk Pre-Workout version two.

The good news is they didn’t just straight up removed anything. 

Transparent Labs only swapped ingredients for other ingredients or added ingredients. 

They swapped Mucuna Pruriens, Synerphine HCL, L-Norvaline, Choline Bitartrate, and Eleanor Valene for DiCaffeine Malate, Alpha GPC, and Theobromine.

Bulk Pre-Workout V1 Supplements:  (before) 

Bulk Pre-Workout V2 Supplements:  (after) 

Click here to see the new in-depth ingredients list directly from their website.

New Bulk Pre-Workout ingredient: DiCaffeine Malate

The combination of malic acid and caffeine supposedly helps to prevent that post caffeine crash but I was unable to find any studies that supported or disproved this theory. 

But based on my own personal experience, I haven’t really noticed much of a crash from version one or version two.

New Bulk Pre-Workout ingredient: Alpha GPC

Alpha GPC has been shown [9] to improve performance on cognitive, power, speed, and agility test, even outperforming caffeine on the same test.

New Bulk Pre-Workout ingredient: Theobromine

Theobromine can have some mood-enhancing benefits however, I was unable to find a study that tested a similar dosage to what’s in bulk pre-workout.

New Bulk Pre-Workout ingredient: L-Tyrosine

N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine was swapped out for native LL-Tyrosine due to it being easier to absorb. [10]

L-Tyrosine has been shown to help prevent declines in cognitive function due to physical stress.

Physical stress also includes lack of sleep so if you have poor sleep the night before a training session, L-Tyrosine can help make up for that. 

But of course, no supplement is going to make up for a proper rest and recovery routine.

New Bulk Pre-Workout ingredient: Astragine

BioPerine was swapped out for Astragine. 

Astragine is an extract of two separate herbs that are supposed to enhance absorption of the new pre-workout.

However, I was unable to find a study showing this, and I was only able to find a study that simply showed the Astragine was safe to consume. [10]

Additional Extra Ingredients of the new Bulk Pre-Workout from Transparent Labs

Transplant labs, added vitamin B6, vitamin B12, sodium, and potassium.

Vitamin B6 and B12 are home assisting regulators and can potentially help with blood flow. 

And you’re probably already familiar with sodium and potassium, which are electrolytes and will help you with hydration during your training.

Old Bulk Pre-Workout vs New Bulk Pre-Workout – The Results

In my Bulk Pre-workout V1 review, I gave the ingredient profile an 8 out of 10.

With the changes that have been made to Bulk Pre-workout Version 2, I would bump that up to an 8.5 out of 10.

What I do like about the new changes

I like the addition of alpha GPC.

The addition of sodium and potassium is great if you sweat a lot or if you’re training outside.

I don’t really care about the addition of vitamin B6 or B12, because if you’re taking a pre-workout, you’re probably also taking a multivitamin. 

But in case you don’t that would be another great addition as well.

What I don’t like about the new changes

In my opinion, Transparent Labs still missed the most important change.

They should have gone with either 6 grams of pure L citrulline or 9 grams of citrulline malate to yield 6 grams of L citrulline because that’s the dosage that seems to provide the optimal benefit according to the studies.

Additionally, I would have liked to have seen 5 or 6 grams of beta-alanine versus 4 grams but even so, 4 grams is still enough to see positive results.

And the cost of these things could have been offset by dropping the BCAA’s and not adding the B-vitamins. 

Bulk Pre-Workout Overall Ingredients List Conclusion

Well, all that said, I do still think that the new Bulk Pre-Workout has the best ingredient profile for any pre-mixed pre-workout that’s on the market. 

The only way that you’re going to get exactly what you want is if you mix all the ingredients yourself, which is what I used to do prior to my girlfriend, introducing this to me when she bought it for me in 2020.

Bulk Pre-Workout Flavors Reviewed

Another change that they made when going to version two is they reformulated the flavors. 

I’ve had every flavor of version one and the flavors with version one ranged from okay to pretty good, but they weren’t just absolutely amazing.

With the new Bulk Pre-Workout version 2 they did step up their flavor game.

There are still no artificial flavors and sweeteners, but these do somehow manage to taste much better. 

Click here to check the best current price <

I’ve only had the tropical punch and the orange so far, but they’re both very good. 

Particularly the orange, which is saying something because I didn’t like the original orange flavor, all that much.

The new orange flavor tastes like orange juice. 

It’s amazing. 

My personal experience with the new Bulk Pre-Workout

As far as my own personal experience goes, I really liked Bulk Pre-workout version one, and I’ve really like the new Bulk Pre-Workout version two. 

It’s not going to make you rage and it’s not going to give you that I’m going to run through a brick wall feeling and it’s not going to give you the craziest pumps either, but it will give you a good clean, focused energy and contains the ingredients that actually matter for strength and muscle growth.

Bulk Pre-Workout Price – Is it too much?

The current price for Bulk Pre-Workout is $49 for one, but you save if you buy in bulk.

Click here to check the current price

If you buy 2 it’s $89:

 And if you buy 3 the price goes to $119, which is $39.67 each.

And that doesn’t count any coupon codes.

To be honest $49 to around $40 per bottle of Bulk Pre-Workout is a really good price considering the price of the competition and the overall quality of the ingredients and the benefits you get.

It’s enough for a while and it’s worth the money.

Want to get the best price? Click here to check Bulk Pre-Workout’s best current price 

Final Thoughts – Should you buy Bulk Pre-Workout V2? – Do I recommend it?

And finally, do I recommend you purchase the new and upgraded Bulk Pre-Workout supplement?

If I have to be honest if you have the money then yes.

Even if using a pre-workout is not necessary for success it does really help so you won’t get wrong if you decide to buy and try Transparent Lab’s Bulk Pre-Workout.

I’m using it since 2020 and so far it does really helps with my energy and motivation before my workouts.

If you are interested and want to try them out please click here to get their best current price.

That was all for this review.

If you have liked it and have questions please let me know in the comment section below.

Here are a couple of my favorite articles about supplements that may help you even more:

• Do You Need Protein Powder for Calisthenics?
• Top 5 Best Supplements for Calisthenics
• Top 5 Best Creatine for Calisthenics
• 5 Best Protein Powders for Calisthenics – Ultimate Buyer’s Guide
• Top 5 Best Pre-Workouts for P90X That Actually Work

Good luck,

– Bozhidar