Just last month we finished off a tub of Gnarly Pump, collected our notes together, and sat down to prepare our review for you guys. But then, we noticed… Gnarly Nutrition actually makes TWO pre workout supplements.
With this new information, we made some basic updates to our notes, and immediately bought some Gnarly Maximus PRE. Here, we’re going to share with you both Gnarly pre workout reviews as well as a comparison between Gnarly Pump and the newer ‘Maximus PRE’.
Our Review of Gnarly Pump Pre Workout by Gnarly Nutrition
We took Gnarly Pump for 14 days, and to be honest… It was a rough 14 days.
This is because Gnarly Pump is a pretty low-key pre workout in the stimulants department.
How low-key is it though? Try 60 mg of caffeine – to make matters worse, natural caffeine which hits slower than caffeine anhydrous.
This left us without any real energy boost in the gym. It was a case of relying on old-natural self-made energy… Practically defeating the purpose.
Based on this experience, our opinion on ‘how to take Gnarly Pump’ quickly changed. It changed from ‘take as a pre workout 15-30 minutes before working out’, to, ‘take as a creatine supplement 60-90 minutes before working out’.
Making this timing switch made taking Gnarly pump a much better experience.
While we didn’t get a whole ton out of the caffeine, this did allow for the citrulline and creatine monohydrate to properly absorb into our bodies… Meaning, while we didn’t have the typical caffeine-pre-workout surge, we did have a ‘gnarly pump’ and some good creatine power.
Would we buy Gnarly Pump again? No. But we will finish the bottle as a creatine supplement (should you take creatine? View this article).
So Gnarly Pump was Disappointing, but things got a little better with Maximus PRE
How couldn’t it? Just take a look at a comparison between Gnarly Pump and the newer Maximus PRE. It’s like, they actually know how to make a pre workout now (thumbs up).
Alright, so it’s better but still not what us self-proclaimed pre workout enthusiasts are after… Or like… But anyways!
Maximus PRE in the gym
Compared to Gnarly Pump, Maximus PRE provides a much better workout experience thanks to the 3X caffeine content.
Now, it’s still natural caffeine so it’s going to hit less hard, but its way better than only 60 mg!
Our experience with Maximus PRE was decent. It wasn’t a top tier pre workout supplement by any means, but at the same time it may not be designed for that.
The simple truth is that Maximus PRE is an improvement of Gnarly Pump, but both are still minimalist pre workouts designed for natural supplement enthusiasts.
This is clear by their branding, ingredient choices, and dosages.
With that, we would recommend Maximus PRE to a true health nut that has never taken a pre workout supplement before but is looking for more energy. In this situation, Maximus PRE is a really good fit.
However if you frequently use pre workouts and have tried many always looking for a better experience then this just isn’t it.
The marketing is very bold, claiming that this is a serious pre workout, but that just isn’t the case.
Ingredient wise:
- 3 gram BCAA Blend
- 5 grams Citrulline Malate (1 gram short of clinical dose)
- 1.5 grams Beta-Alanine (1.7 grams short of clinical dose)
- 3 grams Glutamine (questionable purpose)
- 150 Asian Ginseng
- 100 mg Ginger Root
- 180 mg Natural Caffeine
Simple, low dosed, and clean. An ideal fit for a very natural person, but not one bit for the supplement familiar individual looking for something mighty.
Gnarly Pump and Maximus PRE, to buy or not to buy?
To make it painfully simple, here are our recommendations on Gnarly Nutrition’s pre workout supplements.
Get Gnarly Pump IF:
- You want a creatine supplement to take pre workout
- You value taste
- You don’t want a lot of caffeine
- You’re new to pre workouts and want something light and natural
Get Maximus PRE IF:
- You don’t want creatine
- You value energy
- You want a natural pre workout
- You’re not looking for a super-strong experience
If those conditions don’t match up with you, then we don’t feel comfortable telling you to go get this pre workout. At the end of the day, there are better options.
Thanks for reading our Gnarly Pump and Maximus PRE reviews!
This really wasn’t an exciting one, but we spent the time taking it in the gym – so might as well do the write-up!
There are a lot of new pre workouts being released midway through 2017, but strangely there really hasn’t been anything epic. Really, we’re seeing a lot of pre workout formulas that appear to be developed by people who don’t actually take pre workouts themselves… It’s a shame.
Regardless, bookmark us to stay posted on what comes out! And you better believe we are going to flip out whenever something noteworthy actually does come around!
