You wouldn’t need to browse very long to come across the word “lit,” which is a word you use to describe that a thing is so hot it’s on fire.
For a lot of people, this word has been associated with music, videos, movies, and really hot internet roasts. But, GNC wants to ride the trend and decided to slap the word on their Lit pre workout.
Yes, that’s the actual name of the pre workout and yes, I wish I was making this up.
Anyway, it’s received a lot of good reviews lately, so Imma do you bros a favor and see what the hype was all about.
Is Lit pre workout really on fire or is that just an attempt to ride with the young kids? Read my Lit pre workout review to find out!
About Lit Pre-Workout
BULKING or CUTTING? We teamed up with the number one bodybuilding supplement brand on the market to help you take your results to the next level. A free custom supplement plan designed to enhance your results.
Lit pre workout is sold by GNC, one of the biggest online retail supplement stores.
Now, when people hear the name “GNC” it automatically puts them off, but I personally want to give GNC the benefit of the doubt for this one. Sure, they produce a lot of bad products, but I’ve also seen a few good ones come from them and I think Lit pre workout is one of them.
So, what makes Lit pre workout “Lit” anyway?
- No prop blend. GNC knows the importance of knowing what you consume, so they give us everything we need to know on the label.
- Quality ingredients. Familiarity in supplements is often a good sign.
- Clinically dosed. This is often an abused term, so we’ll see if it holds true.
Those are the things that make Lit pre workout great, but right off the bat we see a ton of fillers. Like, how much stuff do you need to make your pre workout look and taste good?
Lit Pre-Workout Review: nutrition label
Other Ingredients: Natural & Artificial Flavors, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, Soy Oil and Lecithin Blend, Calcium Silicate, FD&C Red # 40, Shellac, Hydroxypropyl, Methylcellulose, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Acetylate Monoglycerides, Polysorbate 80, Potassium Sorbate, Magnesium Silicate Hydroxide
My Top Recommended Supplements
Directions: As a dietary supplement, mix one scoop in 8 fl. oz. of cold water and consume pre-workout. On non-training days, consume one serving for additional energy and focus.* Consume ample amounts of water while taking this product.
Lit Pre-Workout Review: ingredients list
Our Lit Pre-Workout Review wouldn’t be a real Lit Pre-Workout Review if we didn’t study the ingredients added before concluding whether Lit Pre-Workout’s formula is the real deal or nonsense.
Energy & Mental Intensity
Lit pre workout’s Energy & Mental Intensity looks to be a blend that combines endurance, recovery, and energy benefits into one roll.
- Beta-alanine. Added as the premium brand of CarnoSyn, it’s an amino acid that improves stamina and helps you train longer instead of wasting time sitting down or staring at the ceiling waiting for your heart rate to go down. With a good dose of 3.2 grams, we’re hard pressed to not be impressed with a dosing that matches the premiumness of the ingredient.
- We all know what Creatine is and what it does. On top of giving us massive lifting support, Creatine is one of the best recovery ingredients in the market, maximizing muscle repair and gains with each serving.
The form we have here is micronized meaning it’s the kind of creatine that should reduce the bloated feeling we all love to hate. Perhaps the dosing is too small for the recovery aspect of the ingredient, but we think it helps support the blend’s purpose of helping us lift heavier and breaking PRs. At the very least, the 1.5 g dosage is on par with what a lot of other creatine-blends have.
- Writer’s note: Yeah, I feel like puking a lot when taking my daily dose of creatine and I used to have like big belly syndrome for a long while after chugging a shake down. I found micronization to be of a lot of help. Pricey? Yes, but so goddamn worth it.
- Love it or hate it, ol’Caff is here to stay. At 250 mg, we find this as the ideal dosage that maximizes performance without the high risk of crashing and jitters.
- Peat and Apple Extract. Comes in the branded form of elevATP, this compound is a rare sighting in any supplement. As the name implies, elevATP helps the body produce more ATP aka its currency for energy.
The science is, the more ATP you have, the better your cells function. The better your cells function, well this creates a damn good chain reaction that ends in you lifting way beyond your wildest dreams. The dosage may seem small, but we think it’s more of a complementary ingredient to creatine than anything else.
- Coffea Arabica: This comes in Lit pre workout’s personal brand of NeuroFactor. What’s it for? The popular use for this is as a nootropic, stimulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF.
BDNF is a thing your brain uses to help you focus on training instead of wondering about work or that sexy girl who winked at you while squatting as you entered the gym. Stick to iron, boys.
Pump & N.O. Support
As the name implies, this is Lit pre workout’s pump blend. It’s simple enough, but we think the dosing more than makes up for the lack of elite ingredients.
- Citrulline. Citrulline is one of my favorite ingredients ever. I mean, citrulline basically helps you feel like you’re the strongest man in the room. Pumps you up and allows you to be confident enough to go heavier.
Granted the form they used is not the one I wanted to see (read: Malate is superior), I think the 3 gram dosage is good enough for its intended use.
- Arginine Silicate Inositol. Comes in the branded form of Nitrosigine which claims to be the best arginine and nitric oxide booster. No seriously, they actually said
We know what arginine is and we know it’s like a poor man’s citrulline in a way, but the brand claims to work in as little as 15 minutes and lasts a full 6 hours! Bro, that’s a long day of feeling pumped!
While we don’t really question the intent of adding this fairly new ingredient, the fact that its experimental and has yet to be really tested by the market makes us question if a 1.5 gram dosage is sufficient. But hey, we’re glad it’s here anyway.
Hands down the top-rated testosterone booster supplement for men who want faster muscle growth.
Lit pre workout review: Other ingredients issues
The Lit pre workout blend itself is actually one of the simplest and focused pre workout blends I’ve seen in the last three years. However, I do question the number of goddamn fillers they added. Like, they have more fillers than ingredients!
Being the genius bro that I am, I decided to investigate (as well as to make our Lit pre workout review even more lit!)
Legal muscle-building supplement that's designed to mimic the effects of dianabol without all side effects.
I normally ignore these fillers, but they’re just too many for my liking. Let’s break down Lit pre workout Gummy Worm flavor’s fillers.
- Flavoring: Okay, this I get. Lit pre workout ain’t coming in no capsule or tablet, so as a shake it has to taste good or we spit it out.
- Acids: Citric and Tartaric acid are also flavoring agents and contribute to the shelf life of Lit pre workout. You know, acid kills bacteria and all that. Do they have to add two, though?
- Sweeteners: Sucralose and Acesulfame-K are known low-calorie sweeteners. Again, why add two?
- Emulsifiers: Soy and Acetylate monoglycerides are actually good emulsifiers which help with the overall texture of the shake aka it helps make the shake have a better mouthfeel. We also have Polysorbate 80 which I guess works kinda like an emulsifier. I don’t mind emulsifiers, but I think three is a crowd in Lit pre workout’s case.
- Anti-caking agents: We have calcium silicate and magnesium silicate both of which help prevent clumping even after you open Lit pre workout.
- Coloring: We have Shellac, FD&C Yellow #5 and Blue #1. Okay, for bros who want to drink something that at least looks like something people are supposed to eat this might be a good thing. Personally, I find the use of colors to be unnecessary. A plain white shake would do.
- Gelatin: Lit pre workout added hydroxypropyl methylcellulose or simply hypromellose. This little thing here is an alternative to gelatin which makes it suitable for vegans. As the function implies, it helps bind the ingredients together which I guess is necessary if you plan on drinking all the ingredients at once.
- Preservatives: Sorbitol is a known sweetener, but when combined with glycerin, it also helps fight off mold and bacteria while retaining the right amount of moisture in Lit pre workout. We also have potassium sorbate, but we think three preservatives is overkill, Lit pre workout.
My take on Lit pre workout’s fillers is that, they used too much. I’ve seen plenty of other pre workouts with similar formulas that don’t have more than two lines of extras. Lit pre workout has freaking five for chrissake! It’s like they writing an essay or some shit to fill the label.
Look:
I don’t need to have my powder look pretty or taste like a candy bar; the thing won’t even last a few seconds in my mouth anyway plus I always drink water afterwards. So this whole filler thing, it has to go. Like, this year at least. Get on it, Lit pre workout!
Lit Pre Workout Review: formula analysis
I would be writing up a bad Lit pre workout review if I told you I don’t like what I saw. For the most part, Lit pre workout definitely looks lit to a point where I don’t see this not working on anyone.
So, how does it all come together?
Technically we have three blends if you include the damn other ingredients, but let’s focus on the real Lit pre workout blends: Energy & Mental Intensity and Pump & N.O. Support.
Lit pre workout works simple enough: The energy blend revs your body for a massive lifting while simultaneously laying down the foundations of long-term endurance. The pump blend is the icing on the cake, so to speak.
You can already lift with the first blend, but the pump blend further elevates the experience beyond what you normally feel.
Lit pre workout did a great job at keeping things simple and focused. Ignoring the disturbingly long other ingredients list, Lit pre workout is as good as any pre workout can get.
Does it have a lot of caffeine?
It has 250 mg of caffeine. My research tells me that’s around two and a half cups of brewed coffee give or take. If you’re a regular espresso guy, this wouldn’t be an issue. If you’re not comfortable with drinking that much caffeine in one go, then this you will feel. A lot.
How long does Lit pre workout take to work?
It shouldn’t take longer than 15 minutes given majority of its ingredients are either easily absorbed or included in their most bioavailable form. Micronized creatine and that new arginine ingredient in particular were designed to be absorbed as fast as possible.
Lit Pre-Workout Review: benefits for muscle
The benefits for muscle Lit pre workout gives is more of a centralized strength support than anything else. Centralized meaning it gives your whole body a boost, instead of solely focusing on lifting power. It does boost your lifts, but I prefer better recovery over better pumps any given day.
Who is Lit Pre-Workout made for?
Lit pre workout for the bros who want to try something simple and effective. It could also be for the casual lifter, but just make sure you know about the “third” blend.
Lit Pre-Workout Review: side effects
I’ll say it: You might have a bad case of crashing and jitters. Seriously, 250 mg of caffeine is no joke even for seasoned supplement users. There’s also the itchiness brought upon by 3.2 grams of beta alanine, but the itchiness should be gone by the time you’re done training.
Lit Pre-Workout Review: pros and cons
Pros
- High quality ingredients. Branded and familiar.
- Good dosing. It’s clinical if you use it properly.
- Simple and straightforward means maximum efficacy.
- Micronized creatine. The bloating should stop with this one.
- No prop blend. We like it when we see everything.
Cons
- Third blend. Look at the number of fillers on this one, bro. It’s like a separate supplement.
- No caffeine guard. The 250 mg caffeine might hurt your head.
Pricing info
- 1 Can (30 servings): $39.99
- Available online and in retail stores
Lit Pre Workout Review: summary
Lit pre workout is a kind of pre workout that strives to do away with all the unnecessary herbs and extracts and just gets right into the whole training aspect. Quality ingredients, quality dosing, and effective synergy makes Lit pre workout a good supplement to start with or to build a stack on.
The only nitpicks we have are on the fact that it doesn’t have anything to shield your brain from the caffeine crash and more importantly, the fact that the other ingredients are too damn many.
If Lit pre workout can somehow fix the nitpicks we mentioned, it would have little competition in the pre workout space.
This concludes our lit pre-workout review. Please leave your own review in the comments below.
