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Apollon Nutrition Cyclone takes a completely different approach to the typical pre-workout formula. Rather than chasing extreme stimulation, Cyclone focuses more heavily on performance, cognition, endurance, and overall athletic output—essentially a more health-conscious take on the pre-workout category.

My favorite part of the formula was the nootropic combination of L-Tyrosine, Lion’s Mane, CDP-Choline, and enXtra. These stack together extremely well for focus, mental clarity, and overall training mentality. I generally prefer Alpha-GPC, but CDP-Choline still provides a noticeable level of focus, while Lion’s Mane is an ingredient I enjoy both for its potential long-term cognitive benefits and the sense of mental well-being I personally get from it.

On the performance side, the combination of Betaine, PeakATP, and Senactiv delivered solid endurance, recovery, and that feeling that you can continue pushing hard without your performance falling off. I’m also a big fan of the inclusion of MicroActive® CoQ10, especially since I already use ubiquinol regularly as part of my own performance-focused supplement regimen.

Despite containing only 200mg of caffeine, Cyclone gave me more energy than I expected thanks to how well the caffeine synergized the enXtra and the rest of the nootropic formula. I was able to get through a hard leg session with great focus and solid overall performance.

For me personally, I still prefer a heavier stimulant experience for my hardest bodybuilding workouts. Where Cyclone really shines for me personally is as a nootropic, cardio formula, or something to use before my athletic training.

Overall, this is a very high-quality and intelligently designed formula. If you want performance and focus without relying on massive doses of stimulants, Cyclone is definitely worth considering.

Get CYCLONE NOW:

https://nutricartel.com/discount/Hammer?redirect=/products/cyclone-pre-workout&aff=863

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What actually makes a GOOD pre-workout?

Is it a loaded label packed with clinically dosed ingredients, or does what actually happens when you take it matter more?

There’s absolutely value in a well-designed formula. Properly dosed ingredients for pumps, endurance, focus, hydration, and performance can provide legitimate benefits. But I also think we sometimes get too caught up in judging pre-workouts entirely by the Supplement Facts panel.

You can look at a formula that seems underdosed, poorly designed, or basically built around a handful of stimulants and immediately dismiss it as a “bad” pre-workout. Then you actually take it, get completely fired up and locked in, and suddenly you’re adding reps, moving more weight, and performing at a noticeably higher level.

So was it really a bad pre-workout?

Ultimately, one of the most important questions should be: Did it make you train better?

If a pre-workout gets you energized, focused, and driven enough to significantly improve your performance, there’s an argument that this could matter more for long-term progress than having the prettiest Supplement Facts panel imaginable.

Obviously, the best scenario is both: an intelligently designed formula with effective performance ingredients that ALSO delivers an incredible experience.

But I don’t think pre-workouts fit neatly into “good formula” and “bad formula.” In this video, we’re breaking down what actually makes a pre-workout effective—and why judging one purely by its label might be missing the point

Project M Supplements was actually one of the first companies to ever reach out and send me products, and for that I’ll always be grateful. I genuinely wanted to like these products, and I went into every review hoping the next one would finally change my mind.

Unfortunately, after trying multiple releases, I keep coming back to the same conclusion.

On paper, the formulas often look incredibly promising. But in real-world use, the experience has consistently fallen short of what the label suggests. Whether that’s due to ingredient sourcing, manufacturing consistency, or something else entirely, I can’t say. I can only judge what I actually experience.

This isn’t a video saying Project M makes “bad” products. Plenty of people may genuinely enjoy them, and not every product I’ve tried has been a complete miss. The issue is that I don’t feel comfortable recommending products when I don’t believe the real-world performance consistently lives up to the claims on the label.

I know Project M has worked with a lot of reviewers over the years, and I think that’s part of the problem as a lot of “smaller creators” feel obligated to oversell the products because not a lot of brands are willing to work with them. But if you read between the lines in other reviews, the language almost always points to “the product is or what it should be according to the label.”

At the end of the day, I’d rather disappoint a company than disappoint the people who trust my reviews.

As always, this is just my honest opinion based on my own firsthand experience. If you’ve had a different experience with Project M, I’d genuinely love to hear about it in the comments. The discussion is always welcome—as long as it’s respectful.

Trying to Track these ones down… most just out of a weird collector mentality. Anyone got em out there?

Trying to Track these ones down… most just out of a weird collector mentality. Anyone got em out there?

Notorious Rage Extreme Limited Edition looked like it would be a minor refresh on paper—but in practice, it ended up being a completely different experience.

If you watched my review of the original Notorious Rage, you know I wasn’t particularly impressed. For a pre-workout built around the classic DMHA + Eria Jarensis combination, it never really delivered the feel-good, head-buzzing, euphoric training session I was hoping for. It wasn’t bad, but it never fully came together.

So I went into the Extreme version with pretty modest expectations.

To my surprise, this one absolutely exceeded them.

The formula isn’t drastically different. A few key ingredients have been bumped up, a handful of additions have been made, and somehow those relatively small changes create a much more complete experience. The energy is stronger, the mood elevation is far more noticeable, and the focus carries you through the entire workout without feeling scattered or overwhelming.

One thing that really stood out is what isn’t in the formula. There’s no alpha yohimbine—a stimulant I usually prefer in high-stim, illicit-style pre-workouts because of the intensity and aggression it can add. Despite that, Notorious Rage Extreme never felt like it was missing anything. It still delivered plenty of drive, plenty of motivation, and that uplifting DMHA/Eria-style mood that makes you actually want to keep training.

If you’re looking for a classic two-amino style pre-workout that delivers strong energy and mood without relying on alpha yohimbine, Notorious Rage Extreme Limited Edition is one of the better options currently available. It took everything I felt was missing from the original and finally brought the formula together into the experience I expected from the beginning.

Get Notorious Rage limited now!:

https://nutricartel.com/discount/Hammer?redirect=/products/n-o-torious-rage-pre-workout&\_pos=13&\_sid=86c6c3a65&\_ss=r&variant=49607837253874&aff=863

For coaching inquires email me at arohde1@hotmail.com

Get this at nutricartel with code HAMMER
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After Dark built a loyal following with Void, and Mentis clearly borrows that same foundation. The pump, performance, and endurance side of the formula will feel familiar if you’ve used Void before. Where this one completely separates itself is the stimulant and nootropic profile.

Instead of high stimulants, Mentis takes the opposite approach. With just 175mg of caffeine as its lone stimulant, the experience is driven almost entirely by the nootropic ingredients.

At first glance, that nootropic panel looks fairly standard. But there’s one ingredient that completely changes the personality of this pre-workout: Polygala.

I genuinely think Polygala is what gives Mentis its signature feel. Rather than creating intense tunnel vision or aggressive stimulation, it produces a subtle anxiolytic, feel-good headspace that makes training surprisingly enjoyable. It’s calm without feeling sedating, focused without becoming obsessive, and uplifting without crossing into outright euphoria.

It’s a difficult experience to describe because it doesn’t really feel like anything else on the market. It’s simply…good vibes.

If you’re expecting a stim bomb, this probably isn’t the product for you. Honestly I’ll probably be stacking it with something else moving forward. But if you appreciate a unique training experience built around mood, mental clarity, and an enjoyable headspace, Mentis stands out as one of the more interesting nootropic-focused pre-workouts available.

Get Mentis now:

https://nutricartel.com/discount/Hammer?redirect=/products/inhuman-mentis&\_pos=1&\_sid=4835679f5&\_ss=r&aff=863

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Pyromaniac takes a different approach than most thermogenic pre-workouts. Instead of putting all its eggs in one basket, Killer Labz built a formula that checks just about every box. You get a strong but manageable stimulant package, a well-rounded blend of fat-loss ingredients that target multiple pathways, a legitimate nootropic component for focus, and one of the better mood-elevation profiles I’ve experienced from a thermogenic.

The x-factor ingredient has to be the Juglans Regia. That’s always the wildcard because products use it very differently. Sometimes it feels like it contributes almost nothing, and other times it tries to mimic a full-blown DMHA experience. Here, it lands somewhere in the middle. Combined with Eria Jarensis, it creates a noticeable mood lift, cleaner mental focus, and an overall feel-good training experience without crossing into that aggressive, over-the-top DMHA territory. If you’ve used some of the Anarchy Labs formulas, the experience is pretty comparable.

Another thing I really like is the versatility. At one scoop, you get a full 40 servings, and it’s honestly perfect for fasted cardio or general fat-loss sessions. The energy is clean, the mood elevation makes cardio much more enjoyable, and that’s one of the biggest things I look for in a thermogenic.

But if you decide to push it to 1½ or even 2 scoops, the experience changes entirely. At that point, Pyromaniac starts feeling less like a fat burner and more like a legitimate pre-workout. Pair it with a quality pump formula, and you’ve got a combination that’s capable of delivering a seriously enjoyable training session.

Get Pyromaniac NOW:

https://nutricartel.com/discount/Hammer?redirect=/products/pyro-maniac-thermogenic&aff=863

For coaching inquires email me at arohde1@hotmail.com

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Anarchy Labs Jawan is marketed as the brand’s budget-friendly, all-around pre-workout—but don’t let that fool you. One look at the label and it’s obvious this is anything but a basic formula. With a loaded stimulant blend, a full nootropic stack, strong pump ingredients, and legitimate performance support, this is one of those products that tries to do everything.

The surprising part? It actually does.

Instead of specializing in one area, Jawan feels like someone took a great daily-driver pre-workout and upgraded every category. The energy is high without becoming overwhelming. The focus is sharp without locking you into tunnel vision. The pumps are impressive without feeling painfully overinflated. The mood elevation is noticeable without crossing into an overly euphoric or distracting experience.

It’s the definition of a jack-of-all-trades pre-workout.

One ingredient that makes things interesting is the inclusion of Juglans regia, which is always a bit of an X-factor. Depending on the product, it can range from feeling fairly ordinary to producing a DMHA-like enhancement. Here, I’d say it lands somewhere in the middle. Similar to Anarchy Labs’ Shogun fat burner, there’s an extra layer of mood enhancement and feel-good energy beyond what you’d expect from caffeine alone, but it’s not the kind of intense, euphoric, head-high experience you’d associate with the strongest exotic stimulant formulas.

Compared to the rest of the Anarchy Labs lineup, Jawan isn’t as aggressive as Ronin, and it isn’t as thermogenic as Shogun. Instead, it sits right in the sweet spot—bringing together energy, focus, pumps, performance, and mood into one balanced, extremely enjoyable training experience.

If you’re looking for one pre-workout that simply does everything well, Jawan is an easy recommendation.

Get JAWAN now:

https://nutricartel.com/discount/Hammer?redirect=/products/jawan-pre-workout&\_pos=3&\_sid=49505f00e&\_ss=r&aff=863

For coaching inquires email me at arohde1@hotmail.com

Get this at nutricartel with code HAMMER
#gym #supplement #fitness #bodybuilding #muscle #preworkout #energy

9Volt V2 Review | Like A Pro Supplements

Like A Pro took an already solid pre-workout and made upgrades where they actually matter.
10 grams of L-Citrulline for serious pumps and blood flow.
6,400 mg of Beta-Alanine for improved muscular endurance and fatigue resistance.
SalidroPure replacing RhodioPrime, bringing an even stronger focus on physical performance and endurance.

The stimulant profile stays practical rather than over-the-top. A blend of caffeine and Dynamine delivers a fast onset of energy while maintaining smooth, sustained performance throughout the workout.

The biggest surprise for me was salidropure. It’s one of those ingredients you actually notice in the gym. It really shines on demanding sessions like leg day, where pushing through fatigue makes the biggest difference. That added physical endurance gives this formula a unique feel compared to many standard daily pre-workouts.

Anyone who follows the channel knows I usually gravitate toward heavier-hitting, high-stim formulas. Despite that, I genuinely enjoy training with 9Volt V2. It’s clean, effective, consistently performs, and is the kind of pre-workout you can reach for regularly without feeling like you’re sacrificing workout quality.

If you’re looking for a premium, high-performance daily driver with clinically dosed performance ingredients and dependable energy, 9Volt V2 is definitely worth a look.

Get 9Volt now:

https://nutricartel.com/discount/Hammer?redirect=/products/9-volt-pre-workout&\_pos=1&\_sid=7bd037c0f&\_ss=r&aff=863

For coaching inquires email me at arohde1@hotmail.com

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PHENTA 1,3 CAPS REVIEW

PHENTA 1,3 has one of the simplest—but also one of the most controversial—labels I’ve seen in a long time.

Just four ingredients:

* Caffeine
* Synephrine
* Hordenine
* And 1,3 DMAA

The obvious question is…

Is that actually what’s in the bottle?

I’ll be honest—I went into this review expecting absolutely nothing.

I’ve seen plenty of products with labels like this over the years, and most of them end up being underwhelming. In fact, this bottle sat in my supplement cabinet for quite a while because I never expected it to be worth opening.

Then I finally took one capsule.

For the first 40 minutes… almost nothing.

Then it hit.

And it hit like a truck.

The energy wasn’t just stronger—it felt different. It had a very physical, aggressive drive to it. I noticed a definite mood lift, my mind felt sharper and faster, and I had that unmistakable feeling that I needed to get up and do something. There was a slight anxious edge, but not in an unpleasant way—more like having far more energy than I knew what to do with.

Now, does that mean this contains exactly what the label claims?

I honestly can’t tell you.

I’m not making any claims about what’s actually inside, because without laboratory testing, nobody can know for sure.

What I can say is that, based on my experience, this felt like something beyond a typical caffeine-based fat burner.

Watch the full review as I break down the formula, the effects, and whether PHENTA 1,3 deserves the hype—or the skepticism.

Make sure to check out pure-strength-Supps.myshopify.com

This one is currently sold out, but may be coming back soon. And even if not, they have a very interesting collection of unique hitters that I’m not finding anywhere else.

Use code HAMMER for a sweet discount

5150 Gladiator takes everything people loved about the original 5150 and evolves it into a far more complete pre-workout. Where the original leaned heavily on being a pure stim bomb, Gladiator rounds out the formula with legitimate doses for pump, focus, and performance.

The pump package is loaded with 8 grams of citrulline alongside agmatine and glycerol for full, lasting pumps, while the nootropic side brings together L-tyrosine, Alpha-GPC, and huperzine for clean, productive focus. Rather than simply throwing more stimulants at the formula, 5% Nutrition built something that feels much more balanced without sacrificing what made 5150 famous.

And make no mistake—the star of the show is still the energy.

With 400mg of total caffeine coming from eight different sources and a perfectly aggressive dose of alpha-yohimbine, Gladiator delivers the kind of physical, high-output energy that feels tailor-made for hard weight training. It’s right on the edge of being absolutely supercharged without crossing over into feeling sloppy, anxious, or counterproductive.

This isn’t necessarily a euphoric pre-workout or one that’s going to give you tunnel vision and have you staring through walls. Instead, it delivers what I’d describe as a feel-good aggression—a locked-in mindset that makes you want to train harder, move heavier weight, and keep the intensity high from start to finish. The energy is very PHYSICAL.

If you’re someone who enjoys high-stim pre-workouts and responds well to alpha-yo, I’d have a hard time believing you won’t enjoy this one. And when we’re talking about fully label-compliant, mainstream pre-workouts you’d find at your local supplement store, 5150 Gladiator deserves to be in the conversation as one of the highest-energy options currently available.

Get 5150 GLADIATOR NOW:

https://nutricartel.com/discount/Hammer?redirect=/products/5150-gladiator-pre-workout&\_pos=1&\_sid=2a5914128&\_ss=r&aff=863

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Deliverance was one of the most hyped 2-amino pre-workouts of the year. David vs. Goliath takes that same euphoric foundation and cranks up the intensity. With 8g of pure L-Citrulline replacing Citrulline Malate, 400mg of caffeine, 250mg of 2-Aminoisoheptane, increased Alpha Yo, plus additions like Theobromine and Huperzine A, this isn’t just Deliverance 2.0—it’s its own experience.

In the gym, it delivers the same feel-good, mood-elevating 2-amino buzz you’ve come to expect, but trades some of the “happy dancing” energy for a more aggressive, locked-in, tunnel vision style of focus. The extra Alpha Yo gives it noticeably more bite, making it the more intense option of the two.

If you were someone taking Deliverance at 1.3–1.5 scoops chasing a little more, David vs. Goliath may be exactly what you were looking for. Bigger pumps, harder-hitting energy, and a more focused personality while still maintaining that signature euphoric experience.

David vs. Goliath isn’t simply Deliverance with more stimulants—it’s the more aggressive, focused sibling that stands on its own.

Get David vs Goliath NOW:

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Or at Nutricartel:

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Is CitraPump the most underrated pump formula on the market?

Most pump products stop at nitric oxide support. CitraPump takes a completely different approach by combining blood flow, endurance, ATP production, recovery, and performance into one formula.

The inclusion of VasoDrive-AP® helps support vasodilation and blood flow, while ingredients like PurpleForce® and Senactiv® separate this product from the crowd by supporting ATP production, endurance, and recovery during training.

What you can expect:

* Bigger, longer-lasting pumps
* Improved blood flow and nutrient delivery
* Better muscular endurance
* Reduced performance drop-off from your first set to your last
* Improved recovery between sets
* Enhanced fat oxidation and metabolic support
* Zero stimulants, making it stackable with virtually any pre-workout

Rather than simply chasing a skin-splitting pump, CitraPump is designed to improve how you perform throughout an entire training session. If you’re someone that notices your performance falling off halfway through your workout, this formula attempts to address multiple bottlenecks at once—from blood flow and oxygen delivery to ATP production and recovery.

It’s one of the few “pump” products that I would argue is actually a performance-enhancing pump product, not just a cosmetic one.

Get citrapump NOW: https://nutricartel.com/discount/Hammer?redirect=/products/citrapump-pump-caps&\_pos=1&\_sid=0e5c46def&\_ss=r&aff=863

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