Transparent Labs Bulk Pre-Workout Review (2024)

While Transparent Labs has several pre-workouts available, their most popular option by far is Bulk, with over 4,400 total reviews on their site. If you’re looking for a clinically-dosed, effective pre-workout, you may be considering trying Bulk. 

In this Transparent Labs Bulk Pre-Workout review, we’ll be going over the pros and cons of Bulk to help you decide whether it’s right for you.

Is Transparent Labs a Reputable Brand?

Transparent Labs is easily one of the most reputable supplement brands around despite only being around for less than a decade. In that short time, they’ve managed to build a loyal following, largely thanks to their exceptional all-natural formulas and rigorous third-party testing. 

From protein powders to pre-workouts, Transparent Labs has a long line of quality supplements. One of their main draws is that they don’t use any artificial ingredients in their formulas, including sweeteners, coloring, and preservatives. With many supplement brands using unnecessary filler in their formulas, this commitment to quality sets Transparent Labs apart. 

On top of this, Transparent Labs’ supplements are third-party tested by Informed Choice. This makes it a great brand to pick if you’re at all concerned about formula and manufacturing quality. 

Overall, you can feel comfortable that you’re getting a high-quality product whenever you order from Transparent Labs. With this being said, let’s take a closer look at their Bulk pre-workout. 

Transparent Labs BULK Pre-Workout Review

Transparent Labs BULK Pre-Workout

• Serving Size: 1 scoop (21.2 g)
• Servings per Container: 30
• Calories Per Serving: 5
• Betaine Anhydrous Per Serving: 2,500 mg
• Taurine per serving: 1,300 mg
• Recommended by Athletes: Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, Pat Li, PAULINA

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If you’re considering buying a pre-workout from Transparent Labs, you’ve probably looked at Bulk. Transparent Labs has 3 main pre-workouts, with Lean and Bulk Black being your other options. 

Bulk is their most popular offering, which falls in between the other 2 in terms of stimulation and active ingredient doses. As a result, it’s the option we recommend for most people. In the Transparent Labs Bulk reviews below, we’ll be doing a deep dive into this product so you can decide if it’s right for you. 

1. The Magnitude of the Stimulating Effect

One of the main factors you’ll want to consider whenever choosing a pre-workout supplement is how much caffeine it contains. Bulk contains 200mg of caffeine, which is a fairly standard dose for a pre-workout. 

For reference, let’s take a quick look at Transparent Labs’ other offerings. Lean contains 180mg, while Bulk Black contains 275mg, putting Bulk right around the middle. 

Overall, 200mg is far from the strongest pre-workout available on the market. With that being said, this will still be strong for someone who’s not used to taking large amounts of caffeine at once. However, for the average person, this will provide a strong hit of stimulation without being excessive. 

2. Examining the Key Science-Based Ingredients and Their Dosage 

There are 4 main science-based ingredients included in Bulk’s formula. They are Citrulline Malate, Taurine, Beta-Alanine, and Betaine. These are all fairly standard pre-workout ingredients, but it’s important to understand their effects and recommended doses.

First, it’s worth noting that only Citrulline and Taurine will have any acute effects, while Beta-Alanine and Betaine will only have noticeable effects with consistent use. 

Citrulline Malate is most useful for endurance and exercise performance. Bulk contains an optimal dose of 8g in each serving. Taurine has a similar purpose, mainly being used for endurance. The 1.3g dose here is slightly low, with a 2g dose likely being more ideal.

Next, Betaine is beneficial for force production and muscular endurance, with the 2.5g dose included here being optimal for daily intake. Finally, Beta-Alanine is used to help reduce fatigue, with the 4g included here also being a solid serving to take daily. 

With consistent use, these ingredients create a powerful blend that will be useful for improving endurance performance and reducing fatigue. Especially when combined with a solid dose of caffeine, this supplement will have a meaningful effect on your ability to perform in the gym. 

3. What Additional Ingredients Deserve Special Attention?

While the 4 ingredients outlined above will provide the most significant ergogenic effects, there are a few additional ingredients that deserve your attention as well. These include Theanine, Zinc, and B Vitamins as well. 

First, L-Theanine helps to reduce cortisol in the body, meaning it should help reduce stress levels. Especially when paired with caffeine, it’s thought to increase focus and alleviate potential negative side effects like jitters and anxiety. This makes it a common beneficial ingredient in many pre-workout supplements. 

Next, Bulk also includes several micronutrients, namely Zinc and Vitamins B6 and B12. First, each serving of Bulk contains 91% of your daily Zinc, which may be especially beneficial for if you’re deficient in this nutrient, as deficiency can lead to decreased testosterone. Also, B Vitamins have a whole host of benefits related to energy, so the inclusion here may be beneficial if you’re deficient. 

Overall, while these ingredients likely won’t directly affect your exercise performance as much as the other active ingredients, they still have notable benefits – especially if you’re deficient in Zinc or B Vitamins. 

4. Flavors Variety

As with most Transparent Labs supplements, you can expect a ton of flavor variety from Bulk. In total, there are 13 different flavors to choose from, which include:

• Strawberry Lemonade
• Strawberry Kiwi
• Pina Colada
• Blue Raspberry
• Black Cherry
• Peach Mango
• Sour Grape
• Watermelon
• Watermelon Peach
• Cherry Splash
• Orange
• Blueberry Pomegranate
• Tropical Punch

The best Transparent Labs pre-workout flavor will come down to a matter of personal preference. But, as you can see, there should be something for everyone when it comes to Bulk’s flavors! 

From our experience, the powder mixes well, although there is quite a bit of powder that separates at the bottom, so you may need to stir/shake it multiple times while drinking. In terms of taste, it’s not bad but it is very sour, having a mild chemical flavor despite the natural formula. 

Overall, while this isn’t the most appealing pre-workout on the market, it’s not too unpleasant, especially if you’re a fan of sour flavors. The vast amount of flavor variety also makes Bulk stand out from other pre-workouts. 

5. Third-Party Certification

As mentioned earlier, Bulk is a very reliable supplement when it comes to third-party certification. This supplement is Informed Choice certified, which guarantees a high level of quality across the manufacturing process, as well as providing pre-certification and sample testing. 

If you’re at all concerned about potential contamination with harmful substances, checking for a third-party certification from an organization like Informed Choice is always a good idea. If you’re curious to learn more about Informed Choice certification, you can learn more about their process on their website here. 

6. Price per Serving

The final factor to be considered with Bulk is its price. Transparent Labs’ is a premium supplement brand, and its prices typically reflect this. However, considering the excellent formula it offers, we believe Bulk still has great value for money. 

Each serving of this supplement will cost you about ~$1.67. There are plenty of other pre-workouts out there that range from $2-3 which have notably worse formulas than this one, so all things considered, this is a great deal. 

How to Understand Whether BULK is Right for You?

While we’ve gone over all the features Bulk has, you may still be making your mind up. That’s why we’ll quickly be going over who Bulk is meant for, and whether it’s right for you. 

1. For Whom can BULK be an Ideal Pre-Workout?

Overall, Bulk ticks almost all of the boxes for those looking for a high-quality pre-workout. 

Its stimulation is solid without being excessive, it contains effective doses of numerous science-backed ingredients, it’s third-party tested, contains no artificial filler, and comes at a great price.  

If you’ve never tried caffeinated pre-workout before, just be aware that the 200mg of caffeine per serving may be intense to start with. Beyond this, we recommend Bulk to pretty much anybody who wants a moderately strong pre-workout. 

2. Who is BULK Not Suitable For?

The only real reason Bulk may not be suitable for someone is if they’re caffeine sensitive, or should just generally be limiting their caffeine intake. While 200mg of caffeine per serving isn’t excessive, it may still be too strong for someone who gets anxious or jittery easily from caffeine. 

Also, it’s worth noting here that teenagers likely shouldn’t use highly caffeinated pre-workouts either. To limit possible negative side effects, adolescents aged 12-17 should limit their caffeine intake to around 100mg of caffeine – about half the amount found in a single serving of Bulk. 

If you’re a teenager, or you’re just caffeine sensitive, there are plenty of milder pre-workouts available. Consider a pre-workout with a maximum of 100mg per serving, or a completely non-stim pre-workout as an alternative. 

Overall Verdict for BULK

Overall, we think Bulk would make an excellent pre-workout for both beginners and experienced users alike.

200mg of caffeine is right in the sweet spot for effective stimulation without being excessive – although more experienced users may want a stronger option like Bulk Black. Also, the main active ingredients – Citrulline, Taurine Beta-Alanine, and Betaine – are all largely dosed effectively, although slightly more taurine would be ideal. 

The formula is also made without any unnecessary filler ingredients, as well as being Informed Choice certified, making it a great choice for those concerned about overall quality. 

One downside here is the flavor. Although there is a ton of flavor variety with 13 different options to choose from, the powder is quite sour and has a faint chemical taste. Although taste is subjective, we believe there are tastier options out there. 

Finally, at only ~$1.67 per serving, this pre-workout also comes at a very affordable price considering the quality of the product.  

So, in conclusion, we strongly recommend Bulk as a pre-workout. Although more experienced users may want a stronger formula, for the vast majority of people, this will be ideal. 

FAQ

Is Transparent Labs Bulk Worth It?

Whether Bulk is worth it depends largely on your goals. If your diet and training aren’t already optimized, pre-workout honestly won’t make a huge difference in the results you see. Especially if you struggle to consistently hit your protein targets, you’re probably better off buying a high-quality protein powder instead. 

However, if you do have your diet and training optimized, this is an excellent pre-workout in terms of its formula and active ingredient breakdown. Especially at ~$1.67 per serving, we believe Transparent Labs Bulk is well worth the money. 

How Much Caffeine is in Transparent Labs BULK?

Each serving of Transparent Labs Bulk contains 200mg of caffeine, which is a fairly standard amount of caffeine for a pre-workout supplement. While this should be good for most pre-workout users, it may not be right for everyone. 

If you want a stronger option from Transparent Labs, consider Bulk Black which has 275mg per serving. Lean would be a good alternative if you want a slightly milder supplement as well with 188mg per serving. Transparent Labs also offers a completely stim-free pre-workout as well. 

Does Transparent Labs Bulk Pre-Workout Have Creatine?

No, while creatine is a fairly common pre-workout ingredient, it is not included in Bulk’s formula. While this may seem like an oversight, we generally recommend taking creatine on its own anyway. 

While creatine is one of the most effective, science-backed sports supplements available, its effects are dependent on taking a consistent 3-5g dose every day. Because most pre-workouts contain less than 3g of creatine per serving, you’d still need to take it on its own to get any real benefit from it. Especially considering it has no acute effects, there’s no need for it in a pre-workout.

So, while we do recommend creatine, you might as well take it on its own. If you’re interested, consider picking up Transparent Labs’ Creatine HMB supplement alongside Bulk to maximize the benefits of both supplements!

Transparent Labs Lean Vs Bulk: Which is Better?

2 of the main pre-workouts Transparent Labs offers are Lean and Bulk, but which one is right for you? 

Overall, we believe Bulk will be the better formula for most people, mainly because it prioritizes more science-backed ingredients in its formula. While Lean is similar, it contains smaller amounts of Citrulline, Beta-Alanine, and Betaine, as well as no Taurine. It also contains slightly less taurine. Lean is meant to help with fat loss, although none of its extra “thermogenic” ingredients are likely to help with this very much. 

As these 2 products are the same price, we believe Bulk offers better value for the money, and as a result, is a better overall choice. 

Conclusion

If you’re in the market for a high-quality pre-workout supplement, you can’t go wrong with Transparent Labs’ Bulk. It has pretty much everything you need in a pre-workout supplement – from solid stimulation to effective doses of all its active ingredients, and a formula free of unnecessary filler. 

The one thing we recommend keeping in mind is the caffeine content. People who are sensitive to caffeine may find it too strong, while people used to pre-workout may consider it too mild. Consider your situation and make a decision accordingly!

Overall, while all of Transparent Labs’ pre-workouts will make solid choices for different people, we believe Bulk is their most popular offering for a reason. We hope our Preseries Bulk pre-workout reviews can help you make an informed choice!

Have you used any of Transparent Labs’ pre-workouts? Have you used any pre-workout before, or are you looking to try it for the first time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Also read:

• Transparent Labs Mass Gainer Review
• Transparent Labs Fat Burner Review
• Transparent Labs Lean Pre-Workout Review
• Transparent Labs Whey Protein Isolate Review
• Transparent Labs Creatine HMB Review
• Transparent Labs Mass Gainer Review

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