The C4 Original Preworkout is one of the more established brands of pre-workout supplements. These have been gaining a lot of popularity lately, and it’s perhaps not surprising – they can give you a massive boost for your workout.

But what about the C4 pre-workout? Is it all hype, or is it actually worth it?

If you’re looking for a no-nonsense, objective opinion, you’re in the right place. In this C4 Preworkout review, I’ll provide you with an honest review of this popular supplement.

What is C4 and Why Is It So Popular?

C4 is one of America’s leading supplement companies for the fitness industry and the number one seller of pre-workout supplements. Millions of people from all over the world buy products from this company, including the pre-workout.

So it’s fair to say that the C4 Preworkout had a lot of hype about it when I first wanted to try it and review it. Their marketing is promising us to deliver the best experience on the market, the best flavor, more explosive energy, and better performance in the gym.

This product caters to a very wide audience thanks to its somewhat generalized build. It has a bit of everything – caffeine for alertness, beta-alanine for a boosted performance, creatine for more size, and arginine for better blood circulation.

On top of that, they’re promising superior flavor, top-notch ingredients, and a passion for the development of the product.

The hype is real.

But does the C4 Preworkout live up to its hype? Let’s find out.

C4 Preworkout Ingredients

First, let’s tear this thing down and analyze the ingredients inside in a bit more detail. The main ingredients include:

• Caffeine (150mg)
• Creatine (1g)
• Beta-alanine (1.6g)
• Arginine (AAKG) (1g)
• Vitamins C, B6, B12
• Folic Acid
• Calcium (as Calcium Silicate)
• Niacin

1. Caffeine (150mg)

The number one ingredient that you’ll find in almost any pre-workout supplement is caffeine. And it’s not surprising either.

Caffeine will give you a boost of energy before your workout, and make you feel ready to take on the world. After all, it’s the one ingredient that the world would stop without.

In the C4 Preworkout, you’ll find 150mg of caffeine anhydrous in combination with N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine. NALT (N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine) is an amino acid that will boost your cognitive abilities and working memory. With caffeine, it forms a potent combination that will make you more alert and concentrated before your workout.

Think of it as adding the newest CPU and RAM to your computer before running a highly demanding program.

150mg of caffeine is not that much, but enough to keep you going for longer, and you can always increase the dose if you want.

2. Creatine Nitrate (1g)

Adding some creatine to the pre-workout supplement is certainly nice, although it’s not a must-have ingredient. You most likely won’t notice any immediate impacts of creatine for your workout.

Creatine will provide a necessary boost to your muscle’s size, though. It will help you maximize muscle stores in your body, thus increasing the overall size of your muscle.

And 1g of creatine is not that much; normally, you’ll find recommendations for eating 2-3g of creatine per day, so getting even 1g can have some nice benefits to your body.

3. Beta-alanine (1.6g)

Beta-alanine is a fantastic ingredient to have in pre-workouts, especially in combination with creatine. It will enable you to last longer and increase your endurance and strength.

It allows you to train for longer and harder than you normally would. And as a consequence, these longer and tougher workouts can translate into massive muscle gains, so you’ll be able to achieve your goals faster and go beyond.

4. Arginine – AAKG (1g)

Arginine-alpha-ketoglutarate (AAKG) is responsible for vasodilation during exercise – this means widening of your veins when you workout, allowing your body to produce more nitric oxide in muscles.

And because the blood flow will be increased with AAKG, you’ll be able to work out for longer and harder.

AAKG is normally a popular supplement with bodybuilders but also with other athletes. The addition of AAKG to C4 is nice, although the dose is lower than that of the recommended daily intake (3-6g), and citrulline might be even more beneficial than AAKG.

5. Vitamins C, B6, B12

These vitamins have a long history of recorded benefits.

Vitamin C is responsible for the formation of collagen (boosted recovery), boosting your immune system, maintenance of bones and cartilage, and improved absorption of iron.

Vitamin B6 may boost your mood, alleviate mental health issues, and several other health benefits. Vitamin B12 will keep your nerve and blood cells healthy and fed.

6. Folic Acid, Niacin, Calcium

The additions of folic acid, niacin, and calcium provide you with some additional health benefits.

Firstly, folic acid can help you produce and maintain new cells. Niacin will lower your LDL cholesterol. Calcium makes your bones stronger and more vital.

So on paper, the ingredients in this supplement form a complete entity with a wide variety of benefits. But how does it play out in practice?

Does the C4 Preworkout Work?

Here’s what I found after trying out the C4 pre-workout.

Mixing

The recommended dosage on the packaging notes that you should use 1 scoop per 500ml of water, and that’s where the mixing is the easiest.

However, sometimes you’ll notice that this powder might start to form clumps, although after mixing it thoroughly, those clumps should be gone. You also might notice that some powder might collect at the bottom, which is no big deal.

So the mixing of this product could be improved, although these minor issues with mixing are not that big of a deal.

Effects

After taking, or rather, drinking this mixture, you won’t notice the effects immediately. It will take anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour before you’ll start to see the results.

After that, I was surprised at how long the pre-workout lasted. Even if I took it 2-3 hours before my workout, I was still able to feel higher energy levels in my body, which I found a bit surprising since most pre-workouts don’t last longer than 3 hours.

However, you’ll definitely be able to feel the difference after taking this product. You’ll feel more alert and energized, which helps you get a better workout in. You’ll also feel stronger, and your muscles will last longer than they normally would.

Yes, the caffeine contents are quite strong, and you’ll probably feel a bit of a tingle (which is because of beta-alanine). If you’re already used to caffeine, you’ll feel the benefits, but if you’re not a huge coffee drinker, it might make sense to start with lower dosages at first!

The Taste

When it comes to the taste, C4 offers you 9 different choices – from Icy Blue Razz to Fruit Punch. Most of the tastes include a fruity flavor.

One thing we have to note is that even though this pre-workout tastes sweet, it’s not too sweet and there’s definitely no aftertaste of aspartame. That’s common with many drinks and shakes that pretend to be zero sugar or low-carb.

The tastes we’ve tried actually taste what they say they taste like. So if you’re expecting a nice tasting pre-workout, that’s exactly what you’re getting here!

So, Is C4 Original Pre-Workout Worth It (Our Opinion)?

It depends on what you need from your pre-workout.

If you already have a good diet and you get most of the ingredients from your diet, then buying a pre-workout would seem unnecessary.

However, if you want a nice boost of energy and if you want to feel empowered before your workout, the C4 Pre-Workout can do wonders for you. Considering you take it in the recommended doses, you’ll be able to see the benefits after about 30 minutes you’re taken the pre-workout.

We like the taste and also the structure of this supplement, although we would have liked to see a bit more creatine in there. Another consideration is that citrulline might have been a better option than AAKG, although the latter can have major benefits, too.

Another minor complaint is that the supplement does not mix that well if you mix larger doses than the recommended ones. And even if you do follow the advice on the box, there might be some powder left on the bottom of the shake, which is not a deal-breaker, but something to keep in mind.

Overall, the C4 pre-workout is one of the best supplements of this type we’ve tried.

Final Thoughts

To conclude this C4 Preworkout review, let’s take a look at some pros and cons of the supplement so you’ll be able to decide for yourself.

Pros:

• Great boost of energy and good for endurance
• Beneficial for longer workouts as well as for feeling more energized
• A good mixture of ingredients makes it a good all-rounded supplement
• Nice selection of tastes that are not too sweet
• Lasts for longer than some other pre-workout supplements – up to 4 hours

Cons:

• The amount of creatine is not that big, and you might need to supplement it if you take creatine regularly
• The mixture doesn’t mix well on some occasions, as it can create clumps and there might be some powder left on the bottom of the shake