Cellucor C4 Ripped Sport Pre Workout Powder

It dissolves very well in my blender bottle and does not have a gritty texture at all. It gave me no jitters. The Artic Snow Cone flavor is really good. Of the different pre-workouts I have tried, this is by far my favorite tasting one. I gave it 5 stars bc it is exactly as advertised. My issue is that it doesn’t have enough caffeine. It is good when you first start working out and you don’t ingest caffeine in your normal life. You will get used that low dosage of caffeine pretty quickly. I can’t stress enough how good it tastes compared to others I have tried.

Taste great! Not super sweet.

 Taste is good but it doesn’t mix all the way, even if you shook the drink for 2 minutes straight (or shook 30 seconds, let it sit and then shake again 30 seconds). Idk what items don’t mix in water but they collect at the bottom and it’s like drinking sand. I like the benefits of this pre but im starting to wonder if Celcius drinks (or even energy gummies) would do the same thing, you know? I dunno, I just don’t like drinking sand. As Chandler said on Friends, “stir and sip, stir and sip!”.

I included a video of what settles at the bottom. Please note, I already had properly shaken this several times and the same thing occurs. The video is only to show what doesn’t mix.

Ok, so idk what people are complaining about, but this one tastes GOOD, AND, it actually WORKS well! I got the Fruit Punch flavor and it tastes a lot like red Kool-Aid. Not bad. I can also see myself mixing this into my electrolytes or other drinks and can tell it would be good, but for the purpose of this review, decided to try it with just water so I can know the true taste, with no chaser. I am interested in trying the Icy Blue Razz to see how it turns out. Normally with pre-workouts, that’s my go-to flavor no matter what brand.

If this is considered “gross” to you, I DARE YOU to go give N.O. Xplode a try and then get back to me. N.O. Xplode, while more expensive, and while VERY effective, tastes like vomit in a glass. THEE worst thing I’ve ever ingested. No matter what I mixed it with, no matter HOW I mixed it, I could NOT get it down without gagging. I even tried the Blue Raspberry and it was STILL just awful, but slightly more tolerable than the Raspberry Limeade (didn’t even order this one, was sent the wrong flavor and decided to just deal with it), and the Fruit Punch. I will say though, once it kicked in, it WORKED. All heavier weights INSTANTLY felt light, and I was able to blast through workouts to the point I actually began to see some vascularity with my muscle development!

Anyway, I’m much more satisfied with this one. With C4, I was able to mix it well using just cold water and my shaker bottle, no special blenders, frothers, etc. With N.O. Xplode, you actually have to make sure you mix it using a spoon, because it is also carbonated, and if you try to shake it, it will end up spraying everywhere and making a mess. Similar to what happens when you shake up a bottle of soda or bubbly champagne and then open it. Yet another reason I hate it!

Also, for clarification, if you want the formula that does NOT contain creatine, you should specifically get the “Ripped Sport” variety. The ones that just say “Sport” on the label have the creatine in it. I got the non-creatine formula because I already have a separate creatine supplement and I don’t always like to use it, since it does add water weight and causes swelling and bloating (something I can’t afford right now since I’m still recovering from a major abdominal surgery; swelling will be on and off during the rest of my first year post-op, but there are things that can trigger it if I consume them, and creatine, sodium, and salt are some of those triggers). I just wanted something to give me more energy & focus, to help me power through my workouts, and to perhaps help me lose a few pounds as I continue to hit the gym and tackle some of the heavier weights (not too heavy since still recovering but dang at LEAST I can go heavier than 10-15lbs now, I was able to get up to 30lb dumbbells with this stuff).

As far as people talking about soreness or muscle fatigue after workouts, that’s a separate matter. You will need to invest in some good BCAA’s to assist with faster recovery from workouts. Since this particular formula does not have BCAA’s (some pre-workouts DO have BCAA’s; they’ll be called “Amino Energy” or “Amino Lean” or something to that effect), you will need to buy them separately, in either pill or powder form. I personally recommend powder form since you can stack it with your pre-workout and/or your protein shake and it’ll enter into your bloodstream a lot quicker and therefore take effect a lot faster (like 30 min as opposed to a couple hours, plus some people don’t absorb pills very well). Be sure to also make sure you’re getting vitamin C to make sure every supplement or vitamin you are taking absorbs 100%, even better if it has vitamin C in the ingredients; before I ever started using BCAA’s, OJ was my go-to for muscle recovery. It definitely helped a great deal. Also, lots of protein, water, rest and sleep. Try to cut off eating at 3hrs prior to your bedtime, whenever that usually is for you (some people sleep at night/wake up mornings; others wake up nights and sleep during the day if they have an alternative schedule).

If this is your first time using this formula, it is recommended to use just ONE scoop in your water (or other liquid) so that you can assess how your body responds to the formula (positively or negatively). If your body responds positively, then one additional scoop is acceptable. Nothing over that, though. Obv if it responds negatively, you should quit the formula altogether or perhaps lessen the dose to maybe half a scoop. Also, only mix this drink when you are ready to consume IMMEDIATELY after mixing. You are NOT supposed to mix pre-workout drinks and then let them set overnight; they are not designed to work that way. You should only prepared immediately before consumption, and try to finish it within a few minutes of making it. Thankfully it actually tastes good, so it won’t feel like a chore to do. Unlike the N.O. Xplode which I would have to close my nose to get it down.

Anyway, hope this helps. I like this supplement so far and I like the way it tastes. If you’re like me and coming from something gross like N.O. Xplode, you’ll be able to appreciate this one a LOT more. Take my word for it.