Fitness influencer Jesse James West tried some underground banned pre-workout formulations so you never have to. Taking to a recent YouTube video, JJW evaluated and scored five of the world’s strongest pre-workouts, grading their taste, pump, and energy.
“I’ve collected a list of the most banned supplements only to be found on the darkest parts of the web and I’ll be testing all of these banned items to see if it causes me to fail a drug test and lose my natural status,” said Jesse James West.
We’re aware that hitting the gym with energy is key. Striking the right balance is crucial, but achievable with a mix of rest, recovery, exercise, and supplementation. Pre-workouts are perfect for those aiming to maximize gains when pushing through intense training sessions.
Boasting millions of followers across multiple social media platforms, Jesse James West continues to offer fans engaging and relatable gym content. He gave fans a look at some rare (and outlawed) pre-workouts which included Jack3d, Mesomorph, Ultimate Orange, Craze, and Excelsior.
View this post on Instagram
Get Fitter, FasterLevel Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
Jesse James West Evaluates ‘World’s Strongest’ Pre-Workouts
West joins a friend to order pre-workouts and banned supplements off the dark web but then realizes he made a mistake.
“Clearly I’m not ready for any parts of the dark web, so let’s start simpler with the beginner’s dark web, AKA eBay. The pre-workouts I’m looking for they aren’t sold in America anymore.
So pretty much I’m hoping someone either smuggled this overseas and is now selling it on eBay or someone just still has them and they are really old and they are not just going to be expired and end me.”
“Best $80 I’m going to ever spend.”
After copping pre-workout off a mysterious man, West reacts to his bounty:
“We got the two pre-workouts. Best $80 of my life.”
Level 1: Jack3d
JJW explains that Jack3d was banned three years after its release because it included D.M.A.A.
“This is the new version. I hunted down a special source.”
“Jack3d came out in 2009 and in just three years of being on the market, it was banned by the FDA in 2012. It’s just a proprietary blend, which means we have no idea what is actually in this.”
“All because it included something called 13 dimeth, AKA D.M.A.A. Because of that, it was now banned in a lot of countries including the United States.”
At the gym, West evaluated the efficacy of Jack3d.
“I haven’t bench pressed with a barbell in probably five months and I’m feeling good. I’m starting to get the tingles in my ears and honestly my forehead is tingly as well.”
“I’m recovering very quickly. I feel like I’m pushing past the recovery,” said West. “This is the largest chest pump I’ve had in well over two years. More than injectable pre-workout. My chest is so full.”
- Taste: 4/10
- Pump: 10/10
- Energy: 8.5
- Score: 7.5/10
Level 2: Mesomorph
Next, West looked at Mesomorph, which he used regularly when he was younger. This pre-workout was also outlawed by the FDA.
“This one is a classic. This was my go-to PR pre-workout when I was 18 years old.”
“Mesomorph came out in 2015 which is kind of crazy because in 2012 the FDA banned Jack3d it’s kind of surprising that Mesomorph is using the same ingredients that Jack3d did three years later.”
Heading into a training session, West gave his thoughts on the pre-workout:
“The amazingness that I was feeling only lasted like 30 minutes. I still feel good and energized but I just don’t have that extreme excitement anymore. I feel normal basically.”
“One of the main side effects that I’m experiencing right now and I know it might sound weird but I have extreme cotton mouth,” said West. “This crash would be followed by an insane level of stress and anxiety for the remainder of the day.”
- Taste: 6/10
- Pump: 8/10
- Energy: 7.5
- Score: 7.2
Level 3: Ultimate Orange
While JJW preferred the taste of Ultimate Orange, the energy from the pre-workout failed to deliver.
“70 [BPM] so we have an extra seven beats per minute at a resting heart rate with the Ultimate Orange. My power output is definitely not what it was yesterday and the day before. I feel like my CNS is not as stimulated.”
- Taste: 9/10
- Pump: 7/10
- Energy: 4/10
Level 4: Craze
Derek of More Plates More Dates said Craze originally had a chemical compound similar to methamphetamine in it.
“It doesn’t look very well mixed.”
“They made this product with what was detected to be n Alpha diethyl phenethylamine, it’s close in structure to meth,” said Derek of More Plates More Dates. “The dangers of it are far more nebulous, you don’t know what to expect.”
- Taste: 8/10
- Pump: 6.5/10
- Energy: 9/10
- Score: 7.8/10
Level 5: Excelsior
With Excelsior, Derek MPMD warned West that this one was the most dangerous due to the stimulants present in the pre-workout.
“This one I actually need to be careful with. This one is Illegal in America.”
“There’s four stimulants in there, two of which have very overlapping mechanism of action,” said Derek MPMD. “The anxiety level on this could be pretty fucking high.”
“I tried hitting the rest of my workout but things just felt off. I’m not going to lie my heart is racing right now. It’s giving me some anxiety I’m trying to stay calm but because how hard I’m pushing myself it’s just making things worse.”
“I don’t have a pump whatsover.”
- Taste: 6/10
- Pump: 2/10
- Energy: 10/10
- Score: 6/10
Having ventured into bodybuilding, Jesse James West continues to inspire his fans by taking on new challenges. Whether he’s training like retired Navy SEAL David Goggins or pushing through a Barbarian workout led by Liver King, Jesse James West always gives fans what they want.
Having reflected on his journey of using multiple banned pre-workouts, Jesse James West ended the video by taking a drug test which he said he passed.
“I passed the test baby.”
RELATED: Check out our list of Strongest Pre-Workouts for 2023
Watch the full video from Jesse James West’s YouTube channel below:
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
