It’s been a long time coming, but everyone’s favorite underground chemist, The Guerilla Chemist, has finally dropped the latest version of his hit pre-workout supplement, Chemix Pre-Workout V3! Anyone who’s into aggressive pre-workout supplements will take notice of this one!
Chemix Pre V3: Formulations Gone Guerrilla
The Guerilla Chemist has been formulating supplements while providing amazing free content for a long time. On his titular Instagram, he often discusses chemical compounds, info on interesting products, and other aspects of supplementation that fly over everyone else’s heads. His attention to detail led many to demand his own line of products — and with Chemix, he did just that. It all began with the Chemix Pre Workout, and today we’re excited to share its third revision.
TGC brings the mood and cognition support in a major way
Chemix, at its heart, is an edgy and aggressive brand, so it’s no surprise to see a high-stimulant pre-workout. The serving size is serious with a confirmed 350 milligrams of total caffeine, but as opposed to the original version, it now has energy alongside plenty of nitric oxide and ergogenic support!
The formula is like a gathering of unique ingredients for those who closely follow the industry. Guerilla threw in some mood-boosting bonuses like Kanna (an ingredient he clearly loves) and keeps the mushroom support inside that we’ll discuss in this article.
We have the full story below, but before you do that, check PricePlow’s coupon-powered prices and sign up for our Chemix news alerts because we’re expecting a lot more from TGC and the brand:
Chemix Pre-Workout – Deals and Price Drop Alerts
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Note: Check retailers to make sure you’re getting the version you want. The new V3 was first launched in Rocket Pop flavor in April 2022 on the Chemix website.
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Chemix Pre Workout Ingredients
The following is what you get in a one scoop serving — but note that there are 40 scoops per serving, and the label has a 2 scoop section, so this one can be two-scooped by the most experienced users after assessing a single scoop (realize we have 175 milligrams total caffeine per scoop):
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L-Citrulline – 3g
Most everyone knows the classic nitric oxide (NO) booster L-citrulline, which converts to NO precursor L-arginine,[1] helping to improve blood flow, nutrient delivery, and pumps! We covered L-citrulline in great depth in our recent article on Chemix King of Pumps, so we’ll briefly recap how it works.
After L-citrulline’s conversion to arginine, the eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase) enzyme then converts arginine to nitric oxide.[1] This causes vasodilation, the expansion of the blood vessels, leading to improved blood flow.[2,3] And that brings pumps.
This also brings various athletic benefits, including the following:[4-9]
- Greater work output
- Enhanced recovery
- Improved ATP production
- More oxygen uptake
- Better high-intensity exercise performance
- More growth hormone released
In our King of Pumps article linked above, we explain how and why using L-citrulline as an end-around actually works better than supplementing arginine itself! And if you decide to stack them together, getting you to 10 grams of citrulline, you will find even more powerful benefits![10,11]
As mentioned in that article, most users will likely find the sweet spot at 1.5 scoops of each, but with a pre-workout this powerful, let the stimulants dictate how much Chemix Pre V3 you take!
Next up, it’s another ingredient found copiously dosed in King of Pumps:
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Betaine Anhydrous – 1.5g
Betaine, also known as trimethylglycine, is now very commonplace in pre-workout supplements due to its incredibly beneficial properties. Much of the ingredient’s popularity is quite literally due to The Guerrilla Chemist, who went hard on its dosing in his Chemix Intra and Chemix King of Pumps formulas. The most common clinically-studied dose is 2.5 grams, so if you want to achieve those benefits, you’ll need to take well into a second scoop (prepare for the stim rush), or stack with one of those above supplements.
Why’s it a big deal? As TGC knew far before other formulators, betaine serves a dual purpose as an osmolyte and a methyl donor, simultaneously improving both hydration and countless biological functions.[12,13]
This leads to an incredible number of clinically tested benefits:
- Athletic performance enhancement[14-19]
- Greater muscle building capabilities[20,21]
- More fat loss[22,23]
- Improved cardiovascular health[13,14,24-26]
- Protection from heat shock[14,27]
- A bit more nitric oxide production[26]
But again, most of those studies utilized 2.5 grams per day, so consider your dosage!
With King of Pumps, it was added to induce intracellular hyperhydration for those water-based pumps – referring back to its function as an osmolyte.[12] In Chemix Pre-Workout, we’ll take that benefit and all of the above while we’re at it!
So now that nitric oxide production and ergogenic performance is boosted, let’s get to feeling good:
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Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) (whole plant) – 500mg
Kanna is an interesting herb that is enjoying the spotlight after years of negligence. No doubt, The Guerilla Chemist has a huge affinity for it, as it comes up in nearly every conversation we have with him!
Sceletium Tortuosum or Kanna, acts pharmacokinetically as a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor.[28] When phosphodiesterases are blocked — cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) builds up in cells. Research links this increase in cAMP to the beneficial aspects of Kanna — Kanna may boost your mood, relieve chronic stress, and even help you fall asleep after all the caffeine in Chemix Pre wears off.[28,29]
Kanna is in Chemix as the “mood boosting” element that have become a consumer expectation in hardcore pre-workouts. We applaud TGC for not going the “old dirt road” with Chemix, as it feels like every damn product has PEA in it now. Kanna is an incredible mood booster that we feel each and every time we use it.
The dose here is also massive as 1g towers above its competition — reaching heights we’ve never seen nor tried yet. No doubt, this is one thing to look forward to feeling soon after you finish your last sip!
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Dimethylethanolamine (DMAE Bitartrate)
DMAE, or dimethylaminoethanol is a choline-like compound that occurs in mammalian brains. We also get it in our diet from fatty fish. Athletes supplement DMAE as a way of increasing the amount of acetylcholine available for neural communication. It does so by inhibiting the breakdown of produced acetylcholine[30,31] and sparing choline from being metabolized in tissue.[30]
Since choline supports neural processes like memory formation, concentration, and mood regulation, many nootropic users enjoy DMAE. This is a big dose, especially in the two-scoop serving!
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Lion’s Mane Extract (Hericeum erinaceus) – 300mg
Lion’s Mane is a wonderful mushroom that long-time followers of our blog posts know we consistently speak very highly of, so we’re stoked to see it make the Chemix Pre V3 cut.
Lion’s Mane — or Hericium erinaceus — is a mushroom supplemented for its long-term nootropic effects. Research supports the notion that Lion’s Mane may increase levels of nerve growth factor in the brain — which may boost memory, memory recall, and overall cognitive function.[32-34]
If Kanna is the feel good part of Chemix — Lion’s Mane is the memory element. In two scoops, 600mg is a solid dose – but you’ll need to handle the massive amounts of stimulation to get there:
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Exothermic Energy Amalgam – 391mg
A prop-blend by any name is still a prop blend. We’re bummed that The Guerilla Chemist didn’t fully let us into his brain, but apparently he’s got some goods to protect here. This can frustrate customers as consumers often like to know how many stimulants they’re getting per dose, so we’re at least looking to confirm how much caffeine we have per scoop.
No doubt, the supplement industry is a market of copycat brands and Chemix is a brand worth copying. TGC likely spent a ridiculous amount of time perfecting Chemix Pre V3 and wanted to protect his formulation, so let’s see how we can break this down.
No matter how you slice this, though, we’re looking at a really intense formula:
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Caffeine Anhydrous and Caffeine Citrate (yielding a total of 175mg per scoop)
Caffeine is the most used drug in the world — so we won’t bore you with the fact it will help you stay awake and increase your power output all while helping you get lean.[35,36]
Chemix has stuck with the double-edged blend of caffeine anhydrous (caffeine “without water” – the standard caffeine ingredient in supplements) and caffeine citrate, which anecdotally metabolizes faster than regular caffeine!
We now have confirmation from TGC: The total caffeine content in two full scoops is 300mg anhydrous and 100mg of caffeine citrate, which is 350mg total caffeine!
This is quite strong, so please be responsible with your dosing!
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N,N-Dimethylethylamine Citrate
N,N-Dimethylphenethylamine Citrate is the hottest form of PEA supplementation in sports nutrition, and this is the next most important dose we’d love to see disclosed.
Regular PEA is a straight-up feel-good ingredient,[37,38] but with a caveat: it’s broken down by monoamine oxidases rapidly.[39] Because of that, we always look for ways to keep it around longer, either with a light MAO inhibitor or a modified form of the PEA molecule. In this molecule’s case, we have the latter — the two alkyl groups attached prevent the MAO enzymes from cleaving the PEA off of our dopamine receptors too quickly, and we get a nice, long, euphoric buzz.
At this point, with all the nootropics and mood enhancers, it should be extremely clear: Chemix Pre Workout V3 is going to feel damned good… so long as a couple of the stims below don’t come on too strong!
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Halostachine
Up next, Guerilla provides us a couple of beta-adrenergic receptor agonists, the first of which is halostachine. These types of ingredients bind to and activate the beta-2 adrenoceptor, signaling for increased cyclic AMP (cAMP) production. This then increases energy expenditure, mobilizing fatty acids and increasing bronchodilation in a fight or flight response.[40] For pre-workout supplements, these types of ingredients produce incredible energy while increasing fat burning effects.
Halostachine itself has less available data than our next beta-2 agonist, but its known to be a partial adrenergic binding agent and mild sympathomimetic agent.[41] There’s actually research stating that halostachine is about 19% as effective as epinephrine when it comes to stimulating beta-2 receptors![42]
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N-Isopropylnorsynephrine
Extremely popular in thermogenic formulas, N-isopropylnorsynephrine is a strong lipolytic agent — meaning it’ll boost your energy levels by freeing fatty acids up for energy.[43] This is yet another example of synergy at play, as it plays with halostachine. These two together may be one of the closest ways to mimic the effects of ephedrine, which is one of the highest compliments we can pay a stimulant.
This one is interesting as there is a study showing that this isopropyl form is superior to the bitter orange extract we see in fat-loss agents.[43] The dosage here is likely very small, and this may drive how wild the ride is for Chemix Pre V3.
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Theophylline anhydrous
Theophylline is a methylxanthine, like caffeine. It’s a great compound to add to Chemix Pre as it has synergistic potential with both caffeine in Kanna. Theophylline is both phosphodiesterase inhibitor (like Kanna) and an adenosine receptor antagonist (like caffeine).[44,45]
What most don’t know is that the ingredient is a natural metabolite of caffeine itself, only with a longer half-life.[46] So it can be used to lengthen the strike of energy — especially since we’re using fast-acting forms of caffeine here (anhydrous and citrate).
We don’t see theophylline used often and its inclusion highlights the chemist’s aggressiveness towards utilizing methylxanthines.
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Alpha Yohimbine
Rauwolscine, or alpha yohimbine, is the most potent diastereoisomer of yohimbine. A word of caution on alpha Y: some users can’t live without it and many lifters never want to be within 5 feet of it ever again.
Once again, this is where dosage really matters. We love it at 1.5mg or less – just enough to get you going. Take 3mg or more and times are less fun. Perhaps Guerilla will share his strategy! Reason being, Alpha Y is a potent stimulant but also a potent anxiogenic compound — at high enough doses, researchers have used it to induce panic attacks![47,48]
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Huperzine A 1%
Huperzine is one of our favorite supporting nootropics. It works like DMAE up above, as it prevents the breakdown of acetylcholine. Combined with DMAE and Lion’s Mane — you feel more cognitively agile after you dose Chemix. Its effects on acetylcholine levels may improve neural health, slow brain cell death, and may even help denovo neurogenesis.[49-51]
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Flavors Available and Inactives
Chemix’s Pre-Workout is available in the following flavors, although note that Rocket Pop is first flavor launched for V3:
Stacking: Looking at you, nitric oxide
The original Chemix Pre-Workout contained no nitric oxide boosters, but that’s no longer the case. Still, if you only want to take one scoop, or you want to blow your muscles up, stacking with Chemix King of Pumps is the way to go. At that point, you’ll have a mind-blowing amount of citrulline, betaine, and far more goodies from The Guerrilla Chemist.
Conclusion: Quite a brain boosting pre workout
Well damn. Everyone’s been waiting for a new pre workout from the mind of Guerrilla Chemist, and this is it. A major mood, energy, and brain booster, with an impressive batch of energetics alongside.
Chemix is one of the most interesting pre-workouts we’ve seen yet, but the dosing of two ingredients — isopropylnorsynephrine and alpha yohimbine — will be make-it-or-break it when reviewing. This is why the prop blend throws us off… and now there’s only one way to find out – by taking a scoop down!
There’s a lot of synergy between ingredients on this label, and we’re happy to see citrulline and betaine have joined the fold since the original version. Chemix is the best example of The Guerrilla Chemist unrestrained and we’re extremely excited for what he drops every single time.
Aggressive high-stimulant lifters that don’t compete in WADA-tested sports, don’t suffer from anxiety, and love the “up” feeling of stimulants are free to give this a shot, but just like everything else from Chemix… it’s not for rookies. If you don’t feel this one even at a single scoop, we’re not sure what to tell you, because this may even awaken the dead with its powers.
Chemix Pre-Workout – Deals and Price Drop Alerts
Get Price Alerts
No spam, no scams.
Disclosure: PricePlow relies on pricing from stores with which we have a business relationship. We work hard to keep pricing current, but you may find a better offer.
Posts are sponsored in part by the retailers and/or brands listed on this page.
Note: Check retailers to make sure you’re getting the version you want. The new V3 was first launched in Rocket Pop flavor in April 2022 on the Chemix website.
Note 2: This article was originally published on February 7, 2019 and updated on April 27, 2022 with V3.
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