Up until a couple of months ago Goldstar and its pre-workout Triple X were a brand and supplement we hadn’t even heard of. The product was said to be one of the best, however since we hear that almost everyday it wasn’t put too high up on our list of things to try. Eventually we did get around to giving it a go only to discover that Goldstar’s Triple X is indeed one of the best pre-workouts on the market. For the past month we have in fact been pushing the limits of the supplement, testing it back to back with competitors, and in a number of different scenarios. Today we’ve finally put together our Triple X review explaining just why the product is now considered one of the best.
Looking at the label of Goldstar’s Triple X you probably won’t think much of it, a lot like we initially did. The pre-workout features a six and half gram blend led by tyrosine then arginine AKG, citrulline malate, caffeine, 2-aminoisoheptane, beta-alanine and di-creatine malate. The order of the ingredients doesn’t suggest things like citrulline malate and beta-alanine are dosed at the usual 6 and 3.2g, however on this occasion we do need you to forget about that. All we really want to say before we get into the review is that, this is one of those ones you need to try or at least trust us on instead of brushing it away based on its formula.
Right from the beginning
While usually we list how good a pre-workout is in all the areas, energy, focus, pump, intensity and strength, for Triple X we’re just going to tell you how it goes step by step. Basically this product isn’t your traditional pre-workout and it all starts right from the kick. Most of the time pre-workouts have a kick or mild wake up call that comes in anywhere between 10 to 20 minutes after you take it. With Triple X you’re not likely going to notice it at all, as most the of times we tried it the kick was either only enough to feel a slight rise in energy or nonexistent.
The key we found with Triple X is that you just head straight in to your workout like you should anyway. As strange as it sounds after the first few sets you still might not even feel like you’ve taken anything. Once you get moving though and start lifting, that’s when the supplement’s magic starts working. At first it feels like your aggression is increasing naturally, and your drive to lift more reps and cut down your rest is all apart of your own desire. You soon realize that it’s definitely not your own effort, as your mind ends up becoming so clear and your concentration on each and every rep becomes so intense that you’re taken to a level of focus you’ve never experienced.
Whenever we’ve said tunnel vision before that’s usually our description of a product’s focus being the best we’ve ever seen. With Triple X the focus is in fact beyond that. There are times when the pre-workout is at it’s best where you can almost feel your eyes widen and all you can think about is knocking out as many reps as possible. Even when you’re done and you don’t believe your body can do another set, you’re mind basically forces you to push through an extra exercise or two. It really does take you to another level, and for us undoubtedly raises the bar when it comes to focus in a pre-workout.
A lot of focus and not much else
As good as the mind altering effect in Goldstar’s Triple X is, the supplement isn’t without its downsides. While the pre-workout does offer enough focus and drive to make you do another session right after you’ve spent every ounce of energy, the rest of the pre-workout’s effects don’t exactly keep up. Just as we mentioned right then, the energy as well as the performance in Triple X in no way matches the drive. What this means is that when your mind is telling you to push for another few reps or add a few extra pounds to the bar, your body will have a lot of trouble trying to do what you want.
Our best example would be something like a session with a few compound movements like squat or deadlift. When you take some of the more balanced or performance based pre-workouts you’ll find the focus may not be on point as much as it is in Triple X, but you’ll be able to lift a strong weight consistently, and at an intense rate. With Triple X the focus and want to do more is there, however it doesn’t give you the energy or refueling ability to go hard and heavy anywhere near as long as performance powerhouses like Pre Jym, Nutrabolics Supernova or Muscle Elements PreCre.
While Triple X does have trouble in intense workouts with more complex exercises, that isn’t the case on something like an arm day or when you’re aiming for high reps. When it comes to much smaller body parts such as arms, shoulders and to some extent chest and back, the product’s average amount of energy and performance power is just enough. In fact on the smaller days where you have no limit on reps, Triple X does offer a little support in the area of pump. We wouldn’t quite say the supplement is to blame for the effect, but the ability to zone in, focus so strongly on a muscle, and force reps out of your body, does seem create a kind of dense natural like pump.
Typical tolerance
Like with a lot of stimulant based pre-workouts tolerance is of course something to look out for in Triple X. Basically at our usual two to three times a week Triple X seemed to be on point, consistently delivering quality performances. When we tried it at four or more times a week though, it did tend to lose its small amount of energy after about two weeks, followed by its incredible focus moving towards a month. Since Triple X does seem to rely on its stimulants it’s really no surprise that once you build even a small tolerance, weakening its two main effects energy and focus, it doesn’t feel like much.
The crash is back
Last but not least there is one more thing we have to mention, and this actually hasn’t been an issue for a very long time. With a handful of our reviewers Triple X did have a crash side to it. Much like the days of DMAA, the Goldstar pre-workout can leave you with a bit of a downer. Obviously the closer to the maximum of two scoops you get, the worse it is, although it does definitely vary. Not all of us experienced a crash, however because it happened consistently mostly in the area of 1.5 to 2 scoops, we feel it’s something we have to mention.
Focus and energy too good together
When we said earlier that Goldstar’s Triple X is one of the best pre-workouts on the market, we still of course stand by that. While it is very much a stimulant powered product offering very little outside of its energy and focus, the two areas the pre-workout does well in are just too good together. It is without a doubt the bar raising focus that steals the show, and the combination of all its other pieces that make it a top competitor.
