RYSE Supplements Project Blackout Pre-Workout Review: Energy, Pump and Focus Centric

Ingredients Profile

RYSE Supplements deserves credit for their pre-workouts, both the white and the black label. They are both formulated well. Project Blackout is another nice pre-workout featuring ingredients that contribute to pump, focus and energy.

We get a couple ingredients that contribute to strength and power. We start with the clinical dosage of Beta-Alanine at 3.2g. Beta-Alanine aids in reducing muscular fatigue to improve overall performance. Betaine Anhydrous is used at 1.5g, the lower end of the accepted dosage (1.5-2.5g) that may aid in improving strength and power output.

Next we will focus on pump ingredients. As mentioned earlier, the pre-workout features NO3-T nitrates. We get Betaine Nitrate at 1g and Sodium Nitrate at 500mg for a total of 1.5g nitrates. Now, each of these versions of the NO3-T yields a specific amount of nitrates versus the parent ingredient (i.e. Betaine or Sodium), but that is not disclosed by the patent holder of the NO3-T technology. Nitrates will help improve nitric oxide to improve blood flow creating a larger pump. Calci-K (Calcium Potassium Phosphate Citrate) is also used at 500mg to aid in water hydration and pumps.

Energy is another area of focus in Project Blackout Pre-Workout. We get 350mg Caffeine Anhydrous. This is a big amount of Caffeine from the brand that will hit quickly and hard. RYSE also uses 100mg VitaShure sustained release caffeine which yields approximately 60mg caffeine for a total amount of 410mg of caffeine. This is a lot, but it is important to note that it is a mix of two different delivery speeds. We also get Theobromine which has caffeine-like features and may aid in vaso-relaxation for improved pumps. We get 200mg Theobromine, more than the typical 100mg we’ve seen.

Lastly, RYSE tosses in ingredients for cognition improvement. We get 1.5g VitaCholine (Choline Bitartrate) which is a great dosage of this choline molecule which improves memory and focus. We also get 100mcg Huperzine A, another cognitive enhancing ingredient. When these are combined with caffeine they are more effective.

Overall, this is a well formulated pre-workout for those looking for a performance powder that will improve pump, focus and energy. These are three components that we really enjoy in a pre-workout. We would like to see Citrulline added for the pump complex to give it another boost, but overall a solid formula. 

Effectiveness

As mentioned in the profile section, RYSE Supplements Project Blackout pre-workout is going to be good for pump, focus and energy.

Let’s first start with the pump. We would have liked to see Citrulline added in the formula to give it a bit more, but overall the pump was good. As long as you are hydrated and have carbohydrates in your system, the NO3-T nitrates will work well to provide a nice pump. You can notice that you are “fuller” on RYSE Project Blackout Pre-Workout than you are on other pres without the nitrates. 

Focus was great. We like the use of Huperzine and VitaCholine. It provides a nice uptick in brain function that is noticeable in the gym. You are focus on your set, and not on your phone or what someone else is doing in the gym. The drive is one of the best parts of this pre-workout.

Energy is also good. We liked that they used two version of caffeine in terms of delivery rate to ensure there is not a let down (crash). The 350mg caffeine hits quickly but then the sustained release caffeine comes in later on to keep the energy levels high and to avoid the crash. Combining the caffeine with the cognitive ingredients you have a nice euphoric feeling from this pre.

We are missing that strength/endurance component, but if you’re driven enough you can break through those barriers. Overall this is an effective pre-workout on pump, focus and energy. If you’re looking for more in the strength/endurance field you might want to look elsewhere, but this does the job for most lifters. 

Taste

Tiger’s Blood: (8.7/10)

Tiger’s Blood is a strawberry coconut flavor. We will say that the flavor matches that statement very well. You get hints of strawberry and a finish of sweet coconut. It is very refreshing and tasty. It is a bit sweet, so if you’re looking for something more tart, this isn’t it. If you want something flavorful and different, this is solid. It actually might be one of their best flavors. 

Mixability

The scoop size isn’t huge, it is 12.6g. This does mix well with the 10-12oz of water as directed on the label. This is a lot more water than most will use for a pre-workout. If you’re like many of us, you typically mix in 4-6oz of water, which will impact mixability. Per our test, however, we used the 10-12oz water. There were some particles floating and a little residue on the sides of the shaker, but overall it mixed well.

See mixability video above featuring our Official Shaker Cup of Fitness Informant: The Ice Shaker.

Value

The cost for RYSE Supplements Project Blackout is $50 for 25-servings. This is $2 a serving, which isn’t bad at all. With code INFORMANT you save an additional 10% making this $45. We’ve seen some other competitive labels that are impressive that retail for right around the same price per serving so we are OK with the price. This is a different pre-workout than most on the market, and you do get a great workout. We would recommend you try it for yourself.