Hola peeps and welcome to another Fit Life Allie supplement review. Today we’re going to talk about Controlled Labs White Rapids Pre Workout. In this White Rapids review I’m going to talk all about the taste, performance, packaging, and ultimately the value of the product. My hope is that by the end you have a really good idea of what it’s like to take this product, and will allow you to decide if it’s worth a buy. I know this is a super short-winded intro for me- but we’re actually going to dive right into this thing today. Without further ado- my official FLA review of Controlled Labs White Rapids.
Well this review is going to be a fun one indeed. Not only is it the absolute middle of the night here in Santa Barbara, but it is also so so hot in here and my A/C is broken and to be honest I’m getting downright hot and tired. But that’s not going to stop me from telling you absolutely everything you ever wanted to know about this pre workout from Controlled Labs. I know some of you are thinking ‘Who the heck is Controlled Labs?’. Well. Controlled Labs just happens to be one of the most peculiar and awesome companies out there. Here’s the deal with ‘CL’ as they are affectionately referred to on the forums.
They started out like a decade ago and amassed a small following among the ‘informed’ bodybuilding community. What I mean by that is basically unless you spent alot of time on internet forums, you probably never heard of them. They are the anti-MuscleTech, and if you know supplements you know what I mean by that! They don’t have shiny labels (their labels and packaging are, well, let’s call a spade a spade here: atrocious), they don’t have fancy marketing or gimmicks or Instagram ambassadors or any of that jazz. It’s actually sort of remarkable that they have grown to the giant that they are with rather prehistoric branding and marketing. But guess what? They make BAD. ASS. products. It all started with the White Flood (the naming conventions are great) and then a few other successful products came along such as ‘Green Magnitude’ and of course the fan favorite ‘Orange Triad’ (multi-vitamin). I have always been a Controlled Labs fan and despite sort of losing their way in my opinion in previous years with products such as White Flood reborn and Red Acid- the CL crew seems to be back on their game with the latest generation of the pre workout that started it all.
Can Women Take White Rapids?
Before I get into the nitty-gritty of this review, I’m going to cover off on a question I get all the time when my fitties see me popping open a (sorta-sketch-looking) black jar and pouring white powder into my water bottle: can women take it? Is it safe for women? And my answer 9 times out of 10 is simply- uh. Yeah. We can. And guess what? We can vote too! WOO! Like. Come on ladies. Do supplement companies market primarily to men? Sure they do. Let’s face it- men are buying pre workouts WAYY more often than women. Of course they are going to appeal to the men’s common interests of putting on muscle mass, getting a huge ‘pump’ (insert school-girl joke here LOL), and overall getting as agro as possible. But the truth is most of these supplements work the exact same for women. Some of them will have certain ingredients that supposedly boost testosterone, but they are sort of few and far between. Ok. Yes. We can finally get into the meat and potatoes of this thing. Let’s talk taste.
White Rapids Flavor Grade: 9.5
I’m giving White Rapids pre workout a well-earned ‘A’ in the flavoring department because I really did enjoy the taste, and look forward to sampling the other flavors. I definitely plan on sampling every flavor of White Rapids so that I can figure out which flavor is best. I tried the Pineapple flavor, which is the most tropical of the three. The other two flavor options on the menu are fruit punch and lemonade.
The pineapple flavor has a very strong and tart burst of flavor that stimulates every taste bud in your mouth at once. Controlled Labs products have always had the ability to almost overtake your senses with their flavors. I don’t know if it’s a special kind of flavoring product that they use, but whatever it is, it is very find and very powdery. I always enjoy the consistency of CL products. They mix well, taste great, and always leave a smile on my face. To describe the flavor itself- it is as advertised- just a very very strong, tart pineapple taste. It doesn’t taste natural, but oddly it doesn’t taste artificial either. It is right in between in my opinion, and i like it. Taste is spot on- let’s talk performance. (edit: I took two scoops in about 12 ounces of ice cold water.)
White Rapids Performance Grade: 9.5
Have you ever danced while sitting in a chair? You have? Me too. I’m doing it right now. And I’m actually breaking a sweat. That’s how EFFING hot it is in here. I HATE the heat. UGH.
How entertaining am I? Very. I know. That’s why you LOVE Fit Life Allie! You know what you’ll love? White Rapids. You will. I almost don’t even want to explain to you why you should get some- just so that you can experience it without any preconceived notions about what to expect. This is my new favorite pre workout, and I don’t care who knows it. That’s right. My new favorite. Sigh. I guess I’m going to have to tell you why, huh? K.
The first thing you notice (after the taste) about White Rapids is a super clean, super smooth wave of energy rush over you. We’ll talk about what makes it so smooth in the supplement facts review- but I can’t tell you how nice it was. Like the smoothest, yet rapid acceleration. Ever ridden (or drove) a modern Bentley? It’s like that. Totally powerful and deliberate, yet silky smooth at the same time. Yes. I love that comparison. This is the Bentley of pre workouts. What else makes it like a Bentley? The strength.
Bentley’s are heavy AF. They have alot of horsepower. They command attention. And you will too with White Rapids. The best part about the ‘Rapids is that you are just plain stronger with it. It’s not just caffeine strength either. I know better than most what a stimmed-out feeling of strength is. You feel hyper and crazed and let that sort of hectic energy push you through. With White Rapids it’s just the cleanest, REALEST strength and endurance. More sets. More reps. EASIER reps. It’s fantastic.
Now. I know I’m going to sound super masc right now but this was the first time I actually experience a real ‘pump’. And I think I’m in love with it. It was like my muscles were so full and tight and awesome looking in the mirror. But not in that watery bloaty creatine way! That’s the KEY thing you have to understand about White Rapids. The pump is not a creatine ‘bloat-pump’. It’s a real, awesome, muscle-defining pump. I’m not the most vascular person in the world but even I was getting some vein going in my elbows and (ok you had to look hard) bicep!
Wow. With all these awesome effects- there HAS to be some sort of crazy new ingredient deck in here, right? Let’s find out.
White Rapids Formula Grade: 9.5
Another Nine and a half. Not bad. Especially coming from the Queen Bee of supplement reviews herself. Yep. That’s me. Why do I love this formula? It’s basic. It’s dosed totally transparently. But the best part? It just flat out works. I’ve never had a back workout quite like I did with my White Rapids pre workout. Here is the supplement facts panel:
- As you can see, White Rapids uses L-Cirulline Malate as it’s primary ingredient. Citrulline Malate is definitely responsible for giving the pump element to this pre workout.
- The second most heavily-dosed ingredient in White Rapids is Betaine Anhydrous. I’m pretty sure this is the ingredient that gave me the absolutely crazy strength benefits that I noticed during the workout. Glycerol Powder and Agmatine Sulfate are also classic ‘pump’ ingredients that likely work in concert with Citrulline to deliver that awesome pump feeling that I get when I take White Rapids.
- Dicaffeine Malate and Caffeine Anhydrous provide the caffeine boost to this pre workout, while the Alpha-GPC, Evodiamine, and Toothed Clubmoss (AKA Huperzine A) create the support system your brain and CNS need for the stimulants to work perfectly.
White Rapids Labeling Grade: 7.0
Oh Controlled Labs. I’m not going to spend too too long on the labeling section for obvious reasons. The packaging of White Rapids, and really all Controlled Labs products leaves something to be desired. I think I could have designed it in 3rd grade. The tub is white. The label is black. Just black. With some white text and the signature ’scraggly’ font that I think they downloaded off some far corner of the internet on a whim. There’s really not much else to say about the design. It’s boring, and it’s ugly. Anyone who tells you otherwise is probably lying. Or just doesn’t have an eye for design.
But hey. You know what? Controlled Labs succeeds DESPITE their horrid packaging. Their products are so good that they have become a staple in my supplement cupboard no matter what they look like. And I’m not the only one. This is one of the supplement industry’s most beloved companies, and one that I will always seek out when I know I need a product that works.
White Rapids Review Summary:
- White Rapids Performance Grade: 9.5
- White Rapids Formula Grade: 9.5
- White Rapids Labeling Grade: 7.0
- White Rapids Performance Value: 10
In this review I’ve covered off on almost everything. Except value. Because I’ve saved the best for last! At $35 for 50, that’s right FIFTY servings of White Rapids- this is actually the best value on the market. You could argue that this is really a two-scooper (meaning 25 servings per container), but even then it’s a great buy. White Rapids is my favorite pre workout right now because it’s incredibly effective, tastes phenomenal, and is an amazing value. Here’s congratulations to the Controlled Labs on what is, in my opinion, their best product to date.*
White Rapids Final Grade: 9.8
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