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Woke Af Vs Gorilla Mode (2023 Upd.) What Is The Best Choice?

Michael Garrico
Published by Michael Garrico | Co-Founder & Marketing Director
Last updated: August 18, 2023
We personally test every product featured in our reviews and guides. By ordering products anonymously and getting a group of independent testers, we are able to get first-hand experience and provide data-driven recommendations. Learn more.

At a recent team meeting, we got into a discussion about a few different pre-workout supplements. And while people tend to have their favorite products, we always leave our personal preferences aside and take the full research approach when comparing them.

As personal trainers, that means researching the exact ingredients and testing the results ourselves or with clients.

And after testing Gorilla Mode and Woke AF with a group of ten clients, we’ve compiled some interesting data.

Here’s how they compare.

Key Differences Between Gorilla Mode And Woke AF

Two men arm wrestling

The main difference between Gorilla Mode and Woke AF is that Gorilla Mode has a formula list that contains more scientifically proven ingredients.

It also uses fewer trademarked ingredients, which means that it’s clearer what exactly this product contains.

This is something that my dietitian immediately highlighted when she looked at the nutritional labels side-by-side.

The other thing that stands out immediately in this Woke AF pre-workout review, is that it heavily relies on stimulants like caffeine and taurine.

This is a good pre-workout supplement, but it contains as much caffeine as three cups of coffee, and that can make you feel jittery and even mess up your sleep recovery times [1].

What does that mean?

Even if that amount of caffeine doesn’t make you jittery and you get a boost of performance at the gym, you might end up with less restful sleep. And that’s when your body normally repairs and builds new muscle tissue [2].

As a result, all that extra effort at the gym could be wasted because your body is slow to recover.

“Short-term recovery is crucial to maintaining and improving performance and preventing injury in all levels of athletic training.”

- Julia Steele Rodriguez, Healthcare Education Leader

Features Head to Head

A man punching a mitt

Here is the comprehensive research we did into the two pre-workouts to see how they compare in detail.

Ingredients

Based on the marketing material, both products claim to do very similar things. They aim to boost energy levels, reduce fatigue, and deliver great pumps.

Interestingly, there are three ingredients that both products share: caffeine, citrulline, and Huperzine.

Let’s look at those more closely.

First of all, studies have shown that caffeine can boost exercise performance [3]. But when you consider that it takes less than 20 minutes for caffeine to be absorbed, The Woke AF dose of 333mg seems needlessly high.

As I’ve mentioned, that’s equivalent to three cups of coffee.

Next, Gorilla Mode contains L-citrulline, while Woke AF uses the cheaper citrulline malate. Studies have shown that L-citrulline works faster and provides better pumps [4].

Both products also contain Huperzine. This Chinese herb has been scientifically shown to improve brain function and memory [5]. And that can help improve your mental focus during training.

But Gorilla Mode contains four times as much, and we did notice a difference during our testing.

Effectiveness

A man drinking from a bottle

To compare the products and decide which is the strongest pre-workout, we had our test group go through one week of training without a pre-workout to have control data.

Then we spent a week training with each of the products, and we took note of how it made us feel and what our training data was by recording details on weights, sets, and reps.

Both products gave us a noticeable boost in strength and reduction in fatigue, and we could all do a few more reps in each set.

But when we looked closer at the numbers, we did notice better performance data with Gorilla Mode.

We also got a lot of feedback from clients that they felt they were more focused and motivated with Gorilla Mode, which may be down to the higher dose of Huperzine mentioned above.

Supplement Form

Both products come in powder form with roughly the same scoop sizes. The important thing you always want to check with powder supplements is how easily they mix with water.

Some pre-workouts we’ve tested over the years end up lumpy and disgusting to drink.

We’ve found both Gorilla Mode and Woke AF dissolve pretty quickly in water. I’d say Woke AF seems to mix even faster.

Flavor

The first thing to note is that Gorilla Mode comes in a load of different flavor choices. We tested three of them: Firefly Lemonade, Cherry Blackout, and Jungle Juice.

The only one we didn’t like so much was Jungle Juice, as it was a bit sweet.

For Woke AF, we tried Blue Raz, Grape Gainz, and Rocket Pop, and we found they were all tasty and refreshing.

Price

A man holding a credit card in front of the laptop

A single tub of Gorilla Mode costs $39, but you can get a significant discount for three tubs at $107.

Also, keep in mind that each tub contains 40 servings.

Woke AF is not just more expensive per tub, but it also only contains 30 servings.

That makes it considerably more expensive on a per training session basis. If you have a rigorous regimen, you will find more value in Gorilla Mode protein powder.

Unique Features Of Gorilla Mode And Woke AF

The other thing we took a close look at is the main unique ingredients for each pre-workout and whether there is reliable scientific data on them.

Gorilla Mode

A man punching the air

These are the ingredients my dietitian highlighted, which are only in Gorilla Mode:

  • Creatine: Studies have confirmed that creatine can help improve endurance during aerobic training [6].
  • Betaine: One study looked at performance levels in college students taking betaine for two weeks and found noticeable improvements in strength training [7].
  • L-Tyrosine: This amino acid has been linked to improved brain function and positive effects on fatigue [8].
  • Malic Acid: Dietitians have been increasingly recommending malic acid as a natural way to boost performance levels [9].

GlycerPump: We found an interesting study that showed combining creatine and glycerol has a positive effect on cardiovascular strain [10].

Suited For Men and Women

Gorilla Mode supplement

Gorilla Mode

Get 10% off using coupon code:  TOTALSHAPE

Taste
4.5
Ingredients
5.0
Price
5.0
Overall Score 4.8
4.8

Woke AF

A man doing rope exercises

These are unique ingredients for Woke AF

  • Beta-Alanine: Studies have found this to be a good ingredient for improving exercise performance, but my dietitian pointed out that 3.2g might not be strong enough [11].
  • Theobromine: The scientific community is still split about how effective theobromine is for athletes [12].
  • Taurine: There is no 100% clear evidence through reliable trials that taurine helps with performance, and it could add to the stimulating effect [13].
  • Alpha GPC: There is an interesting study that showed significant performance boosts, but it used three times the dose contained in Woke AF [14].

Suited For Men

Woke Af

Woke AF

Taste
4.3
Ingredients
4.1
Price
4.2
Overall Score 4.2
4.2

FAQ

What Are the Key Differences Between Gorilla Mode and Woke AF?

The key differences between Gorilla Mode and Woke AF are that the first one contains more scientifically proven ingredients and uses fewer trademarked ingredients, providing clarity on its contents. In contrast, the second one relies on stimulants, with caffeine equivalent to three cups of coffee.

How Should I Incorporate These Pre-Workouts Into My Training Routine?

You should take the pre-workout supplement 20-30 minutes before your workout. Start with a smaller dose to assess your tolerance and adjust as needed based on your body's response and workout intensity.

How Can Gorilla Mode and Woke AF Enhance My Workout Performance?

Both supplements boost energy levels, reduce fatigue, and improve muscle pumps.

Which Pre-Workout Should You Choose?

Based on the feedback both from our test group and dietitian, I would advise you to opt for Gorilla Mode out of these two. It has more proven ingredients with reliable scientific backing, and it costs significantly less per dose.

More importantly, the testing results we had over several weeks of training showed that Gorilla Mode allowed us to increase weights and/or reps to a noticeably higher level compared to using Woke AF.

Perhaps, they both are the best pre-workout supplements on the market, but Gorilla is a high stim pre-workout that will provide you better results.

Order your first tub today and find out how much of a difference it can make to your training efforts.

We Recommend

Gorilla Mode

Gorilla Mode supplement
Taste
4.5
Ingredients
5.0
Price
5.0
Overall Score 4.8
4.8
Pros
  • Contains nitric oxide for insane pumps
  • Many positive comments about good endurance and energy boost
  • High dose of caffeine may help with mental focus and fat burning
  • Tastes good
  • Get 10% off using code: TOTALSHAPE
Cons
  • Does not list calorie count
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