Scope: Label literacy · canonical /go/ only.
TL;DR
Proprietary blend on a pre? You’re guessing the dose. Skip most of them.
- Buy open labels where citrulline, caffeine, beta-alanine (etc.) show grams/mg.
- A huge “Matrix 12,000 mg” number can still hide 1 g of the only ingredient you care about.
- AUD maths needs known doses — blends break the formula.
- Prefer labelled picks via /go/pre-mn · /go/pre-sm.
Full stim-free criteria: Best stim-free pre-workout Australia. Companion: Pre without hype.
What a proprietary blend actually is
A branded bag of ingredients with one total milligram weight and no per-ingredient amounts (or amounts buried so you can’t audit the active you wanted).
Legal in many markets. Still a bad deal for evidence-first buyers.
Why we skip most of them
| Problem | Straight talk |
|---|---|
| Dose guessing | You can’t know if citrulline is useful or dust |
| AUD theatre | Cheap tub + 2-scoop “full dose” = expensive sessions |
| Stim surprises | Caffeine can hide in a blend — bad for evening training / sleep |
| Compare failure | Can’t rank products on effective dose |
| Hype cover | Easy place for “explosive / natural steroid” copy — hard skip for Yeh Bro |
We are not saying every blended product is toxic. We’re saying you’re shopping blind.
How to read a pre label in 30 seconds
- Find caffeine — listed in mg? Good. Missing? Assume risk.
- Find citrulline / citrulline malate — listed in g? Note the form.
- Find beta-alanine — listed? Tingles ≠ quality score.
- Spot “Proprietary / Complex / Matrix” with no breakdown → default skip.
- Check serves vs scoops needed for the doses that are listed.
Illustrative AUD (verify live):
| Label style | Sticker | Serves on tub | Scoops for labelled actives | Effective AUD / session |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open formula | $55 | 25 | 1 | ~$2.20 |
| Blend + “40 serves” | $49 | 40 | 2 | ~$2.45+ and still guessing |
What to buy instead (canonical /go/ only)
Phase-1 seed — no invented stim-free / citrulline / beginner-variant slugs until Ops activates them.
| Role | Why | Slug |
|---|---|---|
| Standard MN pre | Main MN pre CTA when it fits | /go/pre-mn |
| Retailer compare | Browse labelled options @ SM | /go/pre-sm |
| Skip pre entirely | Put money in creatine | /go/creatine-bulk · /go/creatine-true |
Soft CTA: If the panel won’t show doses, put the tub back. Start with a labelled path — /go/pre-mn — or stay on coffee and buy creatine — /go/creatine-true.
Where this sits in the stack
Pre is optional. Beginners: training → protein → creatine → then pre toys.
- Beginner stack
- Best creatine Australia
- Best protein powder Australia
- Protein per scoop — same literacy, protein aisle
- One-cart list: /go/stack-beginner-sm
FAQ
Are all blends scams?
No. They’re opaque. Opacity fails our buy filter.
What if the brand “has clinical doses” in the ad but not on the panel?
Trust the panel. Ads lie easier than labels (still verify both).
Can I use a blend if I only care about caffeine?
Then buy labelled caffeine or coffee — cheaper control. Don’t pay blend tax for a stim you can’t measure.
Women?
Same label rules. Ignore gendered packaging.