Viking Power Leviathan Hardcore PWO - Explosive Pre-Workout Booster

What is Viking Power's Leviathan Hardcore PWO?

Viking Power Leviathan Hardcore PWO is a powdered pre-workout whose serving weighs 33 g. That unusual format — three times that of a conventional booster — is no gimmick: it matches the quantity of actives genuinely present in the formula, starting with 12 g of citrulline.

The composition covers four areas. The pump, with citrulline. Endurance, with 6 g of beta-alanine. The stimulant side, with 400 mg of caffeine split between anhydrous caffeine and guarana extract, plus 2 g of tyrosine. And a cognitive side that is considerably fuller than average: lion's mane extract (Hericium erinaceus), phosphatidylserine, inositol, Brainberry® (aronia extract), ashwagandha. To these are added 3 g of leucine, glucuronolactone, CocoMineral™ coconut water powder and three vitamins.

The flavours on offer: Orange and Red Berries. The product joins our boosters and Viking Power sections.

What does a 33 g serving contain?

The manufacturer publishes neither an energy value, nor macronutrients, nor the net weight of the tub: it is impossible to state the number of servings, and we will not estimate it. Ashwagandha and konjac extract appear in the ingredient list without a dose.

The 12 g of citrulline is the standout figure on this label. For context, the best-dosed formulas on the market top out at around 8 g, and the aisle average sits between 2 and 6 g. The 6 g of beta-alanine is of the same order: it is double what you normally come across, and you should know that the tingling will be very pronounced.

A safety point not to be skimmed over. The 14 mg of vitamin B6 per serving exceeds the upper safe limit of 12 mg per day set by EFSA for adults. That is not trivial with prolonged use: high, repeated intakes of vitamin B6 are under review by health authorities. In practice, never exceed one serving a day, do not stack it with a B-vitamin complex or a multivitamin, and do not use this product every day of the week. Vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, and vitamin B12 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism: those are the authorised wordings. For citrulline, beta-alanine, leucine, tyrosine, inositol, lion's mane, phosphatidylserine, aronia and ashwagandha, no claim exists in Europe.

How should you dose Leviathan Hardcore?

Dose: 1 scoop of 33 g, never exceeding one serving a day. Liquid: 400 to 500 ml of cold water. Timing: 20 to 30 minutes before training. Frequency: one serving per training day. Duration: the manufacturer gives no cycling advice — for our part we recommend not making daily use of it, because of the vitamin B6 dose.

The manufacturer is explicit and so are we: if this product is new to you, or if you are sensitive to stimulants, start with a half serving of 16.5 g. With 400 mg of caffeine and 6 g of beta-alanine in a full serving, a first attempt at the full dose is a bad idea.

The 400 to 500 ml of liquid is not negotiable either: 33 g of powder in a glass gives a thick, harsh drink that you will not finish. Expect very pronounced tingling on the face, the back of the neck and the forearms within a quarter of an hour of taking it — 6 g of beta-alanine is the top of the range, and the sensation lasts around thirty minutes.

Take no other source of caffeine on the day you use it, and avoid taking it late in the day. The caffeine-free booster section exists precisely for evening sessions.

Who is this pre-workout for, and who is it not for?

The manufacturer puts it like this: product intended for adults engaged in intense physical activity. We would add: for adults already well used to stimulants, for two or three heavy sessions a week, never as a daily product.

The restrictions are numerous. Not recommended for children or for pregnant and breastfeeding women, because of the high caffeine content. Consult a healthcare professional in case of a medical condition or if you are taking medication. The product contains phenylalanine — decisive information for people with phenylketonuria — and SOYA, in the form of lecithin present in the phosphatidylserine.

Add to that the two points already raised: 400 mg of caffeine in a single serving, double the 200 mg benchmark set by EFSA for a single intake in a healthy adult; and 14 mg of vitamin B6, above the daily limit of 12 mg. Those are two serious reasons to space out your servings.

What not to expect from it: strength or muscle. A pre-workout works on alertness and perceived effort, nothing else. Nor should you expect any perceptible effect from lion's mane, phosphatidylserine or ashwagandha during the session: these ingredients are assessed over weeks, and none of them holds a recognised claim in Europe.

Leviathan Hardcore or a lighter formula?

The real question is not whether this product is good — the doses speak for themselves — but whether it matches the way you will use it.

A lighter formula, at 150 or 200 mg of caffeine and 4 to 6 g of citrulline, is the better choice in three very common cases. You train four to six times a week: Leviathan is not designed for that frequency, neither on caffeine nor on vitamin B6. You are sensitive to stimulants. Or you are simply after a product you can take without giving it a second thought. The creatine-free pre-workout section and the non-stimulant formulas cover those needs, often for less.

Leviathan Hardcore keeps the advantage on one specific front: density. Twelve grams of citrulline and 6 g of beta-alanine in a single serving is something almost nobody does. For a leg session once a week, or for a competition, it is a product that delivers what it promises. Keep it for those occasions, and take something else the rest of the time. The whole pre-training aisle can be compared from sports nutrition.

Frequently asked questions

Why a 33 g serving?

Because the actives genuinely weigh that much: 12 g of citrulline and 6 g of beta-alanine already come to 18 g on their own, on top of which come 3 g of leucine, 2 g of tyrosine, 1.5 g of inositol and the rest. A 10 g scoop could not physically hold this formula.

Is the tingling stronger than with another pre-workout?

Yes, markedly. At 6 g of beta-alanine the paraesthesia is unmistakable: face, back of the neck, forearms, sometimes the scalp. It appears within fifteen minutes, lasts half an hour, and has no known consequence. A half serving halves it.

Can it be taken every day?

We advise against it, for two reasons backed by figures: 400 mg of caffeine per serving, and 14 mg of vitamin B6 per serving when the European safe limit is 12 mg per day. Keep this product for two or three sessions a week at most.

How many servings are there in a tub?

The net weight is not included in the data supplied by the manufacturer, so we cannot work it out. Divide the weight shown on the packaging by 33 g to obtain the number of servings.

What are lion's mane and Brainberry®?

Lion's mane is a mushroom (Hericium erinaceus), present here at 500 mg. Brainberry® is a patented extract of aronia berries, dosed at 65 mg. Neither of the two holds an authorised health claim in Europe: we describe them because they are on the label, without attributing any effect to them.

Does the product contain allergens?

It contains soya, in the form of lecithin associated with the phosphatidylserine, and phenylalanine, important information in cases of phenylketonuria. Both statements appear explicitly on the manufacturer's label.

Can it be mixed with anything else?

Avoid adding another source of caffeine or citrulline, as you would be stacking with no benefit. Unflavoured creatine, on the other hand, goes very well in the same shaker and interferes with nothing.

Where can you buy Viking Power Leviathan Hardcore?

The flavours can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. It is one of the most heavily dosed pre-workouts in our catalogue, and we present it as such: with its figures, and with its limits of use.

In our Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, we systematically take the time to explain the half serving before selling this product to someone who does not know it. It is the kind of formula where the first experience determines everything.