Where old school bodybuilding meets new school pumps...

In 2018 Axe & Sledge Supplements set the standard for non-stimulant pre-workouts with Hydraulic. At the time, Hydraulic was ahead of the game with five trademarked ingredients, a fully disclosed label, eye-catching labels, and unique flavors you couldn’t find anywhere else.

Fast forward to 2023, Hydraulic is still a solid pre-workout and extremely popular amongst fitness enthusiasts. With new ingredient innovation, flavor technology, and manufacturing techniques, we decided it was time to release the second iteration of Hydraulic…

Hydraulic V2 has been in the works since 2022. Since this is one of our flagship products, our goal was to improve every aspect of it, including the look, taste, mixability, and most importantly the formula! Our entire team worked endlessly on this project in order to obtain what we would consider to be the best non-stim pre-workout to date.

If you’ve loved Hydraulic in the past, you’re going to love it even more... This article covers everything you need to know about Hydraulic V2, so keep reading to find out more!

Hydraulic V1 vs V2

The chart below highlights the changes made to the formula to significantly improve the effectiveness of the product.

Hydraulic V2 has higher doses of L-citrulline and beta-alanine, it also features several new trademarked ingredients including VasoDrive-AP®, CitraPeak®, CognatiQ®, and AstraGin®. Some ingredients that remained the same in Hydraulic V2 include HydroMax® Glycerol, L-taurine, and L-tyrosine.

Creatine MagnaPower®, AgmaMax™, and. N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine were all replaced with superior ingredients. Lastly, Vitamin C and sodium were included to further promote pumps, hydration, and overall performance.

Overall, Hydraulic V2 is a much more well-rounded pre-workout with enhanced pumps, hydration, performance, and focus. Along with the revised formula, the labels have been redesigned to have a more modern look with a raised texture. Not to mention, the flavors and mixability have been drastically improved. There are still 20 servings or 40 servings in each tub depending on whether you use one scoop or two!

Formula Breakdown

Now that you know the differences between Hydraulic V1 and Hydraulic V2, lets take a closer look at the new formula!

A full two-scoop serving (~21 grams) of Hydraulic V2 contains the following:

Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) - 125mg

Vitamin C is an essential water-soluble vitamin that offers several health and performance benefits. Most notably, it plays a crucial role in the immune system and acts as powerful antioxidant. However, that’s not why we added it to Hydraulic V2. Vitamin C was first introduced in PUMPIES, our non-stim capsule-based nitric oxide booster.

It works synergistically with the other nitric oxide boosting ingredients to further enhance blood flow, nutrient, and oxygen delivery. In layman’s terms, you get longer lasting pumps! Who knew a micronutrient could be so anabolic. I guess mom was onto something when she told you to take your vitamins and minerals…

Sodium (as pink Himalayan salt) - 150mg

The next addition to Hydraulic is sodium as pink Himalayan salt. Sodium is an essential mineral that assists with adequate hydration, electrolyte balance, nerve impulses, and muscle contractions. If you don’t consume enough sodium you can experience excessive fatigue, increased cramping, headaches, and decreased performance.

Since sodium is crucial for some many physiological functions, we made sure to include 150 milligrams in Hydraulic V2! Every serving contains just enough sodium to enhance your performance and pumps, without making the flavor too salty. Gone are the days that you need to pour some table salt in your shaker cup… we did it for you and you can thank us later!

L-Citrulline - 8,000mg

As mentioned above, L-citrulline was increased from 5 grams to 8 grams. So even if you take just one scoop of Hydraulic V2, you’re still getting a solid dose of L-citrulline!

Besides caffeine, L-citrulline is one of the most popular ingredients in the sports nutrition market and for a good reason! Studies have shown that pure L-citrulline increases nitric oxide production better than other nitric oxide precursors such as L-arginine and L-citrulline malate.

L-Citrulline is a non-essential amino acid that gets converted into L-arginine once it enters the bloodstream. Using a specific enzyme, the body further converts L-arginine into nitric oxide. In response to the increased levels of nitric oxide, the blood vessels expand (vasodilate) allowing for more blood, nutrients, and oxygen to flow throughout the body.

Beta-Alanine - 3,200mg

If you love the beta-alanine tingles, then you’re in luck because we’ve increased the dose from 2.4 grams to 3.2 grams! Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that’s touted for it’s ability to improve muscular endurance. Once beta-alanine enters the body it combines with another amino acid to form carnosine.

As carnosine levels increase in the skeletal muscle, your ability to clear lactic acid improves. In other words, you’ll be able to do more repetitions because the lactic acid build-up takes longer.

Beta-alanine is known for giving users a pins and needles sensation in their hands and face, but this side effect is temporary. If you don’t like this feeling, we have good news! The more you take beta-alanine, the less you’ll feel it.

HydroMax® Glycerol - 3,000mg

HydroMax® is a trademarked ingredient from Glanbia Nutrition’s that’s standardized to contain a minimum of 65% glycerol. This molecule is extremely popular in pump pre-workouts because of it’s ability to draw water into muscle cells. Glycerol is one of the only ingredients on the market that can place your body into a “hyperhydrated” state which is beneficial for performance and pumps!

But there’s one caveat that you should be aware of…

If you’ve been in the dietary supplement industry for long enough, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “no clumps, no pumps.” This common saying is referring to pre-workouts that contain very hydroscopic ingredients, such as glycerol. If exposed to excessive heat, moisture, and air, the powder is more likely to clump when it contains this ingredient. To be clear, clumping does not negatively impact a pre-workout’s effects unless it turns into a complete rock.

Luckily with a few changes to the formula, we were able to yield a more fine powder even with the inclusion of glycerol. That doesn’t mean it won’t clump at all, but it’s less likely to clump! We still recommend storing Hydraulic V2 in a dark, cool, and dry place as well as using it within 30-60 days of opening.

L-Taurine - 2,000mg

Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid that offers a host of health and performance benefits. The term “conditionally essential” means that the body can produce taurine but in various stressful situations, it’s beneficial to supplement with it, such as illness, injury, or extreme exercise because the body has a difficult time keeping up with the demand.

Taurine is commonly found in energy drinks because it’s ability to help combat fatigue. Studies have also shown that supplementing with as little as 1 gram of taurine can improve muscular endurance. Taurine is a safe, effective, and reliable supplement, so we decided to keep the full 2 grams in every serving.

L-Tyrosine - 1,000mg

Similar to taurine, L-tyrosine is a conditionally essential amino acid, so it’s even more beneficial to supplement with before stressful conditions such as training. L-tyrosine is known for it’s ability to improve focus and prevent cognitive decline.

L-Tyrosine is also a precursor to several neurotransmitters that help send various signals between the nervous system and musculoskeletal system, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine.

Hydraulic V1 used to contains N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine (NALT) as well, but it turns out that NALT isn’t absorbed or utilized by the body very well. Instead of using two forms of tyrosine, we kept the best one and added another nootropic instead!

VasoDrive-AP® - 508mg

In order to achieve long-lasting pumps, we added 508 milligrams of VasoDrive-AP® a innovative trademarked ingredient from MayPro. VasoDrive-AP® made it’s appearance in PUMPIES along with Vitamin C and turns out to be a fan favorite because of its ability to prolong your pumps.

VasoDrive-AP® is one of the only ingredients on the market that can inhibit angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) which is a molecule that causes vasoconstriction (narrowing) of the blood vessels. As we discussed above, vasodilation is crucial for getting a pump because it allows for blood, nutrients, and oxygen to be transported to the working muscles more efficiently.

Since Vaso-Drive-AP® uses a different pathway then any other nitric oxide boosting ingredient, it gives Hydraulic V2 an extra edge. Not to mention, we are one of the few to use the full clinically studied dose of 508 milligrams!

CitraPeak® - 200mg

CitraPeak® is glucosyl hesperidin, a unique substance with all of the biological functions of standard hesperidin—like vasodilation and pump effects—and none of the solubility issues. As the industry’s first 100% soluble form of hesperidin, CitraPeak® activates quickly, making it an ideal pump ingredient in pre-workout applications.

Naturally derived from orange peels, CitraPeak® is clean, effective, and virtually flavorless. CitraPeak® has been shown to help enhance circulation, energy, output, and thermogenesis. 

CognatiQ® - 200mg

Derived from whole coffee fruit, Cognatiq™ is clinically shown to significantly increase levels of a key neuroprotein (BDNF) vital to learning, memory, and higher thinking. CognatiQ® was added in Hydraulic V2 to boost overall cognitive function, mind-muscle connection, and focus.

CognatiQ® was added to replace N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine because it has superior benefits. Overall, CognatiQ® has become one of our favorite ingredients, so we’re excited to have it added to the line! As Seth describes it, Hydraulic V2 helps you get tunnel vision, thanks to this addition!

AstraGin® - 50mg

Last, but certainly not least, AstraGin® from NuLiv Science was added to Hydraulic V2 to improve the absorption of each ingredient listed above. The effectiveness of a supplement is often determined by how bioavailable it is, which means how well your body is able to absorb and utilize it. If you’re supplement with a ingredient that has poor bioavailability, then it won’t enter the blood stream properly and a greater amount of it will be excreted rather than utilized.

In order for you to get the absolute most out of Hydraulic V2, we added AstraGin® to ensure of that. This addition along will significantly enhance how well this pre-workout performs. We are excited to add this new trademarked ingredient into the latest and greatest version of Hydraulic!

Flavors

Hydraulic V2 has new and improved flavors including:

• Deadlifts & Gummy Bears (sweet gummy bear flavor)
• Shark Bite (orange mango flavor)
• Glacier(citrus grapefruit flavor)
• Unicorn Blood (rainbow sherbet flavor)

Suggested Use

• For optimal results, mix 2 scoops of Hydraulic V2 with 10-12 ounces of cold water. Consume 30 minutes prior to training.
• New users should start with 1 scoop to assess tolerance.
• Hydraulic V2 is stimulant-free so you can take it any time of the day.
• Do not exceed 2 scoops in a 24 hour period.

Stacking

Hydraulic V2 stacks well with the following:

• Seventh Gear
• Ignition Switch
• Demo Day
• DBAP
• 212 Thermo
• PUMPIES
• The Grind
• Electrolytes+