Pre-Workout Meals: What Should I Eat?

The key to having phenomenal workouts is a steady routine of great pre-workout meals.

The key to great workout performance is definitely not an overpriced “pre-workout” powder. To have great workouts, you need to be well-prepared. The worst feeling for a lifter is to train hard and often but to see no changes in his or her physique or performance.

A Lack Of Results

The reality is that most people in the gym aren’t working hard enough to change their bodies. The official health statistics of the United States tell us this. If you aren’t accountable for your fitness, you won’t meet your goals. You won’t become healthier, leaner, or stronger.

Now there are also a healthy number of people who train hard, but they cannot see the fruits of their labor. The reason why is that training is only 1/4 of the battle. To get great results, you must also focus on improving your diet, recovery, and mindset. The percentages of what’s important look like this:

Training: 25 percent
Nutrition: 25 percent
Recovery: 25 percent
Mindset: 25 percent

The Importance Of Nutrition

If your nutrition is lackluster, then your results will also be lackluster.

It’s not about eating “healthy.” It’s about the quality and quantity of food that you consume at a given time. For lifters who want the best results, the most important meals are the pre and post-workout ones. These meals help you perform well in the gym and recover from training.

People with poor diets and those with balanced diets will have different physiques.

Pre-Workout Meals That You Should Eat Before A Workout

Skipping the proper pre-workout meal can slow down your progress. This will lead to frustration with building your body. My short list below can give you some great food options for what you should eat before your workout. I rotate all these options on a regular basis.

• Oats, Eggs, and Egg Whites

• Whole Grain English Muffin, Natural Peanut Butter, Banana and a Protein Shake

• Omelet (eggs, egg whites, spinach, tomatoes, and chicken breast) and Whole Grain Toast

• Chicken Thighs or Breast, Brown/Jasmine Rice, and Broccoli

• Canned Tuna and Whole Grain Toast

• Whole Grain Cereal with Low-Fat Milk

Why Should I Eat This?

These pre-workout meals have a good amount of carbs. Eating carbs before you train will keep your energy up during your workout. Your energy for high-intensity training, like lifting or sprinting, comes from carbohydrates.

These meals also contain plenty of protein. This helps you build muscle and reduces damage from workouts. Your fat intake is not high during these meals. Your body doesn’t use fat as fuel for high-intensity workouts. When you sprint or lift heavy, it relies on carbs for energy.  There is no need to load up on extra, unusable energy if you do not need it. Fat digests at a slower rate than carbohydrates. So, too much fat before a workout could make you feel full and sluggish while training.

The amount of food you eat will also vary based on how fast your metabolism is. On average, most people should have their pre-workout meal about 1.5 to 2.5 hours before they train.

Conclusion

If you prioritize your pre-workout meals, you’ll perform better and look better.

I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer,
Fitman