The key to having phenomenal workouts is definitely not an overpriced “pre-workout” powder.
The key to having consistently great workouts is the preparation. The worst feeling for a lifter is to train hard and frequently but then see an absolute lack of changes to their physique or with their performances.
Dogging It
You want to know the truth about the gym culture?
Most people in the gym are dogging it. The people who are dogging it during their workouts and who constantly blame everything else for their lack of progress will never get anywhere when it comes to being leaner and stronger.
On the other hand, the people who are performing tough workouts should get great results from their efforts. But for many lifters, this is not the case. Why? Because training is only 1/4 of the battle. Optimal results come down to fine-tuning your nutrition, recovery, and mindset as well. The percentages of what’s important looks like this:
Training: 25 percent
Nutrition: 25 percent
Recovery: 25 percent
Mindset: 25 percent
Whether you are trying to build muscle mass, drop unwanted body fat, or increase your performance in the gym, all of these element’s matter. But today let’s focus on nutrition.
Bad Fuel
If your nutrition is lackluster then your results will also be lackluster.
It’s not just about eating “healthy.” It’s about the quality and quantity of food you consume at a given time. For lifters who truly want to maximize their results, the most important meals of your day are the pre and post-workout meal. Consuming these meals give you the ability to have consistent performances in the gym and also to recover properly from training.
I have seen people who show up to a real training session with bad fuel or zero fuel in the system. The result is predictable: an extremely uninspiring workout usually ending with the lifter or trainee feeling lightheaded. When you skimp on your pre-workout meal, you can kiss that goal of building your dream body goodbye. You will be stuck in neutral and going nowhere fast.
The folks who eat bad vs. the folks who eat good end up with two completely different physiques.
Pre-Workout Meals That You Should Eat Before A Workout
A lack of the proper pre-workout meal is what leads to minimal progress and frustration with building your body. My list below can give you some great food options for what you should eat before your workout. I consistently rotate all of these options:
• Oats, Eggs, and Egg Whites
• Whole Grain English Muffin, Natural Peanut Butter, Banana and a Protein Shake
• Whole Grain Bagel, Uncured Turkey Bacon, and Eggs, and Egg Whites
• Omelet (eggs, egg whites, spinach, tomatoes, and chicken breast) and Whole Grain Toast
• Fitman’s Dog Food (Brown Rice, Kidney Beans, Lean Ground Turkey, Mixed Peppers, Spinach and Natural Tomato Sauce)
• Chicken Thighs, Brown Rice, and Broccoli
• Canned Tuna and Whole Grain Toast
• Lean Ground Turkey Burgers on Whole Grain Buns with Spinach
Why Should I Eat This?
All of these pre-workout meals have a solid amount of carbohydrates. Your energy source for high-intensity training (muscle glycogen) comes from the carbohydrates. Carbs are exactly what you need to eat before a workout.
The amount of carbs you eat will vary based on your goal. Having carbs before you train will prevent you from prematurely running out of gas during your workout. We also have a good amount of protein to increase the amount of muscle you can build and to minimize muscular damage from the workout.
Your fats are not high during these meals because your body does not use fat as fuel during high-intensity workouts like sprinting and heavy lifting. There is no need to load up on extra, unusable energy if you do not need it. And fat has a slower digestion rate than carbs, so too much fat before a workout could lead you to feeling full and sluggish during your workout.
The amount of food you eat will also vary based on how fast your metabolism is. Alonzo Athlete, Bobby Bodybuilder, and Sonya Soccermom are all going to eat their pre-workout meal at different times before they train based on how fast that metabolize food. On average most people should have their pre-workout meal about 1.5 to 2.5 hours before they train.
Conclusion
I ate horrendous pre-workout meals in the early stages of my career in athletics.
It showed through during my lame performances on the track. I also had a physique similar to Scarecrow from Batman.
Once I put the emphasis on proper pre-workout nutrition, I have never had a bad workout due to lame meal preparation. My physique and performance have seen continual progress over the years.
Knowing what you should eat before a workout is the difference. This is why your pre-workout meal is the most important meal of your day if you are training on that day. By prioritizing your pre-workout meals, you will be rewarded with consistently great performances and a better-looking body.
Who does not want that?
I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer,
Fitman
[…] Your macronutrients are your carbohydrates, your proteins, and your fats. […]
Hi, Fitman, what proteins would you recommend for vegans and vegans who don’t like peanut butter?
Lin,
Although I am not an expert on vegan nutrition, a few sources of protein that you could consume would be lentils, tofu, beans, or even quinoa.
Thanks for the question!