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Pre workout meals

C

Corporate Thug

Lifer
A few questions for you guys.

1. What are some good pre-workout meal for lifting?
2. How soon before your workout do you eat?
3. If you can't eat, Is a protein shake with a carb heavy composition (ie syntha 6) as effective as a balanced meal with carbs and protein?

Thanks
 
I usually go to the gym at 0630 so I would try to eat something that would wake me up and would get simple carbs into the bloodstream as soon as possible. As such, I used to have the best results with coffee + milk + honey at 0535.
 
I train around 9 so when I wake up ill make a smoothie. It enough to keep me full until after the gym and light enough I dont want to throw up while at the gym.

1 cup milk
1/2 plain greek yogurt
1/2 blueberries
1/4 oatmeal
1 scoop protein
 
Sixguns said:
I train around 9 so when I wake up ill make a smoothie. It enough to keep me full until after the gym and light enough I dont want to throw up while at the gym.

1 cup milk
1/2 plain greek yogurt
1/2 blueberries
1/4 oatmeal
1 scoop protein
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I also make a smoothie before going to the gym.

1 cup milk
1 banana
150g frozen mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)
1tbsp olive oil
35g whey isolate (90%)

Can be sweetened with a tbsp. of honey. Some might argue that my smoothie contains too much fiber and fat for a pre-workout shake. If one feels this way, one can omit the olive oil and replace the mixed berries with a frozen fruit that contains less fiber: mangos, strawberries, etc.
 
I would avoid sake with protein powder pre-workout, as the flavor is terrible (I tried it with strawberry protein powder) and drinking more than 12 oz or so can get you a little tipsy.
 
2x Hard Boiled Eggs + Toasted Whole Wheat Bagel with Cheddar cheese. Wash it down with a Coffee (no sugar).

Bring along a Water bottle with some creatine mixed in for extended fuel to drink during the workout.

Then go nuts.
 
I've found that having food before a work out really isn't a need. Your body will pull energy when desired. I'll have about 10-20g of amino acids and coffee and I'm good to go. Carbs make me tired/sleepy, so the last thing I want to do is have a ton of them right before I need to go lift. I've trained on a 16hr fast many times, and it's completely fine. A small meal I think would be perfectly acceptable for a person who does not fast regularly like I do, but something such as coffee + 1cup fruit + some almonds.
 
way too broad of a question...

depends on when you train, how much you are eating, when you are eating. then all that is thrown out the window as some people train better after eating large amounts, some on small amounts and some fasted.

at the end of the day it doesn't matter. your day/weeks/months of proper eating and training matter. find out how your body performs the best and eat that meal, or skip that meal if that's what works best for you
 
z1ggy said:
I've found that having food before a work out really isn't a need. Your body will pull energy when desired. I'll have about 10-20g of amino acids and coffee and I'm good to go. Carbs make me tired/sleepy, so the last thing I want to do is have a ton of them right before I need to go lift. I've trained on a 16hr fast many times, and it's completely fine. A small meal I think would be perfectly acceptable for a person who does not fast regularly like I do, but something such as coffee + 1cup fruit + some almonds.
Click to expand...

Yeah, recent studies have shown that coffee right when you wake up is not a good idea. I'd be shitting my guts out if I drank coffee before a workout since my stomach is sensitive.

I used to have a shake before working out but now will have a very small snack like brown rice or tortilla chips since I'd be on the toilet 3x during the workout. I just eat a lot after the workout. If the body is hungry before workout, I'll up the carbs a little but nothing too crazy. About 6 months back I ate Rio Grande (huge burrito) and could barely function for a heavy squat workout. All energy went to digestion and I was trying not to hurl.
 
Corporate Thug said:
I was wondering the same thing.

Also, what is the difference with the shakes with fruit vs. a sake with a protein powder with a high carb profile (like the syntha I mentioned).
Click to expand...

My shake is meant to be more of a meal replacement than just a pre-workout meal. I add the olive oil and frozen fibrous berries in order to help me hit those targets for the day, as well as my macronutrient targets. It contains 21g fat, 43g protein, 54g carbohydrate with 10g fiber. The fat and fiber help slow digestion so that I feel fuller longer.
 
Zivic said:
way too broad of a question...

depends on when you train, how much you are eating, when you are eating. then all that is thrown out the window as some people train better after eating large amounts, some on small amounts and some fasted.

at the end of the day it doesn't matter. your day/weeks/months of proper eating and training matter. find out how your body performs the best and eat that meal, or skip that meal if that's what works best for you
Click to expand...

Agree w this. There is no "right" answer, as it depends. Speeddemon can't have caffeine right before a work out b/c he'll blow his colon while he's squatting. Other people like me can have about 100mg and benefit (as long as I'm hydrated very well, which I usually am). Additionally, others must eat before they lift and some might find their strength is totally unaffected by caloric intake immediately prior to a lift.
 
I'll have a piece of toast with PB and a small cup of coffee about an hour before any sports or gym activities. Gives me a some energy to burn and keeps my stomach satisfied until I'm done. I'll have a protein shake directly afterwards.
 
z1ggy said:
Agree w this. There is no "right" answer, as it depends. Speeddemon can't have caffeine right before a work out b/c he'll blow his colon while he's squatting. Other people like me can have about 100mg and benefit (as long as I'm hydrated very well, which I usually am). Additionally, others must eat before they lift and some might find their strength is totally unaffected by caloric intake immediately prior to a lift.
Click to expand...

What kind of benefit does 100mg of caffeine before your workout provide? Staying the same weight at the same bodyfat for a whole year while working out five days a week doesn't seem like much benefit.

Before shitting on guys who actually make progress, maybe you should listen to what they have to say.
 
I go to the gym 3 times a week. Had it for almost 1 year now. Foods are mostly low carbs and less sugar. Its quiet helpful . It could lessen my appetite but still healthy enough.
 
rga said:
What kind of benefit does 100mg of caffeine before your workout provide? Staying the same weight at the same bodyfat for a whole year while working out five days a week doesn't seem like much benefit.

Before shitting on guys who actually make progress, maybe you should listen to what they have to say.
Click to expand...

Since he's already 210lbs @ 7% bodyfat, maybe he's happy just maintaining 5 days a week.
 
Nebor said:
z1ggy
Click to expand...

sarcasm?

not that I keep up on everyones stats, but I thought he was under 200 and trying to get leaner...

regardless, 7% is pretty damn lean. that's darn near show/competition condition. People throw out these BF % a little too freely.
 
z1ggy said:
I've found that having food before a work out really isn't a need. Your body will pull energy when desired. I'll have about 10-20g of amino acids and coffee and I'm good to go. Carbs make me tired/sleepy, so the last thing I want to do is have a ton of them right before I need to go lift. I've trained on a 16hr fast many times, and it's completely fine. A small meal I think would be perfectly acceptable for a person who does not fast regularly like I do, but something such as coffee + 1cup fruit + some almonds.
Click to expand...

Same here bro. I've been fasting for almost ten years. I hit the gym in a fasted state (15-20 hours) with nothing more than aminos, caffeine, sometimes a time-release B-complex and B12 sublingual and water.

My new fav pre-workout is Optimum Essential AmiN.O. Energy or I just buy the powders and mix myself. And I hit PRs all the time, sometimes even at the end of workouts. I have never had so much energy.

My eating window is small and all my digestion takes place at night. Eventually your body adapts to burning ketones, which is so much more efficient than glucose. Food in your belly simply gets in the way of a productive workout.
 
What about not eating before the gym?

I've tried this approach and it has worked wonderfully for me. The only thing I might consume is a preworkout drink, like Mr. Hyde.

This is because I'm into Intermittent fastening (IF), and I workout at 6am. I don't consume my first meal until lunch (12-12:30pm)
 
I don't even lift bro.

But I have been running and start a cardio program tomorrow AM. For my pre-workout meal, it depends on how far I'm going to run or how long I'm going to workout.

I keep it simple and stick to basic carbs and proteins or a sports drink.

Example: 5:30am 7+ mile run, I'll eat a bagel thin with a tablespoon of peanut butter at 5:00am. I'll sip about 3-4 ounces of Gatorade to wash it down...then start some warmup/stretching. That seems to sit pretty well. The bagel thin soaks up the Gatorade so I don't end up with a bloated stomach.

If I'm running less distance and feel hungry, I'll eat a banana and sip some water...then wait a few minutes before running.

Most of my weekday training runs are 5 miles or less, so I'll run on empty.

Sports drinks are a great way to give yourself energy in 15 minutes if you're just waking up. I don't mess with the calorie free or artificially sweetened drinks. A 20oz bottle of Gatorade is 130 calories and can make a huge difference in your workout intensity without feeling bad, but I only advise drinking about half of it and sipping the rest about 30-45 minutes after you're upright and doing an activity.

After working out, I usually eat fairly soon to help start recovery.
 
Mai72 said:
What about not eating before the gym?

I've tried this approach and it has worked wonderfully for me. The only thing I might consume is a preworkout drink, like Mr. Hyde.

This is because I'm into Intermittent fastening (IF), and I workout at 6am. I don't consume my first meal until lunch (12-12:30pm)
Click to expand...

I don't understand the IF thing. When you starve your body you'll burn fewer calories, but your metabolism will take a hit. A lot of people who do this tend to binge on food later. If it works for you and it's what you like...do it. I'm just stating that 3 or 6 meals a day has been proven to have advantages in boosting metabolism and in the case of muscle development (from any activity that damages/stretches muscle), recovery starts with how well nutrients from your food are absorbed by your body (particularly protein and carbohydrates).
 
Nope. The science is there and very sound. Do your research. IF also raises GH significantly. It literally takes an hour on Youtube and Pubmed.

Only after IF was I able to get my bodyfat below 10%. And I'm a seasoned lifter since my mid-teens. But IF is not for beginners, and it does take a while to condition your organs to adapt to this new stressor... especially your pancreas and liver. You will be shaky at first.

My eating window is only 5-6 hours and I eat *whatever* the fuck I want. I routinely deadlift on an empty stomach more than 2.5x my bodyweight. However I do get the majority of my carbs from leafy greens and starchy vegetables. And I get at least .8 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight.

Our ancestors were hunter-gathers in a way more active than rested state. They didn't sit on their asses all day plopping heavily processed frozen foods into a microwave. It's just not normal.

The 3-5 meal a day thing was created by food councils, breakfast in particular. Just like Valentine's, Mother's and Father Day was started by Hallmark. You eat their food; they eat your cash.

EDIT: I'll recommend Greg of Kinobody on Youtube. I don't agree with his entire program, but he gets the majority correct in my opinion.
 
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