Pre and Peri Workout Nutrition

1. Pre & Peri Workout Nutrition When hypertrophy (muscle building) is your main goal, the food and nutrients you consume is by far the most important aspect towards achieving your goal. To underestimate pre and peri (“during”) workout nutrition is to kiss your bodybuilding gains goodbye. For someone who has never trained under a professional fitness expert, getting appropriate macronutrients is enough to change your current state. What if a bodybuilding champion tells you what to eat to ensure maximum strength every time you went to train with a fitness expert? I‟m focussing on my pre and peri-workout nutrition for „hypertrophy‟ training ONLY. These recommendations change for a bodybuilder if strength is the goal of that workout (Read Derek Woodske‟s blog for strength). 1.Intake for 72 hours leading into a workout will affect the workout 2.For optimum hydration, 400-500mls of water is required every waking hour. (I start each day with 1.5-2L of water) 3.Carbohydrate intake for 24-72 hours prior to training also affects performance Body building workouts don‟t deplete systemic glycogen. Pre-Workout 2 protocols effective for maximizing bodybuilding results are: No pre-workout carbsto maximize mental focus, energy and drive. This allows for the natural GH spike initiated with intense exercise. Pre-workout meal: 8oz of lean meat (chicken or turkey breast) 1-2 cups of green vegetables 40 grams of fat from coconut oil, butter, or MCT oil (depending on what body-part I‟m training. Avoid butter before legs). 1 cup black coffee Another pre-workout protocol is “slow carb”. Slow carbs like brown rice, vegetables, beans, whole grain oats, sweet potatoes etc. provide insulin to negate muscle breakdown while increasing cell swelling and hyperemia. Slow carb pre-workout meal: 8oz of lean meat 2 cups of sweet potato mash with cinnamon

2. 2 tablespoons of coconut oil To optimize both these, is a non-carb pre-workout; after 20-30 minutes of HARD exercise add carbohydrates (“Vitargo” with 30 grams of BCAA‟s). When training intensity is down, or fat-burning is the goal, carbs can wait until after training. When I hold off on intra-workout carbs, I take in BCAA‟s; add extra (40 grams, my offseason weight is 300lbs). Another pre and peri-workout trick is to add an electrolyte supplement to my pre and peri- workout drink. This increases hydration, cellular uptake, muscle contractibility, negating cramping and decreases chances of injury.