The Best Pre and Post Workout Meals Explained
However, after a few months of research I have found that my best workout and recovery performance comes when I have a pre-workout meal as well as an easily digested meal immediately after my last set. Sure, it is probably overkill but it has
worked for me and that is what is important.
Pre-Workout Meal
I typically workout in the morning before work which means I have very limited time to get a meal of any
substance in. However, I actually don’t like to workout after a heavy meal. In addition, I find that if I don’t eat something about and hour before I workout then the workout suffers as my energy is down and I don’t have the gas in the tank to lift some heavy weights or get through the metabolic conditioning.
With that in mind, I keep it light and try to get some fast acting carbs in with a bit of protein. In addition, I throw in some caffeine in there for a bit of a pick me up which I also find works nicely.
The Pre-Workout Meal Recipe:
- One cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 30 grams of chocolate or vanilla whey protein
- Tassimo hot chocolate
- Tassimo Cappuccino or Latte with Espresso
I eat the apple sauce and protein mixture at around 5:00 am which is one hour before I hit the gym. I drink the mocha coffee on the way to the gym. This meal makes me feel great and provides me with exactly the right amount of energy I need for my workout.
Post-Workout Meal #1
My post-workout meal is not my invention. The guys at 2110 Fitness put me on to it and it is a recipe put
Orange Juice Skim Milk Honey Strawberry Protein Shake
together by THE name in sports nutrition Susan Kleiner. In her book Power Eating (in my opinion this is the only nutrition book you need to buy if you want to learn about how to eat for performance) she gives a few really good recipes, but the one I like the most is her Muscle Building post-workout formula for men.
This is the quick meal I take right after I am done the workout.
The Post-Workout Meal Recipe:
- 1 cup skim milk (I use Lactaid milk)
- 1/2 cup calcium fortified orange juice
- 1/2 cup strawberries
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 30 grams whey protein (ON tastes the best – click here)
If I have access to a blender then I mix this up and down it. If I don’t have a blender then I eat the strawberries whole and then drink the rest. Either way it takes awesome and based on Susan’s research it works to help recover from a tough workout.
Post-Workout Meal #2
About an hour (or so) after that blender drink I eat my first full meal which usually is breakfast. In this meal I try to get a good mix of carbs and protein and even a little bit of fat. I like this balanced meal as it totally fills me up as I am usually starving at this point and want something to hold me for a couple of hours at work.
This meal is not going to satisfy the paleo folks at all as it includes grains, but I find I do well with grains and like them, especially after my met con sessions.
Post-Workout Meal #2 Recipe:
- 1/2 cup dry quick cook oatmeal
- 1 cup water
- 1 whole egg
- 30 grams raisins
- 10 grams unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
To make this, just crack the egg into the dry oatmeal and break the yolk. Add the water and stir until it is really mixed. Pop it in the microwave for around 1:25 and stir. Add the raisins, coconut, and flax seeds. I sometimes add some Walden Farms Pancake syrup on it for additional flavour. It tastes awesome with or without it.
Summary
At the end of the day, as long as you get a balanced meal in with enough calories no matter what time you eat it you should be fine. A lot of diet gurus like to convince you otherwise, but until you really get down to low body fat it is just noise. These pre and post-workout meals taste great and will help you grow.
Important – The Only Exercise Bike You Need is an Airdyne Exercise Bike
Ignoring the fact that we do call them the “Satan Cycle” at times because they can give such an intense and hard workout, they really are the only exercise bike I would ever consider purchasing again.
Benefits of the Airdyne Exercise Bike to My Fitness
The Airdyne Exercise Bike
For me and the other people I work out with, the key benefits that we have (and you will) received by using an Airdyne exercise bike are increase strength and higher cardio performance.
For example, looking back to our workout this morning where we had a number of newbies come to the class, those of us who have been using the “Dynes” constantly way outperformed those who had been working out but had not used these upright exercise bikes. Speaking with these people (some who had done crossfit and other intense training programs) the only thing missing was the work on the Airdyne’s.
The Airdyne’s have contributed greatly to my current strength and cardio performance!
That is why I personally recommend that anyone consider buying one of these bikes for their own performance. I have now ordered one for home and cannot wait to use it.
Increased Strength
When people think of exercise bikes they never think about increasing strength. I never did. However, the way the Airdyne Exercise Bike is designed makes it very good at building strength. The reason both the fan
The Airdyne Exercise Bike Progressive Resistance Comes from the Fan
and the handle bars.
The handle bars are pretty self-explanatory. Most exercise bikes leave you arms doing nothing, so simply adding in a couple of handles where you get to incorporate your chest, back, shoulder, biceps, and triceps is a huge benefit. However, it is not as simple as just moving some handles back and forth.
The real benefit of the Airdynes is that the resistance is progressive so the harder you push the harder it gets, which works directly with progressive resistance principles. As you pedal and move the handle bars back and forth, the huge fan at the front of the bike spins and cuts through the air. The faster your spin the more resistance is created.
So, the strength benefits come in as you progress and the resistance gets harder. I will tell you from personal experience that both the pedals and handle bars can feel like 1000 pounds and it is all you can do to keep spinning. I have gotten stronger because of this.
Click Here to See the Best Prices for Airdyne Exercise Bikes
Way Improved Cardio
From a calorie burning and cardiovascular perspective, nothing beats the Airdyne. According to my Go Wear Fit, I burn around 200 – 200 calories in a 20 minute intensive workout using just the bike.
I won’t get to much into the cardio as it is pretty self-explanatory. You will get your heart rate up and you will push the limits of your lungs. Do this enough and your body has to adapt and get more efficient at using oxygen.
Personally, I have been able to build up where I can get about 300 – 400 watts for 5 minutes which is pretty good IMO. As a result of this improved cardio I am able to sled push faster and farther, rope bull heavier, and just get more work done in a shorter amount of time.
Don’t get me wrong – I am no machine – but this morning it was very clear that I am in good shape and the Airdyne Exercise Bike is a huge contributor to that.
A Couple Downsides of the Airdyne
So it probably sounds like I am pushing this thing way too much and you have that sales’y feeling happening. I do think this is the best exercise bike money can buy, but there are a few things you should
Airdyne is Not This Loud, But it is Louder than Other Bikes
know before you drop your hard earned money.
First, the think can get freakin’ loud. As the resistance gets higher (i.e. you pedal and push faster) the fans get loud. The wind that the fan generates is loud but it also cools you down. However, if it is going to be in your main icing area where everyone watches TV this is not the best bike choice for you.
Second, although this thing is built like a tank, as you get stronger and able to push harder, the bike will take some maintenance to keep it working. That just means tightening screws and oiling the chain from time to time. This bike is designed to be worked hard but that means it still needs some maintenance.
My Favorite Workout with the Airdyne
Ever heard of the Tabata protocol? It is the opposite philosophy from the “long and steady” cardio camp. Think high intensity interval training. Essentially you go all out for a period of time followed by a rest period. The consensus from those in the know is that high intensity cardio burns more fat than lower intensity, up to 50 percent more according to some, and your metabolism stays higher for a longer time after your workout. You can read all about HIIT by checking out Craig Ballantyne’s stuff.
The Best Prices for Airdyne Exercise Bikes
My workouts go like this (based on Tabata):
- 5 minutes of warm-up
- 8 intervals of 20 seconds all-out intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest
- 2 minutes cool-down
Do this three times per week for four weeks and let me know if you DON’T see huge gains in strength and cardio fitness.
Here is an awesome demonstration of this – but will probably be too hard for most beginners.
Click Here to See the Best Prices for Airdyne Exercise Bikes
Summary
I have recently purchased by own Airdyne Exercise Bike for the house and do not regret it. My wife love it and even my 10 year old is able to work on it for his skiing.
If you are considering a piece of exercise equipment for your house and are thinking about treadmills or ellipticals, I would strongly recommend you consider the Airdyne’s instead. Just head over to Amazon to read all the positive reviews (as of right now 117 out of 155 rated 4 or 5 stars).
I bought mine on Amazon and it was way cheaper than any of the stores in town here.
Full-body strategically-designed resistance training programs along with high intensity cardiovascular training programs guaranteed to strip off body fat when combined with a healthy diet are included in my book The Truth About Six Pack Abs. If you’re serious about getting lean for good, this book is a must-read.
My Diet to Add Muscle for The Next 5 Months (or how to Manage the Former Fat Boy Syndrome)
That being said, one of the best things I have done is outsource my nutrition and have changed my workouts to include metabolic conditioning and TRX workouts. I feel stronger and better about myself.
Then why the hell did my recent BodPod results go EXACTLY the wrong way!
My Recent BodPod Results
According to my recent BodPod results, my lean muscle went down and my fat mass stayed the same. What I wanted to see was my fat mass go down and my lean mass go up or at least stay the same. Obviously something was totally messed up.
There is usually only one reason for results like this, especially since I have been
lifting heavy and working out so hard. That reason can only be diet!
lifting heavy and working out so hard. That reason can only be diet!
More specifically, I have NOT been eating enough food. When you want to build muscle a person needs to eat enough food. No matter what anyone tells you – you need to eat enough food to build muscle. I am not a scientist nor a nutritionist but I do know that I you don’t eat enough you will not add muscle. Worse, if you workout hard enough you may actually lose muscle. I am living proof of that fact and it took having to live through these results to actually believe it.
I have trouble eating enough food though…
My Psychological Barrier – Former Fat Boy
My problem with food stems from the fact that I am a former fat boy. If you are unfamiliar with this term, let me explain it like this.
A former fat boy is a guy who used to be fat, lost a lot of weight and is giving it all to make sure it stays off. What this does do is create some issues with food where the last thing you want to do is eat too much because you feel that if you do you will put all that fat back on.
That is why when left to my own devices, I will eat much less food than I need as opposed to enough food. Even with a nutritionist I am at risk of this.
However, based on the BodPod results it is very clear that this is not working. I know empirically now that I am ok to eat more and should see better results. My workouts with the heavy lifting, TRX workouts, and metabolic conditioning are where they need to be – I just need to eat more food to support it.
The key is going to be monitoring my food intake as well as eating the right foods…
The Next 5 Months
My last couple of posts have covered my diet in some detail. In fact, in this post I covered my two protocols for both fat loss and for muscle gain. In that post I outlined the calories that I need to do either or. The trouble is is that the calories for fat loss are an after the fact reflection. Those 2000 – 2200 calories I need for fat loss were actually more like 1200 to 1400 calories per day with a couple fasts in there. That was WAY too low and I know that know. The right amount is more likely 2000 – 2200 calories.
As we are in the winter months and to get the body I want I need to focus on building muscle. That will give me the foundation I need to then drop some fat slowly for the summer months.
As I go along, I will be using my Withings body fat scale and more BodPod test to gauge my results and adjusting calories up or down depending on results. I want (need) to see lean muscle going up and body fat going down, or at least staying the same. My main goal is building muscle however so that will be my focus.
As was written about in this post, I will continue to live by very simple nutrition rules. Since I am looking to build muscle I will not be doing the Eat Stop Eat fasts. As a reminder, here are those rules:
- A post workout shake from the best nutrition book available – Power Eating – that includes 1 cup milk,
1/2 cup orange juice, 21 grams of whey, 1 tablespoon of honey, and 1/3 cup of frozen berries. If you don’t have this book I highly recommend you get it now – Amazon is the cheapest. - Five to six meals per day – this is just to keep hunger at bay and because I struggle if I get too hungry.
- As long as the food is natural and not full of sugar or processed crab, I do not worry too much about eating it. I don’t worry too much about food selection – moderation is key.
- Balance the carbs, proteins, and fats in each meal – don’t worry too much about the ratio, but I try to get some protein in every meal. The key is everything in moderation and not trying to overcomplicate things by eating too much of anything.
- Take one day off from counting per week – my days are Fridays. I eat pretty much whatever I want on Fridays.
I am going to start my calories at around 2500 calories per week and adjust up or down depending on my metrics. I will post this metrics here so we can all see the results.
Summary
I am confident that I have a good plan in place. It took me seeing some pretty shitty results to know what I now need to do. Even with outsourced nutrition, I now that I need to take full ownership of my results. For me, I know now that I need to actually eat more food instead of less. While I was losing my first 50 pounds it was simply less food that mattered. However, now that I am focused more on the minutia of building muscle as opposed to just losing fat, that means I need to dial the diet in even more and put my focus on the right things. As always, I will keep you updated.
P.S. If you have any comments I would love to hear from you…please post away in the comments section.
Update on the Outsourcing of My Nutrition
Two Clear Nutrition Profiles for ME
It has been very clear to me that with all the various nutritional protocols out there, the one that works best is the one that works best for me. I have tried everything from paleo, Eat Stop Eat and other intermittent fasting protocols, and low/no carb. My nutrition coach has been very helpful is bringing me back to basics and focusing me on eating natural foods, not getting too worked up about macros, and just controlling calories. As such, I now have two different eating phases that I will be working with over the next year.
The first protocol is the fat loss protocol and is obviously focused on losing fat. The second protocol is the maintenance/muscle building phase.
The Fat Loss Phase
This phase is all about lowering my body fat. It is not about losing weight. I do not really care about how
much I weight. What I am concerned about is whether percentage of body fat is going down. It is important during this phase to try to minimize muscle loss.
During the Fat Loss Phase I minimize lean muscle loss by working out with heavy weights, making sure I eat right after working out, and consuming some Xtend BCAA’s (best flavour is Blue Raspberry) during my workouts.
Here are the details of my protocol for fat loss:
- Monday: Fast
- Tuesday: 2000 – 2200 kcal
- Wednesday: 2000 – 2200 kcal
- Thursday: 2000 – 2200 kcal
- Friday: Free Day (within reason:just a few extra sweets here and there plus dinner out with my wife)
- Saturday: 2000 – 2200 kcal
- Sunday: 2000 – 2200 kcal kcal (can be higher depending on family dinners or hunger)
The type of Fast I do during this phase is Eat Stop Eat. Basically it is a 24 hour fast that starts after my last meal the day before and ends at dinner the next day. I like to do this on Mondays because although I plan to eat within my calorie guidelines on Sundays, I am much looser on this day because of family dinners and I let my hunger allow me to eat a bit more. I am able to negate any bad effects of this by fasting the next day. The Wednesday fast is simply to add a second fast in during the week. I find that one fast is all I can safely handle in one week.
My calories vary by about 200 calories per day, and that totally depends on hunger. If I am feeling ok I go lower, but if I need it I go up to 2200 calories. This range of calories for me allows me to lose about 1.5 to 2 pounds per week. Don’t get me wrong, I am hungry at times and when fat loss is your goal you will be hungry sometimes. Don’t let anyone tell you that won’t happen on their “special” diet. If you want to lose fat you will be hungry at times.
However, if you are hungry enough where it starts to affect your sleep and you are cranky and lethargic then you are eating too few calories. I have experienced this prior to this protocol and it is not fun. It actually limited my results as I was putting my body through too much stress. Don’t go too crazy low – figure out how many calories you need to drop to to lose 1.5 to 2 lbs per week while not wanting to kill yourself!
What I eat to fill these 2000 – 2200 calories is important. If I eat crap food then I am hungry all the time and feel like shit. Instead, if I focus on eating natural foods like meats (chicken, fish), veggies (lots of lettuce, spinach, tomato, artichoke), grains (brown bread, whole wheat pita bread), and legumes (black beans, red kidney beans).
The Mass Gain Phase
What I really like about my program is that the mass gain phase is strikingly similar to the fat loss phase. I eat the same foods and I use the same Monday fasting protocol. I also take in the same Xtend BCAAs which help me get through my workouts and just ease damn awesome. I like it so much better than just water. (Hint: Load you water bottle up with ice and one scoop of Xtend plus 1 scoop creatine monohydrate and you have a totally refreshing drink during your workouts).
My calories also only go up by a little bit. Here is the mass gain protocol I am using:
- Monday: Fast
- Tuesday: 2300 – 2550 kcal
- Wednesday: 2300 – 2550 kcal
- Thursday: 2300 – 2550 kcal
- Friday: Free Day (within reason:just a few extra sweets here and there plus dinner out with my wife)
- Saturday: 2300 – 2550 kcal
- Sunday: 2300 – 2550 kcal kcal (can be higher depending on family dinners or hunger)
Again, if I am a little more hungry then I go with the higher end – it totally depends on the workout I had that day.
Summary
I was only able to get to this comfortable place where I am now confident in my diet with the help of my nutritionist. As I am done my first stint with him, I am now going to work on putting the plan in action on my own. I am going into the mass building phase and look forward to seeing the results. Of course I will be posting about them on Digital Weight Loss.
My Online Nutritionist – The Diet to Get Ripped and the Rules I Lived By To Lose 16 Pounds (So Far)
The day after I signed up with an online nutritionist on a recommendation from the trainers at my gym. Turns out this is what I needed as it gave me the direction and tools I needed to get myself in to shape. As of December 9th, 2011 I am now down to 151.9 pounds and 17.5% body fat.
A Realization That I Need To Count Calories
In an ideal world, I would not need to count my calories as part of my diet to get ripped. There is a lot of research and suggestions from a lot of internet gurus that counting calories will lead to a quick trip to the nuthouse due to the planning and 
time it takes. However, as successful as I am at work and with a lot of other things I am involved with, I have a hell of a time managing the food I put into my mouth. It is very easy for me to over eat it I am not super structured and plan my meals the night before.
What this means for me is that I need to actually determine the calories I am going to put in my mouth each and every day. Every night I plan out my meals for the day based on the calories I need for the day. I then actually prepare those meals and put them in plastic containers so I have them ready for work the next day. Very simple and takes the guess work and on-the-fly decisions of what to eat.
The Rules I Now Live By – SIMPLE
The way my nutritionist worked was not to tell me a bunch of rules to live by, but rather has taught me how to plan and cook natural meals that support an active lifestyle and a diet to get ripped. That being said, I did some analysis at his request to determine what I learned and how I am going to continue with my progress without him, and here is what I came up with. These are the rules that I will live with as I plan out my eating strategy for months to come:
With a BMR of around 2200 kcal (based on RMR or 1650), I need to each less than that to lose weight
- A post workout shot of protein and coconut water. This provides me with a quick shot of nutritionally sound food to support a beat up body after my metabolic conditioning or lifting sessions.
- Five to six meals per day – this is just to keep hunger at bay and because I struggle if I get too hungry.
- A 24-hour Eat Stop Eat fast once or twice per week to further reduce weekly calories.
- As long as the food is natural and not full of sugar or processed crab, I do not worry too much about .
- Balance the carbs, proteins, and fats in each meal – don’t worry too much about the ratio, but I try to get some protein in every meal. The key is everything in moderation and not trying to overcomplicate things by eating too much of anything.
- Eat more calories on days I workout and less on off days.
- Take one day off from counting per week – my days are Fridays. I eat pretty much whatever I want on Fridays.
Some Typical Meals I Eat on a Given Day
To give you a sense of what I might eat on a typical day as part of my diet to get ripped, here are a few of the meals that I eat:
Breakfast:
- 1 slice brown bread
- 1/4 cup egg white
or
- 70 grams 0% greek yogurt
- 50 grams frozen raspberries
- 1/3 tbsp flax seed
Lunch:
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 30 grams avocado
- 70 grams bbq chicken
- 2 cups of lettuce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
or
- 2 slices brown bread
- 70 grams turkey slices
- mustard
- 1 cup lettuce
- 2 pickles
Dinner:
- 1/2 cup prepared brown rice
- 100 grams bbq chicken
- 8 cherry tomatos
- 1 cup lettuce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
or
- 1 brown pita
- 100 grams chicken
- 2 small Babybel Gouda cheese
- 1 cup lettice
- 30 grams black olives
- Make this as a pizza and put under the broiler – awesome!
Snacks:
- 60 grams grapes
- 20 grams almonds
or
- 1 slice bread
- 25 grams natural peanut butter
- 1 medium banana
There are a lot of other options available as well. Nothing is really off the table as long as it is natural, I watch the calories, and it is a balance of carbs, fats, and protein.
My Trouble Spot Still – The Weekend
There is still one trouble spot I need to get under control and that is the weekend. At work during the weekdays everything is very structured. The weekends are much looser and a such I can find myself out and about more often and do not have the set meal plans. However, I know the answer is bringing some structure into it and planning these days just as I do the weekdays. That way I will be able to manage it and not blow the progress from the week.
