The Best Pre and Post Workout Meals for Fat Loss and Muscle Gain

My Top 3 Meals to Eat before and After Workout to Gain Muscle and Lose fat.

A big question for a lot of us is what to eat before our workout or should we just wait until after we finish?

A more important question for you all though is wouldn’t you like to know 5 foods that you can eat before and after you exercise that will help you build muscle and lose fat quicker?

Do you want to feel full of energy in your workout and recover a lot quicker after you finish so you can continue to train each week without experiencing any muscle soreness?

Did you know that if you don’t get this part of your training right then you could be wasting a lot of time. Therefore you need to read this article to learn 5 foods that can help you get fitter, stronger and leaner.

If you had read my previous blog post about pre and post workout nutrition then you will know the importance of both carbohydrates and protein before and after your workout and how much of each you need to consume so this post might be seen as a continuation of how to reach the correct amounts.

Did you miss that one?

If you want to know exactly how much carbohydrates and protein you need to get strong and lean then you can read that post first by clicking here.

So lets jump in by looking at 5 foods or meals that you could eat prior to performing a workout.

One thing that’s important to note here is that we will all be different in our ability to metabolize the food that we can consume meaning different people may need to eat at different times.

But one thing will remain the same. We all need readily available energy to perform at our best during a workout. Do you ever go into a workout feeling tired and lethargic?

Then you aren’t eating the right foods at the right times. Many of us need to eat at least 1-2 hours before our workout because we feel we need the time to digest the food properly. But is this right? Yes and no.

Here’s why…

Lets say that you had eaten a meal around 1-2 hours before you workout and this meal provided you with at least 20g and upwards of protein and around 1g of Carbohydrate for every 1kg of your body weight. This meal should provide you with adequate energy to perform effectively. But how can you take this to next level and train even harder?

By eating closer to the start of your workout of course! This doesn’t mean you need to eat a big heavy meal that is going to make you feel full. This is where we need to carefully select the correct foods that provide you with instant energy ready to push you through the workout and perform at your best. So we are in search of fast digesting carbohydrates and protein.

Consume these fast digesting proteins and carbs somewhere around 30 – 60 minutes before you workout for best results.

So what foods should you be looking at for fast digesting proteins and carbohydrates? Well here are my top 3 foods/meals to eat 30 – 60 minutes before your workout:

11.    White Bagel with 6 egg whites (Scrambled)

Protein – 21.6g

Carbohydrates – 42.7g

Both of these food sources can be digested very quickly making them perfect to fit into that 30 minute window if it is whole foods that you want to consume.

22.    Whey Protein Isolate (Gold Standards Whey) and Dextrose (My Protein)

Protein – 24g (1 scoop)

Carbohydrates - 28g

Probably a lot easier to consume (and prepare) if you want to go in this direction of having a shake as your pre-workout meal.

Not only is whey protein isolate the fastest digesting protein available but when combined with a supplement like dextrose, which is essentially a sugar. This causes an insulin spike, which provides us with instant energy as well as helping deliver the protein to the muscle cell at a much quicker speed.

33.    150g Chicken Breast & ½ Cup White Rice

Protein – 33g

Carbohydrates – 26g

Another great option if you prefer whole foods rather than a supplement. We all know that chicken is a great source of lean protein and white rice is a high glycemic food meaning it is also digested very quickly providing you with fuel for the workout ahead. Aim for something like this about 60 minutes before training.

Any other tips?

Another great option 30 minutes before you train is a banana! Full of natural sugars that will boost your glycogen stores and give you the energy kick you are looking for.

So how about post workout?

I’m sure some of you will have heard about there being this ‘magic window’ where you must consume your post workout nutrition in a certain time frame. Well is this true?

Sort of… Research shows that when you consume a post workout meal combining foods high in protein and high in simple carbohydrates immediately after training you are more likely to build muscle more effectively.

This is because once again you need something that can be digested as quickly as possible. Due to the fact our muscle glycogen stores are completely depleted during an intense workout and in order to kick-start muscle repair and growth we need to spike our insulin and blood sugar levels so that the essential nutrients our body needs can be transported in to the muscles.

When does this magic window end?

Although you will benefit more by consuming your post workout nutrition immediately research shows anything up to 2 hours is sufficient.

Do you want to know exactly how much fast digesting simple sugars and protein you need? Then take a read of my previous blog on pre and post workout nutrition by clicking here.

So now that we know the types of food that we need to consume. What are the best post workout meals? Here is my Top 3: -

11.  Whey Protein Isolate (Gold Standard Whey) and Dextrose (My Protein).

Protein – 24g (1 scoop)

Carbohydrates - 28g

Why is this my number one choice? Now that we know after our workout speed is everything. This combination ticks all the boxes. Simply for ease of preparation, transportation and delivery of the vital nutrients into the muscle cells.

Hence the simple sugar in the form of dextrose is vital! But why is this better than sugar we get from fruit?

Sugar is found in fruit in the form of fructose the breakdown of this by the body in the liver takes much longer so there is a slight delay in that insulin spike we are looking for.

22.  ½ - 1 Cup Mashed Sweet Potatoes and 1 Tin of Tuna with Salad.

Protein – 31g

Carbohydrates – 29-58g

Fast becoming a favourite food in most households. Sweet potato is a great post workout choice. Although it is not as high on the glycemic index compared to options such as white potatoes it will still help to restore glycogen levels and give you that insulin spike without the higher fat content that you might get from regular mashed potatoes. Combine it with tuna and you have your high protein serving post workout meal that is also easy to pack and transport.

33. Chicken Breast (150g) in 1 / 2 Tortilla Wraps with Salad.

Protein – 33g

Carbohydrates – 30-60g

Easy to make and easy to carry! Another whole food source of fast digesting carbohydrates to restore glycogen stores (the tortilla wrap of course) as well as shuttle the protein from the chicken into the muscle cells to help aid recovery and keep us anabolic. Why is this a good option? It tastes good too!

Are these the only foods you can eat pre and post workout?

The most important lesson to take is that our pre and post workout meals should be our most important meals of our day. Providing us with the fuel and energy to train for maximum results and recover and restore muscle glycogen levels as quick as possible after training.

As a London personal trainer I know how essential it is to have easily accessible foods with you to take on the go at all times.

Do you want a full weeks worth of pre and post workout nutrition?

Then why don’t you get a your own meal plan designed by me. Just click here.

Now you know exactly what to eat and when.

Until next time…

EJP

How To Burn More Fat for 72 Hours After your Exercise

What is the after-Burn effect and can you really burn calories for up to 72-hours after your workout?

Have you ever wondered how to get your body fat super low? Or do you want to reveal some muscle definition that has never been visible before? Then creating the after-burn effect is going to be something you need to get from your training.

Imagine being able to increase your calorie expenditure without having to do anything else after you finish working out giving your metabolism a huge boost. Well studies have shown that based on the type of training we do we can achieve this and this is commonly know in the fitness world as the ‘After-Burn’ effect.

The question is… Are you doing the correct type of training to create this so called ‘afterburn’ effect? In this article you are going to find this out so read on to see if you are training correctly.

First things first lets look at what the after-burn effect actually is and how it works. The technical term given to this process is called ‘excess post-exercise oxygen consumption’ (EPOC). This might give you a little clue as to what it involves!

After we finish exercising Oxygen is required in greater amounts to help with recovery and allow our bodies to return to a normal/resting state.

Some of these processes include:

-       Replenishment of Oxygen stores

-       ATP re-Synthesis

-       Creatine re-synthesis

-       Lactic Acid Removal

The list also goes on.

In order for the body to carry out these processes oxygen is required and it requires energy to increase oxygen consumption and therefore we are burning more calories above what we would at rest.

So in a nutshell this is the ‘After-burn’ effect.

How long does this process last? Research and studies carried out show that this can last anywhere from 10 – 72 hours after you finish your workout!

But here’s the thing… This isn’t going to happen from every workout you do. It is all going to boil down to the intensity and type of training you do. So let’s see how many extra calories you could be burning each week.

Which type of training provides a better ‘after-burn’ effect… Cardio or Weight Lifting?

Looking at cardio first, the route to go down here is of course High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). The only reason you should perform cardio for long durations at a continuous speed is if you are training for a marathon for example.

HIIT is also so consistent with speeding up fat loss and preserving/building our muscle and strength so this should be your go-to for cardio.

But how effective is HIIT in creating an afterburn effect?

The benefit of HIIT workouts is that we are going to be able to perform several of them a week alongside our weight lifting program and they allow us to improve our bodies ability to use oxygen for energy (VO2 Max).

However to be considered anywhere near worthwhile it is recommended that you perform at least 3 – 5 HIIT sessions a week lasting around 20-25 minutes per session. By doing this you can expect to burn around an extra 400 Kcals alone.

Which type of HIIT training is most effective then?

One of the most effective methods of HIIT training that can be used for creating an afterburn effect is Tabata Training. Here’s why…

Tabata training involves 20 second interval bursts of all out maximum intensity followed by a 10 second rest period, which is then repeated 8 times making each round of Tabata 4 minutes. It will generally involve large compound movements such as sprints, jump squats, plyometric press-ups.

Since the interval period is only 20 seconds this allows us to reach and train at maximum effort and in order to continue to burn calories after our workout studies show our metabolic rate needs to be at an extremely high level making Tabata an excellent option for these reasons.

So how does Weight Lifting compare?

Once again the point to consider here is the intensity and type of weight lifting workout you do.

Do you lift at 85% or above of your 1 rep max for most exercises?

Because if not then you’re unlikely to be making any significant post workout calorie expenditure.

This was found with research that compared people who trained with lighter weights (around 45-65% of their 1 rep max) against those who trained with 85% of their 1 rep max.

The research showed that people who focused more on heavy lifting burned hundreds more calories post work out than people who trained with lighter weights.

So you do the math! What type of weight lifting is going to be better suited to burning fat away?

Of course when you lift heavier you will perform less repetitions usually in the 3 – 5 rep range.

Is lifting at 85% of your 1 rep max suitable for women though? A lot of women get concerned about lifting heavy weights in case they get bulky. Well here’s the truth…

Of course women can train with heavy weights. If you are after that toned look then as long as you place yourself in a calorie deficit and eat the correct foods then you will burn the fat away and reveal a toned look that you are after.

If you need help working out how to place yourself in a calorie deficit then my personalized nutrition plan will get you on track by clicking here.

So is the After-burn effect really such an important part of fat loss or is it just a myth?

Truth be told the majority of calories you are going to burn will come directly from the workout itself and also from building extra muscle that will help increase your calorie expenditure.

However if you get it right as mentioned above the after-burn effect can certainly assist you in your fat loss goals. In order for EPOC to burn something meaningful such as an extra 1000-1500 Kcals a week from this process alone then you will need to be hitting in between 3-5 sessions of both HIIT and Heavy weightlifting.

So the bottom line is. Combine the two and you could watch the weight fall off and get that toned physique you are working hard for.

If you need any help structuring a combined exercise program that will help you achieve this then my online training programs could be perfect for you so just click here.

Until next time…

E

5 Ways To Gain Muscle and Stay Lean On Holiday

5 ways to stay lean and gain muscle on holiday

Are you worried about losing that hard-earned muscle when you go on holiday this summer?

Do you want to arrive home looking and feeling better than before you went away?

Then you are going to want to read this and find out how using a few simple strategies can help you maintain or improve what you have worked so hard for in the gym.

Lets face it most of us if not all train hard all year round only to go and lose everything we’ve gained within that short 7 day holiday we cant wait to go on. Only to come back looking exactly the same as what we did 12 months ago feeling depressed about our physiques and that we have to do it all over again.

Well how would you feel if I told you that you can afford to eat huge cheat meals everyday on holiday and not have to worry about it?

Or continue progressing with your training improving or at least maintaining your physique and conditioning.

Well by applying a few simple protocols all this is possible and you can go back home still looking and feeling great. Read my 5 tips below on how to maintain muscle and stay lean while on holiday and put them into practice.

1. Keep Protein Levels High

When we travel away on business or spend some time in the sun one thing we tend to neglect is the amount of protein we consume each day compared to when we are in our everyday routine sometimes counting every calorie! It’s often far to easy to switch the protein out and replace it with as many comfort foods as you can. But this comes at a cost.

Without a sufficient amount of protein we are likely to lose muscle, which is the last thing we want. So aiming for foods such as Greek yoghurt, Lean Meats, Protein Powders, Fruits, Nuts is crucial.

2. Do Interval Training

Whether you are looking to gain weight, lose weight or just maintain we always want to keep our body fat % as low as possible and a great way to do this is through Interval training.

Why?

Interval training is shown to be a far greater method of burning calories that long steady state cardio. This is because it creates an after burn effect meaning you continue to burn calories after your workout for sometimes up to 72 hours later as your metabolism is given such a boost it can take it that long to return back to a normal level. Also you only need to work for around a 20 minute period to get this effect making Interval training a great go to option for exercising when you are away. Another great benefit is that due to the energy systems that are used in interval training it helps to keep you anabolic meaning you are less likely to break down muscle.

3. Try Intermittent Fasting

A typical dieting solution that might work for you whilst travelling as well is intermittent fasting. This reason for this is that you are likely to be skipping meals whilst you are away so using this technique means you don’t have to worry about your metabolism being effected by not managing to eat at your regular intervals and here’s how it works; -

Basically you eat your days worth of calories in a selected window during the day. Usually an 8-hour period for men and 10 for women. This means that for the rest of the day you are fasting, which helps to reduce fat storage as fasting has great fat burning effects.

The reason this can be very beneficial for most people is because generally when we are on holiday or travelling our meals tend to be a lot bigger so therefore by intermittent fasting you can still afford to have perhaps two big meals that you will enjoy eating out and not blow your calorie goal into oblivion.

4. Work Out in your hotel room

That’s right you don’t need a gym to get a good workout in while you’re away. If where you are staying has a gym or if there is one close by that you can get a pass for then go for it. But why not start your day off with a quick full body circuit or HIIT workout in your room or on the balcony if you have one.

My Advice would be to use the tabata style protocol where you exercise at your maximum intensity for a period of 20 seconds followed by a 10 second rest period. You then repeat this a further 7 times meaning you will have completed 8 x 20 Second bursts. This is one complete round of tabata. Rest around 2-3 minutes and aim to do 3-5 rounds of this.

Tabata is so effective in creating that after burn effect I mentioned earlier making it the perfect choice. Also because you are working at maximum intensity it ensures you stay in a catabolic state and will not break muscle down (you can even gain some).

With regards to exercise choices just select any of the following;- Press ups, Bear Crawls, Squat Jumps, Crunches, Leg Raises, Burpees, Froggers, Inch Worms.

I would recommend selecting 4 exercises and just repeating each one during the round the make the 8 x 20 Second intervals. But be creative and select some of your own exercises too and like I said you definitely don’t need more than a hotel room to do this! My Super HIIT workout available on my website here - http://bit.ly/2bnI0z6 is a great plan to take on holiday with you.

5. Workout before a meal

Do you want to gain some “free” calories in the day? Don’t we all! Then working out before a meal is a great idea and here’s why…

When you workout your body uses all of its energy stores in the muscles (Glycogen we take from carbohydrates). Therefore with these stores being completely depleted from a HIIT workout we need to replenish them and we need to eat carbohydrates to do this. So you are almost entitled to a cheat free meal as you wont store any carbohydrates as body fat until your glycogen stores are replenished. Go easy though!

As you can see by implementing a few simple strategies into your daily routine when you are travelling you can be sure to come back feeling like you have maintained most of what you worked long and hard for before you went.

Hopefully this will be useful for the majority of you and remember any further questions just ask.

E