Eons ago, I landed my first personal training job and excitedly met with “Chuck” for the free training session that came with his gym membership.
Chuck was a healthy-looking man in his early 20s. He regularly lifted weights and was ready to further his conditioning under my tutelage. “Let’s HIT it!” he yelled with enthusiasm.
Thirty minutes into our session, he turned an off-putting shade of green and barfed.
Worried about Chuck’s state of being (and terrified that my career as a fitness expert was finished), I spoke to his girlfriend Lisa in the lobby while he recovered in the bathroom. I apologized profusely, explaining that I had not pushed Chuck too hard. He was doing fine one moment, retching the next.
Lisa insisted no apology was needed. She loudly brayed that Chuck had been out drinking tequila and smoking weed with buddies until the wee hours of the morning (without so much as a phone call to let her know his whereabouts, the insensitive son-of-a-bleep). He passed out for about four hours before meeting me for training. He had no breakfast, no water, nothing to fuel his workout.
I sensed Chuck’s girlfriend was smugly pleased with the results of the training session, but I certainly was not. I learned the importance of making sure clients are properly fueled before training with me.
How do we create optimal energy for workouts? Chuck was kind enough to demonstrate the consequences of overindulging in alcohol and the roach when a workout looms in a few hours. And lack of food and water contributed to his demise.
Other things can affect performance: High sugar intake, a full stomach and lack of sleep.
My advice for a peak workout:
Don’t exercise on an empty stomach. Forget the whole “You’ll burn more calories working out on an empty stomach” schtick. Low blood sugar can cause dizziness, shakiness and fatigue — none of which is desirable when exerting yourself. And without food as fuel, we risk having our muscle tissue being converted to glucose for energy.
I encourage clients to eat a meal of complex carbs and lean protein two to three hours before exercise. At the very least, consume an easily digestible snack an hour before working out. I like to pair a piece of fruit with string cheese, or Greek yogurt with a handful of almonds.
On the flipside, never exercise stuffed. Huffing and puffing through your workout with a gut full of undigested food causes sluggishness, queasiness and cramps — not what we want while tackling our squat jack-burpee combos. Steer clear of greasy food or anything else that feels heavy in your stomach.
Avoid simple, processed carbs like candy, chocolate and sweet cereals, all of which cause a quick drop in blood sugar and energy. I once ate a toffee apple donut (my goodness, it was delectable) right before running my conditioning class and was shocked at the major drop in my performance level. Refined sugar is an energy thief. Remember, complex carbs are a better choice for endurance.
Drink water. Dehydration robs you of strength and stamina, especially during high-intensity exercise. The rule of thumb is 20 ounces of water within a couple hours of your workout, and an additional eight ounces every 10 to 20 minutes while exercising.
As best you can, get plenty of sleep. You can work out when tired, but your performance suffers and chances of injury increase (due to slower reaction time). If a client shows up exhausted, I’ll still train him, but at a considerably lower level of intensity. Do the same with yourself.
These guidelines will help you enjoy a workout that leaves you invigorated and refreshed. And unless your goal is to end the session with your head in the toilet, tell your trainer if you are sleep deprived, starving, or hungover from a night of Cuervo Gold and wacky tobacky.
Catherine Bongiorno, info@lifttolose.com, is a Mukilteo personal trainer and nutritional therapist who owns Lift To Lose Fitness & Nutrition, www.lifttolose.com.
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