Let's talk about one of my favorite subjects today, "training-based" nutrition! More specifically, how to get the most out of your training via thinking about and putting into practice an optimal diet to perform the best in the gym. What that looks entails for every individual is going to be different but the nutrition QUALITY can look very similar!
I know most of you have heard either me or someone else say or reference the term "You cannot "out train" a poor diet" this is 100%, without a doubt true, true TRUE. Maybe, if you are brand new to training you might be able to make "some" initial gains in the gym without dialing in your diet BUT let me tell you, your poor diet will catch up to you. You will plateau, you will become inflamed, your joints will ache, your energy will plummet, you will not recover properly and you will cease to make any kind of gains in the gym, no matter WHAT your goals are!
None of us like "wasted" time. If you are serious about changing the way your body looks and feels, internally and externally, you WILL eventually need to turn to your diet & nutrition to make the necessary changes to achieve what you are looking for. Point. Blank. Now that being said, most of you are already on this path of work hard to dial in your personal nutrition. Learning to understand what quality food looks like and are implementing both the quality & quantity necessary for you to INDIVIDUALLY reach your goals in the gym.
Soooooooo, let's talk about dialing in the knowledge base even MORE with what small but POWERFUL changes can we make to our diet to drastically impact our performance in the gym and then recovery for optimal muscle growth after the gym. Nutrition determines how much you will "show up" for a workout. When you’re feeling sluggish or tired, you’re less likely to give 100% at the gym. Nutrition also plays a key part in the effect a workout has on your body; it can nourish the cells and aid in muscle growth & recovery, and ultimately weight loss, too.
In terms of deciding on the best foods to eat around working out, it’s important to first consider your planned exercise with its intensity and duration. Ultimately, you want to eat food that will fuel your workout, not sabotage it, and if you’re going to go to a slow, but long restorative yoga class, you don’t want/need to load up on carbs and protein like you would a 2 hr weight lifting biased strength program. Let me explain...
Each "macronutrient" has a specific role before a workout, but studies show that the amount varies based on the length and intensity of your workout. In a nutshell, carbohydrates can help increase glycogen stores when you’re about to do a high-intensity exercise, fat fuels your body for longer workouts that may be less intense & eating protein before working out can help with muscle recovery. Lets dive in PRE & POST workout nutrition for an optimal "fuel tank" leading to optimal results.
Last but certainly not least and high on my priority list with myself and ALL my clients is dun, dun, dun, proper HYDRATION!!! It’s incredibly important to drink water before, during, and after working out. Staying properly hydrated during training AND throughout the entirety of your day, will help reduce fluid loss, maintain performance, lower sub-maximal exercise heart rate, maintain plasma volume, and reduce heat stress & over-all heat exhaustion. You can also play around with adding BCAA's (branch chain amino acids) to your water during training containing electrolytes and minerals for added hydration.
SO, how do you gauge if you are drinking enough water throughout the day? Easy, you can do this by examining the color of your pee. If your urine is clear or pale yellow in color, you should be good to go! Lets not forget just assessing how you feel! Feeling dizzy or tired? Time to assess your water consumption! As I have told most if not all of you, water is KING. If you are thirsty, drink water, hungry, drink water, feel any sort of way other than GREAT, drink water and see how you and your body feel shortly afterwards.
This is NOT your generic box. Coaches are well-trained and provide exceptional, cutting edge training and advice. They are knowledgable about integrative approaches to health (eating, sleep, hormones, psychological wellbeing). I was most impressed when I was in the process of attempting to get pregnant. Hands down the Best!
If you want to be a beast you have to train with beasts! Excellent facility, excellent team of coaches that all of them have a grand knowledge in almost everything fitness! Would recommend this box to anyone! Keep it up!
I moved away from San Juan a decade ago before Crossfit was introduced to the island and I was not sure what it was going to be like dropping in to a box here. Aggressive is excellent, well staffed, well equipped, well located in an easy to find space in the Santurce area. Dropped in at 10am on Saturday and was treated with excellent hospitality. Ernesto was a great coach. Welcoming to athletes of all levels and disciplines (crossfit, powerlifting, Olympic lifting, gymnastics). I will definitely drop in next time I visit my hometown.