The Worst Kept Secrets In the Fitness Industry (Part 4): Pre-workout Meals

There is no denying that you are what you eat. We’ve established that through countless retweets and status sharing during the late 2000’s. But what about purposeful nutrition? Sounds puzzling? Truly and honestly isn’t.

The whole point of this piece is to give you an understanding of how the human body operates in relation to food more than to simply bestow some sample recipes which you can try out if you’re feeling experimental.

It’s science time, bitch!

Let’s start with the basics. You are composed of muscles, fat, bone, internal organs, blood vessels and a few other gross components lodged in between. Check. Your muscles are the driving force behind your movement and are connected to your bones via tendons. Check. Your muscles store carbohydrates to be utilized as energy when required. Check. Your body stores fat to be utilized as an energy source when required. Check.

Now that we’ve established this little cycle of operation, let’s get down to explaining how different muscles use different fuels depending on different activities.

You have carbohydrates stored in your muscle as glycogen. Glycogen is broken down into Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is the energy currency used by the body’s muscles. Then you’ve got fats stored around your body which are made from lipids which are made from triglycerides. Those fats are stored as per required future need but they require breakdown before being utilized directly as energy which is not an instantaneous as when glycogen is used.

In the most basic terms, your muscles are not all the same, they are composed of different muscle fibers, namely types I, IIA and IIB. Each muscle fiber type has largely different functional characteristics. Individual muscles are composed of numerous individual fibers which are organized into motor units designated for specific functions and grouped within the muscles. “

“What’s a motor unit? Am I like an engine in a car? Ugh this is so confusing!” You blurt out naked in front of the mirror, your hands and mouth covered in dry Nutella.

Simply stated, motor units are just groups/bundles of muscle fibers. Any time you want to move anything, be it your finger, arm or eyelid, your brain instantly signals the appropriate muscle fibers and the relevant motor units within via the spinal cord and voila; the miracle of movement!

Type I

Commonly referred to as “slow twitch” muscle fibers. This fiber type is characterized by high endurance and low power/speed production capabilities. It’s most notably in action during long endurance events such as marathons or steady-speed jogs, etc.

Type IIA

Commonly referred to as “fast twitch” muscle fibers. This fiber type is a unique mixture of both Type I and Type IIB.

Type IIB

Commonly referred to as "fast twitch glycolytic". This fiber type is characterized by low endurance and high power/speed production. It’s most notably in action during short bursts of energy such as sprints, weight lifting, etc.

Fun Fact: Lifting a spoon recruits the same motor units as lifting a dumbbell does. The main difference is in the number of motor units recruited to achieve this action. Lifting a dumbbell naturally requires more force, which in turn recruits more motor units till the threshold that allows for the lift has been bypassed.

This brings us back to our original topic; pre-workout nutrition!

Those different muscle fiber types feed upon different types of fuel. Your Type IIB (fast twitch) muscles requires energy on-the-go due to the high intensity nature of the activity. Carbohydrates storages (glycogen) are usually the optimal choice as they are already there and are the fastest and easiest to break down to produce energy (ATP). These storages are quite limited and are usually depleted rather quickly. However, if your physical activity drags on for longer, your body is forced to start switching to fat, breaking them down and converting them for use as ATP molecules by the muscles.

“Holy fuck balls. We’ve been at this A-level bio course for like two pages now. What does this mean for my pre-workout meal?”

Complex carbs and proteins.

That’s what you want your pre-workout meal to have. You need a steady stream of proteins (preferably whey based) for quick breakdown and release of amino acids so your muscles aren’t forced to catabolize other muscles for repair. On the other end, carbs are a must, they are the main energy currency and the source of quick energy. But you want to avoid simple carbohydrates. These kinds of carbs (think processed flour, sugar, etc.) cause a spike in your insulin which would ultimately result in an energy spike followed by a crash; not good for your workout and overall mood.

Complex carbohydrates such as whole grain flour, cereal, oats, etc. are comparatively much better suited to provide your body with a steady stream of energy throughout the entire workout rather than just spiking it and leaving your sweaty corpse in the dust.

My optimal recommendation for a pre-workout meal?

• 2 whole soft-boiled eggs OR 3 scrambled egg whites
• One bowl of oatmeal flakes with ground cinnamon and diced banana
• Assortment of water-filled fruits (watermelon/cantaloupe/kiwi/apricots,etc.)

• 

This is usually my pre-workout meal of choice but you get the basic premise. Think peanut/almond butter on whole grain toast with banana. Think small tuna salad. Just focus on avoiding processed sugars and flours and ensuring there’s a protein source in there.

Hit me with any questions you’ve got by commenting below or by tweeting me on @Foxicakes

The Worst Kept Secrets in the Fitness Industry (Part 1): Cardio

“Oh my God! I totes read this article on OMG Insider that Britney Spears used to do like 4,000 crunches and Nelly used to blast like 1,000 crunches every hour on the hour! Well of course they do! Just look at their toned chocolate-bar style tummies!”

First of all, Britney got fat. Like, way fat. She’s fat with a Ph. And no, I won’t leave her alone.

Second of all, I need to demystify this odd belief regarding abdominals being some sort of magical muscle that can take on this kind of punishment. Do you whip out 4,000 bench presses on chest day? Do you normally find yourself or others in the gym dishing out 1,500 barbell squats? No? Did you never stop and wonder why you usually got between 6-20 repetitions for your other muscles but for some reason forego this type of exercise when it comes to your abs?

Frankly, it isn’t your fault.

Mainstream media is largely to blame for this false belief that the surest route to a six-pack is quadruple digit crunches and situps. After all, those fancy abdominal curl gimmicks you’ll find on the shopping channel had to have a sponsor. But before we delve into what is largely accepted by the mainstream fitness community as the #1 exercise for helping your abs get popping, let’s try and explain how the concept of a six-pack even works.

It’s about a simple muscle/body fat balance. And this first part of our “Worst Kept Fitness Industry Secrets” series will tackle the concept of cardiovascular training.

In the most basic terms, if you have too much body fat, you will not be able to see your abs. It’s that simple. You could have a glorified eight-pack brewing under that layer of blubber but you’d be shit out of luck to see it during your next beach visit if your body fat % exceeds a certain amount. What does that mean oh wise one? Cardio. Specifically, a decent mix between HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and LISS (Low Intensity Steady State) cardio.

What the fuck are you talking about? What do these acronyms mean? Why is there nacho dipping sauce in my navel? You ask, sweating while grasping your computer screen in doubt of life, yourself and everything you once held dear. Let me explain.

HIIT

HIIT labors under a fairly simple premise; intervals. After a nice 5-minute warm up brisk walk to get your muscles ready for what’s to come, alternate walking/sprinting speeds in set periods of time. Example: Sprint for 30-60 seconds followed by 2 minutes of brisk walking/jogging and repeat these intervals for 15-20 minutes followed by 5 minutes of brisk walking for cool down. You can apply that same basic premise to virtually any cardio activity, be it running, cycling, swimming, rowing the EFX machine, the treadmill, stairmaster or otherwise.

HIIT has the benefit of triggering a hormonal response which sheds body fat as well as adds on muscle. It’s preferable not to perform HIIT exercises more than three times a week (and always AFTER your weight lifting routine) with rest days in between as it has an impact on your muscles. You should avoid performing HIIT workouts on an empty stomach as it depletes your carbohydrates stores rather quickly.

LISS

LISS on the other hand labors under an even simpler premise; steadiness. Basically, to get a specific rate going and hold on to it for prolonged periods of time. Example: Perform 5-minutes of brisk walking to get your muscles warmed up and ready for what’s to come. Then, finding a suitable jogging speed (usually between 6-9 km/hr for most people) maintain this for a period of 30-45 minutes followed by 5 minutes of brisk walking for cool down.

My personal experience with LISS worked out best when doing it first thing in the morning before breakfast. All I would have was one mug of unsweetened dark coffee (no milk) or a single caffeine pill in order to add the benefits of metabolism-boosting caffeine to my run. You can also take a single serving of BCAAs before your run if you want to ensure no muscle loss. You should have a hearty breakfast following that long run!

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. What does that mean in the real world? When can we eat?” Calm your titties. Remember when I said you should have a combo of both HIIT and LISS in your workout routine? That wasn’t out of thin air, performing one or the other alone will result in you more or less adopting the morphology of either a sprinter or a marathoner.

“Well DUH I want to be a sprinter just look how healthy she looks in comparison to that marathon runner!” You say, ecstatic at this revelation and giggling to yourself about all those fools on the treadmills like hamsters on wheels doing nothing but LISS and heading towards a bleak future. 

Not so fast. While yes, sprinters have more muscles and appear to be “healthier” there are many benefits to LISS that HIIT cannot match; namely stamina. Marathoners are infamous for their amazing stamina and endurance while sprinters are renowned for their short-burst high-intensity performances. This is why I implore you to incorporate a combo of both techniques when it comes to cardio so that you can get both benefits and help your body adapt to both conditions.

Now get that ass moving.