Thread: Intensity???

What do you take for pre-workout nutrition?

Originally Posted by redspy

What do you take for pre-workout nutrition?

Sleep. I workout in the mornings which has something to do with it, but honestly I find I have more energy compared to night work outs.

I have tried having a N'large shake with water.. 600 cals, can't remember the c/p/f ratios.

I also have tried a pre workout powder, can't remember the name thought.

Strung Out or Pennywise blasting in my headphones

Pre workout I usually have a scoop of whey protein, maltodextrin, creatine, BCAAs and a strong cup of coffee for the caffeine boost. This usually sees me through an intense 60-80 minute workout. I also skim through some muscle mags to get inspiration and tips. Occasionally I take my iPod with me and blast techno/trance to keep me going.

In addition to boosting your calaries with more complex carbs it sounds as though this could be a psychological issue, it's like you're setting yourself up for failure before you begin your workout as you expect to feel drained. Maybe you could try psyching yourself up more before hitting the weights, picture the results you want to achieve and lift the weights mentally before you even touch the bar.

When was the last time you took time off from the gym for a week or two? If you haven't taken time off maybe it would help(?)

Originally Posted by Pitboss

Sleep. I workout in the mornings which has something to do with it, but honestly I find I have more energy compared to night work outs.

I have tried having a N'large shake with water.. 600 cals, can't remember the c/p/f ratios.

I also have tried a pre workout powder, can't remember the name thought.

You need to get something in your before you train PB. the body is in a hypoglycemic state upon waking. a combination of simple and complex sugars will definetly help with your energy problems...

Eat a few apples dipped in peanut butter! I workout in the AM as well. I get up about 3 hours beforehand, eat a heft breakfast and then do nothing for a while. Then when it nears time to leave I eat 2 sliced apples dipped in peanut butter. And very rarely do I burn out during the workout. Best of luck.

I start all "pumped" to hit it and after the first set I'm already losing steam

i feel like that when i'm tired n didnt sleep enough tha night b4

jus keep pushin man till tha steams completely gone and tha weight jus aint gonna budge no more!!!, then rest a few mins and lighten tha load

maybe its tha amount of reps u do too?
creotine might help, but i found i can push myself pretty well just as hard with or without it went through 1 bottle and quit takin it, now i jus try get tha carbs up, guess it helps a little... might give it another whirl if i hit platoue or have cash to burn, not gonna rely on it though

Originally Posted by redspy

Pre workout I usually have a scoop of whey protein, maltodextrin, creatine, BCAAs and a strong cup of coffee for the caffeine boost.

When was the last time you took time off from the gym for a week or two? If you haven't taken time off maybe it would help(?)

Basically that's what N'large is.

Time off?? Oh no. I just got back into the gym after too much time off!!!

Chronic.. reps are under 10 to failure, always heavy, sometimes too heavy.

I'm going to have to try and set my alarm to get something in me and head back to bed for another hour or so. I just may not be allowing enough time for the sugars to get into my system.

Originally Posted by animalmachine

Strung Out or Pennywise blasting in my headphones

old school metallica is my weapon of choice, and an apple about 20 minutes before

So wait... you wake up, and without eating anything, go right into the gym? If thats the case, you definitely need to start eating something.

If thats not the case, though... try some of BSL's "GO."

You need to eat something, I can´t even think about going to the gym on an empty stomach.

Normally I do... sometimes I don't. But regardless with or without food my workouts are lacking... I think what I really need is a workout partner to push me!!

I make sure to have carbs through the day, but on back and leg day I absolutely must have a carb drink with me. I buy powdered Gatorade. After my back workout my blood sugar was 112, on leg day though I did not measure and I felt sick for probalby 60-90 minutes. I got up to make some Tang to hit me quickly and I ended up going to the bathroom to sit next to the toilet for about 10 minutes, thats how bad I felt.

I brought in Gatorade on chest day too, much easier workout than back/leg day.

The one drink I used to really love was Ultimate Orange.

A) Concentrate on your diet not only before the gym but throughout the day.l If you eat proper balanced meals throughout the day it will help the next day with your workouts. it keeps your body running properly. Also eat something in the morning to keep you going, you need the food in your stomach or else you may do more harm then help. I use to either eat a full breakfast (eggs, oats, veggies, fruit) or just a simple whey shake with oatmeal and some fruit. Whey is lighter then eggs so I can workout without a fulls stomach.

B) Proper rest is very important. If you are not getting enough sleep you may start strong but die out quick. Some times if you get up a little bit earlier then when you go to the gym it is better, you are more awake and can concentrate more rather then rolling out of bed and lifting. Also don't go into the gym thinking "Oh man I'm gonna die after this set I know it" if you do this you will def die out. Just get pumped and hold that energy the whole time your in there, don't let your mind get you tired before your body is. Get some music you can move to and LIFT!!!

C) Maybe change your routine/rep range. If you are lifting to failure every day it will take a toll on you. Try and vary your rep ranges. Higher reps lighter weight/higher weight lower rep. Pick a weight you can handle and don't go to failure every set. One week go real heavy with low reps 4-6 and go to failure only on last sets then maybe the next week switch to a 8-12 rep range and don't go to failure. Drop sets, super set, and going to failure are great but should only be used to change things up and keep your body guessing they should not be used as a staple in your routine.

D) As for supps you could try creatine, EC stack, and any of the numerous drinks (prince uses one that is suppose to be good, so I hear). When I'm feeling sluggish i sometimes pop my EC stack rite before the gym and it keeps me goin strong the whole time. But the one thing that keeps me going the most is determination and desire. Lifting is not a chore for me its the best damn part of the day. So when I go in to the gym I mean buisness and go full force, I am doing it for myself and give my full effort to do it rite and powerfull the entire time I'm in there. If you are goin in b/c you have to its tuff but you need to make due and put all your effort into finding, harnessing, and controling your inner energy and using it the entire time you int he gym.

Hey if the mornign workouts are tuff and you have ther ability to change the times you can go in try that also, it works for me. Different crowd in the gym and such may motivate you a little more as well. Hope some of these tips we gave you help out, G' Luck

yeah well said deadbolt, you got some good tips there