Each week I address a different component regarding fitness programs. And I recently asked my clients to start completing a food log. The purpose of the food log is to make you aware of your eating habits including portion sizes, eating times, calories ingested, and what types of foods you actually ingest regularly.



After analyzing my clients' food logs, the next step is to have each client start to learn how to eat smaller portions throughout the day and make an effort to eat the right amounts during those times. This process will increase the body's ability to burn the food as fuel rather than store the food as fat.

If you read my articles regularly you know I endorse a circuit training or interval training type mentality. I firmly believe that this style of training increases the body's ability to burn fat, it makes working out more fun, less monotonous and it challenges your body and mind without overwhelming it.

When you start to get into the 30-45 second intervals you learn that if you really push yourself for short bursts of time, you feel more energetic, you get stronger and you see changes on your body you used to only dream about.

To get the most out of any training, but specifically circuit and interval training you need to pay attention to what you put into your body before and after your workouts.

There have been so many studies about this topic that all you really need to do is type in ‘pre workout or post workout nutrition' into a search engine and you will see tons of information pop up. But sifting through all that information is sometimes the hard part.

SO I AM GOING TO MAKE IT EASY.

If I wanted to be a smart-alec I would simply type in…. eat/drink a protein supplement before and after your workout. I could stop the article right there and be done with it. But I know you like more information, so here you go.

I recently read of a study conducted over a 14 week period using the following parameters:

- Participants were physically active but did not utilize resistance training frequently.

- They were instructed to consume nothing but a protein shake and water within the two hours before and after their training sessions, and eat healthy and regularly the rest of the day.

- Participants ingested 25 grams of protein in a shake pre and post workout.

It should come as no shock to you that the participants they chose had less than ideal fitness levels. For example, they didn't frequently utilize resistance training. That already puts you ahead of the game because if you follow any of my programs you already workout with weights. What might shock you is that the group achieved significant gains in muscle fiber size, overall body fat reduction, and increased strength by doing the limited number of exercises they were asked to perform.

WIN, WIN, WIN- A result we always like to have.

Food logs often show me that until I start to review my clients' eating habits, most do not get nearly enough protein in their diet. This is an easy and efficient way to get those much wanted supplements.

Many experts agree that a well trained male athlete should ingest 1 gram of protein for every pound they want to weigh and for women ½ to ¾ of a gram of protein for every pound they want to weight. So let's say a woman wants to weigh 120 lean lbs, which means she should ingest 60 – 90 grams of protein per day. And a male who wants to weigh 180 lean lbs would need to ingest 180 grams of protein a day. This is very hard to do on food alone. That is what makes the shake such a delicious addition. I also recommend (whether you have issues with milk or not) using just water as the liquid. It seems to blend better and does not cause any side effects like bloating or stomach discomfort.

Protein shakes can be really tasty too. There are so many flavors out there - Chocolate, Vanilla, Orange Crème, Cappuccino, etc. You can also add things like strawberries, bananas, oranges, etc. to your shake to add fiber and extra vitamins. Most of the companies put out a reasonably good product and I am not one to endorse many things.

Most powders also come with some sample shake recipe books for you to change things up a bit. For now try to get a good shake in your diet before and after your workouts. It will satisfy your hunger, help you work out more efficiently, and give your body the proper fuel to get the most out of your day. And they can be pretty darn tasty!

There have been so many studies about this topic that all you really need to do is type in ‘pre workout or post workout nutrition' into a search engine and you will see tons of information pop up. But sifting through all that information can sometimes be confusing, if not annoying. This straight forward article explains the benefits of taking protein before and after your workout and also provides clear guidelines on how much you should take.