Meals before lifting weights

[BigSur]

There is a thread similar to this, but I did not want to derail it... I lift weights mid to late morning (usually around 11am after my first class). I don't always have time to eat breakfast before school, so I'm usually pretty hungry while I work out, which often hurts my ability to concentrate on my workout. Do you guys have any suggestions as to a good pre-workout snack; preferrably something I can eat on the run? Also should I be avoiding eating too soon before a workout, and is there anything in particular I should be eating or avoiding to maximize results ie... protein, carbs, sugars? Thanks alot.

 

[keal]

You can eat before, during, and right after your workout. If you're pressed for time, get a protein powder and carry 1 or 2 scoops of it in a shaker bottle. Add water whenever it's most convenient for you to drink it - before or during your workout. You'll have to experiment. I can eat before but not during my lifting, but others I watch tend to drink their protein during their sessions.

I'd recommend Cytosports Muscle Milk. It's widely available in places like Walmart and your local vitamin shops. Tastes extremely good with water, and mixes well with a spoon in a glass if you don't have a shaker bottle handy. Since you're not eating before your lifting, You could do with a little sugar and essential fats along with your protein - which Muscle Milk provides. If you get another type of protein powder, it's usually just protein and nothing else. You'll probably still be hungry during your workouts.

Don't worry about the fat or calories in Muscle Milk. If you have a good, clean diet for most of your day, you won't gain an ounce of fat from the protein drink.

Good luck with your lifting

 

[mensimageconsultant]

You shouldn't eat less than an hour before lifting weights, and the gap should be longer for harder-to-digest meals (like meat versus liquids).

The meal should contain some protein, a mix of simple and slower-burning complex carbohydrates (with the total probably being the bulk of the calories), some protein, and some fat (preferably monounsaturated). On the run, that is most easily accomplished in shake form (except for the complex carbs). Exercise bars often aren't good for you.