An often-overlooked component to many individual’s nutrition plans, is their pre and post-workout nutrition.  Pre and post-workout nutrition is essential if you want to maximize the results of your training.  Both pre and post-workout nutrition are going to vary depending on what your goals are, but we’ll just assume you fall into one of these two categories: 1) Fat-loss or 2) Muscle Gain.  It’s fair to say that the majority of you out there can relate to either one of these two goals.

Pre-Workout Nutrition for Fat-Loss:

• The ONLY time you can work out on an empty stomach is if you’re planning on doing a cardio/interval session first thing in the morning.  Doing cardio on an empty stomach in the morning will tap into more of your fat stores as energy, because you’ve been in a fasted state overnight (this doesn’t apply to all of you because some of you are night walkers raiding the fridge and cabinets for whatever you can get your paws on in the middle of the night).  Additionally, taking in 150-250mg of caffeine will boost your metabolism and create an additional fat burning effect while doing cardio on an empty stomach.
• If you’re going to engage in any form of resistance training, NEVER exercise on an empty stomach.  If you continue to train with weights on an empty stomach, you’ll end up burning right through that precious muscle tissue that you’ve worked so hard for, and soon have the appearance of a soggy noodle.  As your muscle mass decreases, so does your fat-burning metabolism.  A slow metabolism = a fat ass, because you’re most likely eating more calories than your metabolism is burning.  Here are some perfect options for that pre-workout meal (approx. 30-45 minutes before exercise).

o   Whey protein shake that’s high in protein (15-20 grams) and moderate in carbohydrates. One French study supported that consuming whey protein pre-workout, actually accelerated fat burning. This really is your BEST option and can be consumed up to 30 minutes before exercise.

o   Low glycemic index (GI) foods, that promote a slow and steady release of carbs and proteins to fuel your workout;

• An apple with a serving of raw nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.) Click here for an awesome blog post about different healthy nuts that are excellent for you.

o   Ground Turkey with a ¼ or ½ of an avocado. Great source of protein and healthy fat.  Just make sure that if you eat solid food, you give yourself at least 60-90 minutes before you jump into an intense training session.  Never eat cereal before a morning training session or drink milk! Milk is slow-digesting and it’ll sit in your stomach like a rock while you train, until it comes out one of two ends, or both at the same time.  We actually had a guy shit and throw up simultaneously on the toilet because he ate a good sized bowl of cereal before his training session. I didn’t even think that was physically possible.  I’m pretty sure that’s one step away from spontaneous combustion!

Post-Workout Nutrition for Fat-Loss:

• Since your goal is fat-loss, you typically don’t need all the excess carbohydrates you’ll often see with many of these different post-workout shakes. Your post-workout shake should consist of the following:

o   1 scoop of Whey Protein (around 20-35 grams). You aren’t going to absorb much more than this in one shot, so don’t waste your money on the 40-60 gram protein drinks.

o   15-25 grams of Glutamine. Additional glutamine post-workout will replenish glycogen (carbohydrate) stores depleted through training.

o   1 scoop of Greens (Greens-X, Greens +, Greens Vibrance, etc.). Greens ingested post-workout will decrease cortisol levels elevated during training.

*Your shake should be consumed immediately after your training session.  Don’t wait until you get home. Within 10-15 minutes of your last set, you should be drinking your shake.  A liquid shake is far superior to solid food because it’s already in a pre-digested form, which leads to faster rates of protein synthesis (good thing).  Also be sure to choose Whey protein versus Casein protein, because it has a much faster absorption rate.

Pre-Workout Nutrition for Muscle Gain:

o   If your goal is to increase size, strength, muscle, or power, NEVER do anything (in regards to exercise) on an empty stomach.  The main goal is to preserve and build upon every ounce of muscle you have, so NEVER leave your body in a depleted state when you train.

o   Pre-workout shake should consist of the following:

• 1 scoop of whey protein (20-25 grams) that contains BCAA’s (branched-chain amino acids)

• 1-2 scoops of a sugar-free carbohydrate such as Carb Slam, Glyco-Maize, or Vitargo S2 (Vitargo is far superior).

• Any solid meal that contains a combination of proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats would be sufficient as well. Just make sure you give yourself a minimum of 90 minutes to digest your food.  I’m a big fan of whey protein shakes because you know the exact nutrient breakdown of what you’re putting in your body and it can be consumed almost right up to the start of your workout (around 30 minutes).

Post-Workout Nutrition for Muscle Gain:

• Post-workout shake should consist of the following:

o   1 scoop of whey protein (20-35 grams)

o   1-2 scoops of a sugar-free carbohydrate such as Carb Slam, Glyco-Maize, or Vitargo S2

o   5-15 grams of Glutamine

o   1 scoop of Greens (Greens-X, Greens +, Greens Vibrance, etc.)

o   3-5 grams of Creatine Monohydrate

Pre and post-workout nutrition is essential for everyone, regardless of what their goals are.  Don’t be that person that rolls out of bed in the morning and starts working out within 30 minutes of the alarm clock going off.  Plan for success, not failure!  If that means you need to set that alarm for 30 minutes earlier, get your lazy ass to bed sooner the night before.  If you put just as much planning into your pre and post-workout nutrition, as you do your training program, you’ll achieve twice the results.  And just because you did a 60-minute spin class in a room with the lights turned off (somebody please tell me why every spin class is in the dark), doesn’t mean you can eat that skinny-cow ice-cream sandwich later. Now that’s Stupid Gym Shit!

This past weekend I took my 2 year-old Chocolate Lab, Phoenix, to the dog park and couldn’t help but notice two things. First, there was shit everywhere, and second, 20 out of 25 people were at least 30 pounds overweight or more.  As I walked around dodging shit piles with every other step, I began thinking about the billions of dollars Americans spend on weight-loss supplements.  We are the fattest country on earth, and I don’t care how you look at it, being overweight DOES NOT represent a sign of wealth, and there are NO health benefits to being classified as obese!

Supplement companies thrive on every individual looking to drop anywhere from 10-100 pounds.  With all the “weight-loss” supplements out there, how do you know which ones actually work?  There are literally hundreds of weight-loss supplements to choose from, and the frightening realization is that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) places minimal regulations on the supplement industry.  Anything can be classified as a supplement, and if you’re going to place your full trust in the FDA, I highly recommend you rethink your views of the FDA. Published studies have documented that FDA-approved drugs kill over 106,000 Americans every year. The FDA charges $250 million to approve a new drug. Additionally, drug manufacturers must spend another $150 million to cover their own expenses for the approval process. This means that the drug companies are spending almost half a billion dollars to get ONE drug approved.[i] [ii] My point is that these are the requirements and regulations for “FDA Approved” products.  Supplements are a whole different story.  It doesn’t take much to approve a supplement and once these products hit the shelves, we are participating in some of largest human studies taking place, to see if they’re even true to their claims.

Hopefully you can understand at this point that ANYTHING can be labeled as a supplement.  I can basically collect all the shit from the Markham Park Dog Park in Weston, Florida (Markham park literally needs to get their shit together), dehydrate it, crush it down into a powder, add some neuro-toxic Splenda to it, put it in a pill, give it a catchy name like Fat-Meltdown, pay Carmen Electra and David Beckham to endorse it, and profit millions of dollars on the general public’s ignorance. If you still don’t get it, stick to the treadmill and salads, and you won’t go wrong.

Below are the common ingredients in most weight-loss products and whether they have scientifically been proven to work or not.

• Citrus aurantium (bitter orange or Seville orange): This has replaced ephedrine since its ban and can be found in most fat-loss supplements. There is very little research to support its claims as an effective fat-loss ingredient. NOT PROVEN[iii]
• Green Tea: Green tea contains the extract EGCG, which in combination with caffeine, has been shown to increase metabolic rate (calories burned). PROVEN[iv]
• Caffeine: Caffeine is the main ingredient in most fat-loss supplements and has been proven to increase metabolic rate and fat oxidation. PROVEN
• Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA): CLA is found primarily in dairy and meat products, and has been used heavily in the United States and Europe by obese individuals. Although CLA has shown great promise in mice, no change in body composition has been shown in humans.  Most researchers report NO change in body composition with CLA supplementation. NOT PROVEN[v]
• Chitosan: Chitosan is a positively charged fiber that is supposed to bind to fat in your digestive tract and excrete it out of your system. This would be awesome if the claims were actually true. Not only has this ingredient shown no benefit in regards to fat-loss, but you can also expect the common side effect of diarrhea to come along with it. Think of the popular product “Alli” that you see in all the stores now. Alli’s big marketing campaign is that they’re the only FDA-approved weight-loss program.  If you want to run around in a diaper shitting your pants to lose weight because the FDA approved something, be my guest! NOT PROVEN[vi]

• Chromium picolinate: Chromium is an essential trace mineral, and has shown no significant effects on fat-loss, resting metabolic rate, or strength. Enough said! NOT PROVEN[vii]
• Ephedra: In 2004 the FDA banned the sale of ephedra because of numerous reports of adverse side effects. Sadly, ephedrine works! The effectiveness of ephedrine is enhanced even greater when combined with caffeine and aspirin.[viii] Ephedrine is still readily available through the Internet, and one year after its ban, a U.S. District Court determined that “the FDA did not prove by a preponderance of evidence that ephedrine presents a significant or unreasonable risk of injury.” Over the course of 8-12 years, ephedra was believed to be responsible for 5 deaths, 5 heart attacks, 11 cerebrovascular accidents, 4 seizures, and 8 psychiatric episodes. This is what led to ephedra’s ban.  Keep in mind 400,000 Americans die each year from smoking, 100,000 Americans annually from OTC or prescription medications. [ix][x] You can see how screwed up our system is, right?  I was that guy 10 years ago that had the bottle of ephedrine sitting on my night stand, and as soon as my alarm clock went off in the morning, the first thing I did was grab my bottle of water and pop my first of 2 ephedrine pills for the day (the second came before my training or practice).  When ephedra is used properly and not abused, it is NOT dangerous.  PROVEN

One last note to all you potential or current fat-loss supplement users, until your nutrition is clean and your exercise is consistent, skip on taking any fat-loss supplements. There are no legal supplements out there that are going to compensate for a shitty diet or lack of exercise. I challenge you to do some research before even thinking about taking one of the hundreds of fat-loss supplements that are out there.  And talking to the guy behind the counter at GNC doesn’t count as research.  Please don’t fall into the trap of Stupid Gym Shit! Just in case you were keeping track, I used the word shit 8 times in this blog post, and I can do that because the site is called Stupid Gym Shit

Who doesn’t love the effects of caffeine? From Starbucks enthusiasts, to competitive endurance athletes, caffeine is a MUST.  Some people would rather give up an arm, than to kick their caffeine cravings.  Caffeine expresses many different benefits, but can also be extremely detrimental to your health.  Caffeine is ingested for a number of different reasons;

• As a weight loss aid
• Enhance performance in endurance activities/sports
• Slap you in the face in the morning to wake your lazy ass up

The reason caffeine is the primary ingredient in many fat-loss supplements is because of its effects on lipolysis (fat burning), and thermogenesis (production of body heat).  Although caffeine alone will stimulate your nervous system and increase your metabolic rate, caffeine is usually combined with other ingredients to enhance its fat-loss properties.  Sorry to all you coffee addicts.

Caffeine has also been used for years by athletes to increase performance.  The effect caffeine has on performance is quite impressive.  Caffeine spares muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrates) and promotes fat storage as an energy source.  Most endurance athletes know that when glycogen stores run low, be assured, that brick wall is approaching fast!  So if caffeine spares muscle glycogen, the capacity to perform longer at higher intensities is increased.  If that benefit wasn’t enough to convince you to take a shot of espresso right before your next triathlon, then maybe this next benefit of caffeine will persuade you.  Caffeine also alters your perceived exertion (how hard you think your working).

“Caffeine is responsible for the release of endorphins that affect mood, reduce perception of pain, and create a sense of well-being.  Caffeine has also been reported to delay fatigue during exercise, by blocking specific receptors in the brain.” [i]

The amount of caffeine found to enhance endurance performance ranges between 3-13 mg/kg of body weight.  Notice that the weight is in kilograms and not pounds.  To convert your weight from pounds to kilograms, simply multiply your body weight in pounds by 0.45.  If you weigh 185 lbs (185lbs X 0.45 = 83kg).  Definitely start out at the lower range of caffeine consumption because there are adverse effects if you take in too much caffeine. [ii]

Another key concept to keep in mind is that regular users of caffeine will often develop a tolerance to caffeine over time that will decrease the impact on performance it may provide.  Therefore, to get the most benefit from caffeine, only use it during competitions or intense training sessions (not daily).  Sorry again to all you coffee addicts.

Now who doesn’t like a cup of coffee to slap them in the face in the morning or early afternoon to wake them up?  I’m not a coffee drinker so I can’t answer that.  But I know far too many coffee addicts (and I mean that in the kindness of ways) that can’t function without their daily 2-5 cups of coffee.  Just some fun facts that I came across that I wanted to share with all of you.

• 85% of adults in the United States consume caffeine from either coffee, tea, or sodas.
• Average person drinks 3.3 cups of coffee per day.
• Average cup of coffee contains 100mg of caffeine, which will vary with bean type, length of brewing, etc.
• Average person visits Starbucks 6-18 times a month.
• Average person spends $3.50 each visit to Starbucks.
• Over the course of a month they spend between $21-$63.
• Over the course of a year they spend between $252-$756.

These are just average numbers, but keep in mind some people go more than 18 times a month, and some people go less than 6 times a month.  Either way, we spend a lot of money atStarbucks, Einstein’s, Dunkin’ Doughnuts, etc.  My point is that although caffeine offers some pretty amazing performance benefits, at the same time, there are far too many individuals that NEED to limit their caffeine consumption.

Many people are sleep deprived, over-worked, over-stressed, don’t exercise regularly, and eat like shit (which is all part of Stupid Gym Shit).  If you fall into any of these categories, I would limit your coffee consumption.  Researchers at Duke University Medical Center discovered that caffeine actually increases stress and blood pressure, and the effects last for hours after ingestion.  Many people take antihypertensive drugs to counter elevated blood pressure levels, but if you consume enough caffeine (3-4 cups a day), you’re basically negating the effects of the prescription drugs.  Stress hormones increased by an average of 32% when caffeine was consumed and the increases in blood pressure and adrenaline lasted the entire day.[iii]

Caffeine can be a double-edged sword.  It has its benefits, while at the same time, it has very adverse health complications.  If you’re in great health and manage stress well, then drink up.  But if you need caffeine and sugar-boosts to wake you up in the morning and then again in the afternoon, I think you seriously need to look at your nutrition and sleeping patterns.  Blood sugar regulation through proper nutrition will keep your energy levels consistent throughout the day without crashes mid-afternoon.  Save the caffeine for those kick-ass workouts or competitions when you’re determined to be at your personal best!

If you’re looking for a fat-loss supplement that works, and doesn’t contain caffeine, I highly recommend  Meta-Lean.  Meta-Lean is caffeine-free and wont elevate blood pressure or an overproduction of stress hormones.

One last note on coffee, and probably the most important.  Be considerate to those around you and please have a piece of gum or mints available, because there is nothing more disturbing than having a conversation with somebody suffering from hot-coffee breath.  If you don’t drink coffee and want to wake up in the morning, just find one of these individuals and spark up a conversation.  It’s like waving ammonia underneath your nose!

What if there was a supplement that had the ability to improve brain function, lower blood pressure, increase the health of your cardiovascular system, increase & regulate hormone production, decrease your body fat, and even give you more lustrous skin, hair, and nails?  If one single-natural occurring supplement could address all of these issues, plus many more, would you take it?  Not enough people realize the powerful health benefits achieved through supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids.  70,000 lives a year could be saved in the United States alone if Americans had adequate levels of omega-3 fats in their system.  Omega-3 fats are becoming the “super-molecule” of the 20th century and are dramatically increasing the health of individuals of all ages.

The 2 long-chain omega-3 fats I’m referring to are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).  Omega-3 fats come in 2 forms, short-chain & long-chain.  Short-chain omega-3 fats are found in flaxseed oil, walnuts, & some green vegetables.  The problem with short-chain omega-3 fats is that in order for the body to use these fats optimally, they must first be converted into the long-chain omega-3 form.  Only 1%-9% of short-chain omega-3 fats become converted in the long-chain form, and the remaining short-chain omega-3′s get used for energy production or energy storage (body fat).

Essential fatty acids (EFA’s) are made up of both omega-3 & omega-6 fatty acids.  This means that our bodies cannot produce these fats naturally and must get them from outside sources (foods or supplements).  Although both are essential to sustain a healthy life, the ideal ratio of omega-6 fats to omega-3 fats is 1:1.  The huge problem that is taking place today is that the typical American diet is consuming far too many omega-6 fats & not even close to enough omega-3 fats.  With this drastic increase in omega-6 fat intake, the ratio of omega-6 fats to omega-3 fats is anywhere from 20:1 to 50:1.  This is an extremely detrimental imbalance and must be addressed immediately to ensure proper health & vitality.

DHA & EPA are essential for human health & development.  From the beginning stages of gestation to adulthood, every organ and cell in your body depends on DHA & EPA for optimal development and function.  These long-chain omega-3 fats are not used by the body for energy, instead, literally 100% of these nutrients are used to protect the body and promote optimal health.  Below are just a few examples of the health benefits achieved through having optimal levels of omega-3 fats in the body:

* Reduce coronary heart disease

* Reduce the rate of fatal heart attacks by 30%

* Lower blood pressure & improve circulation

* Improves insulin resistance

* Contains very powerful anti-inflammatory properties

* Essential in hormone production & regulation

* Reduce Alzheimer disease, post-partum depression, bi-polar disease, & depression

* Omega-3 fats are used as alternative therapies in illnesses such as Crohn’s disease, diabetes, Rheumatoid & Osteoarthritis, eczema, & Lupus

* Improve cell-to-cell communication & enhance mood

There is also aesthetic reason to consume long-chain omega-3 fats.  They are essential in decreasing body fat & maintaining your own optimal body fat percentage.  DHA & EPA ensure that cell membranes remain flexible & contain larger numbers of insulin receptors, making your cells more receptive to circulating insulin (fat storage hormone).  This results in a decrease in fat storage by the surrounding fat cells.  Omega-3 fats also turn on your fat burning genes (lipolytic genes) and turn off your fat storing genes (lipogenic genes).  These fats play a primary role in increasing the utilization & transportation of fat stores from adipocytes (fat cells).  Finally, omega-3 fats are a phenomenal stress fighter.  We all know that stress will literally make you fat, but by consuming adequate amounts of omega-3′s on a regular basis, your body will produce fewer stress hormones when exposed to the same amount of stress previously.  So ditch the diet pills & fat-burners for a more scientifically proven fat reducer.

Your choice of omega-3 fats can come from 3 sources:

1) Fish oil

2) Cod-Liver oil

3) Neptune Krill Oil

Although fish oil is the most commonly used, Neptune krill oil takes the title as the most beneficial.  Krill oil is made from krill, a shrimp-like crustacean that inhabits the cold ocean areas around the world.  The DHA & EPA found in krill oil is in a phospholipid form, versus a triglyceride form found in fish & cod-liver oil.  This phospholipid structure of DHA & EPA makes them much more absorbable in the human body.  Krill oil also contains an extremely powerful antioxidant, astaxanthin, which makes it 48 times more potent than fish oil based on its ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorptance Capacity) values.  Basically the higher the ORAC value, the stronger the antioxidant effect the molecule possesses.

ORAC evaluations have shown that Neptune krill oil contains:

*over 300 times the antioxidant power of vitamin A & vitamin E

*over 47 times the antioxidant power of lutein

*over 34 times the antioxidant power of coenzyme Q-10

You can think of krill oil as “fish oil on steroids”!!!

The 2 most important ways to dramatically improve your overall health, is to increase your intake of omega-3 fats, and increase your intake of antioxidants.  Krill oil accomplishes them both.

As the vast majority of our fish supply is contaminated with industrial pollutants, toxins and heavy metals, getting adequate amounts of omega-3’s from fish just isn’t realistic.  Omega-3 supplementation is essential for optimal health & vitality.  But be extremely cautious of where you buy your fish/krill oil from.  These oils become rancid very easily and you want to make 100% certain that you’re only putting into your body the highest grade long-chain omega-3’s possible.  Ingesting rancid & toxic fish oils will be detrimental to your health, so seek out the advice of a highly qualified medical or fitness professional to assist you in what supplements are optimal for your health.

Recommended dosage of long-chain omega-3 fats is anywhere from 2-6 grams per day (divided out into even dosages and always taken w/ meals).  If taking Neptune krill oil, a lower dosage is needed due to its higher potency of omega-3’s.  Do not take krill oil supplements that just simply say “krill oil”.  It must be made of “Neptune” krill oil.

The benefits of increasing your intake of long-chain omega-3 fats are almost endless, and regardless of what your health & fitness goals, these “wellness-molecules” will take your health & vitality to the next level!!!