Happy Monday, Friends!
Today's WOD is a great upper body workout, with a good dose of cardio mixed in! Before we get into the WOD, I want to continue our discussion on pre-workout meals.
Ideally, you plan your pre-workout meal to align with the type of workout that you are doing. In my previous post, I talked about utilizing carbohydrates as a pre-workout meal and specified that this is great for activities requiring explosive energy, such as heavy lifting or an intense spin class. However, after about 20 minutes, your body burns through the energy provided by these carbohydrates and begins to work through your fat stores, burning fat as fuel.
That being said, consuming fat as part of a pre-workout meal is an excellent idea for those who are going to do a much longer workout. Think long distance jogging, swimming or HIITs longer than 20 minutes.
Fat contains 9 calories per gram. Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram. Calories are energy, so you can see that fat actually provides more energy per gram than carbohydrates, meaning that your body will be fueled with more energy from fat during these longer workouts - your body will not be depleted from energy nearly as quickly as it would from just a carbohydrate.
There's another benefit to fat as part of a pre-workout meal. It takes the body longer to break down and digest fat, meaning that the 'drip' of energy being supplied to your body is longer and more continuous.
Think of it like this. Fuel from carbohydrates is like running in a straight line on a flat surface. It's very simple and very quick. Fuel from fat is like running uphill while doing a zig-zag; It is going to take you a lot longer to run up to the top of the hill compared to how long it would take you to run in a straight line on a flat surface.
Now, this is not to say that you should go ahead and consume a very high fat meal (like McDonalds) before a workout, because there are different kinds of fat that can either be healthful or unhealthful.
When we're talking fat for a workout, we want to take advantage to consuming fats that come from natural sources, so no, we are not looking to a processed protein bar, something friend in oil or processed meats. Natural fats that are a great choice include nuts, peanut butter, or cheese. You also consume these in such low doses that they are unlikely to cause digestive issues during your workout.
Remember that we said that your body will burn glucose (carbohydrates) during the first 20 minutes, and will resort to fat burning after that point? This is why it is critical to consume your chosen fat with a complex carbohydrate. The complex carbohydrate will provide good energy during the first portion of your workout, while the fat will continue the energy production during the latter half of your workout.
Some great options include whole grain toast with some peanut butter, a banana with some walnuts, or an apple with cheese. All of these pair an excellent choice carb with a low quantity fat that will form the dream team for your workout!
When should you consume these meals? The same rules apply: Consume a small meal 2-3 hours before a workout, or a fast-acting carb+fat 1 hour prior to a workout for maximum benefit.
OKAY! With a good understanding of how carbs and fat can be paired together for a great pre-workout snack, let's get into your Workout of the Day! This WOD is about 32 minutes in length, so this is the perfect opportunity for you to practice pairing a good carb with a small amount of fat, and then analyzing how you feel mid and end workout!
WORKOUT OF THE DAY
Do each exercise for 30 seconds, with a 10 second rest. Complete each round 4 times.
Dumbbell Required.
Round 1: Jump squats/Tricep kickbacks
Round 2: Plank hip dips/Bent over row
Round 3: Reverse crunches/Burpees
Round 4: Push Ups/Jumping Lunges
Round 5: Romanian Deadlifts/Squat to shoulder press
Round 6: Tricep dips/Bear Crawl 4 forward/4back (Keep that booty low!)
How did it go? Let me know how you're feeling after this workout and your carb/fat pre-workout snack! Comment in the section below to tell me how you feel!
With just protein left to discuss, we're getting closer to my perfect pre-workout snack recipe. Any guesses on what it could be?
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