WOD + Fat as a pre-workout meal

 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?

Work Out of the Day - This one will have you lying on the floor, saying "WHY?!"

 Friends, 

I love me a good workout. I especially love workouts where I'm lying on the floor afterwards, asking myself why I decided to workout in the first place! Why do I love these types of workouts? Because these workouts mean PROGRESS. Workouts are supposed to be hard. If they were easy, then you wouldn't be increasing your heart rate, helping to clear any plaque build up, or helping the heart muscle stay strong, which is essential to good health.

Not only do challenging workouts work the physical body into better health, but these hard workouts increase oxygen to the brain, causing the release of serotonin, the feel-good hormone. With the release of serotonin, you spend the next few hours or days feeling good and who doesn't want that?!

As always, if you are new to High-Intensity Exercise, consult your medical practitioner before beginning this program.

This Work Out of the Day is a 20 minute HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Complete each exercise for 20 seconds, with a 10 second rest in between. Complete each round 4 times, for a total of 4 minutes per round. You can download timers to help with this on android and Iphones. I use an app called "Interval Timer", that I downloaded from the App Store for free.

You need dumbbells for this exercise. A yoga mat is useful, but not necessary.

Ok, let's go!

Round 1: Jumping Jacks/Side Lunges - One side at a time; So, on interval one do right leg side lunges, interval two do left leg side lunges, etc.

Round 2: Dumbbell snatch left arm/right arm - Here is a video demonstrating how to do this exercise. Note: You do not need a heavy dumbbell for this. I used an 8lb dumbbell as the focus is more on the deep squat for this exercise.

Round 3: Mountain Climbers/Scissor Kicks - Here is a video demonstrating scissor kicks. I prefer to put my hands behind my head and elevate my upper back off the floor for more intensity.

Round 4: Plank Hold/Bicycle Crunches - With the plank hold, you can either complete on your hands for a high plank, or on your forearms for a low plank. Today, I alternated between the two. Don't forget to SQUEEZE those legs and bum to really gain impact.

Round 5: Boat Pose Hold/Forward Jump Squat with Run Back -Here is an image of boat pose. For lower intensity, place your hands on the underside of your thighs and hold, but don't pull. For higher intensity, complete the full boat pose. Here is a video for the forward jump squat. With the run back, jog back four steps and then repeat the jump.

This WOD is sure to get your heart pumping and muscles feeling the HEAT! Have fun and let me know how it goes in the comments below!

Health and Happiness, 

Hollie