Set Yourself Up for Training Success with Our Tips

MAXMISE YOUR PERFORMANCE WITH THESE PRE AND POST WORKOUT TIPS!

If you’re not feeling your best during or after your training session, you may be missing something crucial in your pre or post workout routine. Things like indigestion during your workout, feeling low in energy or feeling dizzy/nauseous, or not gaining muscle or losing fat (even if you’re consistent with food and training) are all signs that you may need to adjust your approach. Here’s our tips for prepping for your workout and recovering after:

PRE-WORKOUT

Sleep well the night before

How you sleep the night before impacts everything from your mood, energy and concentration levels, and can trigger stronger cravings for energy dense foods. It also impacts your performance during your training session if you’ve slept badly the night before! Aim for an average of 7-9 hours every night.

Eat something (but not too close to your workout!)

For late morning and evening classes - have a carbohydrate based snack 1 hours before your session, or a meal 3 hours before. For early morning classes - grab something small like half a banana about half an hour before your session so you’re not training on empty. Training fasted will only wreck havoc on your hormones (especially if you’re female) and won’t give you any fat loss benefits. It also may decrease your performance in both cardio and strength work.

Hydrate

For the early morning sessions - have a glass of water when you wake up and sip more water slowly throughout your session. For mid-morning and evening sessions - hydrate sufficiently throughout the day (2 litres over the course of the entire day is a good guideline for most of us).

POST-WORKOUT

Re-fuel your body

As soon as possible after working out, eat something! If a meal isn’t possible, having a small snack ready to go will keep you going until you can have a proper meal . Include carbohydrates and protein for re-fuelling and repairing muscles.

Re-hydrate

While sports drinks like Gatorade are marketed to active people, these drinks are not necessary for workouts under an hour long - eating nutritious food and drinking enough water over the day should do the job for us non-athletes. Stick with water, and definitely avoid alcohol if you want to maximise your recovery!

Rest and recover

Between workouts, there’s plenty you can do to help your recovery along. Try foam rolling or stretching at home, or you could get a remedial massage from Glenn upstairs. Heading out for a easy walk can also be helpful for easing sore muscles.