Pre-Workout-Nutrition
February 17, 2024
“What should I eat before I train?”
This is a common question at Vitruvian Fitness. And the answer is: It depends and something.
It depends on what your training goals are, your health status, the time of day you’re training, when you ate last, when you’re eating next, and what you typically eat in a day. Simple, right?
So, here's the real answer: Eat what you should throughout your day making simple timing adjustments to accommodate the intensity and demands of your training.
Here are some very general guidelines and from these, you’ll need to figure out what works best for you.
Daily Nutrition Strategy
On a daily basis, a properly nourished person consumes a well-balanced assortment of quality vegetables, fruits, protein products, beverages, and other complementary foods that make you healthy and strong. As an aspiring properly nourished person yourself, you actively seek a solution to this by reading, researching, experimenting, questioning authority, challenging convention, creating hypotheses and coming to your own educated conclusions.
Here are some guidelines (which I challenge you to challenge using the scientific method).
Protein. You’re consuming not less than 1 gram of protein for each pound of ideal body weight. You can get protein from animals and non-animals. Pick your preference.
Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates come from fruits, vegetables, legumes, flours, and the sugar bowl. None of these are bad. It’s the quantity and timing of this energy-abundant macro-nutrient that matters. It’s like laughing. Laughing is always healthy unless you’re laughing at the wrong time.
Fat. Fat is also an abundant energy source and it’s necessary for several bodily functions and is the exclusive transporter of some nutrients.
Fiber. If you eat enough vegetables, you eat enough fiber. If you’re not eating enough vegetables, eat more.
Fluids. Also known as water. Drink your water plain or drink it infused it with stuff like broth, tea, nourishing powders, and magic potions. Cook your food in it and with it.
Spend some time doing real research on the subject. Libraries, bookstores, and the world wide web are overflowing with information. Yes, it’s overwhelming. But the streets you drive on are littered with thousands of different signs and distractions and you figured out how to navigate your way around. You’ve got this.
Pre-Workout Nutrition – What you came here to learn.
What time you’re going to work out will influence what to eat/drink more than any other factor. First, we’re going to assume that you’re working on the “what to eat all day equation.” The next thing to answer is, “What nourishment do I need to give myself the best training session possible?” And the last thing to consider is what your overall training objectives are.
Remember this truism: Food is Fuel. You can’t drive your car from Denver to Grand Junction on a quarter tank of gas. Likewise, you can’t expect to get through a hard training session on an empty tank. But you don’t want to puke up a stomach-full of broccoli and protein products either.
So, what’s the right answer? Something.
The right answer is something. Not too much, not too little, not too recently, and not too long ago.
When I was a wee lad growing up in the mother country, we were generally advised to wait an hour after eating before swimming or jumping on the trampoline. This was probably pretty good advice. Whatever we ate was probably still energizing us but not sitting in a bolus in our belly bouncing about looking for the exit.
But what if you’re just not awake or your energy is low? Maybe this is your situation?
- You’re training first thing in the morning 20 minutes after waking up?
- You’re training 3 hours after lunch and right before dinner?
- It’s been a long day of sitting at your desk, driving in your car, or Zooming with New Zealand?
Here are some ideas.
- Coffee or Tea – for the caffeine
- Oatmeal – for the carbohydrates*
- Fruit – for the carbohydrates
- Prepackaged “pre-workout” drinks – for the caffeine and other legal stimulants
- Prepackaged “energy” bars – for the carbohydrates
*Fun fact: Cold oatmeal, like overnight oats, digests more slowly than hot oatmeal making the absorption of carbohydrates slower which has some benefits. Beans, lentils and cold potatoes work the same way. These are known as resistant starches. Look it up!
Getting your money’s worth.
This is about the economics of training and the allocation of finite resources.
If you show up for your training session fired up and ready to go and you make it a habit of showing up fired up and ready to go, you can expect great results from your training over time.
Conversely, if you habitually show up for your training tired and malnourished, then you will get poor results from your training over time.
You don’t have to be perfect all the time. Just do your best as often as you can.
If your time and energy are limited resources, how do you want to spend them and what do you expect from them?
Being well-nourished, focused, alert, and ready for action is the secret.
Curious to learn more about Vitruvian Fitness?
We encourage you to do a 14-Day Trial Membership. In 14 days, you will get a private onboarding session that includes the Functional Movement Screen®, then unlimited semi-private training sessions doing the program we design based on that first session. And you’ll get to be a part of one of the most inviting, inclusive, and fun communities you’ll find anywhere. At the end of your trial, you get to decide if you liked it and if you want to continue with a regular 6-month membership. All the options and prices are on our Membership page.
Click the Get Started button to schedule a call to learn more.
Attribution: This article was written with assistance of ChatGPT.
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The Vitruvian Fitness Method to learn the Perfect Push Up The Perfect Push Up is an expression of strength that demonstrates serious determination and movement organization. Plus it comes with, in my opinion, more self-satisfaction than any other exercise after the Perfect Pull Up. Part 1 - The Set Up The position of the arms and shoulders is most important. Begin by lying face down on the floor and imagine looking down at yourself from directly above. You are going to make the shape of an arrow with your body. Place your chin at the imaginary point of the arrow with your upper-arms positioned at 45º to your torso and your hands directly below your elbows. If correctly positioned, your forearm will be pointed straight down or perpendicular to the floor. Looking down at yourself, you should look like a straight arrow with your arms flared out 45º. The reason for this is because when your arms/shoulders are in the 45º position, the joints and muscles are at their medium-est positions which, in simple terms, means they are positioned optimally to recruit all the muscles to help with the pushing up. It’s also healthier for your shoulders since you’re not rubbing up against any end ranges of motion. Next, drop your heels back and try to tuck your toes under your feet so your weight is resting on the balls of your feet. If your toes don’t bend that far, it’s ok but you’ll want to wear shoes. Whether your toes bend that much or not, you’ll still want to drop your heels as far back as you can. When you drop your heels, you’ll feel how your quads engage which is part of organizing your core to be as stiff as possible for the upcoming movements. After all, a Push Up is just a great plank with elbows that flex and extend. So, a solid plank is the precursor to the Perfect Push Up. Part 2 - Getting Stronger Push Ups are hard and take strength and good posture. Keep reminding yourself why you’re doing these - because people who can do great push ups have a lot to be proud of. In this part, we’re going to focus on the “down” phase of the Push Up. This is also known as the eccentric phase. It’s pronounced EE-sen-trick. (Not ECK-sen-trick like your goofy uncle.) It doesn’t sound intuitive at all but you can actually build strength faster by focusing on a very slow descent from the top of your ever-improving plank to the floor. So, get into the arrow position as described above and then get up into a high plank position by any means necessary. It literally doesn’t matter how good or bad it looks - just get to the top. Make sure your feet and hands don’t move out of their positions though. This is important. 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This is important because this is how you’ll know when it’s time to increase the challenge. Your set up is the same as before - upper arms at 45º to your torso with your forearms pointing straight down and your heels dropped back. However, instead of your hands being on the floor, they're on the 5th or 6th stair up from the bottom. In this position, do as many push ups as you can stopping at 12 if you get there. If you couldn’t get to 8 reps, reposition your hands on the next stair up. If you did get to 12, reposition your hands on the next stair down. You’re seeking the stair where you can do at least 8 Push Ups but not 12. Can’t do 8? Make it easier. You can do 12, make it harder. Once you find that stair, keep working until you can do 12 Push Ups. That’s when you drop down a stair. Every time you get to 12, you drop a stair until you’re doing Push Ups with your hands on the floor. But what if you can do 12 Push Ups from one stair but you can only do 6 from the next one down? That’s OK! Do all the Perfect Push Ups you can do on the lower stair and then move back up one to finish the set. When the day comes that you can do 12 Push Ups from your toes and your hands on the floor, you’ve accomplished something so awesome. Congratulations! Be dedicated to the process and be kind to yourself. You got this. Curious to learn more? We encourage you to do a 14-Day Trial Membership. In 14 days, you will get a private onboarding session that includes the Functional Movement Screen® , then unlimited semi-private training sessions doing the program we design based on that first session. And you’ll get to be a part of one of the most inviting, inclusive, and fun communities you’ll find anywhere. At the end of your trial, you get to decide if you liked it and if you want to continue with a regular 6-month membership. All the options and prices are on our Membership page. Click here to sign up now! Our facility is conveniently located on the northwest corner of Denver in beautiful downtown Wheat Ridge.
How do you know how much of each to do? This is a great question. It may not surprise you that the answer is, "it depends." Some people love doing cardio. Some people love lifting weights. Some people dislike both. The short answer to this question, obviously, is both. Do both. Lots.
Heart Rate Variability – What it is and why you might be interested in it. According to experts, the key to a longer, healthier, and happier life comes down to these 5 things. I call them The 5 Things . A healthy diet. Abundant cardiovascular and resistance exercising. Sleep and restorative downtime. Stress management and mental health. Community. The famous Coach Ted Lasso, when challenged to explain the offsides penalty in soccer (or football, depending on where you watch the game), dodged the question by saying it’s kind of hard to define but you know it when you see it. Knowing if you’re getting the 5 Things right more often than wrong might not be as easy to recognize as an offsides violation. Until now. That’s where understanding and measuring Heart Rate Variability may interest you. 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Ginsberg Outlive – The Science and Art of Longevity – Peter Attia, MD Blue Zones Curious to learn more? We encourage you to do a 14-Day Trial Membership. In 14 days, you will get a private onboarding session that includes the Functional Movement Screen® , then unlimited semi-private training sessions doing the program we design based on that first session. And you’ll get to be a part of one of the most inviting, inclusive, and fun communities you’ll find anywhere. At the end of your trial, you get to decide if you liked it and if you want to continue with a regular 6-month membership. All the options and prices are on our Membership page. Click here to sign up now! Our facility is conveniently located on the northwest corner of Denver in beautiful downtown Wheat Ridge.
New-Client Onboarding As part of our new-client onboarding experience, we take a detailed history of your health, catalog any injuries from the past or present, discuss a variety of other exercise-readiness issues and perform a qualitative movement screen called the FMS. All this to make sure we understand what makes you unique and special – so your workouts are not too easy and not too hard from the get-go. It’s the Goldilocks of exercise programming – just right. It's starts with a story about a car. Picture your car parked in the garage. In this scenario, you work from home. And because you work from home, you don’t know that the front-end of your car is out of alignment. If your car is just parked in the garage and you never drive it, it doesn’t actually matter that the wheels are out of alignment. Right? Now let’s say you do use the car but only for occasional short trips to the 7-11 a couple blocks away to buy beer and cigarettes. In this case, it probably still doesn’t matter much. But now let’s imagine you get a sweet new job that means you commute on the highway 15 miles each direction every day. Well now the fact that your front-end is out of alignment matters quite a lot. Now you’re driving at highway speeds, 30 miles per day, 5 days per week. After a couple weeks of ignoring the problem, the consequences of the misalignment become evident. At first, it’s uneven tire wear. And then the shock absorbers and steering parts quit handling like they used to. And then other stuff breaks and then it’s this, and then it’s that. The repair bills get more expensive the longer you ignore the situation and all this could have been easy and inexpensive to repair had you just fixed the alignment to begin with. It's not actually a story about a car. Now let’s imagine that the sweet new job is a metaphor for a new exercise program and that car is a metaphor for your body. Before you start doing a lot of new exercises, we recommend checking out how well your body and all its moving parts move. The Functional Movement Screen Introducing: The Functional Movement Screen , aka the FMS: a quick and simple way to evaluate how well your moving parts move. The Functional Movement Screen is a screening tool designed to assess movement patterns in individuals. It consists of a series of seven fundamental movement patterns that are evaluated through specific tests. These movement patterns include squatting, lunging, reaching, bending, and others. The purpose of the FMS is to identify movement dysfunctions, asymmetries, or limitations that may predispose individuals to injury or affect their performance. The FMS has its origins with the partnership of two physical therapists – Gray Cook (of "Cook Hip Lift" fame) and Lee Burton. While working with young athletes, they observed signs of movement dysfunction that frequently resulted in injuries. The pair created a system that helped identify inefficiencies in movement and a process to correct those inefficiencies before they lead to injuries. Since the mid 1990s, they’ve refined the system and taught it to thousands of health and fitness professionals around the world. We began using the FMS in 2010 when we opened Vitruvian Fitness. At our new-client onboarding sessions, the FMS is just the beginning of the process. Using the data we collect during the screen, we implement a variety of strategies to help our clients move better, more efficiently, and more safely. And all this leads to stronger, more powerful, more athletic. healthier, and injury resistant members. To paraphrase Gray Cook, “let’s play to our strengths, work on our weaknesses,” and move forward together to reach even greater heights. Curious to learn more? We encourage you to do a 14-Day Trial Membership. In 14 days, you will get a private onboarding session that includes the Functional Movement Screen® , then unlimited semi-private training sessions doing the program we design based on that first session. And you’ll get to be a part of one of the most inviting, inclusive, and fun communities you’ll find anywhere. At the end of your trial, you get to decide if you liked it and if you want to continue with a regular 6-month membership. All the options and prices are on our Membership page. Click here to sign up now! Our facility is conveniently located on the northwest corner of Denver in beautiful downtown Wheat Ridge.
What makes functional training functional? Focusing on the nature of functional exercise, our exercises are designed with the intent to move in patterns, not parts.
What Are Kaly, Mark, and Tom Reading? Continuous Learning, Education, and Innovation are among our core values here at Vitruvian Fitness®. Reading good books helps us grow as people and trainers which we hope makes our value and appeal to you even better. Here is a short list of some books that we think you will enjoy, too. They are organized loosely by genre and if links are provided, they are to the authors' websites unless otherwise noted. Personal Development and Exploration From Mark The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself – Michael Singer This is a transformative guide to inner freedom, inviting readers to explore the depths of consciousness and transcend the limitations of the ego, offering profound insights and practical teachings for achieving spiritual growth and inner peace. Singer's book encourages readers to cultivate mindfulness, let go of past conditioning, and embrace the present moment to experience true liberation and fulfillment. From Kaly Leadership and Self Deception – the Arbinger Institute This is a compelling narrative that reveals the profound impact of self-deception on leadership and relationships, offering powerful insights into overcoming personal and organizational barriers to success. Through engaging storytelling and practical guidance, the book prompts readers to shift their perspectives, cultivate empathy, and foster authentic connections, ultimately empowering them to become more effective leaders and create positive change in their lives and workplaces. Atomic Habits – James Clear This is a transformative guide to building small, incremental habits that lead to remarkable results, offering practical strategies grounded in psychology and neuroscience. Clear's insightful book empowers readers to harness the power of habit formation, make meaningful changes, and achieve lasting personal and professional growth by focusing on consistent, incremental improvements and leveraging the compounding effect of small habits over time. The Happiness Advantage – Shawn Achor This is a compelling exploration of the profound impact of positive psychology on success and well-being, offering practical strategies to cultivate happiness and resilience in both personal and professional life. Through engaging anecdotes and scientific research, Achor demonstrates how adopting a positive mindset can lead to increased productivity, improved relationships, and greater overall satisfaction, inspiring readers to harness the power of positivity to achieve greater success and fulfillment. From Tom Joy of Living – Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is a renowned Tibetan Buddhist meditation master known for his teachings on meditation, mindfulness, and neuroscience, as well as his emphasis on integrating traditional Buddhist practices with modern scientific understanding. He is particularly famous for his accessible approach to meditation and his efforts to make the benefits of mindfulness accessible to people from all walks of life through his writings, teachings, and retreats. The Obstacle is the Way – Ryan Holiday Ego is the Enemy – Ryan Holiday Ryan Holiday is a best-selling author, media strategist, and prominent figure in the realm of stoicism, renowned for his modern interpretations of ancient wisdom and his practical applications of stoic philosophy to contemporary life and business. "The Obstacle Is the Way" and "Ego Is the Enemy," have become popular resources for personal and professional growth, offering timeless principles for navigating challenges, achieving success, and cultivating resilience in the face of adversity. Crucial Conversations – Joseph Grenny et al This book offers practical strategies for handling high-stakes conversations with clarity, confidence, and compassion, empowering readers to navigate difficult dialogues effectively and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Through insightful guidance and real-life examples, the book equips individuals with the skills to communicate openly, address sensitive topics, and build stronger relationships both personally and professionally. You Are a Badass – Jen Sincero This is a motivational guide to unleashing personal potential, encouraging readers to embrace self-love, overcome self-doubt, and pursue their dreams with unapologetic confidence. Through humorous anecdotes and practical advice, Sincero inspires readers to break free from limiting beliefs, take bold action, and create a life they love, empowering them to tap into their inner badassery and live with purpose and passion. Think Again – Adam Grant This is a thought-provoking exploration of the power of rethinking and unlearning in an ever-changing world, offering practical strategies to challenge assumptions, embrace intellectual humility, and navigate uncertainty with agility. Through compelling anecdotes and research-backed insights, Grant inspires readers to cultivate a growth mindset, engage in constructive dialogue, and continuously evolve their beliefs and perspectives, empowering them to make better decisions and thrive in the face of complexity and ambiguity. Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor E Frankl This is a profound memoir and existential exploration of human resilience, detailing Frankl's experiences in Nazi concentration camps and his discovery of meaning amid unimaginable suffering. Through his observations and insights, Frankl offers a powerful testament to the human spirit's capacity to find purpose and hope even in the darkest of circumstances, inspiring readers to embrace life's challenges with courage, dignity, and a sense of purpose. How to Change Your Mind – Michael Pollan This is a groundbreaking exploration of the history, science, and therapeutic potential of psychedelics, offering a compelling narrative that challenges preconceived notions and sheds light on the resurgence of interest in these substances. Through immersive storytelling and rigorous research, Pollan delves into the transformative experiences of individuals who have undergone psychedelic therapy, inviting readers to reconsider the nature of consciousness, mental health, and the profound implications of altering one's perception, ultimately sparking a broader conversation about the therapeutic use of psychedelics for personal growth and healing. Food, Nutrition, Thoughts about Food and Nutrition From Kaly In Defense of Food – Michael Pollan Michael Pollan is an acclaimed author, journalist, and professor who has dedicated much of his career to exploring the intersections of food, culture, and the environment. His writing about food encompasses a wide range of topics, from the industrial food system and agricultural practices to the cultural significance of food and the impact of diet on health and well-being. Pollan's investigative approach and engaging storytelling style have made him a leading voice in the food movement, inspiring readers to reconsider their relationship with food and the broader implications of food choices on society and the planet. From Tom Food Rules: An Eater's Manual – Michael Pollan Omnivores Dilemma – Michael Pollan Caffeine – Michael Pollan What To Eat – Marion Nestle This is a comprehensive guide to navigating the complex world of food choices, offering practical advice and insights into the food industry, nutrition science, and health implications of various dietary patterns. Through clear analysis and accessible language, Nestle empowers readers to make informed decisions about their diets, advocating for a balanced approach that prioritizes whole, minimally processed foods while highlighting the societal and environmental factors influencing our food choices. Foodist – Darya Pino Rose This is a practical and science-based guide to healthy eating and sustainable habits, offering actionable advice to transform your relationship with food and achieve long-term wellness. Through a blend of personal anecdotes, research, and practical tips, Rose empowers readers to adopt a mindful and enjoyable approach to eating, emphasizing the importance of whole foods, intuitive eating, and behavior change strategies for lasting health and happiness. Health Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity – Peter Attia MD This is a comprehensive exploration of the latest research and practical strategies for extending lifespan and improving healthspan. Drawing on his expertise as a physician and longevity enthusiast, Attia provides evidence-based insights into nutrition, exercise, sleep, and other lifestyle factors, empowering readers to optimize their health and longevity through informed decision-making and proactive habits. Why We Sleep – Matthew Walker This is a captivating dive into the science of sleep, revealing its profound impact on every aspect of our lives, from physical health to mental well-being and cognitive function. Through compelling research and accessible explanations, Walker highlights the critical importance of quality sleep and offers practical strategies to improve sleep habits, empowering readers to prioritize rest and unlock the transformative benefits of a good night's sleep for overall health and vitality. Note: If you're having trouble sleeping, this is not the resource you're looking for. Sleep Smarter – Shawn Stevenson This is a practical guide to optimizing sleep for improved health and performance, offering science-backed strategies to enhance sleep quality and duration. Through actionable advice and lifestyle recommendations, Stevenson empowers readers to prioritize sleep, address common sleep disruptors, and cultivate bedtime routines that promote restorative rest, ultimately enabling them to wake up feeling energized, focused, and ready to conquer the day. Note: If you're having trouble sleeping, this book is a good start. Exercising These titles have had a significant impact on the type of programming we do at Vitruvian Fitness. Technical books on programming are generally pretty dry and not very interesting to the general public. However, these are among the least dry. In fact, Pavel and Dan John are actually fairly interesting and entertaining. Roar – Stacy Sims PhD Next Level - Stacy Sims PhD Dr. Stacy Sims has significantly advanced women's exercise physiology by pioneering research on how female physiology differs from men's in response to training and nutrition. Her work has led to tailored approaches empowering women to optimize performance and health through menstrual cycle-based training and nutrition strategies. Attempts: Essays on Fitness, Health, Longevity and Easy Strength – Dan John* Dan John is a renowned strength coach and author whose contributions to exercise literature include insightful perspectives on strength training, movement mechanics, and program design, influencing countless athletes and fitness enthusiasts worldwide. Kettlebell Simple & Sinister – Pavel Tsatsouline Pavel Tsatsouline is a prominent strength coach and author known for revolutionizing the fitness industry with his expertise in kettlebell training and minimalist yet highly effective training methodologies. Advances in Functional Training – Michael Boyle* Michael Boyle is a highly regarded strength and conditioning coach and author, renowned for his innovative training methodologies, evidence-based approach, and advocacy for injury prevention in athletes, making significant contributions to the field of sports performance. Athletic Body in Balance – Gray Cook Gray Cook is a leading physical therapist, strength coach, and author known for his groundbreaking work in functional movement assessment and corrective exercise, which has revolutionized the approach to injury prevention, rehabilitation, and performance optimization. Core Performance – Mark Verstegen* Mark Verstegen is a prominent strength and conditioning coach, author, and founder of EXOS (formerly known as Athletes' Performance), recognized for his cutting-edge training methodologies, holistic approach to athlete development, and pioneering work in sports performance optimization, which have significantly influenced and shaped the landscape of athletic training and performance enhancement. * These are Amazon links. Curious to learn more about Vitruvian Fitness? We encourage you to do a 14-Day Trial Membership. In 14 days, you will get a private onboarding session that includes the Functional Movement Screen® , then unlimited semi-private training sessions doing the program we design based on that first session. And you’ll get to be a part of one of the most inviting, inclusive, and fun communities you’ll find anywhere. At the end of your trial, you get to decide if you liked it and if you want to continue with a regular 6-month membership. All the options and prices are on our Membership page. C lick the Get Started button to schedule a call to learn more. Our facility is conveniently located on the northwest corner of Denver in beautiful downtown Wheat Ridge.
Established 2010
VITRUVIAN FITNESS
Locally-owned strength training gym coaching in small groups. Serving the neighborhoods of NW Denver, Wheat Ridge, Arvada, Lakewood, Applewood, Golden, and virtually across the USA.
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