Pre-Training Meals & contradictions

B

benelson101

0
Hey all

The 2-3 hour windows pre training (which is normally around 6 to 7 o clock for an hour) is a constant thawn in my side.

Im trying to carb cycle, not undereating carbs just making sure i have them at the right times. Working out late is a pain but the only time i can, and during the day im mostly sedentry at work.

T-nations carb cycling codex places complex carbs at the start of the day and post workout, but i find it really hard to train on my last meal of protein and fat.

I usually have a couple of weetabix (which turns to 3 or 4) or porridge oats. i dont like training empty stomached - especially when my cardio days fall on medium to low carb days and i have a hiit or 2 hour football training session to do!

Am i best to remove carbs from meal 1/2 (that sounds like hell) and eat purely around training?

Also, the phrase "eat for what you have done and have to do" sounds like a sound way of thinking except that it contradicts carb cycling. I've heard athletes say you should eat for the next day, not today, but im working around 'today' which im going to make an educated guess and say its restricting my energy levels and recovery.

OR is cutting just a pain that you have to work through? i felt great bulking pre xmas and i was looking much better but ruined it with xmas chocolate so am paying the price.

For the record, im 170llbs, 5' 11" 23 year old male, taking in 2300 kcals on medium carb days with 263g Protein/210 Carbs/63g fat. Low days are 157g carbs (hell), 262.5g for high carb days (heaven).

Thanks in advance
ben
 
I dunno about all that; here's my opinion:

Eat about 6 small-to-moderate nutritious meals a day* (give or take one on any given day) spread-out (ideally it's about 3 hours between meals, but my schedule usually isn't ideal & some meals are eaten about 1-1/2 to 2 or 2-1/2 hours apart rather than three & It works well over time); eat some protein within an hour of finishing your weight-training (have protein with each meal when you can swing it -- try beans with rice for a high-protein meat-less meal on occassion); as for pre-training, if you generally feel low on energy, then increase carbs, especially during early meals. Avoid trans-fats & "partially hydrogenated" ingredients; shy away from having many saturated fats as well; cut back on sugar & avoid items made with high-fructose corn syrup; drink plenty of water; eat potassium-rich foods (dark chocolate is potassium rich, as are potato chips, but they're not as good for you to eat as a bananna or a cup of raisins; Lay's Brand chips are better than most due to using good oils, but you want items like chocolate & chips to be your "cheats" & the better choices to be what you eat most of the time, for better results)

* I know (& have known) some obese people & their common idea of a portion-size is grossly over-estimated (like cereal filling a medium-sized ceramic fruit-bowl as being part of a complete breakfast -- Oy!)... these folks tend(ed) to eat very-large meals & super-snack continuously on both good & bad things

P.S.: As for contradictions: in both the exercise & nutrition fields you'll find experts here & there -- & you'll find disagreements among them (& some even seem to contradict themselves); some you'll find will claim that you must do things a certain way -- but this is not necessarily so (like having to write down everything, count/calculate calories, etc. -- these can help some folks, but it's not absolutely necessary to know & record various details); there are many ways to skin a cat -- you might have to experiment some (being your own Guinea-Pig) & keep doing what works while it works, then experiment some more & change as appropriate (I recommend reading-up on the subjects; it'll be both confusing & enlightening as you'll discover contradictions/disagreements & commonalities)
 
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Also check out Joe Defranco and David Barr's theories and group experiments with pre workout supplementation....those guys are really on to something.
 
ta trainerty ill look them up

my basic concern is that carb cycling and workingout late mean no carbs are consumed in an 8 hour period pre-gym. thats a long time to go! its less of a problem when cutting (apart from feeling like crap, lack of energy, poor lifting) but when bulking i need to make sure the fuel is there.

thanks
 
Why not adjust your diet to fit your late-workout needs?

Perhaps try eating some complex (slowly-digested) carbs later in the day so that they're available to give you energy during your workout, & have some simple (easily-digested) carbs within an hour after your workout (along with protein & some good fats at each meal as well).

If you can take supplements without harm (as some can & some can't), then a pre-workout Protein & Creatine shake & a post-workout Protein shake may help.

As for feeling bad, if you don't rush results by trying to cut or bulk in a short period of time by extreme caloric surplus or deficit, but rather do it with slight surplus or deficit, then you'll eventually get there & probably feel better in the process (eliminating the weakness from the cutting-phase is one benefit: when one starves, one gets weak & less mentally acute -- I know this from experience).
 
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