What's a good pre-workout meal?

[Niroc]

What's a good pre-workout meal? scoop whey and an apple? This is what I'm currently eating prior to workouts.

[OHIOSTEVE]

I was wanting to ask about mine also..I have been eating a small container of fat free yogurt with a scoop of whey ( 20 g protein) mixed in with my creatine and glutamine..today I tossed a few almonds...

[Power-Quest]

My ideal pre workout meal is grilled chicken breast with brown rice and brocoli.

Some times its a protien shake and some fruit , or even a cheese burger with fries , depends on your goals and were your at in your training , if i was cutting for a contest or way over weight it would be a bit diffrent than if i am bulking.

Some people drink caffiene some take caffiene pills and other supps , but all you need is a good round healthy meal (protien , carbs , healthy fats )to fuel the body for its intense workout.

Just my own ideas for my quest in body building , im sure they will change as i and most here are always learning and tweaking.

Check out the nutritional part of the board for lots of good food ideas , also the ladys of the over 35 group post up recipes in the over 35 thread from time to time.

[OHIOSTEVE]

If I were working out in the afternoon or evening Id agree but I am hitting the weights at about 6 am...too early for all that!lol

[Hibiscus09]

I usually have a chicken breast, brown rice and a teaspoon of Udo's oil. If I'm heading to the gym after my first meal, that is an egg, 4 whites and a cup of cooked oatmeal. Every once in a while I will do a protein shake and oatmeal and maybe a spoonful of natural pbutter.

[Mark1T]

For a.m. workouts, I think Flat-Head Ted said it best:

"1 cup eggwhites and small bowl of instant oats."

Flat-Head is one big mofo.

[Power-Quest]

If I were working out in the afternoon or evening Id agree but I am hitting the weights at about 6 am...too early for all that!lol

In this case as i have seen Chi or Fit mention before , the meal the night before would be important for an early morning workout.

You can always prepare food in bulk and reheat.

As mark said egg whites , and oatmeal , or grits and a protien shake , or even honey nut cherrios are a good start to any day. Orange juice is good too.

[Hibiscus09]

Ummm, I'd stay away from all the sugar in orange juice if you're trying to stay lean, along with processed cereals. Insulin spike city. You want slow burning carbs for sustained energy. Steel cut or Old Fashioned oats are much better than instant oatmeal. Finally, as much as I hate to say this being the good southerner that I am, definitely choose oatmeal, not grits. Just my healthy nutrition opinion.

[1stindoor]

As I get up at 3:30 a.m., my pre-workout meal is usually yesterdays dinner. Although no day would start properly without a cup of coffee.

[Power-Quest]

Ummm, I'd stay away from all the sugar in orange juice if you're trying to stay lean, along with processed cereals. Insulin spike city. You want slow burning carbs for sustained energy. Steel cut or Old Fashioned oats are much better than instant oatmeal. Finally, as much as I hate to say this being the good southerner that I am, definitely choose oatmeal, not grits. Just my healthy nutrition opinion.

Ronnie coleman eats grits , and yes they say eating an orange would be better than some made juice because of the added sugars and other things , and your correct if i was trying to loose fat i would be skipping all the sugar i could and would be using splenda.

Also when you look at the ingredients on oat meal / old f oats , it is clear that it is the best breakfast in my cabinet but my grits and cherrios are next choices for me , if im not having steak and eggs.

Hib is more experianced than me with nutrition so what ever she says is good advice.

[Mark1T]

Edited out by Mark

[RaSP]

true steel cut oats are better nutritionally than instant, but I am sure that Flat-Head Ted's point, is that he recommends the instant for pre-workout because of preparation time.

How long does it take to make instant oatmeal? I nuke my steel cut ones in 45-90 seconds (depending on serving size). That's pretty instant to me, but I live in the country. Maybe 90 seconds is too long for you city folk

*R*

[Mark1T]

How long does it take to make instant oatmeal? I nuke my steel cut ones in 45-90 seconds (depending on serving size). That's pretty instant to me, but I live in the country. Maybe 90 seconds is too long for you city folk

*R*

You are right! I did not take the nuke factor into consideration. Apologies to everyone.

Thanks

[Hibiscus09]

Ronnie coleman eats grits

See, there you have it -- grits must do wonderful things for the body! I think I'll start eating them for all 5 meals. Well, maybe not -- I don't want to look like Ronnie Coleman! LOL

And come on guys -- it only takes 5 minutes to fix some Old Fashioned oats!!

[Mark1T]

[/b]

See, there you have it -- grits must do wonderful things for the body! I think I'll start eating them for all 5 meals. Well, maybe not -- I don't want to look like Ronnie Coleman! LOL

And come on guys -- it only takes 5 minutes to fix some Old Fashioned oats!!

Come on, Hibbles - you mean you wouldn't look good at 296 lbs?

[RaSP]

I prefer a chicken breast, 2 cups steel cut oatmeal, and whey about 75 minutes before my 6:00 am workout.

There's a really good thread on this here:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=272067

*R*

[phikappa]

I think it depends on how much time you put between your workout and your meal. For instance, if you eat 2 hours before your workout you can give yourself more protein since protein takes longer to digest. But, if you eat just before your workout, you should probably have an all carb meal, although not a large meal since you may want to puke shortly after starting your workout. I think a protein drink could be consumed an hour before your workout, since those are fairly easy to digest and absorb. For anything under an hour, you should probably just have a piece of fruit.

[Sacramento M3]

So if I'm trying to bulk would a protein shake, a pear and a couple fish oil pills be good??

[ATrainer]

1-2 hrs before a workout, I like to ingest the best protein drink on the planet, a quart of 1% chocolate milk. @700 cals, 36 grams of whey/casein protein, and the glycemic index of the sugar is tempered by the protein/fat (just like ice cream) And MMMMM it is so tasty! My son drinks his nasty-ass protein drink that doesn't have any more protein than mine. Why suffer, I ask?

[Hibiscus09]

Come on, Hibbles - you mean you wouldn't look good at 296 lbs?

Yikes!! The most I've ever weighed is 132 and that was 9 months pregnant! LOL

I eat my meals about an hour and a half before going to the gym. I can't imagine eating right before I work out! Yuck -- that would come back to visit me. I suppose I could do a protein shake an hour before.

[Capt. America]

One or several of the following.
Tuna Salad on wheat w/ lots of onions(maybe thats why people avoid me at the gym)
1 large yam or sweet potato.
2 cans tuna(in H2O)
2 Peanut butter sandwiches on Italian.
Several banannas
16 oz 2% milk whith whey protien.
Any type of cheese, especially Limburger.( More gym avoidance)
I never could lift on an empty stomach! Since I'm lifting 3X6 the semi full stomach don't bother me except when deadlifting, re-gurgitated Limburger and onions ain't no picnic!

[Niroc]

1-2 hrs before a workout, I like to ingest the best protein drink on the planet, a quart of 1% chocolate milk. @700 cals, 36 grams of whey/casein protein, and the glycemic index of the sugar is tempered by the protein/fat (just like ice cream) And MMMMM it is so tasty! My son drinks his nasty-ass protein drink that doesn't have any more protein than mine. Why suffer, I ask?

Heh, now that one I never thought of. I'll have to hide the choclate milk in my house though. Lots of scavengers running around here. lol

[Niroc]

One or several of the following.
Tuna Salad on wheat w/ lots of onions(maybe thats why people avoid me at the gym)
1 large yam or sweet potato.
2 cans tuna(in H2O)
2 Peanut butter sandwiches on Italian.
Several banannas
16 oz 2% milk whith whey protien.
Any type of cheese, especially Limburger.( More gym avoidance)
I never could lift on an empty stomach! Since I'm lifting 3X6 the semi full stomach don't bother me except when deadlifting, re-gurgitated Limburger and onions ain't no picnic!

I do the pb and tuna sanwiches alot myself, though I can barely stomach a yam pre-workout they just go better with my steak PWO ;-)

[Mikey170]

2 scoop Vanilla whey 240 cals, 10 carbs
2 tsp orange natural fiber 20 cals, 5 carbs
8 frozen strawberries 20 cals, 8 carbs
2 eyeballed teaspoons of Splenda

I nuke the berries for 30 seconds to soften them up before blending. I have one of those hand blenders because they are cleaner than the others.

The fiber and the berries have a very low glycemic index so they burn slow.
8 eyeballed ounces of cold water.

By the way this tastes pretty good with luke warm water if you workout early in the morning and can't stand to drink cold water..