AM Training Nutrition

[Aidan]

CT,

I would be very grateful if you could offer me some advise to me on my pre-work out nutrition plan for training in the am.

I wake at 6am and leave the house at 6.30am to start training at 7-7.15am approx. I am currently using 5/3/1 program for the past 4 months and having been slowly gaining, slow but sure! Age 33, weight 82kgs and approx 10-12% BF.

On waking I prepare 30g Whey mixed with Freshly Juiced Veggie juice and a banana with my multi’s and a dose of Alpha GPC. I have a Finibar in the car on the way to the gym and finish my workout with 30g Whey and 60g Vitargo (Carb).

I am trying to eat as many solid meals as possible and started the experiment this morning but the GI distress was very uncomfortable, I had a Steak Patty and 2 boiled eggs with a glass of Paleo-Greens. I felt like crap, food obviously wasn’t digested in time.

Can you offer any insight into my current strategy or offer a better one? Thanks in advance.

[Christian_Thibaudeau]

[quote]Aidan wrote:
CT,

I would be very grateful if you could offer me some advise to me on my pre-work out nutrition plan for training in the am.

I wake at 6am and leave the house at 6.30am to start training at 7-7.15am approx. I am currently using 5/3/1 program for the past 4 months and having been slowly gaining, slow but sure! Age 33, weight 82kgs and approx 10-12% BF.

On waking I prepare 30g Whey mixed with Freshly Juiced Veggie juice and a banana with my multi’s and a dose of Alpha GPC. I have a Finibar in the car on the way to the gym and finish my workout with 30g Whey and 60g Vitargo (Carb).

I am trying to eat as many solid meals as possible and started the experiment this morning but the GI distress was very uncomfortable, I had a Steak Patty and 2 boiled eggs with a glass of Paleo-Greens. I felt like crap, food obviously wasn’t digested in time.

Can you offer any insight into my current strategy or offer a better one? Thanks in advance.[/quote]

Most of the stuff looks good. Except that I’m not a huge fan of post-workout carbs anymore. Insulin release is blunted by the catecholamines released during your session.

Furthermore, since you are having roughly 100g of carbs pre-workout and that 5-3-1 is a lowish volume approach, there really is no need to replenish muscle glycogen as you are unlikely to have depleted it (because you have plenty available from your pre-workout meal).

I would actually stick with the same pre-workout meal you are having. Would have the protein during your workout then 60 minutes after I’d have your first solid meal (lean protein and moderate carbs).

[Aidan]

Thanks a lot for the reply Christian. I take it you’re not a fan of carb cycling then? I have been using Shelby Staines Carb Cycling Approach with minimal results…it is a lot of carbs compared to what Poliquin and others would advise.

As a rule of thumb how many grams of carbs would you recommend for an average joe trying his best to gain some size? I know this depends on bf% and carb tolerance, but ball park will do for me. I can monitor, review and adjust as necessary.

As a thought…I’d love to see one of you guys do a nutrition article for guys who work 9-6 (sometimes later) mon-fri and have no access to cooking facilities and are on a limited budget. Thanks again.

[Christian_Thibaudeau]

[quote]Aidan wrote:
Thanks a lot for the reply Christian. I take it you’re not a fan of carb cycling then? I have been using Shelby Staines Carb Cycling Approach with minimal results…it is a lot of carbs compared to what Poliquin and others would advise.

As a rule of thumb how many grams of carbs would you recommend for an average joe trying his best to gain some size? I know this depends on bf% and carb tolerance, but ball park will do for me. I can monitor, review and adjust as necessary.

As a thought…I’d love to see one of you guys do a nutrition article for guys who work 9-6 (sometimes later) mon-fri and have no access to cooking facilities and are on a limited budget. Thanks again.[/quote]

I am NOT against carbs cycling. You asked a specific question about ONE small portion of your day. You can’t extrapolate my dietary recommendations for the whole day from that recommendation.

In fact, I DO believe in carbs cycling (I use that myself)… I DO believe in low carbs nutrition … I DO believe in most dietary approaches that actually make sense. But most of all I DO believe that everybody respond differently to the various dietary approaches available.

Some can only lose fat on a low carbs diet, others lose it better with a carbs cycling approach or a ZONE-type diet (40% protein, 30% fat, 30% carbs).

This is one of the reasons why I stopped writing articles about nutrition: you can’t write a diet that will work well for everybody. While this is somewhat true about training: not all training are optimal for everybody, at least all smart training programs will lead to some results in everybody. With diet, not only can one diet not be optimal for someone, but it could actually be disastrous.

For example, my ex-girlfriend. When I was with her I believed that low-carbs diet were the only way a bodybuilder should diet. So when she was preparing for the Canadian Nationals I had her on a low-carbs diet. Despite ample protein and calories she was wasting away muscle tissue like crazy and not getting much leaner.

When she switched to a moderate protein, low fat, moderate carbs diet she began to lose fat faster and actually gained some muscle. Had I have kept her on the low-carbs diet she would have lost a ton of muscle and not lost as much fat.

[MAF14]

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

[quote]Aidan wrote:
Thanks a lot for the reply Christian. I take it you’re not a fan of carb cycling then? I have been using Shelby Staines Carb Cycling Approach with minimal results…it is a lot of carbs compared to what Poliquin and others would advise.

As a rule of thumb how many grams of carbs would you recommend for an average joe trying his best to gain some size? I know this depends on bf% and carb tolerance, but ball park will do for me. I can monitor, review and adjust as necessary.

As a thought…I’d love to see one of you guys do a nutrition article for guys who work 9-6 (sometimes later) mon-fri and have no access to cooking facilities and are on a limited budget. Thanks again.[/quote]

I am NOT against carbs cycling. You asked a specific question about ONE small portion of your day. You can’t extrapolate my dietary recommendations for the whole day from that recommendation.

In fact, I DO believe in carbs cycling (I use that myself)… I DO believe in low carbs nutrition … I DO believe in most dietary approaches that actually make sense. But most of all I DO believe that everybody respond differently to the various dietary approaches available.

Some can only lose fat on a low carbs diet, others lose it better with a carbs cycling approach or a ZONE-type diet (40% protein, 30% fat, 30% carbs).

This is one of the reasons why I stopped writing articles about nutrition: you can’t write a diet that will work well for everybody. While this is somewhat true about training: not all training are optimal for everybody, at least all smart training programs will lead to some results in everybody. With diet, not only can one diet not be optimal for someone, but it could actually be disastrous.

For example, my ex-girlfriend. When I was with her I believed that low-carbs diet were the only way a bodybuilder should diet. So when she was preparing for the Canadian Nationals I had her on a low-carbs diet. Despite ample protein and calories she was wasting away muscle tissue like crazy and not getting much leaner.

When she switched to a moderate protein, low fat, moderate carbs diet she began to lose fat faster and actually gained some muscle. Had I have kept her on the low-carbs diet she would have lost a ton of muscle and not lost as much fat.[/quote]

1. so its really just trial and error when determining diet?

2. can fat distribution profiles (biosig) tell you what your diet ‘should be like’?

thanks

[Aidan]

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

I am NOT against carbs cycling. You asked a specific question about ONE small portion of your day. You can’t extrapolate my dietary recommendations for the whole day from that recommendation.

In fact, I DO believe in carbs cycling (I use that myself)… I DO believe in low carbs nutrition … I DO believe in most dietary approaches that actually make sense. But most of all I DO believe that everybody respond differently to the various dietary approaches available.

Some can only lose fat on a low carbs diet, others lose it better with a carbs cycling approach or a ZONE-type diet (40% protein, 30% fat, 30% carbs).

This is one of the reasons why I stopped writing articles about nutrition: you can’t write a diet that will work well for everybody. While this is somewhat true about training: not all training are optimal for everybody, at least all smart training programs will lead to some results in everybody. With diet, not only can one diet not be optimal for someone, but it could actually be disastrous.

[/quote]

My apologies Christian, I suppose I am looking for answers that you cannot give me . I have become quite frustrated with my diet but I need to stick to one approach and monitor and change if required. So many articles, plans etc that I always question what I am doing as I don’t get the desired results I so badly crave.
When you mentioned you don’t believe in the PWO carbs I assumed that you would stay clear of them for the rest of the day. Anyway, thanks for the reply to my first question, much appreciated.