Post Workout Nutrition

Post workout nutrition is an extremely popular topic in the world of sports performance and CrossFit.  I believe that certain strategies work better for different people, and I do not believe that there is one magic formula that works for everyone.  Too many people read magazine or internet articles that are very general and then try to follow the advice to no avail. These people often become frusterated and decide that "I will never be able to lose weight" or "The Paleo Diet does not work".  They are often very close to the proper macronutient ratios needed to improve performance or change body composition, and a few minor changes could be responsible for all of the desired results.

So please remember, an elite athlete needs to eat a different post workout meal then someone trying to alter body composition.  The video below is an ideal option for an athlete who is solely concerned with recovery and performance.  If your goals are to lose weight, burn fat, and add muscle I would most likely alter this meal to better meet your individual goals.  If you are looking to improve athletic performance and recovery, try this meal and let me know what you think.  If you are struggling to reach your personal goals, I would be happy to talk to you in greater detail.  You can schedule a consultation by contacting me through my website or sending me an email.

Cooking for Kyle Korver (Episode 3)

Here is a very simple dinner that includes all strict Paleo foods.  It is very easy to make and offers a simple way to give green beans a bit more flavor.  If you are just transitioning to a Paleo Diet you will need to be very conscious of increasing your vegetable and fat intake substantially.  As this meal may not have enough fat for some people, I would suggest increasing your portion size on the green beans to limit the likelihood of post meal cravings.  Give this meal a try and let me know what you think!

More is Not Better

It has become common and almost heroic for us to brag about how extreme our lives are.  How many times have you heard people boast about how many marathons they have run, how many hours they worked, how little sleep they got, and how ridiculously long their workout was yesterday?  Why are we impressed by these things?  We should not be! Most of these people are not truly healthy, will never be as lean as they want to be, have undiagnosed cortisol issues, and they will burn out at some point in their life.  Their long list of symptoms and dependency on caffeine are pretty good indicators that their health is already moving in the wrong direction.

As I work with people on proper nutrition, I am often asked my thoughts on proper workout design as it pertains to weight loss and optimal body composition.  I want to share my thoughts with you on this very important and completely misunderstood topic.

You do not have to workout six times per week for ninety minutes a session to achieve the results you are dreaming of.  In fact, very often you need to scale back, change the exercises that you are doing, and change your intensity.  If you are looking to burn fat, gain muscle, and promote long term wellness, then
three to four higher intensity and shorter workouts per week are much better than five or six moderately intense long workouts.  Long cardio sessions are not your answer to fat loss!

Your body needs adequate rest and you need to constantly vary your activity to keep your body guessing and get the results that you deserve.  Instead of spending your time on the treadmill, do strength circuits at an intense pace with little to no rest between exercises.  This will launch your heart rate even higher than traditional cardio, and you will be building muscle at the same time. Additionally, multi-joint functional movements are far more effective than isolation lifts or machines.  Do not be afraid to go heavy from time to time. When was the last time that you did functional strength based movements to absolute failure?

It is time to start training smarter and not harder!  Abusing your body under unhealthy and extreme circumstances is nothing to be proud of or congratulate your friends about.  Proper training likely takes far less time than your current workout routine, will put you in a better hormonal state, and will yield you far better results.  Your goal should not be to train more, but to train better and to train smarter.

Here are five tips to incorporate today:

1.) Do three to four higher intensity but shorter (30-45 minute) workouts per week.
2.) Avoid treadmills and other cardio machines. Instead, incorporate sprints, runs of 800 meters or less, jumping rope, rowing, and plyometric movements.
3.) Put together 3 to 5 movement circuits that are strength focused movements and repeat these circuits with little to no rest.
4.) Use functional movements such as body weight movements, squats, dead lifts, kettle bells, pull-ups, medicine balls, etc.
5.) Variety is crucial!  Change the variety of movements, intensity, time, and weight constantly.  Do not be afraid to go heavy at least once a week.

Cooking for Kyle Korver (Episode 2)

Here is another great meal that I often cook for Kyle Korver.  In this meal I include an organic black rice, which is not a food that is allowed by strict Paleo standards.  No matter if you are a professional athlete or someone who is just beginning on your quest for health, we can always make improvements and transitions to your diet.  While I do not personally eat rice, nor recommend it to my clients, it is still a better option than many other grains.  As I have mentioned before, rice and oatmeal are two "better" options than breads, cereals, and pasta.  As we transition to optimal health, performance, and energy we will eliminate these grains as well and eat only foods from the Paleolithic Era.  This meal tastes great and is very easy to make.  Check out the video and let me know what you think!