Keep Your Energy up Through Workouts

Question: I often run out of steam toward the end of my workout. Any tips on how to keep my energy up?

Answer: First you must determine if you've given your body enough "support" to make it through the entire workout.

Here's what I mean...

The energy you use doesn't just come from the meal you ate right before you worked out.

You'll notice that if you didn't eat well the entire day prior, you may not have enough fuel built up to sustain your workouts.

In order to provide your body with enough energy to finish your training, focus your diet on 4 factors:

1. View every day's diet plan as an investment in future workouts.

2. Eat approximately 60-90 minutes before hitting the weights to help supply some readily available energy.

3. Drink lots of cold water throughout the entire day, and ESPECIALLY during your workout!

Dehydration will suck the energy out of you faster than anything else.

If you're trying to burn fat, stick with water during your workout but if you're in "mass building" mode, I recommend bringing along a high-carb performance drink to provide you with more power as well as help your muscles begin recovering from the thrashing you're giving it.

4. Keep your training short and sweet. If you're complaining about losing energy at the end of some 2-hour marathon workout you pulled out of some muscle magazine, then you're going about it the wrong way.

Get in...pound away...and get out! 60 minutes or less is all it takes to hit your body hard!

Jeff Anderson is a 10 year veteran of the U.S. Army, a Master Fitness Trainer, and Master Instructor of Close Quarters Combat self defense. A full time fitness and self defense author, Jeff has trained thousands of men and women in the practical application of advanced military fitness methods as well as close combat tactics for "real life" self defense.

Indeed, it's important to avoid dehydration if you are planning to really get the most out of any workout. Also, eating before workout, particularly, a heavy meal might just backfire.

#1 Posted by: Self Defense | Jan 25, 2009 5:48 AM