Nate Palmer, Author at Breaking Muscle

A Simple Eating Plan for True All-Day Energy

Nate Palmer — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 16:00:00 +0000

Everyone has likely tried multiple diet styles, modalities, or meal timing practices. There are thousands of different diets put out by “experts,” and books about weight loss line the shelves at the bookstore like bad wallpaper at your grandma’s house.

While most of these diets speak to weight loss, most diet plans don’t deal with the true nature of food – to give you energy.

By demonising food and talking in terms of clean versus dirty, health food versus fast food, and organic gluten-free vegan-friendly versus KFC, we’ve all but forgotten what food is actually here to do.

A 3-Step Approach to Eating

I brought together three proven concepts into one plan that takes nutrition, timing, and hormones all into account. This approach works with your body’s natural rhythm and chemistry to ensure you won’t be pounding coffee at 2:00pm just to get through the day. By working with your body instead of against it, you can be effortlessly focused both at your job and the gym, with no pre-workout required.

By using these tactics, we’re using your body’s normal functions intelligently to feel awake, think clearly, and sleep hard:

Carb Backloading: By eating most of your carbs at the end of the day, and after your workout, you’ll never get the crash associated with spiking your blood sugar. This will also ensure your sleep is deeper and comes more effortlessly, in addition to making sure your muscles have all the fuel they need to develop and recover.

Nutrient Timing: By eating light throughout the first part of the day, your sympathetic nervous system stays active. This allows you to stay in fight-or-flight mode (or work-rapidly-on-your-spreadsheet mode). Even though this evolutionary mechanism was intended to help humans stay alert while hunting, you can harness the power of this hunger and apply it when you need to focus and be productive. In contrast, getting really full from a big meal switches on your parasympathetic nervous system, which is designed for rest and relaxation so your energy can aid in digestion. So, if you want to be productive during the day, leverage your evolution and stay hungry.

Hormone Balance: Our bodies are the site of countless chemical reactions that happen whether or not we want them to or are even aware of them. Many times these reactions are hormonal responses to internal and external stimuli. For example, cortisol is a stress hormone that gets a bad rap for increasing belly fat, but it also plays a role in energy production. Cortisol spikes in the morning soon after rising, and decreases about an hour later. By taking this into account, we can choose to have caffeine about an hour after rising instead of rolling out of bed and immediately pounding a latte. That way we are able to get the maximum energising effect from the coffee. This plan works with your body’s natural hormonal responses instead of against them to maximise energy and alertness during the day.

How I Stay Fueled All Day

I work with clients all day long, and my schedule is strange because I generally have a two- to three-hour break around lunchtime before I train for another five hours. So it’s important for me to not experience the crash that many people associate with the post-lunch hours.

My approach to eating enables me to be productive all day without needing an energy drink at lunch to get through the afternoon slump. The bonus of this style of eating is that by giving your body exactly what it needs to be productive and feel great, you’re also setting yourself up for success with regard to weight loss.

“Cortisol levels spike after waking, which gives you a bit of energy, and then dip after an hour or two.”

Having a good day in terms of nutrition can be helpful in other aspects, as well. You’ll sleep better, have better workouts, and be in a generally better mood. Do this program for a few days in a row and you’ll be amazed at how good you feel when you wake up in the morning.

Here’s the program I use, feel free to adjust this for your personal use. If you have questions, post them to the comments below.

Morning

The first thing you should consume after waking is 40oz of water. You can use a bit of lemon in if you like, but properly hydrating yourself is one of the best ways to stay energised and feeling good all day. This also doesn’t cost anything or require any fancy supplements.

While you drink your water, spend a few minutes doing some arm circles, neck circles, stretching your legs, and just moving around lightly. This will energise you more than a cup of coffee.

Five minutes after finishing your water, make a protein shake of proteins and fats. Use peanut butter (or PB2 for fewer calories), avocado, or full-fat Greek yogurt as a healthy fat. Use a scoop or two of protein and almond milk or water. The goal here is to have a high protein, high fat breakfast. Save the carbs for later in the day. So, no fruits, no milk, no high-carb smoothie mixes. This shake should be between 350 and 500 calories.

If you’re a coffee or tea drinker, one hour after you wake up is the time for that. This is because cortisol levels spike after waking, which gives you a bit of energy, and then dip after an hour or two. Drink coffee in conjunction with this dip in cortisol in order to get the most out of the caffeine.

Snack

If you’re a snacker or you get hungry before lunchtime, another protein and fat meal with a small amount of carbs is great. I like to mix a half-cup of Greek yogurt, a scoop of protein, and a handful of berries. Some raisins, a half-cup of almonds, and one scoop of protein mixed with water is also a good option.

Lunch

Avoid the lunchtime carb binge and also avoid eating heavy foods. I like to have a protein source along with a salad or piece of fruit. Chicken salad and an apple is a good option, or anything along those lines. This is an easy thing to get while eating out, and also an easy thing to pack for lunch, so there’s little excuse for having a bacon burger at lunch.

“With the approach I suggest, you’re setting yourself up for a good second half of the work day[.]”

This sort of lunch will ensure you have plenty of energy to finish out the workday, and with a light meal in your stomach you won’t be reduced into an afternoon zombie. Not to mention, science tells us that zombie state will reduce your willpower if someone does happen to offer you the leftover doughnuts in the break room.

With the approach I suggest, you’re setting yourself up for a good second half of the work day, and since I’m assuming you’re going to exercise after work, you’re also setting yourself up for a great workout, which will lead to great sleep afterward and another good day tomorrow. See how this all works?

Pre- and Post- Workout

Your pre- and post-workout meals should be roughly the same from a macronutrient point of view – higher in carbs for energy and high in protein for recovery. You can use the Greek yogurt snack from above. Use a low- or non-fat Greek yogurt with double the berries or some added bananas or pineapple. I’m using coconut-flavored protein right now, and it’s amazing.

Another option is a protein oatmeal with some fruit, or a protein shake with a banana blended in it. If you feel slightly sluggish going into your workout, feel free to supplement with some branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). I’ve found these to help with both energy and recovery.

Dinner

Since you’ve now had a successful day and hopefully a great workout, as well, dinner can be a larger meal. This is for a couple reasons:

Eating a meal slightly higher in protein and carbs will aid in recovery from your workout.
Carbs will make you sleepy since your body has to use more resources for its digestion, so it’s a nice natural sleep aid in the form of your dinner.

I like to eat a starchy carb like white potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa, or occasionally pasta. Have a protein source like chicken, fish, or steak, along with some kind of veggie. I prefer eating veggies that have been roasted in the oven.

Post-Dinner Snack

If you get hungry after dinner and you’re anything like me, then you’re craving something sweet. Make another one of those Greek yogurt treats from above or make a protein shake concoction with a bit of peanut butter and half of a banana.

Eat to Win

This is a fairly simple template, but one that can completely change the way you feel during the day. Additionally, I’ve found when you eat to fuel your body rather than eating to lose weight, the results you want actually come much faster.

Eat to win, and you’ll feel and look better. Make the change this week and see how you feel.

Check out these related articles:

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post A Simple Eating Plan for True All-Day Energy appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

How to Eat for All-Day Energy and Athletic Performance

Nate Palmer — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 13:00:00 +0000

While most of these diets speak to weight loss, a concept that 84% of Americans have dealt with at some point, most diet plans don’t deal with the true nature of food – to give you energy.

By demonizing food and talking in terms of clean versus dirty, health food versus fast food, and organic gluten-free vegan-friendly versus Panda Express, we’ve all but forgotten what food is actually here to do.

A 3-Step Approach to Eating

By using these tactics, we’re using your body’s normal functions intelligently to feel awake, think clearly, and sleep hard:

Hormone Balance: Our bodies are the site of countless chemical reactions that happen whether or not we want them to or are even aware of them. Many times these reactions are hormonal responses to internal and external stimuli. For example, cortisol is a stress hormone that gets a bad rap for increasing belly fat, but it also plays a role in energy production. Cortisol spikes in the morning soon after rising, and decreases about an hour later. By taking this into account, we can choose to have caffeine about an hour after rising instead of rolling out of bed and immediately pounding a latte. That way we are able to get the maximum energizing effect from the coffee. This plan works with your body’s natural hormonal responses instead of against them to maximize energy and alertness during the day.

How I Stay Fueled All Day

“Cortisol levels spike after waking, which gives you a bit of energy, and then dip after an hour or two.”

Here’s the program I use, feel free to adjust this for your personal use. If you have questions, post them to the comments below.

Morning

The first thing you should consume after waking is 40oz of water. You can use a bit of lemon in if you like, but properly hydrating yourself is one of the best ways to stay energized and feeling good all day. This also doesn’t cost anything or require any fancy supplements.

While you drink your water, spend a few minutes doing some arm circles, neck circles, stretching your legs, and just moving around lightly. This will energize you more than a cup of coffee.

Snack

Lunch

“With the approach I suggest, you’re setting yourself up for a good second half of the work day[.]”

Pre- and Post- Workout

Dinner

Since you’ve now had a successful day and hopefully a great workout, as well, dinner can be a larger meal. This is for a couple reasons:

Eating a meal slightly higher in protein and carbs will aid in recovery from your workout.
Carbs will make you sleepy since your body has to use more resources for its digestion, so it’s a nice natural sleep aid in the form of your dinner.

Post-Dinner Snack

Eat to Win

Eat to win, and you’ll feel and look better. Make the change this week and see how you feel.

Check out these related articles:

Rethinking Recovery Nutrition
Eat to Perform – Simple Dietary Advice for the Athlete
Top 10 Foods to Gain Muscle Mass
What’s New On Breaking Muscle Today

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post How to Eat for All-Day Energy and Athletic Performance appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

No More Bicycle Crunches: 5 Smart Exercises to Work Your Core

Nate Palmer — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 13:00:00 +0000

Most of us sit for all or part of the day, placing the hamstrings and hip flexors in a shortened position, which can lead to low back pain or just a general sense of tightness.

What really blows my mind, though, is when people who have been in a seated position all day long head to the gym, where they perform seated military presses, seated lat pulldowns, and abdominal exercises with the knees up. All of this reinforcing the bad posture they’ve been in for the other ten hours of the day.

What good are those nice arms if you spend all day sitting?

Almost no athletic pursuits are done from a lying or seated position, so if you have any interest in training to be more athletic, it’s time to drop some of these exercises and replace them with ones that mimic activities you would use on the field.

Build a Bulletproof Core

Rather than subjecting your core and spine to repeated spinal flexion or worse, those bastardized bicycle crunches that everyone’s mom does after a sixty-minute elliptical sweat sesh, let’s start treating the core like the three-dimensional piece of armor that it is.

“Working the core from several different angles and practicing exercises that involve bracing against different stimuli are going to be more effective than endless sets of sit ups and crunches.”

By bracing the entire core and activating the deeper levels of the abdominal musculature, you’ll be able to see results much faster while becoming a stronger and more bulletproof version of yourself.

When ab training is programmed intelligently, the variety of movement is almost limitless, so there’s no reason to stick to your 1982 gym-class crunch. Here are five movements that will get you out of poor posture and help you start training the core.

Standing Rope Crunch

This is the standing version of the more popular kneeling rope crunch. The standing version is more effective because it forces you to tie together the upper and lower body while maintaining tension through the core. Plus, it’s a great way to “feel the burn” without doing fifty reps.

Hold the rope from a high position and step back away from the cable stack. Push the hips back into the middle of a Romanian deadlift position. This is the starting and ending position. Without moving your arms, draw your ribcage down toward your pelvis, and hold the squeeze for two or three seconds before releasing. Do 15-25 reps.

Palloff Press and Lift

This is a staple for a lot of people because it’s a self-limiting exercise that is almost impossible to do incorrectly. If you aren’t tight during a Palloff press, you’ll get pulled over. This is a great way to learn to “turn on” your core, especially if you haven’t been able to mentally get it before.

Start by standing perpendicular to a cable machine with the cable at chest height. Push it away from your body slowly and with control. When the cable is fully extended, lift your arms overhead, again with full control. Bring your hands back down in an extended position before bringing them back in to your chest. That’s one rep. Repeat on both sides for 6-10 reps.

Landmine Rotation With Foot Movement

This is a great exercise to train the core in several planes, and will help you learn to stay braced through a dynamic movement. This is perfect for anyone involved in any rotational sport, if you throw, hit, punch, or swing a golf club.

Set up a landmine or a barbell in a sturdy corner. Hold the end with your arms extended, and pull your ribs down in front to create a bracing element through all three levels of core musculature. Keep the chest up while you drop the head of the barbell down to the right side. As you drop it down, step your left foot toward the anchor point of the barbell so the toe is now facing directly to your right. Bring the barbell back up without losing the core tension, and step the leg back to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. That’s one rep. Do 6-10 reps.

Standing Ab Wheel Roll Out

A staple of guys with six-packs, the ab wheel roll out is one of the best anterior core exercises you can be doing. Unfortunately, the difference between kneeling and standing is fairly insurmountable for some lifters. By using a band for assistance, you can train in this advanced position, and eventually remove the band.

Make sure you only go out as far as you can maintain a neutral spine or hollow body position. As you come back up from the bottom position, try to add an additional crunch movement to stress the abs further. Do 8-12 reps.

Anti-Gravity Pullover (AGO)

This isn’t a standing ab exercise, but your body will be fully extended and your spine should be in a neutral position. The reason I include it in this list is that we’re basically manipulating gravity to provide us with the external stimuli necessary to give us three different aspects of resistance. We’re working on anti-rotation, anti-lateral flexion, and anti-extension of the core, which are all integral in keeping your back bulletproof and your six-pack beach ready.

Start by putting your hips on the edge of a bench so your torso is hanging off the bench. To secure yourself, put the bottom leg in front and hook the heel under the bench. Take your top foot and put it in back, and hook the toe under the bench. From here, grab a cable or band hooked about five feet away from your head. Pull the band from eye level down to the bottom hip. Make sure to maintain tension through the core. Do 8-10 reps on each side.

Coaching Cues

When doing ab exercises, it’s more important to keep the form 100%, go slower, and use a bit lighter weight. Most of the tension in the core can be self created, so you can use a lighter weight than your max, but still get a great workout by focusing on squeezing your abs incredibly tight.

If you don’t know what that feels like, try the Palloff press to get an idea.

Become familiar with the hollow body position, which is where you body should be for most of these exercises. Try adding in an additional 1- to 3-second hold at the point of peak contraction. If you aren’t strong enough to hold for 3 seconds, use a lighter weight.

Conclusion

Abdominal training is crucial for the lifter who wants to look good, lift more, and stay healthy. Working the core from several different angles and practicing exercises that involve bracing against different stimuli are going to be more effective than endless sets of sit ups and crunches.

“By bracing the entire core and activating the deeper levels of the abdominal musculature, you’ll be able to see results much faster while becoming a stronger and more bulletproof version of yourself.”

Utilizing these moves will get you out of the sagittal plane (front to back) and will challenge your strength through the frontal and transverse planes. This approach will carry over more to your strength training and athletic pursuits.

Take your core training to the next level by switching in these moves instead of your ground-based ab exercises, and you’ll see improvements in your other lifts, as well as an improved physique.

More Like This:

Forget Crunches: How to Actually Strengthen Your Core
3 Exercises You Should Skip at the Gym
6 Best Bodyweight Ab Exercises
New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post No More Bicycle Crunches: 5 Smart Exercises to Work Your Core appeared first on Breaking Muscle.