How I Double Returns on My Exercise
My liquid secret to building strength and recovery while losing fat
We all know that exercise is incredibly important for our health. We also know that strength training is probably the most important type of exercise we should all be doing.
And if I’m being completely for real, I don’t like weight lifting. In fact, I don’t really like most types of exercise. But alas, the science doesn’t really care about my feelings.
A year ago I found out that my bone density was in the gutter. It’s uncommon for a man my age to have low bone density, but it was what it was. I needed to increase my calcium intake and really start lifting heavy.
My doctor told me that I needed to be deadlifting my own body weight in the next 6 months. That sounded like a lot, but also I had no idea since I wasn’t deadlifting anything at the time.
I dabbled with lifting on my own, but by October I realized that I needed professional guidance. I started a new personal training program and it knocked me on my ass. I showed up 3x per week and I was in a constant state of pain and soreness.
It’s not that I was injured. I was just not recovering from these intense workouts. Turns out, nutrition really matters… You’d think I would know that already as a dietitian :/
The thing is that I don’t like to eat in the morning. It’s not an excuse, and it’s certainly not healthy, but I often skip breakfast for coffee.
I would head straight from my false sense of caffeine-boosted energy and crash hard after working out. Here’s a hint — If you need a nap after exercise, you are doing something wrong.
Herein was my dilemma — How can I hydrate myself, get adequate protein, and recover from exercise without having to eat too much.
I played around with a lot of things. Big breakfasts, protein shakes, and smoothies. Those were all great. But when I would have an early morning workout they would sit heavy in my stomach and make me nauseous.
Then I found the holy grail! Essential amino acids. These are a highly concentrated source of the proteins needed to recover from intense exercise.
I knew that they weren’t a replacement for high-quality protein, but they seemed to be my best option. 1 scoop in water before my workouts seemed to buy me enough time to get back home and eat a real meal without crashing in between.
Months later, I have refined this recipe. Are you ready?
1 scoop of essential amino acid powder (I use Kion watermelon)
1 scoop of creatine
1 packet of electrolytes (I use Cure lime)
Mix all in a large glass of water!
This combination allowed me to bypass eating before a workout while still reaping most of the benefits.
The creatine helps my performance in the gym and the electrolytes help keep my blood pressure up after so I don’t get a hangover feeling for the rest of the day.
I swear by this combo! If you are anything like me and you are not recovering well from your exercise, then I recommend you try this combo out. Of course check with your doctor to make sure these are safe for you!
Anyway, I’m off to workout now! GTG
Justin Perr
BTW: Here is a link to the Weight Gain Subtype Quiz if you haven’t taken it already. This routine is perfect for those who score highest for homeostatic weight gain.