What To Eat Before A Workout + Guide To Pre Workout For Women

‘What To Eat Before A Workout – Guide To Pre Workout For Women’ – Monica May

As we all know, food is the key and the most important thing when it comes to achieving your body goals.

Especially when it comes to the meals you eat before a workout and after your workouts.

And the truth is that the famous PRE and POST workout meals play a huge role when it comes to losing weight and getting fit.
Yet, so many fit babes out there are still not sure what’s the best way to fuel.

That’s why today we are learning the exact way of what to eat BEFORE a workout, with a guide to pre workout for women.

You may not know this, but what you eat right before your workout will often tell how your workout will be.

This is because this meal directly affects your performance during the workout, so it’s absolutely crucial to learn how to do it right.

Especially if your goal is to lose fat, build muscles and get better results overall.

Let’s jump right into it!

Why The Pre-Workout Meal Is So Important?

This is the last meal you eat before exercise, which means this meal directly affects your performance during the workout.

That’s why it’s really important to supply your body with the nutrients and energy needed to make sure you get the best out of each training session.

And what’s even more important is that the pre-workout meal is crucial not only when it comes to supplying energy for the workout, BUT it also provides nutrients for the post-workout recovery.

Wait, what?

Yes! The time it takes for your body to break down the proteins is quite long, usually around 6 hrs or so.

This means that the nutrients you intake prior workout are often attributed to your post workout nutrients too.

That’s why the pre-workout meal is the one you don’t want to mess up and should always pay extra attention to.

What To Eat Before a Workout?

When it comes to the proper nutrient timing, there are 2 must-dos for eating before workout:

• Solid food – a quality meal, 2-3 hours prior to workout:
• Liquid – healthy shake, 20-30 minutes prior workout.

Let me break this down for you.

Usually the closer you get to your workout, the more beneficial liquid nutrition is.

That’s because liquids are easier to both digest and prepare.

Let’s say your main meal was too far away before your workout (4 hours) then, you should go for the liquid smoothie or a shake just before you head on to the gym.

The great thing about liquids is that they’re a quick fix you can have on the go, and they can definitely complement your workout and reload your energy levels fast.

However I don’t recommend working out on a smoothie or a shake alone, but it’s definitely a great energy boost up, in addition to the prior meal.

Eating a heavy meal right before your workout, and squatting on it, on a full stomach, is definitely not a good idea.
It will do you more harm than good.

So, in order to ensure you’re not hungry halfway through your workout and you have plenty of energy left, the leading point would be to eat a meal, within 2 hours prior workout, and then to have the Liquid – within 30 minutes prior workout.

That way the nutrients will be readily available to fuel your workout and even give you a head start on the post-workout recovery process.

The Last Meal Pre-Workout

So having a quality meal, 2-3 hours before your workout is a MUST.

And the formula I’d suggest would always be:

Lean Proteins + Complex Carbs + Lots Of Greens & Veggies

If you are following my BBB Meal Plan, you already know what to eat before a workout, since I’ve packed hundreds of ideas and meals you can eat prior workout.

However, for those of you who aren’t following the meal plan yet, I’ll share my top 3 meals to eat pre-workout.

Meal #1:

I’ll start off with my personal favorite pre-workout meal of all times, and that would be LENTILS.

I love having lentils as my pre exercise meal, cooked with all kinds of spices and a few drops of olive oil, sided with a huge bowl of salad.

Lentils are packed with proteins, they are a great source of complex carbs, plus they are loaded with vitamins and minerals.
Altogether, they fuel the body perfectly for the upcoming workouts.

This meal will get you ready for your upcoming workout, providing an amazing amount of proteins and long-lasting energy.

It’s a great choice for vegans but also for the ones of you that want to try a plant-based protein every now and then.

Meal #2:

The next pre-workout meal would be chicken with sweet potatoes and broccoli.

This is one of the most delicious pre-workout meals and a highly nutritious one.

The chicken will provide you with the lean proteins, the sweet potatoes will give you that long-lasting energy through complex carbs, and broccoli will load you up with a great number of vitamins and minerals.

I like to cook my chicken pre-seasoned with turmeric, paprika, rosemary, and black pepper.

Usually, I bake my potatoes in oven or microwave only with salt, and season them afterward with freshly squeezed lemon and olive oil, together with the broccoli which I usually steam for a few minutes.

Meal #3:

The last meal would be whole grain pasta with mozzarella, parmesan, fresh tomato, and basil pesto.

This meal usually happens on days when I have harder and longer training sessions.

Whole grain pasta provides healthy carbs and healthy energy and you get the protein out of the mozzarella and parmesan.

On top of it, I usually add fresh tomatoes, basil pesto, and fresh basil leaves.
This not only helps to bring out the flavor but also loads you up with a good amount of micronutrients.

Pre Workout Liquids
Do You Need Pre Workout For Women

I usually have pre-workout liquids right before I leave for the gym, 15-20 minutes prior to working out.

As I explained before, liquids are working amazing when it comes to having them right before your training.

But what kind of liquids?!

Well, pre workout solutions became pretty popular in the past few years, and you’ve probably run into pre-workouts supplements yourself.

They are actually formulas meant to power you through your workout, providing extra energy and some tough sweat benefits.

They contain a bunch of ingredients proven to work on increasing your energy levels and improving your performance.

I’ve never even considered using pre-workout formulas before, mostly because I never thought I needed one.

But, it was not that long ago when I transferred from classic weight lifting and cross fit to HIIT, and that’s when everything changed for me.

My daily workout routine became so high in intensity, with so many different intervals my body can’t adapt to.

If you’ve tried my BBB Workout Program, you know how challenging these intervals are, constantly pushing you past your limits, bringing the maximum amount of benefits in a shorter amount of time.

However, finding the energy to go through that kind of workout has been a real struggle for me, especially because it’s usually followed by fatigue and constant soreness.

I shortly realized I needed something to spike up my energy levels, to go through the workout with a dose of energy.
And that’s when pre-workout came in the picture.

How do they work?
Well, they provide you with energy.

More energy equals harder workout sessions, harder workout sessions equal more fat burn and muscle gain, and that equals better overall results.

The Best Pre Workout For Women

There’re plenty of pre workout options on the market.

However, not all are made the same way.

I am extremely picky when it comes to supplements because most of them tend to be loaded with sugars, artificial sweeteners, and colors.

So, here’re my top 3 choices when it comes to the best pre workout for women.

#1 C4

The first pre-workout I ever tried was the C4 Original Explosive, Pre-Workout.

It’s packed with ingredients that provide increased blood flow, focus, and heart, making sure to boost up your energy levels and give you the best training session.

It contains Beta Alanine which’s great for Interval training, Creatine Nitrate which helps in increasing muscle strength and Arginine AKG which increases blood flow in your muscles.

Not to mention the energy complex that contains Caffeine, and Theacrene.

What I personally love about c4 is that it doesn’t have that sandy aftertaste, most pre workout formulas have.

I also find it helpful during my HIIT sessions, especially because I feel twice as energized when going through the workout.

#2 High Volume

High Volume is another amazing option on the market.

Without all the niacin and fillers that other pre-workouts have, High Volume gives you a nice pump and added endurance without all the raciness or itchiness.

Another thing I love about it is that it tastes amazing, better than any other pre workout I’ve ever tried.

Also, there’s no caffeine in High Volume, so if you are looking for a no caffeine pre workout formula, this is the way to go.

#3 Xtend BCCAs

BCCAs also known as Branched-Chain Amino Acids have so many benefits, from replenishing you with electrolytes to supporting muscle growth, and helping with recovery.

Among many other gains, they also provide you with a great energy boost.

That being said, the Xtend Bccas are the once I’ve been using for years. 

Some girls take their BCAAs during their workout, however, I believe the best timing would be right before your workout.

But, do you need to use pre workout?

No, you don’t.

Especially if you are a recreational exerciser, you probably don’t need a pre-workout supplement.

I myself am not using pre workout before each training session.

I use it often, but not every single training.

I find it pretty helpful when I don’t really feel like exercising, and can’t seem to find my energy to exercise.

And if you don’t feel the need to supplement your pre workout nutrition, that’s actually amazing.

The best natural pre workout? Smoothies!

Yup! Shakes and smoothies are the best way to fuel up with energy right before your workout.

So, for those of you who don’t feel like supplementing the pre workout routine, but still want to get some natural energy for the upcoming training, smoothies are the way to go.

Here are my most common pre-workout liquid fix-ups I usually have on the go…

Banana Smoothie

• Banana 
• Few spinach leaves
• Almond milk,
• Few strawberries and
• Fresh egg whites

I can always recommend adding fresh egg whites in your shakes.

Especially when you don’t have any protein powder to spice up your pre-workout shake with – this is one great way to maximize the protein intake.

Also they have no taste so they’re easy to cover up in almost any shake you prepare for yourself.

Coffee Smoothie

• Apple
• Oats
• Flaxseed
• A scoop of fresh coffee
• Coconut milk
• Peanut butter

Oats are the key point here, they’ll give you the energy, flax seeds on the other hand are a great source of protein, omega-3 and fiber.

Cocoa will give you the flavor and the iron, while coconut milk will do its job in giving both flavor and vitamins.
It’s also a great substitute for milk if you’re a vegan.

Peanut butter is the protein master of the game here, so make sure to add a scoop in your shake.

Protein Shake

If you are aiming for muscle gain, then a protein shake would be a great idea for before your workout.

I always like to mix mine with greek yogurt instead of water or milk, to maximize the protein intake and sneak in the probiotics.

Also, I usually toss a banana, strawberries or any other fruit I have on hand.

Now Get To Work!

I hope you like my pre-workout meals and tips!

If you do, don’t forget to share them with your friends.

Also, check out my Burn Baby Burn Meal Plan, to get 28-Days of healthy meals to help you lose weight, tone muscles and get your dream body faster and more efficient.

Til next time!
xoxo,
Monica

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