Are you tired of hitting plateaus in your gym routine? Do you feel like you’re not seeing the progress you want despite all your hard work? If so, it may be time to take a closer look at your diet. As the saying goes; ‘you can’t out-train a bad diet’. In other words, no matter how much you exercise, if you’re not fueling your body with the right foods, you won’t be able to reach your fitness goals.
Whether you’re a seasoned gym-goer or just starting out on your fitness journey, understanding the role of nutrition in your routine is essential for achieving your goals and feeling your best. Here at Urban Fitness, we have put together this post, to discuss how your diet affects your gym routine and how you should best fuel your body for those gruelling workouts. So let’s get started and discover how you can take your progress from the plate to the next level.
How Important is your Diet?
It’s easy to focus solely on the physical aspect of exercise and overlook the importance of a healthy diet and fueling yourself correctly for your workouts. However, your diet actually plays a huge role in your overall fitness journey and can be the determining factor in achieving your goals or failing.
Proper nutrition provides your body with the necessary fuel to power through your workouts, as well as helps with muscle recovery, growth, and metabolism. Ultimately, if you want to see optimal results from your gym routine, it’s crucial to prioritise your diet and ensure you’re giving the body the fuel it needs to perform, whether you’re looking to lose weight, gain muscle, or any other goal.
What Can Happen if you’re Not Properly Fueled?
If you’re not properly fueled for the gym, it can have a negative impact on your workout and overall health. Firstly, if you haven’t eaten enough prior to the gym then your performance can suffer and it can ultimately be dangerous. You might end up feeling fatigued, weak, or dizzy, making it difficult to complete your workout as planned, putting you at risk of fainting or injuring yourself.
Also, not eating enough can make you feel very lethargic and tired, which can actually stop you from getting to the gym as you won’t have the energy. You need food for energy to perform at the gym whatever your goals are, making calories your best friend. Your body will also recover much slower from your workouts if you don’t fuel it properly, as your body needs nutrients to repair and recover.
So you might feel a lot more sore and achy and not be able to recover as fast for your next session. When you don’t eat enough, your body’s metabolism can also decrease which can make it harder to lose body fat and achieve your goals.
What Should you Eat Before the Gym and When?
What you eat before the gym can have a big impact on your workout performance and energy levels. It’s best to eat a meal 2-3 hours before your workout, to give your body time to digest the food and absorb its nutrients whilst ensuring that you have the energy you need for your session. This should be a meal consisting mainly of carbohydrates, as they’re your body’s main source of energy. You can also implement some fats and proteins into this meal, such as lean meat and fats like avocados or olive oil to fuel you for longer.
Aim to eat a small snack about 30 minutes before your session too to give your body that bit of extra fuel it needs to really help you push yourself. This snack should be focused on carbohydrates, as your body can use them for energy during your session. This could be a bagel with jam, a small bowl of cereal, a protein bar, or some fruit.
Looking to Boost your Fitness by Joining a Gym in Dalkey?
If you’re looking to boost your health and fitness by joining a gym in Dalkey, then you’re certainly in the right place. Urban Fitness opens its doors to you, with our state-of-the-art gym facility in Dalkey where we welcome members from all walks of life who want to achieve their fitness goals and become the best versions of themselves.
We have a range of membership options that suits you and your fitness goals best. We offer group training, personal training, and small group personal training – giving you plenty of choices to fit your lifestyle and to help you reach those goals that you’re aiming for. We know that everyone enjoys different training styles, and we offer options so you can find what you enjoy.
Our gym has all of the equipment and facilities that you need to succeed, alongside our group of highly experienced and qualified coaches who will be there to help you every step of the way and offer their support and guidance.
Ready to get started? You can book a call with us using our online contact form, and a member of our team will be in touch with you shortly to discuss your fitness goals and work out the best plan for you.
