How to Structure Your Pre-workout

Having a structured pre-workout routine is crucial not only for your performance in the gym, but also for your general wellbeing, as well as injury prevention and long-term health. So, here is how you can easily structure your pre-workout for maximum results and recovery.

Introduce a routine

Firstly, you need to understand that a pre-workout routine is not defined by the things you do immediately before your training session, rather it should be a prudent, whole-day routine that lasts from the moment you go to bed at night, to the moment you hit the gym the next day.

It’s not just about taking an energy booster before your workout, it’s a way of life. That’s why you need to adhere to several healthy habits on a daily basis in order to become the strongest version of yourself. And it all begins by decreasing your stress levels.

Stress is responsible for controlling your energy levels, and more importantly, your mindset. By introducing a daily de-stressing routine, you will be able to clear your mind of negative thoughts, regain your mental clarity and positivity, and tackle any challenge your workout might throw at you.

Hydrate copiously

The human body is comprised of more than 65% water, and therefore regular hydration is crucial in driving your performance and avoiding injury. One of the biggest mistakes people make is remembering to drink water immediately before stepping into the gym, trying to compensate for an entire day of dehydration.

Unfortunately, drinking plenty of water just before your workout will do nothing more than leave you feeling bloated and tired still. You need to hydrate copiously throughout the day in order to maintain high energy levels that will allow you to get the most out of your workout.

Eat smart

Nutrition is one of the key elements that can make or break your fitness goals. If a proper diet is the key to a muscular, healthy physique, you need to understand that it is also crucial for your performance in the gym as well.

Therefore, you should tailor your daily caloric intake around proteins, fats and carbohydrates in order to drive performance, burn fat and build lean muscle. Contrary to what you might have heard around the fitness community, carbs are not your enemies, in fact, they are an invaluable source of energy that, when incorporated into your diet properly, can help you reach your goals faster than ever.

Another crucial element is your micronutrient intake. These are the vitamins and minerals you take during the day that are responsible for maintaining numerous bodily processes, including your total energy levels. It is important to note that trying to structure your nutrition plan around micronutrients is inefficient and unfortunately, next to impossible. This is due to the bioavailability of certain minerals and vitamins that are not easily metabolised in the body.

Fortunately, our bodies are unable to differentiate between supplements and food sources, so it’s best to get your daily vitamin amount through natural Solgar supplements in the morning, in order to be ready for the workout later in the day. This is extremely important if you are used to training in the morning, as you don’t have plenty of time to fuel your body with healthy micronutrients.

Sleep like a baby

Finally, one of the best ways to boost your performance in the gym is to simply maintain regular sleeping cycles. More often than not, the hectic nature of the modern lifestyle tends to keep us awake at night and mess up our circadian rhythm, leading to far bigger problems than diminished performance in the gym.

In order to support your total body health, recover and remain injury-free day in and day out, you want to turn off your electronic devices at least an hour before you go to bed, and maintain regular seven-to-eight-hour sleeping cycles.

As you can tell, making progress in the gym is not just about taking an energy booster five minutes before your workout. Be sure to follow these essential tips and you will have an easy time structuring your pre-workout routine for maximum results in the gym, while simultaneously ensuring a healthy future as well.

Samantha Olivier runs ripped.me, a health and fitness site packed with information on motivation, nutrition, health and fitness. Having spent the last 2 years as a personal trainer and gained a B.S.C in nutrition shes now turned to the blogosphere to share her knowledge and tips and we are delighted to welcome her as a guest blogger for Gym Freaks.