Pre-Workout Snack

Getting the proper nutrients into you body before a workout is very crucial. Proper nutrients help give your body the energy it needs during the workout so you could preform at your best. You should intake a small snack consisting of complex and simple carbs an hour before along with some fruits.  Doing so, the release of energy is slow throughout the whole routine. A recommended meal would be a slice of whole-wheat toast with peanut or almond butter, topped off with a banana. The complex carbs will give you the endurance you need for a longer period of time, and the fruits will add that extra kick. Fruits like bananas and figs are highly suggested to eat before a workout due to their high level of potassium that people loose when they sweat.  Adding cinnamon to the snack will also benefit you during the workout as it has been proven that the spice will stabilize blood sugar and improve brain function.

Lower Body

Today I will be blogging about the lower body. When you work your legs, you work some of the largest muscles in your body. Your legs consist of many different types of muscles that build up four commonly referred to body parts: the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves. When doing leg workouts, you never want to isolate one specific muscle, but instead you want to create combinations of different exercises to balance out the muscles for toned looking legs. The workout in this blog will work many different areas in the lower body, to tone all the muscles for the best look possible.

Workout

20 squats

20 plea squats

20 calf raises (one leg at a time, alternate legs)

10 step leg raises (one leg at a time, don't alternate legs)

20 side lunges (alternate legs and make sure the knee doesn't go in front of foot)

10 split squats (one leg at a time, don't alternate legs)

(Do 4 sets of the workout with 2 to 3 minute breaks in between each set.)

Proper After-Workout Nutrition

When ever you workout you always have to make sure you get the appropriate nutrients for your body, in a post-workout meal. Your muscles store extra energy in a form of glycogen and when you workout the body breaks down the glycogen for energy. So, it is important to consume a nutrient dense meal, or else your body starts to break down the muscle in an attempt to replenish the nutrients and energy that you lost. As a result your protein level drops and the body isn’t able to function properly. Do to this, it is important to consume a protein packed meal (not a protein shake, but real food like chicken) with some carbohydrates. Your body needs about 20 grams of protein after a workout so the cells and tissue in your muscles can function. You need carbohydrates because when you work out, you lose a lot of energy, so as a result they help replace the muscle glycogen you lost during the workout. Next time you exercise make sure to eat appropriately, so the body can function properly.