Underfed, Underperform

Halfway through my workout yesterday I couldn’t help but wonder why everything felt so hard despite the bar being 10 pounds lighter than the previous week.

I was resting plenty between sets, and got good and warmed up beforehand too.

It was a bit of a weird day in terms of my normal routine. Nolan had a doctor’s appointment smack in the middle of his nap time. I had gone into the day not expecting to train, and instead to be hanging with him.

So when I found myself working out in the garage, huffing and puffing between sets, feeling so weak, I realized it. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, around 7:00, and it was nearing 1:00.

Most days I have a big bowl of oats, fruit and protein powder between 10-12, a couple hours before I train. This is my pre workout meal, and I didn’t realize its importance until yesterday.

I don’t want to give the impression that I wasn’t able to train either. It was an average workout, which many of them are. But rather, I want to bring your attention to all the other things that can affect you in the gym, and most of the are within your control. Things like sleep, nutrition, stress and daily movement will influence how you feel, and how you can perform in the gym.

When you’re having an off workout and can’t figure out why, I would start with when the last time your ate was.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain