introduction:
(1) What's up, Muscle and Strength? This is Arash Rahbar, and I'ma take you guys through my pre-workout meal and ritual. So for me, pre-workout routine is getting my meal together and just basically visualizing what I'm about to do in the gym, getting ready for the session I'm about to have.
(2) If I'm training chest, I'll go through the exercises that I'm gonna do and what I want to place the most amount of focus on and what I want to get out of that routine. I'll just start visualizing. And I'll make my meal, sit down and eat it, and give myself roughly about 45 minutes to an hour between finishing the meal and lifting my first weight.
Oatmeal:
(1) So we got some oatmeal. I measure out about a cup, which is 80 grams. I don't use the cup measures, they're inaccurate. I use the scale. That's 85 grams. And what I like to do is I like to grind it up. There's no, like, scientific reasoning behind this, I just like my oatmeal with that consistency. So it's like finer instead of having, like, the little oat flowers when you're done. It's just like a big mushy consistency,
(2) which I enjoy a lot more. I guess it's kind of like oat flour, but it's not as fine. But again, I just do this just 'cause I enjoy the consistency, there's no added benefit. That I know of, at least. Probably it's gonna digest a little bit faster and break down a little bit easier, which is also a good thing, because sometimes, too much oatmeal before training can bother some people's stomach. So I throw in my pink salt, which is.
(3) It's a quarter of a teaspoon here. I put two of 'em. So half of a teaspoon of pink salt. For you guys that switch over from regular table salt to pink salt, keep in mind that it's higher in sodium. Depends which one you buy, but it's usually double the sodium of regular white salt. This is organic powder stevia, the Whole Food brand, and some cinnamon here.
(4) It's got great health benefits, but it also tastes great. I like to cook it slowly. I think if I can avoid the microwave, I will. I also think the consistency of the oatmeal comes out a little different when you cook it rather than microwaving, and you know, unless you master it, you can make a mess in the microwave, you know? That shit explodes and gets all over the place.
Chicken:
(1) So once my oatmeal is pretty much cooked, I'll throw in my chicken breast into my oatmeal. And trust me, if you guys haven't tried it and you're thinking that sounds gross, it's good. If your chickenen is seasoned, you want to wipe the seasoning off. 'cause I have a cinnamon sweet flavour going on there, so I don't want like, you know, pepper, curry or something on my chicken. This is from my meal prep company, from Trifecta. I do about six ounces.
(2) That's a little too much. - [Cameraman] Why do you think the scale's important? - I mean, it's just, it's consistency, man. Like if you're, if you're trying to wing it and have a lifestyle diet, it's fine to do it by eye. But if you're really, if you want to know what's happening and why you look better or why you look worse, you need to be consistent, and eyeing food is just super inaccurate, you know? Like, even if it's a little bit off, over five meals, that's a decent amount, you know? Especially with, like, nut butters and nuts.
- That's, like, the biggest mistake people make. Nut butters and nuts are calorically dense, because fats are nine calories versus four calories in carbs and four calories in protein. So if you have a little bit too much nuts or a little bit too much peanut butter a couple of times a day or a couple times a week, it really adds up. So after, it's been over 25 years that I've been weighing my food. I mean, can I eye it and get pretty close? Yeah, I could.
- But am I gonna be off an ounce, or a little more, a little less here and there? Yeah, and that's gonna add up I like the oatmeal really thick, but unless you're having, like, a hundred grams of carbs, for me, it's just, like, too small. You know what I mean? I'm a big eater, I like to eat large quantities, but unfortunately, I don't. That's a decent amount. I'm just gonna dump the chicken in there and just let it sit for a little bit.
- It'll heat up. And believe it or not, as crazy as this might sound, you guys could even put raw chicken in here, raw beef. There's so many cuisines in so many dishes you guys have had that are similar to that. You just knock it, 'cause it sounds so weird. But if you put in raw chicken, it'll cook within less than two minutes. I wouldn't put in a big clump of chicken breast, I would cut it up very small. You don't have to do it raw, I'm just saying, hypothetically, you could.
- There's a there's a Middle Eastern dish, a Persian dish, called haleem. And after I made this a few times, I'm like, where did I get this idea from? Why is it so familiar? It's a dish made of barley that's, like, slow cooked over hours, and it has brown sugar and salt and cinnamon, and they put lamb in it and slow cook it. It is incredible, and this is pretty much, like, my ghetto version of that, you know? My healthy bodybuilding version of that.
Taste:
- So you guys got to get creative with your meals. I mean, that meal right there, for me, tastes absolutely incredible. Like, I enjoy that meal. It's not like I'm suffering because I have to eat this food. I want more of it. That's the only thing, you know? When you bodybuild, your taste buds change. I can't personally tell, because I've been doing it for so long, but like.
- So many bodybuilders like the same foods. Whereas, like, regular people don't always. Like, I don't know any bodybuilders that don't love nut butters, for instance, but so many regular people don't care for it. I feel like when you really deprive yourself and deplete yourself and not allow yourself to eat whatever any time, your true cravings
- and what you really want come out, you know what I mean? Like, my regular friends that don't diet, they're just like, oh, whatever. They eat a slice of pizza like it's nothing. For me eating a slice of pizza is like a holy event. So I think you appreciate your food a lot more. You enjoy it a lot more. I enjoy sweets and cheat foods more than your average American that doesn't diet, that's for sure.
Strategy:
(1) The strategy is to get every last bit of this oatmeal out of this pot and not leave any behind. So yeah, I'll eat this, and then within an hour, usually, I get to the gym. I like to let it digest. And I eat every three hours, roughly, so it works out perfect. By the time I'm done training, it's about three hours. So usually, like, half hour, 40 minutes after the meal, I'll head out and I'll be in the gym,
(2) start lifting my first weight about an hour after the meal. I'm not so like, you know, to the minute with that, but just as long as I don't have a full stomach and it's not uncomfortable. For a while, the oatmeal was bothering me pre workout. Like, throughout the year, things change. I don't even know why sometimes, but it was bothering me, and I was just having chicken and rice, but I really like this oatmeal. I enjoy it the way I made it.
(3) It smells and tastes great. Although a lot of you are gagging right now. It is good, I promise. So it's nice to have this back. I've been eating the oatmeal again back maybe for like the past two weeks. - [Cameraman] What do you do to psych yourself up before a workout? - Nothing really, man. I mean, I've been training for so many years.
(3) I just like, even when I'm out of it and drained and just, like, mentally not there, I just go. I go and I know that I'll turn on once I get training, you know? Like, once you start moving, some days I get to the gym, I'm like, how am I gonna lift, man? I'm not mentally here, I'm physically exhausted, you know? And even when I'm not in prep sometimes, those days happen. I just say, you know what? Don't worry, go through the movements.
(4) And once I get moving, once the blood starts pumping, listen to some good music, you know, you kind of turn on, your body, knows, like, oh, it's time to train again, and you you've been conditioned to do this. And even if I don't have the best workout ever, I feel a hell of a lot better after. Whereas maybe, like, when I was much younger, a long time ago, I just wouldn't have gone to the gym. I'd skip the gym and it just, you feel worse, you know?
(5) So there's no specific thing I do. I think just 'cause I've been doing it so long, it's like, I don't have like this external motivation. You know, everyone always asks, like, what motivates you? And I always said something, I wasn't lying, but I always came up with something in the interviews. And after few years I was like, you know what? I don't have any external motivation. I love this shit. Like, I'm excited about it.
- Like, I want to get better, I want to win, I want to improve, that's my motivation. Living this bodybuilding lifestyle requires some really, really deep passion and love for the sport, and love for being better, you know? 'Cause I wasn't, I've been in the sport since 2014, but I've been bodybuilding since I was 13 years old. So why was I doing it? I was eating six meals a day, I was drinking a gallon of water,
- I was training six days a week, I was researching. I spent a lot of hours throughout my day on bodybuilding, and I wasn't a bodybuilder, a competitive bodybuilder, I was just doing it because I loved it and it felt right to me. Don't use that one.
conclusion:
All right guys. So I have my pre-workout here that I make myself. It's a some norvaline, citrulline, agmatine, some glycerol, and a bunch of other stuff that I might share with you guys sometime in the near future. So the meal is down, gonna sip on this on my way to the gym. I hope you guys enjoyed my pre-workout routine. I'm Arash Rahbar. Be sure to below, and I'll see you guys soon.
Below is a table outlining a sample pre-workout meal recommended
| Component | Food Choices | Why It's Included |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Grilled Chicken Breast or Lean Turkey | Provides essential amino acids to support muscle protein synthesis and repair. |
| Complex Carbohydrates | Quinoa or Sweet Potato | Offers a sustained release of energy, supporting endurance during workouts without causing rapid blood sugar spikes. |
| Healthy Fats | Avocado or Almonds | Contributes to sustained energy, aids in nutrient absorption, and provides satiety. |
| Fast-Digesting Carbs | Banana or Berries | Quickly raises blood sugar levels for an immediate energy boost. |
| Pre-Workout Drink | Water or Green Tea | Hydrates the body, and green tea provides a mild caffeine boost for enhanced alertness. |
| Optional Supplements | Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) or Creatine | BCAAs support muscle protein synthesis, while creatine enhances strength and power output. |
Pre-Workout Nutrition Essentials Question
1.Question: What is the appropriate timing for ingesting a pre-exercise meal?
Answer:The best timing for a pre-exercise meal is commonly 1 to a few hours before your education session. This permits for correct digestion and absorption of vitamins to fuel your workout.
2.Question: What macronutrients need to be covered in a really perfect pre-exercising meal?
Answer: A balanced pre-exercising meal need to include carbohydrates for strength, mild protein to help muscle feature, and a small amount of healthy fat. Carbohydrates are specifically important for presenting comfortably to be had gas for your muscles.
3. Question: Can you provide examples of exact pre-workout carbohydrates?
Answer: Excellent pre-exercising carbohydrate assets include whole grains, culmination, and greens. Foods like oatmeal, brown rice, bananas, or candy potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates that launch energy step by step all through your workout.
4.Question: How does hydration play a role within the effectiveness of a pre-exercise meal?
Answer: Hydration is critical for most fulfilling overall performance. Make sure to eat water before and in the course of your exercise. Dehydration can negatively impact your electricity, persistence, and usual exercise overall performance.
5.Question: Are there any precise foods to avoid in a pre-exercising meal?
Answer: It's advisable to keep away from ingredients high in fat, excessive fiber, or massive amounts of protein near your exercising, as they may purpose discomfort during exercising. Additionally, ingredients that are excessive in easy sugars may additionally lead to electricity crashes, so it's better to attention on complicated carbohydrates for sustained energy.
Tags:
Nutrition and Diet