Eating & Training

I’ve struggled with this concept for awhile (for reasons I’ll explain in a bit). For the most part, I’ve always had a decent concept of macronutrients (proteins, carbs, and fats) and their roles in making your body go. With that said, I’ve never had much discipline in maintaining any sort of structure or consistency with eating and training.

I’d go through phases where I wanted to lose weight, so I’d workout first thing in the morning (usually some type of HIIT thing) on an empty stomach. Or, I’d train on an empty stomach in the afternoon or whenever else. I was pretty much always training hungry. I was willing to sacrifice performance all in the name of shedding fat and building muscle. Or so I thought.

For me, training on an empty stomach was sort of a recipe for disaster lack lustre results. I’d workout on empty, eat clean for the morning and afternoon, and then pop-off at dinner time. Because I was so hungry and lacking structure, I’d easily consume 2-3 servings at dinner, along with god knows how many snacks before bed. Not good.

As I mentioned in my first post, I’ve been following the principles of Renaissance Periodization (RP) for the last month. In it (amongst other things) is the concept of workout fuel.

For me (everyone’s different. RP is based on your weight, your goal, and then some genius creates a template for you to follow. I’ll have more of RP in another post soon, I promise), I consume 35 g of protein powder with about 25 g of workout carbs (Gatorade, Powerade, etc.) and some water during and after my training session.

I feel it’s been a total game changer–especially for the more intense metcons or longer lifting sessions. I just have more energy and strength, which makes the workout actually kind of fun. I feel like I’m accomplishing something, and not just eeking through it. And I’m seeing physical results.

Anyways, the point of this post isn’t to get too far into RP. I’ll for sure do that another time. I’ve read a lot of stuff over the years about the benefits of training on an empty stomach and I’m here to tell you it’s all a lie. Well, maybe it’s not quite a lie. I don’t know. I guess everyone’s different. Putting a little extra gas in the tank seems to be working for me so far. And maybe it will for you too.

New direction

Good day.

I’ve decided to embark on something new. Well, it’s not really that new. I’m starting a fitness, eating, and whatever else (more on the whatever else later on) account/ online identity. I’ve been a solid 8/10 physically active and about a 6/10 healthful eater for pretty much the last decade. I’ve found a lot of inspiration, tips, and guidance on those topics through social media. I think it’s time I join the foray.

So, instead of plugging up my real life feeds with photos and posts* of me measuring my macros, lifting barbells + kettlebells over my head, and top-10 lists of my favourite characters from The Office (re: whatever else), I’m going to plug up a brand new feed. I’m hoping to connect and learn from like-minded people who are inspired by positivity and hard work as it relates to fitness and healthful eating.

Positivity and hard work are going to be central themes to my media.

I consider myself good at those two things. I’m not the strongest, and my form on most lifts suck. But I’ll out-work and out-smart the strongest and fastest of the bunch.

A little more about me:

• I’ve been doing website CrossFit off-and-on (mostly on, though) for the last 10 years. I’ve recently joined a legit CrossFit gym (I refuse to call it a ‘box’ … I actually hate most CF terminology) in March 2017. My membership to this gym was completely inspired by the Netflix doc ‘Fittest on Earth’. I haven’t told anyone that before. So, you’re the first to know. Looking back on it (based on the GAINZ and fun I’ve had) I wish I had joined a CF gym a long time ago.


• I’ve ran a handful of half-marathons and I’m embarking to do something I’ve promised myself I’d never do: I’m going after the full beast this June. I’m 33 and I figure I’ll have my knees for only about 3-5 more years. So it’s now or never.


• I’ve dabbled in Paleo, Whole-30, and Healing Diets in the past with varying success. I’m currently on Renaissance Periodization (and currently on Cut 1, as they call it). I won’t give away too much now (gotta save it for the show, as they say in the biz), but it’s been great, easy to follow, and has given me more energy than anything ever has.


• I’m a communications professional at the University of Manitoba. “Communications, what exactly is that?” is a question I get pretty much everytime I tell someone what I do for work. In a nutshell: I share information for a living.


• And that’s all you get for now. More about me will no doubt bubble over in other posts and such as we go.

You can follow me on Instagram at Crentist_ for even more content.

Peace,

Garrick

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*Most of the posts from my real life revolve around my two kids (ages 4.5 and 6 months), my wife, and things around my city.