What would the perfect pre-workout meal consist of?

Hi Craig,

Pre-workout meals depend upon your own personal needs (what works best for you), your goals and your calorie and carb intake. Some people can eat and then train seconds later whilst some have to wait an hour or more even after a small meal or protein shake.

Whether you're bulking or cutting, you should be able to perform up to your full potential at anything over 300 grams of carbs daily unless you are heavily restricting calories, you do several hours of training daily or are a very large guy.

If you are trying to lose fat, don't have any carbs at least four hours before training and just have essential amino acids or a protein shake just before training.

If you are bulking, then your calorie and carb intake should be such that your muscle glycogen stores (the amount of carbohydrate stored in your muscles for fuel) are always virtually full.

Pre-workout meals should consist of slow (low-GI) carbs if they are taken 60 to 90 minutes before training but can be faster (higher-GI carbs) if taken within 15 minutes before training (if you are bulking). Also, if you are bulking, you'd probably be best to sip a whey + carb shake during training too.

Again though, timing totally depends upon your personal needs, as everyone is different.

What if they train in the morning and their breakfast is their pre-workout? If they're trying to lose fat then this meal would not have carbs and then their only time to eat carbs would be the post-workout meal... or would you then put some carbs into the second meal post-workout too?