Daily Tips/Tricks

themoocher

Hi all,

Thought this would be a good idea for a thread, not sure if been done before but anyways I want to know what other people do everyday that helps them recover, prepare, motivate etc.. to achieve their training goals. I'd be particularly interested in those that work full time in an area other than fitness or are in college all day.

Any tips/tricks welcome no matter how small or anything else you swear by doing daily!

First thing that comes to mind for me is that I keep a shaker, protein and some multivits and fish oils in work as well as at home so I've no excuses. I also keep a kettlebell in work as we have shower facilities here so I can get a quick workout in should my normal plans change. Another thing I try do is always build up a bit of sweat before showerings so I might just do a quick routine of bodyweight stuff because i tell myself I'm going to showering now anyways so I might aswell!

Barry.Oglesby

My number one tip would be go to bed earlier.

Red_Wake

Don't neglect your diet just because you're not exercising.

xgtdec

Do not go shopping hungry...its a recipe for disaster, always have a meal and then go food shopping!!!!

themoocher

xgtdec wrote: »

Do not go shopping hungry...its a recipe for disaster, always have a meal and then go food shopping!!!!

Always do this too and try and stick to a list!

Glowing

I don't allow myself an evening on the couch unless its a 'rest day' which I have planned into my training schedule! It makes them all the more enjoyable too

hug0

What do you do instead glowing?

Do exercise most evenings. I get stuck in a rut with watching tv in the eves, especially with the lovely Irish weather!:(

harvester of sorrow

Take your last protein shake with milk before you go to bed,the milk slows down the digestion,and keeps you going till you wake.

Brian?

harvester of sorrow wrote: »

Take your last protein shake with milk before you go to bed,the milk slows down the digestion,and keeps you going till you wake.

Ahh but you could just have a casein shake instead of a whey shake, casein is slower to absorb than whey.

Hanley

briankeating wrote: »

Ahh but you could just have a casein shake instead of a whey shake, casein is slower to absorb than whey.

...and you'd end up taking in less calories too.

harvester of sorrow

briankeating wrote: »

Ahh but you could just have a casein shake instead of a whey shake, casein is slower to absorb than whey.

True,but in my own circumstances(and alot of other people i reckon) im not going to buy a tub of whey and casein protein,when one shake mixed with milk will do the trick.

Glowing

hug0 wrote: »

What do you do instead

What I was trying to say was that I don't ever forgo a training session to just stay at home (tempting and all as my couch is!) I'll happily couch surf when I've got all my training in for the week

ConorBF1

My advice would be to, if possible, get your workout done in the morning, before you go to school or work. Obviously, this isn't possible for a lot of people. I usually get up an hour or two early and go out for a run or head to the gym. I'm then wide awake for school when I get home, and I have the peace of mind knowing that I can relax for the rest of the day and not worry about trying to fit in a workout here and a workout there.

jive

tricks to upping calories when trying to gain weight :
raw oats - throw em into your mouth, followed by water... chew + swallow. tastes grand.
raw eggs - crack into glass, drink. texture is awful but no taste
drink olive oil - 100ml = ~900 calories. taste is truly awful, not for the faint hearted

All of these take very little time, are healthy and the oats/eggs leave you feeling less full than if they were cooked. It's not very glamorous though!

A trick while dieting as well if you are feeling hungry (can happen especially when going from a bulking diet to a cutting diet) is to drink tea. I don't know why or how, nor do I care, but it helps suppress my appetite when sticking to a diet.

Cooking your food in bulk and keeping it refrigerated for eats during the week is also a great way of saving time although, again, taste is sacrificed here.

Mellor

harvester of sorrow wrote: »

True,but in my own circumstances(and alot of other people i reckon) im not going to buy a tub of whey and casein protein,when one shake mixed with milk will do the trick.

What circustances are you talking about?
Un less you live in prison cell sized apartment I don't see the issue.

Cost isn't an issue. Only buying whey means it runs out quicker so the cost is the same.

Parsley

Barry.Oglesby wrote: »

My number one tip would be go to bed earlier.

definitely my no. 1 problem. *checks clock* well f*ck.

harvester of sorrow

Mellor wrote: »

What circustances are you talking about?
Un less you live in prison cell sized apartment I don't see the issue.

Cost isn't an issue. Only buying whey means it runs out quicker so the cost is the same.

??
Fact is,most people dont buy 2 tubs of different types of protein,when 1 tub of whey could do the trick.I dont know any serious trainer who has a tub of each type,they all have whey,because,as you know its faster digesting and best used first thing in the morning and right after training.So whats the point of buying a tub of casein to use once a day before you go to bed when whey with milk will do the same thing.Also as another poster pointed out whey mixed with milk will add a few extra calories to the midnight fast than casein alone.Cost would be a big factor when people purchase their supps,it is with me and alot of other people to i reckon.
Anyway this thread is about tips and tricks not the pros and cons of whey/casein.

BigDuffman

jive wrote: »

tricks to upping calories when trying to gain weight :
raw oats - throw em into your mouth, followed by water... chew + swallow. tastes grand.
raw eggs - crack into glass, drink. texture is awful but no taste
drink olive oil - 100ml = ~900 calories. taste is truly awful, not for the faint hearted

Or plan out the day a bit better and leave 5 mins to actually cook all of the above unless you're a rocky fan.

Keep a small tupperware pot / cup with your protein. So you can add water first to specific measurements in the shaker then add protein.

Stretch everywhere.

Was working on strength in legs and got a pair of old school ankle weights under trousers in work and trotted up and down the stairs all day. It felt like I was in a reduced gravity environment when I took them off at the end of the day.

Pixie Girl

Some of these might already have been mentioned but here are a few of my tips:

1. Keep a water bottle with you at all times
I keep one in work, one in the car and one at home... reminds me to sip on water all day long

2. Cut down on caffeine
I drink herbal teas or hot water with lemon/lime instead of tea and coffee

3. Brush your teeth straight after dinner

4. Don’t have foods in the house that you know will tempt you into snacking in the evenings.

Gummy Panda

harvester of sorrow wrote: »

??
Fact is,most people dont buy 2 tubs of different types of protein,when 1 tub of whey could do the trick.

I thought the whey and casein stack was the popular

jive

BigDuffman wrote: »

Or plan out the day a bit better and leave 5 mins to actually cook all of the above unless you're a rocky fan.

Takes longer to eat as well though and cooked eggs / oats are much, much, much, much more filling than their raw counter parts :P

harvester of sorrow

Gummy Panda wrote: »

I thought the whey and casein stack was the popular

First i heard of a whey and casein "stack"

Gummy Panda

harvester of sorrow wrote: »

First i heard of a whey and casein "stack"

Its marketed as the 24hour protein stack by a few supplement companies. Not in the terms of stacking whey, dextrose and creatine together in a pwo.

EDIT: I should have used the term combo earlier instead of how it is marketed.

harvester of sorrow

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Its marketed as the 24hour protein stack by a few supplement companies. Not in the terms of stacking whey, dextrose and creatine together in a pwo.

EDIT: I should have used the term combo earlier instead of how it is marketed.

Again its nothing that a bit of whey and milk wont do.Whey by far is the most popular protein supplement on the market,and,is pretty much the corner stone of anyones diet with regards supplementation.Casein and combos and what not,are only all expensive substitutes for a balanced diet.Therefore my "tip" and thats all it is,is to cut down on costs and make things a bit simpler,mix your whey with milk before bed and you sorted for the night.
Sorry mods if things are veering off topic here......

Wollwead

Couldn't be bothered reading through the whole thread so apologies if these have already been mentioned. My daily tips/tricks would be:

When preparing/cooking my dinner in the evenings, I tend to cook too much (resulting in having the excess/leftovers for my lunch the following day). I also cook things like omlettes fairly frequently as they're quick and easy to make and easily microwaveable the next morning/day without compromising the taste.

Get plenty of rest as well as hitting the workouts hard.

I eat as much as I want really till i'm satisfied and I still gradually reduce my bodyfat but get all of my cals from these foods: meat, eggs, veg, fruits, milk, whey, coconut milk, dark chocolate, certain cheeses and the odd bit of red wine for my treat!

I feel the most important thing for making sure you work out daily is making it easy and less time consuming to get to where you work out or buy some equipment for at home. For me I can go to the gym in the morning on my way to work and/or on my way home from work (it's only a few minutes from my job). The equipment I have at home are: kettlebells, door frame pull up bar, gym rings, weighted vest, sandbag, skipping rope.

So I always can vary my workouts if needs be and keep them fresh if needed and can get a quick workout in if tight for time.

Gabbah

Drinking green tea daily is great to keep body fat gains to a minimum. Also improves many health aspects.

john_cappa

Mellor wrote: »

What circustances are you talking about?
Un less you live in prison cell sized apartment I don't see the issue.

Cost isn't an issue. Only buying whey means it runs out quicker so the cost is the same.

Cost is cheaper as cost of milk must be taken into account.

Pixie Girl wrote: »

3. Brush your teeth straight after dinner

Is this not bad for your teeth? Enamel softens after eating so brushing does more harm than good?

john_cappa

harvester of sorrow wrote: »

Again its nothing that a bit of whey and milk wont do.Whey by far is the most popular protein supplement on the market,and,is pretty much the corner stone of anyones diet with regards supplementation.Casein and combos and what not,are only all expensive substitutes for a balanced diet.Therefore my "tip" and thats all it is,is to cut down on costs and make things a bit simpler,mix your whey with milk before bed and you sorted for the night.
Sorry mods if things are veering off topic here......

Whey is over rated! Its hardly more complicated to mix too powders with water than it is too milk one powder with milk lol! I dont think the milk will slow it down that much anyway to be honest.

Caesin has been proven to be better than whey for muscle and strength gains e.g. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10838463

deadlybuzzman

Dont go into the gym to lift with nothing in the tank, make sure youve eaten something, got a sports drink/glucose etc. I noticed a big difference when I started doing this, stayed stronger for longer.
Dont get reliant on preworkout stims, too easy to get a notion in your head that theyll do the hard work for you and its easy to build up a tollerance to them

nice_guy80

deadlybuzzman wrote: »

Dont go into the gym to lift with nothing in the tank, make sure youve eaten something, got a sports drink/glucose etc. I noticed a big difference when I started doing this, stayed stronger for longer.
Dont get reliant on preworkout stims, too easy to get a notion in your head that theyll do the hard work for you and its easy to build up a tollerance to them

I eat some jelly or fruit before going to the gym for energy

deadlybuzzman

nice_guy80 wrote: »

I eat some jelly or fruit before going to the gym for energy

yeah whatever does the job-come to think of it Im gonna keep jelly tots in my gym bag!

Pixie Girl

Pixie Girl wrote: »

3. Brush your teeth straight after dinner

Is this not bad for your teeth? Enamel softens after eating so brushing does more harm than good?[/Quote]

Really?? Never heard that before... Just googled it and yeah you are right... Says to wait at least an hour after eating before brushing! Thanx

fabregas4cesc

first thing in the morning i do 30 push ups, 10 with feet on the bed, 10 flat, and 10 with hands on bed frame. takes about 20 seconds and feel firm and fantastic instantly!! builds up over time i'd assume.

drink loads of water during the day. in the jax a lot but has benefits.

sleep is MASSIVE. pro footballers been raving about the recovery from sleep.
hitting the hay early isn't always easy, i try not to drink any tea or eat anything mad a few hours before bed, keeps me up

have a big breakfast if possible. i have porridge, yogurt, fruit juice, pint of water and then banana or apple on the way out. even if you feel full halfway through it'll serve you well.

if you're training away, don't let one spoiler day ruin all your hard work. if you have a pizza and go out on the piss and spend a day hungover, don't let it affect your mind and pull the plug. if you're training hard enough (generally) one day with a few bottles and bit of fast food won't particularly set you back. happened to me many a time after getting in the swing of things i've packed it in 'i'll start again next monday'