Mollywood Fitness Trainer Aynus Antony On Strength Training and Pre-Post Workout Meals

Aynus Antony

As we grow older, the need to have a healthy body becomes more apparent. We all enjoy our life much better if we have good health and great physical shape. Abiding by a healthy diet is as important as gym/sports training. There is no better way to maintain a healthy physique other than through fitness training, says Mollywood fitness trainer Aynus Antony, who engages as a personal trainer for Mohanlal, Vishnu Unnikrishnan & Bibin George, among others.

Proper fitness training is a combo of regular physical exercises and a healthy diet. Besides granting you the physique you've always wished for fitness training also prolongs your life and provides you with some mental benefits. Fitness training is quite beneficial, improving our overall health and fitness, reducing our susceptibility to many chronic diseases, improving our brain power, reducing stress and pain, and so on. Being fit also comes with additional deals like feeling energetic, better sleep, and so on. This enables you to live the happy fulfilling life you want.

Strength Training

Strength training can help us increase bone strength and muscle strength, and it can also help us maintain or reduce weight. It can also improve our ability to perform everyday activities. Investing in a gym membership or buying expensive equipment is not at all necessary to reap the benefits of strength training. Homemade weights such as plastic soft drink bottles filled with water or sand may work just as well. Trying pushups, pullups, abdominal crunches and leg squats will be quite good for one to become fit. Another relatively inexpensive option is resistance bands which can prove key to help you with your fitness journey.

Being fit primarily depends on what you eat and the kind of activity you do. The food consumed depends on the purpose of that particular meal. An example would be focusing on carbohydrates before a workout session to get adequate energy, and proteins after working out to help develop muscles. You might have experienced a workout session where you felt like you were smashing it and gave your best whereas on some training days you feel like it just wasn't your best effort although you tried, perhaps even experienced lightheadedness, sluggishness, or muscle cramps during your workout. There are lots of different factors behind it. But consuming the right pre-workout and post-workout meals can play a huge role in your workout performance & results.

Pre/Post Workout Meals

Pre-workout and post-workout meals are important factors in the effectiveness of your training sessions. They help you perform your best and yield good results.

A pre-workout meal is to fuel your activity and give your body what it needs to perform at its peak. For that our body needs two things: Carbohydrates for energy and protein to supply your muscles with the right amino acids. The timing of your meal is also an important aspect of pre-workout nutrition. Consuming a full meal 2-3 hours before your workout is highly recommended. But for meals eaten closer to your workout, choose simpler carbs and some protein. Fruit smoothies, Greek yogurt with granola bars and berries, oatmeal with milk and fruit, peanut butter, banana sandwich etc are all good examples of a pre-workout snack.

Eating after a workout is all about replacing the calories you used up and supplying your body with the right nutrients for adequate recovery and maximizing the benefits of your workout. The main purpose of a post-workout meal is to supply your body with everything it needs to rehydrate, replenish, and recover and keep improving future performance. Post-workout nutrition helps to minimize muscle damage/muscle protein breakdown, assist in building muscle/increase muscle protein synthesis, replenish muscle glycogen (the stored form of carbohydrate), reduce cortisol (stress hormone) levels and reduce muscle soreness. The post-workout routine is a complex process where we refuel our body with enough complex carbohydrates that break down slowly and are loaded with healthy protein. Post-workout snacks can be eaten within the first 30-60 minutes after your workout. Chocolate milk, rice, chicken, fish, avocado, nuts, whole wheat bread, eggs, etc can be included in your post-workout diet.

Staying hydrated and drinking sufficient water before, during, and after exercising is also important to properly fuel your body and achieve great results! It is also important to minimize dehydration which can cause low energy and muscle cramps or spasms.

Aynus Antony is a personal fitness trainer who believes in transforming the lives of his clients so that they are healthier and happier. You can reach him on www.aynusfitness.com