Workout Tips For A Working Day

Getting in a good workout when your To Do List is longer than your arm can be difficult, but it can be done. Follow these Workout Tips For A Working Day before, during and after the gym

to help you stay fit and ready for business.

Before:

1. Testosterone levels are elevated in the morning, making it the perfect time to workout.
2. Save time by walking or cycling to the gym if you can. Getting the blood pumping before you arrive means that you can hit your session running, literally.
3. Drink;
   1. Black coffee – Coffee—when consumed before exercise, can cause fat cells to be utilised as an energy source as opposed to glycogen. Also, the caffeine will increase your metabolism, which makes you burn more calories throughout the day.
   2. Green tea – Provides a milder caffeine hit than coffee and it has thermogenic properties that promote fat oxidation.
   3. Peppermint tea – peppermint essential oil boosts athletic performance by increasing your brain oxygen concentration).
4. Consume Creatine to boost energy levels. Creatine helps increase your ATP stores (Adrenaline Triphosphate). ATP is the chemical form of energy that your body uses when you move. So basically, Creatine boosts energy, for quick, intense movements anyway.
5. Consume carbohydrates 45-90 minutes before your workout. Unless you want to under perform in your workout and turn up to work lethargic you need to fuel your body correctly. 1 cup of oats will do the job.
6. Pack a non iron shirt. Schlepping around a suit carrier isn’t a problem most of the time but when you are rushing to work or even on a bike it’s just not an option and screwing up a shirt in your gym bag isn’t going to impress anyone at work, so buy your self a few non-iron shirts.

Workout Tips For A Working Day

During:

1. If working out during your lunch break, see if you can slip on your active wear in the office. Because we all know we start counting our lunch from the moment we step out the office, not the moment we stop working.
2. HIIT training. If you are working out in your lunch break, you would have probably wasted 10 minutes getting into the gym and will lose another 10 minutes getting back to work. So making the most of your time becomes incredibly important. CrossFit style WODs (Workout Of The Day) featuring EMOMs (Every Minute On The Minute) and AMRAPs (As Many Reps As Possible) are a really effective way of pushing yourself to your absolute limit in a very short space of time. HIIT training or circuit training are also viable options. If going for a standard strength session however, you really need to think about your goals, how you structure a session and what exercises you select. Wasting your time on isolation exercises probably isn’t smart when you have a maximum of 40 minutes on the gym floor.
3. Even if you don’t make it to the gym, make sure you are getting out and about every day. Research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a plethora of serious health concerns including; obesity and metabolic syndrome. A 20 minute walk may not get you hitting PBs any time soon but will do wonders for your long term health and your afternoons working performance.
4. Workout with a colleague. When you need to smash out a hard and fast session in the gym, waiting around for your gym buddy may not seem like the best of ideas. That said, nothing motivates you more than working out with someone who can match you for strength, speed or endurance. Plan the session before hand to minimise pre session admin and skip the pleasantries, hit the gym floor and push each other.
5. Sip on BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids) throughout your workout to stimulate protein synthesis and prevent your body from using your lean muscle mass for energy.
6. Streamline your shower routine. The average person in the UK spends 8 minutes in the shower everyday. 8 minutes out of your lunch break is not time well spent. Getting this down to 4 is surprisingly easy.
7. Cool down by walking or cycling from the gym to the office.
8. A nice idea to burn a few more calories whilst at work is to hold standing meetings. If you can, ask your work to buy you a standing desk (that’s on my work wish list).

After:

1. Immediately lower your core body temperature to minimise sweating. Get into a cold shower or get changed quickly and get back into the wonderfully cold winter air.
2. Wear a shirt and suit made of breathable material. Sweating at your desk is not a good look.
3. A few gym bag essentials; deodorant, aftershave – my favourite is Montblanc Legend eau de toilette, comb, hair product if you need it, moisturiser, Clinique anti fatigue cooling eye roll on, baby powder/talcum powder if you get sweaty feet.
4. Consuming a large amount of carbohydrates post workout will promote a large insulin release, increase glycogen storage and increase protein repair. Research has shown that a carbohydrate intake of 0.8 to 1.2 grams per 1 kilogram of body weight is optimal (based on your fitness goals) and an identical amount of protein is recommended. Make sure your post workout meal is low in fat.
5. Rehydrate.

Workout Tips For A Working Day