I truly believe how you spend your time leading up to your workout determines how well you will perform, winners are always planning... they don't go into any endeavour blindly.
If you want to smash through your previous personal records give my routine a try, it won't let you down.
Below is my pre-workout ritual which I have been following religiously for the past year.
Shower
Before my morning workouts I always have a cold shower, warm showers are nice - no doubt... but they are relaxing. A cold shower will have you more awake and rearing to go than any pre-workout supplement in existence. Cold showers are also proven to have many health benefits, specifically for your skin.
Consume nutrients
1 hour before my workouts I consume a small meal consisting of roughly 30 grams of protein and 30 grams of carbohydrates, some people enjoy training fasted and there's nothing wrong with that - I personally find if I train without consuming carbohydrates I don't have the energy to push my body and maintain the absolute highest intensity possible.
A typical pre-workout meal for me is 1 scoop of whey protein (WPC, brand is irrelevant) and a banana.
Focus
Clear your mind, from the moment I get in my car to drive to the gym I disregard my phone - no texting, no social media, nothing. It's time to focus on the task at hand. You need to be 100% focused on the task at hand.
Review
Your workout should be planned in advance, don't walk into the gym blindly without a plan.
Before you get to the gym you should have planned out on paper exactly which exercises you are going to hit, along with the weight you are going to be using for the desired number of repetitions. I write down and visualise myself hitting the exercises and sets I need to before I even get to the gym! If you need to pull a 450lb deadlift you should envision yourself successfully lifting that weight long before you step up to the barbell in the gym to do it.
Stimulate
15 minutes before training I consume caffeine, caffeine is proven to reduce fatigue and increase focus.
How you choose to consume caffeine is entirely up to you, I personally consume black coffee - however caffeine pills and pre-workout supplements will give you the same edge (although pre-workouts also contain a plethora of other ingredients with names you cannot pronounce, at a highly inflated price tag).
Playlist
Now, as I drive to the gym focused, stimulated and determined to lift the weights I have already envisioned I crank my favourite playlist, which quite often switches between rap and heavy metal. This is the final step in my regime, as I pull up and park in the gym parking lot I'm ready to kill it..
If you decide to give my ultimate pre-workout ritual a go let me know how much of a difference you notice in your training.
Do you already have your own pre-workout ritual? Let me know what it is below.
