While I’d rather have whole foods, my hectic schedule as a personal trainer in NYC makes supplementation a necessary factor to sustain train at a high level and to recover quickly. Unfortunately, like most people, I really don’t like the taste of protein or amino acid powders. If I do find something I’m fond of, I usually get sick of it pretty quickly. This is probably why my cabinet is full of barely used protein and amino acid powders = wasted money.
The Problem
My morning are pretty rushed, I wake up around 5:30am and run out the door. I would love to be able to have time to cook a proper breakfast, drink a cup of green tea, stretch, and relax a bit to kick start my morning. But that’s the life of a NYC personal trainer, we work when people are not in work = early mornings and late nights.
My typical morning used to be, wake up and blend up my complete smoothie while getting ready (I have a timed blender = bad ass) or take a shaker protein drink and sip it on my way to work. The problem I’ve found with this method is that I don’t drink the smoothie, I usually drink about a quarter of it by the time I get to the train, then answer some emails until I get to the gym. By the time I get back to the complete smoothie or protein drink, it’s warm and clumpy = thrown out.
The Solution…
…is SHOTS! I mean I did go to East Carolina University, GO PIRATES! 🙂
For some reason I just I randomly thought, “why not do a shot?” This way I can quickly drink the protein down all at once, it takes about 5 seconds, and I’m good to go. While it may not be ideal, I’ve found it to be super effective to get the full serving down and if it tastes gross, it’s done in a few seconds…
Take for example “spiru-tein protein powder”, they offer some really great flavors that actually taste pretty good BUT the powder doesn’t mix well at all. Blend it, shake it, or stir it, the damn thing is chunky! I can’t drink a full glass of chunky protein but I can take a quick shot of it.
Thanks to the “shots” method, I’ve been fully utilizing the various protein powders and amino blends that’s been sitting in the closet. My typical routine looks like this:
- Morning: take a quick shot of protein powder that usually has a full complex of some type of non-dairy protein (Pea, rice, spirutein, etc…) and a serving of vegetables, I’ll also have a handful of nuts since it’s so easy to eat on the go.
- Post workout: Take in a shot of amino acids with extra glutamine and creatine and about 20-30minutes later eat a full meal.
- Evening: If I’m still hungry or feeling more beat up I’ll do either aminos or protein + glutamine.
*I’m sure someone has thought about this before but just in case I thought I’d share my epiphany :p
Conclusion
While this may not be the most ideal method, it works for my lifestyle of working out and being a personal trainer in Manhattan. The other bright side is that it allows me actually use the supplements I spent so much money on = win–win!
I forgot to mention that you should obviously be drinking plenty of water with this. Especially since the powders will essentially be taken in as a “concentrate”. In either case, you should be drinking plenty of water on a daily basis, around 2-3 liters a day.
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