A lot of people ask me about my diet and training routine when I’m getting ready for a fight. Today I’ll get in to my diet, and in a week or two I’ll try to break down one of my workout routines.

Pre-Workout

If I’m working out in the morning, I generally try to eat some type of simple carbohydrates before. Usually oatmeal, toast, granola and yogurt or something quick before I run out the door. The best types of pre-workout snacks are high in carbohydrates but contain some lean protein source, which sustains my energy throughout the hour or longer training sessions. Some of the best pre-workout snacks are:

• a smoothie with whole milk, two spoons of yogurt, and fruit or fruit juice
• yogurt with some granola on top
• 1/2 of a whole grain bagel with peanut or almond butter
• one slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and crushed banana (got this idea from Bear Grylls)

Pre-Training Drinks?

About a half hour before I go to the gym, I’ll take a pre-workout drink.  People have seen some of my crazy workouts, and ask where I get all my energy from.  The truth is that imagining myself in the ring, against my next opponent, is the biggest driving factor when I’m training hard.  But everyone has “off” days, so once in a while I’ll take a pre-training supplement.  I’ve tried super pump by Gaspari, which is pretty good but it wears off pretty quickly and your body gets used to it, so you can’t use it too much.  A lot of people talk about Jacked…but the geranium stem in it makes it a banned substance as far as I’m concerned.  I’m always looking for new supplements to try, so if anyone has a recommendation, I’m all ears.

Post Workout

When I'm trying to cut some weight, I'll add a natural fat burner to my workout routine

When I need to cut some extra weight, I try to use a natural fat burner.  I can’t use anything with banned substances, and too many of the “hardcore” fat burners have way too many ingredients (which means they probably have something that’s banned) and make me feel way too jittery.

The best all-around natural weight loss supplement that I’ve come across is Green Tea Plus by Delta Labs.  It’s an all natural green tea formula with some other herbs and extracts that curb your appetite.

If I’m trying to add lean muscle mass, I’ll put one or two scoops of whey protein in a blender with some vanilla yogurt, and either a banana, some peanut butter, a handful of almonds, or sometimes all three.  Over the years, I’ve learned some of the potential dangers of soy protein, so I try to stick to whey or casein only.  Whey is really good right after your workout, because it absorbs quickly.  Casein is good to take at night, before you go to sleep, because it digests slowly.  Your body breaks down a lot of muscle while you’re sleeping, so the casein prevents too much of that breakdown by slowly digesting over the 6-8 hours while you’re sleeping.  I don’t really have a preference as to which brand of protein…they’re all pretty much the same formula.  The taste makes a huge difference, though, so I’ve learned to avoid the store brand at Vitamin Shoppe.  That shit is NASTY.