Free Personal Trainer Meal Plan
Free personal trainer meal plan! Check out my current “maintenance” meal plan. Maintenance periods are important to do for giving your central nervous system, digestion system, liver, and kidneys a break from the building and leaning periods. The goal is to maintain as much muscle mass as possible without letting your body fat % get above a predetermined number (trying to keep it low). 10-12% body fat is very healthy and feasible to maintain (for men). It keeps enough fat on you for easy satiety and plenty of energy while still keeping an “athletic” look. I’ll typically do 3 month periods of each- 3 months building (high calories/macros), then 3 months leaning (lower calories/macros), and then 3 months maintaining (moderate calories/macros).
Height: 6′ 2″ Weight: 215 lbs. Waist: 33″ Body Fat: ≈10-12%
Calories: Training days- intake ≈4,000 Kcals/ net ≈3,500 Kcals Non-training days- net ≈3,500-3,000 Kcals
# of meals/day: 7-8, depending on training day
Macros Ratio (%carbs, %protein, %fats of total daily calories): roughly 40/40/20
My Maintenance Meal Plan
Meal 1: 70-75g carbohydrates/50-60g protein/5-10g fat
Higher+moderate glycemic carbohydrate sources (varies): old fashioned oats or cream of white rice, mixed berries or sometimes banana
Faster digesting protein sources: egg whites and/or whey isolate protein powder
Fat sources: whole omega-3 eggs
Meal 2 (Pre/Intra/Post-workout): 100-125g carbohydrates/45-50g protein/0-5g fat
Very high glycemic carbohydrate sources: Karbolyn powder or gatorade, cereal or pop-tart/cereal bar or white rice cakes
Faster digesting protein sources: Whey isolate protein powder
No added fats
Meal 3 (1 hour after post-workout meal): 60-75g carbohydrates/45-50g protein/5-10g fat
Higher to moderate glycemic carbohydrate sources: white jasmine rice or white potato
Moderately digesting protein sources: chicken breast or turkey breast or lean beef or white fish
No added fats
Meal 4 (2-3 hours later): 50-60g carbohydrates/45-60g protein/10g fat
Moderate glycemic carbohydrate sources: long grain white rice or sweet potato and/or green vegetables
Moderately digesting protein sources: chicken breast or turkey breast or white fish
Fat sources: omega-fatty acids supplement or all-natural nut butter or unsalted almonds/peanuts
Meal 5 (2-3 hours later): 40-50g carbohydrates/45-50g protein/0-5g fat
Moderate to low glycemic carbohydrate sources: old fashioned oats or sweet potato and/or fibrous fruit (apple/berries) and/or green vegetables
Moderately digesting protein sources: chicken breast or turkey breast or white fish
No added fats
Meal 6 (2-3 hours later): 30-40g carbohydrates/45-50g protein/ <10g fat
Very low glycemic carbohydrates sources: mixed vegetables and/or mixed green salad
Moderately digesting protein sources: chicken breast or turkey breast or lean beef
No added fats
Pre-Bed Meal (30-45 minutes before bed): <10g carbohydrates/45-50g protein/10-15g fat
Very low glycemic carbohydrate sources: fiber powder supplement
Slow digesting protein sources: Casein protein powder
Fat sources: All-natural nut butter
Not an appropriate “maintenance” meal plan for every guy out there, but now you know how I eat for a good chunk of the year! Check back for when I begin another meal plan period to see how my body and corresponding meal plan changes! Feel free to post any questions/comments you have on the NO B.S. FITNESS BLOG or my Facebook business page.
Cape Coral Personal Trainer
Hello! My name is Justin Check, owner/operator of Check Total Health and NSCA certified Cape Coral personal trainer and nutrition coach with over 8 years of experience. Check Total Health is the premier mobile Cape Coral personal trainer and nutrition coaching service where I bring the workouts right to you with plenty of variety!
I design custom workouts around your personal needs, health issues, schedule, and fitness goals and make them as convenient for you as possible! At your home, at the park, or even at your job! I also offer custom meal plans, as well as give free nutrition coaching to anyone committed to a discounted personal training package to make sure you’re making the most of your workouts and getting results.
If you’re ready to start an exercise program, but don’t want to deal with the hassles that come with going to a gym and getting a “cookie-cutter” workout, then contact Justin Check at Check Total Health for a free consultation. I look forward to hearing from you!
Phone: 239.209.7878 Email: justin@check-yourself.com Web: www.check-yourself.com
Check Out My Exercise Program
I get asked all the time…how much I exercise?…how many days/week?… How long?… What type of workouts I do?… Etc. So I’ve decided to share with you the basic structure of my current exercise program. Please keep in mind that my exercise program is not necessarily appropriate for you, your current condition, your fitness goals, or your body type. Also keep in mind that this is an exercise program that I’m currently following for my CURRENT GOALS, which change periodically throughout the year.
My Exercise Program (in a nut-shell)
5 days/week of resistance training that focuses on 1 to a maximum of 2 muscle groups (back, chest, bi’s, tri’s, legs, shoulders, abs) for 60-75 minutes. I’ll typically do 6-8 different isolation exercises per workout, depending on what muscle(s) I’m focusing on. I always isolate larger muscle groups alone for a single workout (legs, back), but will alternate week to week pairing two different smaller muscle groups (bi’s & tri’s or shoulder’s & abs or chest & bi’s or shoulder’s & tri’s) together in 1 or 2 different workouts. I change up training techniques every 2-3 weeks for each muscle group as well. Some weeks I may perform lots of slow eccentric movements or “negatives” and other weeks I switch to incorporating more power/explosive movements…among others. I also try to constantly switch up what exercises I start and end with for each muscle group as you tend to go heavier in the beginning and lighter towards the end of a workout and it’s good to go heavy and light for different exercises. I do not have designated days for a particular muscle group. I go by how my body feels and what muscle group feels fully recovered and fresh to destroy!
1 day/week of cross training (CrossFit) where I focus on a lot of multi-joint/ full-body movements, as well as calisthenics. The idea is to keep my heart rate very elevated while performing resistance training to increase muscle V02 capacity and muscle glycogen capacity (endurance). I’ll typically do a circuit of 6-8 different exercises for 45-60 minutes in duration with minimal breaks (4-5) 30-60 second breaks.
2 days/week of moderate cardiovascular training done separately only on days where I’ve worked a smaller muscle group (arms, abs, etc..), but never on cross training days or on large muscle group days (legs, back). This is a workout focused on burning fat and sweating as much as possible, so I’ll do walk/jog intervals outside in the middle of the day for 30-45 minutes. I keep it at a very moderate intensity level as to not burn to many carbohydrates and I always do my cardio training several hours after resistance training to make sure I’m not depriving my muscles!
1 day/week of complete rest!
That’s my current exercise program for my current goals. If you have questions about what you should be doing in your exercise program for your fitness goals, please feel free to contact me for some guidance!
Be sure to check back soon to my blog or on my Facebook business page for my next blog on my current meal plan and nutritional intake. Feel free to post any questions/comments you have on my Facebook business page wall. NO B.S. FITNESS blog!
Ft. Myers Mobile Personal Trainer
Hello! My name is Justin Check, owner/operator of Check Total Health and NSCA certified personal trainer & nutrition coach with over 8 years of experience. Check Total Health is the premier Ft. Myers mobile personal trainer service in SWFL. What separates me from others? Passion, professionalism, and experience!
Look no further- busy moms, workaholics, and sufferers of “gymtimidation!” My Ft. Myers mobile personal trainer and nutrition coaching service makes getting your workouts done easy and extremely convenient. At home, at the park, or even at your job! You can get or stay fit without the hassles that come with going to a gym. I bring it all to you with plenty of variety. Customized workouts designed around your health needs, schedule, and fitness goals. I also give free nutrition coaching and offer meal planning to make sure you get the results you’re looking for! For more information or to learn more about me, visit www.check-yourself.com, or feel free to contact me directly at justin@check-yourself.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
Carbohydrates!
Probably the trickiest macronutrient in my opinion to get a hold on for conditioning. Too many carbohydrates in your daily diet can easily contribute to fat cells, but too little carbohydrates in your diet will make you feel like ripping someone’s head off and limit your muscle building capability! I know people who have to eat less than 150g carbs/day to not put on fat and then there’s people like me who can eat up to 500g carbs/day without contributing to fat cells. It all comes down to your current conditioning, body type, and how much daily physical activity you get.
Carbohydrates are your fuel. Your body is genetically programmed to recognize carbohydrates as its main source of energy. Carbs are stored throughout the body, primarily in your liver, blood, and skeletal muscle. During exercise, we burn stored carbs in our muscle tissue which are then replaced by either stored carbs in your liver or “free” carbs floating in the blood.
Here’s where it gets tricky. If your blood sugar (carb) levels get too high and your muscle and liver carb capacities are fulfilled, where do you think those blood sugars get sent? Right to fat cells! So your carbohydrate needs will depend on your carbohydrate capacity (amount your body can store in the liver and skeletal muscle) and how much daily physical activity you do. There’s 2 ways to increase your carb needs and they both go hand and hand:
1. Increase your total capacity– one of the major benefits and adaptations that takes place from regularly engaging in resistance training is your body naturally increases it’s macronutrient capacities, primarily carbohydrates. The more you workout, the more your body will adapt to better handle that stress which means increasing it’s fuel (carbs) capacity.
2. Increase your total workload– Most of the time during exercise our bodies will tap into various fuel sources. You’ve probably heard that working out at a lower intensity will allow your body to use stored calories (fat) for fuel and working out at a higher intensity will burn more carbohydrates for fuel….and there is some truth to that; however, your body is never just burning carbohydrates or just burning fat for fuel. Rather, it’s more complex than that and usually a combination of the two depending on the intensity and type of exercise you’re doing. The bottom line is the best way to increase your carb capacity and workload is to do a combination of higher intensity training (such as cross training or vigorous cardio) and lower intensity training (such as resistance training or low/slow cardio). Both have their benefits for increasing your carb capacity and should be done regularly, but the combo will depend on your fitness goals. It’s pretty simple…the more you workout, the more carbohydrates you can eat.
The next tricky part with carbs is the amount, timing, and type. I could spend days writing about these topics, so I’m going to try to keep it simple.
Amount– we discussed above how your carb capacity is determined and how to increase it. In general, I suggest an active person to make at least 40% of their total calories carbohydrates (the USDA recommends 45-65%) . Carbohydrates have 4 calories/gram, so if you’re on a 2,000 calorie diet then you would start off eating roughly 200g carbs/day and then adjust up or down according to your weight goals/fluctuations, energy levels, and activity level.
Timing- there’s two times of the day when carbohydrates are crucial, even if you’re on a low-carb diet. Your first meal after you’ve slept and fasted for hopefully 6-8 hours and then immediately post-workout. Everyone should consume carbohydrates during these times as your carb stores are depleted during these times. As your physical activity decreases, so should your carbohydrate intake. I workout in the morning, so I have a first meal of complex and simple carbohydrates and then a meal with simple carbs right after my workout. Then for the rest of the day I start reducing and switching to more complex carbohydrates until dinner where I have very little (mainly vegetable sources of carbs).
Type- as to keep it simple we’ll just say there’s primarily two types of carbohydrates- simple and complex, even though with all the food items available today most are a combo of the two. Simple carbs (such as sugary beverages, cereals, breads, white rice, white potatos, etc…) will digest and absorb into your blood stream more quickly as opposed to complex carbs (fibrous carbs, brown rice, whole oats, sweet potatoes, etc…) which will digest and release into the blood stream more slowly. So, if you’re in a fasted or depleted state (like right when you wake up or right after vigorous exercise) it would make more sense to ingest simple carbs during that time to get your stores back up quickly and spare your muscle tissue from potential atrophy. Complex carbs should be utilized to keep a steady digestion of carbs into the blood stream to minimize insulin spikes when your liver and muscle capacities are already high.
Everyone’s needs and body is different, so trial and error is the only way to figure out your carbohydrate needs; however, I always recommend starting off with 40% carbohydrates of your total calories/day and adjusting accordingly. Keep the simple carbs for only post-workout and some at breakfast and then stick with more complex carbohydrates as you become less active.
Feel free to post any questions/comments on my website or FB business page for a discussion. NO B.S. FITNESS!
Keep the Supplements Simple
The supplement industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. There number one target…naive, overweight Americans looking for quick fix solutions to getting to a healthy weight. Well I’m here to tell you that 90% of the supplements on the market today are for the most part a waste of money. Take a look at my physique competition picture. I’m going to tell you exactly what supplements I was taking throughout my 5 1/2 month prep period to get to that conditioning.
1. Isolate Whey Protein Powder– Utilized primarily as my post-workout protein source (45g-50g). Isolate whey protein is simply whey (milk) protein where everything has been removed except the amino acids (proteins). No carbohydrates and no fats, just pure protein. Most isolate protein powders are hydrolized, which makes them extremely easy to digest and absorbed very quickly…which is good after a hard workout of resistance training.
2. BCAA’s– Utilized primarily intra-workout or post-workout depending on if I was having a slower digesting protein source after my workout like a lean meat. BCAA’s are found in all complete protein sources, so if you’re eating plenty of protein most of the time they’re not even necessary. When your macronutrient capacities and demands are very high they can be beneficial during or immediately after a long, hard bout of exercise.
3. Digestive Enzymes– When you’re eating as many calories as I was you want to maximize macronutrient breakdown and digestion. Digestive enzymes help to do this if you take them consistently. I would take 1-2 capsules every other meal. I will caution you that I’ve heard they can cause some people gas, but I did not experience this.
4. Omega Fatty Acids- Omega fatty acids are crucial for numerous reasons (muscle growth, joint health, hormone production, protein transports…among others). When you’re eating extremely clean and controlling every gram of fat you intake, you have to supplement in some healthy fats to your diet. I use an omega supplement that has a variety of different omega-3 and 6 fatty acids.
5. Creatine Monohydrate- This one I have mixed feeling about whether it’s necessary for physique conditioning purposes. Creatine is a form of energy stored in muscle tissue that’s used primarily during quick, power type movements when oxygen supplies are limited and glycogen breakdown takes to long to yield energy for the movement. Unless you’re a power lifter or someone doing very high-intensity type movements frequently for your workouts I wouldn’t suggest creatine to clients. It also tends to make you feel bloated and hold more water.
6. Pre-Workout Drinks- Pre-workout drinks aren’t for everybody, but I definitely get better pumps and more energy when I drink them before I workout. Most pre-workout drinks are combinations of stimulants, vaso-dilators, nitric oxide boosters, and creatine. The more efficiently your heart can pump fresh oxygenated blood to your hard working muscles, the less fatigued you’ll get and the harder/longer you can workout. All the above mentioned ingredients help with this.
That’s it! KISS-keep it simple stupid! Keep the supplements limited. If you’re eating a well balanced diet and exercising regularly you don’t need a bunch of costly supplements. And please don’t waste your money on “fat burners.” All fat burners are just stimulants and/or thermogenics that increase your heart rate and body temperature which slightly increases your metabolism. Exercising and eating properly portioned meals every 2-3 hours will keep your metabolism rocking!
Please feel free to post any questions or comments on my website or FB business page wall for a discussion! NO B.S. FITNESS!