Pre workout nutrition

Hello, I have been weightlifting for a few years now. Recently I have decided to do a 4 day split routine. Ex- chest/back, triceps/biceps, etc. 3 sets of 6-8 reps (till failure).  I do my workout about an hour or so after breakfast, and I'm finding that by the time I'm done with the first body part, my energy is gone and I can't work as hard on the second. For breakfast I eat a 1/2 bowl of oats, w/ 1 scoop of protein w/berries, and 1 tbsp of peanut butter. I even drink a pre-workout drink called Octane. I drink 2 glasses of water or so, and drink about 4 during the workout. Any ideas???

Well your breakfast sounds good enough for me, oats and peanut butter usually give me enough energy, but obviously its not working for you. I have to have food in me no longer than 30 minutes before I exercise. What's your diet like during the rest of the day & your post workout? Do you usually exercise in the mornings?

Thanks. I always lift in the mornings because I like to do cardio in the afternoon. Cardio before weightlifting would kill me!! I eat about 6 meals a day with clean protein, carbs and fat sources (around 1600 cals) and post workout I usually eat some oats with fruit and protein powder. Maybe I'll try waiting less time before a workout?? I'm usually hungry halfway through. Its distracting!

The first thing you need is MORE complex carbs. A 1/2 cup of oatmeal is only 27 grams of carbs. You need to have at least 40 or more. Try eating 3/4-1 cup of oatmeal. Also, make the protein you consume come from actual food and not a protein powder. Whey protein is great for AFTER a workout because you want a protein that gets into the system faster. However, in a pre-workout meal, you want the protein to digest slowly so it covers you for your whole workout.

My pre-workout meal is - 4 OZ of chicken (35 grams of protein), 3/4 cup oatmeal (40 grams of complex carbs), and 1/2 an ounce of almonds for a little bit of healthy fat.

Your post-workout nutrition should have 50-75 grams of simple carbs (the only time you want simple carbs) because they are absorbed much faster and 40-60 grams of protein (preferably Whey). So what I do is mix in 50 grams of Dextrose and 2 scoops of Whey into a shaker and drink the shake after my lifting session.

I think you should eat more fast-releasing carbs... add a piece of fruit like a banana to this breakfast. Perhaps while you're doing your workout, the oatmeal you've eaten is simply relesing the energy too slowly for you to keep up with it

Here is a great article on pre-workout nutrition : http://www.build-muscle-and-burn-fat.com/musc le-building-foods-pre-workout-meal.html

Thanks soo much! I will definitely try that. I don't know if I can fit that much food in my stomach, but I will certainly try if it means a better workout!

Redline energy drinks get me going! ha ha! As do Xyience Xenergy Drinks!! I cannot live without them - and then I do decide to not drink them I can most definitely tell a difference in my work out! For breakfast (about 30 to 40 minutes prior to working out) I typically eat canned pumpkin (for some carbs) and omega-3 enriched eggs - this seems to get the job done for me, and bear in mind that I do work out for 2 hours daily...