How to Safely Train Your Core After Childbirth

What to Eat Before and After a Workout for Maximum Results If you’re serious about building real strength and performance, it’s not just about how hard you train. What you put into your body before and after a workout is just as important (Aragon & Schoenfeld, 2013). Fueling the right way means better training, faster recovery, and bigger long-term results — plain and simple. Here’s how to stay Battle Ready with your nutrition and supplements before and after every training session. What to Eat Before You Train Your pre-workout meal is about giving your body the right fuel. You want to walk into the gym feeling energized — not sluggish and not starving. 1–2 hours before you train, focus on: Carbs for Energy: Oats, rice, sweet potatoes, or fruit — your body runs on carbs during hard training (Kerksick et al., 2017). Protein for Muscle Support: A scoop of whey, chicken breast, or Greek yogurt — getting protein in before you lift gives your muscles a head start on recovery (Jäger et al., 2017). Low Fat: Heavy fats slow digestion. Keep fat low pre-workout to avoid feeling weighed down. Battle Ready Pre-Workout Meal Ideas: Grilled chicken breast, jasmine rice, and green beans Oatmeal with a scoop of protein and some berries Greek yogurt mixed with honey and a banana Turkey sandwich on sourdough and a piece of fruit Short on time? If you’re training within 30 minutes, stick to something lighter. A banana and a whey shake will give you quick energy without sitting heavy. Bonus Tip: Avoid high-sugar junk (candy bars, donuts) right before training. The sugar spike might feel good for 10 minutes but it’ll crash hard mid-workout. What to Eat After You Train Training tears muscle fibers down. What you eat after builds them back stronger. Your post-workout meal needs to reload your fuel tanks (carbs) and rebuild your muscles (protein). Within 30–60 minutes after lifting, you want: Fast-Digesting Carbs: White rice, fruit, potatoes, bagels — simple carbs refill your muscles’ glycogen stores (Kerksick et al., 2017). High-Quality Protein: Whey, beef, chicken, eggs — high-quality protein delivers the amino acids your body needs to rebuild (Jäger et al., 2017). Some Fats (Optional): A little healthy fat is fine but keep the focus on carbs and protein for faster absorption. Battle Ready Post-Workout Meal Ideas: Whey protein shake with a banana and a rice cake Ground beef, white rice, avocado, and salsa 4 eggs, sourdough toast, and a handful of strawberries Salmon, sweet potato, and broccoli Real Talk: Skipping your post-workout meal because you’re "not hungry" is like finishing a fight and refusing stitches. If you want results, you have to recover right. Supplements Before a Workout: What to Look For and What to Avoid Supplements aren’t magic — but they can give you an extra edge if you use them smart. Good Pre-Workout Ingredients These are the ingredients that actually work (and are backed by research): Caffeine (3–6 mg/kg): Boosts focus, strength, endurance (Spriet, 2014). Good pre-workouts have it — but not overloaded. Beta-Alanine (3.2g+ daily): Buffers acid buildup so you can grind out more reps (Hobson et al., 2012). Citrulline Malate (6–8g): Boosts blood flow for better pumps and stamina (Perez-Guisado & Jakeman, 2010). Creatine Monohydrate (5g daily): Helps with strength, power, and recovery over time (Buford et al., 2007). You don’t need a "kitchen sink" formula with 20 mystery ingredients. Stick to what’s proven. What to Avoid in Pre-Workouts Be on the lookout for: Proprietary blends: If they hide ingredient amounts, it’s probably underdosed junk. Overstimmed formulas: Some pre-workouts stack 400+ mg caffeine and throw in exotic stims. Feels great until you crash mid-set or get heart palpitations. Banned ingredients: DMAA, DMHA — if it’s banned by sports organizations, it’s banned for a reason. Not worth the risk. Fake pumps: Some products load with glycerol or arginine, but underdose the real nitric oxide boosters like citrulline. Real-World Battle Ready Pre-Workout Stack If you want to keep it simple (and smart), here’s a Battle Ready pre-workout stack : 200–300mg caffeine (coffee or a clean pre) 5g creatine monohydrate 6–8g citrulline malate 3g beta-alanine (if you like that tingling feeling) Good pre-workout meal (carbs + protein) That’s it. No crazy side effects. No crash. Just performance. Don’t Forget About Hydration Being dehydrated by even 2% can wreck strength, endurance, and even mental focus (Sawka et al., 2007). But it’s not just about water — you need electrolytes too. When you sweat, you lose sodium, potassium, and magnesium. If you’re only replacing water, you can still cramp, fatigue early, and feel drained. Stay Battle Ready Hydrated: 1 gallon of water a day minimum Add an electrolyte packet during or after training (especially in hot weather) Watch for signs like cramping, dry mouth, dizziness — these are hydration red flags. Final Thoughts: Battle Ready Is a Mindset At the end of the day, what you eat — just like how you train — is about discipline . It’s about showing up for yourself every single day, not just when it’s convenient. You want next-level results? You’ve got to fuel like an athlete. You’ve got to recover like a professional. You’ve got to stay Battle Ready — in the gym and in life. No shortcuts. No excuses. Stay sharp. Stay fueled. Stay dangerous. Bibliography Aragon, A. A., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2013). Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 10(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-10-5 Buford, T. W., Kreider, R. B., Stout, J. R., Greenwood, M., Campbell, B., Spano, M., ... & Antonio, J. (2007). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 4, 6. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-4-6 Hobson, R. M., Saunders, B., Ball, G., Harris, R. C., & Sale, C. (2012). Effects of beta-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta-analysis. Amino Acids, 43(1), 25–37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-011-1200-z Jäger, R., Kerksick, C. M., Campbell, B. I., Cribb, P. J., Wells, S. D., Skwiat, T. M., ... & Antonio, J. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8 Kerksick, C., Harvey, T., Stout, J., Campbell, B., Wilborn, C., Kreider, R., ... & Antonio, J. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Nutrient timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4 Perez-Guisado, J., & Jakeman, P. M. (2010). Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(5), 1215–1222. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c6a6dd Sawka, M. N., Cheuvront, S. N., & Carter, R. (2007). Human water needs. Nutrition Reviews, 65(6 Pt 2), S30–S39. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2007.tb00271.x Spriet, L. L. (2014). Exercise and sport performance with low doses of caffeine. Sports Medicine, 44(2), 175–184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0257-8

Creatine: Why You Should Be Taking It (And What Most People Get Wrong) Let’s set the record straight— creatine isn’t just for bodybuilders or bros trying to get “swole.” It’s one of the most effective, affordable, and misunderstood supplements out there. Whether you’re training for performance, staying mission-ready, or just trying to get stronger, creatine should already be in your daily routine. What is Creatine, Really? Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in your muscles. Your body stores it to help make ATP (adenosine triphosphate) —your body’s primary energy source for short, explosive movements. I’m talking sprinting, heavy lifting, or going full beast mode during a high-intensity set (Kreider et al., 2017). Your body only stores a limited amount. And unless you're eating a pound of red meat every day, you're not getting enough from food. Supplementing with 5 grams of creatine monohydrate a day helps keep those energy stores full and your performance dialed in. What Creatine Actually Does Boosts strength and power Helps build lean muscle mass Improves muscular endurance Aids in recovery Even supports brain health (Avgerinos et al., 2018) Let’s Kill the Myths “Creatine makes you look bloated.” False. What it really does is pull water into your muscle cells , which is a good thing. It helps with recovery, nutrient delivery, and muscle function. You’re not holding water under your skin— you’re hydrating the muscle tissue itself (Buford et al., 2007). “It just makes your muscles look ‘swollen’ and not real.” Wrong again. Creatine supports real muscle growth through improved work capacity and ATP production. If your muscles are getting bigger, it’s because you’re training harder and recovering better—not because of some fake water weight. Drink Your Water Since creatine increases intracellular hydration , you need to be drinking over a gallon of water a day —especially if you're training hard or working in heat. You can’t expect your body to perform if it’s dehydrated. Period. Timing Doesn’t Matter—Consistency Does Another big myth? “You have to take it at the perfect time.” Nope. Research shows it doesn’t matter if you take creatine before, during, or after your workout—as long as you're consistently getting your 5 grams per day (Candow et al., 2020). So pick a time that works for you and stick with it. That’s what matters most. How It Works: Creatine → ATP → Power When you train, your body taps into ATP for quick energy. But your ATP stores deplete fast—like in seconds. Creatine helps replenish those ATP stores faster , which means you can go harder, longer, and recover better between sets (Sahlin, 2014). You’re not just taking a supplement—you’re literally fueling the engine that drives every rep. Final Word from Coach Mo Creatine is not magic—but it’s damn close. It’s cheap, safe, well-studied, and incredibly effective. If you care about performance, recovery, and real results, get on 5g of creatine monohydrate daily and stay consistent. And don’t forget: drink that water. Over a gallon a day. No excuses. Stay fueled. Stay focused. Stay Battle Ready.  – Coach Mo Bibliography Avgerinos, K. I., Spyrou, N., Bougioukas, K. I., & Kapogiannis, D. (2018). Effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function of healthy individuals: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Experimental Gerontology , 108, 166-173. Buford, T. W., Kreider, R. B., Stout, J. R., Greenwood, M., Campbell, B., Spano, M., ... & Antonio, J. (2007). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition , 4(1), 6. Candow, D. G., Vogt, E., Johannsmeyer, S., Forbes, S. C., & Farthing, J. P. (2020). Strategic creatine supplementation and resistance training in healthy older adults. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism , 45(10), 1112-1117. Kreider, R. B., Kalman, D. S., Antonio, J., Ziegenfuss, T. N., Wildman, R., Collins, R., & Lopez, H. L. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition , 14(1), 18. Sahlin, K. (2014). Muscle energetics during explosive activities and potential effects of nutrition and training. Sports Medicine , 44(Suppl 2), 167–173.