Crazy Joe

Yesterday around 3 I got off work and was going to head to the gym to try out a customized Insanity-style circuit I had designed. I realized I hadn't packed a protein bar or significant snack for the afternoon, and I wanted a little something at least. "I'll make myself a soy latte" was my thought. I felt I could afford a bit of a boost while getting in some good protein cals from the soy milk. So I enjoyed it, and tossed out the empty cup when I got off the train. I headed into the gym, got ready, and had one scoop of my pre-workout supplement to get amped up. I found the main studio was pretty much empty, so I went in there, found a spot, and started my warmup. I noticed I was energetic but that my heart rate was quite a few beats up from what it normally was. This held true during my interval circuit as well, and it posed some issues for me. I wanted to do four moves at 45 seconds each, but ended up bringing this down to 30. Also, I would normally take a 30 second break which is usually plenty of time for my heart rate to recover back down, then I would start the next set. It's important in interval training to recover so that your body has to work again to get it back up, and also so you can get through the routine! Anyway, I found I had to take around 60 seconds for this to happen, which is crazy. Overall, the workout was very intense, but I have identified that skipping the latte would have been better, and next time I will opt for an alternate snack without caffeine!

Some advice for you coffee lovers: Drink your coffee early in the day, and plan to not consume excess caffeine before your workout. My pre-workout supplement does contain caffeine, but I believe that by using this in conjunction with the coffee, I overloaded my system, which was not necessary and potentially unsafe. So just be mindful and careful, ok? Caffeine is good for an energy boost and it does help you to burn more fat, but too much of anything is "crazy, Joe!" The main thing is not to compromise your fitness! It would be easy to say, "well, I guess I can't workout now because...(insert excuse)." Don't do it...you've been warned! lol! Anyways, thanks for reading, everyone! Happy Friday!