I’m embarrassed to say that a lot of my daily routine revolves around protein. I incorporate it into every meal and almost every snack, I track the number of grams I intake online, and I carefully research the kind of protein powder I supplement with. Since I try to eat every 2-3 hours, my daily schedule is dictated somewhat by my meal times. Kind of unusual, I know, but because of that, I thought it might be interesting to document a day in my life.
6:30: Wake up to my annoying alarm clock which I keep on the opposite side of the room. Head to the kitchen to make some coffee!
When I’m in competition prep mode, after one or two cups of coffee I’d do 20-30 minutes of fasted cardio. Since I’m not prepping right now, I don’t do this as often.
Once I’ve had a few sips, I log onto my computer, check email, and read and respond to blog comments. Then I get started on my to-do list for the day. I use a task management app to manage my tasks. Here’s a screenshot from last year so you can see what the interface looks like.
7:30 or 8:00: Make breakfast! This day I was too lazy to make eggs and turkey bacon, so I had some protein oatmeal instead. I used vanilla EAS 100% Whey protein powder which not only blends smoothly into the oats, but adds flavor, sweetness, and of course, protein! Protein tally: 32 grams.
Here’s how I make my protein oats:
- Measure dry oats in to a microwavable bowl. I usually have 40 grams and I prefer quick oats over regular rolled oats because I’m lazy and impatient.
- Sprinkle cinnamon over the oats, then add enough water to cover.
- Microwave for one minute and then in 30 second intervals as needed to get the consistency you prefer.
- Add one scoop of EAS 100% Whey protein powder and stir until incorporated, then add one more scoop. (One serving is two scoops.)
- Top with 1/2 cup of berries and enjoy!
10:30: Time for meal #2. I’d had enough caffeine by this point and had the energy to cook the eggs and bacon I hadn’t felt like making earlier. Running protein tally: 64 grams.
I kept writing until about noon, when I walked into my bedroom and got a wild hair to clean out my closet. I bought a few things secondhand the other day and I don’t like to add too many things to my wardrobe without getting rid of some, too. I’m going to send them off to an online consignment service.
1:00: After my closet frenzy, it was time to get ready for the gym. I had a snack of cottage cheese before I went, making the protein tally 77 grams. I like to go to the gym in the middle of the day when most people are at work and it isn’t crowded.
Since I take a protein shake directly after each weights workout, I get it ready in my shaker and throw it in my gym bag so I can just add water, shake, and drink on my way home. The nice thing about EAS 100% Whey is that the new container has a slot in the lid that stores the scoop, so you don’t have to get powder under your fingernails digging for it!
I only use whey protein powder because it’s fast digesting and goes right to your muscles where you need it. EAS Whey has no fillers or added sugar, so what ya see is what ya get.
This was leg day for me, and it was an awesome workout. Here it is below:
Warmup: 3 sets of single leg cable adduction
Back squats: warmup set with empty bar, 8×95, 5×135, 5×135, 3×175, 2×185, 1×185
Leg extension: 4 sets of 12-15
Lying ham curl: 4 sets of 12-15
Close stance Smith machine squats: 10×95, 10×135, 10×135, 10×155
Calf raise on leg press: 3 sets of 15-20
2:00: Workout is done. Time to refuel with the EAS shake I packed! Updated protein tally: 100 grams.
After the gym, I showered and continued working until about 5:00. Throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening, I had another 51 grams of protein, bringing the day’s intake up to a whopping 150 grams! It might seem like a lot, but for my goal of building muscle, this is right on target!
If you’d like to boost your protein intake too, EAS protein is easy to find. I got mine at Walmart in the sports supplement section right near the pharmacy.
P.S. Check out the New NBC Show S.T.R.O.N.G where EAS® products will be featured on the June 2nd episode. (9pm EST 8pm CST)