Before you hit the gym, with or without a personal trainer, you need to make sure that you have the fuel to do it. A smart pre workout meal can make your workout easier and more effective. Here are a few tips that will help you get the most out of your pre exercise chow.

Ideally, you should eat your pre workout meal a couple hours before you start warming up. This will give you some time to appropriately digest the food, which will make your energy levels as high as possible. It is sometimes suggested that people who want to burn fat should exercise on an empty stomach, that way their body will turn to their fat for fuel quickly, instead of burning up the glycogen from the meal they just ate. The problem is, this method will probably eat away at your muscle as well, and lots of good muscles are essential for a good metabolism.

The meal should be high in carbs and low in fat and fiber. The slow-burning carbohydrates will give you the energy to give it your all during your workout. Rice , breads, vegetables, pasta, cereals and fruit are all good ideas. Fats take far too long to digest and might slow you down during your workout. If it is minutes before a workout and you feel you have to have a snack, feel free to have a piece of fruit. You can also get energy giving carbs from a sports drink.

Of course what you eat and when you should eat it really depends on your particular personal training routine. Check with your personal trainer to see if your diet matches well with your fitness goals.