The Hostel had a visit from Ryan McCarthy, a local fitness guru, to see if amongst other things we could get the boys to eat their veggies!

Ryan has an impressive fitness and nutrition story and resume. Check out his website here.

He went through some of the basics of nutrition and training and opened up the floor to questions to see if he could demystify a few myths that were out there.

Some key takeaways were...

• Don’t waste your money on supplements. NZ protein is a good option.
• Creatine is the most researched supplement and would be good to use.
• Your plate should be ⅓ protein ⅓ carbs and ⅓ veggies.
• Go for low-gi carbs like potatoes and pasta rather than the simple sugary carbs.
• If you are new to training go for three full body sessions a week. Lower body lift with an upper body push and pull.
• You will get more out of a chin-up then a bicep curl.
• Younger trainers should go for a 3 rep max in the gym rather then 1 rep max
• Stick to carbs on race or game day. Veggies will go straight through you.
• Oats and protein powder is a go-to meal.
• Pre-training snacks are key if you have a big session. Muesli bars, toast or bananas are good options.
• Lifting weights when you are young doesn't make you short. That's all genetics.

Thanks, Ryan, for your wisdom. Let's hope it makes the difference on the field or the beach.