Check it oot.
Right. Issue two.
Writing the first issue reminded me just how much I enjoy this. I used to write a lot. Then somewhere along the way it all became about SEO, keywords, and what was best for the algorithm. This is not that. This is just me, writing for fun and without filters.
Cheers to everyone who reached out after issue 1. It meant a lot.
So. Welcome back. Let's get into it.
The Question
This month's question was submitted by my mum. Which immediately tells you everything about how universal it is.
“Does bread make you fat?”
Context. She eats bread with her vegetable soup. She also makes her own bread from scratch. Five ingredients. Proper stuff. And for what it's worth, my mum is absolutely not fat.
So. Mum. Here is my honest answer.
No. Bread does not make you fat. But it's a bit more nuanced than that.
The issue is never really the ingredient itself. It's what you eat alongside it. A brownie is not inherently evil. But having two and adding a scoop of ice cream on top is overkill and entirely unnecessary. When it comes to carbs, your body uses what it needs immediately, stores the rest as glycogen, and converts anything beyond that to fat.
My mum's vegetable soup is already a great source of carbohydrates. Vegetables, lentils, a wee bit of potato. Adding two slices of bread alongside means stacking carbs on top of carbs. It's a bit like adding more salt to a meal that is already well seasoned.
Now, here is the other side of it. My mum makes her own bread with five ingredients. That is real food. Not the pish you get from the supermarket full of additives. Bread like my mum's genuinely adds nutritional value, not just extra carbs and calories. So in her case, the bread with the soup? Honestly, it is probably fine. She is not overdoing it. Mum, I love you.
The question worth asking before you reach for the bread basket is simply this: does it add anything you actually need to this meal other than flavour? If yes, enjoy every bite. If it's adding more carbs to your already carby plate, skip it. Eating out? Just say no when they bring the basket round. What you don't order, you can't eat. Out of sight, out of mouth.
Bread is not the problem. Overeating is, and that is what leads to weight gain. Bread is just too easy to eat in abundance.
No food group is bad. In fact, they are all wonderful and essential. Carbohydrates fuel you. Protein builds and repairs you. Fat keeps everything functioning. No villain in that lineup. Learn what each one does, learn to combine them well, and you will already be ahead of most people. It really isn't rocket science. It's just something most of us were never properly taught.
01
Post-workout nutrition. Protein isn't enough.
Everyone knows to have a protein shake after training. Shake it, neck it, job done. Right?
Not quite.
When you train hard, your muscles burn through their glycogen stores. That is your body's stored carbohydrate, and it needs to be replenished. Here is what most people miss. If you consume protein after a session without carbohydrates alongside it, your body may redirect that protein away from building and repairing muscle and use it to replenish energy instead. In other words, you are potentially wasting it.
Carbohydrates restore the glycogen, your muscle's energy reserve. Protein rebuilds the muscle. They work together, so consume them together.
How much of each?
A rough guide that works well in practice. If you are leaning up like I am currently for summer, aim for a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein. Two grams of carbs for every gram of protein. If you are in a growth phase and really pushing hard, take that up to 3:1. Giving it pure laldy? Go 4:1.
What about fats?
Ideally keep them out of your immediate post-workout window. Fat slows down absorption and right after training your body wants to move fast. There is plenty of time for fats later.
Here is what I personally do. I finish a session and within twenty minutes I have something quick, carbs and protein, nothing that requires cooking, nothing complicated. An hour or so later I sit down to a proper balanced meal that includes healthy fats. If I am rushing between clients and cannot get a full meal in, a handful or two of nuts bridges the gap nicely. It always takes the edge off.
Keep it simple.
Here's my current go-to. A smoothie. One large banana, two dates, a scoop of whey protein powder, a handful of frozen spinach, a pinch of salt, water and ice. Blend it, drink it, done. The banana and dates give you the fast-acting carbs, the whey handles the protein, and the spinach quietly does its thing without you tasting it. Hits the 2:1 ratio and then some.
No blender? A scoop of whey and any piece of fruit will do.
No fruit either? 45 grams of white raw sugar dissolved straight into your protein shake works just as well. I know what you are thinking. A personal trainer just told me to add straight sugar to my shake. Right after a strength session your muscles are depleted and they want fast acting glucose. This is one of the very few contexts where simple sugar is not only acceptable but genuinely useful. Post-workout is the one time your body is genuinely asking for it. Don't overthink it. it's also, genuinely, one of the best windows in the day to satisfy a sweet tooth without a second thought.
02
Coach's Pick: Muscle Forge Slant Board
Every issue I'm going to share one thing I am genuinely loving right now. It could be a piece of kit, a podcast, a song, an exercise, a food, an article. Anything, really. No sponsors, no paid placements. Just something I can't stop recommending.
This issue: Wedges. Not of the potato variety.
The Muscle Forge slant board was Amazon's choice so that's what I'm linking to but to be honest, they're all the same. White labelled, cheap as chips, delivered the next day and one piece of kit that myself and my clients are using on the daily.
Personally I don't have any issues with ankle mobility, but the extra range I get from using a wedge is something else entirely. By elevating the heels slightly, you can sit into a deeper, more upright squat. Better knee tracking, more depth, and crucially, your quads doing exactly the work they are supposed to be doing. Knees over toes, baby. That is where the quad magic lives. Before you go chasing that range though, a quick word. Knees over toes is a destination, not a starting point. You need to build genuine strength in your knees first before pushing into that position. Take it seriously. Rushing it is how people get hurt and safety should always be priority numero uno!
I use them with nearly every client on leg day. Squats, kettlebell deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats. The difference is instant, obvious and so satisfying, especially if you find yourself struggling to sit the weight back into your heels when you squat. The wedge corrects that naturally. No overthinking required, just a much more intuitive alignment.
Muscle Forge Slant Board on Amazon →
Chau for now.
Martin · Barcelona