Alcohol and Training. Can you stay in shape while drinking every weekend?

When it comes to training obviously you will get better results if you don’t drink alcohol. However as a nation of alcoholics sometimes its just not an option to abstain from alcohol. Here are some tips on how to drink alcohol and still get results in the gym.

1.Before the Night Out

On the day of the night out always try and get a session in as you certainly won’t be going the next day. Unless of course you like torturing yourself which is strange and needs to be discussed, but is beyond the scope of this article. My personal preference is to train legs and do compound movements like squats and deadlifts until failure. Earn your night out. Also reduce your carbs as you know you will get plenty later from the insufferable amounts of alcohol consumed. I don’t change my alcoholic drinks to lower calorie drinks like vodka and soda water. Its a night out. Enjoy yourself. You want to let your hair down and make a complete show of yourself. 

2. The Day After

In the past when I have been hungover its been the day after that I have done the most damage. Getting up, ordering Dominos, then mcDonalds for dinner and then an avalanche of chocolate and jellies for desert. What I do now is skip the carbs for breakfast. You had enough carbs the night before from all the alcohol so have something simple that you enjoy like bacon, scrambled eggs and avocado, or yoghurt and fruit if you are a vegetarian. Buy your breakfast the day before. Preparation is key. Then get back into your normal eating routine. If you can’t resist the lure of delicious, greasy and satisfying fast food then order it but remember this isn't an excuse to go on an all out binge. Enjoy your pizza and then for your next meal go back to eating what you would normally have. One bad meal doesn't make a bad diet. Always drink as much water as possible as your body will be dehydrated. Isotonic drinks like coconut water are great as it is packed full of nutrients and will replace those essential electrolytes that exit the body especially if you spend the morning with your head down the toilet.

3. Monday Blues

Usually after a heavy night out at the weekend you will still be feeling the effects on a Monday. Alcohol effects your sleep so it can take a few days for your body to recover. It’s tempting to skip that Monday workout but this is the worst thing to do. Never miss a Monday workout - it sets you up for the week ahead. It will be tough but you will feel great after it. Train your favourite body part and reduce the time you would usually spend in the gym. Sometimes you will find that you will have a better workout trying to condense everything into a 30 minute workout instead of an hour long workout. If your gym has a sauna and steam room then use these afterwards to sweat out the remaining alcohol. However if you have completely overindulged over the weekend as the result of a heavy night out then learn from your mistakes and don’t dwell on them. 

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