So You Want More Energy for Life, Work, and Training
Low energy doesn’t just hit your workouts — it drags down your workdays, mood, and life outside the gym. Learn the real reasons you’re feeling drained and the nutrition and lifestyle fixes that actually work, from eating enough (and early) to identifying your personal energy leaks.
BLACK IRON RADIO EP. 272: So You Want More Energy for Life, Work, and Training
Krissy, Sabrina, and Maggie break down why low energy isn’t just a sleep problem and how nutrition, hydration, movement, recovery, and mental health all play a role. From front-loading your meals to ditching the all-day caffeine drip, they share practical strategies to boost energy for training, work, and everyday life — no gimmicks required.
📲 Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
If you’ve been dragging through your workouts, workdays, or life in general, it’s time to zoom out. Energy isn’t just about getting eight hours of sleep — although that helps — it’s the sum of how you eat, move, recover, and handle stress.
Why Energy Feels Low
Yes, poor sleep will knock you flat, but it’s rarely the only culprit. Undereating is a huge offender, especially for active people trying to juggle training, careers, and families. Eating just “for your workouts” ignores the rest of your daily demands — jobs, errands, kids, pets, and life still count. Add in erratic meal timing, skipped breakfasts, dehydration, nutrient deficiencies, or too much caffeine, and you’ve got a perfect storm for fatigue.
Then there’s the non-nutrition stuff: emotional burnout, mental health struggles, overtraining without enough recovery, or being sedentary outside your workouts. Movement is energizing — and no, that one training session doesn’t cancel out sitting for the other 23 hours of your day.
Nutrition Strategies That Actually Work
Eat enough — early. Front-load calories and protein earlier in the day instead of cramming half your intake before bed.
Balance your meals. Stable blood sugar beats the crash-and-burn from coffee-only mornings.
Don’t fear carbs or salt. If you train, you need more than the average person, especially around workouts.
Hydrate like you mean it. Water beats feeling like death. Track it if you have to.
Stay ahead of hunger. Waiting until you’re starving means you’ll overeat and tank your energy.
Lifestyle Habits That Boost Energy
Protect your sleep. Go to bed at the same time every night and ditch the doom scroll.
Get outside. Sunlight (or a light box in winter) helps regulate circadian rhythm.
Move on rest days. Walks, playtime with kids or dogs, light activity — it all counts.
Identify energy leaks. People, social media, and certain environments can drain you more than a hard workout.
Have hobbies. Something fun, creative, and completely unrelated to your training keeps your brain and mood fresh.
Set boundaries with work. Being “on” 24/7 will burn you out faster than any workout.
What to Stop Doing
Stop using caffeine in place of food, fasting when you’re training hard, demonizing carbs and rest, or expecting energy to appear before you fix your habits. Energy is something you support, not something you earn.
At Black Iron, more than half our clients come in feeling exhausted — sometimes without realizing how much of it comes down to a mix of small, fixable things. Our job is to help you put the puzzle together and build a plan that supports your life and goals, not just your workouts.
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If you enjoyed this conversation, check out more episodes of Black Iron Radio, where we cut through the noise and give you real, no-BS advice on feeling, performing, and looking your best. Each week we share practical nutrition, training, and wellness strategies and tips to help you succeed.
📲 Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
