Dynamic Warm-up Movement Assessment

Here's something coaches can use tonight and parents can stick on the fridge.

A complete school-day fueling schedule — from breakfast at 6:45 AM through the optional late-night snack at 9 PM. Built around real timing windows, real food, and a real school schedule.

Screenshot it. Send it to the group chat. Put it on the fridge. Have your athlete run it for one week.

That's a week of better fueling with one text.

Full guide with the complete breakdown → https://criticalreload.com/what-to-eat-before-a-workout-high-school-athlete-guide-to-fueling/

Most pre-workout mistakes don't come from bad intentions. They come from not knowing what actually happens when you get it wrong.

Here are the six most common ones — and why each one backfires.

Showing up empty. You can't build on nothing. If lunch was skipped and practice is in an hour, the last sets are already gone.

Eating too much too close to training. A full burger combo 30 minutes before practice sits like a brick. It's not about eating less — it's about timing it right.

Relying on energy drinks. Caffeine wakes you up. It doesn't fuel your muscles. You still need carbs and water underneath it. An energy drink on an empty stomach isn't a pre-workout strategy — it's a gap in the plan.

Greasy, fried, or spicy food close to training. Takes longer to digest. Leaves athletes feeling sluggish or sick mid-practice. Save it for after.

Not drinking water all day. No snack covers dehydration. Sip steadily from the time you wake up — by the time you're thirsty at practice, you're already behind.

The "healthy" choice that backfires. Big salads with raw vegetables, beans, and lots of fiber are great for dinner. One hour before sprints? Rough. Timing and composition both matter.

Don't try to fix all six at once. Pick the mistake you make most. Fix that one first.

Full guide — with the right choices for every window → https://criticalreload.com/what-to-eat-before-a-workout-high-school-athlete-guide-to-fueling/

Here's something worth knowing if you're a parent of a high school athlete trying to manage their weight or build strength:

The pre-workout window is not the place to make cuts — and it's not the place to go heavy either. It's the place to match the fuel to the goal.

If your athlete is trying to build muscle and strength:
They need to show up to training fueled. More carbs, more protein, more total calories around practice time. A chicken and rice bowl or a turkey sandwich and fruit two hours before lift isn't excessive — it's the right call. Under-fueling in this group is one of the most common reasons young athletes plateau. Not lack of effort. Lack of fuel.

If your athlete is trying to stay lean or manage their weight:
The instinct is often to pull back on food before practice. That backfires. Skipping pre-workout fuel to lose weight usually means training weaker, recovering worse, and eating more later in the day. Cleaner choices in reasonable portions is the answer — not less food. Greek yogurt and berries, half a turkey sandwich on wheat, apple, and string cheese. Still fueled. Just cleaner.

The same line applies to both:

Pre-workout fuel is not the place to cut. It's the place to perform.

The full guide breaks both goals down with real food examples, timing guidance, and a school-day schedule athletes can actually follow on their own. Forward it to your athlete — or read it together and let them pick which plate matches their goal this season.

Read the full guide → https://criticalreload.com/what-to-eat-before-a-workout-high-school-athlete-guide-to-fueling/

Most parents send their athlete out the door and hope for the best when it comes to pre-practice food.

That's not a knock. There's a lot going on. But here's something worth knowing: you have more control over your athlete's pre-workout fueling than you probably realize — and it doesn't require a nutrition degree or a meal-prep Sunday.

It just requires knowing what's available at each location.

From home — the best scenario.
You stock it once and the week is covered. PB&J on wheat bread. Greek yogurt with granola and some berries. A bagel with cream cheese and a piece of fruit. Bowl of cereal with milk and a banana. These are solid 60–90 minute pre-practice options. Fast, cheap, and no real prep involved.

From the school cafeteria.
Most cafeterias have at least one solid option. A yogurt parfait and fruit. Half a sandwich and an apple. Crackers, a cheese stick, and some grapes. Your athlete needs to know it's there — and why it's a better call than the cookies.

From the gas station.
This is the one that surprises most parents. A gas station stop on the way to practice doesn't have to mean a bag of chips and an energy drink. A turkey or ham sub, a granola bar and a banana, a cheese stick and pretzels with a small sports drink — those are real pre-practice options. If your athlete knows the list, they can use it.

The point isn't perfection. It's that every situation has a better choice. Your athlete just needs to know what it is.

Share this with them. Better yet, send them the full guide — it includes timing windows, a complete school-day schedule, and a section on fueling by goal. It's the kind of thing they can actually use on their own once they've seen it.

Read the full guide → https://criticalreload.com/what-to-eat-before-a-workout-high-school-athlete-guide-to-fueling/

The goal isn't perfect. The goal is consistent.