Bear’s Building Blocks: Staying Healthy as a Traveling Esports Athlete
Disclaimer: Always consult a medical professional before starting a new diet & exercise regime.
I used to be a personal trainer in Saudi Arabia, but this is a modified version of my workout regime so that any traveling esports professional can stay healthy.
General Tips:
+ Drink plenty of water; you should be drinking a cup at every meal and every few hours. Sip throughout the day. You don’t need to be that guy/gal with a gallon; just ensure you’re always hydrated.
+ Take the stairs instead of using an elevator or escalator. Always remember that the little movements you do and don’t do will determine how your body performs.
+ When you wake up, fully stretch your body and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat a few times to get your blood flowing. Try a yoga sequence of Mountain to Downward Dog to Plank to Cobra to Mountain; repeat that for 10 minutes, go slow and exaggerate your stretches to maximize blood flow & workout.
+ Never go longer than 3 hours without eating something; meal or a snack. The more frequent you eat; the more engaged and activated your metabolism kicks in.
+ Track your pedometer on your phone; go for walking more than 10,000 steps a day. Try to go out of your way to walk while maybe say texting or tweeting; you’ll be surprised on how much you walk of you safely tweet (like in your house or around a room; basically pacing back & forth)
Food:
At home
+ Your main focus should be the following:
Protein > Fats > Carbs; your main goal is to ensure you are eating plenty of dense protein items, healthy fats, and complex carbs
+ Groceries List:
Eggs, skim milk, Greek yogurt, whole grains, veggies, fruits, nuts, chicken breast, turkey meat (low sodium), dark green leafy veggies, protein bars (20 grams of protein minimum; make sure they are about 200 to 300 calories each! no more than that!)
Recommended Protein Bars: Quest Nutrition http://amzn.to/25Teu6T
Daily Food Routine
1st meal aka breakfast
eggs, whole grains, fruit; do not skip this meal!
Think: hearty carbs and protein
2nd meal aka snack #1
Choice of:
Greek Yogurt or handful of nuts (about a cup) like walnuts, almonds, or a nut mix (make sure they are dry roasted) or a protein bar
Think: I don’t want to starve this morning and I want a healthy snack.
3rd meal aka lunch
veggies, chicken, whole grains, and fruit.
Think: protein packed whole grain sandwich; skip the dressing!
4th meal aka Snack #2
Choice of:
Greek Yogurt or handful of nuts (about a cup) like walnuts, almonds, or a nut mix (make sure they are dry roasted) or a protein bar
Think: I don’t want to starve this afternoon but I want a healthy snack.
5th meal aka Dinner
Go for dark leafy greens and other vegetables, lean meats or fish
Think: Steamed meat + vegetables
6th meal aka Snack #3
Choice of:
Greek Yogurt or handful of nuts (about a cup) like walnuts, almonds, or a nut mix (make sure they are dry roasted) or a protein bar
Think: I don’t want to starve the night but I want a healthy snack.
Workouts:
If you don’t have a gym or time to go to one, here is what I recommend at home:
20- Minute Circuit (2 or 3 times a week)
Make sure you do this as a circuit, and you should rest a few minutes between each. After each circuit, rest 2 minutes then you should repeat it 4 times.
EXERCISE REPS
Bodyweight Squat 30
Incline Push-Up* 20
Burpees 20
Walking Lunge 20 total (10 per leg)
Standard Push-Up 20
Crunch & Leg Lifts 25 each (50 total)
*Feet up on a chair or couch.
You ideally want to combine this with a gym somehow where you can workout your 3 core movements: push, pulls, and legs
Meaning all you need to do when you go to the gym is alternate each day of Push (any machine where you push away from your body), Pull (any machine where you pull weight towards your body), and Legs (any machine that focuses on legs).
As for what machines and reps? I’ll list them below:
Push:
Bench Press 4 sets of 15 reps
Shoulder Press 4 sets of 15 reps
Dips 4 sets of 10 reps
Push-ups 3 sets of 20+ reps (to exhaustion)
Pull:
Lateral Pulldown (wide) 4 sets of 15 reps
Seated Row 4 sets of 15 reps
Lateral Pulldown (narrow) 4 sets of 15 reps
Pullup 3 sets of 10+ reps (to exhaustion)
Legs:
Leg Press 4 sets of 15 reps
Seated Leg Push 4 sets of 15 reps
Wall Sit 4 sets of 1 minute
Burpees 3 sets of 20+ (to exhaustion)
This may not be the most full proof plan for staying healthy but it’s important to just have a healthy mindset & ensure you strive to find whatever works for you.
Thank you for reading and lots of love & luck from Vegas.
Best,
Bear
Bassem [Bear] Dahdouh: Esports Event Manager & Tournament Director 