Parkour combines Running, Gymnastics & Athletics

…… and that’s just for starters !

Parkour is probably one of the most ‘extreme’ & exiting exercise sports you will encounter – and the ideal way to get your body into the ultimate condition & shape.

What is a parkour diet plan?

Most people will have seen the pictures of parkour enthusiast (called traceurs) jumping on walls, doing ‘somersaults’ etc.

Parkour will tax every element of your body, you will need to be extremely fit, full or energy, stamina and at your ideal weight.

As with all sports your parkour diet plan needs to be a key element of your training, where you need to be at the ideal weight, have enough ‘fuel’ in your system to keep you going and provide the right nutrients to help your muscles recover after training.

How hard is it?

Just watch the video of a great training exercise in London below to find out..

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And the best parkour diet plan?

There are 3 key elements you will need to focus on :

1. Get to your ideal weight
2. The right ‘fuel’ to boost energy, stamina and concentration
3. Re-fuel afterwards to help your muscles recover

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Taking them in turn..

1. The ideal parkour weight

You don’t want to have any excess weight (to carry around) or be to ‘skinny’ (so you don’t have enough reserves)

It is very important that you get to your ideal weight :

1a – If you need to lose weight…

Yes parkour will help you lose weight – because you will burn a lot of calories during training or when you start.

But try to start on a diet plan asap – so you get rid of those extra lbs as quickly as possible.

Because it’s simply a lot easier to lift lean muscle over a wall than a ‘bag of flab’ !

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1b – If you need to gain weight…

As mentioned above parkour will burn calories. If you don’t have any spare ‘fuel’ in your system this will reduce your energy levels and stamina.

Either start with one of our weight gain plans to help you gain weight – or make sure you have a specialised sports drink before you start, see below.

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As with all exercise (the gym, fitness classes, etc.) your diet plan during the week will have more of an impact on your weight, then the time you spent training.

That is why the first stage is to use the right diet plan (every day) to help you get to your ideal weight.

2. Before & During Parkour

Yes parkour is like an extreme sport – but don’t forget the whole objective is to make it fun (and look good !). This is where your parkour diet plan (your fuel) can make all the difference – not only helping your energy levels & stamina, but also with your focus and concentration (so you make less or no mistakes)

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When you are just starting

When you are starting begin with a very ‘simple’ diet plan.

Just make sure you eat a light balanced meal approximately two hours before to help fuel your performance, not only in boosting your energy & stamina – but also helping your muscles & recovery. Examples of great pre-workout meals include

• A sport shake or smoothie with fresh fruit and non-fat milk,
• Whole-wheat bread with peanut butter and a glass of low fat milk or
• Oatmeal with nuts and berries and an egg on the side.

The whole objective of a ‘training diet’ is to provide you with enough fuel for energy (with your body fat also helping) and ideally top-up with protein afterwards to help your muscles, see below.

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When you are ‘ready to go’

As your training ‘intensifies’ you will need to increase your carbohydrate intake.

The reason is that parkour requires tremendous focus and attention – you simply can’t afford to make mistakes, and your nutrition will be a key element to this.

Because when you get tired (or run out of fuel) you are >more likely to make mistakes. There are 2 options you can use:

1. Eating the right foods…

Again, keep your parkour diet plan as simple as possible.

1.a Two nights before

This should be your carbo-loading night, the time for you to splurge on extra pasta, sweet potatoes or other carbohydrates. This will ensure that your body’s carbohydrate stores are fully topped off and that you will have as much fuel in the tank as possible.

1.b The day before

Try to avoid excess salty and fatty foods and alcohol. The key is to eat foods you normally eat instead of trying anything drastic that may upset your system. If possible, focus on getting a balance of carbohydrates, lean proteins and some healthy fats.

1.c Two hours before

Try to eat a light snack or enjoy a shake to provide you with ‘short term’ fuel.

2. Using products…

Following the right parkour diet plan might sound great – but it’s a lot easier to use specialised sports nutrition products.

For example there are specialised sports drinks designed to provide extra calories, and to help boost energy & stamina.

Simply drink it within about 1 hour before you start

But…

Do not forget to

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate ! Make sure you have enough ‘fluid’ in your system to keep you going. And top up ‘as you go along’ – especially for parkour this can be difficult as you will ‘need both hands’ ! (but you can always leave a sports bottle somewhere safe)

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After Parkour

There is a ‘window of opportunity’ a few hours after you stop – where your muscles are at their most receptive for being ‘refueled’

In very simple terms this means you need to provide them with high quality protein (as that is what your muscles cells need to rebuild) – however for ‘serous athletes’ it is a slightly more complex and you will be struggling to provide your body with the exact right blend of foods to get best recovery results.

That is why professional athletes will use specialised post-exercise recovery drinks.

The reason is that recovering after intense activity requires both replenishing glycogen and rebuilding muscle. The right recovery drinks contain an engineered blend of carbohydrates to help jump-start glycogen replenishment. A selected blend of milk protein, glutamine and L-Carnitine aid muscle recovery and help support the immune system. Quickly metabolised whey protein, and slower-release casein protein create a rapid and sustained muscle building state.

Summary…

Your ideal parkour diet plan will be tailored to your current level – just starting or serious.

1. A healthy balanced diet is key, as is getting to your ideal body weight. You don’t want to carry any excess weight or be to skinny.

2. Plan your diet in advance – for example your meal 2 days before you go is important as well as a ‘snack’ or light meal 2 hours before !

3. Specialised drinks like prolong or rebuild endurance are a far easier option.

4. And whatever you do – do not forget to hydrate (drink fluid) before you start.

Interested in Parkour ?

The national organisation (Parkour UK) provides advice on local training events.

Want to try a Parkour Diet Plan?

If you want to get the best possible parkour results then a very easy way is to have a look at the one to one advice system below: