Eating a nutritious diet with the foods you love doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. For people training hard and requiring fuel in the form of food we need to be smart when it comes to shopping. In todays episode of the Dobcast I break down a weekly shop that I do to cover all bases. For me I break my shop into 5 sections, proteins, carbs, fruits, vegetables and snacks(which generally cover my fats) and allow me to perform and recover while not losing my mind being overly restrictive. Following the 80/20 rule works well for me and is good for the wallet and the mind! This episode is all about convenience and cost effective shopping!

The single greatest tool in your nutritional arsenal. Tracking food puts you in control and educates you on the fuel your putting into your body allowing you to hit your goals and build nutritional habits that align with your lifestyle and preferences. You don't need to track forever just for as long as it takes to learn the basics. If you have never tracked before its highly advisable because once you learn you will have the power to eat what you want without sabotaging your efforts in the gym and be able to make sustainable dietary choices and informed decisions that will stay with you for life long after you stop tracking.

This weeks episode of the Dobcast is one which I personally have been looking forward to for some time. Being a huge fan of CBD products, for both recovery and sleep, and a very happy customer of Little Collins CBD Dispensary here in Galway, it was an honour to have JP O'Brien on the podcast. JP and his family left Australia where CBD is only available on prescription and generally not legal to come to Ireland and see through their vision of a CBD dispensary. Lots of value in this episode and great to learn from JP! CBD helps people in all walks of life and is something I believe everyone should keep in mind as an option! If you hav'nt already check out the shop or the online store at https://littlecollinscbd.com/

An injury can take its toll both physically and mentally however its something that almost everyone who trains or takes part in sport will experience at some stage. I personally suffered a setback of 5 months which is not huge in the scale of life but a setback none the less. This weeks episode covers lessons learned with regard to recovery, mindset, keeping the head in a good place and using your injury to your advantage as much as possible by strengthening other areas in life.

Jack Middleton is an Irish endurance athlete currently 14 weeks out from Marathon Des Sables, a 250km ultra marathon through the Sahara Desert over the course of 6 days. We discuss Jacks road to competing in such a grueling event, his training and the mental toughness built through endurance training. Check out his new instagram page where he'l be documenting his journey, training etc. @officialjackmiddleton

That time of the year where everyone is gyming with the best of intentions however how efficient are you being with your time and are you picking the best training split if body composition is the goal? Choose your frequency and then your split. I would recommend listening to the definitions before deciding on your frequency. Times are below so you can skip to your preferred frequency.

0-6 mins intro and definitions, 6-8 mins 2 day split, 8-11 minutes 3 day split, 11-15 mins 4 day split, 15-18 mins 5 day split 18-20 mins 6 day split.

Its that time of the year again and once the food comas and hangovers have passed us by many of us will be attacking the new year with goals/resolutions. However very few people manage to stick to new years resolutions so why is it so hard to maintain? Goal setting is a skill and you need to have a plan or framework in order to make sustainable change and set yourself up for success. This episodes shares my thoughts and protocols of what works best for me. If your guilty of the all or nothing approach like me you may find this system works for you too!

Should I be doing intermittent fasting?

How do I go about keeping protein high?

How often should I train each body part?

Are BCAAs a waste of my money?

How do I improve my squat depth?

Do I need to track my training?

Its that time of the year and the countdown is on until Christmas. This weeks episode covers some tips and strategies that when used together should help to mitigate the negative effects of the Christmas in terms of unwanted weight gain. Small tweaks here and there could be the difference between maintaining or gaining weight over the holidays.