Last week I had the opportunity to speak with Jeanette Pohlen, WNBA player for the Indiana Fever and a loyal Premier Protein fan. I love hearing how athletes get ready for big events and train in the off-season. I myself gave up basketball at the ripe age of 12 when I realized I was vertically challenged and perhaps basketball was not going to be my sport, but I can still relate to Jeanette’s tips for nutrition, fitness and all-around mindset when it comes to a healthy and balanced life.
Game Day Routine
As a pro athlete, Jeanette’s got her game day routine down. She makes sure to eat throughout the day, every few hours to get her metabolism going and staying strong all day. A typical game-day looks a little something like this: Breakfast of eggs, followed by a Premier Protein Shake, then time to shoot around, more food like pasta and/or a Premier Protein bar. As the game approaches, ½ a bagel with peanut butter.
When you’re performance is on the line and energy is needed, eat big enough meals throughout the day, along with snacks to keep you satisfied and full of power.
Injury & Changes
Being a pro ain’t easy. Jeanette’s had her fair share of set backs with a ACL and achilles injuries. Fortunately, Jeanette found the silver lining of these injuries. By not being able to be on the court each day like she was used to, she learned to balance her diet. When you’re on the court day in and day out you can eat whatever you want but when you’re sidelined, things are different. Jeanette focused on her diet and made sure to load up on vegetables, fruit, chicken and fish.
When it was time to get back to work, Jeanette was smart. She understood that when you’re injured you can’t simply go back to where you left off, you need to start small and build yourself back up. You need to pay close attention to general body movements, core strengthening and getting stronger all around. After each workout, Jeanette did a check-in with herself to insure things were feeling right. If something felt off, Jeanette dealt with it immediately. If you feel like something is wrong, it probably is. Take a second, see how you feel and give yourself a break. Certain pains are not meant to be pushed through. If you don’t give yourself that check-in, you may be causing yourself a longer recovery.
Jeanette found that once she was back on the court, she still kept up with her healthy eating habits and balanced diet. She mentioned that once you get into a clean eating routine, it’s hard to go back to your old ways (so true).
Goal Setting
Jeanette didn’t always have the WNBA on her radar. It wasn’t until her senior year of college that she realized this big huge goal could be a reality. Jeanette recommends setting goals both small and large. Don’t let a big goal scare you. Figure out your big goal then take the small steps to reach it; it won’t happen overnight. Don’t give up and remind yourself that you need to want it more and you need to work for it harder than everyone else.
Workouts Beyond the Court
Jeanette spends a lot of time on the court, but she makes sure to mix up her workouts to gain overall strength. While in-season it’s mostly basketball and the off season is a time where she increases workout variety to gain well-rounded strength. Plus, by mixing up your workouts you avoid the dreaded fitness burn out. In the off season you can find Jeanette taking spin, yoga, spending time in the weight room or playing tennis.
Favorite Premier Protein Products
We’re both fans of Premier Protein. It’s a huge portion of protein in each bar or shake while staying low in calories and sugar (each shake has 30 grams of protein, 160 calories and only 1 gram of sugar, unbeatable). Jeanette fell in love with Premier Protein about 4 years ago when she was in Costco looking for a high protein product to refuel after a tough workout. The shakes and bars are easy whether she’s working out at home or on the road for games. And likewise for us non-pro athletes, the products can be thrown in your gym bag for post-workout nutrition or can be stashed in your suitcase for travel. Jeanette’s favorites are the mint chocolate bars (which she always has in her purse just in case) and the chocolate shakes. When she has time she’ll blend her own shakes with Premier Protein chocolate powder, bananas and peanut butter, yum.
A big thank you to Jeanette and Premier Protein for partnering on this post! I hope that you can all take away some helpful hints form this pro baller.
*photos from Jeanette’s Instagram
