Lifestyle

Seven-Time CrossFit Games Competitor Cole Sager Showcases Full Day of Eating

May 11, 2021 by
Enjoying Morning Chalk Up? Access additional exclusive interviews, analyses, and stories with an Rx membership.

With the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games approaching, the Morning Chalk Up reached out to multiple top-level CrossFit athletes to create a video series that digs deeper into their approach to fitness and nutrition. Cole Sager, Alison Scudds, and Kelsey Kiel all responded and provided insight into their training and daily eating routine.

Remind me: Sager burst onto the CrossFit scene in 2013, shortly after his college football career at the University of Washington came to an end. He won the North West Regional in 2014, making his first appearance at the Games. Sager has since competed at the Games every year, posting a career-best finish of fifth in 2016. 

Proper fuel for training: Sager is not a CrossFit athlete that gets up and begins training on an empty stomach as he prepares to push for another appearance at the Games. He first fuels his body for the work ahead of him. Sager’s breakfast is fairly straightforward and features only one ingredient. 

  • “First thing on the docket, I like to come downstairs and get food started,” Sager explained. “I’m a hungry dude. My main focus with food is I’m eating for performance. I really don’t adhere to any diet other than I try to hit my macros, so I track and weigh my food.”
  • “So first up on the docket is steel-cut oats to kind of get the body in an anabolic state to prep for training. We’ll crush that and then we’ll get to the rest of the day.” 

Time to work: Once Sager eats his breakfast, he prepares for the next part of the day — training. He has a gym set up in his garage, which features a Trueform Runner, a pegboard, gymnastic rings, a rope, and many other pieces of critical equipment for his career path. Like many CrossFit athletes, Sager did not fully reveal the details of his training session but he showed some glimpses of his work. 

Post-workout fuel: Once Sager finishes his first session of the day, he immediately begins to help his body recover. He fuels up with a post-workout smoothie that features supplements from BPN, Kroger’s natural creamy peanut butter, and other ingredients. 

  • “Now my main focus coming off of a training session is I just want to get some protein in me and some carbohydrates,” Sager said. “Every three hours or so, I’m looking to get 30-50 grams of protein somewhere in there.”
  • “So, protein shake within 30 minutes following training. A bread roll because who doesn’t like some bread? Here’s a life hack for you: add salt to your protein shakes. It’s delicious unless it’s fruity, then it’s kind of weird.” 

As a loving husband and a new father, Sager has to carefully balance his time. He doesn’t have as many opportunities to cook, so he relies on a meal-delivery service. Specifically, Trifecta sends him a box of ready-to-eat meals so he can grab and go. Some featured breakfast options while others had broccoli, rice, and a protein source. 

  • “If you’re wondering what meals to order from Trifecta, my vote is the chicken sausage, scrambled eggs, and potatoes. Money!”
  • “I used to whip up a lot of salads for dinner, but since Genasee and I had our little baby boy, I’ve really come to appreciate a simple meal.”

Capping off the day: With breakfast and lunch complete, Sager caps off his day with two more meals. He pulls out another Trifecta box for dinner, tossing chicken, broccoli, and rice over some beans that his father-in-law cooked. His final meal is a dessert of sorts, but Sager does not crack open a pint of ice cream. 

  • “I like to finish the day with a little treat,” Sager explained. “I’m not saying a treat like candy, but one of the things I love that I’m going to have tonight is Grape Nuts. I love some Grape Nuts.”
  • “Take some Grape Nuts, peanut butter, and honey, mix it together. And it’s just an awesome little snack to round my day out with.” Sager did not specifically mention another ingredient, but he showed himself dropping chocolate chips into the bowl of Grape Nuts. 

Bottom line: Sager has seen some significant changes in his life, but he is embracing them as the 2021 CrossFit Games season continues. He still puts an emphasis on his training and nutrition, but he does not let them distract him from being a loving husband and father. He just simplifies the process. 

Get the Newsletter

For a daily digest of all things CrossFit. Community, Competitions, Athletes, Tips, Recipes, Deals and more.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.