Rodney

Eat stuff that's more easily assimilated for energy. The cereal and energy bar aren't doing it; in fact, your body's still using energy to break them down.

First thing in the morning especially, the first 20 minutes/half hour of aerobic exercise are hard because you're using stored carbs alone. Then after a while, your body starts to draw on fat for energy and everything gets easy. To start out better , you need to eat something that your body can grab hold easily of and assimilate almost effortlessly.

I don't know from powergels, but what does work for me, even if it isn't politically correct, is good fat, especially vegetable fat. It could be in the form of an avocado, but frankly, before a good weight workout I eat two ounces of super-high quality chocolate (at least 70 percent cocoa, it's almost bitter) and it'll give me the extra oomph I need to spent an intense 90 minutes with the weights without fading. Goes to liquid in your mouth almost immediately, is easy to digest. Also doesn't goose your blood sugar so bad; there's no sugar rush and subsequent crash. It stays with you.