Written by Amy Stoltenberg.
Photo by Wesely Spear.
Samuel Carter IV is the Director of Fitness at SCAD, the lead trainer for SCAD athletes, and the man behind the “Coach Carter” smoothie at Smoothie King on Broughton Street. For almost a decade, the 1,220 calorie-packed protein shake has been a daily part of Carter’s workout routine.
“I walked into Smoothie King and I said ‘Give me the drink that has the most calories,'” said Carter. Employees gave him “The Hulk” smoothie, but when Carter wasn’t satisfied he modified the drink. He told Smoothie King, “I wanna take out the sugar and add more calories.'”
With this, the “Coach Carter” protein shake was born.
To help explain his modifications, Carter stressed that the “Coach Carter” smoothie is strictly for people who work out on the regular.
“If you have not taught your body how to resist weight – how to become a better body butter burner – then this drink is not for you,” Carter said.
Feeding the body nutrients after a tough workout is the main purpose of the “Coach Carter” because the smoothie satisfies the body’s racing, post-workout metabolism.
The fruity shake is filled with vitamins and minerals, as well as packed with whey protein. All in all, the drink contains more than 55 grams of protein, 38 grams of fat, and 122 grams of carbohydrates – enough to keep the 220-pound, 10%-body fat Coach Carter at his current weight.
“I lift a lot – six days a week – and I need to recover. I need to put the nutrients back into my body so that I can continue to burn calories, and so that I have enough calories to fuel my lifting for the next day,” said Carter. Consuming enough calories after a workout keeps him from losing muscle.
“The workout itself only burns about 200-300 calories – not that many – but it jacks up my muscles,” said Carter. “My metabolism is racing, saying ‘feed me feed me feed me.’ So I have to go to Smoothie King and get the 1,200-calorie drink to balance me out.”
Six days a week, after each of his workouts, Carter calls Smoothie King on his walk over to let them know how many people are coming with him and how many drinks to make. Carter is so popular with the staff that new employees actually receive a training course on how to make the “Coach Carter.”
According to Carter, Smoothie King employee Steven DeLuca makes the best smoothies in the world.
DeLuca described the shake as “a strawberry frappuccino-ish milkshake, but loaded with extra whey protein and on the healthier side.” The exact ingredients of the drink cannot be disclosed, but elements of vanilla, strawberry, and yogurt are included, as well as protein powder and ice cream.
“This drink is not ‘yo mama’s drink,’” said Carter. “It is not for the faint of heart. This drink is a specialty drink for people who lift hard.”