Three cups of Green Tea a day has been shown to help with muscle recovery.
I get a ton of questions about pre-workout nutrition, post workout nutrition, what I use as far as supplements are concerned and so forth. So, I figured I’d answer all of those emails with one awesome blog post 🙂
You’ve heard it from me a lot; that the hour before, during, and after your workout are the 3 most important hours of your day – when you’re training of course. Well, here’s exactly how mine go. Meals and supplements included.
Pre Workout
I usually lift at around 5 o’clock with a buddy or two. An hour before I head to the gym I’ll be eating my pre-workout meal. This meal consists of high proteins, slow carbs, with some fats thrown in there as well. This is usually a meal where I eat my left-overs from the night before.
I don’t have a ton of time to prepare a meal, so I want what’s fast, healthy, and ready to be consumed. I’ll have a portion of protein (steak, chicken, lean pork, fish, ground beef), a portion of carbohydrates (whole wheat pasta, brown rice, veggies), and some fats as well (could be the steak or fish, fish oils, or nuts such as almonds or walnuts).
Why have that meal an hour before?
You don’t want to go into your workout on a full stomach by eating too close to your session. Some guys prefer to have this meal an hour and a half to two hours before their workout. To be honest, whatever your personal preference is, is fine. I find that a meal an hour before gives me a nice energy boost, and it doesn’t leave me feeling full or bloated.
Try both, and go with what you like best.
15 minutes Before My Workout
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I have a pre-workout supplement 15 minutes before I head to the gym. It’s packed full of the nutrients I need to both give me a nice little boost, but also give me the pump I want in my muscles. It has some caffeine in there as well which helps with the energy levels, as well as creatine and glutamine that help with recovery.
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During Workout
I call this my during workout nutrition, but you could call it your post workout shake. Either way, you want to have a
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shake that’s high in fast carbs – you can use a gatorade-type sports drink, or a carbohydrate supplement (I’ve used both). This will spike your insulin levels. Insulin is an absorption hormone. Higher insulin levels means your body will absorb more of what you put into it, faster.
During a workout you’re also pumping your muscles full of blood. This will mean that whatever you have right after – or during and after – your workout will be absorbed to the right places. Which is also why you want to add a good protein powder to the mix as well.
I use BlueStar Nutraceutical’s ISO-SMOOTH blend which has 3 types of protein which will give you 3 different release times. It’s the best protein around and I’d suggest anyone and everyone to give it a shot.
Post Workout
Maybe the most important meal of the day.
You’ve raised your insulin levels with a high “fast carbs” drink. Now it’s time to give your muscles what they crave as far as nutrients and calories. This meal is incredibly important for building lean muscle mass.
I keep my post workout meal pretty low in fats. I have a very high fat diet other than the meals that are around my workouts – especially in the morning and at night. My favorite post-workout meal is French toast.
I use a whole carton of eggs whites which ends up being around 18 egg whites. Whatever isn’t soaked up by the 3 slices of bread, I’ll scramble. Add in a bit of vanilla extract, and lightly cover the pan with oil. Add cinnamon onto one side of the bread when it’s on the pan. Cinnamon is great for you as it changes the way we process carbohydrates, but it also tastes awesome. I’ll top it off with a bit of some all-natural maple syrup.
Slice up some carrots, broccoli, and cucumbers to have on the side as well. The more nutrients you can take in, the better.
Trying to Gain Lean Muscle?
When you’re trying to gain lean muscle, you have to kick your ass in the gym. I mean really work hard. It doesn’t have to be for long, but you have to put your muscles through some serious pain in a relatively short time. The second step is recovering. You can’t have one without the other.
My ‘3 hour routine’ is designed to break down as much muscle as possible, then recover. During and after your workout, make sure you’re giving your body enough carbohydrates and proteins – DO NOT chince on either of them.
What does your pre, post, and during workout nutrition look like?
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