Why Maximizing The Effectiveness of Your Post-Workout 

Meal is Critical For Maximum Gains

You may realize by now that providing your body with a constant intake of protein by eating 5-7 smaller nutrient-dense meals throughout the day is absolutely necessary to see major results from your training.  As important as this strategy is, it is often overlooked.  What is also often neglected?  The post-workout meal--the most important meal of the day for putting on quality muscle.  Why is this?

Well, the process of weight training creates a very unique "window of opportunity" for you to consume higher amounts of high-quality protein and carbohydrates.  During this short window of opportunity, your muscles are literally "primed" for growth.  After you get done with an intense, heavy weight training session, your muscles are stimulated and are able to take in many more nutrients at a temporarily increased rate.  You can (and should) make this post-workout meal a top priority by making it the largest meal of the day and by supplying your muscles with optimum nutrients that will be quickly absorbed.

Whole food like chicken, turkey, steak, rice, potatoes, protein powder, or carbohydrate supplements etc are all great examples.  You need to eat something that will be absorbed quickly and will capitalize on all your grueling efforts in the gym.

If you can drink a glass of water, you can handle a protein powder after you train. It is truly a "no-brainer" way to add significant mass in the shortest amount of time, yet I see so few people actually using this technique.  All the national and world-champion bodybuilders and fitness competitors that I have been able to speak with in my life, not one has ever said that they do not use a high-quality whey isolate protein powder (and creatine/carbohydrate mixture if they're looking to put on muscle, i.e. not just before a bodybuilding contest) after they train and throughout the day at regular intervals.  That alone should throw up a flag in your head.  Bottom line, if you're not using a high-quality whey isolate protein powder regularly and consistently, you're cheating yourself out of hard-earned muscle that you deserve.

Here is an outstanding post-workout supplement program, designed by the experts at Discount Nutrition Direct:

Discount Nutrition Direct Mass Building
Diet and Supplement Program

 

Meal 1 - 6:00AM

1 packet of Meal Replacement Powder mixed with 16 ounces of skim milk

Meal 2 - 9:00AM

2 servings Whey Protein Powder mixed in 10 ounces of skim milk
1 large apple

Meal 3 12:00PM

2 grilled chicken breasts
1 Serving Rice
1 cup of low-fat Yogurt
1 serving Whey Isolate Protein Powder in 8 ounces skim milk.

Meal 4 - 3:00PM

1 packet Meal Replacement Powder mixed with 16 ounces of skim milk
1 large banana

Meal 5 - 6:00PM (Post-workout)

2 servings Whey Isolate Protein Powder in fruit juice. (A Snapple drink works perfect and comes in many flavors for variety. This is an important meal and is designed for an insulin spike at just the right time.)

Meal 6 - 7:00PM

8 to 10 ounces of lean round or flank steak
1 large serving of rice
1 medium baked potato
1 large green salad

Meal 7 - 10:00PM

1 packet of Meal Replacement Powder mixed with 9 ounces of skim milk.
1 large banana

This is a very, very effective diet for adding muscle mass. Add this to an intense maximum-intensity training program and you can't help but put on muscle.

This diet and supplement program is designed to provide a steady supply of nitrogen yielding protein while actively maintaining proper insulin levels throughout the day. It also integrates with your workout and provides a potent insulin spiking meal to take advantage of the unique and very critical "window of opportunity" created by intense training.