Catapult Your Muscle Gains With Proper Post-Workout Nutrition

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The post-workout period is without a doubt the most critical time to take advantage of proper muscle-building nutrition. We’ll define the post workout period as the 3 hours that immediately follows an intense workout. It is during this time when the body is most primed for nutrient absorption and the muscles will literally act like a sponge, soaking up everything you present them with.

By feeding your body with the proper nutrients from both whole foods and supplements during this all-too important time frame you will greatly increase your muscle gains and improve your recovery time.

Let’s take a quick look at what needs to be accomplished after an intense workout:

1) Muscle breakdown must be minimized and the body must be put back into an anabolic, muscle-building state.

2) Blood sugar and glycogen levels must be restored.

3) Free radicals must be neutralized.

4) The muscles must be fed with proper nutrients to facilitate recovery and growth.

This can be accomplished by consuming 2 special “post-workout meals”.

The first meal should be consumed entirely in liquid form. Your body is in a high state of stress, literally starving for nutrients, and you need to replenish this imbalance in the fastest way possible. A liquid meal will be digested quicker than any other and will allow your body to start rebuilding itself immediately.

This post-workout shake should ideally contain the following:

1) 30-40 grams of whey protein.
2) 70-80 grams of simple sugar. (Dextrose is a great sugar to use)
3) 5 grams of creatine.
4) 5 grams of glutamine.

All of these ingredients should be mixed in water and consumed within half an hour of completing your workout. I would also suggest taking a high-potency multivitamin along with the shake. This simple liquid meal will go a long way in accelerating the muscle growth process and helping you to recover.

About 45 minutes to an hour after your post-workout shake, you should consume your second post-workout meal, which should come from whole foods. This meal should be rich in protein and high glycemic carbohydrates.

High glycemic carbohydrates are those that are broken down rapidly into the bloodstream. Some examples include, potatoes, white rice or rice cakes. Here are a couple of examples of what your second post-workout meal might look like:

1) 6oz steak, 1 potato, 1 glass of orange juice
2) 1 can of tuna, 100g rice cakes, 1 glass of grapefruit juice

This meal will continue to provide your starving muscles with the nutrients they require in order to synthesize new muscle tissue and restore glycogen levels. After this second meal there is still about 2 hours or so to take advantage of as best you can.Your goal in this 3-hour window is to consume as much high quality protein and high glycemic carbohydrates as you can.

Most lifters highly underestimate the value of the post-workout period and hinder their gains as a result. One of the biggest mistakes you could possibly make would be to ignore the value of this 3-hour period and to slack off on your protein and carb intake.

Treat the post-workout period with respect and prepare for a noticeable boost in your muscle size and strength gains.

There are also 3 other highly important times throughout the day to pay special attention to the foods and supplements that you consume. Visit my website by clicking the link below to find out what they are, and how to properly approach these periods for the best possible results...

About The Author

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned bodybuilding expert, fitness author, and creator of the most celebrated natural bodybuilding program online today: "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System".

If you can spare just 24 minutes a day, then you too can build a powerful new head-turning body that will skyrocket your confidence, drive gorgeous women crazy, and leave your friends, family and co-workers staring in disbelief... ALL in just a matter of months: www.MuscleGainTruth.com

The Dramatic Muscle-Building Benefits Of Glutamine

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Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in the human body and is arguably the most important in the process of building muscle and gaining strength.

It can be found naturally in food sources such as beans, poultry, fish and dairy products, but in order to consume a highly beneficial amount you should probably consider buying it in powdered form as a nutritional supplement. Most serious weightlifters and bodybuilders would consider glutamine as one of the most important supplements out there, and for good reason.

What exactly does glutamine do, and how is this beneficial to the muscle growth process?

Glutamine is best known for being an “anti-catabolic” agent. What this means is that rather than directly promoting the growth of new muscle tissue, glutamine works by preserving the muscle tissue that you have already built.

You see, muscle breakdown is occurring all the time. This naturally happens when you train intensely, when you don’t provide your body with enough protein or during the time that you are sleeping. This process is completely natural and is to be expected.

However, if you are training and eating properly, then your body is also synthesizing new muscle tissue throughout the day. Your overall muscle gains can be calculated by taking the rate of muscle growth and subtracting the rate of muscle breakdown. Glutamine helps by minimizing the rate of muscle breakdown, resulting in greater overall net gains in muscle mass.

Glutamine is also highly beneficial in the positive effect that it has on the immune system. Not only are your muscles heavily stressed from your workouts, but your entire immune system is stressed as well. Glutamine will help you to recover quicker in between your workouts and will also help to prevent you from getting sick.

I would recommend supplementing with 10 grams of glutamine daily in order to see the best results. Although glutamine will not provide any immediately noticeable results, you will definitely achieve greater muscle gains in the long term by using it.

Here are the two most important times to supplement with glutamine:

1) Within 30 minutes of completing your workout.

After an intense workout your body’s glutamine levels can drop by as much as 50%. In order to restore these levels the body will typically tap into the glutamine reservoirs within your muscle tissue. You should consume 5 grams at this time in order to keep your hard earned muscle in tact.

2) Right before bed.

Taking 5 grams of glutamine right before you decide to doze off will help to minimize muscle breakdown while you sleep and will also increase your body’s natural secretion of growth hormone, a powerful anabolic substance.

Here is a quick recap of the recommended dosages:

Workout Days: 5 grams post-workout, 5 grams before bed.
Non-Workout Days: 5 grams with an afternoon meal, 5 grams before bed.

Although glutamine will not provide any instant, dramatic muscle increases, you should be able to see by now that it is quite important in the overall muscle-building process and is a supplement that no serious weightlifter should be without.

If you're interested in learning about 4 other highly effective supplements that I would definitely recommend including in your program, click the link below to visit my website. I'll also teach you about several heavily marketed muscle-building supplements that you should steer clear of, and this could potentially save you hundreds or even thousands of your hard-earned dollars...

About The Author

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned bodybuilding expert, fitness author, and creator of the most celebrated natural bodybuilding program online today: "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System".

If you can spare just 24 minutes a day, then you too can build a powerful new head-turning body that will skyrocket your confidence, drive gorgeous women crazy, and leave your friends, family and co-workers staring in disbelief... ALL in just a matter of months: www.MuscleGainTruth.com

Multivitamins: A Necessary Muscle-Building Supplement Or A Waste Of Cash?

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One of the most currently debated issues in the supplement industry is in relation to the consumption of multivitamins and the role that they play in enhancing overall health both in and out of the gym.

Can bodybuilders benefit by supplementing with extra vitamins and minerals? Let's review some basic biology as well as the function of each specific vitamin in order to find the answer...

In the grand scheme of things, your body is basically one giant mass of chemical reactions. Each of these individual reactions is fueled by small proteins called enzymes, which work by lowering the amount of energy that is needed for a specific reaction to occur. Enzymes require the use of a "co-enzyme" which alters its shape and allows it to perform its job properly. Co-enzymes are also referred to as vitamins.

So when it all comes down it, vitamins are needed to fuel the thousands of chemical reactions going on within your body at all times. Not only does this play an important role in overall metabolism and body health, but it also plays a vital part in the muscle-building process.

Here is a list of the major vitamins and the ways in which they will aid you both in and out of the gym...

Vitamin A - Is crucial to the process of protein synthesis where individual amino acids are combined to form new muscle tissue. It also helps the body to produce glycogen, the stored form of carbohydrates within the body.

Vitamin B1 - Also known as "thiamine" and is heavily involved in protein metabolism as well as the production of hemoglobin which helps to carry oxygen around the body.

Vitamin B2 - Also known as "riboflavin" and aids in the fat burning process as well as helping the body to produce energy from carbohydrates.

Vitamin B3 - Also known as "niacin" and increases vasodilation within the muscle tissue, helping you to appear fuller and more vascular.

Vitamin B6 - Also known as "pyridoxine" and is very important because of its effect on protein digestion. Muscle-building diets require larger than normal amounts of protein, and this means that your body needs a higher amount of vitamin B6 than the average Joe.

Vitamin B12 - Also known as "cobalamin", vitamin b12 ensures that the brain and muscle tissue are communicating efficiently and this has a direct effect on muscle growth and coordination.

Biotin - Helps the body metabolize amino acids and produce energy during workouts.

Vitamin C - Heavily involved in amino acid metabolism and the formation of collagen. Collagen is found in your connective tissue and keeps your joints strong and healthy. Vitamin C also plays a role in the production of steroid hormones in the body and also enhances the absorption of iron. On top of all of this, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which flushes out free radicals and prevents damage to your body cells.

Vitamin D - Helps the body to absorb calcium and phosphorus more efficiently. Calcium is very important during muscle contractions and also helps to maintain strong bones and joints. Phosphorus is involved in the synthesis of ATP, the usable form of energy within the body.

Vitamin E - A very powerful antioxidant which helps to hunt out and neutralize free radicals. This will help to flush out many of the natural metabolic waste products your body produces and maintain the health of your cell membranes.

As you can clearly see above, vitamins play a very important role when it comes to building muscle and gaining strength. Hard training bodybuilders certainly require higher amounts of these vitamins than the average sedentary Joe, as these vitamins are depleted during intense sessions in the gym.

In addition, a calorie-dense diet requires a higher intake of vitamins to aid in the digestion process. In fact, being deficient in just one vitamin can literally affect thousands of small process within the body.

So, are multivitamins necessary for bodybuilders?

Absolutely!

From protein synthesis to energy metabolism to digestion to vasodilation, multivitamins should be an important part of any effective supplementation plan.

For an honest, unbiased review of over 20 of the most popular muscle-building supplements on the market today, visit my website by clicking the link below. You'll learn which supplements are worth your money and which are no more than pure marketing hype...

About The Author

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned bodybuilding expert, fitness author, and creator of the most celebrated natural bodybuilding program online today: "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System".

If you can spare just 24 minutes a day, then you too can build a powerful new head-turning body that will skyrocket your confidence, drive gorgeous women crazy, and leave your friends, family and co-workers staring in disbelief... ALL in just a matter of months: www.MuscleGainTruth.com

5 Reasons Why Alcohol Will Destroy Your Muscle Gains

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I receive emails every single day from aspiring muscle-builders all over the world, and one of the most common questions I’m asked is...

“Does drinking really affect the muscle growth process?”

I’m sorry to say it, but yes, too much alcohol will almost definitely have a significant negative impact on your muscle-building results. Alcohol is far more harmful than most people think, and it’s very important that you understand how this drug (yes, alcohol is a drug) is affecting your progress.

This is not an anti-drug speech, but if you’re serious about achieving a truly impressive physique, you should definitely be aware of the 5 main ways that alcohol is slowing down your gains…

1) It negatively affects protein synthesis.

Protein synthesis is the process where amino acids are joined together to form complete proteins. Excessive alcohol consumption slows this process down by up to 20%, and since your muscles are made up of protein, you can see how this is a problem.

2) It lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen.

Testosterone is the most important muscle-building hormone in your body. One of the limiting factors that determines how much muscle a person can gain is their level of free-flowing testosterone.

3) It causes dehydration.

The kidneys must filter very large amounts of water in order to break down the alcohol, and this can result in severe dehydration within the body. Water plays an absolutely crucial role in the muscle-building process, and being even slightly dehydrated is a recipe for disaster. The muscles alone are comprised of 70% water.

4) It depletes the body of vitamins and minerals.

Alcohol consumption causes vitamins A, C, the B's, calcium, zinc and phosphorus to all be drained at rapid rates. Vitamins and minerals keep every little process in your body functioning properly, and many of these processes involve muscle growth and maintenance.

5) It increases fat storage.

With 7 empty calories per gram, alcohol can actually be quite fattening. Alcohol also disrupts the Kreb’s Cycle, which plays an important role in fat burning.

It’s important to have fun in life, but too much fun can lead to problems. If you’re serious about achieving significant muscle-building results, you definitely need to monitor your intake of alcohol and make sure that you are consuming it in moderation.

A few drinks here and there shouldn’t be a problem, but if you find yourself drinking every weekend you can almost certainly kiss your muscle gains goodbye.

If you do decide to go out and party, make sure to drink plenty of water and to properly nourish yourself with vitamins/minerals and a protein rich meal.

I don’t recommend revolving your entire life around your muscle-building program, so don’t be afraid to go out and have a good time once in a while. Just make sure to keep your drinking nights infrequent (no more than once a month) and properly nourish yourself to lessen its effects. As long as you monitor what you’re doing you can achieve an impressive physique and have a social life at the same time.

Learn how to avoid other common, counterproductive mistakes both in and out of the gym by clicking the link below and visiting my website...

About The Author

Once an awkward, pencil-necked "social reject", Sean Nalewanyj is now a renowned bodybuilding expert, fitness author, and creator of the most celebrated natural bodybuilding program online today: "The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System".

If you can spare just 24 minutes a day, then you too can build a powerful new head-turning body that will skyrocket your confidence, drive gorgeous women crazy, and leave your friends, family and co-workers staring in disbelief... ALL in just a matter of months: www.MuscleGainTruth.com