Many folks new to working out and weight lifting routines are not aware that your muscles do not grow while you’re in the gym. If you’re still struggling to grow, chances are all you’re doing is hitting the gym and not paying enough attention to nutrition and recuperation. I guarantee you bigger and better results if you just take advantage of the post-workout window of opportunity and feed your muscles exactly what they want to grow.

The first thing you have to realize is that muscle growth does not take place while you’re working out. What you’re actually doing when you push and pull weights is stratching and tearing the muscles underneath your skin. Ever wonder why you get a pump in your targeted muscles… it’s your body reacting by rushing blood to the “injured” muscles. So if you don’t grow while you’re working out in the gym when do you grow?

Your muscles begin to grow when you leave the gym and you stop abusing them! You can give your msucles a chance to start growing right after your training session by just feeding them exactly want the want to start the rebuilding process.

Protein and carbohydrates are the two critical nutrients you need to consume immediately following a workout. If you’re going to consume sugar this is the best time of the day to do it. After a workout your body is starving…literally! There’s nothing left in your stomach and your body is getting ready to burn your muscles for energy since you burned all available fuel during your workout.There are three nutrients you can take to not only give your body fuel to burn but also give your muscles what they need to start growing!

The three nutrients you need to take are a simple carbohydrate or any kind of sugar really. Protein because your muscles are made up of protein and that’s what they need to grow. And finally you also want to take some kind of complex carbohydrate to give your body something to burn beyond the first half hour because sugar is normally broken down or stored within 30 minutes of consumption. Since you only have about 30 minutes to take advantage of this “post workout window of opportunity” the best way to consume all of these nutrients is usually in the form of a protein shake. Post workout protein shakes are a dime a dozen and you’re sure to find many at your local supplement shop.

You’ll also need to eat a meal consisting of protein and carbohydrates within 2 hours of your weight training session if you really want to pack on the muscle. Any type of red meat, chicken, turkey or fish will do for the protein and rice or potatoes are my favorites for the complex carbohydrate side. Once you realize that growing bigger muscles is more then just working out in the gym and going through your current bodybuilding workout program, you’ll be on the fast track to getting huge and reaping the full benefits of your workouts. Taking advantage of the post-workout window of opportunity is step one to reaching your muscles full potential but it should have a pretty dramatic impact on your growth.

Tags: Working Out //