nutrition

Post-Workout Protein: Build Muscle Faster with this Combo

What to eat after exercise to max out muscle growth

You may already know that you should have a protein-rich snack after exercising, but are you actually getting the right kind to stimulate muscle growth? A new study from the University of Texas Medical Branch finds that eating a mix of protein types—whey, casein and soy—right after your workout may help you get bigger than just a single type of protein alone. That's because the combo of the three proteins seems to prolong the body’s amino acid (protein) delivery to muscles, increasing the amount of time that your pecks, lats and delts are in their "growth state." This happens because different forms of protein get absorbed by the body at different rates, researchers say. Soy is considered an “intermediate” deliverer of amino acids, whey is a “fast” protein and casein is a “slow” protein, taking a few hours to digest. The longer you can supply the muscle with amino acids, the better it is for growth and recovery, says Mark Cope, nutrition research scientist at Solae Global, the consumer goods company that founded the study. Since muscles need a full day or two to recover after strength training (not just 60 minutes), combining whey with soy and casein delivers a more balanced amino acid profile and provides a prolonged delivery of critical nutrients to the muscle. Not sure how to get this mass-maximizing combo without eating three different snacks? Look for ready-made protein smoothies, bars and products (like MHP’s Power Pak Pudding and PowerBar’s ProteinPlus Bites) that have a combination of whey and soy protein. You can also make your own post-workout protein snack by mixing milk (that's where you'll find casein), soy and whey powders, along with fruit and ice.

workout tips

How Do You Know If You’re Losing Fat Or Muscle?

“I’ve been using a body fat scale to let me know if I’m losing fat or muscle,” wrote one reader.

“But I’m not sure how much I can trust it, as the results seem to vary wildly.”

“How can I be sure that I’m losing fat rather than muscle?”

The honest answer is that you can’t. Not with any degree of accuracy anyway.

As I explain in Why I Just Threw My Expensive Body Fat Scales Out the Window, body fat scales are largely a waste of time. Skinfold calipers can be useful in some circumstances, but even they have their problems. Even “high tech” methods like DXA and underwater weighing can’t be trusted.

So what are you supposed to do?

Rather than spending a bunch of money on expensive body fat tests, I think you’re much better off using two simple metrics — your weight on the scales and your strength levels in the gym.

Scale Weight
The argument against using your scale weight to track your progress is that any loss in fat will be offset by a gain in muscle.

That is, if you lose 5 pounds of fat and gain 4 pounds of muscle, the scales will show that you’ve lost only 1 pound in weight.

While the theory sounds good, it doesn’t always work that way in practice.

Once you’ve moved past the “overweight beginner” stages of training, you won’t be building muscle at anything like the same speed at which you’re losing fat.

While you can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, you won’t do so at the same rate. The best that most people can hope for is to gain a relatively small amount of muscle while losing a much larger amount of fat.

For example, you might lose 6 pounds in weight over the course of a month. In reality, you might have lost 7 pounds of fat and gained 1 pound of muscle.

While the scales aren’t a completely accurate way to track your progress, they will tell you if you’re moving in the right direction.

I also recommend that you weigh yourself every day, rather than every week or every month.

Some advise against the practice of weighing yourself daily, mainly on the basis that your weight fluctuates from day to day.

But when you think about it, this is really an argument IN FAVOR of daily weighing.

Let’s say that you weigh yourself once a week, and that you stepped on the scales first thing this morning. Let’s also assume that the scales show that you’re one pound lighter than you were last week.

“Great,” you think to yourself. “Things are moving in the right direction.”

But are they really?

How do you know that today isn’t one of those days when your weight happened to fluctuate downwards? And that if you weighed yourself again tomorrow morning, it won’t have shifted upwards again?

A single weekly data point isn’t particularly useful when it comes to guiding your decisions about what to eat and how to exercise.

So instead of weighing yourself once a week, weigh yourself every day. Then take an average at the end of the week.

Any daily fluctuation in weight will be “averaged out” over time. Over a period of several weeks, you’ll be able to see a trend. If the trend isn’t downwards, you’ll know that some aspect of your diet and training program needs to change.

Strength
As long as your training is based on the guidelines set out here, and your workouts aren’t preceded by endless rounds of burpees and squat thrusts, your strength levels in the gym are also a good way to gauge your progress.

If you’re getting stronger (i.e. you can do more reps with the same weight, or a heavier weight for the same number of reps), there’s a good chance that, at the very least, you’re holding on to the muscle you have.

Muscle size and strength are not 100% correlated, and there are other factors (most notably your nervous system) that contribute to strength gains.

But for our purposes, the link is strong enough. If you’re gaining strength, you’re on the right track.

As you get leaner, your strength gains will slow down. Eventually you’ll reach the point where the best you can hope for is to simply maintain your strength. It’s not uncommon for competitive bodybuilders to lose strength in the weeks before a contest.

What this means is that you’ll need to modify your expectations as your body composition changes. All other things being equal, you’ll find it easier to gain strength while losing fat when you’re going from “overweight” to “lean” than you will going from “lean” to “ripped.”

Finally, keep in mind that muscle consists of a lot more than just contractile protein.

Take a close look at a slice of muscle tissue and you’ll find stored carbohydrate in the form of glycogen, fat stored both in and between muscle fibers, as well as water.

When you go on a diet, the amount of glycogen, water and fat stored in your muscles is going to drop. This can leave them looking a lot “flatter” than they otherwise would do.

When this happens, don’t panic. You’re not losing actual muscle protein. Rather, you’re just losing some of the things stored around those proteins, which are quickly and easily replaced.

nutrition

The same old protein shake everyday gets old!! Here

 are a few recipes to spice up that old shaker!!!

10 New Mouthwatering Protein Shake Recipes

I get numerous requests to post some of my favorite 

on-the-go recipes. Things that are fast, easy to make, 

packed with tons of heart healthy nutrients and super 

easy to make. I have decided to put together a list of 

my favorite protein shakes. I have made each of these

 at one time or another. You may not have all of the 

ingredients, so feel free to play around! If you don't 

have flax oil or coconut oil, find substitutions! When it 

comes to making protein shakes, it's all about trial and 

error. If it sounds good--try it!

nutrition

Have you ever wondered what to eat after the gym or street workout to correctly fuel your muscles for the best gains possible?

Here is your answer:

You've just completed a killer workout and you're cooling down. Your work is done, right? Well, not quite, not until you've taken care of the three "R's"—refuel, rebuild and rehydrate. Fifteen to 60 minutes following your workout, you need to eat and drink an appropriate carbohydrate to protein ratio. Protein helps rebuild muscles while carbs refuel depleted energy stores. 

So, what's the ratio?

The best post-workout choices are meals or snacks, or drinks, that have a 2:1 or 3:1 carb to protein ratio. The ratio depends on the intensity of your workout—2:1 for short, low-to-medium-intensity workouts and 3:1 for longer, harder sessions.

Ultimately, the best post-workout foods are the ones that work well for you.

If you prefer a post-workout drink:

Homemade and ready-to-drink protein shakes are a good choice. Depending on what you like, it can be as easy as adding a scoop of whey protein powder to eight ounces of milk. Research shows that a big glass of chocolate milk works just as well. Fruit juice with whey protein is another option.

If you need portable post-workout foods:

A protein bar

Whole-grain toast and peanut butter

Apple and Greek yogurt

English muffin and almond butter

If you're ready for a meal:

Eggs and wheat toast

Subway sandwich

Peanut butter and banana sandwich with chocolate milk

Chicken with pasta marinara

Chicken and rice

leg day

Don't be like this guy, too many men think they can just skip legs every week, here are 5 good reasons not too!



1. More Muscle. You can find studies showing that Squats & Deadlifts increase the release of Growth Hormone & Testosterone more than any other exercise. These are natural muscle building hormones.


2. Bigger Upper-body. Squats & Deadlifts work your whole body, not just your legs. Quick examples of how they stimulate upper-body growth too:

Your arms squeeze the bar hard during heavy Squats & Deadlifts.
Your abs work hard at stabilizing the weight during Squats.
Your chest muscles tense hard during heavy Deadlifts.
If you can't train your upper-body because of an injury, you can prevent muscle loss in your upper-body by doing heavy Squats & Deadlifts.


3. More Strength. Stronger legs and core muscles will increase your strength on upper-body lifts and thus help upper-body muscle development. Quick examples of how Squats & Deadlifts can cause strength gains on your other lifts:

Leg drive matters on the Bench Press. Stronger legs means more leg drive and a bigger bench, and thus bigger muscles.
Squats & Deadlifts strengthen your legs & lower back. These muscles help you stay strong during the Overhead Press.

4. Symmetry. I know I'm preaching all the time you shouldn't care about what other people think, but a big upper-body with toothpick legs looks ridiculous. And it shows a lack of ...


5. ... Mental Strength. Here's the real reason why people don't train their legs: it's physically & mentally hard. That's why doing Squats and Deadlifts will build your mental endurance & character like no other exercise.


Running Doesn't Count! Running, cycling or soccer will never work your legs like Squats & Deadlifts do. Include both exercises in your routine and you'll see how you'll get better at sports and how your upper-body will improve

nutrition

?? Looking to get your protein naturally, instead of with protein shake

Top 10 Foods Highest in Protein

Protein is a macro nutrient composed of amino acids that is necessary for the proper growth and function of the human body. While the body can manufacture several amino acids required for protein production, a set of essential amino acids needs to be obtained from animal and/or vegetable protein sources. Animal protein sources contain the complete set of essential amino acids, while all the essential amino acids can be obtained by eating a wide variety of plant foods. There is considerable debate over the amount of protein a person needs to consume per day, the current recommended daily intake (RDI) of protein is 46 grams for women aged 19-70 and 56 grams for men aged 19-70. Any excess protein consumed is turned into energy by the body, and it is controversial whether this excess protein causes a strain on the liver. A deficiency in protein leads to muscle atrophy, and impaired functioning of the human body in general. Below is a list of common foods with the highest protein to calorie ratio, for more information, see the sections on protein dense foods, other protein rich foods, low calorie high protein snacks, and protein isolates.

#1: Turkey Breast (and Chicken Breast)

Protein in 100g Half-Breast (306g) Protein to Calorie Ratio

30g 92g 1g protein per 4.5 calories

Chicken: Chicken Breast (58g) provides 17g protein. Chicken Leg (69g) provides 18g protein. Chicken Thigh (37g) provides 9g protein. 

#2: Fish (Tuna, Salmon, Halibut)

Protein in 100g 3oz Fillet (85g) Protein to Calorie Ratio

26g 22g 1g protein per 4.5 calories

Other fish high in protein per fillet(3oz or 85g): Tuna (22g), Salmon (22g), Halibut (22g), Snapper (22g), Perch(21g), Flounder and Sole (21g), Cod (20g), Tilapia (17g).

#3: Cheese (Low-fat Mozzarella and Cottage Cheese)

Protein in 100g 1oz Slice (28g) Protein to Calorie Ratio

32g 9g 1g protein per 4.7 calories

Other cheese high in protein per ounce(28g): Low-fat Cottage Cheese (5g), Low-fat Swiss Cheese (8g), Low-fat Cheddar (6g), Parmesan (10g), Romano (9g). *Low fat Mozzarella and Cottage cheese provide the most protein per calorie. 

#4: Pork Loin (Chops)

Protein in 100g 1 Chop (134g,~5oz) Protein to Calorie Ratio

25g 33g 1g protein per 5.2 calories

Sirloin Roast 3oz (28g) provides 23g of protein, Ham 3oz (28g) provides 18g of protein, 1 slice of bacon (8g) provides 3g of protein. 

#5: Lean Beef and Veal (Low Fat)

Protein in 100g 3oz Slice (85g) Protein to Calorie Ratio

36g 31g 1g protein per 5.3 calories

T-Bone Steak 3oz (28g) provides 19g of protein, 1 Piece of Beef Jerky (20g) provides 7g of protein. 

#6: Tofu

Protein in 100g 3oz Slice (85g) Protein to Calorie Ratio

7g 6g 1g protein per 7.4 calories

#7: Beans (Mature Soy Beans)

Protein in 100g 1 cup (172g) Protein to Calorie Ratio

17g 29g 1g protein per 10.4 calories

Other beans high in protein per cup cooked: Kidney Beans (17g), White Beans (17g), Lima Beans (15g), Fava Beans (14g), Black Beans (15g), Mung Beans (14g).

#8: Eggs (Especially Egg Whites)

Protein in 100g 1 Large Egg (50g) Protein to Calorie Ratio

13g 6g 1g protein per 12 calories

1 Egg White (33g) provides 4g protein, 1g protein to 4.4 calories.

#9: Yogurt, Milk, and Soymilk

Protein in 100g 1 cup (245g) Protein to Calorie Ratio

6g 14g 1g protein per 18 calories

1 cup skim milk (245g) provides 8g protein, 1 cup soymilk (243g) provides 8g protein.

#10: Nuts and Seeds (Pumpkin, Squash, and Watermelon Seeds, Peanuts, Almonds)

Protein in 100g 1 Ounce (28g) Protein to Calorie Ratio

33g 9g 1g protein per 15.8 calories

Other nuts and seeds high in protein (grams proten per ounce (28g)): Peanuts (7g), Almonds (6g), Pistachios 

(6g), Sunflower Seeds (6g), Flaxseed (5g), Mixed Nuts (4g).

Street workout video

the best video in my opinion :D

take a look