If you want to know how to build muscle on of the most important tips you can pick up is learning to utilize the post-workout window for nutrition. Today we'll be looking into this and teaching you how to get the most out of it.
Building a better body is often made out to be almost rocket science when in truth it's the age old basic rules which still yield results. Despite all of the technological advances we have made in the industry, the basic rules of hypertrophy remain exactly the same.
Depending upon how long you have already been exercising you might have already come across this phenomenon. For a while, many regular exercise enthusiasts believed there was a 'magic window' and if you consume any kind of nutrition within this so-called magic window your body would be able to make excessive gains in the gym. Science then provided the proof to back up those claims. The most common questions on this subject are easily:
* What is the duration of the window?
* Are some foods superior to others after a workout?
* Why does this window even exist?
* What should you expect if you fail to hit the golden window?
Don't worry, folks. In today's post we will be answering all of the questions above. First of all let's take a look at the golden window itself and explain what it actually exists for. When you have exercised at a high intensity, i.e. you've just completed a workout in the gym, your body is literally starving to replace the nutrients it lost during the exercise session.
To put it simply, it wants food and it wants it immediately. To a large extent it doesn't even care what you eat, it's going to try to use as much energy from the food provided. If you provide it with an already nutritious food you really experience the benefits here.
The magic muscle building window closes after just forty five minutes so we want to be trying to provide it with all the nutrition it needs within that time.
It wouldn't make sense to eat some complex carbohydrates or any food type which is going to take the body 4-5 hours to break down...
The optimal post-workout meal is a combination of a whey protein shake, mixed with water for even quicker digestion, with some simple carbohydrates. The problem with simple carbs, of course, is that they are usually associated with fatty foods and it would be silly to eat junk food after a tough workout. So think about using a bowl of cereal or some fruit instead.
These provide your body with instant energy, which it's craving after you put it through the mill at the gym. It will do it's best to use absolutely everything you provide it with during this time, hence the term 'golden window', but the possibilities are magnificent if you focus on only providing it with healthy, nutritious food in the first place.
If you miss the window you probably won't realize it. It doesn't mean your workout was for nothing, it just means it could have been slightly better overall. People have been training for years now and still have no idea this even exists, so it's not going to be the end of the world by any means.
Knowing how to build muscle or how to lose weight effectively is one thing, of course. Doing it is another thing entirely. You're now the proud owner of the information many people in the gym never discover. Use it wisely and it can push your own results to the next level.
Building a better body is often made out to be almost rocket science when in truth it's the age old basic rules which still yield results. Despite all of the technological advances we have made in the industry, the basic rules of hypertrophy remain exactly the same.
Depending upon how long you have already been exercising you might have already come across this phenomenon. For a while, many regular exercise enthusiasts believed there was a 'magic window' and if you consume any kind of nutrition within this so-called magic window your body would be able to make excessive gains in the gym. Science then provided the proof to back up those claims. The most common questions on this subject are easily:
* What is the duration of the window?
* Are some foods superior to others after a workout?
* Why does this window even exist?
* What should you expect if you fail to hit the golden window?
To put it simply, it wants food and it wants it immediately. To a large extent it doesn't even care what you eat, it's going to try to use as much energy from the food provided. If you provide it with an already nutritious food you really experience the benefits here.
The magic muscle building window closes after just forty five minutes so we want to be trying to provide it with all the nutrition it needs within that time.
It wouldn't make sense to eat some complex carbohydrates or any food type which is going to take the body 4-5 hours to break down...
The optimal post-workout meal is a combination of a whey protein shake, mixed with water for even quicker digestion, with some simple carbohydrates. The problem with simple carbs, of course, is that they are usually associated with fatty foods and it would be silly to eat junk food after a tough workout. So think about using a bowl of cereal or some fruit instead.
These provide your body with instant energy, which it's craving after you put it through the mill at the gym. It will do it's best to use absolutely everything you provide it with during this time, hence the term 'golden window', but the possibilities are magnificent if you focus on only providing it with healthy, nutritious food in the first place.
If you miss the window you probably won't realize it. It doesn't mean your workout was for nothing, it just means it could have been slightly better overall. People have been training for years now and still have no idea this even exists, so it's not going to be the end of the world by any means.
Knowing how to build muscle or how to lose weight effectively is one thing, of course. Doing it is another thing entirely. You're now the proud owner of the information many people in the gym never discover. Use it wisely and it can push your own results to the next level.
About the Author:
About the author: Russ Howe PTI is the UK's most followed fitness instructor who teaches people how to build muscle and how to lose weight. Watch our free guide next to enhance your results in the gym.
