Eating For Muscle Gain: Importance Of Pre-workout Nutrition

By Author: Sean Nalewanyj
Total Articles: 53
Comment this article

When it comes to your workouts, the old saying holds true: "If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail".

Every workout is a battle, and to succeed you need to be mentally and physically ready.

In this article, we will cover the physical side of preparedness by teaching you how to prime your body by eating for muscle gain before battling the weights.

Eating for muscle gain helps give your body the necessary tools to workout as effectively as possible because it ensures that you go into the gym at peak strength.

There are three main goals that you want to achieve when eating for muscle gain before a workout:

1) Maximize your strength potential.

2) Provide a steady stream of balanced energy for your mind and muscles throughout the workout.

3) Minimize muscle breakdown and provide the raw tools for your body to begin the recovery process once the workout is over.

Before a workout, eating for muscle gain doesn't start with solid food. Step one-ensure your body is properly hydrated before you begin your workout. Water plays a vital role in keeping strength and energy ...
... levels peaked, so always ensure that you've consumed an adequate amount of water in the few hours before you train.

Around 60 minutes prior to entering the gym you should consume your 'eating for muscle gain' pre-workout meal. Protein should be a big part of this meal. This protein will keep your body in an anabolic state throughout your workout and will help to prevent muscle breakdown as you train.

30-40 grams of protein from high quality sources such as whey protein and casein is the ideal mix. You can make this mixture by combining around 300-400ml of skim milk with 25-30 grams of whey protein.

As whey protein is naturally high in BCAA's, which help to prevent muscle catabolism during your workout, it's a smart pre-workout choice when eating for muscle gain. When you mix your whey with milk, the release of proteins is slowed and this helps provide your body with a constant stream of amino acids throughout your training session.

You should also get 1-2 portions of low-glycemic carbohydrates along with your protein. These carbs are ideal before a workout as they get broken down and gradually absorbed by your body, providing it with a steady stream of energy.

If you are eating for muscle gain, avoid high glycemic carbohydrates before your workout because they cause a surge of insulin to rapidly release in your bloodstream, to balance your elevated blood sugar levels. This will result in a quick rise in insulin levels followed by a sharp fall.

Once you experience a fall in insulin levels, you will feel tired, weak, and sluggish. Choose carbohydrates that won't cause this rapid fluctuation in insulin levels because it's the last thing that you want to experience in the middle of a high intensity workout.

Pre-workout carbohydrate choices such as oatmeal, apples, or brown rice will provide your body with a steady stream of sugars throughout the workout and will keep your energy levels peaked at all times.

The key to pre-workout nutrition, when eating for muscle gain, is to keep the portions small so that they can be easily digested and you don't feel sick during your workout. You should never, ever workout without consuming a pre-workout meal.

To summarize:

About 60 minutes prior to working out:

1) 25-30 grams of whey protein and 300-400ml of milk

2) 1-2 servings of oatmeal, brown rice, apples, or other slow release carbohydrates

I also have a cup or two of coffee before I workout to increase my energy and focus.
Access Your Bonus Gift: Uncover the dead-simple truth to get massive muscles with Sean Nalewanyj's famous 8-part bodybuilding tips course.