Is A Workout Meal Before Weight Lifting Beneficial In Boosting Muscle Gain?

Mar 18
09:17

2009

Francesco Castano

Francesco Castano

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Meal timing is often discussed in bodybuilding forums, with some deciding to engage in their weight training workouts without having consumed a meal. But is doing so detrimental to muscle growth?

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Diet is one of the most confusing aspects of muscle building,Is A Workout Meal Before Weight Lifting Beneficial In Boosting Muscle Gain? Articles and many bodybuilders achieve disappointing progress specifically due to serious diet mistakes. Those who aim to build muscle mass are often curious as to exactly when they should plan to consume meals, especially in relation to the bodybuilding workout itself, with some aiming to ingest a complete meal prior to their workout, and others abstaining from food before an intense weight lifting session, with a feeling that more fat burning will occur when food is limited prior to an exercise period.

Obviously, these conflicting opinions create much frustration for the bodybuilder who is pursuing maximum muscle building results, but there is a clear answer in regards to eating before weight lifting, in that doing so is extremely beneficial for muscle building. In fact, intensity must remain extremely high for a workout to effectively enhance muscle mass, and this becomes overwhelming for most when attempting to perform a weight lifting session on an empty stomach. For those who plan early morning workouts, this becomes especially problematic, as energy suffers due to the evening fast, and even though performing a bodybuilding workout in such a scenario is certainly possible, intensity will suffer greatly, which leads to lackluster muscle building results.

The best diet technique is to fuel the body with a properly balanced carbohydrate and protein meal prior to a weight lifting session, as protein is always used by the body for recovery and to build new muscle mass, while carbohydrates are the primary fuel for intense workout periods, and designing a meal with ample carbohydrates preceding a bodybuilding workout will allow energy levels to dramatically improve intensity, sending muscle gains to new heights. Some suffer from feelings of illness when consuming a meal in proximity to weight lifting, but this does not signal that a workout must be performed on an empty stomach, as the spacing between the workout meal and training can extend to the minimum necessary for a bodybuilder to train without experiencing feelings of nausea, which will greatly improve results.

There are bodybuilders who have no choice but to perform their weight training sessions prior to work, otherwise they will either not have the time for a workout, or are likely to become busy as the day progresses and avoid their weight lifting obligations, therefore, in such circumstances, it's far better to perform a workout in the morning without the benefit of a meal preceding such a session than to potentially skip workouts, but if there is any possible way to consume a meal at least 30 minutes prior to a weight lifting workout (60-90 minutes is preferable), then doing so will greatly enhance long term muscle gains.

Bodybuilding is not the most enjoyable activity, but the progress achieved when using a potent training and diet plan are motivational, extremely worthwhile, but many experience a feeling of negativity towards their workouts that encourages inconsistency specifically due to poor eating habits, as the absence of a properly structured meal prior to a weight lifting session can sap all desire to train. Even those who aim to burn fat benefit from eating before their workout, as a correctly structured meal will not interfere with fat burning, and in fact, withholding food can slow metabolism and result in muscle loss, which harms physical appearance, and will adversely impact the rate of fat loss. Since many accept incorrect muscle building or fat reduction diet advice found in magazines or on popular Internet fitness sites, they become convinced that certain methods, such as avoiding food before a bodybuilding workout, is helpful to long term results, when in fact, such methods are the very reason why numerous bodybuilders build muscle mass at a slower than expected pace, and those seeking fat loss lose muscle at an alarming rate, or find that fat reduction is far less visible and dramatic than the initial expectations.

Do not allow hunger to become the determining factor for whether you eat prior to a weight lifting session, as even those with tiny appetites must consume sufficient nutrition before a workout, and there are numerous convenient, quick to prepare, and easy to consume carbohydrate and protein sources that will make a meal prior to weight lifting fun to consume, and simple to digest.