“The Muscle Couple Mix”-Protein Before-During and After Training

The Muscle Couple has made it a personal mission to tell all their friends and even enemies over the years of the importance of “Post-Workout Protein“.  You can’t change your appearance without it. It’s Commandment #1 of the 10 Commandments of Physique Improvement for Men .  

But what if it was becoming just as important to consume protein right before and during your training?  

 

It’s Best To Drink Your Protein Shake Mixture Right Before and During Training?

It appears the latest research is showing just that.  There is a compelling body of evidence the right mixture of nutrients(notably Fast Acting Whey Protein and Simple Carbs), taken at key points in the skeletal tissue regeneration cycle, will optimize improvements in muscle tissue growth, strength, and enhance recovery from exercise.  There appears to be true synergy between these nutrients. Much of the data also confirms these nutrients, taken both before and after training, have a greater effect on lean mass and strength than when taken at other times of the day.

Additional recent studies and data have shown the most efficient way to stay in an anabolic state throughout your workout is to Consume 20-30 gms of FAST DIGESTING PROTEIN before you train.  The amino acids from the protein will stay in your bloodstream as you train helping to prevent muscle tissue catabolism or breakdown during your training.

So putting all of this together it appears there is a “Workout Window” before-during and after your training where your body is primed to absorb the nutrients provided by fast acting protein and simple sugars(carbs).  If you want to optimize your nutrition to gain muscle mass, strength and enhance recovery, it’s vital to consume this combination during this “window”.

So what is the best strategy to achieve this? 

You can utilize the:  

The Muscle Couple Mix 

Mix 35-70gms of high quality whey with 60-80g of high GI carbs (such as glucose, sucrose or maltodextrin, etc.,)in shaker bottle and carry it with you to the gym. Drink half before and during training, and the other half immediately following your workout. 

If you do this at every workout, you will be well on your way to ensuring you are taking advantage of the most cutting edge nutritional strategies available today.   There are even additional supplements  you could add to this concoction like Creatine, Glutamine and even Nitrogen Oxide stimulators.  Sounds like a topic for another Blog we’ll discuss in the near future.  

Have a great day!

MIHWCS

Best of the Muscle Couple from the Last 3 Months

The Muscle Couple wants to thank our loyal fans and followers.  

Thanks to Keith at KCDesignz for Our Sick New Logos

Our site’s traffic and readership is starting to explode!  We thought we’d call out a couple of our favorite articles from the last 3 months as a quick summary for our new readers.

Remember you can follow our articles on your Blackberry thru Viigo:  <Interests & Lifestyle> – <Health & Fitness>- <Gym Technik-Mobile Fitness>-

You can also find our articles on the fastest growing  mobile fitness tracking website Gym Technik.  

If you use a PDA and aren’t using Gym Technik to record and track your workouts, you should be.  Check into it right away.  It has no peer.

Feel free to check em out in your spare time.

• Protein for Dummies: Part 1 Part 2 and Part 3
• Ladies: A Bikini Body in 6 Weeks Guaranteed
• Essential Fatty Acids and You
• Training for Busy Professionals
• The Ultimate Fat Loss Supplement Stack
• The 10 Commandments of Physique Improvement for Men
• The 5 Additional Commandments of Physique Improvement for Women 

We encourage you to leave comments-suggestions or questions whenever possible.  Please sign up for our RSS feed to be notified in real time when articles post and the blog is updated.

We could not grow and improve our site without your help and feedback. 

We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.   

Keith Continues to Impress with Our Border Logo!

MIHWCS

The Best Tasting Protein Bar-Hands Down

The Muscle Couple has tried multiple Protein Bars and different flavors over the years.  We recently grabbed a few of these before our trip to Miami and let me tell you, they are amazingly good.

This bar is delicious.

Supreme Protein Peanut Butter Crunch is the best tasting bar we’ve ever eaten.  

It’s amazing and delectable.  Imagine a Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup with protein and EFA’s?  😉  It is a fantastic on the go protein bar wit 30 gms of protein–18gms of fat(9gms of EFAs)and only 10gms of Sugar.  The sugar content is a bit high for our liking, but if you are dieting hard, it won’t affect you too bad.

They also have a SNACK SIZE BAR which is perfect for women who need to get their Chocalate fix without doing damage to their diet or figure.    

Check out the Nutritional Label to get an understanding of what’s in the bar and the kcal content:

A Great Snack to Add to Your Portable Options

Pick some up and tell us what you think.  

Have a great weekend everyone!

MIHWCS

The Purest Form of Protein

Real quick supplement plug here.  

The Muscle Couple has been using this product for close to 4 years now religiously.  

100% Egg Whites

A 2 Gallon Jug Will Last You A Couple of Months.

It’s simple, quick and delicious in multiple ways.  You can microwave it.  You can throw it in a skillet/pan and add lean meats-vegies-mushrooms.  Evidently you can also add it to a blender or protein shakes.  Their owner claims them to be the “Most Versatile Form of Protein in the World” and it’s really hard for us to disagree.

You can order them online at the site above or they can also be found at many Online Supplement Discounters around the world.

Enjoy!

MIHWCS

Protein Shots

A very quick blog posting today.  

Anh and the Muscle B are preparing for a two week visit to Houston to see Grandpa and Grandma Nguyen!  This place won’t be the same without em. Daddy will be in Vegas for the Digital Dealer Conference from Sat thru Tuesday.

There is a new Nutritional Supplement appearing in the wild and I can’t imagine anything more needed for the industry.

Protein Shots by Body Choice Nutrition

Check out the link and and you will see the amazing versatility of this supplement.   It will work for just about anyone regardless of condition or special needs.  I’m just sad The Muscle Couple didn’t invent this concoction ourselves.  ;(

Here is a link to their web site 

http://www.bodychoicenutrition.net/products.htm

You can buy these in bulk at Costco now.  I think 12 Tubes are about $18.  

In a cost per protein gram basis, it’s hard to beat this price.  And the formula is free of sugar and fat kcals.  You can add it to water, sugar free low calorie drinks, shakes or just drink it by itself.  It tastes pretty damn good and what can be more efficient to meet your daily protein requirements?

Check it out!

MIHWCS

The Magic Hour

If you’ve ever read a single fitness magazine article about nutrition in your life, you’ve no doubt read countless times about making sure you consume protein after cessation of your workout.   It’s hammered home everywhere by anybody with a clue about post workout nutrition.   And they are absolutely right.

The Muscle Couple practices this habit religiously.  I could write volumes about the subject and probably will for Viigo in the next couple of months.  Just realize there is nothing you can do to improve your physique more than consistently consuming a high quality protein source (preferably mixed with some fast digesting carb)within an hour after your training. The sooner the better.

Not getting protein after training will derail your efforts fast!

In the last 19 years of consistent weight training, I haven’t ever missed this “Magic Hour” to replenish my body’s glycogen and amino acid stores from a hard training session.  Our bodies are continually “re-made” as our cells are regenerated over and over.  It’s during this short time interval after your training where your body is most receptive to assimilating the amino acids and glucose to maintain, and perhaps rebuild the tissue broken down from your exercise.  Giving your body this consistent and rapid replenishment will ensure you continue to build and hone a high quality physique for the remainder of your life.

The easiest way to ensure you meet this objective is through protein shakes.  Most good gyms around the world have “juice bars” where you can buy a Pre-Made or RTD (Ready to Drink)shake and consume it within minutes after your workout.  Sometimes you can even have one whipped up for you in a blender while you wait.  You can of course eat very lean solid protein sources too.  Chicken-turkey-tuna-salmon-egg whites etc.  It’s just much more convenient to get a liquid and easily digestable protein source.  Plus you can throw one in your gym bag or backpack as they are easily portable.

If there were “10 Commandments” in improving your physique, (hint-hint at a future blog post)”A Post Workout Fast Digesting Protein Mixture within one hour after your training” would be #1. It’s really that important.

There is no hard and fast rule at the amount of protein/carbs required.

The Muscle Couple usually consumes between 30 and 60gms of Protein and an equal or lesser amount of carbs depending on if we’re building, maintainng or leaning out.

As always, please feel free to leave questions or email us about any of this.

MIHWCS

Protein for Dummies-Part 3

Welcome back to the 3rd and final installment of Protein for Dummies. 

Hopefully youve read the first two articles and are anxious to learn more about my protein consumption and the various forms of protein I recommend. If you missed the first two installments make sure you check out the wealth of information in Part I and Part II

Lets start by analyzing my current diet and specifically my protein intake.  Remember from article two about 4  different forms of protein.  My goal is to try and get 3 out of the 4 types of protein on a daily basis.  There are some days where I will get all 4.

I’m currently dieting(body fat loss phase) preparing for WMC in Miami.  If you remember from the first article a rule of thumb when dieting is to consume 1gm of protein per pound of lean body weight. I currently weigh 198 pounds and am around 6.5% bodyfat.

Doing the math makes me strive for 185gms of protein to maintain muscle tissue and allow my body to burn kcals at an optimal rate.  To keep my body consistently protein nourished, I will attempt to eat every 4 hours.

Here is what my current diet looks like with emphasis on my protein intake:

Meal 1:

Protein Shake with Muscle Milk Cookies and Cream Powder(2.5 Scoops) combined with Optimum Nutrition Pro-Complex Whey(2 Scoops).  This provides about 85 gms of protein. I mix it up early in the morning and pour my wife about 35-40% of the Shake refrigerate and I consume the rest. (Whey and Cassein Protein) 

Meal 2:

Can of White water packed Tuna (37.5 gms Protein).(Animal-Complete Protein) 

Meal 3:

Can of White water packed Tuna (37.5 gms Protein) (Animal-Complete Protein) 

Meal 4: (if training day)

Post Workout Shake with Muscle Milk Cookies and Cream and Beverly Nutrition Ultimate Muscle Protein

Same split with the wife as always. (85 gms of Protein 40% to wife and rest to me)(Whey and Cassein Protein0

Meal 5:

Dinner with proteins coming from one of the following. *Ground Turkey* *Salmon* *Chicken* or *Lean red meat*.(40-45gms of Protein)(Animal-Complete Protein)

Add it all up and you’ll see I will always err on the side of caution to get even more protein than my goal.  I do this because over the course of the week because of my hectic schedule, there are days where I get less than required.  Cumulatively by overeating on some days and under eating on others, I will consistently meet or exceed my protein requirements week to week.

Why do I take the Protein supplements listed above?  Because I know and trust the brands.  The supplement industry is for the most part wholly unregulated.  But many of the manufacturers have been around for a long time.

Optimum Nutrition has been making Pro Complex for more than 15 years.  I’ve been using it since 1995 when I first had enough money to buy it.  It’s an ultra protein spectrum mix discussed in article II and it tastes awesome.  The flavors I use are Vanilla-Chocolate and Banana.  Two scoops provides 60gms of the highest quality easily digesting proteins available.

Beverly International is another reputable Protein manufacturer I’ve been using for 4 years now.  They make an excellent ultra protein spectrum mix known as Ultimate Muscle Protein.  It comes in 3 delicious flavors as well.  Vanilla, Chocolate and Cookies and Crème.

You can use these powder supplements in protein shakes, oatmeal, and while cooking (pancakes-oat muffins-etc).  They are also convenient to carry around with you in plastic bags to be added to a shaker bottle with water for some extra protein during the course of the day.

The last and probably most crucial protein supplement I use is Muscle Milk.  I’m sure many of you have seen or heard of it due to its widespread availability in the mainstream.  Does anybody really know why it’s widely available?   Because it’s a true protein super food.

Muscle Milk in its various formulations(Powder-MRP’s(Meal Replacement Packages),RTDs, Oatmeal, Protein Bars etc)contains EFA’s(essential fatty acids) mixed into the protein formulation.  It was actually created by a Doctor for burn and wasting patients years ago.  He realized it’s potential use for the health and fitness industry as a true protein super food formulation and a gigantic cottage industry was born.

Muscle Milk powder is the foundation of my protein regimen because the extra EFA’s found in the matrix help with brain functioning, nerve growth and fat loss.  Essential Fatty Acids and their importance to an athlete/physique augmenter merits an entirely new article(hint-hint). I consistently have 12-24 Muscle Milk RTD(Ready to Drink)shakes in my refrigerator ready to be added to my cooler when on the road.  When I am travelling, one of the first places I stop is a health food store/pharmacy to buy some pre-packaged Muscle Milk RTDs for additional protein during the course of the day.

I hope you have found the information contained in these articles useful.  I would encourage you to visit our blog and ask questions about anything you see as it relates to improving your body thru food and nutrition.

And remember:

Consistent protein intake is ESSENTIAL to building and maintaining an exception physique. Not consuming enough quality protein on a day in day out basis, is the quickest way to derail your efforts at improving your appearance. 

MIHWCS

Protein for Dummies-Part 2

Thanks for reading the first installment of this 3 Part Series “Protein for Dummies”.  

In the 2nd installment, we’ll look at the most common types of protein and how they can be used relative to your goals.

There are numerous ways to meet your protein requirements.  

The key is to get quality protein regularly throughout the day.  A good rule of thumb is to consume some protein once every 3.5-5 hours.  

Remembering back to the first article, your goal is to get 1gm of protein per pound of lean muscle weight(dieting/fat loss)or 1gm of protein per pound of bodyweight (gaining muscle/bodyweight).  The amounts consume per feeding is dependent on your goals and body size. 

People often ask me how much protein can the body metabolize in one feeding.  It’s usually determined by your BMR(basal metabolic rate), your body’s unique biochemical individuality, your physical size and your training level or condition.   Some people can consume and properly metabolize 75 gms in one sitting.  I find most people can utilize about 20-40gms of protein per feeding.

In order to meet your protein requirements you need to consume the four basic types of protein.

• Animal Protein
• Whey
• Casein
• Egg Albumin

Animal protein is the protein found in most meats.  It’s usually referred to as “complete” because it contains all of the essential amino acids.  It’s much better to eat lean sources of Animal protein such as Turkey, fish, chicken and lean cuts of red meat.  Most of the protein found in lean meats is of high quality and will be used to build and maintain muscle.   Meat(fish) also can have high concentration of EFA’s(Essential Fatty Acids) needed by the body for neurotransmitter synthesis ie “brain fuel”.  It’s for this very reason that meat should be consumed a couple of times a day regardless of goal.

Whey protein is probably the most common protein you’ll find in Supplement stores or in advertisements in magazines.  It’s actually a bi-product of the manufacture of cheese and milk products.  It’s usually the #1 ingredient in protein powder formulations widely available.  It’s readily absorbed and digested by the body and has the highest value of BCAA’s(Branched Chain Amino Acids).  BCAA’s are crucial in building and retaining muscle tissue.  Whey protein is really the perfect protein supplement because of its wide application.  You can use it in shakes, when cooking, mixed in with oatmeal etc.   You can carry it with you in packets or MRP formulations for use on the go.   And due to its rapid absorption by the body, it’s used often immediately after training in post workout shake formulations.   Whey Protein can and should be used by all three goal sets defined in the first article.  I honestly don’t know of a cheaper more efficient way to add supplemental protein to your diet.

Casein is the next most widely consumed supplemental protein type.  “Micellar casein” is a natural, undenatured milk protein separated from milk by means of ultrafiltration.  It has a unique ability to  provide a slow and steady release of amino acids into the blood stream.  This is of great help in preventing muscle tissue breakdown in times of dieting or extreme athletic duress.  You will find this type of protein in some of the more expensive protein formulations found on the market today.  It’s usually combined with Whey Protein and Glutamine for an ultra protein amino acid spectrum mix. It provides an anti-catabolic effect to dieters and hard training athletes/bodybuilders.  Casein should be used mostly by people who are looking to hold onto muscle when on severely restricted caloric intakes.

Egg Albumin is the protein found in egg whites.  It contains almost no fat.  Egg whites are rich in proteins of very high nutritional value.  You will get these from consuming eggs and actual egg white formulations found in supplement stores.  An easy way to get this form of protein is to crack 10 whole eggs and separate them from the yolks and cook up in a pan or in a microwave oven.    Egg white omelets are wonderful when you throw in greens, mushrooms and chicken or turkey.  When I’m dieting, I religiously will order this out at restaurants.

Now that you understand the forms of protein available to you, it’s time to discuss what I use and what I would recommend for folks relative to their goal.  In Part III and the final installment of “Protein for Dummies”, I’ll give a detailed analysis of my daily protein consumption and offer tips for choosing some high quality protein formulations found on the market today.

Thank you for reading.

Protein for Dummies-Part I

So you want to start increasing your Protein intake but you have no idea how to begin?

If you are into the fitness culture (presumably if you’re reading this article) you can’t go very far without seeing an advertisement for Protein supplements.  Whey Protein, Complex Protein, Casein Protein, Egg Protein, Protein with enriched Glutamine, BCAA’s, Amino Acid tabs et al.  The choices are seemingly endless. The directive of this series of articles is to summarize the best usage of Protein for a beginner to an advanced trainer/athlete. In Part 1, we’ll start with the basics and calculating daily protein requirements relative to goal.

You need protein in order to build and maintain muscle.  Heck, you need protein to stay alive.  Protein is made up of Amino Acids which are the building blocks of life.  Without going to go into an esoteric biochemical explanation of protein, just know it’s the most important macronutrient for performance and physique improvement.

So how much protein do you need daily?  Well a lot depends on your goals?   It also is determined by your genetics and your training levels.

The easiest way to summarize is by analyzing an average  6 Foot 200 pound mans needs based on their goal.  Let’s define goals as:

• losing fat
• gaining muscle
• performance improvement(athletic skill event)

We first need to calculate body fat % in pounds to lean muscle weight.  Once we calculate how many pounds of lean muscle weight, we then use that number to determine how much protein should be consumed relative to the three goals.

When attempting to lose body fat you need an overall caloric reduction but enough protein to maintain lean tissue.  A rule of thumb would be to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of lean muscle weight.  So if average guy is 15% body fat he has 30 pounds of body fat and 170 pounds of lean muscle weight. This means he needs 170 grams of protein every day to maintain his lean muscle mass while he tries to lose body fat.

Now let’s analyze  his goal of gaining muscle.  A common misconception is that trainees can gain muscle while at the same losing fat.  This is next to impossible. The rule of thumb for gaining muscle will require him to consumer 1.2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.  So 200 x 1.2 would be 240grams of Protein.  This also assumes a caloric surplus including higher carb amounts.

And lastly, the amount of protein needed for performance improvement.  This is a tough recommendation and totally relative to the sport.  If there are weight restrictions for the athlete, 1 gm per pound of lean weight is sufficient.  If not, 1 gm per pound of bodyweight should do.

Now that the amount of protein in grams daily is understood relative to goal, how does a trainee meet his/her protein thru the course of the day?  It’s not easy.  For most busy on the go folks, a combination of lean meat, egg whites and Protein Powders are  the easiest way to maintain your protein requirements.

In Part II of this series coming soon, we’ll discuss the various types of protein and why you should use one over the other relative to your goals.

MIHWCS

Jay’s Weekday Diet

8AM
Protein Shake with 2 Tablespoons of UDO’s Oil
45-60 Gms Protein with 25-35 Gms EFA’s

11:30PM(if working out of Home Office)
12 Egg Whites-Sun Dried Tomatoes-Spinach-Scrambled Together-1/2 Cup of Oatmeal
45-50 Gms Protein-10-15 Gms EFAs-60gms Carbs

2:30PM(Home or Road)
1.5 Cans Albacore Tuna with either 1/3rd cup Brown Rice or Salad(pre-packaged in Tupperware if on the road visiting clients)-Italian Salad Dressing/Mayo
50 Gms Protein-15-20gms EFA’s and 10-40gms Carbs(depending on Salad or Brown Rice)

5PM(Home or Road)
Same as Meal 3 usually

7:30-8PM(Weight Training Days Only)
Post Workout Protein Shake
60gms Whey Protein-55-65gms of Maltodextrin Powder Carbs

8PM(Dinner-Non Weight Training Days)

8:45(Dinner on Weight Training Days)
Dinner consisting of Lean Protein(Steak-Chicken-Turkey-Salmon etc) with all the Salad I can eat.
50-60 gms Protein-25-35gms Fat-Trace Carbs

10PM
1 tablespoon of Peanut Butter(14gms Fat and 25gms of Whey Protein Blended together)

Daily Macronutrient Goal: 

2500-2900 Kcals

250 to 300gms Protein

100-125gms Fat(mostly from EFA’s)

100-200gms of Carbs (slow burning low GI carbs) 

Jay will eat more Carbs on Weight Training days as his body’s Glycogen stores will be lower

Jay is trying to rigidly adhere to the plan day in and day out.  He will substitute appropriately when eating out or on the road.   
Some Do’s

I eat Oatmeal when I need something filling and thick-carb based.   Nothing satiates you better and it’s great for the body as it’s very slow burning.
I cut out Cereal at all cost. (Stuff is pure garbage—it’s all Gluten bi-product crap and it destroys your body’s ability to metabolize normally)
Avoid Dairy Products like the plague.   Cheese-Milk-Lactose containing Yogurts etc….GARBAGE!

Minimize Diet Cola consumption(Phosphoric Acid and Carbonation plays havoc on your digestive system and erodes tooth enamel big time)

Stay Hydrated with Water or Flavored Water(I make sure to drink up to a gallon a day or more)


Some Don’ts

Skip Breakfast ever(Buy Pre-Packaged RTD Shakes if you are too busy to prepare one)

Drink Sugar Based Colas or Flavored Sports Drinks(Empty Calories and they cause Blood Sugar Spikes)

Go more than 4.5 hours without eating something containing Protein and Fat (Carry around Protein Bars-Nuts etc in your Bag-Briefcase

Eat Fast Food(if you have to order Grilled Chicken or Chicken Salads…Fast Food and Trans Fats will shorten your life span)

Drink Beer(You should minimize all Alcohol consumption but Beer is pure belly fat storage fuel)

MIHWCS