If you are eager to get involved with proactive muscle building and want to maximise the progress you make as well as the speed at which you are able to achieve it, then you need to take the time to educate yourself concerning the crucial role that nutrition plays in the process.
Say you need to cover a significant distance by car.
Do you simply stick in the key in the ignition and set off to your destination, or do you ensure that you have a full tank of gas? This is exactly the same with any muscle building session, your body needs a stockpile of energy and construction materials BEFORE it can be effectively and competently put to the test.
Therefore, before you begin any sort of muscle building session, irrespective of how challenging or physically demanding it is (or not, dependent on your current level of physical prowess) make sure that you have food in your stomach.
However, a candy bar and a can of soda, as delicious and tempting a proposition as that maybe, is not the way to go.
The meal should contain a generous serving of both protein and complex carbohydrates.
If you are struggling for ideas, then a banana and a glass of full fat milk will suffice, or if you want something a little more substantial then why not some poached/scrambled eggs on wholegrain bread? The eggs/milk will provide you with a decent amount of protein, whilst the wholegrain bread/banana will act as the source of your carbohydrates.
In case you are curious as to what exactly both of these physiological building blocks do, let me break it down.
Protein (or to be more technical, the amino acids within it) is the fundamental element found in all cells of the body, including muscle tissue.
As you exercise, you will be increasing your muscle mass, as well as repairing the damage sustained to the existing muscle tissue.
Therefore, the protein will help not only with the repair and maintenance process, but with the construction process as well.
As soon as we eat anything, our body will immediately begin the digestion process in order to convert the food item into the requisite nutrients needed by the body.
Therefore, it is imperative that you have your pre-muscle building workout meal no more than one hour before you begin your training session in earnest.