Use Your Tone It Up Plan To Build Muscle!

Booty Calls are made for...

Poppin' your abs, shaping your booty, sculpting your shoulders, and getting your muscles PUMPED!

Your Nutrition Plan is made to REVEAL those gorgeous muscles you work so hard for!!

Strong is beautiful, empowering, and SEXY, and today our Registered Dietician Lori Zanini is showing us the ropes on using your Nutrition Plan to build beautiful muscles!

Refueling adequately after we exercise is important to effectively build lean muscle and perform our best. Proper growth and development of muscle tissue allows your muscles to meet both the demands of exercise as well as normal every day activities.  The timing and composition of overall nutrient intake, and not just calories alone, plays a huge role in the way our body’s hormones respond to exercise and how they influence muscle growth. We have to eat the right amount of calories in order to both fuel our bodies optimally and build muscle.

Of the three macronutrients - carbs, protein, and fat - carbohydrates and protein are the most crucial to replenish immediately after a workout. Glycogen, which is stored in the muscles, is the primary fuel source used during long workouts. Carb intake following exercise is vital in order to replenish what was used during the activity.  If an insufficient amount of carbohydrates is consumed following exercise, your muscles will turn to protein for fuel and cause muscle protein breakdown.

Post Booty Call protein pancakes? PERFECT!! Your pancakes combine lean protein + carbs to fuel your muscle and metabolism!

Since our muscles are largely made up of protein, the protein we eat is directly linked to muscle synthesis. The general recommendation for those trying to build muscle while participating in resistance training is to eat about 1.2-2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. (Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 for your weight in kilograms). Muscle protein synthesis is also maximized when protein intake is spread out as evenly as possible throughout the day. For this reason, you should aim to eat 20-30 grams of protein for M1, M3, & M5, and 5-10 grams for M2 & M4!

Because exercise stimulates muscle tissue as well as certain hormones and nutrients, muscle is most responsive to nutrient intake during the first 30 to 60 minutes after exercise. Try to eat a snack that contains both carbs and protein as soon as possible following a workout. And if you find it hard to eat solid food after exercise, liquid nutrition (your Perfect Fit Protein smoothie!) is the way to go. It's an amazing option for proper refueling and is more rapidly absorbed in the body than solid food making it perfect for refueling post-workout! Our personal faves are the Strawberry Banana and Peaches and Cream Smoothies on page 23 of your TIU recipe guide!

Following your post-workout snack/smoothie, the goal is to follow up with a complete meal within 3-4 hours after exercise to further optimize recovery and muscle growth. With the right combination of both proper nutrition and exercise, you can maximize muscle growth, tone, and performance!