{Only my favorite commercial…}

It’s a common conception that to get ripped you have to pound protein shakes all day long.

Popular belief; however untrue.

I’ve been trying to convince the husband of this for years, yet he still throws back a protein shake before heading to the gym, or whenever he’s trying to feel strong. I think it’s a guy thing. Protein = Swoll.

While it’s true you need protein to build muscle, it’s not so much about how much you consume. It’s about when you consume it. Yes, you need adequate overall protein intake, but most people easily hit this target without trying. What’s really important is that you have protein after a workout.

Consuming protein after exercising aids in muscle growth and tissue repair. By assisting in rebuilding muscle, protein helps you recover faster. Faster recovery means better performance the next time around.

It’s not just about how you work out, it’s about how you fuel and you recover. Daily activity is important, but adequate recovery can make a world of difference.

While protein and post-workout recovery fuel is essential, remember those calories still count for your total daily budget. If your watching your calorie intake, you can always time your sweat sessions so that a meal comes afterwards. That way you can still refuel properly without adding additional calories. No matter what, shoot to refuel within 30-60 minutes post exercise.

Last week I got my butt in gear with Jennifer Cohen’s bootcamp workout. It was a great warm-up to the 8 week bootcamp I started Monday. Crossfit-ters would love it: planks, burpees, jumping rope and more. Oh the dreaded burpee.

I mixed the moves up with some of favorite baby-friendly exercises for a total body workout.

Anytime I do a workout, especially a strength workout, I make it a priority to eat protein as soon as I’m done. One of my favorite post workout snacks are these protein power balls. Protein shakes are a great option too: you can refuel and hydrate at the same time. Sometimes after a tough workout it’s easier to drink something than to take the extra effort to chew. Sounds silly, but I bet you know what I mean.

While Muscle Milk doesn’t actually contain milk, it does have whey protein in it. Whey is a great recovery protein because it’s easily digestible. However, since it is a protein from milk, I’m unable to drink it. {My son is allergic.} In order to test out Muscle Milk as a post-workout recovery option, I recruited my favorite test subject: the husband.

His assessment:

Vanilla Latte– Good, but he’d prefer it as a meal replacement, not an after-exercise supplement. The vanilla-y, cinnamon flavor wasn’t refreshing, but tasted good.

Chocolate– Delicious. A great post workout shake. Better than his typical protein powder because he didn’t have to mix it, it was just ready to go. {Good for me because that means I don’t have to scrap day-old protein off the side of the cup that never quite makes it into the dishwasher. Ugh.}

So there you have it.

How do you refuel after a workout? Do you prefer a drink or a snack?

Muscle Milk® is an ideal blend of protein, fats, good carbohydrates and 20 vitamins and minerals to provide sustained energy, spur lean muscle growth and help provide recovery after tough days.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Muscle Milk via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Muscle Milk.