Hard Gainer Post Workout Recovery Mass Shakes

Hard Gainer Post Workout Recovery Mass Shakes

By Anthony Riccciuto

We all know that eating clean can get dry and boring very fast. This is one of the reasons why many fall off their diet plans and fail miserably. One of the most important things to help keep you on track is to have nice tasting foods with plenty of variety. Once you have these two in place things become much easier. This column will focus on bringing you new and innovative recipes to help keep you on track. This month we are going to bring you three of our favorite high carb, high protein shake recipes that are perfect to consume post-workout made specifically for the hard gainer who has a tough time packing on weight no matter what he eats. So let’s see what we got in store.

Orange Pleasure Mass Builder

3 Oranges
3 Tbsp. Manuka Honey
2 scoops of Vanilla Whey Isolate

1 cup Vanilla Almond Milk
1 cup Ice Cubes
Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt

This is one of my favorite post-workout shakes of all time. The way the oranges and honey come together is simply amazing. It provides you with a nice insulin spike to help shut down that Cortisol release dead in its tracks all the while helping to replace lost muscle glycogen from that intense workout you just had. It has enough protein to kickstart some muscle growth and start the healing process from all the damage you inflicted on those poor muscle fibers. You may be wondering why I add some pink salt to all my recipes. The reason is twofold. First off after a tough training session, you are depleting minerals and electrolytes especially if you are training in the heat. Pink salt will help replace what you have lost in sweat. Second many people don’t know this but salt brings out the sweet flavors much better. Yep, it’s true. By adding a little salt to something you are trying to sweeten, it will dramatically help bring it all together. Lastly, sodium is essential for nutrient absorption in the small intestine and then again in the kidney for reabsorption. It is also critical for not only nutrient uptake, but also for increased blood volume for muscle cell hypertrophy.

Drink Up those Gains!

Now, this is one amazing post-workout shake that will hit the spot especially right after a tough session on a hot summer day. That pineapple will give it just the right amount of zing to help bounce off the strawberry and bananas. You may be wondering why I put honey in my post-workout shakes and for good reason. Honey has many different medicinal properties on so many levels. It’s not just the simple sugars that can help in post-workout recovery. Honey especially high-grade Manuka honey posses not only anti-bacterial benefits but also anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as well. This will help with reducing muscle soreness and joint inflammation. It also plays a positive role in digestive health among many other of its benefits.

Anabolic Strawberry Banana Blast

1 cup of Organic Strawberries

2 Bananas
1 Cup Fresh Pineapple
3 Tbsp Manuka Honey

2 scoops of Vanilla Whey Isolate

1 cup Vanilla Almond Milk
1 cup Ice Cubes
Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt

Nutrient Breakdown

Calories 790
Protein 55 grams

Carbohydrates 117 grams

Fat 3 grams

Pink Salt has Plenty to Offer your Muscle Growth!

Now if your a fan of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal or love French Toast then this is the post-workout protein shake just for you. This mix of whey isolate and oats will provide you a nice base of protein and carbs to help start refueling you for your next workout fast. With just enough real maple syrup and cinnamon, your taste buds will be loving this one that is for sure. While large flake or rolled oats do provide a slower release of carbs to your system, the fact that you are blending them after its cooked will cause you to absorb them much faster. This is something that you want right after a workout as it is ideal at this time. Other times of the day it would be better to eat your oats for a slower pulsing of the carbs into your system. If you have never tried this combination then get at it because you will be wondering why the hell you haven’t done this before.