You’re getting ready to just completely “kill it” in the gym with your bros.
You got your matching shorts, those sweet bluetooth headphones you got for your birthday, but oh no!
You forgot to have that fuel-spiking pre workout meal!!
And then you thought to yourself…
Hmmm, what’s the best pre workout meal for muscle gain anyway?
So you came to this page for the answer.
(I’m like a fricken’ mind-reader or something.)
Either way, I’ll give you the answer as to what your best options are for food so that you can provide a good steady stream of fuel through your training session.
…then shortly after, I’m going to present you with the red pill, open your eyes, and show you how deep the rabbit hole goes…
The Best Pre Workout Meal for Muscle Gain
So the first thing I’ll say about the “best pre workout meal for muscle gain” is it doesn’t really exist.
You can leave this page now.
Just kidding… but seriously…
Instead, there are just a few guidelines you should follow when putting together a meal or a snack that you plan to use for a little workout boost.
I mean, we all have different food preferences and dietary restrictions, not to mention what foods are easily available to us.
With that in mind, I’ll give you a couple example meals and a few snacks and then explain why they work so well for weightlifting performance.
Example Meal #1
- 4 oz of chicken breast
- 1 medium sweet potato
- ½ tbsp butter
- 1 cup yogurt
- ¼ cup blueberries
- ¼ cup oats
- 1 piece of pizza
Now I’m sure you’re raising your eyebrows to the fact that this example meal has both a sweet potato which is a notoriously healthy food item…
…and a piece of pizza (which most dieticians say you need to completely drop out of your diet… or at least reduce your consumption).
Well when it comes to muscle-building nutrition and diets…
I firmly believe that fewer restrictions leads to better long-term results.
So why does this example meal work?
I’ll get to that in a little bit, but here’s another example meal…
Example Meal #2
- 1 can of tuna
- 2 slices whole grain bread
- 1 banana
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 2 tbsp bbq sauce
So this meal appears to be a little more “by the book” according to most health blogs and nutritionists (so it could possibly be the best pre workout meal for muscle gain).
With a banana before workout sessions and something that mentions “whole grain”, how the heck can you go wrong?
However, you still have some peanut butter and bbq sauce in there (what’s up with that) so it can’t be completely healthy, right?
Again, I’ll get into the nuts and bolts of it, but let’s give a quick rundown of some good pre workout snacks if you’re not looking for a full “meal”.
Solid Pre Workout Snacks
- Nuts
- Fruit
- Legumes
- Yogurt
- Oats
The one thing that these snacks all have in common is they’re all “clean” food sources for protein and carbs.
But… they have one other thing in common which I’ll reveal shortly…
What Do These Meals Have in Common?
I just presented you some example meals that you can consume before working out to give yourself a little boost of fuel… and one of them could possibly be the best pre workout meal for muscle gain.
You don’t know yet.
They might not have the tastiest foods in them (like macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes… those are my guilty pleasures), but they’re decent.
But whether you’re asking if you should eat before or after gym sessions or if you should have any food before gym visits…
You’ll see that when you break down the macro nutrient contents of those meals that they work subtly better at different times for different reasons.
When you understand that, then you can begin to smartly create your own pre workout meals using these guidelines like a template.
Cool, huh?
Let’s get to it…
First, Both Meals are High in Protein
In order for your body to preserve existing muscle and build new lean tissue, you need to consume more protein than the average person that sits on their ass all day.
A good baseline is to consume 1g of protein per 1lb of body weight.
This amount will actually fluctuate based on whether you’re trying to build new lean muscle mass or you’re trying to get completely shredded, but in this case I’m just going to give the “catch all” recommendation for any muscle-building diet.
For the 2 example meals, you can see that both have a good lean protein source (chicken breast and tuna).
If you’re going to eat your bodyweight in protein at the end of the day, you want to make sure you disperse it over multiple meals so you still stay regular in the bathroom.
(Sorry, but it’s the truth.)
Both Meals Have Some Fats
Secondly, any pre workout meal (let alone the best pre workout meal for muscle gain) should have moderate fat (or at least trace amounts).
One thing you’ll learn with any sort of fat loss or muscle-building diet, do not go low fat.
Too many irresponsible “health” sources have propagated the idea that by not consuming dietary fat that you can prevent your body from storing body fat.
Too bad it’s a load of crap.
In reality, fats help your body to:
- Regulate your hormones
- Manage your hunger
- Keep your sex drive healthy (Bow chicka wow wow)
If you take fats out of your diet, you’re going to have a bad time.
Both Meals Have the Right Kind of Carbs
Now here’s where things get interesting.
Your body uses different macro nutrients in different ways:
- Proteins build new lean tissue
- Fats regulate hormones, give energy, and promote cell growth
- Carbs give you fuel
This is an oversimplification for the point I’m trying to make, but let me continue.
If you’re thinking about a specific meal to eat before a workout, the thing you probably care about the most is “what should I eat for ENERGY and how can I get as much of it as possible without eating so much that I throw up?”
(I’m also going to answer “carbs before or after workout sessions take place”)
Well, the reason I picked these certain carb sources in each of those example meals and the snack list is because…
These Carbs are Based on the Glycemic Index
The glycemic index is a measurement given to foods to represent how quickly they increase blood glucose levels.
When your blood glucose levels are normal, your body runs without problems.
However, when your blood glucose levels are above normal, you run the risk of blindness, kidney failure, or increased cardiovascular risk.
That’s why eating a bunch of foods over your entire lifetime that are notorious for spiking your blood glucose is not a good thing and can lead to major health problems later.
So here are the different GI carbs and what they mean for the best pre workout meal for muscle gain…
Eat High Glycemic Index Carbs After Working Out
In general, carb sources are categorized as either high GI or low GI and both categories affect your blood glucose in different ways.
High GI carbs release glucose rapidly.
Now, you may have heard that a quick release in glucose leads to a spike in energy.
While that is correct, it also leads to a steep decrease shortly following (ever heard of a sugar crash).
So even though it may sound like a great idea to consume high GI carbs before your workout, you’re going to actually deplete your carb fuel before your workout ends and compromise the effectiveness of the rest of the workout.
That’s why you want to save your high GI carbs for after your workout and why drinking a protein shake mixed with some of those sources is commonly recommended in the 15-30 minute window after training.
But does any of this matter… keep reading…
Eat Low Glycemic Index Carbs Before Working Out
On the other hand, low GI carbs release a steadier stream of glucose and are typically more helpful for weight loss and performance.
(That’s good news considering the best pre workout meal for muscle gain.)
A study was performed on two groups of cyclists where one group was given a diet consisting of high GI carbs and the other was given low GI carbs.
The cyclists then performed a strenuous cardio workout and their blood glucose levels and performance indicators were measured.
What did they find?
While the group that consumed high GI carbs was able to summon more aggressive energy right out of the gate, their energy levels eventually crashed.
On the other hand, the group that consumed low GI carbs were able to maintain their performance for the duration of the workout.
That’s why your pre workout meal should include low GI carbs when possible.
So now you understand the various carb choices that I gave in those example meals.
But When Should You Eat the Best Pre Workout Meal for Muscle Gain?
Remember when your mom said to not go swimming for at least an hour after you’ve eaten?
Does that even compute?
Well, sorta but it’s more about common sense than anything else.
Wait at Least an Hour After a Full Meal
If you’re planning on eating a full-blown meal of 500+ calories, wait 1-2 hours before working out.
For the most part, it really doesn’t have anything to do with how soon you’ll be able to utilize the fuel, but it’s more about how you’ll physically feel with a bunch of food sloshing around in your stomach when you do your compound lifts.
For example, here’s a video of a powerlifter vomiting all over the judges because they decided to “carb up” to close to the competition.
I can remember back in high school when I played basketball for one year, my dad surprised me by picking me up some Chinese food for dinner.
I ate a large chicken lo mein dish with crab rangoon on the side and I couldn’t have been more content.
What I failed to remember was that I had basketball practice that night.
Boy, did I puke my guts out later.
You Can Hit the Gym Sooner After Just a Snack
On the other hand, if you’re just planning on having a small snack like a banana and some nuts, you can hit the gym in 15-30 minutes.
You’ll be releasing a steady stream of fuel that your body can use for a couple hours without problems.
So with all that being said, you’ve heard the details of “the best pre workout meal for muscle gain”, but let me present you with a red pill and take you a little further down the rabbit hole.
(Metaphorically, this is a Matrix reference. Don’t take random red pills. Stay in school.)
How Important is Meal-Timing Really?
You read all of this so far questioning what’s the best pre workout meal for muscle gain, but the bigger question is this…
Do you need to focus on timing and prepping the best pre workout meal for muscle gain at all?
I would argue that you don’t and you’re probably making things too complicated.
According to Andy Morgan of RippedBody, nutrient-timing comes in 4th place behind calories, macro nutrients, and micro nutrients.
That means you don’t even worry about timing your meals until you’ve made sure that you’re counting all your daily calories, making sure you’re getting enough protein, carbs, and fats, and maybe popping a daily multivitamin.
…and Andy Morgan has coached hundreds of amateur and professional bodybuilders to build muscle and get completely shredded without compromising their performance.
So this guy knows the right variables to tweak in order to get the best results from his clients and apparently meal-timing is not as high on the totem pole.
Additionally, certified nutritionist Martin Berkhan of Lean Gains also downplays the importance of meal-timing outside the parameters of intermittent fasting.
He’s considered the godfather of intermittent fasting and championed one of the first dieting protocols mixed with reverse pyramid training to create a simplified approach to bodybuilding and strength building.
Here’s a video of him deadlifting 600 lbs for credibility.
Excuse the terrible music. Mine is better.
Finally, Greg O’ Gallaher of Kinobody has hundreds of successful body transformation testimonials as a result of his fitness programs like the Greek God and Superhero Bulking systems and again…. Not a lot of emphasis on meal timing.
Instead he preaches starting a general eating window from noon until 10 PM and dispersing your calories however you deem fit.
My recommendation to you?
Make sure before you go to bed at night that you ate all your calories and you got all the protein, carbs, and fats you need to build muscle.
Do that, and you’ll be way ahead of the game.
If making a special pre workout meal makes you feel happy then go for it.
If it sounds like a lot of trouble, then pitch it.
What Do You Think is the Best Pre Workout Meal for Muscle Gain?
Now that I’ve given you some example meals and explained how they help your gym performance, what do you think?
Do you plan on making some similar meals before you go work out?
Do you think those foods are downright disgusting?
Do you think that I’m just full of shit?
Leave a comment below and tell me what you think about pre workout nutrition.