Opportunities come and go. Being able to capture the moment and seize each situation where improvement is the outcome is the difference between winning and losing, or for the purposes of this article hypertrophy and atrophy. Knowing how to plan your meals around your training may be the single most important aspect of a well thought out attack on your muscles.
There is one time during your day when what you put in your body will determine how much muscle you can build and how quickly you will be able to recover. That is the post workout meal. This meal coincides with what is commonly known as the “Anabolic Window.” It is the most opportune time during the day to initiate new growth, fuel recovery and replenish all that is needed for optimal muscle function. That being said, I’d like for you to consider two “other” Anabolic Windows and make use of these times as well to take you to new levels of strength and growth.
Anabolic Window #1
This is the time of the day is what many trainers are referring to when the phrase Anabolic Window gets thrown around. It starts as soon as your workout is finished and lasts about fifteen minutes to a half hour after your last rep. During this time you should be consuming a liquid meal so that your damaged muscles receive all that they need as quickly as possible. The liquid meal is suggested for its quick absorption capabilities, and the body doesn’t have to work as hard to process it. Your best bet 
here is to consume a MyoGenin protein shake that also contains a serving of DGC and GL3 L-Glutamine. With that, you are well on your way to new growth and recovery.
Anabolic Window #2
This point comes roughly 45 minutes after you have had your post workout MyoGenin shake. Because your liquid meal was processed and utilized by hungry muscles so fast, you have to feed your body once again. If you fail to do so, then anabolism cannot occur. During this time you should be aiming to consume a whole food meal consisting of carbohydrates (sweet potatoes or rice work very well), high quality lean protein (turkey, fish or beef is a great option) with a hearty serving of mixed vegetables for their fiber and what that offers for the benefit of digestion.
The Forgotten Anabolic Window
This opportunity has been getting more attention lately, and many trainers have bought into the idea that there is really no need to wait until your workout is over to feed your muscles. For this reason, an intra-workout shake is now a common sight at many gyms. The idea behind this is after each set; the damage has been inflicted upon the muscle. Rather than continuing with the workout constantly breaking down muscle tissue leaving you in a weakened state, you help yourself out by sipping on a muscle inducing cocktail deliberately concocted to deliver nutrients aimed at muscle repair and new growth. My suggestion is to mix a drink that consists of water, Beta-X Powder, MyoGenin, and DGC.
You simply cannot afford to miss out on opportunities for new muscle growth when they present themselves. If you choose to look past it, you’re wasting your time in the gym and will continue to be the same version or a lesser version of yourself. Be just as intelligent with your meals as you are with your training and focus on the timing of your feeding times as well. It won’t take long before you notice a real change in your performance and physique and the gains will keep rolling in. Just remember to keep your window open!
