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This week I participated in an intensive workout by fitness and health expert Jennifer Cohen. After each workout  I drank a Muscle Milk Protein Nutrition Shake to help refuel my body.

My workout consisted of seven 60-second exercises, one 30-second exercise, and one 40-second exercise. We were expected to complete all exercises with a 30-second break in between, and repeat the sequence a total of four times. I was able to finish the workout in 40 minutes.

What exactly did I do during the workout? It consisted of jumping rope, forward lunges, walking planks, jump squats, push-ups, seated rotations, half burpees, leg drops, and bicycle crunches. If reading that list  doesn’t make you exhausted then I don’t know what will. However, I will let you know that my two favorite exercises were the bicycle crunches (I’ll admit I’m partial to any exercise that helps my abs) and the jump rope – nothing like getting those cardio juices flowin’.

Trainer Jennifer Cohen recommends, “using and engaging as many muscles as possible while quickly moving from one exercise to another. This makes sure your heart rate remains high, so you burn the maximum amount of calories in the shortest amount of time possible.” While this seems difficult – and it is – the results are definitely worth it. As the saying goes: No Pain, No Gain.

What a lot of trainers don’t stress is how important AFTER the workout is. Recovery is key because it allows the body to replenish itself and restore any tissue tear. Recovery is also the time to refill your body of the fluid lost during the workout. Normally, I drink water during and after my workout. However, this past week I replaced my water after the workout (not DURING – water is crucial during a workout) with Muscle Milk and Muscle Milk Light. Personally, I liked the vanilla flavored Muscle Milk Light the better. With only 160 calories a bottle, I feel like I can also have a healthy snack like apples and peanut butter or some veggies after my workout. Muscle Milk Light is packed with 20 grams of protein and 0 grams of sugar and lactose. For the lack of sugar and amount of protein, the shake tastes really good – almost like a milkshake. The bottle recommends refrigerating after opening, however, I like the drink cold from the start.

There is nothing more rewarding than completing a difficult workout and knowing that you’re getting everything you can out of the intense effort. It’s not just about mastering particular exercises – it’s about understanding how your body works, so you can leverage the hard work and transform it into concrete results.  Replenishing muscles after exercising not only enhances recovery but it helps build lean mass. The longer you wait to take in nutrients, the longer it takes your body to absorb them. I’m all for efficiency and armed with this nutritional knowledge, I feel like my future workouts will be far more beneficial.

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.”

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