1. Cut and Paste
So, when I was really bulking, I was lifting heavy, with less reps, and I was consuming one protein shake a day. I found that I was almost cutting and pasting muscle on the areas that I was working on when I was lifting heavy and drinking protein shakes. I put on twenty pounds of muscle on in about two and a half to three weeks! It was a ridiculous amount of muscle that I was gaining for not working out so much.
2. Bounce Back
This is a HUGE pro to drinking protein shakes! I found that I have incredible bounce back and my body had great resiliency when it came to working out. What happens when you workout is that your muscle breaks down and then it comes back a little bit stronger 3-5 days later. When you drink protein shakes, you come back in 2-3 days instead of 3-5. The time frame was completely different.
3. Fat Loss
In accordance with the second benefit is the third benefit and that is that protein shakes contribute to big fat loss. When you workout and gain muscle, the muscle burns more fat. When you workout your legs, they get to the point where they are fat burning furnaces. More muscle equals more fat burn. This is the exciting part about protein shakes is that they convert to fat burning muscle.
4. Snack Supplementation
This was very true in my case. I could use protein shakes as a snack. Protein shakes are lower calories and so that contributes to weight loss as well. I would not supplement a meal with a protein shake just for the mere fact that protein shakes don't contain vitamins, minerals, and other supplements that you get from food that is good for your body. The fun part about this is that you can whip up a protein shake rather quickly and you can take it on the go!
5. Absorbs Quickly
Another benefit for drinking protein shakes is that they absorb into your body very quickly; I mean, wicked fast! Whey protein isolate is the best pound-for-pound protein out there in the world and takes a few short hours to absorb fully. This does not mean that you can supplement it for rest. You still have to rest, but you don't have to rest as often as you would without the protein shake.
6. Handles Heavy Lifting
Protein shakes handle heavy lifting like a champ! The protein shake was designed to help bodybuilders and power lifters and even beginner lifters come back quicker than they normally would. To utilize your protein benefits to their fullest, lift heavy, low reps, and watch the muscle jump onto your body. The best way to tell if the muscle is coming is to try on a dress shirt before you begin working out, find your size, and then work out for a few weeks. You won't fit in that same shirt the next time you try it on after working out!
7. Several Flavors
Call me a loser for thinking that this is a benefit, but I think that this is a big benefit. If I get sick of tasting chocolate protein shake, then I can get another flavor instead. They come in so many different flavors. Another hidden benefit is that the higher end protein powders actually taste decent. It doesn't have to cost you dearly for you to get good sources of protein.
8. Stronger or Lighter
The best benefit besides the fact that protein shakes put on a ton of muscle is that you can put in how ever much protein powder you want. You can put in one scoop or you can put in two. It is completely up to you! If you need more help with your protein intake, then you can add a little more. I drink my protein shake powder in milk, so it makes the protein shake thicker and creamier than it would be in just water.
I hope that you guys can use these benefits to come to a knowledge of what protein shakes are actually like. A LOT of people would just say, "Don't drink it." The problem is that they don't get give valid arguments for why protein shakes are bad for you. Share these benefits with your friends and tell them how good protein shakes are for you. If you really want to take your lifting to a new level, drink a protein shake...or two...or several!
Cheers!
~Obesity Overload
