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This just might be the key to serious muscle growth.

What you eat after you lift can be just as important as the work you’re putting in at the gym. But your regular post-workout shake might not be doing your muscles any favors. Consuming protein along with other nutrients in whole food sources may be more effective at sparking muscle growth than just eating protein alone, new research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests.

In the study, researchers had 10 healthy, young men who regularly lift take part in two separate trials. In one, they ate three whole eggs, totaling 18 grams (g) protein and 17 g fat, within five minutes after a leg workout. In the other, they consumed the equivalent amount of protein from egg whites, which gave them 0 g fat.

Then, the researchers took biopsies of the men’s muscles two and five hours later to measure something called their myofibrillar protein synthetic response, or the rate at which their protein fibers repaired themselves following the small tears caused by their workout.

They discovered that the whole egg consumption sparked significantly greater protein fiber repair and recovery than eating the egg whites did. And that’s important, since that process is key to building bigger and stronger muscles, explains study author Nicholas A. Burd, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The researchers haven’t been able to pinpoint exactly what it was about the whole egg that triggered a greater muscle-building response, Burd says. But it may have to do with “food synergy,” or the theory that food components work together to elicit a greater protein synthesis response than simply eating protein alone.

Some possibilities in the whole egg? The yolk contains fats, including the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, vitamins, like vitamins A, D, E, and K, and minerals, like phosphorus and iron. (The egg whites, while matched in protein, lacked the nutrients of the whole egg).

“All of these non-protein food components may be helping dietary amino acids to support the post-workout muscle building response,” says Burd.

So what does this mean for you? Well, you already know that you should eat protein after your workout. But these findings suggest you might be better off eating real food than simply chugging a protein shake afterwards, since they tend to lack the other nutrients that can make up a whole-foods source of protein.

“The major point here is that these data give an indication that it may be possible to improve the use of protein in the diet by consuming protein within its natural, whole food matrix as opposed to consuming isolated protein sources,” Burd says.

When we look at a workout, we see sets and reps.

Something often overlooked is how much rest between each set you take — and that matters, too.

The time we take between each set can affect our result, so having a goal in mind when exercising is vital. Your rest times are based on what you’re trying to accomplish such as building strength, burning fat, and increasing endurance.

So next time you take a break between sets to scroll through Facebook, focus on chasing your goals and time your rest. The rest between sets may not seem like it is that important until you start seeing progress.

Below we go over four approaches you can take to nail your rest times and progress toward your goals.

Rest and Fitness

Losing Fat

Boosting fat loss means you have to burn more calories and increase your metabolic demands. Taking 30 seconds or less rest between sets is the goal here.

In simple terms, you want to push yourself to where you are breathing pretty heavily. These short breaks make it hard to repeat the same exercise over and over again, which is why many people add circuits to their fat loss strategies.

Doing several exercises in a circuit allow you to push different parts of your body while the parts you just work can rest. Jumping from one exercise to the next keeps your heart rate up, keeps rest periods short, and allows muscle groups to fully recover before going at it again.

Strength Gains

When you are training for strength, you are demanding the most power output from your body. Taking between two to five minutes of rest between sets is ideal here. This increases the maximum amount you’ll be able to squat, bench, or deadlift. I know this seems like a long time in between sets, but taking a longer rest period allows your body to fully recover.

If increasing strength is your goal, rest up.

This isn’t an opportunity for you to play on your phone, either.

It sounds like that much rest between sets is too long until you try it. Focusing and listening to your body help you prepare to smash the next set.

Smash those personal records.

Anaerobic Conditioning

Interval workouts or high-intensity interval training improves your anaerobic conditioning. Unfortunately, there’s a fine line with the rest times.

If your rest is too long, you won’t improve your body’s ability to recover quicker and replenish its energy. If your rest is too short, you will turn your workout into an aerobic workout — missing out on the benefits of a high-intensity workout.

You may also notice your sprint speeds are reducing as you go. This is a sign that you are resting too short and will not improve your speed or power.

Anaerobic intervals should be between 60 and 90 seconds of rest. This is long enough for your heart rate to drop below 130 bpm — allowing your body adequate rest to go full-bore next sprint.

Aerobic Conditioning

Building a healthy heart and improving your ability to be active without being out of breath is a great goal. If this type of training aligns with your goals, aim to keep your heart rate between 120 and 150 bpm. Staying in this zone will target your aerobic energy system, forcing your body to adapt and improve how you want.

Buying a fitness tracker to track your heart rate is the most accurate way to maintain this specific heart rate.

Wrapping It Up

Everyone’s fitness levels are different so if you can’t maintain the rest times above, don’t fret.

The main idea to pull from this is that your rest times matter and will change depending on your goals. Since rest times aren’t set in stone, it’s important to learn how to listen to your body.

In short, here are rest times for four of the most common goals:

• Burn fat – Rest about 30 seconds and maintain an elevated heart rate.
• Build strength – Rest between two to five minutes. You’ll know when you’re ready if you stay focused.
• Anaerobic conditioning – Learn to listen to your body, but 60 to 90 seconds rest is ideal. Let your heart rate reach just below 130 bpm.
• Aerobic conditioning – Use a fitness tracker to keep your heart rate between 120 to 150 bpm. This targets the aerobic system and improves your conditioning.