Are you interested in the best diet plan for muscle gain? If so, you’re in the right place for sure. We know what the best diet plan is for muscle gain, and we’re going to show it to you. We find a lot of people interested in the best diet plan for muscle gain. And this is your time to discover and choose the best diet plan for muscle gain.
Muscle Building Diet Plan: Pack On Lean Mass!
Want to increase your muscle mass while reducing (or stopping) your fat gain? The ideal food strategy for gaining muscle is required!
It’s simple to start a food plan for growing muscle.
Start with consuming a lot of water, then gradually increase your daily calorie consumption by 350–750.
Here are a few quick ideas and techniques to help you improve your caloric intake:
- Consume protein shakes between meals.
- Snack on nuts, seeds, cheese, or dried fruit throughout the day.
- Add extra cheese, nuts, seeds, or avocados to meals and snacks.
- Add protein powder or dried milk powder to shakes, casseroles, soups, and stews.
- Use extra olive oil when cooking.
Remember, until you reach your target weight, the optimum goal is to add around 1 pound of muscle mass per week.
To maintain high levels of energy, remember to obtain plenty of rest (7 to 9 hours per night).
The use of the proper strength training program, however, is likely one of the most crucial elements of a muscle-building strategy for men.
Making the most of your efforts is crucial for muscular growth. If you’re prepared to begin, adopt the simple muscle-building diet strategy provided below.
Weight Loss vs. Weight Gain Diets
Unbelievably, the number of calories you consume during the day is the primary distinction between weight gain and weight loss regimens. For instance:
- Weight loss diets contain 500 to 1,000 fewer calories than your usual intake or about 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day for men.
- Weight gain diets consist of eating 350 to 750 additional calories (more than your usual intake) daily to gain about 1 pound of muscle per week, suggests the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
- Active men over 40 often need 2,600 to 2,800 calories daily to maintain their weight, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020. Therefore, a muscle-building diet plan for men over 40 generally consists of eating 3,000 to 3,500 calories per day.
Eat often throughout the day and choose nutrient-dense, higher-calorie foods to consume the additional calories required for muscle building increases (every few hours or so).
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Macronutrient Recommendations for Muscle Building
You will consume more calories from dietary fat, protein, and carbohydrates while following a diet plan for growing muscle.
As they include calories and energy, these three nutrients are referred to as macronutrients.
The following macronutrient diet suggestions are for weight gain:
Protein Requirements
Following NSCA recommendations for muscle gains, your protein needs when following a muscle building diet plan are:
- Consume 1.5 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.68 to 0.91 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight) per day.
- Eat protein frequently throughout the day.
- Consume protein before and immediately after strength training workouts.
As a result, if you want to gain weight and are 150 pounds, try to consume 102 to 137 grams of protein daily.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Composition Database have listed the protein content of some of your favorite foods as follows:
- 3 ounces of baked chicken (skinless): 26 grams
- 1/3 cup of whey protein powder: 25 grams
- 3 ounces of very lean beef: 24 grams
- 3 ounces of fish (salmon or tuna): 21 grams
- 1 container of nonfat Greek yogurt: 15 grams
- 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese: 14 grams
- 2 large eggs: 12 grams
- 3 ounces of firm tofu: 8 – 10 grams
- 1 cup of cooked green peas: 9 grams
- 1 cup of cooked quinoa: 8 grams
- 1 cup of low-fat milk: 8 grams
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter: 8 grams
- 1 reduced-fat cheese stick: 6 grams
A decent general guideline is to consume 30 to 45 grams of protein at each meal, depending on your daily protein requirements, as this quantity has been linked to increases in muscle mass and strength in a number of studies.
Fill about 1/4th of each plate with non-starchy protein, such as meat, fish, seafood, poultry, eggs, tofu, or reduced-fat cheese.
Carbohydrate Needs
When attempting to increase lean muscle mass, you don’t need to worry about sticking to low-carb meal plans, but you should make smart carbohydrate choices.
The National Strength and Conditioning Association advises that while on a strength training program for weight growth, you should aim to consume between 40 and 55 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrates, or between 3 and 5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight daily.
In terms of daily carbohydrate intake, this translates to 1.4 to 2.3 grams per pound of body weight.
Therefore, if you weigh 150 pounds, try to eat between 210 and 345 grams of carbohydrates per day (or more as necessary).
Choose healthy, carb-rich foods, such as:
- Whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, whole-grain pasta, and oatmeal)
- Fruits
- Vegetables (especially, corn, peas, sweet potatoes, dried beans, and other legumes)
- Milk and milk products
- Nuts and seeds
The University of Michigan provides a comprehensive list of the carbohydrates content of some of your favorite foods. Examples include:
- 1 10-ounce baked sweet potato: 60 grams
- 1 cup of cooked rice: 45 grams
- 1 cup of cooked whole-grain pasta: 45 grams
- 1 cup of cooked beans/legumes: 30 grams
- 1 cup of cooked corn: 30 grams
- 1 cup of cooked peas: 30 grams
- 1 cup of cooked oatmeal: 20 grams
- 1 piece of fruit: 15 grams
- 1 cup of milk: 15 grams
Generally speaking, fill about 1/4th of each plate with starches to meet your daily allotment when following a muscle-building diet plan.
About half of each plate should be from vegetables (or veggies plus fruits mixed in).
This video gives you both the science of what does work as well as our own personal philosophy on what works best.
Dietary Fat Recommendations
A diet that promotes weight gain and muscular growth benefits greatly from dietary fat.
This is due to the fact that fat has 9 calories per gram, compared to 4 for protein and carbs.
The NSCA recommends that between 20 and 30 percent of your calories come from dietary fat.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020 recommend having 11 to 12 1-teaspoon amounts of healthy fats daily when eating 3,200 calories for weight gain in males.
Examples of heart-healthy fats in one portion include:
- 1 teaspoon of olive, peanut, soybean, coconut, sunflower, canola, or other plant-based oil
- 1 teaspoon of fish oil
- 1 tablespoon of Italian salad dressing
- 1/3 ounce of seeds
- 1/3 ounce of nuts
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of nut butter
- 8 large olives
- 1/6th of an avocado
As part of a diet plan for growing muscle, adding nuts, seeds, oils, avocados, and even cheeses to meals and snacks is a great way to increase your daily calorie consumption.
How many calories are required to increase muscle mass? We’ll show you how to estimate YOUR daily caloric needs for gaining muscle.
Fluid Requirements
Drinking plenty of water is essential to maintaining a healthy weight, especially during exercises when energy levels are at their peak.
Men typically require 16 cups of fluid each day, possibly even more if they regularly work out.
For athletes, Villanova University suggests the following hydration tips:
- Drink about 2 cups of fluid 2 to 3 hours before workouts
- Consume 1 cup of water right before training
- Drink 1 cup of water every 15 to 20 minutes during training
- Consume a sports drink containing carbs when training longer than 1 hour
- Drink 3 cups of water for every pound of body weight lost during exercise
For the best weight gain results, drink a protein shake before and after workouts to maximize muscle growth.
Find out the BEST way to start drinking more water and avoid dehydration!
What about Protein Shakes?
When following a diet plan to gain muscle, including protein shakes in between meals is advantageous, especially when consuming shakes before and after workouts.
It is simpler to do this if you want to keep your muscles adequately fed for growth and satisfy your daily protein, carb, and fat requirements.
Combine the following ingredients for a 505 calorie total:
- 1/3 cup of whey, casein, or other protein powder: 110 calories
- 2 cups of low-fat or plant-based milk: 180 calories
- 1 small piece of fruit, or 1 cup of fruit: 80 calories
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of nuts, seeds, or nut butter: 135 calories
- Ice: 0 calories
Total: 505 calories
Change up your protein shake recipes daily, and you’ll never be bored!
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Sample Muscle Building Diet Plan
When muscle gain is your goal, many active men over 40 need about 3,000 to 3,200 calories a day in addition to following an effective strength training program, such as Fit Father Project’s Old School Muscle program.
The sample menu below provides about 3,085 calories to achieve muscle-building weight gain.
Add additional high-calorie ingredients to it (extra oils, nuts, seeds, avocado, or cheeses, for example) if you need some extra calories.
Breakfast
- 4 egg (288 calories) omelet with 1/2 cup of sliced green peppers (9 calories), 1/2 ounce of feta cheese (39 calories), and 1/4 cup of sliced avocados (59 calories): 395 calories
- 1 cup of cooked oatmeal: 150 calories
Total: 545 calories
Snack 1
- 1 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt: 175 calories
- 1 ounce of almonds: 165 calories
- 1 cup of sliced bananas: 135 calories
Total: 475 calories
Lunch
- 3 ounces of grilled chicken breast: 130 calories
- 1 cup of cooked asparagus: 40 calories
- 1 cup of cooked quinoa: 220 calories
- 1/4 cup of sliced avocados: 60 calories
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil: 80 calories
- Seasonings of your choice: 0 calories
Total: 530 calories
Snack 2
- Protein shake (see recipe above)
Total: 505 calories
Dinner
- 3 ounces of grilled salmon: 132 calories
- 1 cup of cooked brown rice: 218 calories
- 1 tablespoon of olive or canola oil: 120 calories
- 1 cup of steamed broccoli: 55 calories
- Seasonings of your choice: 0 calories
Total: 525 calories
Snack 3
- Protein shake (see recipe above)
Total: 505 calories
Daily total: 3,085 calories
You can add or subtract ingredients and calories based on your individualized weight gain calorie needs.
Bodybuilding Meal Plan for Muscle Gain
Are you sick of being a “thin guy”? This meal plan for gaining muscle is just what you’ve been looking for to acquire healthy weight!
Meal Planning for Beginners, Muscle Building Meals, and Weight Loss Meals
Angry slim people who want to put on weight frequently believe they are eating to the maximum amount. They give up in frustration when the weight doesn’t increase. But the reality is that they typically only need to adopt a new eating pattern—a meal plan created especially for muscle growth—in order to expand!
A diet rich in calories and protein is necessary for building new muscle. But keep in mind that following a diet plan to gain muscle does not give you permission to eat anything you want. Instead of feeding their bodies more high-quality, nutrient-rich food, too many people stuff themselves with empty calories and cheap carbs.
Instead, you’ll eat strategically, focusing on high-quality, nutrient-dense carbohydrates for fuel around your challenging exercises and increasing your fat intake at other meals to consume more calories.
You will develop if you eat this way and work out hard.
Want a thorough instruction on what to eat to gain weight?
In his video “How to Eat to Gain Weight,” registered dietician Doug Kalman, PhD, RD, from the Foundations of Fitness Nutrition video course, breaks it down.
But eating the correct foods is only half the battle. If you’re serious about building muscle, make sure you’re adhering to a plan that has been carefully created with that objective in mind.
The Bodybuilding Meal Plan For Building Muscle
Target: approx. 3,000 calories, 300 g carbs, 225 g protein, 100 g fat
Keep in mind that this strategy is intended for a 150-pound man who exercises in the afternoon and is moderately active. Simply schedule your meals such that you consume the starchy meals before and right after your workout and avoid starchy carbs later in the day if your sessions are in the morning. The Calorie Calculator on Bodybuilding.com also allows you to enter your daily calorie intake if you weigh more or less than 150 pounds.
Template
- Meal 1: Breakfast (containing starchy carbs)
- Meal 2: Snack (low-carb)
- Meal 3: Lunch (low-carb)
- Meal 4: Post-workout snack or shake (containing starchy carbs and protein)
- Meal 5: Snack (containing starchy carbs)
- Meal 6: Dinner (containing starchy carbs)
Sample Day
Meal 1: Cheesy Scrambled Eggs with Scallions
Eggs(omega-3 eggs)
3
Egg Whites
4
Cheese(cheddar)
1/4 cup
Scallions
2
Ezekiel Bread
2 slices
Apple
1
Meal 2: Blueberry Almond Smoothie
Protein Powder(vanilla)
2 scoops
Blueberries
1 cup
Almonds
1 oz.
Almond Milk(vanilla)
1 cup
Water
1 cup
Ice
3-4 cubes
Meal 3: Steak with Tomato Bean Salad
Steak(flank, grilled)
6 oz.
Tomato
1
Cucumber(diced)
1/2
Chickpeas
1 cup
Olive Oil
1 tbsp
Meal 4: Post-Workout Nutrition
Protein Powder(shoot for 50 g carbs, 25 g protein)
1 serving
Meal 5: Chicken with Quinoa Salad
Chicken
6 oz.
Quinoa
1/3 cup
Walnuts
2 tbsp
Craisins
2 tbsp
Meal 6: Yams and Parmesan White Fish
Tilapia
6 oz.
Parmesan Cheese
2 tbsp
Yams
2 medium
Butter
1 tbsp
Broccoli
4 steps to proper nutrition for muscle building
The right food is one of the most crucial aspects of muscle building after the workout schedule and is essential to accomplishing your personal training goals.
There are a few things you need to verify and decide in advance in order for your diet to assist and complement your efforts to grow muscle.
1st Step: Determine your body type
The diet that is going to help you achieve the best results in terms of muscle building greatly depends on your body type. In weight training, we generally distinguish between three body types:
The ectomorph body type
(Hard gainer): The body is usually petite with long limbs, a low percentage of body fat and slow weight gain.
The endomorph body type
(Soft gainer): A round physique, fat deposits are quickly gained around the waist, hips and thighs. Wide hips, particularly in women. Slow metabolism, but fast development of muscle mass and fat deposits.
The mesomorph body type:
Body that is athletic with broad shoulders, strong arms and legs, and a trim waist. high level of athleticism and muscle bulk. rapid achievement in muscular growth.
The muscle mass, propensity to gain weight, and overall shape of the body types vary. However, because these are mixed types, not every person can be categorically categorized.
2nd Step: Proper nutrition & training for your body type
The ectomorph body type/hard gainer
Training: The focus should be on weight training, because calorie consumption is very high during endurance training.
Ideally, this body type should concentrate on increasing muscle mass and flexibility. However, caution is advised. Ectomorphs become over exercised very quickly.
Nutrition: Carbohydrate-heavy nutrition. A calorie surplus is needed to build mass.
The diet should consist of plenty of protein and good fats, and plenty of fruit and vegetables. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids, too.
The mesomorph body type
Training: Emphasis should be placed on flexibility training for the muscles. This body type is quick to see good results in terms of building strength, but tends to have shorter muscles and tendons.
Nutrition: Carbohydrate-heavy diet during the day, reduced carbohydrate consumption in the evening. The diet should consist of plenty of protein and good fats, and plenty of fruit and vegetables. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids, too.
The endomorph body type/soft gainer
Training: A combination of weight training for muscle building and endurance training to combat excess weight and fat deposits. The endomorph body type regenerates quickly from exertion.
Nutrition: Disciplined nutrition is particularly important, a diet low in carbohydrates and fat. However, this body type needs a lot of protein for muscle building, as well as plenty of fruits and vegetables. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids, too.
3rd Step: The correct macro nutrient ratio
When trying to build muscle, it is particularly important to regularly consume much needed macro nutrients like high-quality proteins, complex carbohydrates and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Only a regular supply of protein can permanently boost protein synthesis for muscle building and keep the amino acid concentration in the blood consistently high.
In addition to macro nutrients, you also need to regularly consume vitamins and minerals.
Protein: Essential muscle building component
When building muscle mass, a high-protein diet is needed to support the body after exercise and during regeneration.
Proteins basically consist of various essential and semi-essential amino acids like leucine, valine and isoleucine.
We recommend a combination of animal and plant sources. Suitable natural foods include lean meats and fish, low-fat dairy products, eggs, legumes and soya.
Recommended: 2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily.
Red meat, which contains a lot of creatine, is especially popular in muscle building diets. Protein products like protein shakes can be used as diet supplements.
Whey Protein – the classic
For: Quick supply of nutrients
Characteristic: Quick metabolic availability
When: Ideally right after your workout
3k Protein – the all-rounder
For: Quick & long-term supply of nutrients
Characteristic: Optimised protein combination
When: Perfect after an evening workout
Carbohydrates: Fuel for your muscles
Complex carbohydrates are the main source of energy for your muscles. Only with a sufficient carbohydrate intake can you maintain permanent progression (consistent weight increase).
If you consume more carbohydrates than you need, your muscles store the remaining sugar in the form of glycogen. During intense workouts in particular, your body can tap into these energy reserves.
Recommended: 3-4 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight daily.
Primarily whole grain products, potatoes, brown rice and oatmeal should be included in your nutrition plan for muscle building.
Short-chain carbohydrate compounds such as glucose should be avoided, as these raise blood sugar levels very quickly.
Fats: quality not quantity
In addition to carbohydrates and proteins, a good supply of healthy fats plays an important role in a muscle building diet.
Certain body functions like the release of testosterone and hormone production require valuable fatty acids.
Unsaturated fatty acids from plant oils (flax oil, organic coconut oil), fish (cod, salmon), avocado and walnuts are ideal.
Recommended: 1 g fat per kilogram of body weight daily.
4. Calculate your personal macro nutrient ratio
Your goal
Muscle buildingMuscle definitionShapeMaintain weight
Your calorie requirement
Your calorie requirement kcal*Calculate nutrient distribution
5th Step: 8 rules for proper muscle building nutrition
Rule number 1: You need to eat at least 6 meals a day!
Muscle building means a calorie surplus. Eat at least 6 small meals a day.
Try and eat something small every 2 to 3 hours. A regular intake of calories prevents the body from going into catabolic (breakdown) mode.
Your blood sugar levels and metabolism remain at a constant high to ensure that your mental and physical performance does not drop.
Rule number 2: Avoid simple carbohydrates
Avoid simple carbs, also referred to as harmful carbohydrates, such as the sugar in honey and fruit juice.
The provision of complex carbohydrates should always be the main focus of a diet plan for muscular growth.
These carbs are broken down gradually, maintaining steady blood sugar levels and providing the body with long-lasting energy.
Rule number 3: Balanced meals with proteins and carbohydrates
It is important to get the right balance of nutrients in your meals. Make sure that each meal consists of high-quality carbohydrates and around 30g of protein.
Whole grain products, oatmeal and rice are ideal. Get your protein from chicken, beef, fish and eggs.
Rule number 4: Essential fatty acids are your secret weapon
Essential fatty acids should be a part of a balanced diet to help develop muscle.
A long-term loss in prospective physical and mental performance will result from consuming too many unhealthy fats.
Nuts, low-fat salmon, olive oil, coconut oil, and nuts all contain beneficial fatty acids.
Rule number 5: Nutritional supplements for muscle building
As part of your recommended diet for muscle building, proteins, carbohydrates and fats, as well as dietary supplements play an important role.
An additional intake of dietary supplements can optimise muscle building processes. We recommend the following products:
- Whey Protein: Protein for energy in the muscles
- Creatine Powder: For even better athletic performance and effective workout
- L-glutamine: For effective regeneration and recovery processes
Rule number 6: Pre & post-workout meal
Your energy reserves need constant replenishment before and after exercise to give you enough energy during your workout and after.
Pre-workout meal: A pre-workout meal should consist of complex carbohydrates and protein.
A combination of 300g of quark with 100g of berries about 1 hour before your workout is ideal.
This equates to about 250 kcal, 2g fat, 21g carbohydrates and 37g protein. A quick alternative is a protein shake with whey protein and a banana.
Post-workout meal: After your workout, your energy stores need quick and effective replenishment to prevent nutrient deficiencies and loss of muscle mass.
Within 30 minutes of finishing an exercise, your body requires a substantial quantity of protein and quick-digesting carbohydrates.
Post-workout foods, such as a homemade quark, banana, and milk smoothie, provide an immediate energy boost.
An appropriate substitute is a protein smoothie with fruit juice and a banana.
A second meal If you’re on a diet high in protein for growing muscle, it’s a good idea to wait 60-90 minutes after working out.
This meal should include complex carbohydrates like whole wheat pasta, potatoes, or oats, as well as high-quality protein sources like low-fat fish, pork, or egg whites.
Rule number 7: Don’t forget to stay hydrated
The ability for your muscles to regenerate effectively is promoted by a sufficient intake of fluids.
Regardless of your goals – whether you’re trying to build muscles or define them – water is THE nutrient for your body. Drink 2 to 3 litres a day.
We recommend 1 litre more on workout days to compensate for the fluid lost during exercise.
Rule number 8: Say goodbye to hunger pangs
A well-planned muscle building diet usually includes the required amount of daily calories. Without a calorie surplus, your muscles cannot grow consistently.
Avoid hunger pangs: Eat a meal as soon as you get hungry.
Tip: A protein shake before bed promotes the regeneration and growth of your muscles.