Effective Muscle Building Diet Plans: A Comprehensive Guide

Building muscle mass is not a Herculean task. However, it does require a careful and calculated strategy to increase or decrease the daily calorie intake, based on an individual’s body weight. Those who are under-weight, need to gain weight i.e. they must eat more calories than burning each day. While for the obese, gaining muscle is an extended process, since they have to lose fat first and then build muscles.

People who are under-weight think that building muscle is a very easy process for them. They simply indulge in binge eating to gain muscles without even evaluating the drawbacks or consequences. Contrary to popular belief, they fail to gain muscle mass and add unhealthy weight instead. This is because binge eating accelerates the fat-storing process, especially around our vital organs. This is why, irrespective of how far the scales dip, the following food should be mandatory inclusions in our diet.

• Egg Whites – No fat or cholesterol but pure protein.
• Oatmeal – Low sugar, high fiber and provides sustained energy.
• Green Vegetables – They’re very healthy and deliver many benefits like fiber for improved digestion, and vitamins, photo-chemicals and antioxidants for better health.

Therefore, the key lies in ‘eating like little goldilocks’ – neither too less, nor too much, just the right amount. Mentioned below is the list of basic dietary guidelines.

Muscle Building Diet – Basic Dietary Guidelines:

1. Daily Protein Intake =1 Gram per Pound of Weight:

Low protein makes one end up losing muscle mass along with fat. High protein diet helps preserve the lean mass.

2. Keep Your Carbohydrates Intake Low To Moderate:

A low-carb intake is upto 100 grams while a moderate is upto 150 grams. Rotate carb intake levels to keep your energy levels high and provide a change of pace.

3. Hydrate And Flush Out Toxins:

Drink at least eight glasses of water every day to stay hydrated and healthy. Water has zero calories.

4. Exercise to Help Metabolism:

Regular exercising plays a crucial role in raising the body’s metabolism.

5. Never Skip Meals:

Whether you’ll gain fat or muscle depends on ‘when’ do you eat. You should always start with a heavy breakfast and then break other meals into smaller portions. This will ensure that the calories reach the muscles when they need them the most.

Breakfast and post work-out meals are the two times of the day when muscles crave for more calories and nutrients. This is because:

• At breakfast, you’re nutritionally depleted after a night long gap.
• Post-workout, the stressed muscles badly need the nutrients to recover.
• One must eat carbohydrates early in the day while the other meals should be protein-rich. This gives your body the amino acids it requires and negates the unnecessary pile up of carbohydrates. Since insulin sensitivity tends to be lower in the latter half of the day, avoiding carbohydrates helps to prevent fat gain.

Diet Chart/ Diet Plan for Muscle Building

The following diet chart suits an average working individual.

7:00 am: One glass of lukewarm water.

7:15 am: One cup tea with neem and honey, and one oatmeal cookie or 6 almonds/walnuts.

7:45 am: Exercise.

8:30 am: Breakfast – it includes the following foods:

• 4 egg whites/ steamed chicken.
• 2 chapattis (50gms whole wheat flour) / 1 bowl of 50gms of brown rice.
• 1 serving of lentils with green vegetables like beans, gourd, potato and bell peppers. Drink a glass of water after some time.

11:30 am: 1 cup green tea between the coffee breaks at work.

1:00 pm: Lunch – make a sandwich with the following:

• 3 oz sliced chicken breast/ tuna, 2 slices whole grain bread, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise.
• Add some lettuce, sliced green bell peppers, onions or tomatoes.
• Drink a glass of water after some time.

3:00 pm: Any seasonal fruit and ½ an apple.

5:00 pm: Take a brisk walk for 15 minutes. Drink one glass of warm water after the walk.

6:45 pm: Hit the gym and work out hard.

7:30 pm: Evening snacks – it should include the following:

• Small bowl of sprouts tossed in olive oil and garlic.
• Take one glass of either warm double toned milk or protein shake.

8:30 pm: Dinner – it should include the following:

• 3 oz salmon grilled or poached.
• 1 cup of salad with lettuce, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, rockets and pine nuts with only 1 tablespoon of olive oil for dressing.
• Drink a glass of water after some time.
• Sleep is the final step towards building muscles as this is the time when our muscles grow and develop. At least six hours of sleep is essential for every adult. To sum up, eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper and sleep like a dead log, to wake-up lean and fit.

Try these simple tips and tricks of a balanced diet for muscle gain to ensure healthy muscle building. Please share your experience and feedback with us in the comments section below.