When you’re aiming to build muscles, you are likely asking how much muscle you can gain in a month or how much protein you need for that. The answers to these questions depend on several factors such as genetics, age, and the level of weightlifting experience. A new lifter may be able to gain 2 to 3 pounds in a month. The intermediate lifter gains 1 to 2 pounds in a month while the experienced one may gain half a pound. You have to assess where you are in terms of weightlifting and strength training for you to set realistic objectives for muscle gain.
There’s no quick formula for building muscles. Your body needs time to adjust for you to ensure a sustainable change. For you to gain muscle, you must consider years not months. It takes hard work and perseverance to build muscles and retain muscle mass.
What Makes Diet Important?
To achieve muscle gain, you have to adjust the amounts of your macronutrients like protein. Adding more protein to your diet gives your muscles more energy required for weightlifting and muscle repair. The number of calories required by the body depends on the number of calories burned by it daily. This differs from one person to another. The consensus is that you have to take in more calories than what your body burns for you to build muscle successfully. A debate has been going on about the number of calories your body needs to build muscles.
How Frequently Should You Eat and When?
As part of your muscle gain, you have to eat three meals a day and snacks in between. Many studies revealed that it doesn’t matter whether you should eat your protein-packed meal before or after the workout. It’s crucial that you eat during your metabolic window which is 30 to 45 minutes after working out for the muscles to rebuild and recover. Make sure that you maintain your daily macronutrient intake and that you consume only high-quality food sources.
Why You Must Go Beyond Just Protein When You Build Muscle
Most people who are trying to build muscle are also trying to lose fat. There are instances though when the approaches used to achieve those goals end up contradicting each other. If you try to cut back too many calories, you may not have enough for muscle development. For you to effectively build muscle mass, you need to make sure that you have enough calories and appropriate nutrients to support your activity.
Fuel up with the right kind of carbohydrates.
Consuming sufficiently the right carbohydrates can give your body energy to perform the activity. This includes working muscles. Good sources of carbohydrates include beans, fruits, whole grains, and vegetables.
Make sure you get some healthy fats.
Small amounts of the right fats are essential. This is so because fatty acids which are the building blocks of dietary fats are vital to the body since the body can’t create them. Fatty acids are vital to the structure of every cell membrane in the body, including muscle cells. The body relies a lot on fat for it to fuel a longer exercise with moderate intensity. This is the type of exercise that can be coupled with a strength-training regimen to get rid of body fat and build muscle mass.
How Do You Calculate Your Protein Needs?
The best way to measure the amount of protein you have to consume daily is according to your lean body mass or everything else in your body that isn’t fat. This could give you a more accurate number than just zeroing in on your total weight. An average person is likely to be carrying more weight in the midriff area, and he is known to possess a higher body-fat percentage. Moreover, several research studies show that consuming beyond 2.2g of protein per kg of lean body mass results in not many health benefits.
Excellent Tips for Diet and Nutrition to Build Muscles
It is ideal to time all your meals for them to work with your workout. However, you must aim for three meals daily and several snacks. Make sure that these are balanced with protein and carbohydrates. This will ensure that you have fuel for exercise and a stable supply of protein to ensure muscle protein synthesis.
Before a workout, it’s important to stay hydrated. Drink 2 cups of water two or three hours before working out. You may also take another cup 15-20 minutes before the regimen.
When you have a few hours before your fitness regimen, you can have a regular breakfast with yogurt, eggs, whole-grain cereals, fruit, and whole-grain toast. If you are eating close to your workout schedule, a protein shake will be a better option.
After your workout, your body will need carbohydrates and 10 to 20 grams of high-quality protein for replenishment and repair. You can have yogurt, a turkey sandwich, a bowl of cereal and fruit, and others.
For snacks, they should still be a balance between carbohydrates and protein. A quick snack may include a hard-boiled egg, whole-grain crackers, cottage cheese, yogurt, and others. A snack may also include raw vegetables and hummus.
Common Mistakes That Hinder Muscle Growth
If you have been doing strength training for a while and still you haven’t seen any improvement, it might be because there are some things that you are not doing right. Here are some of the most common mistakes:
Not taking enough calories
It simple. If you don’t feed your muscles, they can’t grow. A debate is still ongoing about the caloric surplus. However, the consensus is that you have to consume more calories than you can burn.
Insufficient intake of carbs
Carbs are often neglected in diets that aim for muscle growth because of the focus on protein. But carbs are as important as protein when it comes to building muscles. Carbs are sugar forms and sugar is instrumental in protein absorption. They also provide energy for your workout.
Not getting enough sleep
Sleep is the most overlooked element when it comes to building muscle mass. When you sleep, your muscles work harder to repair themselves. You have to give your muscles at least 48 hours to recover before you do strength training again. Without sufficient recovery, your muscles are less likely to develop.
Doing the wrong exercise for a certain goal
All exercises can make you healthier. But if you have a specific goal in mind, make sure that the exercise you do is designed to achieve that goal. Some workouts may also slow you down, depending on your goals. For strength training and muscle gain, workouts must be focused on reps, percentages of your 1RM, and sets.
Foods That Help You Gain Muscles
Some food items can help you gain muscle. If you are aiming for muscle growth, these are your best options:
Eggs
Eggs are loaded with high-quality protein, essential nutrients like B vitamins and choline, and also healthy fats. Proteins are composed of amino acids, and eggs contain a large amount of the amino acid leucine, which is beneficial for muscle gain. B vitamins are also responsible for several functions in the body, including energy production.
Tuna
Tuna is rich in niacin, vitamin A, and B vitamins including B12 and B6. These are crucial for optimal health, exercise performance, and energy. Tuna also contains large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help support muscle health. This is more important for older adults. According to studies, omega-3 fatty acids can slow down muscle mass loss and strength.
Salmon
This is a healthy food that works for muscle building and overall health. A 3-ounce (85-gram) salmon serving contains 1.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, 17 grams of protein, and several other crucial B vitamins.
Tofu
This comes from soy milk and it is often used as a substitute for meat. A half cup of tofu contains 6 grams of fat, 10 grams of protein, and 2 grams of carbohydrates. Tofu is also a great calcium source which is beneficial for muscle function and bone health support. The soy protein that tofu contains is known as one of the highest-quality proteins.
Milk
Milk contains protein, fats, and carbohydrates. Just like other dairy products, it contains both fast- and slow-digesting proteins. This is often thought of as beneficial to muscle health. Several studies revealed that people increased their muscle mass by drinking milk as they do weight training.
Brown Rice
Brown rice only has 6 grams of protein in it, but it has lots of carbohydrates that will fuel your exercise regimen. You might want to consider eating healthy sources of carbs like quinoa or brown rice a few hours leading to your workout. This will let you exercise harder. It will also give your body a strong stimulus for the muscles to grow. Additionally, research has also shown that rice protein supplements such as whey protein can give you muscle gain when consumed during a weight training program.