Bodybuilding, the art and science of building serious muscle, is about more than just lifting heavy weights. What you eat, when you eat it, and how much you eat (or don’t eat) are important. Thankfully, a few simple guidelines can provide a solid foundation for bulking up while feeling as strong as you look.
Read expert advice on the best diet for bodybuilding, what foods to eat and avoid, and the optimal frequency and timing of meals and supplements.
How to create a meal plan for bodybuilding
To create the best diet plan for bodybuilding, you need to know how many calories you should consume depending on your goals. If you want to gain weight, you need to eat more calories than you burn every day. If you want to lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn.
There are two ways to estimate your daily calorie expenditure. One way is to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), or the number of calories your body needs to support important functions at rest.
Everyone’s BMR is different based on factors such as gender, age, and weight. You can find the BMR calculator here.
Another method is to multiply your current weight by a number that corresponds to your activity level.
Sedentary lifestyle (desk job): Current weight (lbs) x 11 Moderately active lifestyle (occasional exercise): Current weight (lbs) x 12 Very active lifestyle (construction worker or Elite Athlete): Current weight (lbs) x 13
Once you know your maintenance calories, you can start planning your meals and snacks.
bodybuilding diet basics
Here are some general guidelines to follow when preparing meals for bodybuilding.
1. Eat enough calories
If you want to build muscle, make sure you’re giving your body enough fuel to start the process.
“To build muscle, the most important thing is to get enough calories from your diet,” says Dana Ellis Hannes, Ph.D., senior clinical dietitian at UCLA Medical Center and author of Recipe for Survival. , MPH, RD says. “If you don’t have enough calories, it doesn’t matter how much or in what proportion you eat anything else. You won’t gain muscle, and you’ll probably lose it.”
2. Eat enough protein
Protein is the building block of muscle and is an important nutrient for muscle growth. How much do you need?
It is recommended that the average person looking to maintain overall health consumes at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For a person weighing 82 kg (180 lbs), that’s only 65 grams of protein.
If you’re doing bodybuilding, you need more, but not unlimited. To stimulate muscle growth, experts recommend consuming 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. For a man weighing 180 pounds, this equates to approximately 131-180 grams.
You may have heard of bodybuilders taking far more than that. However, anything above 2.2 grams per kilogram is thought to be oxidized for energy or transaminated to form other body compounds.
“More protein doesn’t mean more muscle, especially if you’re in an overall calorie deficit,” Funes says. Also, if you’re eating adequate calories, your body can convert the excess protein you consume into fat.
However, the study states: “Although studies have shown that high protein intakes (>20 g) result in greater oxidation of AA (amino acids), evidence suggests that this is not the fate of all additionally ingested AA. It is used for organizational purposes.
3. Run the appropriate macro
To build muscle, maintain a 40-30-30 balance. Aim for approximately 30% of your calories as protein, 30% of your calories as healthy fats (like olive oil, nuts, avocado), and 40% of your calories as carbohydrates.
4. Cutting and bulk calculations
For bodybuilding, your daily calorie goal will depend on whether you are in a bulking phase or on a bodybuilding weight loss diet. The exact amount an athlete needs varies greatly from person to person.
During the bulking phase, the goal is simply to increase muscle mass. During this phase, such as the “off season,” aim to burn 10% to 20% more calories.
Conversely, “When you cut, you’re trying to lose fat and preserve muscle. So your goal is to eat as many calories as you need to reduce fat mass, not muscle mass.” “This can be difficult,” Funes says. Aim to lose no more than 1% of your body weight per week while maintaining your protein intake to maintain muscle.
best foods for bodybuilding
The best foods to eat while bodybuilding are:
Enough protein to reach at least 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight Vegetables and fruits Whole grains (in moderation) Nuts, seeds, and legumes (such as beans, peas, and lentils)
Hunnes advocates a whole foods, plant-based diet, and says it’s possible to eat a vegetarian diet and still get enough protein to build muscle. “If you really don’t think you’re getting enough, you can add a plant-based protein powder or whey protein powder or eat eggs,” she says.
If you eat meat, this includes lean meats such as chicken, fish such as salmon and tuna, and grass-fed beef.
Best foods to limit
You might think you have a free pass to eat anything you want during the “appetite phase,” but there are still some foods you should avoid.
alcohol
Alcohol consumption is one of the first things you want to limit or eliminate. Science has discovered that alcohol is not only a source of empty calories, meaning it doesn’t provide any nutritional value, but it also positively affects muscle building.
Research shows that excess alcohol can inhibit muscle protein synthesis and inhibit muscle recovery after exercise. However, if consumed after sports or exercise, a dose of approximately 0.5 grams per kilogram of body weight is unlikely to affect most aspects of recovery.
ultra-processed foods
These manufactured foods include prepackaged snacks, sweet cereals, soups, ready-to-eat meals, hot dogs, french fries, and commercial sweets. They are another major obstacle in the pursuit of the right amount.
“Ultra-processed foods cause inflammation in the body, which works against muscle building,” Funes says.
sugar
When you’re bodybuilding, it’s wise not to consume too many simple sugars. Eating sugar can cause a spike in insulin immediately after a workout, which benefits muscle growth, but consuming large amounts of simple sugars over a long period of time can create insulin resistance, which can be inhibited. There is a gender.
Foods that are high in simple sugars tend to have low nutritional value. These empty calories can be stored as fat, making it difficult to see muscle growth.
high fat foods
Healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado, and nuts are important components of a healthy diet, especially for bodybuilding. What’s not important: Fried foods and foods high in saturated fat. That means fried chicken, french fries, tempura, calamari, pizza, donuts, you name it.
Meal and supplement timing
There’s no magic number or formula for when and how often to eat. “The optimal frequency and timing of meals is what’s right for the person,” says Funes. “If you want to eat three meals a day, that’s fine as long as you’re getting enough calories and protein. If you want to snack, that’s also effective. The goal is to get enough calories and protein from your meals.” Don’t forget to make sure you get it.”
Aim to consume protein throughout the day (at every meal and snack) to optimize muscle protein synthesis. The anabolic window theory has been largely proven wrong, with the post-workout anabolic window found to last approximately 4-6 hours instead of 30 minutes.
So how do these guidelines translate into your routine? Hunnes suggests the following daily meal plan:
breakfast
Oatmeal with blueberries, peanuts, or almonds Egg or tofu scramble with avocado
mid-morning snack
1 oz trail mix, or walnuts and dates or raisins
lunch
Lean ground beef or black bean burger on a whole grain bun with avocado, lettuce, tomato, and onion A side of high-protein Greek yogurt or plant-based yogurt with chia seeds
afternoon snack
dinner
Chicken or tofu enchiladas with pinto beans, side salad or grilled vegetables
Remember: The number of calories you need each day depends on factors such as your gender, weight, and activity level. Therefore, change the quantities accordingly. For example, “Depending on activity level and goals, women may only need 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day, while men may need 2,500 to 3,000,” says Funes.
