Building muscles is an effective way to improve one’s appearance through weightlifting and nutrition. While most people assume going to the gym is adequate to build muscles, the reality is that you will need a balance between nutrition and weightlifting. It is common to find people complain they are not gaining muscles despite spending considerable time in the gym lifting weights. If you are one of those struggling or you would like to maximize your muscle gains, it is important you check what you are eating. Eating the wrong foods can work against your bodybuilding goals. We have come up with a 7 day meal plan for muscle gain to help you gain maximum results from the time you spend in the gym.
The best bodybuilding meal should help you lose as much fat as possible while maintaining or building muscle mass. Our meal plan helps bodybuilders gain muscle mass while remaining healthy with a lower risk of chronic diseases. In addition to the 7 day meal plan for muscle gain, we also provide tips to help you determine the nutrients and macronutrients your body needs to build muscles.
What Nutrition Does Your Body Need To Build Muscles?
You will need to eat the right number of calories to effectively gain muscle mass or reduce body fat. Macronutrients are also important in keeping you healthy and energized as you reach your bodybuilding goals. It is also necessary to have an effective eating strategy that helps you maximize your muscle mass gains. The nutrition that should be part of your 7 day meal plan for muscle gain includes:
Calories
The exercises you do and the calories you take determine whether you will gain, maintain or lose muscle mass. You will have to eat more calories than your body needs every day to gain or maintain muscle mass. On some occasions, you will need to eat fewer calories than you need to lose fat while preserving your muscle mass. When preparing for a bodybuilding competition, you should increase your calorie intake by 15 percent during the bulking-up period and reduce calorie intake by 15 percent to lose fat while maintaining your weight. We recommend that you consult a certified fitness instructor or a dietitian for professional guidance on the calories you should eat every day to gain muscle mass.
How Many Calories Should You Eat To Achieve Your Bodybuilding Goals?
The amount of calories you need to eat every day depends on your bodybuilding goals and body needs. That said, it is not difficult to calculate the calories that can help you attain your goal. We recommend that you weigh yourself at least three times a week and closely monitor whatever you are eating. You can use one of the bodybuilding nutrition apps to help you track the calories you are taking every day. If the weight remains the same during the week, it means the number of calories you are taking is what your body needs to maintain its weight.
Once you have your body weight maintenance calories, you can easily figure out the number of calories you need to bulk up or lose fat. We recommend that you increase the calorie intake by 15 percent to gain muscle mass and reduce the calories by 15 percent to lose fat. For example, if you calculate the maintenance calories to 2,500, you will need to increase the amount by 15 percent to 2,875 calories every day to gain muscle mass. If you are in the cutting phase, you should reduce the maintenance calories by 15 percent to 2,125 every day. We advise that you plan your goals monthly for the best results. You should also plan to gain or lose about one percent of your weight weekly during the bulking or cutting phase.
Macronutrients
It is necessary for a bodybuilder to consume adequate macronutrients. Macronutrients provide the body with energy and help in body recovery after workouts. They also ensure general wellness, which is important in helping you achieve your bodybuilding goals. The macronutrients that should be part of your 7 day meal plan for muscle gain proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. The best meal should provide a balance between the three macronutrients.
Macronutrient Ratio To Help You Gain Muscles
Macronutrient ratio helps you to know the ratio between carbohydrate, protein, and fat intake that you should include in your daily food servings. The good thing about macronutrients is that the amount does not change whether you are bulking or cutting. In general, you should have about 30 to 35 percent of your calories from protein, 55 to 60 percent of your calories from carbohydrates, and 15 to 20 percent of your calories from fat. From our example of 2,875 bulking calories, you would need 862.5 to 1,006 from protein, 1,581 to 1,725 from carbohydrates, and 431 to 575 from fat. When calculating the macronutrient ratio for the cutting phase, you should use the 2,125 calories as the base figure.
Which Are The Best Sources Of Macronutrients?
Supplements
We recommend that you add supplements to your meal for the best results. Bodybuilding supplements come in several types to suit the needs of different people. Nevertheless, you should keep in mind that some supplements are not of the desired quality. You should review the effectiveness of the bodybuilding supplements to find the most effective for your bodybuilding goals. The common types of bodybuilding supplements include:
- Creatine – Creatine supplements are beneficial when at the gym. They give you the energy to keep going for maximum gains. Make sure you are taking quality, effective products with a proven track record to help get more from the time you spend in the gym.
- Whey protein – Protein is an essential requirement that helps your body build muscles. Taking a whey protein supplement is a convenient way to provide your body with the necessary amount of protein for body mass growth.
- Caffeine – You need to help your body recover during and after workouts. Caffeine supplements make it easier for your body to withstand fatigue and recover quickly for the next round of workouts.
- Vitamin and mineral – We recommend that you add a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement to your bodybuilding diet plan, especially in the cutting phase. Vitamins and minerals encourage wellness and muscle recovery.
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Foods That Should Make Your 7 Day Meal Plan For Muscle Gain
You will need an all-inclusive dietary plan for the best bodybuilding results. You must know what you should eat during bulking and cutting phase to help you meet your workout goals. The amount of calories you need during bulking is different during the cutting phase, which should reflect on the foods you eat. The best food during bulking should enable you to consume more calories while the best meal during the cutting phase should make you feel fuller. The types of foods that should be in plenty in your 7 day meal plan for muscle gain include:
Proteins
Protein is essential nutrition that your body needs to survive. It is the fuel that keeps your body going. Your body does not keep reserves of protein and gets them from the foods you eat on daily basis. It builds and repairs tissues and makes hormones, enzymes, and other body chemicals that your body needs. Working out without an adequate intake of proteins will reduce the gains. It will also prolong the healing time your muscles need to recover after intense workouts. The major sources of proteins include:
- Eggs
- Dairy
- Tuna
- Salmon
- Tilapia
- Sardines
- Chicken
- Beans
- Lentils
- Green peas
- Quinoa
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the main sources of energy for your body and brain, which is important in achieving an athletic performance. However, you will need to understand how different types of carbohydrates work and the effect they have on your body. Complex carbohydrates are the best for bodybuilders and athletes as they offer long-lasting, sustained energy that supports prolonged workouts, including cycling, running, and high-intensity functional training. Carbohydrates play an important role in building more muscle and optimizing workout recovery. We recommend that you include complex carbs as part of your 7 day meal plan for muscle gains. Unlike simple carbs, the complex carbohydrates burn slowly and spike blood insulin, which offers stable blood glucose levels for sustained energy release. The best sources of complex carbs include:
- Sweet potatoes
- Yams
- Oats
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
Fats
Fats are essential for a healthy body. They play a major role in hormonal regulation and offer more calories to your body. Fats aid in testosterone production, which is a supporting hormone for muscle growth. Low testosterone levels in your body will lower the gains from the time you spend in the gym working out. The different types of fats include:
- Saturated fats – Saturated fat play a vital role in the production of hormones like testosterone by the liver for body mass growth. Your daily diet plan should have saturated fat to keep hormone production stable. Animal and dairy products are the main sources of saturated fats like cheese, whole milk, lamb, ham, pork, and veal.
- Polyunsaturated fats – Polyunsaturated fats fight the bad cholesterol in your body for a healthy body. The main sources of polyunsaturated fats include safflower, sunflower, soybeans, fish, and corn oils.
- Monounsaturated fats – Monounsaturated fats help your body lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) without lowering the good cholesterol (HDL). The main sources of monounsaturated fats include nut ad vegetable oils like canola, peanut, and olive.
7 Day Meal Plan For Muscle Gain Guide
You can use our 7 day dietary plan for muscle gain as a guide to help you maximize your gym efforts for maximum muscle gain. That said, it is good to note that the meal plans vary among athletes, depending on goals, gender, and size. Men usually need more calories than women. You will also need more calories in the bulking phase than in the cutting phase. Knowing what you need and at what quantity will help you meet your body building goals more efficiently. It is also necessary to ensure that you are eating balanced food at all times to ensure general body wellness. Our sample of the 7 day meal plan for muscle gain includes:
Day One
- Breakfast: stir-fried veggies, eggs, and oatmeal
- Lunch: Grilled chicken breast, baked sweet potato, and mixed greens
- Dinner: Brown rice, green beans, and broiled fish
Note: It is good to take snacks between the main servings. Whey protein shake, carrot sticks, and hard-boiled eggs will provide you with additional calories to supplement your diet.
Day Two
- Breakfast – Whole grain granola, greek yogurt, fresh berries, and almonds
- Lunch – Grilled fish with broccoli and spinach salad
- Dinner – Sweet potato, chicken breast, fresh salsa, and a side salad
Note: You can supplement the meal with a protein shake, mushrooms, and egg white omelet.
Day Three
- Breakfast – Protein pancakes and fresh berries
- Lunch – Beef burger and lettuce with green beans, onion, and tomato
- Dinner – Shrimp stir-fried, brown rice, and spinach
Note: You can add almonds, apple slices, and protein shake as snacks.
Day Four
- Breakfast – Scrambled egg whites, oatmeal, and berries
- Lunch – broccoli, sirloin steak, and mushrooms
- Dinner – brown rice, broiled fish, and a mixed green salad
Note: You can take apples with natural nut butter and turkey breast with celery and carrots as snacks.
Day Five
- Breakfast – Scrambled egg whites with herbs, peppers, cheese, and Ezekiel bread
- Lunch – Grilled chicken breast with black beans, onions, bell peppers, and romaine
- Dinner – Sweet potato, sirloin steak, and asparagus
Note: You supplement your meal with a protein shake, almonds, and apple.
Day Six
- Breakfast – Oatmeal and protein shake
- Lunch – Grilled chicken, white bean, and tomato salad
- Dinner – Quinoa, grilled fish, and green beans
Note: You can add Greek yogurt, berries, nuts, cucumbers, and hard-boiled egg whites as snacks to the meal.
Day Seven
- Breakfast – Whole granola, Greek yogurt, and berries
- Lunch – Almonds, grilled chicken breast, spinach, and strawberries
- Dinner – Brown rice and stir-fried shrimp with peppers and onions
Note: We recommend that you take a protein shake, carrots, and turkey breast as snacks during the day.
Conclusion
You must have a balance between working out and eating healthy foods to gain muscle mass. Eating healthy enables your body to maximize the bodybuilding gains from the time you spend in the gym working out. It also keeps you motivated, provides energy and encourages recovery.
