Build lean muscle meal plan

Recommended Daily Caloric Intake:

Carbs:

Protein:

Fat:

The example meals below are based on a 3000 calories per day muscle building diet. You may need to adjust the amounts of foods to meet your individual caloric needs.

Meals/Foods

Protein

Carbs

Fat

Calories

Meal 1

19g

81g

7.5g

461

14.4g

0g

0.2g

68

12.6g

0.8g

10g

147

Meal Totals

46g

81.8g

17.7g

676

Meal 2

12g

9g

24g

292

8g

4g

260

1g

27g

0.4g

105

21g

82g

28.4g

657

Meal 3

4oz lean meat

35g

186

90g

3.6g

432

3g

11g

0.5g

55

7g

60

48g

101g

15.1g

733

Meal 4

22g

12.3g

207

75g

0.7g

324

29g

13g

531

Pre-Workout

110

Karbolyn

30g

120

31g

230

Post-Workout

Weekly Totals

188g

401.8g

76.2g

3057

Macronutrient Percentages

24.6%

52.57%

22.43%

Chapters: Training | Nutrition | Supplements

Basics

If you want to transform your physique, build lean muscle and design a sculpted body you've got to commit to your nutrition plan 100%. Since you're trying to build lean muscle mass, your main focus will be taking in more calories than you burn off over the course of the day. Having that small calorie surplus is vital, because your body needs the energy to build new lean muscle. We'll show you how to keep it healthy, so you stay lean as you shape and chisel your new physique!

Click To Enlarge.
This Plan Will Help You Stay Lean As
You Shape And Chisel Your New Physique.

The Plan

Your new muscle building nutrition plan is going to be based on three things:

• • Timing - eating 5-6 times a day
  • Calorie Surplus - eating 300-500 calories above your caloric maintenance level

  If you follow these three simple principles, we guarantee you will succeed. All the resources you need to build a fool-proof muscle building nutrition program can be found on Bodybuilding.com. By eating the right foods in 5-6 meals spaced throughout the day, it'll be easier to get in those extra calories through whole foods; you'll feed your muscles a constant stream of nutrients to boost lean muscle growth and reshape your body.

  
  Click To Enlarge.
  Eating 5-6 Meals Throughout The Day Will
  Help You Get The Extra Calories You Need.

  Meal Plan

  We've built an example meal plan that you can use as a template for your meals. Our example meal plan won't necessarily meet your caloric needs, so the amounts of foods will be different for you depending on what you need. But the individual meals are designed with the best foods in the best ratio for gaining strong, lean muscle.

  This is a suggested meal plan that you can follow every day if you want, but you can change up the foods to add variety or slowly cut calories/add calories depending on your results and how you feel. Tracking progress and adjusting your nutrition plan is a critical component to seeing results - your body will be changing and so will your dietary needs. All the information to help you adjust your meal plan can be found on this page.

  RELATED PRODUCT

  MemoryMinder Journals Presents: DietMinder The DietMinder is simply the best food and exercise diary on the market! It's the easy and organized way to keep track of the foods you eat including the quantities, calories, carbs, fat grams, and other nutritional counts. There's space to record each day's exercise, too!

  Rule #1 Frequent and Consistent Meals

  When it comes to packing on sculpted pounds of new muscle mass, you need to make sure that your body is primed for growth by giving it the fuel it needs throughout the day. This means that you'll be eating every 2-3 hours. It might sound scary at first, but it's the best way to take in the large amount of calories you need each day from healthy, whole foods.

  For your best body, toss out the traditional notion of 3 meals a day. To build maximum mass, you'll be eating 5-6 quality meals throughout the day.

  Constantly eating small, nutrient-rich meals will get your body primed for muscle growth and make it much easier to take in the calories you need. Eating frequently also ramps up your metabolism, which helps keep you lean while you're sculpting your new physique.

  Don't Skip Meals

  If you're the kind of person who skips breakfast or lunch, or both, and then eats a large dinner, that type of eating will not work for you on a muscle building meal-plan. If you feel hungry, eat something - and remember to make it the right foods that are described on this page.

  
  Click To Enlarge.
  You Should Eat When You Are Hungry, But
  Make Sure You're Eating The Right Things.

  Rule #2 Calorie Surplus

  To add lean muscle mass, you need to be consuming more calories than you're burning - in other words, you need to stay at a caloric surplus ever day. It's difficult to pack in all of those muscle-building meals, but it's definitely possible.

  To find out how many calories you need to gain muscle mass, you must first calculate your maintenance calories. Your maintenance calorie level is how many calories you need to consume to stay the same weight.

  Put Calories to Work for You - The Muscle Building Ratio

  Your meal plan for building muscle is going to be broken down into a specific calorie ratio: 55/25/20. You should get 55% of your calories from complex and fibrous carbohydrate sources (including vegetables and fruit), 25% from high quality protein sources, and 20% from natural and healthy fats.

  Confused?

  Don't worry - we'll break this ratio down in terms of real foods when we talk about what foods you'll be eating for your muscle building meal plan.

  By splitting your calories in the proper ratio between carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats you'll support muscle growth and development while fueling your body for maximum recovery and muscle gains.

  Don't I need more protein than carbs to gain muscle? Actually no, as long as you are getting a constant stream of amino acids from the protein in your meals, your body doesn't need an excess amount of protein to grow, but it does need excess energy to make sure it never dips into your protein reserves.

  
  Click To Enlarge.
  With The Proper Ratio Of Protein, Carbohydrates, And Fats
  You'll Be Able To Maximize Your Recovery And Muscle Gain.

  Rule #3 The Right Fuel - Foods and Portions

  To sculpt the body of your dreams, you have to start putting high quality fuel in your body. Use the best fuel to operate at your optimal ability both in and outside of the gym! Transforming your body means putting 100% effort into each and every workout, and to fuel those workouts you need the best foods. Let's talk about macro and micronutrients.

  Your macronutrients are the major players in your diet that you need to function properly, including carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Micronutrients are things like vitamins and minerals that are necessary for your overall health and wellness and are scattered throughout the foods we eat. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are great sources of micronutrients.

  Foods for Building Muscle

  Carbs

  Although Carbohydrates have a bad rap in today's society, they are actually your body's preferred energy source. That means you need carbs for energy throughout the day and to fuel your workouts. If you eat the right kind of carbs, you'll add toned muscle to your body without excess fat gain.

  There are two types of carbs you want to focus on:

  
  Click To Enlarge.
  Eating The Right Carbs Throughout The Day Will