How to Build Muscle Fast: A Detailed Guide with a Meal Plan

Bodybuilding is about building muscles of the body by uplifting the weight and by feeding. To get the most out of the gym, it is vital that you concentrate your attention on the food you consume because incorrect food will damage your body building objectives. Here is a detailed guide on how to build your muscles with a detailed meal plan.

What Is Bodybuilding?

Bodybuilders aim to achieve a balanced, slim and muscular physique that they sustain. Bodybuilding involves two phases bulking and cutting phase.

The bulking phase lasts for several months to years. During this phase, the bodybuilders consume a high-calorie; protein-rich diet and do intense weight lifting to build muscles as much as possible. The cut-out process means that the muscle mass produced during the bulking phase is maintained by a loss in fat. This is attained by diet and exercise for 12-26 weeks.

What Are The Benefits Of Bodybuilding?

Bodybuilders practice and carry out resistance and aerobic activity to build and sustain muscles. The strength and scale of the muscle improve with the resistance exercise. A reduced risk of dying from cancer, cardiac and renal failure and a number of other vital conditions correlates to a muscle strength.

Aerobic exercises reduce body fat and improve heart health. Along with exercise bodybuilders follow healthy eating that aids in reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

A 4 Step Guide for Muscle Building

Here are four steps to follow when you want to build muscles.

1. Calculate your calorie needs

2. Muscle building diet

3. Bodybuilding nutrition

4. Choose your workout routine

Calculate Your Calorie Needs

Determine the base metabolic rate that is the lowest energy estimate needed to keep the body healthy. You would then determine the gross daily energy expenditures (TDEE). This is a mixture of the calories needed to keep BMR along with your everyday work. These calculations are based on algorithms and you need to reassess the numbers periodically.

During the bulking phase, you increase calorie intake by 15%. You reduce calories by 15 percent as you go to a cutting process.

Muscle Building Diet

After establishing the calorie requirements, it is important to determine the macronutrient ratio. This ratio is the fat, carbohydrate and protein consumption. It is advisable to obtain:

1. 30–35% of your protein calories

2. 55–60% of your calories from carbs

3. 15–20% of your calories from fat

It is important to consult a dietician to determine your nutritional needs that are specific to you.

Bodybuilding Nutrition

Choose foods wisely, Credits: pixabay

Diet is an important part of bodybuilding. Consuming the right food in the appropriate amounts helps your muscles grow bigger and better. Some of the foods to consume include meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, grains, fruits, starchy vegetables, seeds, and nuts. Alcohol, deep-fried foods, and foods rich in added sugar should be avoided. If you wish, you can take bodybuilding supplements like whey protein, creatine, and caffeine.

Choose Your Workout Routine

A man doing a workout, Credits: pixabay

To establish your workout routine, it takes a bit of experimentation and knowledge. Your training will involve one of the following splits.

1. Full body – 3 days per week

2. Upper/lower – 4 days per week

3. Legs/push/pull – 3 to 5 days per week

Some of the most efficient body building activities deadlifts, squats, dips, chin-ups, bench press.

Few Tips and Tricks for Muscle Building

1. Follow compound exercises.

2. Reduce stress and maximize recovery

3. Get adequate sleep and nap frequently

4. Eat 250-500 calories above your BMR.

5. Focus on whole foods and get the required proteins.

6. Gain 0.5-0.75lb (intermediates) or 0.75-1.00lb (beginners) of body weight per week.

7. Adjust your calories according to your weight gain or weight loss.

A One Week Meal Plan

Omlette, Credits: pixabay

Monday

1. Breakfast: 3 scrambled eggs, 3 rashers of grilled lean smoked bacon, 1 slice of buttered bread and a big spinach handful. 1⁄2 a grapefruit.

2. Snack: Protein shakes in powder with 30g of whey protein and 200ml of semi-skimmed milk. 1 small banana.

3. Lunch: Tuna mayonnaise sandwich. Serve one 150 g tuna with 2 tsp of low fat mayonnaise and serve two slices of wholemeal bread. 3 salt and vinegar rice cakes. 1 orange.

4. Snack: 25g brazil nuts.

5. Dinner: Paprika grilled chicken and vegetables.

6. Snack: Powder of whey protein of 30 g combined with Greek low fat yogurt of 100g and frozen banana in 1 small slice.

7. Calories 2,510 Protein 242g Carbs 197g Fat 86g

Tuesday

1. Breakfast: Mushroom, cheese, and onion omelette made with 4 eggs and sautéed mushrooms, onion, and 30g cheddar cheese. 1 slice of lightly buttered wholemeal toast.

2. Snack: 1 apple and 30g peanut butter.

3. Lunch: BLT sandwich. Grill 3 rashers of lean smoked bacon and place them between 2 slices of wholemeal bread with sliced tomato, lettuce, and low-fat mayonnaise. 1 orange.

4. Snack: 50g beef jerky.

5. Dinner: Grilled salmon and vegetables.

6. Snack: 30g whey protein powder mixed with 150g low-fat Greek yogurt and 100g frozen berries.

7. Calories 2,345 Protein 167g Carbs 187g Fat 103g

Wednesday

1. Breakfast: Ham and cheese omelette made with 4 eggs, 50g ham, and 20g cheddar cheese, served with a large handful of spinach, a handful of tomatoes and 1 slice of lightly buttered whole meal toast.

2. Snack: Protein shake with 30g whey protein powder and 200ml semi-skimmed milk. 1 small banana.

3. Lunch: Salmon and avocado salad.

4. Snack: 25g almonds.

5. Dinner: Honey and mustard chicken.

6. Snack: 30g whey protein powder mixed with 150g low-fat Greek yogurt and 1 handful of frozen grapes.

7. Calories 2,515 Protein 223g Carbs 194g Fat 92g

Thursday

1. Breakfast: 3 scrambled eggs and 70g smoked salmon with a handful of cherry tomatoes, a large handful of spinach and sliced red pepper. 25g brazil nuts.

2. Snack: Protein shake with 30g whey protein powder and 200ml semi-skimmed milk. 1 small banana.

3. Lunch: Chicken (approx. 200g), avocado and tomato sandwich on whole meal bread. 3 salt and vinegar rice cakes.

4. Snack: 50g beef jerky.

5. Dinner: Mighty turkey burgers

6. Snack: 30g whey protein powder mixed with 100g low-fat Greek yogurt and 1 small sliced frozen banana.

7. Calories 2,482 Protein 238g Carbs 142g Fat 109g

Friday

1. Breakfast: 3 soft-boiled eggs with 1 slice of lightly buttered whole meal toast and a small handful of nuts.

2. Snack: 1 apple and 30g peanut butter.

3. Lunch: Tuna Niçoise salad

4. Snack: 25g cashew nuts.

5. Dinner: Power prawn curry

6. Snack: 50g dark chocolate.

7. Calories 2,364 Protein 181g Carbs 203g Fat 92g

Saturday

1. Breakfast: 4 scrambled eggs with ½ an avocado mashed on 1 slice of whole meal toast and a handful of cherry tomatoes.

2. Snack: Immunity-boosting smoothie.

3. Lunch: Tuna melt.

4. Snack: 30g whey protein powder mixed with 150g low-fat Greek yogurt and, 1 handful of frozen grapes.

5. Dinner: One-pot pork stew.

6. Snack: 1 small bag of salted popcorn.

7. Calories 2,454 Protein 230g Carbs 161g Fat 99g

Sunday

1. Breakfast: Chia seed power pot, 25g brazil nuts.

2. Snack: 1 apple and 30g peanut butter.

3. Lunch: Roast beef (approximately 250g), 200g roast potatoes, carrots, green beans, broccoli and gravy.

4. Snack: 20g cheddar cheese and a handful of grapes.

5. Dinner: Roast beef sandwich

6. Snack: 30g whey protein powder mixed with 150g low-fat Greek yogurt and 100g frozen berries.

7. Calories 2,394 Protein 197g Carbs 172g Fat 103g