Top Best Muscle Gain Diet Plan for Bodybuilding

The best muscle gain diet plan for bodybuilding is always what you need to have for faster weight gain.

Precisely, having a well-balanced diet improve the body immune system, which protect your body against toxin infections.

Furthermore, the bodybuilder diet plan provides the body with the best nutrients geared to faster weight gain.

You need to eat energy-rich food, protein-rich foods, and enough calories for effective muscle growth and recovery, strength and better workout performance(1).

For that matter, this article provides you with the best bodybuilder diet plan for gaining a bigger body muscles.

Here Is the Best Muscle Gain Diet Plan for Weight Gain

  • Eat more calorie daily
  • Get  enough sleep of about 7 to 8 hours
  • Perform powerlifting, the hardcore
  • Increase your protein intake
  • Complex carbohydrates
  • Foods rich in vitamins and minerals

Therefore, ensure your bodybuilder meal plan have the above food nutrients in it, to gain bigger body muscles faster.

NOTE: This is not your exact nutrition plan, since different people have diverse body size, shape, diverse metabolic rates and many more.Therefore, for your exact bodybuilder diet plan, you need to get advice from your nutritionist or dietitian.

Daily nutrition plan for muscle gain dieters

  1. Frequent Feeding

If you are a bodybuilder and want to gain weight faster and safe, eat often.

For instance, have 4 to 6 feedings per day and focusing on 3 whole food meals and 2-3 whole food “snacks” for optimal energy level, strength, recovery, and growth of new muscles.

It will also improve your workout performance.

  1. Calories Intake

Calories are very important for faster weight gain.

Therefore, eat enough calories.

The amount of calories will depend on what your nutritionist or dietitian recommends you to take.

However, ensure to take not more than 5,000 calories per day.

muscle gain diet plan

Eating plans that contain 4,200 to 5,500 calories per day increases body mass faster within few weeks.

Have a well-planned diet that will optimize your calorie intake per day.

Eating enough calories after workout or before a workout helps in muscle growth and recovery of injuries.

It is also important to eat enough calories even if you don’t work out to avoid losing existing muscle gained (5).

In fact, if you don’t eat enough calories, the body will convert the existing muscle gained into energy which will result in muscle loss.

Shopping list on food rich in calories to increase your calorie intake 

  • 1 packet of plain instant oatmeal — 125 calories
  •  sweet potato — 115 calories
  • 1 cup of cooked brown rice — 200 calories
  • 1 can of black beans — 350 calories
  • 1 cup of cooked quinoa — 220 calories
  • 1 can of lentils — 350 calories
  • 1/4 bag of Soylent powder — 500 calories
  • Omega-3 fatty acids

Muscle gain diet plan that targets protein and calorie intake

  • Breakfast you can have small meals, for example, eat chicken breast, vegetables, and lettuce. This will target 250 calories.
  • Lunchtime, you can take a medium meal such as taking a small portion of turkey, fish, heavy oil and sauce. This will target about 500 calories.
  • Super you can take a large meal after your workouts, for example, take a steak, sweet potatoes, and beer. This will sum up to 750 calories.

You can increase your calorie and protein intake more than that for faster muscle gain

       3. Protein Intake 

Animal food provides the most essential amino acids that help in faster muscle gain, strength, and muscle mass and optimal body functions.

To gain bodyweight faster, you need to eat more protein and perform resistance training (Lift weight)(6).

The best tips are by ensuring you consume at least 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein (per body weight in kilograms) every day or at least 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day.

Related: Know the amount of  protein intake per day for healthy body here.

Actually, amino acid that forms the main bodybuilding blocks of protein is all you need more for muscle gain(7).

 You can use Animal Pak, Muscle Fuel and other supplements to boost your daily protein intake for faster muscle gain

  1. Intake food rich in omega-3  fatty acids, vitamins and minerals

Minerals and vitamins helps in the formation of blood in bone marrow, strengthen bones, boost immune system, and overall health.

Omega-3 fatty acids have advance health benefits.

It helps in recovery of muscles, improve heart health, arteries functions, mental focus, and prevent several chronic illnesses.

In general, fix multivitamins, omega-3 and mineral-rich foods.

Post-Workout carbs for bodybuilders

Eating the best post-workout diet is also another booster for faster weight gain.

Therefore, eat complex carbohydrates within 30 to 45 minutes after finishing your workout (13).

This will help in recovery of muscles and fasten muscle growth.

In addition, eating food rich in calories is added benefit.

What to include in your muscle gain diet for bigger muscles

Whole foods  to eat in your diet plan for muscle gain

In fact, you need to eat real foods that are rich in calories and protein for faster muscle gain.

Increase in protein intake and calories intakes are muscle gain result oriented.

Resistance training or powerlifting is a good booster for getting bigger muscles within a month.

Here are some of the essential real foods to eat to build bigger muscles faster within a month

  1. Eat Lentils In your muscle gain diet

bodybuilders who take lentils as their primary food gains bigger muscles faster as compared to those who eat placebo.  

Therefore, you should purchase 1 can of lentils that contains 350 calories.

This will help you gain bigger muscles faster.

  1. Consume more black beans

Black beans are also rich in calories.

Taking black beans at least once a day can boost your calories intake.

Did you know that 1 can of black beans contains 350 calories?

 Actually, eating more black beans can help you optimize your calorie intake to enable you to gain muscles faster.

Most bodybuilder uses black beans to boost their calorie intake for their big muscles.

  1. Eat quinoa in your muscle gain diet

Quinoa is one of the best real foods that should be your primary food in your muscle gain diet. It contains higher amount of calories.

In fact, 1 cup of cooked quinoa contains more than 220 calories.

Therefore, imagine you eat more cups of quinoa; can you approximate how much you will gain muscles?

You should include quinoa in your diet to maximize your calorie intake for muscle gain.

Studies show that eating more quinoa, can lead to increase in weight by 0.2kgs within 3 weeks. 

  1. Eat oatmeal to gain muscles faster

Your primary food should be oatmeal.

Oatmeal contains high amount of calories that helps in faster muscle gain.

In fact, 1 packet of plain instant oatmeal contains 125 calories. This means that eating more oatmeal can lead to greater muscle gain that you want.

Therefore, make oatmeal your primary food to eat for bigger muscles in a month.

There is no magic of gaining muscles faster, it only focuses on calories intake like eating more oatmeal.

  1. Consume Lean meat

 Animal products are rich in protein.

Actually, lean meat contains the 9 essential amino acids that the body cannot produce by itself.

Eating lean meat can help you maximize your protein intake per day to enable you gain muscles faster.

However, you should limit taking of saturated meats such as steak to a few meals per week.

They can lead to chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and others.

  1. Eat nuts and seeds

Almonds, walnuts, flaxseed, brazil nuts, peanut and other seeds and nuts are very rich in protein and calories.

Eating these nuts can enable you to build bigger muscles faster. Include them in your muscle gain diet and you will get the best result that you want..

In addition, nuts and seeds are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that can help you reduce oxidative DNA damage and muscle recovery after workouts.

  1. Eat enough fruit

Eating fruits like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, avocado, coconut, bananas, and many others can boost your muscle health and immune system.

They contain stronger antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that helps in healthy muscle gain.

Coconut oil contains MCTs that is very essential to the muscles.

muscle gain diet

Bananas also boost your energy level and helps in muscle recovery.

Therefore, you need to eat enough fruit for faster and healthy muscle gain.

  1. Eat vegetables

Starchy vegetable are contains high carbs that can boost your energy level.

Actually, vegetables are very rich in antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, carbs, fiber, protein that helps maximize your muscle health and growth.

Some of the best vegetables are spinach, kales, broccoli and many more.

  1. Take healthy fats and oils

Coconut, in particular, is great, and olive oil, almond oil, avocado oil is good  for muscle gain. 

Eating healthy fats especially monounsaturated fats are very best for your muscles growth.

You need to optimize your healthy fat intake and avoid trans fats and saturated fats as they can put you at high risk of developing chronic illnesses.

One-week muscle gain diet plan for you

Monday muscle gain diet

  • Breakfast: Bacon, eggs and oatmeal
  • Lunch: Chicken with olive oil and feta cheese
  • Dinner: black beans, salmon, cheese and beer

Tuesday muscle gain diet

  • Breakfast: Egg, tomato, basil and goat cheese omelette
  • Lunch: Almond , peanut butter, lentils and yoghurt
  • Dinner: steak, quinoa, and vegetables

Wednesday muscle gain diet

  • Breakfast: chicken breast, vegetables, and  lettuce
  • Lunch: turkey, heavy oil and sauce
  • Dinner: steak, fish, sweet potatoes, and beer

Thursday muscle gain diet

  • Breakfast: Omelet with avocado, salsa, peppers, onion and spices.
  • Lunch:  Nuts, oatmeal and salad
  • Dinner: Chicken stuffed with pesto and cream cheese, along with berries.

Friday muscle gain diet

  • Breakfast:  yogurt with peanut butter, cocoa powder and stevia.
  • Lunch: Beef stir-fry cooked in coconut oil with fruit juice
  • Dinner: Bun-less burger with bacon, egg and spinach

Saturday muscle gain diet

  • Breakfast: lentils, handful nuts
  • Lunch: Ham and cheese slices  with salad
  • Dinner: fatty fish, egg and oatmeal

Sunday muscle gain diet

  • Breakfast: Fried eggs with bacon, quinoa, with yoghurt.
  • Lunch: Burger with salsa, cheese and guacamole
  • Dinner: Steak and black beans, salad and beer

Summary

Always try to rotate the vegetables and meat over the long term, as each type provides different nutrients and health benefits.

You should also make quinoa, lentils, fish, black beans and oatmeal your primary foods.

Meal timing to maximize muscle gain

Meal timing is very important for muscle gain.

 Did you know that you can lose muscle gained if you don’t eat your meals at the right time?

The body will convert the existing gained muscles into energy.

So to avoid this, you need to focus on the time you should be eating before and after a workout to increase workout endurance and decreases post-workout exhaustion.

eat muscle gain meals

Most bodybuilder has well meal timing with their workout activities.

In fact, most of their workouts are scheduled near breakfast, lunch, or dinner to help in muscle gain and to prevent oxidative stress.

Some people may go without eating breakfast or lunch yet they go for their workout.

Actually, this is not good as it will not lead to muscle gain. You need to eat before going to gym to help you improve your performance and muscle gain.

It is advisable to eat 45 minutes to 1 hour before going to gym or after your workout for muscle gain.

Take Supplements In muscle gain diet

You may find it challenging to increase your calorie and protein intake for faster muscle gain and for perfect performance.

A good alternative is using safe pre-workout or post-workout supplements to help in muscle endurance and recovery.

The supplements can boost your muscle gain and overall performance.

Therefore, you can try these supplements for bigger muscle gain.

  • Take 1 scoop (5g) of creatine at the same time you take your protein to boost your muscle gain and performance. 
  • Take Whey  Protein powder at least in the morning smoothie and evening oatmeal and protein mix.
  • Citrulline malate: Take 4 scoops (8g/0.28oz) 60 minutes before working out to maximize your muscle gain and help you to achieve your targets
  • You can use other supplements such as animal pak, beta-alanine, Weight gainers, muscle fuel and many more. However, choose the right supplements and always consult with specialist before using any SAPs.

Stay hydrated and takes enough liquids

It is very important to drink 2 cups of water at every meal or 8 glasses of water in a day.

This is not a requirement for building a muscle; it is a health suggestion by experts.

You can stay hydrated by also drinking more smoothies. However, be mindful of calories you drink.

Fruit juices, creamed coffees, and beer can help you to increase your calories intake.  You should avoid excessive consumption of alcohol.

Do I need powerlifting for muscle gain?

Yes, for faster muscle gain you need powerlifting to bulge your muscles.

Resistance training or hardcore workout helps increase muscle size.

It is possible to gain muscle faster within a week with powerlifting as compared to someone who does aerobic exercise.

Actually, if you want to gain muscles faster, then you need to avoid cardio exercise and focus on strength training.

Strength training is the core of gaining bigger muscles faster.

Therefore, major on strength training, high-calorie intake, and protein intake and you will finally achieve your dream goals.

Summing It Up

For every successful bodybuilder, there is the best bodybuilder diet plan in his or her workout routine.

The nutrition plan and workout program goes hand in hand.

In short, eat as much food as is required to reach your daily target and remember to eat 300 calories more than your non-workout days.

However, if you have difficulty reaching your calorie target, try making a few high-calorie smoothies per day each packed with oil, oatmeal, fruit, and everything else you can add in it.

Try to get the majority of your calories from these healthy real foods such as black beans, lentils, quinoa,  and oatmeal.

Meal timing is very crucial, therefore, eat 45 minutes to 1 hour before going to gym or after workout for faster and safe muscles gain.

In fact, you need to fix the best pre-workout diet plan and post-workout meal plan for faster muscle gain.

Remember to include complex carbohydrates, proteins, calories, and food rich in vitamin and minerals in your workout diet plan.