Bodybuilding – the art and science of packing on serious muscle – isn’t just about doing heavy things. What you eat, when you eat and how much you eat (or don’t eat) matter. Fortunately, a few simple guidelines can give you a solid foundation for bulking up while feeling as strong as you’re trying to look.
Read on for some expert advice on the best bodybuilding diet, what foods to eat and what foods to avoid, and the optimal frequency and timing of meals and supplements.
How to Plan a Diet for Bodybuilding
Creating your perfect bodybuilding nutrition plan will require you to know how many calories you should be consuming, which depends on your goals: If you want to gain weight, you’ll want to eat more calories than you expend each day. If you want to lose weight, you’ll want to eat fewer calories than you expend.
There are two ways to approximate your daily calorie expenditure. One way is to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) — the number of calories your body needs to support basic functions at rest.
Everyone’s BMR is different, based on factors such as gender, age and weight. You can find a BMR calculator here.
The other way is to multiply your current weight by a number based on your activity level.
- Sedentary (office work): current weight in pounds x 11
- Moderately active lifestyle (occasional exercise): current weight in pounds x 12
- Very active lifestyle (construction worker or elite athlete): current weight in pounds x 13
Once you know your maintenance calories, you can start planning your meals and snacks.
Bodybuilding Nutrition Basics
Here are some general guidelines to follow when preparing your bodybuilding diet.
1. Consume enough calories
If you want to pack on muscle, make sure you’re giving your body enough fuel to start the process.
“For building muscle, the number one most important thing is that you’re getting enough calories in your diet,” he says Dana Ellis HunnesPhD, MPH, RD, senior clinical dietitian at UCLA Medical Center and author of Recipe for survival. “Without enough calories, it really doesn’t matter how much of anything else you get or in what ratio — you won’t gain muscle and you’ll probably lose it.”
2. Get enough protein
Protein is the building block of muscle and is the key nutrient for muscle growth. How much do you need?
For the average person who wants to maintain overall health, at a minimum, it is recommended to consume at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For a 180-pound (82 kg) person, that’s only 65 grams of protein.
If you’re into bodybuilding, you need more — but not an unlimited amount. To stimulate muscle growth, experts recommend taking 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight in protein daily. For a 180-pound man, that’s about 131 to 180 grams.
You may have heard of bodybuilders consuming much more than this. But anything above 2.2 grams per kilogram max is believed to be oxidized for energy or transaminated to form alternative body compounds.
“More protein doesn’t mean more muscle, especially if you’re not getting enough calories overall,” says Hunnes. And if you’re getting enough calories, your body can turn any excess protein you consume into fat.
However, like this study notes, “While research shows that eating higher doses of protein (>20 g) leads to greater AA [amino acid] oxidation, the evidence suggests that this is not the fate of all AA supplements taken in, as some are used for tissue-building purposes.”
3. Tap the correct macros
For muscle building, keep a 40-30-30 balance. Aim to get about 30% of your calories from protein, 30% of your calories from healthy fats (such as olive oil, nuts and avocados), and 40% of your calories from carbohydrates.
4. Calculate for cut vs. swell
For bodybuilding, your daily calorie goals will vary depending on whether you are bulking or following a bodybuilding cutting diet. The exact amount an athlete needs will vary greatly from person to person.
The goal of the bulking phase is, quite simply, to put on muscle mass. During this phase, like during the “off-season”, aim for consumption 10% to 20% more calories.
Instead, “when you cut, you’re trying to lose fat and just keep muscle, so the goal is to take in as many calories as you need to lose fat, but not muscle — and that can be hard to do. says Hunnes. Aim to lose no more than 1% of body weight per weekwhile maintaining protein intake to maintain muscle.
The best foods to eat for bodybuilding
The best foods to eat during bodybuilding include:
- Just 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-grain, plant-based diet and says it’s possible to get enough protein to build muscle while eating a vegetarian diet. “If you really think you’re not getting enough, you can add a plant-based protein powder, whey protein powder, or eat eggs,” she says.
If you eat meat, good sources of lean protein include chicken, fish like salmon or tuna, and lean meats like grass-fed beef.
Best foods to limit
You might think that “bulging season” is a free pass to eat whatever you want, but there are still some foods you’ll want to avoid.
Alcohol
Drinking is one of the first things you’ll want to cut back on or eliminate. Not only is alcohol a source of empty calories – meaning they contribute no nutritional value – science has found that alcohol actively works against building muscle.
Research shows that excessive alcohol can affect muscle protein synthesis and can hinder muscle recovery after exercise. However, if consumed after sport or exercise, a serving of around 0.5 grams per kilogram of body weight is unlikely to affect most aspects of recovery.
Over-processed foods
These prepared foods include prepackaged snacks, sugary cereals, soups, ready meals, hot dogs, French fries, and store-bought sweets. It’s another major detractor in your pursuit of the right kind of volume.
“Highly processed foods lead to inflammation in the body, which works against building muscle,” says Hunnes.
Sugar
It is wise not to over-consume simple sugars when bodybuilding. While eating sugar can cause insulin to spike immediately after a workout—which can benefit muscle growth—eating too many simple sugars for too long can lead to insulin resistance, which can shut it down.
Foods that are high in simple sugars tend to have low nutritional value. These empty calories can accumulate as fat, making muscle growth more difficult.
Foods with a high fat content
Healthy fats – such as olive oil, avocados and nuts – are a key part of any healthy diet, especially for bodybuilding. What doesn’t count: Fried foods or foods high in saturated fat. That means fried chicken, french fries, tempura, calamari, pizza, donuts — you know the drill.
Schedule of Meals and Supplements
As for how often you should eat meals and when, there is no magic number or equation. “The optimal frequency and timing of meals is whatever is right for that person,” says Hunnes. “If you like to eat three meals a day, that works – as long as you’re getting enough calories and protein. If you prefer to snack, that works too! Remember, the goal is to make sure you’re getting enough calories and protein in your diet.”
Aim to consume protein throughout the day (at every meal and snack) to optimize muscle protein synthesis. The theory of anabolic windows has largely been debunked, so we now know that the post-workout anabolic window lasts about four to six hours, not 30 minutes.
So how do these guidelines translate into routine? Hunnes suggests this example meal plan for a day:
Breakfast
- Oatmeal with blueberries, peanuts or almonds
- Egg scramble or tofu with avocado
Midday snack
- 1 oz. trail mix, or walnuts with dates or raisins
Lunch
- Lean ground beef or black bean patty on a whole wheat bun with avocado, lettuce, tomato and onions
- Side of high-protein Greek or plant-based yogurt with chia seeds
Afternoon snack
Dinner
- Chicken or tofu enchiladas with pinto beans
- Side salad or grilled vegetables
Remember: Daily calorie needs vary based on factors such as gender, weight and activity level. So change your portion sizes accordingly. For example, “a woman may only need 1,500 to 2,000 calories per day, while a man may need 2,500 to 3,000 calories, depending on their activity level and goals,” says Hunnes.
