Exercising or lifting heavy weights alone is not enough to build muscle. A proper and healthy diet plan will help strengthen your muscles and facilitate a smooth journey towards healthy muscle growth. Today, we will discuss the 7-day muscle gain diet plan in detail.
Understanding the Basics of Muscle Gain Nutrition
Before starting any diet plan for building muscle, it is crucial to understand how muscle growth occurs. When we exercise, especially during strength training, our muscle fibers are broken down. A healthy and balanced diet can help rebuild those broken fibers.
Foods rich in protein and calories play an important role in muscle growth. The amount of calories in your diet should be increased from the amount of calories you consume daily. The extra calories provide your body with additional energy to build muscle. Also, a diet rich in healthy carbohydrates, healthy fats, and high protein can support muscle growth.
Discussion about the 7-day muscle gain diet
Now we will discuss a 7-day muscle-building meal plan that is balanced in calories, protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. However, you can adjust the portion sizes and timing based on your personal needs.
Day- 1
Breakfast- 2 Boiled Eggs, Whole-wheat bread with peanut butter
Lunch- Brown rice, Chicken, Yogurt
Dinner- Rice or bread, Mixed veggies, Baked potato
Day- 2
Breakfast- Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie, Protein pancakes
Lunch- Whole-grain bread, Grilled veggie wrap, Tofu
Dinner- Rice, Lentil Soup, Grilled chicken breast
Day- 3
Breakfast- Oats with Peanut butter, Sprout salad, Apples
Lunch- Brown Rice, Salmon, Sweet potato, Green salad
Dinner- Quinoa, Broccoli, Chicken, or Soya chunks curry
Day- 4
Breakfast- Oatmeal Yogurt Smoothie with berries, Banana
Lunch- Rice, Spinach, Chicken curry, Green yogurt
Dinner- Egg fried rice, Grilled chicken breast, Vegetables
Day- 5
Breakfast- Whole-wheat bread with Peanut Butter, 2 Eggs, Avocado
Lunch- Brown rice, Fish, Grilled tofu bowl, Salad
Dinner- Chapati (Indian Bread), Mixed Vegetable or Baked Tofu, Chicken Breast Curry
Day- 6
Breakfast- Whole-grain toast or Avocado toast, Egg omelet, Chia pudding
Lunch- Rice, Chicken or Fish curry, Salad, Beans, Greek Yogurt
Dinner- Quinoa, Baked potato, Grilled chicken, Lentils
Day- 7
Breakfast- Cottage cheese avocado sandwich, Protein pancakes, 2 Eggs
Lunch- Rice, Chicken curry, Soya chunks curry, Green salad, Yogurt
Dinner- Chapati (Indian Bread) or Whole-grain bread, Steamed vegetables, Mashed potato, Chicken
You can also eat roasted chickpeas, nuts, and fruits in snacks, which will help you build muscle.
Tips for success in weight gain
To achieve success in the journey of muscle gain, it is essential to follow a few tips. Let’s take a look at those tips.
- Add more protein to your diet
Add more protein-rich foods to your diet, such as eggs, chicken, soya chunks, chickpeas, yogurt, milk, tofu, grains, nuts, and seeds. These will help you build muscle.
- Regular sleep
To build healthy and strong muscles, along with a balanced diet and exercise, sleep is also crucial. Regular 7 to 8 hours of deep sleep are essential for muscle growth.
- Increase calorie intake
Muscle growth does not occur easily on a low-calorie diet, so increasing the total calorie intake in your daily diet can help you grow muscle faster.
- Do strength training
Focus on a variety of strength-building exercises such as deadlifts, squats, bench presses, and pull-ups, as muscle growth is not possible without them.
- Must be consistent
Muscle growth does not happen overnight. The most important factor in building muscle is consistency. If you cannot maintain your daily diet, exercise, and sleep, it is not possible.
Avoiding Common Mistakes on a Muscle Gain Diet
(i) Not eating enough calories
The biggest mistake in a muscle growth diet is not consuming enough calories, because no matter how much you exercise, if you do not consume enough calories throughout the day, your muscles may lose instead of growing.
(ii) Not Eating Enough Protein
Many people avoid high-protein foods. High-protein foods are very important for muscle growth, but the problem is that many people are vegetarians, so it is not possible for them to consume animal-based protein foods. They can consume plant-based proteins such as chickpeas, tofu, soy chunks, chickpeas, lentils, beans, nuts, and seeds. These are effective in increasing muscle mass. You can also take protein powder after consulting a health and nutrition expert.
(iii) Eating unhealthy food
Many people eat unhealthy and junk food from outside, which increases body fat, not muscle.
(iv) Taking additional supplements
Many people take various supplements for muscle growth after seeing multiple advertisements, which can be harmful to their health. If you need to take supplements, then consult a health expert before taking them.
Conclusion
Muscle growth doesn’t happen like magic; it requires proper diet, adequate sleep, daily exercise, consistency, and patience. Also, you need to reduce excess stress and avoid unhealthy foods. Our above-mentioned 7-day diet plan can help you build healthy muscle.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) What foods can help muscle growth the most?
Ans- Chicken, eggs, soy chunks, chickpeas, yogurt, milk, oats, avocados, and nuts can help the most in muscle growth.
2) How many calories should I consume on a muscle-gain diet?
Ans- Calories depend on your body weight and your daily activity level. To maintain healthy muscle growth without excess fat, you should consume about 300-500 more calories than your daily maintenance level. This works out to approximately 2,300-3,400 calories per day, but your needs may vary depending on your weight and activity level.
3) Can I include snacks in my 7-day muscle gain diet?
Ans- Of course, especially in snacks, roasted chickpeas, eggs, nuts, and yogurt can be very effective in muscle growth.
