Building muscle is not something that can be done overnight. It takes hard work and dedication, but most importantly it requires an adequate diet. Without a proper meal plan, you will never be able to build muscles. However, if you have trouble reaching those calorie goals, we have the solution for you.
One of the best ways to make sure you reach the necessary calorie goal every day is to prepare meals. If you want to see results, use meal prep recipes for muscle gain. That being said, if you are new to the world of exercise and meal prepping, you have nothing to worry about. In this article, we will go over how many meals you need to build muscles and how to not miss a single one. With a proper meal prep plan you will be set and can focus on the exercises.
Now, if you are ready, let’s not waste any more time and dive straight into this article.
Meal Prep for Muscle Gain
Gaining muscle comes with gaining weight. This might seem bad as there are two types of weight gain. It all depends on you and your choices. Focusing on healthy food rather than junk food will determine if the weight gain is due to muscle or fat increase. If you want to effectively gain muscle, then adapting your lifestyle and creating a solid workout routine along with the diet will be necessary.
Now, if you want to increase your muscle gain, you should also expect some fat along the way. That being said, do not confuse this with the fat you gain while eating junk food. Gaining some fat is simply unavoidable. However, do not let this scare you. If you get into a planned workout and a good diet, the fat gain will be barely noticeable and you will be able to easily get rid of it once you have gained the planned amount of muscle mass.
Macros are the Key
Learning how to count macros is the best way to plan your diet for the day. Macros are the total number of calories that you intake throughout the day. They are divided into three categories: protein, carbohydrates, and lastly fat.
The first and most important thing we need to discuss is protein. They are the foundation of muscle gain. Without enough protein, your muscles will not grow. High protein meals are simply necessary so you can gain so-called lean mass with minimal fat. After protein comes carbohydrates. They might not be as important to muscle growth as protein, but they are what your body uses to give you strength to exercise. Additionally, your body also uses carbohydrates for muscle recovery. Lastly, eating enough carbs is important if you want to gain weight quickly.
When it comes to fat, it seems counterproductive to add any amount to your daily intake. However, fats are amazing at adding calories with little volume. That being said, by fats we mean healthy fats. Any excessive fat intake will lead to increased fat storage in your body. So, to have a balanced diet, focus on protein and carbohydrates, while using fat moderately to add calories to reach your daily goal.
Meal Prep Ideas for Muscle Gain
As we mentioned, it is important that you focus on a healthy and well-balanced diet. This means implementing quality food such as fruit and vegetables which are very nutrient-dense and will give you the necessary nutrients you need throughout the day. Additionally, there are healthy fats you should consume as they are not as likely to end up as body fat but will provide you with benefits.
Lastly, if you want to avoid any fat gain, focus on lean protein. This way you can provide your body with the necessary amino acids and enough nutrients with next to no fat.
So, now that we went over what food you should focus on and how to count macros, it is time to focus on meal prepping. With meal preps, you can prepare every meal or a majority of your meals beforehand to save time. Knowing your calorie goal, you can easily calculate the perfect meal plan. It should consist of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This meal plan looks like a normal day, so what is the difference? Well, apart from these 3 meals, you should add snacks in between each of them. Try protein bars or nuts as they can provide additional protein and calories. Fruits are also a great snack and can help you if you are craving something sweet.
When it comes to the 3 main meals, you should balance them as best as you can. Try to implement as much protein as you can in your lunch by adding for example chicken breast or salmon.
Doing a 7-day meal prep for muscle gain is definitely a great idea. This way you will not miss your meals and will have a balanced diet throughout the week which will greatly benefit your exercising and muscle gain.
