As most of you already know, we LOVE lifting weights here at Fernwood Fitness. Do you know what else we love? Food! And when it comes to strength and weight training, having the right balance of macronutrients is essential when you want to tone or build your muscles (alongside consistent strength training).
The question is, how much should you be eating and how often?
If your goal is to increase muscle mass, there are a few things to be considered before achieving it. Let’s take a look with Fernwood’s in-house nutritionist:
- Energy surplus – this means you must consume more kilojoules/calories that you burn. The safe range for an energy surplus is approximately 1500 to 2000 kilojoules or 350-500 calories per day.
- Adequate protein and carbohydrate intake – these two macronutrients are critical for optimal muscle repair and growth. The optimal protein intake for increasing muscle mass is around 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight, while for carbs, it is 45-60% of your total energy requirement, or around 4-7 grams per kilogram of body weight.
*Fernwood recommends consulting a Dietician or Nutrition Coach for personalised daily energy requirements and macronutrients.
Planning meals for muscle gain
Preparing balanced meals throughout the day (approximately 5-6 times a day) will provide adequate nutrition for you and will help you achieve your goals. Here are some meal ideas that are packed with nutrients that are great for muscle gain and will help you increase muscle mass:
Breakfast
- Rice and veggie breakfast bowl with scrambled tofu
- Hot and spicy omelette pita
Lunch
- Chicken and chickpea salad sandwich
- Falafel wraps
Dinner
- Warm mustard Beef and green bean salad
- Roast chicken, stir fried veggies and brown rice
Snacks
- Berry coconut protein shake
- Yoghurt with apple and almonds
Generally, you should always consider including lean meats (chicken breast, sirloin steaks, salmon), beans and legumes, vegetables (leafy and cruciferous), seeds and nuts, low-fat dairy, yoghurt, wholegrains, quinoa, fruits and healthy oils. This gives you variety and balance with your everyday meals.
Foods to limit or avoid if you want to increase muscle mass
When consumed in excess, certain foods can offset your progress. These include:
- High sugar foods such as cookies, doughnuts, cakes, pastries, ice cream, candies and soft drinks.
- Fatty or deep-fried foods – fast foods, buttery and creamy foods.
- Alcohol – when consumed in excess may hinder building muscle and promote gaining excess fat.
Ready to keep smashing your strength training goals? Login to your member-exclusive Fernwood Pulse account to access hundreds of delicious recipes to support your fitness routine, plus heaps of must-try at-home strength workouts when you can’t make it to your club.
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