Bodybuilding

Building lean muscle isn’t only about what happens under the bar. The lifter who nails nutrition shows up stronger, recovers faster, and makes steady progress without chasing fads. After years of coaching people through bulks, cuts, and long recomposition phases, I’ve settled on an approach that blends high protein intake, smart carbs, and consistent meal timing. What follows is a practical 7 day plan designed for muscle growth and strength building, with recipes you’ll actually want to eat after a heavy squat or bench press session.

This plan suits lifters running common training splits like push pull legs or upper lower. You can pair rest days with slightly lower carbs, then push carbs up on heavy leg day or a powerbuilding workout that includes deadlift or overhead press. Calories can be adjusted to your body composition goals, whether you’re in a controlled bulking phase or cutting to reveal more muscle definition. The recipes keep protein high, fat moderate, and carbs targeted to fuel resistance training, maintain muscle endurance, and support protein synthesis.

How to use this plan without obsessing

The plan is built around three anchor meals plus a snack or two. Protein intake hits at least 0.7 to 1.0 gram per pound of body weight for most lifters. If you weigh 180 pounds and aim for muscle gain, target 150 to 180 grams of protein. If you’re cutting, keep protein closer to the higher end to protect muscle mass while your body fat percentage comes down.

You’ll see pre workout and post workout ideas woven in. On a heavy training day like leg day or back workout, shift a starchier carb source like rice, oats, or potatoes before and after the session. Rest days can lean into extra vegetables, berries, and healthy fats without skipping protein.

Creatine, whey protein, and a basic electrolyte mix are optional helpers. You don’t need a complex supplement stack to grow. Creatine monohydrate at 3 to 5 grams daily is well studied, whey protein helps hit targets, and BCAA or amino acids aren’t necessary if total protein is dialed in. If you enjoy a mild pre workout for focus, keep caffeine reasonable and avoid giant doses that ruin sleep, because poor sleep will stall strength progression and slow recovery time.

Macro targets and portion guide

For a 160 to 190 pound lifter focused on lean muscle, a useful starting point is 12 to 15 calories per pound based on training frequency, job activity, and body fat. That gives a broad range, which can be fine tuned with a fitness tracker, weekly weigh-ins, and mirror checks. Protein around 150 to 190 grams, fats around 50 to 70 grams, and the rest of calories from carbohydrates will serve most strength training athletes. If you’re cutting, pull carbs down on rest days while keeping protein and veggies high.

I write recipes with approximate portions so you can scale them. When I say a palm sized serving of chicken, think 4 to 6 ounces cooked. A cupped hand of rice is about 1 cup cooked. A thumb of olive oil is roughly a tablespoon. Use these as guides, then adjust based on hunger, performance, and weekly measurements.

Grocery list that respects meal prep

Pick a lane: do one big prep on Sunday or cook twice a week. Either way, build around versatile proteins like chicken thighs, lean beef, eggs, Greek yogurt, extra firm tofu, and cottage cheese. Add fast carbs for training days like jasmine rice, potatoes, oats, and tortillas. Keep quick vegetables on hand such as bagged salad greens, spinach, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and frozen broccoli. Finish with healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds.

On rest days, I like higher fiber choices that keep blood sugar calm and hunger in check. On heavy deadlift 17dra.com sessions, I up the starch because heavy pulling eats glycogen like a furnace.

Day 1: Strong start with steady energy

Breakfast: Protein oat bowl. Cook rolled oats in water or milk, stir in a scoop of whey protein, and top with blueberries, a spoon of peanut butter, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. This hits fast digesting protein and a blend of carbs for a morning bench press or shoulder workout. If you train early, eat half before and the rest after.

Lunch: Lemon herb chicken bowls. Grill or pan sear chicken thighs with garlic, lemon, and oregano. Serve over a mix of jasmine rice and chopped cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and parsley. Spoon on a yogurt garlic sauce. It tastes like a relaxed shawarma bowl and reheats well.

Snack: Cottage cheese and pineapple with a handful of almonds. Simple, high in casein, helpful for muscle recovery through the afternoon.

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