What is the best diet to bulk up?

Jamal_Guildford

Hi,

This evening I am wondering what the best diet to bulk up and gain muscle: high protein or high carb diet? both? Do you have any food to recommend?
I usually eat carbs in breakfast and lunch and high protein stuff in dinner.

Thanks,
Jamal

watto1980

I go high protein, high carb & high fat . But in all seriousness, I think most people follow something like:

- 1g of protein per lb of body weight
- 0.3 - 0.5g of fat per lb of body weight

Rest can be carbs or a combination of carbs / protein / fat. You will just have to find what works best for you. Judge it by how you feel.

superhippo95

Macronutrient Needs
Once you work out calorie needs, you then work out how much of each macronutrient you should aim for. This should NOT be based on a RATIO of macro intakes. (eg: '30:40:30 or 40:40:20') Your body doesn't CARE what % intake you have. It works based on SUFFICIENT QUANTITY per MASS.

1. Protein: Protein intake is a bit of a controversial issue in nutrition. The general recommendations given in the 'bodybuilding' area are nearly double the 'standard' recommendations given in the Sports Nutrition Arena.
So - GENERAL sports nutrition guideline based on clinical trials suggest that in the face of ADEQUATE calories and CARBS the following protein intakes are sufficient:
STRENGTH training -> 1.4 to 2g per KG bodyweight (about .6 / pound)
ENDURANCE training -> 1.2 to 1.8g per KG bodyweight (about .8 / pound)
ADOLESCENT in training -> 1.8 to 2.2g per KG bodyweight (about 1g / pound)
BUT this is 'sufficient' intakes for training. One should note that ADEQUATE v's OPTIMAL is not discussed when it comes to hypertrophy v's 'athlete performance'.
Researchers also acknowledge that protein becomes MORE important in the context of LOWER calorie intakes, or LOWER carb intakes.
Recent evidence also suggests that protein intakes of 2.2-3g/kg help with LEAN MASS RETENTION, and the physiological and psychological stressors associated with high volume or intense training.
Also - Anecdotally, most find HIGHER protein intake better for satiety, partitioning, blood sugar control, and hypertrophy. So UNLESS you have medical reasons for lower protein, or unless guided by your sports nutritionist or physician to use the GENERAL sports nutrition guidelines, I would suggest BODYBUILDING values.

General 'bodybuilding' guidelines for protein as follows:
- Moderate bodyfat, Moderate training load, moderate calorie = 2.0-2.6g per kg TOTAL weight (about 0.9-1.2g per pound)
- Low bodyfat or Very Low Calorie, Low Carb, High training load = 2.2-3g per kg TOTAL weight (1.0-1.35g per pound)
- High bodyfat, high calorie, Low training load = 1.6 to 2.2g per kg TOTAL weight (.75-1g per pound)


2. Fats: Generally speaking, although the body can get away with short periods of very low fat, in the long run your body NEEDS fat to maintain health, satiety, and sanity. Additionally - any form of high intensity training will benefit from a 'fat buffer' in your diet - which controls free radical damage & inflammation. General guides:
Average or low bodyfat: 1-2g fat/ kg body weight [between 0.4-1g total weight/ pounds]
High bodyfat: 1-2g fat/ Kg LEAN weight [between 0.4-1g LEAN weight/ pounds]
Low calorie dieting: You can decrease further, but as a minimum, I would not suggest LESS than about 0.30g/ pound.
Note 1: Total fat intake is NOT the same as 'essential fats' (essential fats are specific TYPES of fats that are INCLUDED in your total fat intake)...


3. Carbs: For carbs there are no specific 'requirements' for your body. But carbs are important for athletes, ACTIVE individuals, or those trying to GAIN MASS. [carbs help with workout intensity, health, & satiety (+ sanity)]. THEY ARE NOT THE DEVIL. And if you are an athlete involved in a good volume of training I would suggest you CALCULATE a requirement for carbs as a PRIORITY - then go back and calculate protein / fat:
Moderately active: 4.5 - 6.5 g/ kg (about 2 - 3g/ pound)
High active: 6.5 - 8.5 g/ kg (about 3 - 4g/ pound)
INTENSE activity: + 8.5g / kg (more than 4g/ pound)

Ben_the_builder

There are some basic guidelines you can follow and design your own diet program. I would recommend the following:

Protein - 1.5 grams per pound of body weight daily
Carbs - Anywhere from 2-4 grams per pound of body weight daily (less carbs if you have a slower metabolism more if faster metabolism)
Fats - 0.5 grams per pound of body weight daily

Best food sources are as follows. Choose whichever ones you like best:

Protein - Eggs (and egg whites), lean beef, chicken, fish and protein powders
Carbs - Rice (yes white rice is a good choice), oatmeal, fruit, veggies, potatoes (white or sweet potatoes)
Fats - Egg yolks, raw nuts, olive oil

Never eat carbs on their own without protein in a meal. Have a whey (or other fast digesting protein) shake right after lifting. Also add some fast burning carbs with your shake immediately post workout. Even sugary things are good at this point (and this point only, avoid sugars otherwise). If you are not gaining weight you are not eating enough, bottom line. If you or anyone else have any questions feel free to send me a message. I may not see it if you ask on the forums so contact me directly. Good luck!

MityMax96

Hi,

This evening I am wondering what the best diet to bulk up and gain muscle: high protein or high carb diet? both? Do you have any food to recommend?
I usually eat carbs in breakfast and lunch and high protein stuff in dinner.

Thanks,
Jamal

High calorie
And weight lifting

Clarifications

Protein helps build muscle but without a calorie
Surplus,it ain't happening.
Is say at least 100-120 grams per day.
1 gram per pound and up is bro science .
A study that came out a couple years ago said .7
Grams per pound of LBM is sufficient for building muscle.
It's all about progressive overload plus calorie surplus.

chrisdavey

There are some basic guidelines you can follow and design your own diet program. I would recommend the following:

Protein - 1.5 grams per pound of body weight daily
Carbs - Anywhere from 2-4 grams per pound of body weight daily (less carbs if you have a slower metabolism more if faster metabolism)
Fats - 0.5 grams per pound of body weight daily

Best food sources are as follows. Choose whichever ones you like best:

Protein - Eggs (and egg whites), lean beef, chicken, fish and protein powders
Carbs - Rice (yes white rice is a good choice), oatmeal, fruit, veggies, potatoes (white or sweet potatoes)
Fats - Egg yolks, raw nuts, olive oil

Never eat carbs on their own without protein in a meal. Have a whey (or other fast digesting protein) shake right after lifting. Also add some fast burning carbs with your shake immediately post workout. Even sugary things are good at this point (and this point only, avoid sugars otherwise). If you are not gaining weight you are not eating enough, bottom line. If you or anyone else have any questions feel free to send me a message. I may not see it if you ask on the forums so contact me directly. Good luck!

Fair bro science.

Seeing as how a recent meta analysis suggest 2.3-3.1g of protein for cutting and protein needs are lower during a bulk that seems quite excessive. You can go that high if you want but more is not always better. (study was for natty's BTW, AAS users can benefit from more)

You can eat carbs on there own.

You don't have to down high gi carbs or "fast" protein PWO. Eat .4-.5g of protein within 4-6 hours of training bouts.

You don't have to avoid sugar while bulking or cutting.

For bulking,
Progressive tension overload resistance training
A calorie surplus that allows to gain weight at a good rate (without excessive fat)
Adequate protein (1g per lb of BW is plenty)
C&F to your personal preference
Meal frequency is of personal preference and should be sorted when you have the rest sorted. Studies suggest that 3 to 6 meals per day could be advantageous over less than that.

And no you don't need casein before bed if you have adequate protein over the whole day.

mRoss27

You need high carbs while bulking, especially to increase energy in the gym to increase performance, which leads to strength and muscle gains. a general guideline is 1g protein per lb body weight, 2g carb per lb of body weight, .3g fat per lb body weight. Start there, and if you arent gaining the mass you want, increase by 25g carbs each week.

cwoyto123

High carb high calories, i try for 800 or more a day.