How much protein to build muscle?

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dewsmom78
dewsmom78 Posts: 498 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Please clarify! To build muscle, should you be eating 1g for every pound of total body weight or 1g every pound of lean mass?

I am 5'2, 134lbs. Doing strength training 4 times per week and doing cardio 5 times per week. Trying to lose fat and gain muscle and drop the scale weight about 9 more pounds.
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  • MistressAella
    MistressAella Posts: 99 Member
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    Check out Scoobysworkshop(dot)com. Great information on nutrition. :)
  • skydiveD30571
    skydiveD30571 Posts: 281 Member
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    The recommendation is about 1g of protein per pound of lean body mass. Some people take in more than that.

    Also remember, unless you are new to weight lifting, it is highly unlikely you will be able to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.
  • catodd
    catodd Posts: 37 Member
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    Training manuals usually say between 2 to 4 grams protein per kg bodyweight. The sessions you are doing is far too much training 5 cardio and 4 weights? Probably better to make your weight sessions heavy and quite intense and do 1 to 2 High intensity interval training sessions a week giving you a day for recovery in there somewhere. The weight will drop off provided your diet is good
  • dewsmom78
    dewsmom78 Posts: 498 Member
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    [/quote] Also remember, unless you are new to weight lifting, it is highly unlikely you will be able to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.
    [/quote]

    I am new to weight lifting. I have lost 1.3% body fat in a month, but the scale has stayed the same. Therefore, I must have gained some muscle.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
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    I am new to weight lifting. I have lost 1.3% body fat in a month, but the scale has stayed the same. Therefore, I must have gained some muscle.

    This will even out eventually, and you won't gain muscle while eating at a deficit. It is actually quite difficult to gain muscle mass, and, once the 'newbie gains" period is over, generlaly speaking, one must eat at a caloric surplus. I try to eat 1 gram per pound of lean body mass. I know some day that ifyou're actively rying to build muscle, you should aim for 1 gram per pound of body weight. I know my husband aims for 1 gram per pound he'd like to weigh, but he is a serious lifter who lifts and eats quite a bit.
  • clubben2k
    clubben2k Posts: 29
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    You may have trouble "gaining" muscle but by doing weight training while trying to lose fat you will maintain and possibly still gain strength. Worst case you will lose some strength but it will be minimal by still including weight training in your regimen.
  • catodd
    catodd Posts: 37 Member
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    Well done. You are best off checking your body composition when you are training to lose fat and gain muscle. Which you CAN do and are doing by the looks of it. If your lean body mass becomes greater by reducing your percentage body fat and staying the same weight. This is a direct indication you are achieving your goals although you are heading towards overtraining with the regime you have described. 9 training sessions a week for someone new to it ....
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    I would suggest 1g/lb LBM as a starting point, with fats around .35g/lb bodyweight and the remainder in CHO.

    This is just a starting point from which you can make adjustments based on individual need. It is not a master template that will work for everyone under all circumstances.
  • skydiveD30571
    skydiveD30571 Posts: 281 Member
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    Also remember, unless you are new to weight lifting, it is highly unlikely you will be able to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.
    [/quote]

    I am new to weight lifting. I have lost 1.3% body fat in a month, but the scale has stayed the same. Therefore, I must have gained some muscle.
    [/quote]

    They call that "newbie gains". Enjoy it while it lasts! Those gains will begin to stall out and then it will not be possible to gain muscle mass on a calorie deficit.

    Also remember that it is common, when starting any new weight lifting routine, to store water in the muscles for repair. It can look like muscle mass in the mirror, and initially cause the scale to hover or rise slightly which can seem like a gain in muscle. After a few weeks the body will generally begin to release that water storage.

    Keep monitoring your bf% especially with your goals. It is a much better representation of your progress than the scale is.
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
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    Don't forget you need to eat at a surplus of calories to build muscle.

    How are you measuring your body fat %? The scales you can use at home and at the gym are not 100% accurate.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,701 Member
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    Please clarify! To build muscle, should you be eating 1g for every pound of total body weight or 1g every pound of lean mass?

    I am 5'2, 134lbs. Doing strength training 4 times per week and doing cardio 5 times per week. Trying to lose fat and gain muscle and drop the scale weight about 9 more pounds.
    To GAIN muscle you need a calorie surplus. Just eating enough protein doesn't ensure muscle gain because not ALL protein consumed is used for muscle.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,701 Member
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    Also remember, unless you are new to weight lifting, it is highly unlikely you will be able to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.

    I am new to weight lifting. I have lost 1.3% body fat in a month, but the scale has stayed the same. Therefore, I must have gained some muscle.
    Not always the case. You can gain approximately 7-10lbs because of water/glycogen storage in the beginning.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • dewsmom78
    dewsmom78 Posts: 498 Member
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    Don't forget you need to eat at a surplus of calories to build muscle.

    How are you measuring your body fat %? The scales you can use at home and at the gym are not 100% accurate.


    My husband measures me with a body fat caliper. So it should be fairly accurate.
  • dewsmom78
    dewsmom78 Posts: 498 Member
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    Please clarify! To build muscle, should you be eating 1g for every pound of total body weight or 1g every pound of lean mass?

    I am 5'2, 134lbs. Doing strength training 4 times per week and doing cardio 5 times per week. Trying to lose fat and gain muscle and drop the scale weight about 9 more pounds.
    To GAIN muscle you need a calorie surplus. Just eating enough protein doesn't ensure muscle gain because not ALL protein consumed is used for muscle.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    This is crappy news! I didn't realize you can't gain muscle eating at a deficit. Especially when my muscles are definitely more prominent than they were a month ago. So basically I'm hearing that I am retaining water because the scale is not moving. Darn.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Please clarify! To build muscle, should you be eating 1g for every pound of total body weight or 1g every pound of lean mass?

    I am 5'2, 134lbs. Doing strength training 4 times per week and doing cardio 5 times per week. Trying to lose fat and gain muscle and drop the scale weight about 9 more pounds.
    To GAIN muscle you need a calorie surplus. Just eating enough protein doesn't ensure muscle gain because not ALL protein consumed is used for muscle.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    This is crappy news! I didn't realize you can't gain muscle eating at a deficit. Especially when my muscles are definitely more prominent than they were a month ago. So basically I'm hearing that I am retaining water because the scale is not moving. Darn.

    You are still making strength gains and reducing your BF...which is why your muscles are more prominent...you're shedding the fat so they show up more. Lifting is one of the best things you can do to reduce BF...but yes, you do retain quite a bit of water and glycogen. I take a week off from lifting every 12 weeks or so and I drop about 8 Lbs in that week due to the release of glycogen and water. On the scale I weigh around 183, but I'm really closer to 175 - 178 with about 19-20% BF currently.
  • catodd
    catodd Posts: 37 Member
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    What I find quite funny here is that everyone is talking calorie surplus this, calorie surplus that when just talking calories alone is not the whole picture. It is where you get you calories from and the hormonal response of your body to the types of food that you are consuming. Simple example what would make you leaner 2000 cals of lean meat and veg or 2000 cals of ice cream? You know the answer to this dont you? If you only thik calorifically about your diet you are not seeing the whole picture. Firstly depending on your body type if you base your diet on 3 meals a day with a couple of snacks Firstly a portion size of over 400 cals per meal will result in you storing the excess as fat. Provided the cals are from a good source you will be under 2500 cals a day and gain muscle as well. Carbohydrates and protein cause insulin response from your body but fat doesnt, Depending on your body type some people produce more insulin than others and can put fat on much more easily, so you need to be aware of this and tailor your carbohydrate quantity and type to suit you. Dont just think a calorie is a calorie. one calorie of one thing is not the same as a calorie of another because your body will use it differently!! With a good training regime and between 2 to 4 grammes protein per kg bodyweight(lean protein) low carb intake you will change your body composition very fast regardless of calories No ALCOHOL though
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
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    To echo the other statements, it's generally recommended to try to eat 1g of protein for every lb of lean body mass to maintain your lean body mass. It is next to impossible to gain muscle on a calorie deficit. The muscle that appears new has actually always been there. It was just covered with fat.
  • jdad1
    jdad1 Posts: 1,899 Member
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    how does one know what there lean body mass number is?
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
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    how does one know what there lean body mass number is?
    Find out what your body fat % is and subtract it from your total weight.
  • catodd
    catodd Posts: 37 Member
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    it is not impossible to gain lean mass on a calorie deficit

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