Best Foods for Building Muscle | Build Lean Muscle
When undergoing strength training, you must choose between the two muscle types. One is the lean muscle that is shapely tight but with no or low fat in and around the muscle. The other is the bulk muscle with fat in and around it. In this blog, let’s take a deep dive into building lean muscle and, most importantly, the best foods for building it.
Pre-requisites
Before we get into the core of the blog post—the best foods for muscle building—let’s take a look at some pre-requisites.
1. Know the best exercise to build muscle
Squats, deadlifts, pullups, and pushups are some exercises that you need to include in your exercise regime when your goal is bulking.
2. Learn the right way to do the exercises from your trainer to prevent the occurrence of injuries.
3. Ensure you equip yourself with the right gym accessories before you kickstart your training—knee support sleeves, compression sleeves, workout gloves, wrist support, weight lifting straps, etc.
Five Best Foods for Building Lean Muscle
According to medicalnewstoday.com, a balanced diet and protein intake are crucial for strength training and muscle building. In particular, lean muscles require an everyday diet plan and exercise routine to retain the bulk. So, make sure you eat the best foods. Above all, stay hydrated to help your body cooperate with the muscle-gain training. Check out the below list for the top five food choices!
- Eggs—one of the best sources of protein
Yes, eggs serve as good sources of high-quality protein that is primarily made up of the amino acid leucine, which is good for gaining muscles. They also contain other nutrients such as phospholipids, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids that are useful.
- Soybeans—the best plant-based source
Soybeans contain nine essential amino acids and healthy unsaturated fats in addition to protein. For those looking for a meatless bulking diet plan, soybeans are mandatory. Moreover, it is rich in iron, which is essential for lean muscle development.
- Yogurt and cheese in Dairy products
Particularly, green yogurt contains both fast- and slow-digestible proteins that help in prolonged muscle gain. Also, the amount of protein is 2X that of regular protein. Like eggs, cottage cheese contains more protein and leucine amino acids. Milk from milk is also a good dairy food. Thus, never miss these out on your muscle building diet.
- Salmon, Tuna, and shrimp
Salmon is a good protein source and also contains omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B. Tuna also contains high amounts of proteins, vitamin A, and a variety of B vitamins. Likewise, shrimp contain high amounts of protein and fewer carbohydrates. All these are the best bulking foods in the fish category.
- Brown rice and quinoa
Eating cooked brown rice might provide less protein but more carbohydrates (your fuel for physical activity). So, include them in your diet. Quinoa is a special whole grain and a seed that’s rich in protein, fiber, minerals, and vitamins.
When you include these best foods and other essential vegetables, fruits, cereals, legumes, meat, etc., you can arrive at the best diet for building muscle, especially lean muscle. At the same time, avoiding alcohol, sugary foods (cakes, creamy biscuits, pastries), junk foods (pizzas and fries), processed foods, cola-type beverages, and other high-calorie but low-nutrient food items is as important as including good foods in your diet.
Which is the right time to work out—morning or evening?
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What foods speed up muscle growth?
Beef, eggs, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, fatty fish, nuts, etc., are some of the foods that can accelerate your lean muscle growth. Besides, cheese, avocadoes, chia seeds, soybeans, and grapes also speed up the process. Last but not least, protein powders are indeed the best choices but get them validated by your trainer or physician. Also, get the quantities and timing of consumption clarified for all these foodstuffs.
2. How to gain muscle fast?
Gradually increasing your exercise efficiency, making compound exercises your core training, strictly following a balanced diet plan, including protein-rich foods in your diet, and taking enough rest are key to gaining muscles faster than expected.
3. Are there any fruits that help build muscles?
Berries, cherries, and avocados are the right choices of fruits for building the dream musculature. Oranges, apples, and bananas are also helpful.
4. How can I bulk in 7 days?
Bulking is not a sprint that you can achieve in a week or 7 days. In order to gain just two pounds in a week, you need rigorous lifting, a stringent exercise routine, 6–8 food intake schedules in a day, adequate sleep, etc. So, imagine how rigorous every step should be for bulking within a week. Also, gaining muscles this fast is quite unhealthy. Maybe you can plan on gaining 2 pounds every month and over 6–8 weeks, you can reach your goal.
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5. What to drink to gain muscle?
Cow’s milk is a great choice of drink. This is followed by green tea and whey milk. These drinks are rich in good nutrients and proteins that can help you gain muscles as you intended.
