Muscle Building Foods: Pack On Pounds Of Quality Muscle

Packing on pounds of quality muscle means eating plenty of foods that build muscle. You can train like an absolute animal, but your gains will be minimal at best, if you're not supplying your body with the right ammunition.

Muscles need food to grow. More specifically, muscles need protein to grow. Your muscle gain diet should, without fail, contain a lean source of protein in every meal.

Without an adequate protein supply, your body will not be able to rebuild and repair the damage you did in your last workout. The foods that build muscle are the foods with protein. You will need at least 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily, spread out over 5-6 meals.

This is not to say that muscle building diets should exclude other important macro-nutrients like complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. These play a very important role in your muscle gain diet.

Complex carbohydrates provide the energy you need to power through your workouts and help with the digestion of proteins and fats. Most of your daily meals should include complex carbohydrate sources as well as protein based foods that build muscle.

Trainer's Tip: To maximize your training efforts, muscle building diets should always include a meal replacement shake within 30 minutes of your workout.

Muscle Building Foods

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

Tuna (water packed)

Fish (salmon, sea bass, halibut)

Shrimp

Extra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Round (92-96%)

Venison

Buffalo

Protein Powder or Meal Replacement

Egg Whites or Eggs

Rib Eye Steaks

Top Round Steaks or Roast (Stew Meat, London Broil, Stir Fry)

Top Sirloin (Sirloin Top Butt)

Beef Tenderloin (Filet, Filet Mignon)

Top Loin (NY Strip Steak)

Flank Steak (Stir Fry, Fajita)

Eye of Round (Cube Meat, Stew Meat, Bottom Round, 96% Lean Ground Round)

Ground Turkey, Turkey Breast Slices or Cutlets (fresh meat, not deli cuts)

Low-fat Cottage Cheese, Low or Non-Fat Milk