Have you ever spent a period of time just killing it in the gym? You worked up a massive sweat and could barely walk at the end of your workout. After two months of all this exertion did you find that not much had really changed?

Here’s what’s happening. The first thing to note is that muscle building is a slow process. Think six months for a clear change. Remember that a good workout will create small tears in your muscle. Those tears will need to heal and as they heal, your muscle will get bigger. To put this into perspective, think about the last time you had a tear in your skin. After cleaning the area and possibly using a bandaid, your body healed over time. If you’re like me, you wanted your skin to heal and look flawless in a matter of days, but instead it took a week or two. Imagine if you were to re-tear your skin while it was still healing. Think about how much longer this process would take. Imagine if your body was lacking the necessary vitamins, fats, and proteins for this healing. The process would be slowed and you might need more healing time. Shift now, and think about this in terms of your muscle. Once you tear it, your body needs the right amount of time and nutrients to heal it. 

So what’s the right amount of time and nutrients? It depends on who you are. At the end of this article I’ll tell you what Rob’s diet looks like. That might be a helpful ballpark figure, but the truth is, over time you have to find what works for you. You basically start somewhere and then experiment with your diet until your body responds the way you want it to. The same goes for rest between workouts. Some of us find that two days is enough time for a muscle group to repair after a workout. Other’s of us will leave six days. The right time for you is what feels right to you.

Micronutrients are essential to cellular growth (aka healing and development). In terms of what to eat, think dark green vegetables. They are an efficient source of the vitamins our bodies need for healing and for other functions. Personally, two cups of dark greens per meal is ideal. I almost never meet that ideal so my next solution is a multivitamin. They typically offer more of each vitamin than what your body needs.

**Discuss an appropriate vitamin supplement with your doctor.**

Protein is another essential for cellular growth. The body breaks down the protein you eat into amino acids. It then creates its own protein and will use that to aid in tissue repair. Imagine what would happen if you didn’t eat any kind of protein or didn’t eat the amount that your body needed. You wouldn’t see the muscle growth that you are looking for. 

So how much protein do you need? This depends on the individual. A generally accepted rule of thumb is about one gram of protein per pound of body weight. With this rule of thumb a 180 pound person would eat 180 grams of protein per day. 

**People will pre-existing kidney issues may be harmed by these higher protein intakes. Everyone should discuss protein with their doctor when determining the right amount of protein for their diet**

The topic of protein, like almost every fitness topic, is often a subject for debate. If you are concerned about your health, asking your doctor to keep an eye on your kidney function is a good idea.

Carbohydrates will give you the energy you need through out the day and through your workouts. This extensive topic will get its own article.

Fats are necessary for certain bodily function. This topic will also have its own article.

Fit Rob’s diet is described below. This diet works for Rob and can be used as an end game for someone who wants the body of a male fitness model. If you determine that Rob’s diet might work for you, here’s how to make it work. Over time, allow your diet to become more like Rob’s. Listen to what your body is telling you. If you feel full before you’ve eaten all of your protein, stop eating. If you still feel hungry after you’ve hit your calorie goal for the day, drink some water and then eat something.

If it feels forced, the changes are happening too quickly. Just relax and make a slightly better decision about food each day.

Rob’s Muscle Building Diet

2500 calories per day

200 grams of protein per day

200 grams of carbs per day

100 grams of fat per day

1-2 gallons of water per day

These numbers are approximate. It’s important that Rob gets close with his diet, but there’s no need to be exact. Rather than track each calorie daily, Rob has learned which meals get him close to these numbers. He now track his meals instead of calories.

A typical breakfast for Rob is 2 servings of spinach, a pound of salmon, and a medium sweet potato.

A typical Dinner for Rob is a pound of chicken and a medium sweet potato.

Rob may drink one or two 50 gram protein shakes during the day.

He may also have a serving or two of fruits.

**Everyone has unique dietary needs and should speak with their doctor when deciding what foods are best**

-Mike Humphreys