Calorie Intake Per Day - How Many Calories Do I Need to Build Muscle?
How many calories a day should you consume to build muscle? Let's explore your approach to calories, from how many calories, to what kind.
This is a strategy that bodybuilders use to build mass, and keep low body fat levels.
Before we get to the calorie counting, let's make sure that you are eating the right kinds of calories.
Most of your calories in the day, should come in the form of protein: Whey, Chicken, Eggs, etc...
Second to that, should be complex carbohydrates.
Think of carbohydrates as the energy that your muscles need to be fueled.
Carbohydrates are the main component that will actually help you get through those hard workouts Carbohydrates: Fruits, Vegetables, Whole Grains, Legumes, Rice, etc...
Most of your calories should come in the form of carbohydrates and protein.
Where proteins are the building blocks to muscle development, carbohydrates serve as the body's main energy source.
Your fat intake should be low.
You won't need much fat in your diet when you are trying to build muscle.
The ratio of what my calorie in take per day looks close to this...
45 percent of my daily calorie intake comes from protein.
45 percent of my daily calorie intake comes from carbohydrates.
Only 10 percent of my daily calorie intake comes from fat.
You can eat this way all year round and keep your muscle gains high, while keeping your body fat levels low.
Here's a simple calorie intake calculator to determine your daily calorie intake for building muscle.
To build muscle mass, and to keep your fat levels low, multiply 15 calories for every one pound of body weight.
Eat 15 calories for every 1 pound of body weight.
Here are a few examples: A 200 pound person: 200 x 15 = 3000.
This 200 pound person would consume 3000 calories per day to build muscle.
Here are a few more calculations.
150 x 15 = 2250 175 x 15 = 2625 200 x 15 = 3000 225 x 15 = 3375 250 x 15 = 3750 I recommend, that if you are more on the active side, such as person who moves a lot during the day, to move this calculation up just a little from 15 calories for every 1 pound, to around 16 or 17 calories for every one pound.
Only IF you are extremely active! Don't be too burdened by how many calories you are consuming.
It does not have to be exact.
It will not hurt your muscles if it is a little off on some days.
The point to this, is to remind you that calories are important for building mass.
And it is also important that you get your calories from the right food sources.
Carbohydrates and Proteins are what you want the most of.
For every 1 gram of either protein or carbohydrates, you get 4 calories.
For every 1 gram of fat, you get 9 calories.
1 gram of protein = 4 calories 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories 1 gram of fat = 9 calories A 200 pound person would have about 5 meals a day, each meal would look pretty close to this: 55 grams of protein.
55 grams of carbohydrates.
15 grams of fat.
Use your new calorie intake calculation, and figure out how many grams of protein, carbs, and fat you need per meal for muscle building.
This is a strategy that bodybuilders use to build mass, and keep low body fat levels.
Before we get to the calorie counting, let's make sure that you are eating the right kinds of calories.
Most of your calories in the day, should come in the form of protein: Whey, Chicken, Eggs, etc...
Second to that, should be complex carbohydrates.
Think of carbohydrates as the energy that your muscles need to be fueled.
Carbohydrates are the main component that will actually help you get through those hard workouts Carbohydrates: Fruits, Vegetables, Whole Grains, Legumes, Rice, etc...
Most of your calories should come in the form of carbohydrates and protein.
Where proteins are the building blocks to muscle development, carbohydrates serve as the body's main energy source.
Your fat intake should be low.
You won't need much fat in your diet when you are trying to build muscle.
The ratio of what my calorie in take per day looks close to this...
45 percent of my daily calorie intake comes from protein.
45 percent of my daily calorie intake comes from carbohydrates.
Only 10 percent of my daily calorie intake comes from fat.
You can eat this way all year round and keep your muscle gains high, while keeping your body fat levels low.
Here's a simple calorie intake calculator to determine your daily calorie intake for building muscle.
To build muscle mass, and to keep your fat levels low, multiply 15 calories for every one pound of body weight.
Eat 15 calories for every 1 pound of body weight.
Here are a few examples: A 200 pound person: 200 x 15 = 3000.
This 200 pound person would consume 3000 calories per day to build muscle.
Here are a few more calculations.
150 x 15 = 2250 175 x 15 = 2625 200 x 15 = 3000 225 x 15 = 3375 250 x 15 = 3750 I recommend, that if you are more on the active side, such as person who moves a lot during the day, to move this calculation up just a little from 15 calories for every 1 pound, to around 16 or 17 calories for every one pound.
Only IF you are extremely active! Don't be too burdened by how many calories you are consuming.
It does not have to be exact.
It will not hurt your muscles if it is a little off on some days.
The point to this, is to remind you that calories are important for building mass.
And it is also important that you get your calories from the right food sources.
Carbohydrates and Proteins are what you want the most of.
For every 1 gram of either protein or carbohydrates, you get 4 calories.
For every 1 gram of fat, you get 9 calories.
1 gram of protein = 4 calories 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories 1 gram of fat = 9 calories A 200 pound person would have about 5 meals a day, each meal would look pretty close to this: 55 grams of protein.
55 grams of carbohydrates.
15 grams of fat.
Use your new calorie intake calculation, and figure out how many grams of protein, carbs, and fat you need per meal for muscle building.
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