Do you want to find out how to gain muscle in a healthy way and become stronger? Well, I understand how you feel because I was you a few years ago. The problem I had was that there was a lot of information about how to gain muscle but the majority of it involved not very healthy diets and supplements, etc. I wanted to gain muscle naturally and in a healthy way. So I spent a few years studying hundreds of books, scientific articles and experimenting on myself. I finally found the solution I was looking for. Using the knowledge I found I gained 1.5+ kg per week in 4 simple steps and what’s more important is that I did it using a really healthy science-based diet which also helps improve our health, prevent and in some cases even reverse diseases. Click here if you want to find out how I fixed my neck injury with a diet.
So, if you are like me and you want to gain muscle naturally and in a really healthy way based on scientific research then this article is for you.
4 simple steps how I gained 1.5 kg (3+ lbs) per week:
- Decision.
- Calculation.
- Planning.
- Taking action and tracking my progress.
Step 1. Decision.
Scientific research shows that the combination of mental imagery and physical practice is more efficient than, or at least comparable to, physical execution with respect to strength performance [1]. In other words, our thoughts affect our results.
You probably had some situations where you wanted to do something but for some reason postponed it every time until it started to annoy you so much that you finally made a decision to do it and did it.
That’s what I did. I had in mind for a long time the thought of gaining muscle but I postponed it because I thought I didn’t have time then and so on. But then I decided that’s enough. I made a decision, started researching what I need to do to gain muscle and basically my decision was the starting point for me to start gaining muscle.
So, our thoughts and decisions are very important for achieving our goals.
Step 2: Calculation.
First, I calculated calories needed to maintain my weight based on my individual charasteristics such as height, weight, age, etc. I used a calorie tracker to calculate the amount of calories I needed to consume to maintain my weight. Second, I started eating about 500 more calories than I needed to maintain my weight.
I want to be honest with you so I want to mention that the headline of this article is mostly just to grab your attention even though it’s true.
Just to be clear when I say I gained 1.5+ per week it doesn’t mean that I gained 1.5+ kg every week. Before I started gaining muscle I was in a calorie deficit for a few months. When I started gaining muscle my weight was 72.3 kg. During my first few weeks I gained about 1.5 kg per week. Then I stopped gaining weight for a few weeks even though my diet was still the same. And then I started gaining again until I reached about 80 kg of body weight.
So, when I say I gained 1.5 kg per week it doesn’t mean I gained 6+ kg per month and don’t trust those who say you can gain 10+ kg per month, etc. Just don’t worry and keep going.
There are 2 main simple ways to calculate your daily calorie intake amount: use an online calorie calculator or a calorie tracker.
Using an online calculator is a fast and easy way to calculate the needed calorie intake amount but it also has some disadvantages compared to calorie trackers. For example, you can’t log and track all the foods you eat during the day and you can’t see how many calories are left to consume during the day or if you get all the necessary vitamins and minerals with your diet to stay healthy.
Click here if you want to find out what’s the best calorie tracker in 2022 and do you need it at all.
When you find out what’s your daily calorie intake to gain muscle then you’ll be able to create the right nutrition plan that will allow you to gain muscle in a healthy way.
Step 3: Planning.
The key to gaining muscle is to consume more calories than you burn. For example, if you need to eat 2500 kCal to maintain your weight then you need to eat about 2800-3000 kCal to gain weight.
I used a calorie tracker to calculate my daily calorie intake amount and log all my foods I ate during the day. Although I studied hundreds of scientific articles and already knew what foods and in what amounts I needed to eat but a calorie tracker still helped me to see if I got all the vitamins and minerals with my diet and it helped me to improve my meal plan even further.
I have been vegan since 2018 so I ate only plant-based meals. I ate fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and legumes on a daily basis.
If you want to find out what is the healthiest diet according to scientific research then click here to read my blog post about it.
If you want to find out exactly what my meal plan was and get some done for you daily meal plan examples for different calorie intake amounts (2000-3000 kCal), my top healthy recipes that can be cooked in less than 30 minutes each and much more then click here to learn more about my PDF book.
Want to find out how to gain muscle as a vegetarian or as a vegan? Then my PDF book has some useful tips for you too. Click here to learn more about my PDF book.
Step 4: Taking action.
After creating my meal plan I just started following it until I got my desired results. So, all you have to do is just make a decision, create your plan and start following it. Also, don’t forget to start tracking your key metrics like your weight, etc. I recommend tracking your metrics always at the same time. For example, if you started to track your weight on Sunday before breakfast and a cup of water then you should always track your weight on Sunday before breakfast and a cup of water.
Summary
So, how I gained 1.5 kg (3+ lbs) per week in a healthy way based on scientific research?
Well, here’s how to gain muscle naturally in 4 simple steps:
- Decision and mindset.
Scientific research shows that our thoughts affect our results. So making a decision is important to achieve any goal including gaining muscle. - Calculation.
You should calculate your daily calorie intake amount to maintain your weight based on your biometrics such as weight, height etc.
Use an online calorie calculator or a calorie tracker to calculate your daily calorie intake. - Planning.
Create a meal plan based on your goals and the amount of calories you need to eat on a daily basis.
The key to gain muscle is to consume more calories than you burn. A surplus of about 500 kCal would be enough to gain muscle in a healthy way. - Executing the plan.
Start following your plan and tracking your progress such as weight etc.
That’s it.
Enjoy your life, keep going and being the best version of yourself,
Serhii.
P.S. If you want to find out how science-based nutrition can prevent the most common diseases, improve your overall health and help you live longer then you can click here to learn more.
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