How much protein do you need to build muscle?

The article recommends 1.6-2.2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight, fats at 20-35 E% of total calorie intake, and the remaining calories from carbohydrates. For a 90 kg man this works out to 198 g of protein per day.

How do you calculate how many calories you need?

First calculate your BMR using Mifflin's formula: for men (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age) + 5, and for women the same minus 161. Then multiply the result by the activity factor (PAL) that matches your daily activity level. A quick alternative given in the article is to multiply your weight by 30 calories.

How many calories should you add to gain weight?

The article suggests adding an extra 500 calories per day to gain weight, and reducing by 500 calories per day to lose weight.

What should you do with the post-workout meal on rest days?

On days with a training break you can skip the "after training" meal if you are not active. If you are physically active that day, you can have it as a snack in the middle of the day.

How large should the gainer portion be?

Gainers vary in nutritional content and portion size, so the article says to choose an amount of powder corresponding to about 1200 calories.

What can you do if protein powder makes you bloated?

The article says bloating may be a reaction to lactose, and that you should then choose a protein powder based on protein isolate, which is protein in concentrated form and completely without lactose.

Nutrition Program for Those Who Want to Build Muscle – 3500 kcal | Hardworkout Magazine

Key takeaways

- A 3500 kcal day split across five meals is aimed at a 90 kg man who strength trains at least four days a week.

- Athletes who train hard need more protein than the general recommendation of 10-20 E%, with intakes of 1.6-2.2 g per kilogram of body weight suggested for muscle gain.

- Eating significantly more than 2.2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight will not build larger muscles, because there is a limit to how much the body can absorb at once.

- Daily calorie needs can be estimated by calculating BMR with Mifflin's formula and multiplying it by an activity factor (PAL) between 1.2 and 2.4.

- Low-fat dairy products contain both whey (fast) and casein (slow) protein, which makes them well suited as the last meal of the evening.

If you want to build more muscle, it is important to consume enough and the right food. Training only makes up a small part, so diet is very important. If you train a lot and perhaps have a physically demanding job as well, you will burn quite a few calories each day. Therefore, it is not uncommon to eat between 3000-5000 calories when the goal is weight gain and more muscle mass.

How many calories should you eat to build muscle?

It is of course individual exactly how much you should eat, so it is wise to experiment a bit. If you have a rough idea of how much you eat each day now, you can start by increasing by 500 calories per day. If you are already eating 3000 calories a day and want to increase even more, this plan is perfect for you.

Meal Plan for Those Who Want to Build Muscle

This week's menu consists of 5 meals totaling 3500 calories per day.

It is based on a man weighing 90 kg, who strength trains at least 4 days a week. The calculation of macronutrients is as follows:

2.2 g protein x 90 kg = 198 g protein (kcal)

25E fat % of 3500 kcal = g fat (kcal)

3500 - = g carbohydrates (kcal)

= 3500 calories You can read more about the recommended intake of protein and distribution of macronutrients further down in the article.

This week's menu with recipes consists of 5 meals each day, and the five meals together make up approximately 3500 calories. The macro distribution may vary somewhat depending on which foods you use (rice, pasta, tortillas, gainer, etc.).

Monday

Monday starts with a filling and delicious overnight oats for breakfast, which is prepared the day before and left to sit in the refrigerator overnight. Oats contain plenty of vitamins, good carbohydrates, and healthy fatty acids; they are also good for digestion, blood sugar, and keep you full for a long time. Yogurt is a good source of protein and probiotics.

For lunch, there will be a chicken sandwich made with whole grain bread, lean meat, and vegetables.

Dinner will be a lovely sweet potato soup with coconut milk. Sweet potatoes are full of nutrients and are a good source of vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and antioxidants.

Post-workout, there will be a simple and good [gainer](/magazine/weight-gainer-best-in-test-2026), which ensures a good replenishment of a good composition of carbohydrates and proteins, along with some fat, creatine, and other micronutrients.

Evening snack will be a bowl of protein-rich vanilla cottage cheese, fresh strawberries, and a handful of cashews, which provide healthy fats, fiber, and minerals.

- Breakfast: [Overnight oats with yogurt and oats](https://hardworkout.no/gode-grunner-til-a-spise-mer-yoghurt-med-oppskrifter/)

- Lunch: Chicken sandwich (4 slices of whole grain bread, 100 g lean meat, 1 tomato, and some lettuce)

- Dinner: [Sweet potato soup with coconut milk](https://hardworkout.no/sotpotetsuppe-med-kokosmelk/)

- Post-workout: [Gainer](/magazine/weight-gainer-best-in-test-2026) (Equivalent to 1200 kcal)

- Evening snack: [Vanilla cottage cheese with strawberries and cashews](https://hardworkout.no/5-enkle-mellommaltider-eller-sunne-desserter/)

![](https://hardworkout.no/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Uten-tittel-7-e1724140989270-208x150.png)

Tuesday

Breakfast consists of some tasty pancakes made with oats, banana, and cottage cheese. This will provide a good composition of proteins, fast and slow carbohydrates, and healthy fats. This meal will ensure that you stay full for a while.

For lunch, there will be protein-rich chicken wraps with good carbohydrates and a small amount of fat. This dish tastes great and is very easy to prepare.

Dinner consists of a flavorful fish dish with plenty of healthy fatty acids from both fish and avocado, as well as proteins from fish and beans, and vitamins from vegetables and fruit.

Post-workout, there will be a shake that consists of both slow and fast carbohydrates, as well as healthy fat sources and proteins. If you use protein powder with chocolate or cookies in the shake, it tastes almost like Snickers!

Evening snack is a vitamin bomb with berries, fruit, and kale. Cottage cheese provides casein (slow proteins), which is beneficial to consume as the last meal to stimulate protein synthesis overnight.

- Breakfast: [Protein pancakes with oats and cottage cheese](https://hardworkout.no/proteinpannekaker-med-havregryn-og-cottage-cheese/)

- Lunch: [Chicken wrap](https://hardworkout.no/enkel-og-sunn-oppskrift-pa-wrap-med-marinert-kylling/)

- Dinner: [Poke bowl with salmon](https://hardworkout.no/fisk-til-lunsj-eller-middag-prov-poke-bowl-med-laks/)

- Post-workout: 2 servings of [Energy shake with dates and cocoa](https://hardworkout.no/energishaken-du-ma-prove/)

- Evening snack: [Smoothie with forest berries and cottage cheese](https://hardworkout.no/5-enkle-mellommaltider-eller-sunne-desserter/)

![](https://hardworkout.no/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Uten-tittel-9-e1724141063224-153x150.png)

Wednesday

For breakfast, there will be slices of whole grain bread (preferably 100% whole grain). The fiber in the bread helps you stay full longer and is good for digestion. The fish spread and milk provide healthy fatty acids and proteins.

Lunch consists of a flavorful, healthy, and good pasta dish with chicken and pesto, well composed of proteins, some fat, and healthy carbohydrates.

Dinner for the day is a very good pizza, which surprisingly can be eaten both on weekends and weekdays. Here, the base is partially made with whole grain flour, making the pizza rich in fiber and better for digestion. The recipe also contains little yeast, which can cause less bloating.

- Breakfast: 2 slices of [whole grain bread](https://hardworkout.no/hjemmebakt-grovbrod-i-jerngryte-rikt-pa-fiber-mettende-og-god-pa-smak/) with 1 can of mackerel in tomato (90 g) + 1 large glass of milk

- Lunch: [Pasta with chicken and pesto](https://hardworkout.no/enkel-pastarett-som-passer-bade-til-lunsj-og-til-middag/)

- Dinner: [Homemade pizza](https://hardworkout.no/hjemmelaget-pizza-du-kan-spise-bade-i-ukedagene-og-i-helgene/) (Use half the recipe)

- Post-workout: [Gainer](/magazine/weight-gainer-best-in-test-2026) (Equivalent to 1200 kcal)

- Evening snack: [Cottage cheese, yogurt, and melon](https://hardworkout.no/5-enkle-mellommaltider-eller-sunne-desserter/)

![](https://hardworkout.no/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Uten-tittel-10-e1724141120941-211x150.png)

Thursday

The day starts with a filling and delicious overnight oats for breakfast, which is prepared the day before and left to sit in the refrigerator overnight. Oats contain plenty of vitamins, good carbohydrates, and healthy fatty acids; they are also good for digestion, blood sugar, and keep you full for a long time. Yogurt is a good source of protein and probiotics.

For lunch, there will be a fresh and nutritious fish dish with salmon and avocado and mango salad, which provides proteins and healthy fatty acids.

Dinner will be a couple of Mexican enchiladas with beans and guacamole. Here you get a meal with plenty of proteins, healthy carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

The evening meal will be a delicious, protein-rich and filling "rice cream," with slow proteins, healthy carbohydrates, and vitamins.

- Breakfast: [Refrigerator oatmeal with yogurt and oats](https://hardworkout.no/gode-grunner-til-a-spise-mer-yoghurt-med-oppskrifter/)

- Lunch: [Salmon with avocado and mango salad](https://hardworkout.no/fisk-til-middag-her-har-du-3-kjappe-og-smakfulle-retter/)