Your general goal should be to gain a half-pound to two pounds of muscle each week. To accomplish this weight increase, you will need to gradually consume an extra 500 to 1,000 quality calories a day above your basal metabolic rate and exercise exertion requirements. These additional calories will promote faster muscle growth.
The average hard-training individual will need to consume at least 10 calories per pound of body weight just to meet their daily basal metabolic requirement. If you are training, you will need to take in an additional seven calories per pound of body weight to meet any daily activity that requires movement and focused exercise, such as weight training and cardio. For example, an individual who weighs 180 pounds, is moderately active throughout his regular life and who weight trains intensely and consistently will need to consume approximately 3,060 calories to add quality muscle to his body (180lbs x 17 = 3,060).
Many bodybuilders do well with a macronutrient calorie breakdown of 40% complete complex carbs, 30% protein and 30% fats. Keep in mind, this example is intended to be a guideline because your body has a unique set of dietary responses. Others may find a different ratio works better for them. It's strongly suggested that you use your body and the mirror as your main guidelines -- if you're not pleased with how you feel or what you see in the mirror each week, minor adjustments to your nutrient ratio and serving size are acceptable until you find what works best for your body.
To encourage muscle growth, strength gains and recovery, you need to ingest sufficient amounts of high-quality protein along with enough complex carbs to fuel heavy and intense training sessions. Strive to consume at least 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight and 1.5 to 2 grams of carbs per pound of body weight (as a baseline). Pay attention to how your body responds to the ratio of protein and carbs you are eating; depending on your body's insulin sensitivity, metabolism and body fat levels, your needs will vary. Start with at least 1 gram of protein and 1.5 grams of carbs per pound of body weight and add 25% each week if you're not growing. Your dietary fat intake should account for 0.5 grams of fat per pound of body weight.
There are four calories in every gram of carbs and protein and nine calories in every gram of fat, so an individual who weighs 180 pounds will consume 180 grams of protein per day (180 x 4 = 720 calories), 270 grams of carbs per day (270 x 4 = 1,080 calories) and 90 grams of fat per day (90 x 9 = 810 calories). In total, that's 2,610 calories to gain quality muscle mass without unwanted body fat. So, how do we make up the missing 400 calories? (Remember, our daily calorie guideline is body weight multiplied by 17). The answer: One "Freebie Meal" a day, which I'll explain in a moment.
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