Revealed: The Simplest Diet Trick for Building Muscle

According to figures from the Centers for Disease Control, nearly half of American adults are overweight, with 40% of those people being obese (1).

Consequently, a large proportion of the population works out and eats for weight loss.

Sadly, again according to the CDC, only 11% of dieters are successful. The remaining 89% either fail to reach their target weight or regain what they lost within 12 months (2).

And yet, while the battle to lose weight rages on, there are plenty of people with the opposite problem – they’re struggling to gain weight and build muscle. You have to be very underweight to be considered unhealthy, and while almost half of adults are overweight, a mere 1.6% of the population is considered underweight (3).

Consequently, it’s pretty easy to find weight loss advice – we’ve got a ton of it here on Fitness Volt – but weight gain advice is often harder to find.

Most weight gain and muscle-building nutrition advice revolve around bulking, which involves eating way more food than normal. While bulking can be an effective weight-gain strategy, it’s not the right approach for everybody.

For starters, a lot of the weight gained during a bulk is fat, which loops us neatly back to the statistics at the start of this article. Bulking is usually followed by cutting, which is essentially dieting for fat loss.

Related: Bulking vs. Cutting: The Best Methods to Accelerate Gains

This two-steps-forward and one-step-back process wastes a lot of time and energy, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction. The good news is that there is a simpler, easier way to eat for muscle building and weight gain.

In this article, I share a tried and tested diet trick that will help you build muscle without gaining fat.

Requirements for Successful Muscle Building and Weight Gain

You can’t build a house without bricks, and, in the same way, you can’t build muscle or gain weight without sufficient energy and nutrients. But how much do you need and what happens if you consume too much?

Energy Surplus

The first thing you need for muscle building is a kilocalorie or energy surplus. Research suggests that a 500 kilocalorie per day surplus is sufficient to ensure you build muscle while minimizing fat gain (4).

A lot of bulking diets involve a much larger surplus, which is why people who follow them usually gain more fat than muscle. While some fat gain is unavoidable, it’s generally healthier and better for your appearance if you keep it to a minimum.

After all, dieting for fat loss is nobody’s idea of fun, and losing fat is invariably accompanied by unwanted muscle loss. Consequently, building muscle while minimizing fat gain should always be your goal.

Related: Weight Gain Calculator

Sufficient Protein

Energy, measured in kilocalories, is only part of the weight gain/muscle-building equation. You also need adequate dietary protein. Protein provides amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle tissue.

But how much protein do you need?

According to PubMed, the ideal protein intake for muscle gain is between 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (5). For simplicity, most people should aim for about two grams per kilogram, which equates to about one gram per pound. So, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should shoot for 160 grams of protein per day.

Alternatively, you can use this protein calculator to determine your needs.

There is no need to consume more protein than this and any excess will be converted into glucose and either used for fuel or turned into and stored as body fat. Two grams per kilogram of body weight is more than enough for muscle repair and growth.

Adequate Training Stimulus  

Muscles only get bigger and stronger in response to stress. The best way to stress your muscles is through strength training. Hitting the weights stimulates your muscles to grow, which is a process called hypertrophy. If you don’t train intensely, your muscles have no reason to get bigger (6).

It’s beyond the scope of this article to provide you with a muscle-building program to follow, but you’ll find plenty of options in our workout library. Just pick one and stick with it for a few months, switching plans when your progress starts to stall.

Get things right, and even so-called hardgainers can build muscle and gain weight. How much? If your diet and training are on point, you can expect to gain between 0.5 to 4.0 pounds per month. However, your results will depend on several factors, including your age, gender, general health, lifestyle, and genetics.

Related: How Much Muscle Can You Gain in A Month?

Daily Power Shake – the Simplest Trick for Building Muscle

I’m a veteran personal trainer and many of my clients come to me because their current workout or diet is failing to deliver the results they want. Consequently, I’m pretty good at spotting and fixing the mistakes that are holding them back.

Related: 7 Bulking Mistakes that Most People Make (And How to Avoid Them) & Revealed: The Most Common Weight-Loss Mistakes That Nearly Every Dieter Makes

In my experience, the reason that most people find it so hard to build muscle is that they have not established a consistent kilocalorie surplus. Instead, their diet is simply maintaining their weight, and their food intake is roughly equal to their energy expenditure.

If your weight has not changed much over the last few months, I’m willing to bet that you do not have the kilocalorie surplus necessary for building muscle.

While you could overhaul your entire diet to get unstuck, I’ve found that the simplest solution to most weight-gain woes is to add what I call a power shake to your current daily food intake.

A power shake is essentially a meal in a glass that contains all the kilocalories, protein, and nutrients you need to go from a neutral energy balance to an energy surplus.

While you can buy weight gain shakes made specifically for this purpose, they tend to be high in sugar, contain low-grade protein, and are packed with artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives. They’re also a leading cause of gastric upsets.

So, instead of using a store-bought weight gainer, I recommend making your own.

Your shake should provide:

• 500 kilocalories
• 30-40 grams of protein
• 15-20 grams of healthy fats
• 40-60 grams of complex carbohydrates

Don’t worry – this is pretty easy, and I’m going to share some tried-and-tested recipes in a moment.

Power Shake Recipes

While there is nothing to stop you from creating your own power shakes, here are five sample recipes to get you started. Try each one or stick with your favorite. It doesn’t matter provided that you consume one every day so you create that all-important kilocalorie surplus and provide your muscles with a hit of protein and amino acids.

1. Basic Banana Protein Power Shake

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop of chocolate or vanilla protein powder (about 30 grams)
• 1 medium banana
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 cup whole milk (or almond milk for a lighter option)

Instructions:

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Nutritional Breakdown (approximate):

• Calories: 500
• Protein: 36 grams
• Healthy Fats: 18 grams
• Complex Carbohydrates: 45 grams

2. No Protein Powder Power Shake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk (or almond milk for a lighter option)
• 1 medium banana
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds

Instructions:

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Nutritional Breakdown (approximate):

• Calories: 500
• Protein: 30 grams
• Healthy Fats: 20 grams
• Complex Carbohydrates: 45 grams

3. Vegan Berry Power Shake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond milk (or any plant-based milk of your choice)
• 1 cup mixed berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)
• 1 medium banana
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 scoop of pea protein powder (about 20 grams)
• 1 handful of spinach (optional for an extra nutrient boost)

Instructions:

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Nutritional Breakdown (approximate):

• Calories: 500
• Protein: 35 grams
• Healthy Fats: 18 grams
• Complex Carbohydrates: 58 grams

4. Cottage Cheese and Oats Power Shake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• ½ cup rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 cup almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• A few ice cubes

Instructions:

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Nutritional Breakdown (approximate):

• Calories: 500
• Protein: 35 grams
• Healthy Fats: 17 grams
• Complex Carbohydrates: 48 grams

5. Almond and Date Power Shake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond milk (or any plant-based milk of your choice)
• ½ cup dates (pitted)
• ½ cup silken tofu
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• A few ice cubes

Instructions:

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Nutritional Breakdown (approximate):

• Calories: 500
• Protein: 32 grams
• Healthy Fats: 18 grams
• Complex Carbohydrates: 50 grams

Closing Thoughts

It’s hard to believe that the only thing standing between you and your weight gain/muscle-building dreams is one power shake a day.

However, in my experience as a personal trainer, adding an energy and nutrient-dense shake to your current diet is often enough to bust through plateaus and secure your ticket for the gains train.

Yes, you could completely overhaul your diet and give bulking a try, but why make things so complicated? Invariably, the more complex a training or diet intervention is, the less likely you are to do it consistently.

In contrast, adding a single shake to your current menu is so easy that it’s hard to think of a reason NOT to do it!

Related: 5 Ways to Tell If You’re Building Muscle or Just Gaining Fat

References:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, September 12). *New CDC data show that adult obesity rates exceed 35% in 23 states*.
2. Martin, C. B., Herrick, K. A., Sarafrazi, N., & Ogden, C. L. (2018). *Attempts to lose weight among adults in the United States, 2013–2016*. NCHS Data Brief, no. 313. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). *Underweight Among Adults Aged 20 and Over: United States, 2017-2018*. National Center for Health Statistics.
4. Larson-Meyer DE, Krason RK, Meyer LM. Weight Gain Recommendations for Athletes and Military Personnel: a Critical Review of the Evidence. Curr Nutr Rep. 2022 Jun;11(2):225-239. doi: 10.1007/s13668-022-00395-3. Epub 2022 Mar 1. Erratum in: Curr Nutr Rep. 2022 Jun;11(2):240. doi: 10.1007/s13668-022-00419-y. PMID: 35233712.
5. Stokes T, Hector AJ, Morton RW, McGlory C, Phillips SM. Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training. Nutrients. 2018 Feb 7;10(2):180. doi: 10.3390/nu10020180. PMID: 29414855; PMCID: PMC5852756.
6. Krzysztofik M, Wilk M, Wojdała G, Gołaś A. Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Dec 4;16(24):4897. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16244897. PMID: 31817252; PMCID: PMC6950543.

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