It’s a surprisingly simple programme
One of the biggest names in YouTube fitness shared the diet plan that helped him build 15 pounds of muscle mass – just over a stone in weight.
Alongside his brother Hudson, Brandon White is one half of the YouTube fitness duo ‘Buff Dudes’.
Even the most experienced lifters will benefit from occasionally switching up their routine, but the rules of this workout plan and diet will work for anyone.
Building muscle isn’t just about busting your backside in the gym. You need to get your diet in check, to the point you’re consuming enough calories but not too much that it leads to fat gain.
Sleep and hydration are also massively important, for energy and to allow the body to repair and grow.
Daily diet for building muscle
White’s daily diet was based around five meals:
- Meal 1: Oats with banana, walnuts and protein powder
- Meal 2: Chicken sausage, three eggs, vegetables and rice cakes with peanut butter
- Meal 3: Two homemade burgers with onion and cottage cheese
- Meal 4: Salmon with roast potatoes and green vegetables
- Meal 5: Another serving of salmon and potatoes
The total number of calories on this diet amounted to 5000. But your target may be different. White was trying to reach a goal weight of 240 lbs (109 kilograms).
He admitted some fat would be accumulated as a result of consuming so many calories each day.
“There is going to be an increased fat percentage because you’re just rushing a lot of extra calories and macronutrients into the body, and it is going to store a little bit of that as fat,” White said.
“But keeping as active as possible, hitting those hard workouts, and getting that sleep, everything coming together is going to keep you lean and build that nice quality muscle over time.”
Photo: iStockIf you are 10-20 kilos lighter, or your activity level is quite low, you’ll need much fewer calories to build muscle.
For a rough guide on the level of calories you’ll need, try using one of the many online calculators.
When should you change your workout routine or diet plan?
Fitness instructors are told that you must change a gym routine every three to four weeks. But many people make the mistake of completely overhauling their workout plan each month as a result.
Instead, the foundations of your routine should stay the same, but you might want to look at changing other variables.
These might include:
- Particular exercises you’re doing
- Rep range
- Total weight lifted
