In 30 seconds
- Train each muscle at least twice a week and build up to 10 or more sets a week: in the meta-analyses, more volume gave more muscle.
- Have 1.6-2.2 g of protein per kilo a day, spread across 3-6 meals of 0.4-0.55 g per kilo.
- Eat 10-20% more than you use and aim to gain 0.25-0.5% of your body weight per week.
- Rest: a single night without sleep lowered muscle protein synthesis by 18%.
Building muscle rests on three pillars: training with enough volume and effort, eating enough protein and a little more energy than you use, and resting. This guide gives you the figures from the studies for each one, a plan to get started and what you can expect month by month.
What really works
In order of importance:
- Strength training with enough volume, frequency and effort.
- Enough protein, spread across the day.
- A small energy surplus.
- Rest, starting with sleep.
- Well-supported supplements, such as creatine and protein, to add on top.
Supplements work on top of the basics: solid training and enough sleep. With those in place, creatine and protein come in, both with authorised claims in the EU.
1. Train: frequency, volume and load
Three reference meta-analyses answer the three usual questions: how many days, how many sets and how much weight 1 2 3.
| Variable | Reference | What the studies found |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | Each muscle, twice a week or more | In 10 studies, twice a week gave more muscle than once |
| Volume | 10 or more sets per muscle per week | Each extra weekly set added 0.37% of growth |
| Load | Heavy (6-11 repetitions) or light (18-34), close to failure | Muscle grew by a similar amount; strength rose more with heavy loads |
Sources: Schoenfeld et al., 2016 and 2017.
Frequency: each muscle, twice a week
In 10 studies, training a muscle group twice a week produced more growth than training it once. The authors conclude that the major muscle groups should be trained at least twice a week. Whether three times is better than two is not yet clear 1.
Volume: more sets, more muscle
Volume is the number of sets you do per muscle each week. In 15 studies, each extra weekly set was associated with 0.37% more growth 2:
| Sets per muscle per week | Average growth |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 5 | 5.4% |
| 5 to 9 | 6.6% |
| 10 or more | 9.8% |
Source: Schoenfeld et al., 2017. 15 studies. Approximate values.
A good starting reference: 10 sets per muscle per week. If you recover well, you can increase it gradually.
Load: heavy or light, but close to failure
In 21 studies with 630 people, muscle grew by a similar amount with heavy loads (about 6-11 repetitions) and light loads (about 18-34). What they had in common: every set was taken to failure 3.
Strength, on the other hand, rose more with heavy loads: 35.4% compared with 28.0% on the one-repetition maximum 3. If you want to build muscle and strength, work mainly in the 6-12 repetition range.
Step by step
Your strength plan, in five steps
Your training plan, step by step
- Choose 5-6 basic exercises: squat or leg press, Romanian deadlift or hip thrust, bench press or press-ups, row, shoulder press and pull-ups or lat pulldown.
- Do 3-4 sets of 6-12 repetitions per exercise.
- Take each set close to failure: the last few repetitions should take real effort.
- Rest for 2-3 minutes between heavy sets, as in the load studies 3.
- Write down your weights. When you complete all your sets at the top of the range, increase the weight.
- Review your volume every 4-6 weeks. If you are progressing and recovering, keep it; if you have stalled but are recovering well, add a set or two.
This is how you can organise your week:
| 3 days: full body | 4 days: upper and lower body | |
|---|---|---|
| Days | Monday, Wednesday and Friday | Upper body on Monday and Thursday; lower body on Tuesday and Friday |
| Exercises per session | 5: squat or leg press, Romanian deadlift, bench press, row and shoulder press | 4-5 for the muscle groups of the day |
| Sets | 3-4 per exercise | 3-4 per exercise |
| Each muscle | 3 times a week, 9-12 sets | Twice a week, 10-16 sets |
Examples for guidance, built with the frequency and volume references in this guide.
Protein a day
How much protein to build muscle, per kilo of body weight
2. Protein: per kilo and per meal
Protein is the raw material of muscle. Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass 9. If you fall short, you miss out on part of the benefit of your training. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
How much a day
A meta-analysis brought together 49 trials with 1,863 people who did strength training. Extra protein added 0.30 kg of fat-free mass and 2.49 kg more on maximal strength. Above about 1.62 g per kilo a day, no further gain was seen, although with some uncertainty 4.
The recommendations for building muscle are 1.6-2.2 g per kilo a day 5. For someone weighing 75 kg, between 120 and 165 g.
How much at each meal
Spread it across 3-6 meals of 0.4-0.55 g per kilo, with one of them in the 1-2 hours before or after training 5:
| Your weight | Per day (1.6-2.2 g per kilo) | Per meal (0.4-0.55 g per kilo) |
|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 96-132 g | 24-33 g |
| 70 kg | 112-154 g | 28-39 g |
| 80 kg | 128-176 g | 32-44 g |
| 90 kg | 144-198 g | 36-50 g |
Sources: Iraki et al., 2019, and Morton et al., 2018. Figures rounded.
Want your exact figure, split across your meals? Use our protein calculator.
How to get there without obsessing
- Include protein at every meal: meat, fish, eggs, dairy or pulses.
- Check your breakfast: it is usually the meal that falls short.
- Use a shake as a back-up when a meal does not provide enough.
Our Gourmet Isolate Protein provides 42.8 g of protein per 50 g serving, or about 21 g with a single scoop, with 0.2 g of sugars. It is microfiltered whey protein isolate with a chocolate flavour.
3. Calories: a small surplus
To build muscle, your body needs a little more energy than it uses. But a large surplus tends to add more fat, which is why a moderate one is recommended 5.
The reference review on muscle-gain nutrition, written for natural bodybuilders, recommends 5:
- A surplus of 10-20% over what you use.
- Gaining 0.25-0.5% of your body weight per week if you are a beginner or intermediate.
- Being more conservative if you have been training for years: for advanced trainees, gaining 2 kg a month may be too much.
An example: if you maintain your weight on 2,400 kcal, a surplus of 10-20% is 240-480 kcal more, that is, between 2,640 and 2,880 kcal a day.
| Your weight | Per week (0.25-0.5%) | Per month, approximately |
|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 0.15-0.3 kg | 0.7-1.3 kg |
| 70 kg | 0.18-0.35 kg | 0.8-1.5 kg |
| 80 kg | 0.2-0.4 kg | 0.9-1.7 kg |
| 90 kg | 0.23-0.45 kg | 1-2 kg |
Rate recommended by Iraki et al., 2019, for beginners and intermediates. Not all the weight gained is muscle.
How to split them
The same review suggests 5:
- Protein: 1.6-2.2 g per kilo.
- Fat: 0.5-1.5 g per kilo.
- Carbohydrates: the rest, with at least 3-5 g per kilo to perform well in training.
How to adjust
Weigh yourself several mornings a week and look at the average, not at a single day. If the average has not risen after 2-3 weeks, eat a little more. If it rises faster than planned, cut back slightly.
Rest
What a single night without sleep did
4. Rest: the part you do not see
Training is the stimulus; growth happens while you recover. And here, sleep is key.
In a trial with 13 healthy adults, a single night without sleep lowered muscle protein synthesis by 18% 6. In addition, cortisol rose by 21% and testosterone fell by 24% 6. The authors conclude that one night is enough to trigger “anabolic resistance” 6.
In practice:
- Get enough sleep, with regular hours. We explain how many hours you need on our blog.
- Do not train the same muscle hard two days in a row. With both ways of organising the week in this guide, each muscle gets at least one day of rest.
- Listen to the signs: if your weights drop for several sessions in a row, rest more before adding volume.
5. Creatine: 3 g a day
It has authorised health claims in the EU. Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g of creatine 9.
The review on muscle-gain nutrition includes 3 g of creatine monohydrate a day among its recommendations 5. What it adds to your strength is in creatine for strength.
In people over 50 who did strength training, creatine added 1.37 kg more lean mass than placebo in 22 trials 8.
How to take it
- 3 g a day, one scoop, every day, rest days included.
- No loading phase. It is the maximum amount that AESAN, Spain's food safety agency, considers safe and acceptable in a supplement for healthy adults 10.
- Whenever suits you best: in water, in your shake or in your training drink.
- If you have kidney disease, check with your doctor first: AESAN states that it should not be used in that case 10.
When will your muscles be fully loaded? Work it out with our creatine calculator.
Our Creatine monohydrate is micronised to 200 mesh, unflavoured and with a single ingredient, for €0.17 a day. If you do strength training several days a week, the Strength Pack brings it together with BCAA 2:1:1 and Nitrus Isotonic. It costs €55.90 instead of €65.20, with free delivery.
How much muscle you can expect
Less than social media promises, and more than you think if you are consistent. These are the figures from the studies:
| What | Who | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Strength training | 49 studies, 1,328 people aged 50 or over | 1.1 kg more lean mass |
| Extra protein, with training | 49 trials, 1,863 adults | 0.30 kg more fat-free mass and 2.49 kg more on your maximum lift |
| Creatine, with training | 22 trials, 721 people with an average age of 57-70 | 1.37 kg more lean mass than with placebo |
Sources: Peterson et al., 2011; Morton et al., 2018; Chilibeck et al., 2017.
And day to day:
- The pace on the scales: if you weigh 75 kg, gaining 0.25-0.5% per week is about 0.8-1.6 kg of total weight a month 5. Not all of it will be muscle.
- The pieces add up: training, protein and creatine support each other 4 7 8.
- It is measured in months: compare your weights, photos and measurements every 4-8 weeks, not every day.
If you are over 40
Muscle responds to training at any age. In 49 studies with people aged 50 or over, strength training added 1.1 kg of lean mass, more with higher-volume programmes 7.
A few nuances:
- With age, the gains are somewhat smaller 7. In the protein meta-analysis, its effect also decreased slightly with age 4. All the more reason to look after your volume and your protein.
- Creatine is even more interesting: in people over 50 who were training, it added 1.37 kg of lean mass compared with placebo 8. From 55 onwards, the EU also authorises a specific health claim for creatine with strength training.
- Recovery needs more attention: sleep well and leave at least one day between hard sessions for the same muscle.
You will find it all in our guide training after 40.
Common mistakes
- Changing your routine every week: if you do not repeat exercises, you cannot progress in them.
- Sets that do not challenge you: growth comes when you get close to failure.
- Falling short on protein, especially at breakfast.
- Eating too much: a large surplus adds fat, not more muscle.
- Sleeping too little: a single sleepless night already slows muscle protein synthesis.
- Getting impatient: changes are measured in months.
Frequently asked questions
How many days a week should you train to build muscle?
Enough to work each muscle at least twice a week. In a meta-analysis of 10 studies, training each muscle group twice a week gave more muscle than training it once. Three full-body days or four upper/lower days will get you there.
How much protein do I need to build muscle?
Between 1.6 and 2.2 g per kilo of body weight a day, spread across 3-6 meals of 0.4-0.55 g per kilo. For a 75 kg person, about 120-165 g a day, in servings of 30-40 g.
Do you need to eat more to build muscle?
A small surplus helps: 10-20% more than you use, to gain 0.25-0.5% of your body weight per week. Going beyond that only adds more fat.
How much muscle can you gain in a month?
Less than many people expect. If you weigh 75 kg, the recommended rate is to gain 0.8-1.6 kg of total weight a month, and not all of it will be muscle. That is why it is best to measure progress in months, not weeks.
Does creatine help you build muscle?
“Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise.” The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g of creatine. In a meta-analysis with people over 50 who were training, it added 1.37 kg of lean mass compared with placebo.
Sources
- Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2016;46(11):1689-1697. View publication
- Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sports Sci. 2017;35(11):1073-1082. View publication
- Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523. View publication
- Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(6):376-384. View publication
- Iraki J, Fitschen P, Espinar S, Helms E. Nutrition recommendations for bodybuilders in the off-season: a narrative review. Sports. 2019;7(7):154. View publication
- Lamon S, Morabito A, Arentson-Lantz E, et al. The effect of acute sleep deprivation on skeletal muscle protein synthesis and the hormonal environment. Physiol Rep. 2021;9(1):e14660. View publication
- Peterson MD, Sen A, Gordon PM. Influence of resistance exercise on lean body mass in aging adults: a meta-analysis. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43(2):249-258. View publication
- Chilibeck PD, Kaviani M, Candow DG, Zello GA. Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis. Open Access J Sports Med. 2017;8:213-226. View publication
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods. View publication
- AESAN Scientific Committee. Report on the risk associated with the consumption of food supplements containing creatine as an ingredient. Journal of the AESAN Scientific Committee. 2024;39:47-62. View publication
Information based on published studies. It does not replace the advice of a doctor or registered dietitian. The results describe what was measured in each study, not the properties of any specific product.
