Good Diets to Gain Muscle

There are many good diets for gaining muscle. However, the amount of nutrients needed to gain muscle depends entirely upon your individual metabolic rate and body type. All trainees should aim to get at least 1 g or more of protein per pound of body weight. You also want to make sure to get at least 25 percent of your calories from healthy fats. The amount of carbohydrates you take in depends on your rate of metabolism. For example, hardgainers with a fast metabolism must take in 55 percent of their calories from carbs, according to "Hardgainer Project X" by Jeff Anderson.

Size Surge Diet

The original "Size Surge" book recommended a diet based almost entirely on whole foods meals eaten every one and a half to two hours for a total of six to eight meals per day. Breakfast might be three eggs, 1 cup oatmeal, a glass of milk and fruit. Two hours later you have ½ to 1 cup cottage cheese mixed with pears. For lunch, you eat a chicken breast, 1 cup brown rice and vegetables. Another snack might be a peanut butter and banana sandwich on slices of whole-wheat bread with a glass of milk. For dinner, you have some fish or a steak with a sweet potato. Between any of these meals you can insert a power shake, made with fat-free yogurt, whey protein, orange juice and/or milk. A weight-gainer shake would be perfect for post-workout nutrition or between meals for more calories.

Protein Deprivation Diet

In his book "Optimum Anabolics," Jeff Anderson explains why brief periods of low protein ingestion help you build muscle. You focus on eating low-glycemic carbohydrates from oatmeal, fresh fruit, beans and whole grains, with healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, flaxseed oil, natural peanut butter and omega-3 fats. A 200-lb. male would strive to get about 60 g of carbohydrates and 20 to 30 g of healthy fats at each of six meals. The post-workout meal should include 30 g of whey protein. The rest of the day you avoid meats, dairy and eggs. Depriving the body of protein forces it to increase production of testosterone and growth hormone to repair muscle damage, according to Anderson. After three weeks of this diet, you go back to eating about 1 g of protein per pound of body weight per day, only add one extra protein meal, or 20 to 30 g, per day for the next three weeks.

Slingshot Diet

The slingshot diet uses the body's natural tendency for super-compensation following dieting, according to "Muscle Explosion" by Nick Nilsson. You may have noticed the ease with which you gain weight after a diet, or the "yo-yo" effect. When the body is in a state of caloric restriction, it becomes programmed to store nutrients more efficiently. Start by going on a low-carb diet for the first week. By day five, your muscles will be starved for glycogen or carbohydrate fuel. On the sixth day of this week, eat only protein for the whole day. The last day of the week eat only fruit, with minimal protein and fat. You start the first meal of the next week with a big protein shake. For the next two to four weeks, focus on training hard and loading both protein and carbohydrates. By eating at least 1 1/2 g of protein per pound of your body weight and taking in as many carbs as you can, you force your body to store these nutrients like never before.