How Much Protein is Needed to Build Muscle?
Having enough protein in your diet is essential for building muscle. Knowing just how much is enough can be a little tricky for some people so I’ve decided to set the record straight in this article.
Listening to the average Joe or your doctor about how much protein you need in your diet is simply not going to cut it for the bodybuilder. We need a lot more than the average person simply because our muscle tissue is constantly being ripped up and repaired.
How High is a High Protein Diet?
The best method of calculating just how much protein is enough for a ‘high protein diet‘ is with the following formula.
Lean Mass Weight (Kg) x 2.75 = Daily Protein Requirement
(By the way you simply divide pounds by 2.2 to get the equivalent in Kilograms. So 150 pounds is 68.18 Kg)
OK, you first need to know your total body weight and your body fat percentage. If you don’t know your body fat percentage I’ve included calculator in the sidebar to help you. Take a few measurements quickly and stick them into the boxes and hit ‘calculate.’
So now you know your body fat percentage. Multiply this percentage by your total body weight to determine the amount of fat you are carrying. Now simply subtract this from your total body weight to ascertain your lean mass weight.
Take this figure and multiply it 2.75 to give you your ideal protein intake per day in grams.
Example
A man weighs 150 pounds with 15% body fat.
- 150 / 2.2 = 68.18 Kg
- 15% x 68.18 = 10.23 Kg
- 68.18 - 10.23 = 57.95 Kg - Lean body mass in Kg
- 57.95 x 2.75 = 159.36
So, therefore our 150 lb, 15% body fat man should be shooting for 159 grams of protein in his daily diet.
Simple when you know how 
My moderately low carb diet philosophy (which I will be writing about in later articles) will allow anyone to easily reach this ‘high protein diet‘ requirement. Use this knowledge in conjunction with the optimum hypertrophic rep range and the the law of progressive overload to maximize muscle growth.
Happy lifting everyone!
