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Nutrition

How to Build Muscle and Stay Fit on Any Diet

by Amanda Maurois Published on Nov 24, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links (disclosure policy).

How to Build Muscle and Stay Fit on Any Diet

Although there are so many different types of diets out there, building muscle mass and staying fit is usually on the top of everyone’s dieting agenda. No matter the type of diet you choose to follow, there are many different ways you can build muscles and get rid of unwanted body fat. While you build muscle, you lose fat. This does not only make you look better, but it can also make you feel more confident and help you live a longer, healthier life.

Here are some of the ways you can build muscles and stay fit on any type of diet.

Eat Lots of Protein

Protein is the number one thing you need to eat when working to build muscles. Protein can help you bulk up and is an important element for building muscles. Make sure to eat foods such as lean meats, fish, eggs, and cheese. While your diet should include protein to help build muscles, be sure to eat a variety of foods that include fruits, vegetables, grains, and carbs, which are all important to staying fit and losing weight while you continue to build muscle. In addition, eating protein before bed can help your body to continue building muscle while you sleep.

Don’t Neglect Your Veggies

While a lot of people consider heightening their intake of protein and fats, they tend to neglect eating vegetables for muscle building. When people think of building muscles, they often think of protein. Protein is not the only important building block for muscles. If you are building muscles, you should eat about 5-6 servings of vegetables a day.

Try having some kind of vegetable at every meal and for a snack. You can also double up to make sure you get enough throughout the day. Since you will be eating a higher amount of protein, vegetables can also help to ensure your digestive system is working properly.

Eat Less Calories Daily

Some diets may have you on a strict calorie intake. Eating less calories per day can help you to build muscle. Some diets may have you eating less carbs, like the Atkins Diet. Others may have you reducing carbs and increasing fat intake, like the Keto Diet. Some diets, like Weight Watchers, require you to count calories or points.

Overall, a decrease in the number of calories can help your body to burn more fat and increase muscle. While decreasing calories can help, it is important you maintain a balanced diet to keep your body moving and free from injury.

Get Plenty of Vitamins and Antioxidants

Our bodies need vitamins and antioxidants. You can get plenty by supplementing to make sure your body has what it needs for building muscle. Glutamine is one amino acid that you can take as a supplement to help build muscles. Also consider getting a good mixture of Vitamin C, Vitamin E and selenium each day. Eating fruits, vegetables, and foods that are high in antioxidants will also help you to build muscles. Even if you take a daily multivitamin, add to it calcium, magnesium, and potassium to support your growing muscles.

Get Plenty of Sleep

You might be wondering what sleep has to do with muscle building. If you don’t sleep enough, your body will not build muscle or lose fat. While some people think of sleep as a nuisance, it is actually very important not only to your health, but for staying fit as well. Getting too little sleep can increase hormone levels and decrease the amount of muscle gained after a workout. Make sure to get about 7-8 hours of sleep per night to build muscles and stay fit.

Tricep workout

Give High-Intensity Interval Training a Try

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) can be beneficial to building muscles and losing fat. HIIT involves pushing your body hard for a time and then resting.  It can burn a lot more fat than when you exercise at the same pace the whole time. This supports the levels of oxidation in your muscles and allows them to grow. It can help to maintain the muscles you are gaining and should be included in your exercise routine for at least 2 days per week.

Use Heavier Weights for Fewer Reps

Whether you go to the gym or use home exercise equipment, try out heavier weights for fewer reps. It is not about the number of times you lift a weight, but it is more about using heavier weights, even if you only lift it once or twice. It can be more beneficial to body-building than doing a lot of reps. This will help you to gain muscles and lose fat more quickly. It will help you to become stronger quicker and also to gain more lean muscle.

Make Sure to Rest and Recover

Some people believe that in order to build plenty of muscles, they need to be at the gym every single day. While this is ambitious, it might not be as helpful as you would think. Giving your body time to rest and recover from an activity is very important to building muscles, losing fat and staying healthy. Taking a day or two off here and there will actually be more beneficial for you in the long run than working out every day. Your body needs time to reset and take a break from activity. Resting is just as important as working out.

Building Muscle Wrap Up

These are some of the most natural ways you can build muscles and stay fit no matter what kind of diet you follow. When following a diet, it is important that you take care of yourself and do more good than harm to your body. Losing weight is not as important as maintaining your health. Other options would be to take work out supplements along with your diet. These natural ways can help you to maintain your health, stay fit, and even build muscles quicker. They can also help to ensure you are leading a healthy and happy life.

Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 


Amanda Maurois is a proud fit mom, entrepreneur and lifestyle blogger who loves to write about healthy lifestyle, fitness and entrepreneurship.

About Amanda Maurois

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