A short, evidence-based guide to building muscle: what to train, how much protein to eat, and what you can skip.
Building muscle comes down to lifting hard enough, eating enough protein, and recovering. Here is what the research says about each.
How much protein you need
A meta-analysis of 49 trials found that eating more than about 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight a day did not add further muscle in people who lift. For a 70 kg person, that’s roughly 112 g a day.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition gives a wider range of 1.4–2.0 g/kg a day for building and keeping muscle. Anywhere in that zone works, so pick a number you can hit.
Key takeaway: Aim for 1.4–2.0 g/kg a day. Past about 1.6, extra protein adds little.
How to train
- Do more sets, up to a point. A dose-response meta-analysis found more weekly sets meant more growth, about 0.37% extra gain per added set.
- Hit each muscle twice a week. When total volume is equal, training twice a week beat once a week.
- Don’t sweat the exact weight. Light and heavy loads built similar muscle when sets were taken to failure, though heavy loads were better for strength.
Progressive overload still applies: add reps, weight, or sets over time.
The post-workout “rush” is a myth
The old advice to eat within 30 minutes of training doesn’t hold up. A meta-analysis on protein timing concluded that total protein with resistance exercise is the key factor, not the clock around your session.
What does help is spreading protein out. The ISSN suggests 0.25 g/kg per meal, or 20–40 g, every 3–4 hours. For more, see our piece on protein needs and per-meal dosing after 40.
Where Proteinly fits
Hitting a protein number every day is mostly a habit problem. Proteinly is built around a protein-first approach with no calorie counting. Its automatic eating timer reminds you to eat every 2 hours, so regular protein happens without you having to remember. It helps you stay consistent and doesn’t make muscle grow faster by itself.
Sleep
The CDC says adults 18–60 need 7 or more hours a night. We found no study that sets a muscle-specific number, so treat 7+ hours as the general baseline.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need supplements?
Not necessarily. The same meta-analysis found protein supplements helped gains, but a powder is just a convenient way to reach your target.
Do I have to count calories?
Not to start. Focus on protein and training first.
Next steps
Eat about 1.6 g/kg of protein, train each muscle twice a week with steady progress, and sleep 7+ hours. Visit Proteinly to build the habit, and follow us on YouTube.