Lean-muscle diet

Follow this lean-muscle diet to transform your physique and reveal your six-pack

To build lean muscle and burn fat, you need to eat around 3g of protein per kilogram of lean bodyweight each and every day, while reducing your carb intake to better allow your body to manage the nutrients you consume.

This seven-day sample diet plan has been designed for a man weighing 75kg with a body-fat percentage of 15%. This means his lean bodyweight is 63.75kg, and so he needs to consume around 190g of high-quality protein per day. This meal plan will ensure you hit between 190g and 200g of protein per day, as well as getting all the essential fats, vitamins and minerals you need. However, you may be heavier, lighter, leaner or fatter, so you need to work out exactly how much protein you need each day to reach your objectives. Here’s how.

Take your weight and divide it by 100, eg 75kg/100=0.75

Subtract your body-fat percentage from 100, eg 100-15=85 

Multiply these two values together to get your lean bodyweight, eg 0.75x85=63.75kg

You need 3g of protein per kg of lean bodyweight so multiply this by 3, eg 63.75x3=191g

This is your daily protein target, which should be split over four to six meal

Monday

Breakfast: 150g porridge oats cooked with 200ml semi-skimmed milk, ½ a banana and 1tsp honey. Stir in ½ a scoop of whey protein at the end of cooking.

Snack: Post-workout shake: blend 1 scoop of protein powder, 230ml almond milk, 1tsp almond butter, ½ a banana and ice cubes.

Lunch: 1 medium baked sweet potato with 1 can of tuna in water (drained) and spinach.

Snack: 2 boiled eggs.

Dinner: Salmon fillet with green beans and asparagus.

Snack: Greek yoghurt with cinnamon and 6 brazil nuts.

Tuesday

Breakfast: 2 grilled rashers of bacon and 2 boiled eggs.

Snack: Small pot of hummus and sugar snap peas, carrots and pepper.

Lunch: Ham salad.

Snack: 100g cooked prawns.

Dinner: Two home-made hamburgers with a spinach and cherry tomato salad.

Snack: Greek yoghurt with cinnamon and 10 almonds.

Wednesday

Breakfast: 150g porridge oats cooked with 200ml semi-skimmed milk, ½ a banana and 1tsp honey. Stir in ½ a scoop of whey protein at the end of cooking.

Snack: Post-workout shake: blend 1 scoop of protein powder, 230ml almond milk, 1tsp almond butter, a handful of frozen berries and ice cubes.

Lunch: Smoked salmon with spinach, cucumber and mixed salad leaves.

Snack: 2 boiled eggs.

Dinner: Chicken and cashew nut stir-fry (pictured).

Snack: Whey protein mixed with 1tbsp Greek yoghurt, water and ice.

Thursday

Breakfast: 2 grilled rashers of bacon and 2 boiled eggs.

Snack: 50g cottage cheese with celery, carrot and cucumber sticks.

Lunch: Roast chicken with baked sweet potato and runner beans.

Snack: 100g cooked prawns.

Dinner: Cod fillet with roasted vegetables.

Snack: Greek yoghurt with cinnamon and 10 almonds.

Friday

Breakfast: 150g porridge oats cooked with 200ml semi-skimmed milk, ½ a banana and 1tsp honey. Stir in ½ a scoop of whey protein at the end of cooking.

Snack: Post-workout shake: blend 1 scoop of protein powder, 230ml almond milk, 1tsp almond butter, ½ a banana and ice cubes.

Lunch: Tuna salad.

Snack: Raw vegetables with guacamole (chop ½ a ripe avocado, ¼ of a tomato and ¼ of a red onion, and mix with coriander and lime juice).

Dinner: Steak with steamed green vegetables. Small glass of red wine.

Snack: Greek yoghurt with cinnamon and 6 brazil nuts.

Saturday

Breakfast: 2 poached eggs, 2 grilled rashers of bacon, 2 grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and ½ a can of reduced salt and sugar baked beans.

Snack: Small pot of hummus with celery, carrots and cucumber.

Lunch: Diced lamb grilled on skewers with green and red peppers, cherry tomatoes and 1 small red onion, plus ½ a baked sweet potato.

Snack: 1 small can of salmon.

Dinner: Beef meatballs in tomato sauce with green vegetables.

Snack: Greek yoghurt with cinnamon and 10 almonds.

Sunday 

Breakfast: 2 poached eggs, 2 grilled rashers of bacon, 2 grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and ½ a can of reduced salt and sugar baked beans.

Snack: 50g cottage cheese with celery, carrot and cucumber sticks.

Lunch: Chicken stir-fry.

Snack: 100g cooked prawns.

Dinner: Grilled salmon fillet with roasted vegetables.

Snack: Greek yoghurt with cinnamon and 6 brazil nuts.