What are the nutrition no-nos of muscle building?

If there’s one thing all the lifters in your gym are likely to have a lot of – besides, you know, muscles – it’s rules: No skipping leg day. No cardio. Don’t get them wet.

Okay, that last one may actually be Gremlins, but there’s no denying there are a lot of unwritten rules, unofficial no-nos and downright myths about building muscle. And many of these myths come down to food – the things you ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ be eating to get those gains.

So it’s time to do a little busting – myth busting, that is. We asked Advanced Sports Dietician Lisa Middleton to expose the truth behind three common muscle building myths.

Myth No.1: You can’t have ‘cheat meals’ if you’re trying to build muscle

No cake for your birthday? No way! “If you feel like something, have it,” says Lisa. “You don’t need to plan these meals into your week, but it’s important to understand the impact of your food choices on your goals. Finding a good balance is key.”

Try not to think about food in ‘good vs bad’ terms, or certain foods as ‘cheating’. A positive way to approach your nutrition may be an 80/20 split – sticking to your muscle building meal plan 80% of the time, and going freestyle with your favorites or eating out 20% of the time.

Myth No.2: You can get all your nutrients from supplements

If you want to build muscle, getting your nutrition right should be your top priority. This is especially true for beginners. As Lisa ays: “Nutrition will create the gains. The basics of building muscle are being in a calorie surplus with quality food, backed by weight training, and being consistent with your plan.”

Centr takes a food-first approach – on a Build Muscle meal plan you’ll eat plenty of protein so you don’t have to go overboard adding expensive protein bars, shakes or cookies.

Once you have your nutrition and training regime locked down, supplements may provide a boost – we’ve taken a deep dive to help you make informed decisions.

Myth No.3: Consume as much protein as possible!

Before you fill your garage floor to ceiling with tofu and chicken, you may want to hear Lisa out.

“You don’t need to over-do protein – calories are important, protein only needs to be adequate. So make sure you’re getting adequate protein, spaced over the day. Research shows that 0.7-0.88oz/20-25g of protein every 3-4 hours post-exercise is the best way to maximize muscle protein synthesis.”

How does that work in practice? Just make sure you’re having some protein in every meal and snack throughout the day.