Centr Team

Your Build Muscle nutrition guide

Remember, everybody’s nutrition needs are different. Your requirements will vary according to a range of factors including how hard and often you’re training, body composition and muscle mass, your age, size, metabolism, genetics, as well as your specific goals, i.e. are you aiming for lean muscle definition or do you want to gain serious size?

Timing your nutrition for max results

You know you need protein to build muscle, and a calorie surplus if you’re serious about adding size. But when?

Pre-workout: If you’re working out first thing in the morning, have a snack or a light breakfast (e.g. a smoothie) an hour before you start. If you train late afternoon or after work, aim to have lunch 3-4 hours prior, then a top-up snack with protein and carbs an hour before.

Post-workout: Ideally, you will have a post-workout snack or meal (containing at least 20g of protein) within 1-2 hours of your workout.

Protein spacing: Aim to eat good quality protein every 3 hours or so throughout the day for optimal muscle protein synthesis.

If you miss a post-workout snack or your fridge is short on protein one night, don’t worry. Remember it’s not just that initial post-workout recovery period that matters. Your overall intake of protein in the 24-72 hours after training, as well as your total calorie intake, is key when it comes to getting results.

What about your rest days? Angie recommends keeping your calories up even on the days you’re not training. “Your days off are a good opportunity to repair and rebuild, which requires consuming adequate energy,” she says. Continuing to eat in a surplus will help promote consistent muscle gain.”

Our Power Plus Muesli Bars make the perfect post-workout snack.

How to keep your gains on track

Beginner muscle builders will often experience rapid muscle gain. Those who have been lifting for some time may take a bit longer to see changes. Whatever level you’re training at, our workouts and meal plans are built to get you real results.

Not seeing any gains? If you’re smashing your workouts with Torre and Luke but not getting the expected results, the most likely reason is that you’re not eating enough.

“Everyone’s body is different, so it’s important that you monitor your progress when training, and increase portions if you’re not seeing gains,” Angie says. “Start with one extra serving, then see how your body responds.”

Need to increase your calorie surplus? There are many reasons you may need to add more calories on top of your Centr meal plan. You may be bulking, expending more energy than usual on a new program, or have a high metabolism and find it difficult to gain muscle.

The amount of food required to gain serious muscle can feel like a lot – and if you have a naturally low appetite, it can take a while for your digestive system to adjust. The key is to space out your intake so there’s not too much going in all at once (that's why Centr has so many delicious snacks and smoothies).

If you have your snacks, three meals and Super Smoothie sorted, but feel it’s still not meeting your needs, try one of the following:

Men:

• Add in an extra meal per day; or

• Add in an extra 2 meals per day (you may not need all the snacks as well); or

• Add extra carbohydrates to your main meals.

Women:

• Add in an extra snack per day; or

• Add an extra meal per day; or

• Add extra carbohydrates to your main meals.

Hit a plateau? You’re pumping iron, getting gains, life is good! Then… nothing. You work harder, lift heavier, but muscle growth that came so fast at first now stubbornly refuses to go any further. If this sounds like you, head straight to our 3-step guide to busting through a plateau.

The structured Centr meal plan sure does make life easy, but you’ll need to stay tuned into your progress, your hunger and how you’re feeling – and adjust your food intake accordingly.

Luke has picked his protein powder and is crushing his favorite Centr Super Smoothie.

Building muscle on a vegetarian or vegan diet

A well-planned vegetarian or vegan diet can provide enough protein to support muscle gains – Centr expert Torre Washington is a testament to that! But once again, timing is everything.

Post-workout: Make sure you’re taking in a vegan protein powder containing adequate leucine (an essential amino acid your body needs to stimulate muscle protein synthesis). Find more information on supplements below.

Throughout the day: Eating regular meals and snacks full of protein.

Protein powder and performance supplements

At Centr, we take a “real food first” approach to nutrition, including plenty of protein in your meal plan so you don’t need to go overboard adding shakes or bars. However, getting enough protein through “real food” can make you feel like you’re constantly eating. If this is a struggle for you, protein powder can be a convenient option to meet your requirements – here’s what to look for in a protein powder.

Once you are in the swing of your routine, there are a handful of other supplements that may help you to reach your goals – but they are by no means essential. Our Supplements Guide will help you make an informed decision.

What about alcohol?

“Alcohol disrupts muscle protein synthesis and hurts sleep quality, which impacts muscle growth and training performance,” Angie says. “If your goal is to increase muscle, cutting alcohol is a no-brainer.”

If you don’t want to go entirely dry, consider reducing your intake while strength training. Angie suggests avoiding alcohol for at least a few hours after training and consuming no more than 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks for men.

What if I'm doing Centr Power or Power Shred?

If you are following the Centr Power or Power Shred program (as opposed to the Build Muscle workouts in Your Plan), we recommend using the extensive nutrition handbooks and calculators provided in each program in order to get the best results.

Centr Power is based on the training Chris Hemsworth and his personal trainer Luke Zocchi use to help Chris build serious muscle mass for movie roles. Power Shred is designed to help you optimize body composition by safely cutting fat without losing muscle. Both of these programs require a specific nutrition focus.

Recipes that make muscles happen

Now you’re getting your head around the nutrition you need to maximize your results, here are some of our favorite muscle-building bites:

• 9 recovery meals to lock in your training
• 14 of our best fast high-protein dinners
• Luke Zocchi’s favorite post-workout meals
• 20 high-protein snacks to eat after your workout

Feeling the cost of filling your fridge? Make the most of your leftovers and learn how to make your grocery shop budget-friendly.

If you have specific, individualized nutrition requirements or body composition goals, it’s best to consult with an accredited sports dietitian.