How Much Protein to Build Muscle (Per kg and lb)

How much protein to build muscle? Most people do well on about 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day, which is roughly 0.7–1 g per lb. For a 75 kg (165 lb) lifter, that's 120–165 g a day. Go toward the top of that range if you're in a calorie deficit, already lean, or older; the bottom end is plenty if you're eating in a surplus and just starting out.

That's the answer. The rest of this article is about picking your spot in the range, turning it into actual food, and not falling short on the days that matter.

How much protein to build muscle: the numbers

Here's the 1.6–2.2 g/kg range worked out for common bodyweights:

A handy shortcut: 1 g per lb of bodyweight lands you near the top of the range and is easy to remember. If that feels like a lot of chicken, 0.8 g per lb (about 1.8 g/kg) is still solidly within the sweet spot.

Eating meaningfully more than this doesn't appear to build more muscle. It isn't harmful for healthy people, but it displaces the carbs and fat that fuel training and make food enjoyable.

Why it's a range and not one number

Protein needs shift with your situation:

• Calorie deficit: Protein needs go up when you're cutting. It protects muscle while you lose fat and keeps you fuller. Aim for the top of the range or slightly above.
• Calorie surplus: When you're bulking, the extra calories themselves are protective, so the lower-to-middle part of the range works fine.
• Training experience: Beginners build muscle on almost anything sensible. Advanced lifters chasing the last few kilos of muscle benefit from being more precise and a little higher.
• Age: Older adults tend to respond less to a given dose of protein, so the higher end of the range is a reasonable default from roughly your 50s onward.
• Body fat level: If you're carrying a lot of body fat, total bodyweight overestimates your needs. More on that next.

Total bodyweight or lean mass?

For most people at a moderate body fat, using total bodyweight is fine and simple.

If you're significantly overweight, base the target on your goal bodyweight or an estimate of lean mass instead. Someone at 120 kg aiming for 90 kg doesn't need 260 g of protein; 145–200 g (based on 90 kg) is a more realistic and sustainable target.

Very lean lifters in a hard cut sometimes go the other direction and use a higher figure per kg of lean mass, in the region of 2.3–3.1 g per kg of lean body mass. That's a specialised scenario, though, not a starting point.

What 150 g of protein actually looks like

Numbers are abstract. Here's a sample day for someone targeting about 150 g:

• Breakfast: 3 eggs + 150 g Greek yogurt (about 33 g)
• Lunch: 150 g cooked chicken breast in a wrap or salad (about 45 g)
• Snack: 1 scoop whey in milk, or 200 g cottage cheese (about 25–30 g)
• Dinner: 150 g salmon or lean beef with rice and veg (about 35–40 g)

Total: roughly 140–150 g, across four eating occasions, without any meal feeling like a protein challenge.

Protein per serving: a cheat sheet

Approximate protein in common portions:

Cooked weights are what land on your plate; raw weights are about 25% heavier for meat and fish. Pick one convention and stick with it.

Spread it across the day

Total daily intake matters most, but distribution helps. Splitting your target across three to five meals with roughly 0.4 g per kg (about 25–40 g) each is a sensible pattern: it's easier on your appetite than two enormous protein meals, and it keeps a steady supply available around training.

Having a protein-containing meal within a few hours before or after your workout is reasonable. The old idea that you have 30 minutes to slam a shake or waste the session isn't supported; the window is much wider than that.

Does the protein source matter?

Somewhat. Animal proteins, dairy, and soy are "complete" and rich in leucine, the amino acid most associated with triggering muscle protein synthesis. Most plant proteins are lower in one or more essential amino acids.

If you eat mostly plant-based, two easy fixes: combine sources across the day (grains with legumes, for example) and aim for the top of the range, around 2.0–2.2 g/kg, to compensate for lower digestibility. Plenty of vegan lifters build muscle just fine doing this.

Common protein mistakes

• Back-loading the day. A 15 g breakfast and a 90 g dinner is hard to sustain. Front-load a bit so you're not chasing protein at bedtime.
• Counting "protein-ish" foods as protein. Peanut butter, quinoa, and hummus contain protein but are mostly fat or carbs. Track them honestly.
• Guessing portions. A "chicken breast" can be 120 g or 250 g. Weigh a few times until your eye is calibrated.
• Dropping protein when calories drop. In a cut, protein should be the last thing you reduce, not the first.

Make the target easy to hit

Knowing you need 150 g is one thing; seeing that you're at 92 g by 6 p.m. and adjusting dinner is where the muscle actually gets built. Gimmy estimates protein and the other macros from a plain-language description or a quick voice note, so checking your running total takes seconds rather than a spreadsheet session. It can also draft a day of meals that lands on your protein and calorie targets when you'd rather not plan it yourself.

Frequently asked questions