Is it possible to gain 1.5-2 inches on arms and 2 inches on chest without protein supplement

Question

I started working out quite recently and my trainer at the gym gave me the following diet plan as soon as I joined:

As you can see, most of the items are regular day to day meals (I'm an Indian and the menu is mostly Indian cuisine). I try my best to follow this plan. Since I'm lactose intolerant, I replaced Milk with Soy Milk. My intention of joining a gym was simple - workout to keep me fit (and keep my tummy flat). But seeing other folks there, I got motivated and asked my trainer how to put on a couple of inches on my chest, one inch on my biceps and half to three-quarter of an inch on my forearms. He immediately suggested taking protein supplements. I have seen my cousin (who was quite a body builder in his early youth) who now has a sagging body which he thinks is the result of taking supplements earlier. I don't want that to happen to me. Now, after about 4 months of regular workouts, I have gained roughly half an inch on my chest and biceps and about a quarter of an inch on my forearm. I did get a few tips from here and here, but nothing specific to my case.

How right was my trainer? Is it hard to achieve my target with a supplement-free diet?

P.S.: I'm a 27 year old, measuring 170cms (5'7") in height and weighing 58 kgs.

Answer 1

Protein does indeed build muscle, so, it’s going to be hard to add mass without sufficient protein intake. However, you don’t necessarily need to take protein supplements if your diet is adequately meeting your protein requirements when you train. You should try to get your protein intake from food sources first and supplement only if you can't seem to meet your requirements otherwise.

As for your cousin, my guess is that his appearance has more to do with no longer training than it has to do with consuming protein supplements.

Answer 2

To answer your question... You'd probably build muscle with that diet. I believe the recommended protein intake is 1.5 grams per kilogram to build muscle. Your diet has you at 95 grams if it's been calculated correctly so, yeah, no protein powder needed.

I have to be honest... While I applaud your efforts in eating right and trying to build some muscle (and stay/get in shape), I think you might be surprised by what eating a well-rounded, healthy, diet might do.

Shoehorning oneself into a laser-focused diet to achieve a goal is usually a road laden with failure. I'm not saying it's impossible, or that it won't work, but you've given yourself so many rules to start with: At least 19 by each individual menu item you eat daily. Once you break one, it's generally only a matter of time before others fall. This is a pretty well-documented phenomenon in the weight loss world. There is little reason to think it would be much different in the weight gain world.

To put it another way... You've restricted yourself from ALL of the foods on this earth with the exception of the 19 menu items (23 if you count the ORs) provided to you. How long until you break the rules?

A diet rich with HEALTHY meats, veggies, fruits, and, OMG yes - whole grains, and maybe the occasional protein supplement will probably be indistinguishable (in terms of how much you gain) than from your pre-planned diet - especially as you embark on your fitness journey. Once you begin to make gains and stick with your workout regimen, I would maybe think about a stricter "gains diet."

Prove to yourself first that you're willing to put in the work to get those gains. Focus on a healthy, well-rounded diet in the interim, and you'll be much better off.

Also, did you have input into this plan or was it something your trainer made up for you? The reason I ask is that trainers have a habit of picking menu items THEY like to eat - not what you like to eat. I had a trainer tell me one time to eat three boiled eggs a day. That sounds great, but I hate boiled eggs. With a passion. How long do you think it was until I quit that?

Finally... Your cousin is probably "saggy" because of an increased body fat ratio - not because of supplements. Although, depending on what type of "supplements" he was taking, it is possible they caused some of the problem, but probably not from protein powder.

Answer 3

Don't hold yourself back by looking at your cousin. Everyone has a different body type.

Focus on what you want to achieve and track your progress to see if you are getting there. I would stick to the diet plan and see how you progress. If things don't work after a couple of months you can consider changing or increasing the protein intake.

Answer 4

I do not think your this diet plan fits for body building. This diet plan consists on daily food items which everyone eat. To add inches to your body, you need to focus on food that increase your body weight. Choose food items which are high in calories, protein and carbohydrates. There are plenty of diet plan available on the internet that guides you according to you goal level.

Once done with diet plant, set you exercise plan as well. LIFT HEAVY!