Protein is the one macronutrient a lifter should think about first. It's the raw material behind muscle repair and growth — and getting enough of it, consistently, is one of the highest-leverage things you can do for results.
A commonly recommended general target for people doing resistance training is roughly 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day — framed as general guidance, not a precise cited rule, since individual needs vary. Protein supplies the amino acids your body uses to repair and build muscle after training. Spreading it across a few meals is a reasonable habit, but the thing that matters most is simply hitting your daily total. Both animal and plant sources work. This fits inside the wider picture in nutrition for lifting; how much you eat overall depends on whether you're bulking or cutting.
When you train hard, you stress and micro-damage muscle fibres; recovery is where they rebuild slightly bigger and stronger. Protein is central to that process. Dietary protein is broken down into amino acids — the building blocks your body reassembles into new muscle tissue and uses to repair what training broke down. Without enough of it, the raw material for growth simply isn't there, and even great training under-delivers. This is why protein sits at the top of a lifter's nutrition priorities, ahead of the finer details. It works hand in hand with the training stimulus itself: progressive overload creates the demand for adaptation, and adequate protein plus recovery supplies what's needed to meet it.
Framed as general guidance rather than a precise trial result: a widely cited target for people doing resistance training is roughly 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day. It's a range, not a magic number, and individual needs vary with age, training volume, total calories and more — so treat it as a sensible ballpark. Going far above the top of that range tends to offer little extra benefit for muscle, and the money and appetite are usually better spent elsewhere in the diet. If you prefer imperial units, that range works out to roughly 0.7–1.0 g per pound of bodyweight. Pick a figure inside the band that you can actually reach most days and make it your daily floor.
You don't need a spreadsheet — just a target and a plan to reach it. The loop:
If whole-food sources are hard to fit in, a protein shake is convenient food — a portable way to top up toward your number. It's optional, not required; you can hit your target entirely from regular meals if you prefer.
Both animal and plant foods work. Variety keeps meals interesting and covers a broader range of nutrients — what matters is hitting your daily total.
| Source type | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lean meat | Chicken, turkey, lean beef, pork | Dense, complete protein; easy to portion |
| Fish & seafood | Salmon, tuna, cod, shrimp | Complete protein; oily fish adds healthy fats |
| Eggs & dairy | Eggs, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, milk | Convenient, versatile, budget-friendly |
| Soy & tofu | Tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy milk | Complete plant protein; great for plant-based diets |
| Legumes & grains | Lentils, beans, chickpeas, higher-protein grains | Add fibre; combine variety across the day |
| Protein powder | Whey, casein, plant blends | Convenient food to top up your total; optional |
Protein is the first macronutrient to get right, but it works alongside your overall calorie intake. How much you eat in total depends on your goal — a modest surplus if you're bulking, a modest deficit if you're cutting — and, notably, adequate protein is what helps preserve muscle when you're in a deficit. For the full framework of protein, calories, whole foods and consistency, start with nutrition for lifting, and read calories & energy balance for the total-intake lever. Nail protein and calories together and you've handled the two things that matter most.
A quick, honest note: LiftHero is a strength-training tracker, not a food tracker — it does not log protein, food or calories, and there's no in-app nutrition feature. It tracks the training half — log your workouts and watch strength climb — while you handle protein and the rest of your nutrition with the guidance above. Get your protein from the plate; let the app handle the barbell. Combine a diet that hits your protein target with consistent, recorded training and good recovery, and you've covered the essentials.
A commonly recommended general target for people doing resistance training is roughly 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day. That's general guidance rather than a precise rule, and individual needs vary.
Protein supplies amino acids, the building blocks your body uses to repair the muscle fibres stressed by training and to build new tissue. Adequate protein alongside hard training is what lets muscle grow back bigger and stronger.
Spreading protein across three or four meals is a sensible habit and can make the daily total easier to reach. That said, total daily protein matters most, so prioritise hitting your number over perfect per-meal timing.
Yes. Animal sources like meat, fish, eggs and dairy are convenient and complete, but plant sources such as tofu, soy, legumes and higher-protein grains work well too. Eating a variety and hitting your total is what counts.
For healthy people, moderately high protein is generally well tolerated, and there's little benefit to going far above the recommended range. If you have a kidney or other health condition, check with a doctor or dietitian first.
No. Protein powder is simply convenient food — a portable way to top up toward your daily target when whole-food sources are inconvenient. You can hit your protein goal entirely from regular meals if you prefer.
LiftHero tracks the training half — log your workouts and watch strength climb — while you handle nutrition with the guidance above. Free on iOS.
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This guide is general education, not medical or nutritional advice. Nutrition needs are individual — consult a registered dietitian or doctor before making big changes, especially with a health condition.
By Meitar Lazimi, founder of LiftHero · Last updated July 9, 2026.