Weekly Meal Plan for People Who Work Out 3–4 Times a Week (Real Example)

How many calories should you eat if you work out 3–4 times a week?

The direct answer:

• TDEE with 3–4 weekly workouts: BMR × 1.55–1.65
• Training day: TDEE + goal (surplus for muscle gain, deficit for fat loss)
• Rest day: −10–15% compared to training day, reduced carbs
• Protein: 1.8–2.2 g/kg every day, unchanged

This is the most common profile among Nutryon users: someone who trains at the gym 3–4 times a week with a body composition goal (lose fat and gain or maintain muscle mass).

In this guide you'll find:

• precise calculation of calories and macros for this profile
• 7 complete days of meal plans with differentiated training and rest days
• the grocery list for the week
• how to adapt the plan for fat loss vs muscle gain

All data is based on the Nutryon engine. The reference profile is a 30-year-old male, 78 kg, 175 cm, gym 4 times/week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday), body composition goal.

→ Calculate your personalized plan with the Nutryon Calorie Calculator.

Weekly Calories and Macros: Base Calculation

Step 1 — BMR Calculation (Mifflin-St Jeor formula)

BMR = 10 × weight + 6.25 × height − 5 × age + 5 (men)
BMR = 10 × 78 + 6.25 × 175 − 5 × 30 + 5 = 1,734 kcal

Step 2 — TDEE Calculation

With 4 weekly 60–75 minute workouts (moderate-high intensity):

TDEE = BMR × 1.60 = 1,734 × 1.60 = 2,774 kcal

Step 3 — Target for Body Composition Goal

For body recomposition: caloric target around maintenance, differentiated by day type.

Note: protein (172 g = 78 × 2.2) stays identical every day. Carbs vary, fats compensate.

7-Day Complete Meal Plan

Monday (Training day — Chest + Triceps)

Target: 2,900 kcal | 172 g P | 360 g C | 76 g F

Breakfast 80 g oats + 300 ml whole milk + medium banana + 4 egg whites → 640 kcal · 36 g P · 92 g C · 12 g F

Pre-workout snack (90 min before) 30 g rice cakes + 150 g 0% Greek yogurt + 10 g honey → 270 kcal · 15 g P · 44 g C · 1 g F

Post-workout (within 1 hour) 35 g whey + 250 ml whole milk + 2 kiwis → 400 kcal · 42 g P · 40 g C · 7 g F

Lunch 100 g whole wheat pasta + 150 g chicken + cherry tomatoes + 10 g olive oil → 690 kcal · 44 g P · 92 g C · 16 g F

Dinner 200 g salmon + 200 g potatoes + broccoli + 10 g olive oil → 680 kcal · 44 g P · 64 g C · 22 g F

Evening snack 200 g 0% Greek yogurt → 130 kcal · 22 g P · 8 g C · 0 g F

Day total: 2,810 kcal · 203 g P · 340 g C · 58 g F

Tuesday (Training day — Back + Biceps)

Target: 2,900 kcal | 172 g P | 360 g C | 76 g F

Breakfast 3 whole eggs + 60 g whole grain bread + 80 g avocado + orange → 600 kcal · 24 g P · 60 g C · 22 g F

Pre-workout snack Banana + 25 g puffed rice → 200 kcal · 3 g P · 46 g C · 1 g F

Post-workout 250 g skyr + 100 g mixed berries + 15 g honey → 370 kcal · 28 g P · 52 g C · 2 g F

Lunch 120 g cooked white rice + 160 g tuna + 50 g sweet corn + 10 g olive oil → 680 kcal · 40 g P · 88 g C · 14 g F

Dinner 200 g chicken breast + 80 g whole wheat pasta + courgettes + 10 g olive oil → 650 kcal · 52 g P · 72 g C · 16 g F

Evening snack 150 g low-fat ricotta + 10 g walnuts → 220 kcal · 22 g P · 6 g C · 11 g F

Day total: 2,720 kcal · 169 g P · 324 g C · 66 g F

Wednesday (Rest day)

Target: 2,480 kcal | 172 g P | 255 g C | 90 g F

Breakfast 3 whole eggs + 60 g oats + 200 ml milk + 100 g mixed berries → 540 kcal · 30 g P · 62 g C · 18 g F

Lunch 180 g salmon + 80 g quinoa + mixed salad + 15 g olive oil → 620 kcal · 38 g P · 58 g C · 22 g F

Afternoon snack 200 g Greek yogurt + 20 g walnuts + apple → 340 kcal · 18 g P · 36 g C · 14 g F

Dinner 200 g chicken + 150 g sweet potato + grilled vegetables + 15 g olive oil → 580 kcal · 44 g P · 60 g C · 18 g F

Evening snack 150 g ricotta + 15 g almonds → 260 kcal · 20 g P · 8 g C · 16 g F

Day total: 2,340 kcal · 150 g P · 224 g C · 88 g F

Thursday (Training day — Legs)

Target: 2,900 kcal | 172 g P | 360 g C | 76 g F

(Leg day = most intense workout → carb priority)

Breakfast 90 g oats + 300 ml milk + banana + 4 egg whites + 10 g honey → 700 kcal · 38 g P · 100 g C · 12 g F

Pre-workout snack 40 g white bread + 20 g jam → 190 kcal · 4 g P · 42 g C · 1 g F

Post-workout 35 g whey + 300 ml milk + banana → 430 kcal · 44 g P · 46 g C · 7 g F

Lunch 130 g cooked white rice + 150 g lean beef mince + 10 g olive oil + tomato → 720 kcal · 40 g P · 88 g C · 18 g F

Dinner 200 g cod + 80 g whole wheat pasta + asparagus + 10 g olive oil → 620 kcal · 48 g P · 72 g C · 14 g F

Evening snack 200 g Greek yogurt → 130 kcal · 22 g P · 8 g C · 0 g F

Day total: 2,790 kcal · 196 g P · 356 g C · 52 g F

Friday (Training day — Shoulders + Abs)

Target: 2,900 kcal | 172 g P | 360 g C | 76 g F

Breakfast Oat pancakes (80 g oats + 4 egg whites + 100 ml milk) + 15 g maple syrup + berries → 580 kcal · 32 g P · 80 g C · 10 g F

Pre-workout snack Banana + coffee → 100 kcal · 1 g P · 24 g C · 0 g F

Post-workout 250 g skyr + 40 g oats + 10 g honey → 400 kcal · 30 g P · 56 g C · 4 g F

Lunch 100 g whole wheat pasta + 160 g mackerel + cherry tomatoes + 10 g olive oil → 700 kcal · 42 g P · 88 g C · 18 g F

Dinner 180 g chicken + 100 g white rice + peppers + 10 g olive oil → 640 kcal · 42 g P · 76 g C · 14 g F

Evening snack 150 g ricotta + 15 g almonds → 260 kcal · 20 g P · 8 g C · 16 g F

Day total: 2,680 kcal · 167 g P · 332 g C · 62 g F

Saturday (Rest day)

Target: 2,480 kcal | 172 g P | 255 g C | 90 g F

Breakfast 3 whole eggs + 50 g whole grain bread + 100 g avocado + tomato → 540 kcal · 22 g P · 40 g C · 26 g F

Lunch 160 g tuna + 150 g cooked chickpeas + salad + 15 g olive oil + lemon → 580 kcal · 38 g P · 54 g C · 18 g F

Afternoon snack 200 g Greek yogurt + 20 g walnuts → 280 kcal · 16 g P · 14 g C · 16 g F

Dinner 200 g salmon + 150 g cooked lentils + sautéed spinach + 10 g olive oil → 640 kcal · 46 g P · 52 g C · 20 g F

Evening snack 150 g ricotta + 10 g chia seeds → 230 kcal · 18 g P · 8 g C · 14 g F

Day total: 2,270 kcal · 140 g P · 168 g C · 94 g F

Sunday (Rest day)

Target: 2,480 kcal | 172 g P | 255 g C | 90 g F

Breakfast 250 g Greek yogurt + 50 g granola + banana + 10 g honey → 520 kcal · 22 g P · 80 g C · 8 g F

Lunch 180 g lean roast beef + 180 g roasted potatoes + mixed vegetables + 10 g olive oil → 620 kcal · 44 g P · 54 g C · 18 g F

Afternoon snack 200 g skyr + 20 g almonds → 280 kcal · 22 g P · 18 g C · 12 g F

Dinner 200 g baked cod + 80 g brown rice + courgettes + 10 g olive oil → 560 kcal · 44 g P · 68 g C · 14 g F

Evening snack 150 g ricotta + 15 g walnuts → 280 kcal · 18 g P · 6 g C · 18 g F

Day total: 2,260 kcal · 150 g P · 226 g C · 70 g F

Weekly Summary

How to Adapt the Plan for a Different Goal

For fat loss (−300–400 kcal deficit)

• Training day: drop from 2,900 to 2,500–2,600 kcal
• Reduce carbs by 50–70 g on training days
• Keep protein unchanged (or increase to 2.4 g/kg)
• Replace post-workout carbs with extra protein

For muscle gain (+200–300 kcal surplus)

• Training day: increase from 2,900 to 3,100–3,200 kcal
• Add 50–70 g carbs on training days
• Add an extra carb snack (banana + oats)
• Rest days stay at maintenance calories

For the complete muscle-building strategy → read: How to Build Muscle with Diet

What the Research Says About Nutrition for 3–4 Weekly Workouts

• ISSN guidelines for athletes training 3–5 days/week recommend 1.6–2.4 g/kg/day protein to support hypertrophy and recovery
• Research on carb cycling (varying carbs between training and rest days) shows body composition benefits compared to uniform daily caloric distribution across all 7 days
• Studies on training frequency show that 3–4 weekly sessions produce comparable strength and hypertrophy adaptations to 5–6 sessions, at equal weekly volume
• Protein timing literature confirms that distributing protein across 4–5 meals of 30–40 g is superior to concentrating it in 1–2 large meals for maximizing muscle protein synthesis

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use this plan if I only train 3 times a week?

Yes. With 3 workouts, TDEE drops slightly (multiplier 1.55 instead of 1.60). Reduce total calories by ~150–200 kcal/day and add a third rest day.

Does this work for women too?

The structure is the same. What changes is the BMR calculation (female formula: −161 instead of +5) and the absolute targets decrease. The ratios between training and rest days remain identical.

Can I substitute chicken with other proteins?

Yes, any lean protein works: turkey, veal, cod, shrimp, firm tofu, tempeh. The key is hitting the gram target for protein, not the specific source.

How long before I see results?

First body composition changes are visible in 4–6 weeks. Significant results require 12+ weeks of consistency. Nutrition is a process, not an event.

Do I need to weigh everything?

For the first 2–4 weeks, yes — to calibrate your eye and understand real portions. After that, many people can manage portions without a scale with good approximation.

Your Personalized Plan in Under 2 Minutes

This plan is built on a specific profile (78 kg male, 30 years, 175 cm). Your profile is different — weight, height, age, workout type and goal change the entire calculation.

Nutryon builds the exact plan for your real profile:

• calories and macros calibrated to your biometrics
• training days and rest days already differentiated
• meal timing adapted to your workout schedule
• complete weekly plan in PDF format

→ Enter your data and get your plan in less than 2 minutes.