In a perfect world, all you would need to do to build muscle would be to lift weights. But building muscle requires more than exercise. You need to make sure you’re getting the nutrition of a healthy, balanced diet that’s high in protein.

Many lean folks who can’t gain muscle are just eating and exercising the wrong way. That said, if you’re looking to help your body build more muscle, here are a few helpful tips.

Focus on calorie surpluses

If you’re used to counting calories to lose weight, it can be tricky to get the hang of focusing on calorie surpluses instead of deficits. But it’s necessary to consume more calories than you burn each day to build muscle. This is because, when you consume fewer calories than you burn, your body thinks that food is in short supply and it becomes focused on storing fat to keep you alive in case you’re starving rather than focusing on building muscle.

That said, you actually want to eat more rather than less to give your body a reason to focus on building muscle. Aim for eating an additional 250 to 500 extra calories every day. Most of these calories ought to come from protein-rich foods such as eggs, chickpeas, seafood, lentils, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt.

Eat more casein protein

Casein protein is a popular protein used by bodybuilders. Casein absorbs slowly into the bloodstream, which means it helps to keep your muscles fed for a longer period of time with amino acids compared to plant and whey proteins.

If you’re not lactose-intolerant, indulge in casein-rich foods like Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and milk before bed. Casein-based protein powder can also be incorporated into smoothies.

Use liver supplements

When you think of building muscle, chances are your first thought isn’t to take care of your liver. But your liver plays a vital role in your body’s overall health. In fact, the liver’s key function is to produce plasma proteins. Every minute, 1.5 liters of blood pass through your liver and the liver secretes these plasma proteins into the bloodstream. Using liver supplements can help build muscle by encouraging the blood flow.