HOW MANY CALORIES DO I NEED WHEN BULKING?

WHAT IS BULKING?

The concept of bulking is widely embraced among fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders alike. It entails consuming more calories than the body requires to foster growth and increase muscle mass.

In contrast, ‘cutting’ involves maintaining a caloric deficit to reduce unwanted body fat.

This article will equip you with essential insights on navigating bulking and ensuring muscle gains while minimizing fat accumulation.

HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE? – THE FUNDAMENTALS

Building muscle mass hinges on two key factors: calorie intake and expenditure. It’s crucial to ensure that the body receives more calories than it expends (i.e., calories burned).

Achieving this entails consuming more calories than you burn. If you find that you need to gain more mass despite eating what you believe to be sufficient, increasing your calorie intake is necessary.

For a successful bulking phase, the calorie intake should typically exceed calorie expenditure by 200-400 calories. Adjustments can be made by either consuming more or reducing activity levels. However, most individuals opt for increasing calorie intake, given the challenges of lowering activity levels while maintaining workout intensity (plus, who can resist delicious food?).

MUSCLE BUILDING CALORIE CALCULATOR

Male/ Female

Age: 25

Height: 180cm / 5.91 feet

Weight: 80kg / 176.37 Lbs

Daily Steps: 1000

Exercise: 1 hour per week

To Gain Weight: 2700 calories

To Maintain: 2400 calories

To Lose Weight: 1900 calories

HOW MANY CALORIES DO I NEED TO BUILD MUSCLE?

Determining the right calories for building muscle starts with figuring out your maintenance calories. You need these calories daily to maintain your current weight and body composition.

One effective way to do this is using a calorie-tracking app like MyfitnessPal. You can gauge how many calories you consume by logging your daily food intake. Having a reliable scale to track your weight accurately is also helpful.

Start by assessing your current calorie intake over a typical day. Aim to maintain this level of calorie consumption for two weeks while monitoring your weight regularly. Your diet should contain 40% carbohydrates, 40% protein, and 20% fats.

Alternatively, an online calculator can estimate your daily calorie needs based on your details. Once you have this estimate, stick to it for two weeks and observe any changes in your weight.

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Factors like height, body composition, age, gender, and activity level all influence calorie requirements. The key is to establish a starting point.

If your weight increases during the two weeks, you’re consuming more than your maintenance calories. In this case, gradually reduce your calorie intake by 200 weekly until your weight stabilizes. Conversely, if you’re losing weight, gradually increase your calorie intake by 200 weekly until your weight remains steady.

Once you reach a point where your weight stays constant, take note of your calorie intake – this is your maintenance level!

HOW MANY CALORIES TO BUILD MUSCLE?

The calculator indicates that our maintenance calories are 2625. After maintaining this calorie intake for two weeks, if our weight remains unchanged, it confirms that 2625 calories per day is our maintenance level.

As mentioned earlier, for effective muscle building, you’ll need to consume 200-400 calories above your maintenance level. Let’s break this down into practical terms.

CALORIES FOR MUSCLE GAIN

2625+400=3025

Every day, this individual should aim to consume 3025 calories.

Now, let’s understand how these calories should be distributed among carbohydrates, proteins, and fats for optimal bulking.

PROTEIN FOR BUILDING MUSCLE

First, let’s focus on protein intake. Research suggests that during a bulking phase, the average person should consume between 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight to maximize protein synthesis.

75x2g=150 grams of protein

Since each gram of protein contains four calories, this amounts to 150×4=600 calories.

A total of 600 calories from protein is necessary to support muscle growth.

FATS FOR MUSCLE GAIN

It’s recommended to derive 20% of total daily calories from fats.

3025×0.2=605 calories

To determine the grams of fat needed to meet 605 calories, divide by 9 (as each gram of fat contains nine calories).

605/9=67.2

Therefore, this individual should aim to consume 67 grams of fat daily to facilitate muscle gain.

CARBOHYDRATES FOR MUSCLE BUILDING

With protein and fats accounted for, the remaining calories must come from carbohydrates to meet the daily calorie target.

3025kcal (Calorie goal) – 600kcal (Calories from protein) – 605kcal (calories from fat) = 1820kcal.

So, the athlete needs to obtain 1820kcal from carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates provide four calories per gram, so 1820kcal/4=455 grams.

Our overall macronutrient breakdown is as follows:

Calories: 3025

Protein: 150 grams

Fat: 67.2 grams

Carbohydrates: 455 grams

WHAT TO EAT TO BUILD MUSCLE?

“One of the worst misconceptions when it comes to bulking is that you have free reign to eat, and eat, and eat some with wild abandon and disregard for sugar, carbs, and salt” (Roussell, n.d).

For a successful muscle-building diet while minimizing fat gain, prioritize healthy, nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods. Adding 5 pounds of lean mass rather than 10 pounds of fat is better. Here’s a list of the best muscle-building foods:

HIGH PROTEIN FOODS FOR MUSCLE BUILDING

• Chicken
• Turkey
• Fish (Cod, tuna, salmon)
• Red meat (Lean steak)
• Low-fat yogurt
• Eggs
• Cottage cheese
• Low-fat pork

CARBOHYDRATES

• Brown rice
• White rice
• Sweet potato
•  White potato
• Pasta
• Brown bread
• Oats
• Fruits
• Beans, chickpeas, legumes

FATS

• Nuts
• Eggs
• Olive oil
• Nut Butters
• Avocado
• Red meat

SUPPLEMENTS

Our recent article titled “The top 5 muscle-building supplements” explores the best supplements to consider during a muscle-building phase. Here’s a quick summary:

1. Creatine

2. Legion Whey+ Protein Powder – Check Price Use code: “Robor” for 20% off!

3. Weight Gainers

4. Beta-Alanine

5. Caffeine – There is no need for a supplement here; a simple cup of coffee will suffice!

The most crucial aspect of any muscle-building diet plan is consistency. Opt for foods from the lists provided that you genuinely enjoy. Forcing yourself to eat foods you dislike will only hinder your adherence to the plan.

Many bodybuilders endorse the 80/20 rule – aiming for 80% clean, unprocessed foods and allowing for flexibility with the remaining 20%.

Creating a bulking meal plan tailored to your preferences increases the likelihood of sticking to it, reducing the temptation to resort to processed fast foods just to meet calorie targets.

WHEN TO EAT FOR MUSCLE GAIN

Since we’ll be consuming more calories than usual, dividing them into smaller meals is advisable. Trying to fit all these calories into three large meals might be challenging. Instead, aim for 5-6 meals daily or eat every 3 or 4 hours for better digestion and energy distribution.

HOW MUCH MUSCLE SHOULD I BE GAINING?

If your muscle gain diet aligns with the described macro breakdown, you should aim to gain around 0.5 lbs (0.25kg) weekly. On average, the male body can build between 0.25 and 0.5 kg of dry muscle tissue weekly. You may accumulate excess fat if you gain more than 0.5 lbs a week. Consider adjusting your calorie intake, such as reducing carbohydrate intake by 25 grams to cut 100kcal and minimize unwanted fat gain. Initially, you might experience rapid weight gain as your body adapts to increased glycogen and water retention.

EFFECTS OF A BULKING DIET

To increase muscle mass, you need to consume more calories than you burn, which may lead to some fat gain. However, this is normal and nothing to fret about. After bulking, you can transition to a ‘cut’ to shed excess body fat. Adding mass to your frame puts extra strain on tendons and ligaments during bulking, so prioritize thorough warm-ups and stretching routines.

To optimize muscle growth during bulking, it’s crucial to train effectively to stimulate muscle growth. Applying progressive overload to your workouts is key to achieving this. If you’re unfamiliar with progressive overload, consider reading our article, ‘The Foundation to Building Muscle’ for more insights.

BULKING TIPS

Here are some quick bulking tips:

• Maintain a calorie surplus
• Follow the 80/20 rule: 80% whole foods, 20% flexibility
• Consume 20-30 grams of protein per meal
•  Aim to gain between 0.25kg-0.5kg per week
• Have 5-6 meals daily
• Prioritize carbohydrate intake around workouts
• Limit liquid calorie intake; opt for water
• Include fruits and vegetables in your diet
• Ensure adequate sleep
• Apply progressive overload in training
• Consider using muscle-building supplements

As a general guideline, aim for 20-30 grams of protein per meal to support muscle protein synthesis and muscle building. Eating every 3-4 hours helps maintain satiety and sustained energy levels throughout the day. Opting for three large meals might result in cravings and snacking, often on high-sugar and high-fat foods, which isn’t ideal for muscle gain.