Dante Carrillo
To bulk up and build muscle, you need to be in a caloric surplus. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 2500 kcal for men and 2000 kcal for women, but to bulk, you need to eat more than this. The exact number of calories you need to add depends on your goals and current weight. For example, to build lean muscle mass, you need to eat 2000 to 2500 additional calories per pound gained. However, it's important to focus on healthy sources of fat, like extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, nuts, avocados and fatty fish.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Calories to add per pound gained | 2,000 to 2,500 |
| Calories from fat per day | 40.5 to 121.5 grams for men, 33 to 99 grams for women |
| Calories from saturated fat per day | Less than 237 to 244 calories, or 26 to 27 grams |
| Maintenance calories | 3,000 |
| Calories to lean bulk | 3,150 to 3,300 |
| RDA for men | 2,500 kcal |
| RDA for women | 2,000 kcal |
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What You'll Learn
- Caloric surplus: You need to be in a caloric surplus to build muscle
- Macros: Macros are important when bulking, not just calories
- Healthy fats: Focus on healthy sources of fat, like extra-virgin olive oil and avocados
- Saturated fats: Saturated fat should make up less than 10% of your daily calories
- RDA: The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 2500 kcal for men and 2000 kcal for women
Caloric surplus: You need to be in a caloric surplus to build muscle
To build muscle, you need to be in a caloric surplus. This means eating more calories than you burn. For men, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 2500 calories, and for women, it's 2000 calories. However, if you're looking to bulk up, you'll need to consume more than this.
The number of extra calories you need to eat will depend on your goals and current maintenance calories. For example, if your maintenance calories are 3000, you should eat between 3150 and 3300 calories per day to lean bulk. Eating more than this, say 4000 calories, won't provide any additional muscle-building benefits and will simply result in more fat gain.
To build lean muscle mass, it's recommended to eat 2000 to 2500 additional calories per pound gained. However, it's important to focus on healthy sources of fat, such as unsaturated fats like extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, nuts, avocados, and fatty fish. On the other hand, saturated fat should make up less than 10% of your daily calories, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
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Macros: Macros are important when bulking, not just calories
To bulk up, you need to be in a caloric surplus. For example, if your maintenance calories are 3,000, to lean bulk, you should eat between 3,150 and 3,300 calories per day. Eating more than this will not help you gain more muscle, but will simply result in you putting on more fat.
To build lean muscle mass instead of fat, you need to eat 2,000 to 2,500 additional calories per pound gained. However, it's not just about calories. Macros are important, too. For example, you should focus on healthy sources of fat, like extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, nuts, avocados and fatty fish. These are known as unsaturated fats. On the other end of the spectrum, saturated fat should make up less than 10% of your daily calories.
You also need to calculate your carb intake. For example, if you're eating 640 calories of protein and 990 of fat, you'll have 1,630 calories left to fill with carbs. Carbs are 4 calories per gram, so this equals 417.5 grams.
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Healthy fats: Focus on healthy sources of fat, like extra-virgin olive oil and avocados
To bulk up, you need to be in a caloric surplus. For example, if your maintenance calories are 3,000, to lean bulk, you should eat between 3,150 and 3,300 calories per day. Eating more than this will not increase muscle building benefits, but will simply result in putting on more fat.
To build lean muscle mass instead of fat, you need to eat 2,000 to 2,500 additional calories per pound gained. This is equal to between 40.5 and 121.5 grams of fat per day, or 347 to 1093.5 calories daily for men and between 33 and 99 grams per day for women.
Healthy fats are an important part of a bulking diet. Focus on healthy sources of fat, like extra-virgin olive oil, avocados, canola oil, nuts and fatty fish. These are known as unsaturated fats. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, saturated fat should make up less than 10% of your daily calories — that is, less than between 237 and 244 calories, or between 26 and 27 grams of saturated fat.
Avocados are a great source of healthy fats, as well as vitamins and minerals. They are high in monounsaturated fatty acids, which can help to reduce cholesterol and improve heart health. Avocados are also a good source of fibre, which can aid digestion and help you feel full for longer.
Extra-virgin olive oil is another excellent source of healthy fats. It is rich in antioxidants, which can help to protect your body from disease and improve overall health. Olive oil is also a good source of vitamin E, which is important for healthy skin and hair.
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Saturated fats: Saturated fat should make up less than 10% of your daily calories
To bulk up, you need to be in a caloric surplus. For example, if your maintenance calories are 3,000, you should eat between 3,150 and 3,300 calories per day to lean bulk. Eating more than this will not result in additional muscle-building benefits, but will result in more fat being put on.
To build lean muscle mass instead of fat, you need to eat 2,000 to 2,500 additional calories per pound gained. However, it is important to focus on macros for bulking, too. For example, you should focus on healthy sources of fat, like extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, nuts, avocados and fatty fish. These are known as unsaturated fats.
On the other hand, saturated fat should make up less than 10% of your daily calories. This is equal to less than between 237 and 244 calories, or between 26 and 27 grams of saturated fat.
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calories is 2,500 for men and 2,000 for women. However, this is based on a diet for health and not for the exercising population.
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RDA: The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 2500 kcal for men and 2000 kcal for women
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 2500 kcal for men and 2000 kcal for women. However, this is based on a diet for health and not for the exercising population. If you are looking to bulk, you will need to eat more than the RDA.
To build lean muscle mass instead of fat, you need to eat 2,000 to 2,500 additional calories per pound gained. This means that if your maintenance calories are 3,000, you should eat between 3,150 and 3,300 calories per day to lean bulk. Eating more than this will not increase muscle building benefits, but will result in more fat being put on.
To calculate how many calories you need to bulk, you should also consider your macros. For example, a man eating 640 calories of protein and 990 of fat would need to fill the remaining calories with carbs.
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Frequently asked questions
To build lean muscle mass instead of fat, you need to eat 2,000 to 2,500 additional calories per pound gained.
The RDA is 2500 kcal for men and 2000 kcal for women.
To lean bulk, you should start by eating between 3,150 and 3,300 calories per day.
Yes, you need to be in a caloric surplus to gain muscle.
An example of a bulking diet is 640 calories of protein, 990 of fat, and 1,670 calories of carbs.
