How much should my calorie surplus be?

When following a clean bulking approach, the goal is still to eat a calorie surplus with plenty of protein, though high calorie, processed, sugary foods are restricted. A calorie surplus of 500 calories is usually a good place to start to promote muscle gains ( 2 ).

Is 2500 calories enough to bulk?

The general rule is that consuming an excess of at least 2,500 calories per week can help increase lean tissue by one pound of gained mass. This number is derived from several published studies, but it is generalized for the ‘average exerciser. ‘ For muscle hypertrophy, your client may need even more excess calories.

What is a good calorie surplus for bulking?

May limit excess fat gain It’s well established that when setting out to gain muscle, you should maintain a calorie surplus ( 2 , 3 ). Data suggests that a conservative surplus of 350–500 calories per day is usually effective to promote muscle gains while minimizing fat storage.

Is 3000 calories too much for bulking?

For some people, a 3,000-calorie may help you gain weight. An acceptable, safe rate of weight gain is 0.5–2 pounds (0.2–0.9 kg) per week.

How much calorie surplus do you need to build muscle?

Here are a few guidelines for setting your caloric surplus for men and women. In general, somewhere between 100-400 calories above maintenance intake per day is a good starting point. Any more than this and the muscle to fat gain ratio is likely to skew toward more fat gain.

What is the ideal calorie surplus?

Here are some simple graphics to address the ideal caloric surplus. For reference, this calculator creates a 10\% calorie surplus from your TDEE. So if your TDEE is 2500, your muscle gain calories will be 2750 (+250 calorie surplus). For fat loss to happen, you must be eating less than you burn on a daily basis.

How many calories should you burn when bulking?

This number coincides with the recommended calorie surplus for a clean bulk, which tends to be on the conservative side ( 3 ). Conversely, dirty bulking uses a higher surplus — normally exceeding 500 calories per day — to target weight and muscle gain regardless of excess fat gain.

How many calories should I eat a day to gain muscle?

Any more than this and the muscle to fat gain ratio is likely to skew toward more fat gain. In general, somewhere between 100-300 calories above maintenance intake per day is a good starting point. Any more than this, and the muscle to fat gain ratio is likely to skew toward more fat gain.