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Building muscle takes training, protein, and enough total calories to fuel growth. Eat too little and you'll spin your wheels; eat too much and you'll add more fat than you want. Here's how to find your number.
Quick answer: to gain muscle, eat about 200–300 calories above your maintenance calories (TDEE) each day — roughly a 5–10% surplus — with 0.7–1 g of protein per pound of body weight. Aim to gain about 0.25–0.5% of your body weight per week.
Step 1: Find Your Maintenance Calories
Your maintenance calories (TDEE) are what you burn in a day. Calculate your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, then multiply by your activity level — the full formula is in our guide to calculating your macros.
Step 2: Add a Small Surplus
- Lean bulk (recommended): TDEE + 200–300 calories. Slower gains, less fat.
- Beginners: can often build muscle closer to maintenance, especially with plenty of protein.
- Hard gainers: if the scale doesn't move after 2–3 weeks, add another 100–200 calories.
Calories to Gain Muscle by TDEE
| Maintenance calories (TDEE) | Lean bulk target (+200–300) |
|---|---|
| 2,000 | 2,200–2,300 |
| 2,300 | 2,500–2,600 |
| 2,600 | 2,800–2,900 |
| 2,900 | 3,100–3,200 |
| 3,200 | 3,400–3,500 |
Step 3: Set Your Macros
- Protein: 0.7–1 g per pound of body weight.
- Fat: about 25–30% of calories.
- Carbs: the rest — carbs fuel hard training and recovery.
Example
A 170 lb lifter with a TDEE of 2,600 calories:
- Calories: 2,600 + 250 = 2,850 per day
- Protein: 170 × 1 = 170 g (680 calories)
- Fat: 2,850 × 0.25 ÷ 9 = about 79 g (713 calories)
- Carbs: (2,850 − 680 − 713) ÷ 4 = about 364 g
How Many Calories Does It Take to Gain a Pound?
A pound of body weight takes roughly 2,500–3,500 extra calories, depending on how much is muscle versus fat. That's why a small daily surplus works: 250 extra calories a day adds up to about half a pound a week, which gives your body time to build muscle instead of just storing fat.
Tips for Gaining Muscle (Not Just Weight)
- Train with progressive overload. Add weight or reps over time — calories alone don't build muscle.
- Spread protein across 3–5 meals of about 30–50 g each.
- Weigh in weekly and adjust calories by 100–200 if you're gaining too fast or not at all.
- Sleep 7–9 hours. Recovery is when muscle is built.
- Don't “dirty bulk.” Huge surpluses mostly add fat you'll have to diet off later.
Make Your Bulk Easier
Hitting 2,800+ calories and 170 g of protein every day takes a lot of cooking. Mother of Macros makes chef-crafted, high-protein meals with calories and macros on every label, plus bulk proteins like sous vide chicken breast by the pound to build your own bowls. See our high-protein meal delivery, available in Reno–Sparks and shipped nationwide.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your doctor before major changes to your diet.
