Carbs and protein, on the other hand, require a little more energy to be stored as body fat - nine calories consumed results in only 7. The average of these two is where the understanding that it takes burning or cutting about 3, calories to lose one pound of fat comes from 6.

It takes even more energy to build and store muscle mass through muscle protein synthesis MPS. An estimated 2, to 2, excess calories are needed to gain one pound of lean mass. Of course, this number is highly dependent on individual factors like level of training, starting body composition, genetics, and overall diet.

Because fat supplies more energy per gram than muscle and takes up more space, some may interpret this as fat weighs more than muscle.

But either notion would defy the laws of physics since one pound of anything still weighs a pound. Gaining muscle will not make you weigh less, but it may make you look and feel leaner overall. Muscle growth often means your weight will increase - which is why MPS requires excess calories, even if you end up looking smaller and denser in the process.

At higher levels of body fat, your body can be in a calorie deficit and still build muscle, as long as strength training and higher protein intake is incorporated 7.

This is because your body will use fat stores to fuel itself. Of course, this is difficult to achieve and can take longer than focusing on muscle gain or fat loss alone.

It is also not an ideal approach for everyone. Body composition is a key element of gaining muscle mass. Your starting body fat percentage can affect how much muscle you can gain overall, how lean and shredded you look at the end and the type of bulking diet that works best for you.

Understanding how to calculate your percent body fat is also important for figuring out how much muscle mass you've actually gained, compared to fat.

You can calculate your body composition in a number of different ways, some are more accurate than others. Regardless of which method you choose, you should measure your progress using the same approach.

At home scales and handheld, readers are quick and inexpensive and don't require the assistance of an expert, but tend to have a higher margin of error. For a more accurate approach, numerous companies offer more accurate measurements, like underwater weighing and DXA scans, through appointments.

These can be slightly more costly, but are significantly more accurate and provide more detailed readings. DXA scans can even show you where you store muscle and fat in your body in great detail. The exact amount of calories you need to consume each day to gain muscle mass are most strongly dependent on your level of training and starting body composition.

While it takes 2, to 2, additional calories to build one pound of muscle, this doesn't necessarily mean increasing your intake by this much is automatically going to result in healthy gains. Use this online calculator or the simple steps below to calculate your exact calorie needs for muscle gain.

Use an online calculator or quickly estimate with these two steps:. For example, if your daily calorie needs are , you can consume extra calories per day. Once you have this number simply multiply your body weight in kg by the category you picked.

Ben is an 80kg male who goes to the gym for one hour, four times a week. He fits into the moderately active category. Once you have your result from the Harris Benedict equation you can determine your maintenance calories. Simply take your BMR, worked out above, and add your result from the Harris Benedict equation.

There are different approaches to putting on muscle. You can do what is known as a "Dirty Bulk" which is eating everything in sight, however, I recommend a "Lean Bulk".

A lean bulk involves which is monitoring your macros to ensure you are gaining lean muscle tissue. A good approach is to aim for calories over your daily maintenance calories.

Ben requires a maintenance calorie intake of calories a day. It's OK to round here to make your next calculations easier. In this case, we'll round up to So Ben would have to consume a minimum of calories on a daily basis in order to be in a calorie surplus consuming more calories than your body is burning per day.

Once you have your maintenance calorie intake number, you can work out what is known as your macronutrient breakdown.

This will be breaking down calories into the three macronutrients:. Protein is a key macronutrient that is a driver for muscle growth. Athletes, and people who want to build muscle, need about double this 1. I would suggest for males to go on to the higher end and females slightly less due to bone density and overall structure.

A good starting point for fat is between 0. Whether you want to be at 0. If you are someone who puts on fat easily opt for 0.

However, if you are someone who struggles to put on muscle go down to the lower range. There is a lot of negative thoughts about carbohydrates but when putting on muscle this macronutrient is essential. The number of carbohydrates can now be worked out by adding the number of calories required from fat and protein.

First, we need to know his current total calories between protein and fat. Ben's protein requirement is calories and fat requirement is calories. Now to determine your carbohydrates, subtract the above number from the total calories required to put on muscle.

This should keep Ben in an optimal place to be building lean muscle. This is a basic guide to putting on lean size, which should be looked into instead of getting those unwanted fat gains. Remember that gaining muscle is a long-term project and not something that can be simply switched on.

A weight range I would recommend to aim for through personal experience is 0. Having carbohydrates at the highest amount will make it a lot easier when the time comes to lose weight.

Just make sure these carbohydrates are mostly coming from complex carbohydrates being your rice, oats, sweet potato and vegetables. Or check out our entire range of supplements for lean maintenance.

Posted by Dayne Hudson Estimated reading time: 5 minutes. With over recipes and articles, the Bulk Nutrients Blog has something for everyone! Find a new workout, meet our ambassadors or take a deep dive into our products today. Posted by Mason Brezinscak Estimated reading time: 5 minutes.

Posted by Nick Telesca Estimated reading time: 6 minutes. Karpinski, C. Sports Nutrition: A Handbook for Professionals 6th ed. Chicago, IL: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Kerksick, C. Antonio, J. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Nutrient timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14 1. Kreider, R. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15 1. Thomas, D. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and athletic performance.

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 3 , — Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service FoodData Central. Yasuda, J. Association of protein intake in three meals with muscle mass in healthy young subjects: A cross-sectional study.

Nutrients, 11 3. Trying to gain muscle? Use these fueling strategies to bulk up. Eat often Try to eat every 2—4 hours throughout the day.

Choose calorie- and nutrient-rich foods There are many nutrient-dense foods to choose from to help boost your calorie intake. Pick potatoes, beans, peas, lentils, winter squash acorn or butternut , or corn. Try bananas, papaya, cherries, mango, dried fruit dates or raisins , or applesauce.

Enjoy whole-grain pasta, quinoa, brown or wild rice, granola, or whole-grain bagels, hoagies, or thick slices of bread.

Consuming enough high-quality protein is essential for building muscle. To maximise your muscle growth, select high-quality proteins like whey, milk, eggs, fish or lean meats.

However, combining lower quality or incomplete protein from plant-based sources, such as nuts and beans, can still be a valuable protein source for muscle building.

If you are intolerant to milk, stick to whey-only protein shakes. Fat is also a very important nutrient in your diet. For example, some of the essential fats found in oily fish have positive effects on your brain, vision and heart health. You need to eat the right kinds of fats and avoid the wrong ones namely saturated and trans fats.

Healthy fats include cold water oily fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines , extra-virgin olive oil, peanuts unsalted , avocado, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts or flaxseed. Nuts are a great snack if you want to gain weight, because they are high in calories and they contain monounsaturated fats, a good source of protein, fiber and other essential minerals.

Eating the right types of carbs is important too. Carbohydrates are stored in your body in the form of glycogen. Glycogen in the muscles is an important fuel reserve during intense physical exercise.

Stay away from junk carbohydrates like sweets and cakes and stick to foods like pasta, rice brown , bread whole grain , and low or reduced sugar cereals to lower any excess calories that those foods contain.

Creatine can be used to increase your strength, build your muscles, and support your training intensity. It contains an easily digested source of carbohydrate to fuel your workout before or after. By adding creatine to your diet, in a shake, in food or in capsules, can increase strength, build muscle size, and support training intensity.

Try and make sure you get at least eight hours of sleep each night. If you want to get impressive results from your workout routine, manage your stress levels and stay as calm as possible. If you are not already sleeping seven to nine hours a night, try going to bed earlier or create an effective pre-bed routine.

If time permits, try a massage or sit in a hot sauna after your workout. Performing the right strength training exercises at high loads or training volumes can really speed up your progress.

Build your workout routine mainly around basic compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench press, lat pulldowns or chins and shoulder press. Lat pulldowns can be used to develop back strength for beginners who cannot yet do chin-ups.

The lat pulldown is a good way to build the latissimus dorsi muscles of your upper back. When done with proper form, these types of exercises will stimulate muscle growth and strength by the stress they place on your muscles and the nervous and hormonal responses they produce.

To maximise your strength and mass gains, stick to compound exercises. Avoid endless isolation exercises like tricep kickbacks and leg extensions. If you're burning too many calories during your cardio sessions, then you risk doing so at the expense of muscle and strength gains.

Cardio exercise actually blunts the natural biochemistry to build muscle. If you really want to gain muscle and size, cut your cardio down to a couple of light sessions per week. You should do light aerobic exercise regularly to help keep you active and healthy. The fitter you are, the more productive your workout and overall recovery will be.

If you are doing cardio and are worried about potential muscle loss, just watch the frequency and intensity of your exercise. After a cardio workout, make sure to consume protein and carbs soon after. Fuelling your body correctly after training is critical in your quest for more muscle.

Have a suitable recovery drink as soon as possible after your workout. A combination of carbs and fast digesting proteins such as whey protein is the ideal post workout nutrition plan that you can set up at home.

Providing protein after your exercise session will help to support gains in muscle mass. To allow your body enough time to recover and to start building your muscles, always be sure to get enough rest for up to 48 hours before you keep training the same muscle groups.

Rest and nutrition can really influence your weightlifting and bodybuilding goals. You might also find these alternative exercises in your workout program very useful when it comes to reaching better health and gaining better overall mobility.

Always consult a nutritionist or personal trainer to find out what types of strategies will work best for your body needs. A good way to add a lot of muscle mass quickly is to add the Ripped Stack to your routine. See Product Details. How Much You Should Be Eating Realize that you need to supply the body with a surplus of calories, which is the additional fuel that the body uses to generate new lean muscle mass tissue.

The 3, Calorie Rule Many people have heard the equation that 3, calories is equivalent to one pound of fat. Calorie Surplus A small calorie surplus is needed, consistently, to create a new pound of muscle.

When to Be Eating When it comes to how often you should be eating, since you are going to have a much higher calorie intake, it is best to eat something every three or four hours.

Here is a bulleted list of these key nutrient timing tips: Eat every three or four hours, and aim for six small meals during the day Try not to just cram your calories into three big meals to avoid feeling sluggish Eat at least twenty grams of protein at each meal Eat simple carbohydrates directly before and after your training sessions Eat unprocessed complex carbs about four hours after an intense workout Also Consider Your Liquid Calories Another thing you will need to consider is your consumption of liquid calories.

Burning All of Those Additional Calories Muscle tissue will burn up to ten calories daily per pound. How To Gain Weight And Build Muscle at the Same Time As we discussed above, only a nutrient-dense healthy diet will promote lean muscle development and size.

High-Quality Protein Consuming enough high-quality protein is essential for building muscle. Consider the Fats Fat is also a very important nutrient in your diet. Carbohydrates And Creatine Eating the right types of carbs is important too.

Get More Sleep Try and make sure you get at least eight hours of sleep each night. Choose Effective Strength Training Exercises Performing the right strength training exercises at high loads or training volumes can really speed up your progress.

Don't Do Too Much Cardio If you're burning too many calories during your cardio sessions, then you risk doing so at the expense of muscle and strength gains. Consider the Post-Workout Muscle-Building Period After a cardio workout, make sure to consume protein and carbs soon after. Getting Started To allow your body enough time to recover and to start building your muscles, always be sure to get enough rest for up to 48 hours before you keep training the same muscle groups.

Your wishlist. Please add product to your wishlist to see them here. Login to see your wishlist! Login Explore more products Add products Close. Then you need this info! Gaining muscle is hard work, but more muscle mass makes it easier to stay fit and lean all year round. Everyone is different, but some general advice would be to consume about 15 calories per pound of your bodyweight if you want to add muscle mass.

For a full table with calories and grams for your bodyweight scroll down and click on the image below. On training days you need to add the calories burned with your workout.

For example, an intense min bodyweight strength workout would burn around calories, depending on your body composition and fitness level. However, if you have trouble gaining weight in general, feel free to add kcal on training days, regardless of the intensity and duration of the workout.

Let's say you have to eat kcal on your training days. Does it mean you can just eat whatever you feel like in this amount? A good nutrition guide can support your training and muscle building without the need to count calories or calculate every gram of food you eat. Madbarz Nutrition Guide has a selection of recipes tailored to your goal - Lose Fat or Build Muscle.

Get enough macronutrients in every meal from quality sources just by using the simple guidelines and easy recipes. Nutrition Guide is available in the Madbarz Premium , along with home workout plans! Important: The information in the table below is a general suggestion of calories for rest days.

Adjust the amounts based on you training volume. Keep in mind that everyone is different, some people gain weight easily but they put on a lot of fat, others can't gain anything at all. People who easily gain weight should keep their carbs to the suggested amounts and add more fat and protein.

People who have trouble gaining weight can easily add more carbs to their daily intake. That's why this table offers a starting point that you should change to fit your needs.

Articles Nutrition. January 26, Free workout app Download now. Adjust your food intake for muscle gain Everyone is different, but some general advice would be to consume about 15 calories per pound of your bodyweight if you want to add muscle mass.

For a lb ~70 kg that would be calories per day. But wait! This is only for rest days. Eat more on training days Click on the table below to see your required amount of daily calories for rest days.

What to eat Let's say you have to eat kcal on your training days. Balanced macronutrients - consider the suggested amount of protein, fat, and carbs to fit in this daily food intake. if you want to make your body build more muscle. For suggestions scroll down and click the table below. The q uality of the food - High-quality protein , complex carbs, and healthy fats boost your recovery and thereby help you train more and gain more.

Learn more about the role of protein in muscle building. What's the easiest way to gain muscle and eat good stuff without counting calories? Click on the image to open the full table in the new window.

Related topics. Building muscle: Nutrition tips you need to know Learn more about how to adjust your nutrition to build muscle.