How many calories a day for a bodybuilder?: Your ultimate nutrition guide

October 30, 2025 •

3 min read

According to a study of bodybuilders, men consumed an average of 3,800 calories daily during bulking, while women ate around 3,200. Understanding how many calories a day for a bodybuilder is crucial for fueling intense training, supporting muscle growth, and achieving a desired physique.

Quick Summary

Bodybuilders require a specific daily calorie intake tailored to their bulking or cutting phase. The precise number depends on factors like weight, gender, age, and activity level and must be calculated for personalized results.

Key Points

Calorie Needs Vary: A bodybuilder's daily calorie requirement is not static, depending on their specific goal of bulking (muscle gain) or cutting (fat loss).
Calculate Your TDEE: Before adjusting your intake, estimate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) based on your age, weight, height, and activity level.
Surplus for Bulking: To build muscle, consume a caloric surplus, typically 10–20% above your TDEE.
Deficit for Cutting: For fat loss, create a caloric deficit of 10–20% below your TDEE, while maintaining high protein intake.
Adjust Macronutrients: The ideal ratio of protein, carbohydrates, and fats shifts between phases, with protein being especially high during a cut.
Track and Adapt: Monitor your progress regularly and adjust calorie and macro intake as needed.

For a bodybuilder, the daily calorie count is not a fixed number but a variable strategy tied directly to their training goals. The journey is typically divided into two key phases: bulking and cutting, each with its own caloric strategy to build mass and then reveal it. Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) serves as the baseline, and from there, a surplus or deficit is applied based on your objective.

Understanding the Phases of a Bodybuilder's Diet

Bulking Phase

During the bulking phase, the primary goal is to gain as much muscle mass as possible. This requires a caloric surplus, which means consuming more calories than your body burns. Experts recommend aiming for a 10–20% surplus over your TDEE, leading to a weight gain of 0.25–0.5% of body weight per week for novices and less for advanced athletes to minimize fat gain. Focusing on energy-dense, nutrient-rich foods is key.

Cutting Phase

Following a bulk, the cutting phase focuses on reducing body fat while preserving muscle. This involves a caloric deficit, typically 10–20% below your TDEE. A sustainable weight loss rate is 0.5–1% of body weight per week. Maintaining high protein intake is critical to prevent muscle breakdown.

Calculating Your Daily Calorie Needs

To find your optimal calorie target, you must first calculate your maintenance calories, or TDEE. Online calculators are available, but you can also use a manual calculation.

Step 1: Find Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Your BMR is the energy your body burns at rest. {Link: NASM https://www.nasm.org/resources/calorie-calculator}

Step 2: Determine Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

Multiply your BMR by an activity factor based on your exercise level. The factors range from 1.2 for sedentary individuals to 1.9 for those with very hard exercise and a physical job or double training sessions.

Step 3: Adjust for Bulking or Cutting

Add 10–20% to your TDEE for bulking, or subtract 10–20% for cutting.

Optimizing Macronutrient Ratios

The ratio of protein, carbohydrates, and fats is crucial.

Bulking Phase Ratios: Aim for 45–60% carbs, 30–35% protein, and 15–30% fat.
Cutting Phase Ratios: Prioritize protein at up to 2.3–3.1 g/kg of lean body mass, with fats at 15–20% and remaining calories from carbs.

The Importance of High-Quality Food Sources

Bodybuilders should prioritize nutrient-dense whole foods in both phases. These include lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, whole grains, starchy vegetables, fruits, avocados, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils. Protein powders can also be used.

Sample Diet Comparison: Bulking vs. Cutting


Aspect	Bulking Phase	Cutting Phase
Calorie Target	10–20% surplus over TDEE	10–20% deficit under TDEE
Macronutrient Focus	Higher carbs for energy, moderate protein and fat	Higher protein for muscle retention, moderate carbs, lower fat
Example Meal	Large salmon fillet with brown rice and roasted vegetables	Smaller salmon fillet with steamed vegetables and a small portion of quinoa
Exercise	Intense weightlifting with progressive overload	Combination of weightlifting (maintain intensity) and increased cardio
Food Choices	Energy-dense and nutrient-rich foods	High-fiber, high-volume foods for satiety

Tracking Progress and Making Adjustments

Consistency and tracking are vital. Regularly monitor your weight and make small adjustments to your calorie intake if needed to stay on track. Tracking apps can help manage meals and macros. For additional tools, consider Bodybuilding.com's TDEE calculator.

Conclusion

There is no single answer to how many calories a day for a bodybuilder; the number is highly individual and depends on your current phase and body's response. Calculating your maintenance calories, setting a strategic surplus or deficit, prioritizing whole foods, and tracking progress are key.

Frequently Asked Questions

TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure, is the total number of calories your body burns daily based on your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and activity level. Bodybuilders use their TDEE as a baseline to determine the calorie surplus for bulking or the deficit for cutting.

For bulking, experts often recommend a moderate surplus of 10–20% above your maintenance calories. This helps maximize muscle gain while minimizing excessive fat accumulation.

For a cutting phase, a deficit of 10–20% below your maintenance calories is common. This promotes fat loss while helping to preserve the muscle mass built during the bulking phase.

Protein provides the amino acids necessary for muscle protein synthesis, which repairs and builds muscle tissue. Adequate protein intake is especially crucial during a cutting phase to prevent muscle loss in a calorie deficit.

A bodybuilder should track their progress weekly by weighing themselves. If weekly weight gain or loss isn't on target, small adjustments (e.g., 100–200 calories) can be made every few weeks to stay on track.

Yes, but it's more challenging and primarily occurs in beginners or individuals with higher body fat percentages, a process known as body recomposition. For most, a moderate calorie surplus is required for optimal muscle growth.

Counting calories and tracking macronutrients is highly recommended for bodybuilders. It provides the necessary data to accurately adjust your diet to meet specific bulking or cutting goals, ensuring consistent progress.

Bodybuilders should prioritize nutrient-dense, whole foods including lean protein sources (chicken, fish), complex carbohydrates (oats, brown rice), fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats (avocado, nuts) to fuel performance and recovery.