How Many Calories Should I Eat If I Want to Gain Muscle?

October 16, 2025 •

4 min read

According to sports nutrition recommendations, an ideal calorie surplus is needed to support muscle growth. To figure out how many calories should I eat if I want to gain muscle, you first need to determine your maintenance calories and then add a strategic surplus to fuel your body's repair and growth processes. This approach minimizes fat gain while maximizing lean muscle development.

Quick Summary

This guide provides a detailed breakdown of how to calculate your maintenance calories, determine an appropriate surplus for muscle gain, and structure your macronutrient intake. It also covers common mistakes to avoid and offers practical tips for tracking your progress.

Key Points

Calculate Your Maintenance Calories: Determine your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) to establish a baseline before adding extra calories for muscle growth.
Start with a Moderate Calorie Surplus: Add 250-500 calories above your TDEE for lean muscle gain to minimize fat accumulation.
Prioritize Protein Intake: Consume 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight to provide the building blocks for muscle repair and growth.
Don't Neglect Carbohydrates and Fats: Allocate calories to carbs (45-65%) for energy and fats (20-35%) for hormone function and vitamin absorption.
Eat Nutrient-Dense Whole Foods: Focus on lean meats, whole grains, and healthy fats rather than relying on processed foods and supplements for calories.
Track and Adjust Your Progress: Use a food tracking app and monitor your weight and body composition regularly to make necessary adjustments to your calorie intake.
Ensure Adequate Rest and Hydration: Recovery and hydration are just as critical as training and nutrition for optimal muscle growth.

To effectively gain muscle, you must consume more calories than your body burns, a state known as a caloric surplus. The goal is to create a moderate surplus that provides enough energy to fuel muscle protein synthesis without leading to excessive fat accumulation. This process, often referred to as bulking, requires careful planning and consistency in both your diet and training regimen.

Step 1: Calculate Your Maintenance Calories (TDEE)

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day. It accounts for your basal metabolic rate (BMR), the energy used to digest food (TEF), and your physical activity level.

Estimate your BMR: You can use the Harris-Benedict equation to get a reliable estimate.
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Factor in activity: Multiply your BMR by an activity multiplier:
- Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR x 1.2
- Lightly Active (exercise 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375
- Moderately Active (exercise 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55
- Very Active (exercise 6-7 days/week): BMR x 1.725

Step 2: Determine Your Caloric Surplus

Once you have your TDEE, add a moderate surplus to promote muscle growth.

For lean muscle gain (minimal fat gain): Add 250-500 calories per day to your TDEE. This is recommended for most people, especially those with some training experience, as it allows for a slower, more controlled weight gain of about 0.5-1 pound per week.
For faster weight gain (beginners): New lifters, or those with a low body fat percentage, may tolerate a larger surplus of up to 700-1,000 calories per day. This can result in quicker weight gain, but also carries a higher risk of gaining fat.

Step 3: Prioritize Your Macronutrients

While total calories are important, the source of those calories is critical. The right balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats fuels your workouts and recovery.

Protein: Aim for 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Protein provides the amino acids necessary to repair muscle fibers torn during resistance training.
Carbohydrates: Your body's primary energy source. Carbohydrates fuel intense workouts and replenish muscle glycogen stores post-exercise. A typical range is 45-65% of your total daily calories.
Fats: Essential for hormone production and vitamin absorption. Healthy fats should make up 20-35% of your total daily calories.

Fueling Your Muscle Growth: A Comparison Table

Here is a comparison of different bulking strategies based on your fitness level.


Fitness Level	Caloric Surplus	Weekly Weight Gain	Primary Focus	Potential Risks
Beginner	500-1000+ calories	1-2 pounds	Rapid muscle mass development	Higher potential for fat gain
Intermediate	250-500 calories	0.5-1 pound	Balanced muscle gain, lower fat	Slower progress than beginner phase
Advanced	200-300 calories	0.25-0.5 pound	Maximizing lean mass	Very slow gains, requires precision
Lean Bulk	250-500 calories	0.5-1 pound	Minimal fat gain during bulk	Requires strict tracking, slower overall weight gain

Practical Strategies for Success

Track your intake: Use a food tracking app like MyFitnessPal or a simple food diary to log your meals. This helps ensure you are consistently hitting your calorie and macronutrient targets. Aim to track for at least a week to establish a baseline.
Meal timing: While total daily intake is most important, consuming a protein and carbohydrate-rich meal within a few hours after a workout can help optimize recovery and muscle protein synthesis.
Prioritize whole foods: Build your diet around nutrient-dense whole foods such as lean proteins (chicken, fish, eggs), complex carbohydrates (oats, brown rice, sweet potatoes), and healthy fats (avocado, nuts). While convenient, mass gainers and excessive junk food can lead to disproportionate fat gain.
Stay hydrated: Proper hydration is critical for muscle function and overall health. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially during and after workouts.
Monitor and adjust: Pay attention to your progress. If you are gaining too much fat, reduce your surplus slightly. If your weight isn't moving, increase your calories by 100-200 per day. Use a scale, progress photos, and strength gains to monitor your progress.

Conclusion

To gain muscle effectively, you must consume a caloric surplus, but the exact number of calories will vary based on your individual metabolism, training experience, and goals. By following a structured approach—calculating your TDEE, adding a moderate surplus, and prioritizing balanced macronutrients from whole foods—you can build lean muscle mass while minimizing excess fat gain. Patience and consistency are key, as sustainable muscle growth is a gradual process that requires regular monitoring and adjustments to your diet. For more detailed information on nutrient guidelines, you can consult resources like the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

Frequently Asked Questions

First, calculate your TDEE by estimating your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and multiplying it by an activity level factor. Then, add a moderate calorie surplus of 250-500 calories to your TDEE to promote muscle growth while minimizing fat gain.

For many, 2,500 calories can be sufficient to create a caloric surplus for muscle gain. However, this depends entirely on your individual body weight, activity level, and TDEE. You must calculate your specific needs to know for sure.

Building muscle on a low-calorie diet is challenging and for most people, an energy deficit can hinder muscle growth and potentially lead to muscle loss. A caloric surplus is required to provide the energy needed for muscle repair and growth.

A lean bulk involves a moderate caloric surplus (250-500 calories) focused on nutrient-dense whole foods to maximize muscle gain and minimize fat gain. A dirty bulk uses a much larger surplus, often from high-calorie, low-nutrient junk food, which leads to more fat gain.

Protein is crucial for muscle building, as it provides the amino acids that repair and build muscle tissue after resistance training. You should aim for a higher intake of 1.6-2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight daily for optimal results.

Consuming too many calories beyond a moderate surplus increases the likelihood of gaining excess body fat instead of lean muscle mass. This can make the process of leaning out later more difficult.

You can use food tracking applications like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer, or maintain a detailed food diary. These tools help you log your daily food intake and monitor your progress toward your caloric and macronutrient goals.