One of the essential and primary bodybuilding questions is how many calories we need to consume daily for our body to gain muscle? This same question can be phrased as, “How much do we need to eat in the way of food in order to build muscle?”
Some people feel that they have to eat everything they can if they want to build muscle. But that isn’t correct; if you eat too much, your body will turn into fat storage and build-up.
In order to guide your body into muscle building, you must eat more calories than you need daily. Thus, you will supply your body with sufficient materials for muscle development.
But ensure that these extra calories should not be from any kind of food. They should be from suitable sources like proteins and carbohydrates because if they are from unsuitable foods, then it can lead to the body storing fat and it will become dangerous for your health.
So, in brief, the question of “how many calories do we need to consume daily to build muscle” is not just extremely crucial, but its real and honest answer can make or break your failure or success in bodybuilding and fitness.
So, without wasting a single moment, let’s get down to business and answer this question.
Table of contents
Why do we need calories for muscle gain?
By this point you’ve seen that in order to build muscle, you must consume more calories than your minimum required amount. But why would calories be so crucial for building muscle? If we liken your body to a machine, then calories can be thought of as gasoline. Your body gains the energy it requires to perform every required and discretionary action from the calories you consume through food.
Thus, if you don’t consume sufficient calories, your body won’t be able to have the fuel and energy needed to gain muscle, and as a result, the process of gaining muscle will stop.
Let’s analyze it a little more. When you are bodybuilding, the muscle fibers and tissue have small tears and damage on them at a microscopic level. Your body needs to use energy in order to repair them. And that’s where calories come into play. So that you get enough energy to repair, you need to make sure your body is getting enough calories. Because if not, then your body would never be able to rebuild and grow the muscles.
Now let us simplify it with a clever example. Your body is like a factory which produces muscle. The factory needs raw material to produce the product. Raw material for the factory which produces muscle is the good and healthy calories. So without providing the raw materials to the factory, the factory remains idle and does not produce any product.”.
Simple Formula to Determine Caloric Intake in Muscle Building
You are aware now of the importance of calories while building muscle and why it is such a secret recipe. Now let us talk about the problem: “How many calories should we consume in order to build muscle?”
In this second half, I am going to give you a very simple and fast equation that will enable you to calculate the caloric requirements of your body to bulk.
Step 1: Calculate Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate and is the calorie your body requires to carry out daily functions such as breathing and circulation. To calculate your BMR for your first sex, use the following formulas:
- Men: BMR=(10×weight in kg)+(6.25×height in cm)−(5×age)+5
- Women: BMR=(10×weight in kg)+(6.25×height in cm)−(5×age)−161
To make it more clear, let us take an example:
Suppose we have a 30-year-old male weighing 70 kg and with a height of 175 cm. He wants to know his BMR.
BMR Calculation of This Man:
BMR=(10×70)+(6.25×175)−(5×30)+5 = 1649
So from this formula, this man would need 1649 calories per day for normal body functions. (We will find out in our next step!)
Step 2: Determine Your Daily Caloric Needs
Having now calculated your BMR, you will then need to factor in your daily activity level to determine how many calories you should be taking in on a daily basis.
To accomplish this, you will multiply by an activity factor in the following table:
| Activity Level | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Sedentary (little to no exercise) | 1.2 |
| Lightly active (light exercise or sports 1-3 days/week) | 1.375 |
| Moderately active (moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days/week) | 1.55 |
| Very active (hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week) | 1.725 |
| Super active (very hard exercise, physical job, or training twice a day) | 1.9 |
Now, we are assuming that the man aged 30 years of the provided example has a medium activity level. So, we will be multiplying his BMR (1649) by 1.55.
Calculation:
Daily Caloric Needs for this man = 1649×1.55 = 2555
The daily caloric needs for this 30-year-old man with a moderate activity level are 2555 calories per day.
Step 3: Addition of Calories to Build Muscle
If you want to bulk up and be muscular, more calories than we have managed to achieve thus far will be required. You are going to have to add 20% more calories above your daily allowance in order to give the body the proper supply to develop muscles.
2555 * 1.2 = 3066
The total number of calories this 30-year-old man should consume daily for muscle building is 3066 calories.
This amount ensures that his body has enough energy to build and repair muscle effectively.
Golden Tips for Quickly Building Muscle
Now that you have learned how to calculate the number of calories needed for building muscle based on your body, I would like to share with you some golden tips that will help you realize your goal of quickly and efficiently building muscle.
1. It’s Eating Right, Not Eating More
If you believe that all you have to do to gain muscle is eat more and that eating a lot of pizza, fast food, or soda will be enough, you’re wrong. That will gain you weight, not muscle! You must be consuming healthy and nutritious sources so your body can gain lean, quality muscle.
- High-quality proteins: Chicken breast, lean red meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes
- Complex carbs: Whole-grain bread, potatoes, oats, brown rice
- Healthy fats: Olive oil, avocado, nuts, natural peanut butter
❌ Mistake: “If I eat a ton of food, my body will gain muscle!” The food you’re consuming and what diet you’re on is so much more important than you think.
2. Consume Enough Protein, but Not Excessively
Protein also has a big part in rebuilding and constructing body muscle. Be careful not to make the mistake, however, that if you consume more protein, you will have more muscle. Your body can only digest so much protein, and the remainder is flushed from the system, something that can be a burden on some organs.
So how much protein should you be eating to gain muscle? Ideally, 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram body weight daily is what you want to be having. So, if you are 75 kg, you need to be eating 120 to 165 grams of protein a day.
❌ The Big Blunder: Overdoing protein and not being concerned about the calories! Remember, excessive protein won’t only stop you from gaining more muscle—it can even harm your health.
3. Train Hard, Not Smart
In order to build muscle, you must pair strength training exercises with proper rest. Some useful tips to remember are:
- Weightlifting first: Compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, and pull-ups are superior muscle-building exercises.
- Gradually increase the weights: Attempt to add a little bit of weight to your lift each week (the progressive overload principle).
- Resting between sets: When attempting to gain muscle, rest between sets for 60-90 seconds.
- Not skipping rest days: Your muscles grow while resting and sleeping and not when working out!
❌ The Common Fault: Grinding each day without restoration! You work hard every day and won’t allow your body to rest and recover, it’ll never build muscle. What it will do is kill muscle and burn out.
4. Sleep and Restoration Don’t Mess Around
You will not be gaining muscle if you are not sleeping. Your body releases growth hormones and testosterone while sleeping, which is the same as muscle gain.
- Sleep at least 7 to 9 hours each night.
- Sleep and wake up at the same time each day.
- Don’t use your phone, computer, or laptop at least one hour before bedtime to sleep well.
- Your body needs rest after workouts. So, if you’re feeling extremely fatigued, take a rest day!
❌ The Common Error: Sleeping less than 6 hours a night! Not sleeping lowers testosterone levels and prevents muscle gain.
5. Allow Your Body to Rest and Gain Muscle and Be Patient
No human can gain muscle in 2 weeks as if they have been working out for decades. Muscle gain takes time and must be achieved gradually with careful planning, good diet, regular workout, adequate rest, and patience.
- 0.5 to 1 kg of weight increase per month is an excellent pace of progress.
- Closely observe for even minor changes in appearance, not necessarily size.
But if you’re not gaining and your body’s not getting more muscle, retreat and work through these categories:
- Are you taking in enough quality calories?
- Do you have a good and effective workout routine?
- Are you resting and sleeping well?
Muscle building doesn’t happen overnight, so be patient and have faith in the process!
Final Summary on Caloric Needs for Muscle Building
In this article, we’ve learned that building muscle isn’t just about eating more food and working out harder. It’s about working smart and strategically guiding your body into an anabolic state where muscle growth can happen.
Calories are the construction materials and fuel for the tank that your body is and which muscle and energy are constructed. But not in any form do we put anything that passes our way down the gob of yours and wait for that enchanted thing to happen, muscle.
Golden Takeaways about Caloric Intake in the Process of Building Muscle:
- Less than you need put in equals losing you muscle mass.
- More than you consume going in goes toward constructing body fat, rather than muscle.
- You need balance. A strong, muscular body = calorie calculation + nutritious food intake + smart training + proper rest.
By following the tips I’ve shared in this article, you’ll build muscle, get stronger, and achieve your goal. So, it’s time to start and see the results!
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