How Many Calories Do You Need to Build Muscle?
Training hard but the scales won't budge? You're probably not eating enough. Here's how many calories you need to grow, and how to get the number right for your body.
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The free Fit Gorillas Macro Calculator works out your maintenance calories and your target for bulking, lean bulking, recomp or cutting, plus your protein, carbs and fats.
Why you need a calorie surplus
Your body needs energy to build new muscle tissue. When you eat at maintenance (your TDEE), you have just enough energy to run your body, and very little left over for growth. Eat a bit more than that and your body has the spare energy and building materials it needs to turn your training into muscle.
The trick is getting the size of that surplus right:
- Too small: you grow very slowly, or not at all.
- Too big: you gain muscle at the same rate, but you pile on extra fat that you'll have to cut off later.
- Just right: steady muscle gain with minimal fat.
New to calories and TDEE? Start with our beginner's guide to macros & TDEE.
Step 1: Find your maintenance calories
Your maintenance calories (TDEE) depend on your weight, height, age and how active you are. Here are typical estimates for a 25-year-old guy, 180 cm tall, training 3–5 days a week:
| Body weight | Maintenance | Lean bulk (+200–300) | Bulk (+300–500) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | ~2,490 | 2,690–2,790 | 2,790–2,990 |
| 70 kg | ~2,640 | 2,840–2,940 | 2,940–3,140 |
| 80 kg | ~2,800 | 3,000–3,100 | 3,100–3,300 |
| 90 kg | ~2,950 | 3,150–3,250 | 3,250–3,450 |
| 100 kg | ~3,110 | 3,310–3,410 | 3,410–3,610 |
Your numbers will be different if you're shorter or taller, older or younger, or more or less active. Use the free calculator to get yours.
Step 2: Choose your surplus
| Approach | Surplus | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Lean bulk | +200–300 a day | Most guys. Steady muscle gain while keeping fat gain low. |
| Bulk | +300–500 a day | Skinny guys and hardgainers who find it hard to put on weight. |
| Recomp | Around maintenance | Beginners or guys with some fat to lose. Slower, but you build muscle and lose fat together. |
Not sure? Start with a lean bulk. It's easier to add calories later than to strip off fat you didn't need to gain.
Step 3: Check how fast you're gaining
The scales tell you whether your calories are right. Aim to gain about 0.25–0.5% of your body weight per week:
| Body weight | Target gain per week | Target gain per month |
|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 0.15–0.3 kg | 0.6–1.2 kg |
| 70 kg | 0.18–0.35 kg | 0.7–1.4 kg |
| 80 kg | 0.2–0.4 kg | 0.8–1.6 kg |
| 90 kg | 0.23–0.45 kg | 0.9–1.8 kg |
| 100 kg | 0.25–0.5 kg | 1–2 kg |
Beginners can aim for the top of the range because they build muscle fastest. More experienced lifters should stay near the bottom.
Step 4: Adjust every 2–3 weeks
Every calorie calculator gives you an estimate. Your weight trend shows whether the estimate is right for you.
- Weigh yourself 3–7 mornings a week, after the toilet and before eating, and work out your weekly average.
- Ignore the first week. Eating more food and carbs adds water weight, so the scales often jump at the start.
- After 2–3 weeks, compare your averages:
- Gaining too slowly? Add 100–200 calories a day.
- Gaining too fast? Take off 100–200 calories a day.
- Right on target? Change nothing.
- Recheck as you grow. Your maintenance goes up as you get heavier, so recalculate every 2–3 kg you gain.
The Fit Gorillas Macro Tracker does this for you, with weekly check-ins that tell you exactly when to add or drop calories.
Struggling to eat enough?
If you're a skinny guy, the hard part isn't training, it's eating. These make it easier (and there's lots more in our skinny guy's guide to gaining weight):
- Drink some of your calories. A shake with milk, oats, banana and peanut butter can easily add 600–800 calories without making you feel stuffed.
- Choose calorie-dense foods. Rice, oats, pasta, nuts, peanut butter, olive oil, cheese, whole milk and dried fruit pack a lot of calories into a small amount of food.
- Add a meal. Four or five meals is easier than three huge ones.
- Cook with a little extra oil. One tablespoon of olive oil adds about 120 calories.
- Plan your day in advance so you know you'll hit your number before the day starts.
4 calorie mistakes that stall gains
- Going "dirty bulk". Eating everything in sight adds fat much faster than muscle. A bigger surplus doesn't build muscle faster.
- Only eating enough on weekdays. A few low days a week can wipe out your surplus. Your weekly average is what counts.
- Trusting your watch. Fitness trackers often overestimate calories burned. Base your intake on your weight trend, not your watch.
- Forgetting protein. Calories decide whether you gain weight; protein helps decide how much of it is muscle. Get at least 1.6 g per kg of body weight.
Quick FAQ
Can I build muscle without a calorie surplus?
Yes, in some cases. Beginners, guys returning to training and guys carrying extra body fat can build muscle eating around maintenance (a recomp). For most lean guys, a small surplus builds muscle faster.
Is 3,000 calories enough to build muscle?
It depends on your size and activity. For an 80 kg guy training 3–5 days a week, 3,000 calories is about right for a lean bulk. A lighter or less active guy might need less, and a bigger or more active guy more.
Should I eat more on training days?
You can, but you don't have to. Eating the same every day is simplest, and your weekly average is what matters most.
Know your calories. Hit them every day.
Two steps to stop guessing and start growing.
Macro Calculator
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Not Born. It's Built.
This article is general information for healthy adults and isn't medical advice. Maintenance estimates use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation with a 1.55 activity multiplier; your own needs may differ. Related reading: What are macros? A beginner's guide to macros & TDEE · How much protein do you need to build muscle? · How to cut without losing muscle · The skinny guy's guide to gaining weight