💪 Muscle Building Guide

Macros for Muscle Gain: Complete Bulking Guide

The complete guide to eating for lean muscle growth — optimal protein, strategic carbs, and smart surplus strategies.

Muscle Building Fundamentals

Building muscle requires three things:

  1. Progressive resistance training — the stimulus
  2. Adequate protein — the building blocks
  3. Caloric surplus — the energy for growth

You can't out-eat bad training, and you can't out-train a poor diet. Both need to be dialed in. This guide focuses on the nutrition side.

The Reality of Muscle Gain

  • Natural lifters can gain 1-2 lbs of muscle per month (beginners)
  • This slows to 0.5-1 lb/month after the first year
  • Gaining faster usually means gaining more fat, not more muscle

Protein: The Building Blocks

Protein provides the amino acids your body uses to repair and build muscle tissue. Without enough protein, you won't grow — even with perfect training.

How Much Protein for Muscle Gain?

The research is clear: 0.7-1g of protein per pound of bodyweight is optimal for most people. Going significantly higher doesn't build more muscle.

Bodyweight Min. Protein Optimal Protein
150 lbs 105g 135-150g
175 lbs 123g 158-175g
200 lbs 140g 180-200g

Protein Timing

While total daily protein matters most, spreading intake across 3-5 meals with 25-40g each optimizes muscle protein synthesis. Post-workout protein within 2-3 hours is beneficial but not magical.

Carbs: Fuel for Performance

Carbohydrates are your body's preferred fuel for intense exercise. Unlike fat loss phases where carbs are flexible, muscle building benefits from prioritizing carbs.

Why Carbs Matter for Muscle

  • Fuel intense training — glycogen powers heavy lifting
  • Improve recovery — replenish muscle glycogen post-workout
  • Support hormones — adequate carbs maintain testosterone
  • Spare protein — your body burns carbs before protein

How Many Carbs?

Most muscle-building programs work well with 2-3g of carbs per pound of bodyweight. Active lifters training hard may need even more.

The Caloric Surplus

Building muscle requires energy. You need to eat more than you burn — but how much more matters.

Lean Bulk vs. Dirty Bulk

  • Lean bulk (200-300 surplus): Slower but cleaner gains, minimal fat
  • Moderate bulk (300-500 surplus): Balanced approach for most
  • Aggressive bulk (500+ surplus): Faster scale movement, more fat gain

The Math

You can only build so much muscle per week. Eating 1,000 extra calories won't build twice as much muscle as 500 — it'll just add extra fat. A moderate 300-500 calorie surplus is the sweet spot for most.

Optimal Macro Split for Muscle Gain

Here's a research-backed starting point:

Macro % of Calories Notes
Protein 25-30% 0.8-1g per pound
Carbohydrates 45-55% Fuel training & recovery
Fat 20-25% Hormone health, minimum 0.3g/lb

Calculate Your Muscle Building Macros

Step 1: Find Your TDEE

Calculate your maintenance calories using our calculator or a TDEE formula.

Step 2: Add Your Surplus

Add 300-500 calories to your TDEE for your bulking calories.

Step 3: Set Protein

0.8-1g per pound of bodyweight. This is your foundation.

Step 4: Set Fat

0.3-0.4g per pound to support hormones and health.

Step 5: Fill with Carbs

Remaining calories divided by 4 = carb grams.

Get Your Bulking Macros

Calculate your personalized muscle-building macros in 60 seconds.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much protein do I need to build muscle?

Research shows 0.7-1g of protein per pound of bodyweight is sufficient for muscle growth. More isn't always better — focus on hitting this target consistently.

How many calories should I eat to gain muscle?

A moderate surplus of 200-500 calories above your TDEE is optimal for lean muscle gain. Larger surpluses mostly add fat.

What's the best macro ratio for bulking?

A typical muscle-building split is 25-30% protein, 45-55% carbs, and 20-25% fat. Prioritize carbs to fuel training and recovery.

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