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Bulking up in maintainance calories?

6 min read

Asked by: Sandy Carter

Can you gain muscle mass on maintenance calories?

Additionally, you can’t build muscle without being in a caloric surplus, so you must eat more calories than you burn to promote muscle growth. While all macronutrients are important, protein is especially important for building muscle.

Can you bulk on maintenance?

After a maintenance phase, you can begin to increase your calories gradually to initiate the bulk phase. To do so, you want to increase your calories by 300-500 calories from maintenance in the first week and track your weight gain.

Is 2000 calories enough to build muscle?

It takes more energy to store calories in the body when weight is being gained. So even though one pound of muscle may only contain about 700 calories, it may take 2000 or more calories to build that muscle in the first place.

What happens if you eat at maintenance?

Eating at maintenance means that the calories you eat are roughly equivalent to the calories you expend, meaning you are eating enough to neither gain or lose weight. Chronic dieters are at an increased risk for developing metabolic adaptation.

Can I gain muscle eating at maintenance?

Body recomposition is the goal of increasing lean muscle mass and decreasing body fat mass, which typically happens while eating at maintenance calories. The driving force for body recomp is TRAINING. It doesn’t matter how much protein you eat or how perfect your macros are.

Is Maingaining possible?

The answer is yes you can and it has been measured many times in scientific studies. It is possible for body weight to slowly rise while body fat percentage stays the same. That’s gaintaining. It’s also possible to gain muscle and lose fat over the same time frame.

Is it better to bulk or maintain?

If your goal is to gain muscle and strength and you aren’t concerned with gaining a bit of fat in the process, a bulk may be a good choice. On the other hand, if you’re looking to lose fat and maintain muscle, a cut may be more in line with your goals. For individualized guidance, consult a registered dietitian.

Can you get ABS on maintenance calories?

Any reduction below your maintenance calories is enough to put you in a deficit, even something as small as 50 calories below maintenance is still considered a deficit, however, a number this small won’t reveal your abs anytime soon.

Can you burn fat at maintenance calories?

To lose fat while maintaining or building your physique, it’s best to moderately decrease your calorie intake while incorporating exercises that build muscle mass into your routine, such as strength training.

How long can you stay on maintenance calories?

3-4 months

End at your new, desired maintenance



There’s really no need. Stay on your new maintenance calories for a while, at least 3-4 months so your body fully settles into this new normal. Keep up the weight lifting routine.

Do I have to stay in a calorie deficit forever?

Only be in a calorie deficit for as long as you need for weight loss. The simple answer to your question is: only stay in a calorie deficit for as long as you need for weight loss. Going beyond the necessary time frame can bring about some nasty side effects (which we’ll cover in more detail in just a bit).

How long should a refeed last?

Generally speaking, most people in a calorie deficit should consider including a refeed day once every 2 weeks, although this will depend on your body fat percentage and goals. Those with lower body fat percentages may need to increase their number of refeed days ( 2 , 3 ).

How often should you eat at maintenance?

If you have been in an energy deficit, increasing food intake for maintenance is as simple as incorporating one to two additional servings of dietary fat per day, as well as one to two additional servings of carbohydrate per day for two to three weeks.

How do I find my true maintenance calories?

A rough estimate for calculating maintenance calories for a moderately active person is multiplying body weight in pounds by 15 (you roughly need 15 calories per pound of your body weight to maintain your current weight).

What is your calorie maintenance level?

Though it differs depending on age and activity level, adult males generally require 2,000-3000 calories per day to maintain weight while adult females need around 1,600-2,400 according to the U.S Department of Health.

Can you lean bulk?

Luckily, it is possible to bulk without gaining excessive amounts of body fat . . . if you know what you’re doing. “Lean bulking” is a form of bulking that tightly regulates your calorie and macronutrient intake, so the majority of the weight you gain is muscle, not fat.

How can I bulk without getting a belly?

Build in moves such as deadlifts, chest presses, barbell rows, squats and leg curls. Aim for at least one set of four to eight repetitions of an exercise or two for each muscle group using a weight that makes it hard to complete the final efforts with good form. Work up to as many as six sets for the most gains.

What is a dirty bulk?

A dirty bulk refers to a period of aggressive weight gain used to promote muscle and strength gains in strength sports and certain team sports.

How do you get a flat stomach while bulking?

The 5 Best Ways to Gain Muscle Mass and Keep Your Stomach Flat

  1. Eat More to Gain More. Any time you want to bulk up, you need to eat more calories. …
  2. Select Multijoint Exercises. …
  3. Just the Right Amount. …
  4. Flat Stomach Exercises. …
  5. Schedule Some Downtime.


Should I do abs while bulking?

Because there is a definite right and definite wrong it is it basically comes down to what your overall. Goal is in terms of your training.

Do you need to bulk to get abs?

For many people, getting shredded requires them to build muscle mass or “bulking” before focusing on fat loss. And that’s really it in a nutshell; there are only two requirements for getting a six-pack: Build abdominal muscles. Lose body fat.

Can you do cardio while bulking?

High intensity cardio burns far too many calories to incorporate into your bulk. This means that you need to stick to low intensity exercise that promotes cardiovascular health without burning too many calories. Walking, jogging, cycling and elliptical machines are all good options for this.

When should I stop bulking?

Because you're trying to fill that glycogen stores replenish glycogen and field training but of course if you keep shoving food down and down and down all the time and slamming yourself into the gym.

Should you cut then bulk?

You should bulk first if you are skinny fat. A 10% caloric surplus is optimal to build muscle while ensuring you don’t put on a lot of excess body fat. Stay in a surplus for a minimum of 4 months and then begin a slow, gradual cut.