Calories to gain mass - strategies to share?

[steve0691]

No one can for certain what cals/surplus you will need but if you want to stay lean while growing, which should be how anyone serious should approach things then id say shoot for 1lb of weight gain/week.
Figure out a diet/calories and stick to that for a week and weigh yourself daily and then get an avg for that week. Next week do the same and see if things need to be adjusted.

 

[bjjgear]

I don't mean this to sound rude, but what exactly are you asking?
It's the opposite and (still very similar) of how you've dieted....rather than pulling calories, you add them. Then stay there until your body adapts, then you add them again. It's the same concept.

Are you asking for HOW MUCH OF A SURPLUS YOU NEED to not get fat? Are you asking what foods to eat? Again, very straight forward if your diet is on point. MORE of that, the same foods. More. Are you asking how to distribute the surplus in terms of macro importance?

It's never rude to ask for clarification, but yes, I realize I need to add calories instead of subtract in order to gain mass. Yes, I am asking for what level of surplus I need. I feel like my diet and macros are on point but I don't want to be overeating to the point where I am spilling and putting on unnecessary levels of fat. I am looking to get a head start instead of doing the entire process by trial and error.

 

[madg]

The mirror only know if calories enough too much or too litle

The mirror is BBs best friend

 

[td]

Add carbs around your training first. Pre, post and intra (if you consume one). Rice, oats, potatoes.

Or if you have a high carb or refeed day, add carbs across every meal that day.

Then start to build out the carbs on training days in the other meals.

Protein always remains 1x to 1.5x bodyweight.

Fats are added last, if needed.

You should gain some water weight immediately. But then if the scale is moving more than about 1 lb per week, calories are probably a bit too high for the goal.

 

[3BILLS]

I don't mean this to sound rude, but what exactly are you asking?
It's the opposite and (still very similar) of how you've dieted....rather than pulling calories, you add them. Then stay there until your body adapts, then you add them again. It's the same concept.

Are you asking for HOW MUCH OF A SURPLUS YOU NEED to not get fat? Are you asking what foods to eat? Again, very straight forward if your diet is on point. MORE of that, the same foods. More. Are you asking how to distribute the surplus in terms of macro importance?

This

 

[MackCoach]

I eat 3 meals a day

Then in between slam Greek yogurts, met/RX big bars, and peanut butter

 

[bbxtreme]

Surprised nobody has asked this yet, but what does your daily diet look like? Or macros at least.

It sounds like you’re more concerned with getting fat (not hating) and are looking for that magic surplus, which doesn’t really exist.

Fix your protein, I personally fix my fats low as well second and then play with carbs to move up each week.

If you’re worried about gaining too much fat too fast then cycle calories and do small bumps- 300-500 calories per day which would be added as carbs. Assess weekly to see if changes are needed based on mirror and scale and in that order.

 

[buck]

And 10% more calories from what you are eating with most coming from carbs and protein. When that stalls add 5% more and repeat as needed. That is mu short version.

 

[Swifto]

Increase cals by 100-150 over TDEE and stay there for 2-3 weeks, then increase again.

 

[Mufasa123]

If you are that lean its real hard to get fat. You almost need to purposely blow it up big. As stated before monitor cals and weigh yourself daily (focus weekly though). Just add 300-500. If you add and gain no weight in 2-3 weeks, add more as you've misestimated something. Eventually it will stall out and you'll need to add more.

 

[bjjgear]

Surprised nobody has asked this yet, but what does your daily diet look like? Or macros at least.

It sounds like you’re more concerned with getting fat (not hating) and are looking for that magic surplus, which doesn’t really exist.

Fix your protein, I personally fix my fats low as well second and then play with carbs to move up each week.

If you’re worried about gaining too much fat too fast then cycle calories and do small bumps- 300-500 calories per day which would be added as carbs. Assess weekly to see if changes are needed based on mirror and scale and in that order.

Dude, I'm not gonna lie, but I am super in my head about getting fat, so yes, I am looking for that magic surplus . My biggest bodybuilding challenge is goal setting and sticking with the plan because one day I feel too shredded without size, and then suddenly the next I am too fat. Ironically, this dynamic alone has made me really enjoy and appreciate the lifestyle and all you guys who do it so well because for me at least it has been such a mental game.

My macros yesterday were the following, and these are typical "medium day" targets. I calorie cycle and yesterday I came in under. The fat was salmon for dinner (everything else was either trace or nut butter powders) and I generally try to keep those low. I consider my diet to be very clean in the bodybuilding sense.

I have a very cardio-centric lifestyle - I run about 5 miles every morning and do an hour of BJJ or lift daily. Rarely I'll do both or neither.


My protein:


Carbs:

 

[d4ve]

Dude, I'm not gonna lie, but I am super in my head about getting fat, so yes, I am looking for that magic surplus . My biggest bodybuilding challenge is goal setting and sticking with the plan because one day I feel too shredded without size, and then suddenly the next I am too fat. Ironically, this dynamic alone has made me really enjoy and appreciate the lifestyle and all you guys who do it so well because for me at least it has been such a mental game.

My macros yesterday were the following, and these are typical "medium day" targets. I calorie cycle and yesterday I came in under. The fat was salmon for dinner (everything else was either trace or nut butter powders) and I generally try to keep those low. I consider my diet to be very clean in the bodybuilding sense.

I have a very cardio-centric lifestyle - I run about 5 miles every morning and do an hour of BJJ or lift daily. Rarely I'll do both or neither.

View attachment 207492
My protein:
View attachment 207495

Carbs:

View attachment 207494

Sounds like you need to decide what you actually want because you're currently on a path to nowhere.

• Afraid of gaining fat, even though you're actually already quite lean
• "Cardio-centric" lifestyle (your words)...running 5 miles per day AND an hour of BJJ
• Looking for a magic diet that'll have you gaining at a noticeable rate without increasing your bodyfat %

It's not going to happen that way no matter how much gear you take or how perfect your diet is. In fact, the people who are able to add size while staying impressively lean are usually the people who are already f'ing huge, and it's their muscle mass that burns like a furnace and keeps them lean.

You can limit fat gain, but some is going to happen. So is water weight gain to a degree. I'm not saying you should get fat or eat without a structured plan, far from it. But you're going to have to "feel" fat and push well outside your comfort zone for a long time.

 

[control]

The base of my diet is :
Lean ground meat (to me, ground meat is easier to cook and digest than steak or chicken breast).
Beans (just enough to add some fiber because I sometimes worry about eating lots of meat without fiber)
Canned carrots (this just adds moisture for palatability and better digestion).

I cook a huge batch of this and then when I eat it, I mix it with white rice. Rice can be adjusted based on carb needs.

If I want fat calories, I would add extra virgin olive oil, which really adds to the flavor and has anti-inflammatory benefits.

Sometimes I will then add fat free Greek yogurt as a condiment (tastes just like sour cream) for even more protein.


Cheap, easy to make, easy to digest, and tastes good enough for me to eat every day.

 

[bbxtreme]

Dude, I'm not gonna lie, but I am super in my head about getting fat, so yes, I am looking for that magic surplus . My biggest bodybuilding challenge is goal setting and sticking with the plan because one day I feel too shredded without size, and then suddenly the next I am too fat. Ironically, this dynamic alone has made me really enjoy and appreciate the lifestyle and all you guys who do it so well because for me at least it has been such a mental game.

My macros yesterday were the following, and these are typical "medium day" targets. I calorie cycle and yesterday I came in under. The fat was salmon for dinner (everything else was either trace or nut butter powders) and I generally try to keep those low. I consider my diet to be very clean in the bodybuilding sense.

I have a very cardio-centric lifestyle - I run about 5 miles every morning and do an hour of BJJ or lift daily. Rarely I'll do both or neither.

View attachment 207492
My protein:
View attachment 207495

Carbs:

View attachment 207494

Hey we all don’t want to gain fat while gaining muscle. If only that unicorn existed. Lol many in this sport have a low key body disorder. Again not hate or directed at you. Just a reality we have to be aware of.

For me I embrace both ends of it as I know it’s about the final product. To get that you may gain a little fat. It all a process.

But I get you’re doing this as a lifestyle so are not as extreme as me or @d4ve.

I’ll dive right in though- based on what you sent here you are eating a lot of fat. Looks like your goal was 40 and you came in at 85g. Much of it saturated at that.

If you want to eat salmon in a free meal then you should eat chicken and turkey in the earlier meals to offset.

There’s one REAL secret to this sport- eat the same things at the same time each day and stick to the plan. Don’t change food sources daily. Don’t change when you eat a free meal or do a re-feed.

If dinner is a free meal with the family control the variable and work it into the plan. Or if Sunday is the free day then keep it consistent and clean. Control the variables and keep them consistent. If you don’t then you won’t know what to change or what is off.

It sounds boring and it is some days, but that’s why not everyone looks like us. Lifestyle or competitor it’s the same factors. Pick foods you like and make a set routine. Once you do that you eliminate the stress you’re having- why? Because everything is controlled and predictable.

 

[d4ve]

@bbxtreme gave a much nicer-sounding answer . And I agree

A nicer way of saying what I was saying - you’ll just have to periodize your goals. If you want to gain mass, it’ll inevitably mean doing less cardio and feeling fluffy, even if you execute perfectly and stay relatively lean. Maintaining the new mass can probably be done with less of a bodybuilding centric focus.

 

[bbxtreme]

@bbxtreme gave a much nicer-sounding answer . And I agree

A nicer way of saying what I was saying - you’ll just have to periodize your goals. If you want to gain mass, it’ll inevitably mean doing less cardio and feeling fluffy, even if you execute perfectly and stay relatively lean. Maintaining the new mass can probably be done with less of a bodybuilding centric focus.

I started getting DM’s on here from my feedback to guys asking “you really think I should do that as a lifestyle guy!?”

I very quickly forget not everyone on here does this at our level. It’s why I could never coach a lifestyle guy.

 

[bjjgear]

@bbxtreme gave a much nicer-sounding answer . And I agree

A nicer way of saying what I was saying - you’ll just have to periodize your goals. If you want to gain mass, it’ll inevitably mean doing less cardio and feeling fluffy, even if you execute perfectly and stay relatively lean. Maintaining the new mass can probably be done with less of a bodybuilding centric focus.

I have zero issues with what you said before or how you said it. "Path to nowhere" is what it feels like to me too. In fact I'm looking for insight and strategies for getting on track and you guys are helping me already. This is a goals issue because I know I can execute once I get on the right track.

 

[bbxtreme]

I have zero issues with what you said before or how you said it. "Path to nowhere" is what it feels like to me too. In fact I'm looking for insight and strategies for getting on track and you guys are helping me already. This is a goals issue because I know I can execute once I get on the right track.

I remember watching this video when John posted it three years ago now. Still today I send it to anyone in your shoes wanting to know how to reverse diet or minimize fat gain.

 

[bjjgear]

Hey we all don’t want to gain fat while gaining muscle. If only that unicorn existed. Lol many in this sport have a low key body disorder. Again not hate or directed at you. Just a reality we have to be aware of.

For me I embrace both ends of it as I know it’s about the final product. To get that you may gain a little fat. It all a process.

But I get you’re doing this as a lifestyle so are not as extreme as me or @d4ve.

I’ll dive right in though- based on what you sent here you are eating a lot of fat. Looks like your goal was 40 and you came in at 85g. Much of it saturated at that.

If you want to eat salmon in a free meal then you should eat chicken and turkey in the earlier meals to offset.

There’s one REAL secret to this sport- eat the same things at the same time each day and stick to the plan. Don’t change food sources daily. Don’t change when you eat a free meal or do a re-feed.

If dinner is a free meal with the family control the variable and work it into the plan. Or if Sunday is the free day then keep it consistent and clean. Control the variables and keep them consistent. If you don’t then you won’t know what to change or what is off.

It sounds boring and it is some days, but that’s why not everyone looks like us. Lifestyle or competitor it’s the same factors. Pick foods you like and make a set routine. Once you do that you eliminate the stress you’re having- why? Because everything is controlled and predictable.

Thank you for the candid feedback. While I have you, regarding fats, here is the breakdown. So I assume you suggest sticking with whitefish and eliminating the whole eggs. That would lop off a good chunk of the total here, but is there anything else you'd remove?

 

[bbxtreme]

Thank you for the candid feedback. While I have you, regarding fats, here is the breakdown. So I assume you suggest sticking with whitefish and eliminating the whole eggs. That would lop off a good chunk of the total here, but is there anything else you'd remove?

View attachment 207501

I like sticking to red meat no more than once per day. On training days an egg with meal one is fine.

Anything beyond that I get from oils which is very minimal- mac oil, coconut oil, olive oil. I put that one serving in my last meal. Build your base off of this. You can see my diet in my AMA thread if helpful.

But the above foods are all fine as long as the macros are the same each day.

You can use all of these across the week- for example on your off days drop carbs and use those calories for a bit more healthy fats and work in your chia seeds and walnuts.

White fish- if you like it then eat it. If not turkey or lean chicken is fine. I like white fish so use it year round, but some hate it. It’s a personal preference.

You can use salmon, but just need to ensure it hits your macros each day if it’s included. Remember consistency is everything.