Gain slowly. For most people, 0.2 to 0.4 percent of body weight per week is a good starting point, which usually takes a surplus of only 200 to 300 calories a day. Track your weekly average body weight, raise calories by 100 to 200 when gain stalls, and wait for two consecutive off-target weeks before changing anything.
You've probably heard that building muscle means bulking, which people take to mean eating as much as possible. If you've tried it, you know how it goes. You gain some muscle, but you also gain a lot of fat and end the bulk sooner than planned. Dr. Joey learned this in college during a gallon-of-milk-a-day phase, which he says did not go well.
Why You Need a Surplus, and Why It Has a Cost
Gaining substantial muscle does require eating more than you burn. Extra calories provide an anabolic stimulus, and a 2022 meta-analysis showed that restricting calories hurts muscle growth compared with eating at maintenance or in a surplus. The catch is that the surplus isn't fully used for muscle. Some of it becomes muscle and some of it is stored as fat, so the goal of a bulk is to maximize the first while minimizing the second.
Slower Gain Means More Muscle Per Pound
The rate you gain weight strongly influences how much of it is muscle. Gaining five pounds over five weeks puts on more fat and less lean mass than gaining the same five pounds over 15 to 20 weeks, assuming you train hard either way. Muscle grows slowly, and there may be a cap on how fast it can grow, so eating far past that point mostly adds fat.
Gain weight at a slow and consistent rate.
A slow pace also lets you bulk for six to nine months or longer without gaining much fat. Newer lifters, and people with good muscle-building genetics, can gain a little faster because they build muscle faster. Most muscle comes in your first year of serious training, with less in each year after, so experienced lifters should gain more slowly.
How Fast to Gain
Dr. Joey is upfront that these numbers come from his own experience and dozens of clients, not hard data, because good research on the ideal rate of gain doesn't exist yet. For most people, 0.2 to 0.4 percent of body weight per week is a good starting point.
That is much slower than a typical bulk, and it takes only a modest surplus of about 200 to 300 calories above maintenance per day. Most people should lean toward the low end, closer to 0.2 percent per week. If you're newer to lifting or gain muscle quickly, you can move toward the higher end.
How to Track It
Don't Overreact to One Week
Body weight can swing a few pounds overnight from stress, sleep, travel, what you ate the day before, inflammation, or constipation. A random jump doesn't mean you gained fat. That's why weekly averages beat daily readings, and why Dr. Joey waits for two consecutive weeks of off-target weight change before touching a client's plan. If you've been gaining half a pound a week for a month and one week jumps by four pounds with nothing else changed, stay calm and see what happens the following week.
- A calorie surplus helps muscle growth, but the excess is split between muscle and fat, so a smaller surplus keeps more of it as muscle.
- Slower weight gain produces a higher share of muscle, and lets you bulk for six to nine months or more.
- A good starting rate for most people is 0.2 to 0.4 percent of body weight per week, from a surplus of 200 to 300 calories.
- Track weekly average body weight and add 100 to 200 calories when gain falls behind your target.
- Wait for two consecutive weeks off target before changing your plan, since daily and weekly weight swings are normal.
A good bulk looks boring. Small surplus, steady scale, adjust when the numbers drift for two weeks, and keep going long enough for the muscle to show up.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast should you gain weight when bulking?
For most people, 0.2 to 0.4 percent of body weight per week is a good starting point. That is about 0.4 to 0.8 pounds per week for a 200-pound man and a quarter to half a pound for a 125-pound woman. Dr. Joey notes this comes from experience rather than hard research.
How big should your calorie surplus be?
About 200 to 300 calories above maintenance per day is enough to hit that pace. Most people should lean toward the lower end of the rate range unless they are newer lifters or gain muscle quickly.
How should you track weight during a bulk?
Weigh yourself in the morning after using the bathroom, several times a week, and compare weekly averages. Aim to land within about 0.2 pounds of your target each week.
When should you change your calories during a bulk?
Wait until your weight is off target for two consecutive weeks. If gain has slowed, add 100 to 200 calories. If it is too fast, reduce slightly. One random week is usually noise.
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