Do you need to be in calorie surplus to build muscle?

For muscle gains to occur, a sufficient calorie surplus is required, usually 10–20\% additional calories for most people ( 2 ). The dirty bulk usually exceeds this range, thus likely contributing to sizable muscle and strength gains for most people when combined with a proper resistance training regimen.

Can you build muscle at caloric deficit?

Increase the amount of protein consumed (which can come from plant or animal sources) to 2-3 times the recommended daily amount (i.e. 1.2-2.4g/kg of body weight per day) while accounting for the calorie deficit. There are many studies that show this is an independent signal for increase muscle growth.

What does calorie surplus mean?

A calorie surplus involves consuming more calories than you burn, which can lead to weight gain in the form of muscle or fat. Dirty bulking takes this a step further and can be defined as a period of unrelenting weight gain by any means necessary to promote muscle and strength gains.

What does a caloric surplus do?

Why is protein important for muscle?

Protein is the building block of your muscles. Therefore, eating adequate amounts of protein helps you maintain your muscle mass and promotes muscle growth when you do strength training. Numerous studies show that eating plenty of protein can help increase muscle mass and strength ( 8 , 9 ).

Can you build muscle with a calorie surplus?

However, keep in mind that your body will use the surplus to build muscle if you give it a good enough reason to do so. This is why weight training is so important. In addition, fat gain can happen if your calorie surplus is too large. When you eat way too much, your body has enough energy to build new muscle and store fat.

Why do muscles need calories to grow?

Because when you train you stimulate your muscle to get bigger and stronger, to be able to deal with the continuously increasing demand you place on them, and they need surplus calories to grow. It is like the building material for them.

What is a calorie surplus and how does it work?

A calorie surplus is simply eating more calories than you burn. By doing this, you give your body more energy than it needs. And that leftover energy can be used to build new tissue like muscle. You’ve probably heard of a surplus in the context of business.

What is a good calorie surplus for bulking up?

To maximize muscle gain, shoot for a 15 to 25\% surplus. Simply multiply your daily calories burned by 1.15 to 1.25. As an example, Steve burns 2,400 calories per day, his goal is bulking, and he’s a hardgainer. So he’s aiming for a 25\% calorie surplus. Now let’s say your goal is to gain muscle but minimize fat gain.