Eat for the Muscle You Want

Building muscle requires energy your body would not otherwise spend. That means a caloric surplus, but a small one. Two to three hundred calories above maintenance is enough for trained lifters and produces almost no fat gain when paired with consistent training.

Protein is the non-negotiable input. Aim for between zero point seven and one gram per pound of bodyweight, distributed across three to five meals. Below that range, you leave growth on the table. Above it, you simply use the extra protein as fuel.

The loud bulks you see online, the eight thousand calorie days, the multi-pound monthly gains, produce mostly fat. Your body can only build a finite amount of new tissue per week. Past that ceiling, every excess calorie is stored. Eat enough to grow, train hard enough to direct it, and trust the process to take longer than the internet promises.