How to lean bulk: gain muscle without gaining too much fat

A lean bulk means eating a little more than you burn, on purpose, so your body has the material to build muscle, while keeping the extra small enough that most of the weight you gain isn't fat. It's slower than eating everything in sight, and much less work to undo afterwards.

How much to eat

Start with your maintenance calories, the amount that keeps your weight steady, then add about 200 to 300 calories a day. Our TDEE calculator gives you a starting point; your scale over the next two weeks tells you the real number.

How fast to gain

• New lifters: about 0.5% of body weight a month to 1% at most. You build muscle fastest, so you can use more of the surplus.
• A few years in: about 0.25 to 0.5% a month. Muscle comes slower, so a bigger surplus mostly becomes fat.
• Weigh yourself several mornings a week and watch the weekly average, not single days. Water and food swing it by a kilo or more.

Protein and the rest

Aim for about 1.6 to 2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight a day, spread over three or four meals. The rest of the surplus can come from whatever carbs and fats you enjoy and can eat consistently. See how much protein to build muscle.

Train so the food turns into muscle

The surplus only helps if the training asks for more muscle. Train each muscle about twice a week with 10 to 20 hard sets, finish most sets one to three reps short of failure, and add weight or reps over time. See how many sets per week and progressive overload.

When to stop

Most people bulk for a few months, then hold maintenance or diet down when their waist has grown more than they'd like. A tape measure helps: if your waist is climbing much faster than your arms and chest, the surplus is too big. See how to take body measurements.