If you're serious about bulking up, I recommend setting your calorie count to about 3500 a day. This is the only bit of calorie counting you'll do! A calorie deficit will result in weight loss, so even though counting macros is king over counting calories, it is necessary to know your "minimum requirement". The first step of counting your macronutrients requires finding your basal metabolic rate, or the minimum amount of calories your body needs in order to function. Try to consume a healthy serving with every single meal. While protein should only make up around 30% of your daily macronutrient intake, it’s one of the most important macros for muscle building. Primarily, if you want to reach your muscle-building goals whilst maintaining a healthy body fat percentage, you need to keep a close eye on the amount of protein you consume in a day in relation to the other macronutrients - carbohydrates and fats. In order for your body to remain in the anabolic (AKA muscle building) state, it has to have a constant supply of energy aka food. You can thank (or curse) your metabolism for that! Building new muscle requires specific macronutrients and a dedicated workout plan. That's why counting macros becomes so crucial.Īs a skinny guy, you're probably used to being able to eat large if not huge quantities of food without putting on weight. Many of us don't want to gain body weight for body weight's sake, we want to "bulk up" and maximize muscle growth whilst minimizing fat storage. In fact, you need to count some calories in order to determine your macros. That's why when we're told to max out on calories without any emphasis on where those calories are coming from, the results are rarely on par with bodybuilders, we just get, well, skinny fat.Ĭounting macros and calories is not contradictory. As we all know, 150 calories of soda or other junk food is not nutritionally equivalent to 150 calories of rolled oats or all-natural Greek yogurt. When it comes to bulking up or putting on weight, it's recommended that you consume 20–30% more calories than your body needs. This method looks at the total calories you consume in a day but doesn't specify the source of your calories. Essentially, you eat to fulfill a certain amount of each macronutrient each day, hence the hashtag "If It Fits Your Macros". You can calculate your macro split by taking into account your age, sex, body types, typical activity level, and maintenance calories. Everybody's macronutrient split or ideal intake of any particular macro is different. Counting macros basically means tracking what you eat and breaking it into these three buckets. The three macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Have you seen the #IIFYM hashtag going around? Well then in some strange virtual way, you're familiar with macronutrients. Related article: Muscle Growth: 12 Essential tips to build more muscleĬalories vs. In fact, I'd argue that counting macros and finding the right macronutrient split is just as important if not more so than an exponential increase in your calorie intake. It's true, a daily calorie surplus will certainly result in some all-around weight gain but bulking up and building lean muscle mass (AKA clean bulking) requires a watchful eye not just on your calorie count, but on your macronutrient intake. Changing your body composition takes sweat equity and considerable nutritional know-how. You probably know all too well that for some people, gaining weight is just as big a struggle as losing it can be. If you're seeking refuge from the constant barrage of weight loss and dieting programs trying to convince you that happiness, skinniness, and health are one and the same, then you've come to the right place.
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