Women around 5'7 trying to bulk

JHM23

I'm actually really curious to see how many calories women around my size take in in order to bulk. I'm 5'7 and weigh 140lbs and I'm currently takin in around 2,200 calories. I know gaining muscle requires me to be very patient, but I'm also wondering if I should add an extra 100-200 calories more?! Any advice or help would be awesome. I research a lot of things, so I like to get as much information as possible.

ana3067

Not bulking yet, but most likely will end up bulking on upward of 2500-2600 calories or more once I reach the same weight as you. Currently 155, maintenance estimations based off of the last 3 months of data put me at ~2400 calories, so I'd guess that maintenance in another 10-15lbs I'll maintain on closer to 2200-2300.

When I finish my cut I plan to reverse diet until I am no longer consistently maintaining my weight, and from there I plan to do a 10% calorie surplus.

williams969

I'm not ready for my bulk just yet (need to shed another 2-3% body fat), but I'm around the same height and weight as you. I maintain on around 2100-2200 (but not this week, incapacitated with strep infection, bleh). If you have a good idea what your maintenance calories are (if it's the 2200), you'll probably want to shoot for at least a 300 calorie surplus, maybe more.

Too small a surplus, say 150-200, and you're in the "unintentional error" range--i.e. you very well may still be in maintenance (YMMV, but I've seen many a lady friend here spin their wheels before figuring out they needed several hundred more than they'd imagined for a good bulk). Too big a surplus (say 700+), and you're risking adding too much fat gain with the muscle gains (yes, some fat gain is inevitable, a little more so as females--can't fight science, but we can mitigate it somewhat).

TL;DR--if it were me (and it shall be in ~4-6 months), I'd start straight out the gate with a 300-400 calorie surplus, and then re-evaluate every 2-4 weeks as needed, not ever being afraid of adding another 100 to get things moving. And consistency and progression in whatever training program you've chosen.

JHM23

williams969 wrote: »

I'm not ready for my bulk just yet (need to shed another 2-3% body fat), but I'm around the same height and weight as you. I maintain on around 2100-2200 (but not this week, incapacitated with strep infection, bleh). If you have a good idea what your maintenance calories are (if it's the 2200), you'll probably want to shoot for at least a 300 calorie surplus, maybe more.

Too small a surplus, say 150-200, and you're in the "unintentional error" range--i.e. you very well may still be in maintenance (YMMV, but I've seen many a lady friend here spin their wheels before figuring out they needed several hundred more than they'd imagined for a good bulk). Too big a surplus (say 700+), and you're risking adding too much fat gain with the muscle gains (yes, some fat gain is inevitable, a little more so as females--can't fight science, but we can mitigate it somewhat).

TL;DR--if it were me (and it shall be in ~4-6 months), I'd start straight out the gate with a 300-400 calorie surplus, and then re-evaluate every 2-4 weeks as needed, not ever being afraid of adding another 100 to get things moving. And consistency and progression in whatever training program you've chosen.

I've always been told to maintain is about 1960 calories for my weight, but I decided to add more to it. I will probably slowly add more to see what happens. It's hard to find a good point when so many different things give different results. So I'm starting to see why I should just keep doing trial and error. Eventually I'll hit it on point and know what to do for later. I hope you feel better too!

williams969

JHM23 wrote: »

williams969 wrote: »

I'm not ready for my bulk just yet (need to shed another 2-3% body fat), but I'm around the same height and weight as you. I maintain on around 2100-2200 (but not this week, incapacitated with strep infection, bleh). If you have a good idea what your maintenance calories are (if it's the 2200), you'll probably want to shoot for at least a 300 calorie surplus, maybe more.

Too small a surplus, say 150-200, and you're in the "unintentional error" range--i.e. you very well may still be in maintenance (YMMV, but I've seen many a lady friend here spin their wheels before figuring out they needed several hundred more than they'd imagined for a good bulk). Too big a surplus (say 700+), and you're risking adding too much fat gain with the muscle gains (yes, some fat gain is inevitable, a little more so as females--can't fight science, but we can mitigate it somewhat).

TL;DR--if it were me (and it shall be in ~4-6 months), I'd start straight out the gate with a 300-400 calorie surplus, and then re-evaluate every 2-4 weeks as needed, not ever being afraid of adding another 100 to get things moving. And consistency and progression in whatever training program you've chosen.

I've always been told to maintain is about 1960 calories for my weight, but I decided to add more to it. I will probably slowly add more to see what happens. It's hard to find a good point when so many different things give different results. So I'm starting to see why I should just keep doing trial and error. Eventually I'll hit it on point and know what to do for later. I hope you feel better too!

Finding out your "true" and personal TDEE estimate is far more valuable than anything told to you (via a professional, this app, an online calculator, etc.). That was the best advice given to me, and it was incredible to "trial and error" my way to finding my TDEE is higher than any suggestion given anywhere (why higher? IDK, don't care, I only care about a useful number).

The point is, and it sounds like you're realizing it, is to trust the process in upping calories in an controlled and sustained way, take measurements (scale and tape, etc.), assess, tweak as necessary, repeat. Start with whatever you're eating at now, ignore any calculators (they're just estimates, yours sounds as good as any), and avoid switching it up too frequently (especially cutting back--no panic, just DO it and trust the process is the maintenance/bulking motto).

Springfield1970

I found my own TDEE first, and kept testing things constantly to see if my weit was going up steadily at 1/2lb a week. I was about 15% bf when I started. 123lb at 5'7". I had great results with a 10lb gain. I'm a totally different shape and have a great posture now.

sardelsa

I slowly upped the cals from deficit adding about 100 cals per week to my total. Eventually I stopped losing, maintained, and then I eventually gained. It was a bit of trial and error but somewhere around 2900-3000 I finally saw the scale move up. The calculator will be a guide/estimate but everyone is different. Good luck!

NaomiLiveLift

5'7" bulking here! Eating about 2700-2800 a day I have been for a little over a month and have gained about 4 lbs.

I find better results eating 300-400 above maintenance. I don't accurately count though so I can avoid disordered eating

vfit10

Eat in a cal surplus -- train heavy -- profit

Springfield1970

NaomiLiveLift wrote: »

5'7" bulking here! Eating about 2700-2800 a day I have been for a little over a month and have gained about 4 lbs.

I find better results eating 300-400 above maintenance. I don't accurately count though so I can avoid disordered eating

You're gaining too fast I'd say. Women can only gain a quarter of a pound of muscle approx a week, so you should aim for 2 pounds a month, half of which will be the unavoidable fat gain.

I understand you don't want a disorder, but the way you're bulking is a bit disordered, you should do it accurately, so that when you come to cut and bulk again, you know what your numbers are, and don't risk losing any hard earned muscle, or gaining any unnecessary fat.