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Rockystar01
Rockystar01 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
How many calories should I be eating if I exercise A LOT (2000+ calories burned). My goal is to lean bulk.

Replies

  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,869 Member
    edited January 2023
    Maintenance + 100 to 200.

    What are you doing for exercise that is over 2,000?
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,266 Member
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    Maintenance + 100 to 200.

    What are you doing for exercise that is over 2,000?
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    Maintenance + 100 to 200.

    What are you doing for exercise that is over 2,000?

    Couple hundred extra calories isn't very much and it would just frustrate me personally if I wanted to building muscle however lean I wanted to keep the bulk. It just seems to me 700 to 1400 extra calories a week would be inadequate, personally 500 extra would be my starting point. JMHO.
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,869 Member
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Couple hundred extra calories isn't very much and it would just frustrate me personally if I wanted to building muscle however lean I wanted to keep the bulk. It just seems to me 700 to 1400 extra calories a week would be inadequate, personally 500 extra would be my starting point. JMHO.
    The guy wants to do a lean bulk and 500 surplus would mean 52 pounds added in a year, 104 pounds in two years. Nobody is adding anywhere near that amount of muscle in that time, not even with a ton of "assistance".

    I could see a case for a temporary higher surplus in certain cases such as a) starting from an extremely lean position like 10%-12% bodyfat, b) haven't had their noob lifting gains yet. But even then it should be a case of evaluate and adjust.

    There are plenty of sources on the internet talking about a small surplus being enough.

    Here's Will Tennyson a few days ago talking about his diet and 25 pounds gain in two years. He's still quite lean, and believably natural. That suggests a surplus of 125 daily.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NESkMel9k5Q
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,266 Member
    edited January 2023
    I like Will, a good ol Canadian boy and in that video he admitted he wasn't tracking his calories. Granted your right about the weight gain over a year but in that scenario a person weighting lets say, 110 lbs and reduces calories by 500 a day would then reduce weight by 104 lbs, somehow I don't think that person will weight 6 lbs. Just having fun with numbers.

    Anyway, when exercising to gain muscle I generally progressively add a lot more weight which burns a lot of extra calories from the get go and even when I add 500 extra I have a hard time over a 3 month period gaining any appreciable weight and normally I'm closer to 1000 extra to see any progress, but I also wouldn't be on a bulking program for a year, but that's only my perspective.
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,869 Member
    edited January 2023
    neanderthin wrote: »
    I like Will, a good ol Canadian boy and in that video he admitted he wasn't tracking his calories. Granted your right about the weight gain over a year but in that scenario a person weighting lets say, 110 lbs and reduces calories by 500 a day would then reduce weight by 104 lbs, somehow I don't think that person will weight 6 lbs. Just having fun with numbers.
    They would if they were cremated :)
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,266 Member
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    I like Will, a good ol Canadian boy and in that video he admitted he wasn't tracking his calories. Granted your right about the weight gain over a year but in that scenario a person weighting lets say, 110 lbs and reduces calories by 500 a day would then reduce weight by 104 lbs, somehow I don't think that person will weight 6 lbs. Just having fun with numbers.
    They would if they were cremated :)

    Haha, including the ern.
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,248 Member
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    Maintenance + 100 to 200.

    What are you doing for exercise that is over 2,000?
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    Maintenance + 100 to 200.

    What are you doing for exercise that is over 2,000?

    Couple hundred extra calories isn't very much and it would just frustrate me personally if I wanted to building muscle however lean I wanted to keep the bulk. It just seems to me 700 to 1400 extra calories a week would be inadequate, personally 500 extra would be my starting point. JMHO.

    2k calories of exercise. Is that a day or a week. If it’s a day then you’re calculating is waaay off. Adding muscle you don’t want a lot of cardio and as far as calories, that will depend on your training program.

    Too many calories combined with a sub par training program and you’ll just get fat. 500 a day surplus and your muscle to fat ratio will be way into the fat category then you’ll spend a bunch of time trying to lean out later.

    You really only need something like an extra scoop of protein powder a day and maybe a banana or something. More food does not equal more muscle. Keep an eye on your waist measurement at the navel. When that measurement grows more than a few inches you’re adding too much fat. At that point, cut back on calories and/or go into a short leaning out phase and try again with fewer calories.

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,266 Member
    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    Maintenance + 100 to 200.

    What are you doing for exercise that is over 2,000?
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    Maintenance + 100 to 200.

    What are you doing for exercise that is over 2,000?

    Couple hundred extra calories isn't very much and it would just frustrate me personally if I wanted to building muscle however lean I wanted to keep the bulk. It just seems to me 700 to 1400 extra calories a week would be inadequate, personally 500 extra would be my starting point. JMHO.

    2k calories of exercise. Is that a day or a week. If it’s a day then you’re calculating is waaay off. Adding muscle you don’t want a lot of cardio and as far as calories, that will depend on your training program.

    Too many calories combined with a sub par training program and you’ll just get fat. 500 a day surplus and your muscle to fat ratio will be way into the fat category then you’ll spend a bunch of time trying to lean out later.

    You really only need something like an extra scoop of protein powder a day and maybe a banana or something. More food does not equal more muscle. Keep an eye on your waist measurement at the navel. When that measurement grows more than a few inches you’re adding too much fat. At that point, cut back on calories and/or go into a short leaning out phase and try again with fewer calories.

    My experience dictates more calories and paper numbers are like statistics. Cheers
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,248 Member
    neanderthin wrote: »
    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    Maintenance + 100 to 200.

    What are you doing for exercise that is over 2,000?
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    Maintenance + 100 to 200.

    What are you doing for exercise that is over 2,000?

    Couple hundred extra calories isn't very much and it would just frustrate me personally if I wanted to building muscle however lean I wanted to keep the bulk. It just seems to me 700 to 1400 extra calories a week would be inadequate, personally 500 extra would be my starting point. JMHO.

    2k calories of exercise. Is that a day or a week. If it’s a day then you’re calculating is waaay off. Adding muscle you don’t want a lot of cardio and as far as calories, that will depend on your training program.

    Too many calories combined with a sub par training program and you’ll just get fat. 500 a day surplus and your muscle to fat ratio will be way into the fat category then you’ll spend a bunch of time trying to lean out later.

    You really only need something like an extra scoop of protein powder a day and maybe a banana or something. More food does not equal more muscle. Keep an eye on your waist measurement at the navel. When that measurement grows more than a few inches you’re adding too much fat. At that point, cut back on calories and/or go into a short leaning out phase and try again with fewer calories.
    lol, sorry though I was responding to OP.

    My experience dictates more calories and paper numbers are like statistics. Cheers

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,266 Member
    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    Maintenance + 100 to 200.

    What are you doing for exercise that is over 2,000?
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    Maintenance + 100 to 200.

    What are you doing for exercise that is over 2,000?

    Couple hundred extra calories isn't very much and it would just frustrate me personally if I wanted to building muscle however lean I wanted to keep the bulk. It just seems to me 700 to 1400 extra calories a week would be inadequate, personally 500 extra would be my starting point. JMHO.

    2k calories of exercise. Is that a day or a week. If it’s a day then you’re calculating is waaay off. Adding muscle you don’t want a lot of cardio and as far as calories, that will depend on your training program.

    Too many calories combined with a sub par training program and you’ll just get fat. 500 a day surplus and your muscle to fat ratio will be way into the fat category then you’ll spend a bunch of time trying to lean out later.

    You really only need something like an extra scoop of protein powder a day and maybe a banana or something. More food does not equal more muscle. Keep an eye on your waist measurement at the navel. When that measurement grows more than a few inches you’re adding too much fat. At that point, cut back on calories and/or go into a short leaning out phase and try again with fewer calories.
    lol, sorry though I was responding to OP.

    My experience dictates more calories and paper numbers are like statistics. Cheers

    No problem. Cheers.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    I doubt you're burning 2000+ calories exercising. Michael Phelps swimming vigorously for an hour would burn 700-1000 calories. That's an OLYMPIC CHAMPION SWIMMER.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    I doubt you're burning 2000+ calories exercising. Michael Phelps swimming vigorously for an hour would burn 700-1000 calories. That's an OLYMPIC CHAMPION SWIMMER.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    He didn’t say per hour though. I assumed per day. I was curious as to where he was getting those exercise calorie counts.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,622 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    I doubt you're burning 2000+ calories exercising. Michael Phelps swimming vigorously for an hour would burn 700-1000 calories. That's an OLYMPIC CHAMPION SWIMMER.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    He didn’t say per hour though. I assumed per day. I was curious as to where he was getting those exercise calorie counts.

    2000 exercise calories per day would be unusually high, though - even though not impossible. Also the way the OP is phrased ("I exercise A LOT (2000+ calories burned)") could be referring to the total calorie adjustment from a tracker (more plausible that could be 2000 for a man, if larger and/or with an active job not properly accounted in MFP activity level).

    I think the right way to answer is in terms of calories above maintenance, as some have . . . though it is a worry if OP is overestimating calorie needs. OTOH, that would show up on the scale within a few short weeks, wouldn't it?
  • Goalthisyear1
    Goalthisyear1 Posts: 3 Member
    .
  • peggy_polenta
    peggy_polenta Posts: 325 Member
    what the heck are you doing to burn 2000 additional calories (assuming per day since that is not 'a lot' per week) and why you think you are going to bulk up burning that number of calories per day. you had to eat back all of those PLUS your maintenance and then some per day to gain weight. that's a lot of calories to eat in one day. something is off with your post. i have to kill myself with intentional exercise to just make it to 2400 TOTAL calorie burn per day.

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