Macros for a lean bulk.

Why "dirty bulks" don't work

Muscle protein synthesis has a biological cap. For a natural (non-PED) trainee, the body can build roughly 0.25–0.5 kg of muscle per month in a beginner phase, and meaningfully less as you advance. Eating 1,000 kcal over TDEE doesn't double the rate — the surplus past what muscle synthesis can use just gets stored as fat. A 200–400 kcal surplus is plenty.

Realistic gain rates by experience level

• Beginner (year 1): ~0.5 kg/month muscle, ~6 kg/year
• Intermediate (years 2–3): ~0.25 kg/month, ~3 kg/year
• Advanced (year 4+): ~0.1 kg/month, ~1 kg/year

If your scale is climbing faster than these numbers, you're adding fat, not muscle. Pull the surplus down 100–150 kcal.

How much protein do you actually need?

1.6 g per kg body weight is the inflection point in the literature — past that, adding more protein doesn't add more muscle. Bumping to 1.8 g/kg is a small insurance margin. Eating 3 g/kg won't make you bigger faster, it just makes you fart more. Spend the extra protein budget on recovery and sleep instead.

Why carbs are king during a bulk

Carbs refill muscle glycogen between sessions and let you train harder; they also nudge insulin (mildly anabolic). For a bulk, target 4–6 g/kg of carbs, more on training days, slightly less on rest days. This is the macro that flexes most with training intensity and frequency.

How long should a bulk run?

For most natural lifters, 3–6 month bulks work best. Long enough to add real muscle, short enough that body fat doesn't creep into territory that needs a 3-month cut to clear. If body fat is climbing past 18% (men) or 28% (women), switch to maintenance or a small cut for a few weeks before resuming the surplus.

Full macro methodology and Indian-diet protein sources on the main macro calculator page.