How is a calorie surplus for muscle gain calculated?
Maintenance = Mifflin–St Jeor BMR × activity factor. Gain target = maintenance × (1 + selected surplus). Protein range is calculated from body weight.
Health & fitness
Muscle gain calorie calculator
Estimate maintenance calories, a muscle-gain surplus, and a daily protein reference range.
- Metric and imperial units
- Instant updates as inputs change
- Data is calculated in this browser only
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Daily muscle-gain calorie target2474 kcal/day
- Estimated maintenance
- 2249 kcal/day
- Daily calorie surplus
- 225 kcal/day
- Protein reference range
- 98–140 g/day
Use this as a starting point, then adjust gradually from training performance, measurements, and several weeks of weight trend.
Calculation notes
Understand the Muscle gain calorie calculator
Estimates maintenance calories with Mifflin–St Jeor and an activity multiplier, then adds the selected surplus and shows a common protein range for active adults.
How many calories and grams of protein support muscle gain at 70 kg?
If estimated maintenance is 2,250 kcal/day, a 10% surplus gives about 2,475 kcal/day. At 70 kg, the displayed 1.4–2.0 g/kg protein reference is about 98–140 g/day.
How should I monitor whether a muscle-gain surplus is appropriate?
- Track strength, training quality, and weight trend together.
- A smaller surplus generally limits unnecessary fat gain better than a large surplus.
What training and recovery factors can change calorie needs?
- Training age, program quality, sleep, and genetics affect the useful surplus.
- The calculation does not design a resistance-training or meal plan.
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