There’s one simple rule to building muscle mass that’s often overlooked: extra calories are needed to gain weight. Whether it’s fat or muscle is ultimately something you determine through exercise, diet choices, and genetics. Most people who try to gain weight accept that fat gain is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be. If you keep a very careful balance of diet and exercise, you can gain muscle mass without getting fat.
First of all, there are two common approaches to gaining muscle mass. The first is known commonly as “bulking”, where one eats as much food as possible in a specific period of time (usually 2-6 weeks). Through this method, you flood your body with calories while still continuing your weight training regime. Drawbacks to this method usually include feeling lethargic from consuming too many calories over too short a period of time, and fat gain. The second approach is more moderate, where you consume only 200-500 extra calories per day beyond what you need to maintain your current weight. While this approach usually shows slower results, you’re more likely to see real muscle gain and avoid adding fat.
If you’re training naturally and properly and not using supplements, you should aim for half a pound to one pound of muscle per week for healthy weight gain, which equates to about 2-4 pounds of muscle monthly. Doesn’t seem like a lot, but muscle growth takes a lot of time if you’re doing it safely and properly. The more calories you take in, the more risk you run of those excess calories turning to fat. This is why it’s best to aim for 200-500 calories above what you need instead of eating everything you want.
By keeping careful track of your current body fat level and appearance, you can gain muscle without getting fat. The key is moderate and not expecting too much too fast; thinking you’ll see results overnight or expecting 30 pounds of muscle in one month is going to set you up for failure. Better to go slowly and make permanent, safe changes to your body.