Calories to gain muscle for a 101 kg man
About 3,300 kcal on training days and 3,150 kcal on rest days, with 200 g protein, if you are 26, 172 cm and train 3–5 days a week. Your maintenance is about 3,038 kcal.
How the number is worked out
- Resting energy (Mifflin-St Jeor): 10 × 101 + 6.25 × 172 − 5 × 26 + 5 = 1,960 kcal.
- Times 1.55 for moderate activity = 3,038 kcal to stay the same weight.
- Plus 250 kcal to gain muscle, rounded to 50 = 3,300 kcal. Rest days are 150 kcal lower.
- Protein at 2 g per kg = 200 g. Fat at 25% of calories = 90 g. Carbs fill the rest: 420 g.
By how active you are
| Activity | Maintain | Training day | Rest day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desk job, little exercise | 2,352 | 2,600 | 2,450 |
| Light: 1–3 workouts a week | 2,695 | 2,950 | 2,800 |
| Moderate: 3–5 workouts a week | 3,038 | 3,300 | 3,150 |
| Active: 6–7 hard sessions a week | 3,381 | 3,650 | 3,500 |
By age (moderately active)
| Age | Resting | Maintain | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1,990 | 3,085 | 3,350 |
| 26 | 1,960 | 3,038 | 3,300 |
| 30 | 1,940 | 3,007 | 3,250 |
| 35 | 1,915 | 2,968 | 3,200 |
| 40 | 1,890 | 2,930 | 3,200 |
| 50 | 1,840 | 2,852 | 3,100 |
Height matters too: every 5 cm taller adds about 31 kcal to resting energy, or about 50 kcal a day at moderate activity.
What to expect
A 250 kcal surplus with hard training adds roughly 0.2–0.3 kg a week, a pace that keeps most of the gain as muscle. If your waist grows faster than your lifts, drop 100–150 kcal.
A vegetarian Indian day at this target
This day lands at 3,274 kcal and 175 g protein. Most of the protein comes from whey shake (with water) (48 g), paneer bhurji (30 g), roti (17 g).
| Food | Portion | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 239 | 11 g | |
| Besan chilla | 2 chilla | 239 | 11 g |
| Lunch | 782 | 31 g | |
| Rajma | 1 katori | 209 | 11 g |
| Roti | 5 roti | 495 | 17 g |
| Cucumber raita | 1 katori | 78 | 4 g |
| Evening snack | 761 | 70 g | |
| Chana chaat | 1 katori | 192 | 9 g |
| Whey shake (with water) | 2 scoops | 240 | 48 g |
| Peanut butter toast | 3 slices | 329 | 13 g |
| Dinner | 1492 | 62 g | |
| Dal makhani | 1 katori | 212 | 10 g |
| Lauki sabzi | 1 katori | 63 | 2 g |
| Plain rice | 2½ katori | 488 | 11 g |
| Paneer bhurji | 2 katori | 550 | 30 g |
| Curd | 2 katori | 180 | 9 g |
| Day total | 3,274 | 175 g | |