Structured bulk · Free
TDEE Calculator for Bulking
Bulking is a surplus with a plan — not unlimited eating. Use this page to set maintenance, pick a surplus size, and keep weekly gain in a range you can reverse later.
- +300–500
- kcal common bulk surplus
- 0.5–1%
- body weight / week upper bound
- 1.6–2.2 g
- protein per kg
- 12–16 wks
- typical bulk block
The context
Bulking TDEE vs “eat everything”
A bulk still starts from TDEE. The surplus is a chosen delta, tracked against weekly weight and training performance. Untracked “dreamer bulks” mostly create a longer cut later.
If hunger is low and weight will not move on a lean surplus, raise calories in 100–150 kcal steps — do not jump straight to +800.
Why the formula drifts
Bulk risks to manage
Size is the goal. These keep it productive.
01
Rate of gain
Faster than ~1% body weight per week for months is mostly fat and water.
02
Lift progression
No strength or rep PRs means the surplus is poorly used.
03
Food quality drift
Surplus calories can be flexible — but protein and micronutrients still matter.
04
NEAT drop
Some people move less when eating more. Keep a step target.
05
Exit plan
Know the mini-cut or reverse-diet plan before the waist expands.
06
Body-fat ceiling
Decide your “stop bulk” look in advance.
Method
How this calculator gets to your number
Same Mifflin-St Jeor (or Katch-McArdle) engine as the homepage — with one extra step for this use case.
Run it with my numbers- 1
Resting burn (BMR)
Mifflin-St Jeor from age, sex, height and weight. Enter body fat and we switch to Katch-McArdle for leaner or muscular bodies.
- 2
Activity multiplier
Match the whole week — not your hardest training day. A one-tier mistake usually adds or subtracts 200–400 kcal.
- 3
Bulk surplus
A small, transparent adjustment for this page’s audience. We keep factors conservative so you can verify with a two-week weight average.
Pick a direction
Bulk phases
Run blocks, not forever.
Main bulk
— —kcal / day
12–16 weeks with progressive lifting and weekly weigh-ins.
Get my numberPost-bulk cut
— —kcal / day
Trim surplus fat without erasing hard-earned performance.
Get my numberHighest return first
Bulk checklist
Simple controls.
- #1
Weekly average weight
One weigh-in lies; seven tell the truth.
- #2
Photo every 2 weeks
Mirror memory is unreliable mid-bulk.
- #3
Deload on schedule
Surplus does not replace recovery weeks.
- #4
Recalculate monthly
As weight rises, maintenance rises — update the surplus base.
FAQ
Questions about TDEE bulking
Short, direct answers. If yours is missing, ask and we will add it.
Ask a questionStart around +300 kcal above TDEE. Increase only if weight and lifts stall for 2–3 weeks.
Keep going
Related calculators & guides
Main TDEE calculator
Homepage tool — Mifflin-St Jeor with optional body fat.
TDEE for muscle gain
Leaner surplus defaults.
TDEE for athletes
High-output training weeks.
Main TDEE calculator
Homepage calculator.
Two minutes