If you know your lean body mass, then you can get an even
more accurate estimation of your BMR. This formula from
Katch & McArdle takes into account lean mass and therefore
is more accurate. The difference in calorie expenditure
between men and women is due to the fact that men generally
have a higher lean body mass and a larger total body surface
area. Since this formula accounts for lean body mass, it
applies equally to men and women.
BMR (men and women) = 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg)
Example:
You are male
You weigh 172 lbs (78 kilos)
Your body fat percentage is 14% (24.1 lbs fat, 147.9 lbs
lean)
Your lean mass is 147.9 lbs (67.2 kilos)
Your BMR = 370 + (21.6 X 67.2) = 1821 calories
Now that you know your BMR, you can calculate TDEE by multiplying
your BMR by the following activity factor.
Activity factor
Sedentary =BMR X 1.2
Lightly active = BMR X 1.375
Moderately active = BMR X 1.55
Very active = BMR X 1. 725
Extremely active =BMR X 1.9
Continuing with the previous example:
You are a 172 lb. male with 14% body fat and a BMR of 1821
Your activity level is moderately active (work out 3-4 times
per week)
Your activity factor is 1.55
Your TDEE = 1.55 X 1821 = 2822 calories
Once you've determined your TDEE, the second step is to
increase your calories high enough above your TDEE that
you can gain weight. It is a basic law of energy balance
that you must be on a positive calorie balance diet to gain
muscular bodyweight. If you consume the exact amount of
your TDEE you will simply maintain your weight. Generally
speaking, you'll need to add another 300-500 calories per
day onto your TDEE in order to gain weight. To be more specific,
add a minimum of two calories per pound of bodyweight on
top of your TDEE to determine your optimal caloric intake
to gain weight.
Continuing with our example:
Your weight is 172 lbs.
Your TDEE is 2822 calories
Your additional calorie requirement for weight gain is 2
X 172 = 344
Your optimal caloric intake for weight gain is 2822 + 344
= 3166
Using the formulas above, we have determined that our "typical"
172 lb. moderately active male will need 3166 calories to
gain weight. Keep in mind that this is merely an estimate:
All calorie expenditure formulas are estimations. Due to
genetic factors, there may be a 20% variance of BMR either
way. Age is another factor that you may want to take into
consideration.
According to Dr. William Evans, PhD., one of the world's
leading authorities on exercise and aging, we may need as
much as 100 calories less per day per decade to maintain
our body weight. Also consider that certain athletes train
so frequently and so intensely that their TDEE can be off
the normal activity scale limit of 1.9. Daily energy expenditure
can be much higher for competitive athletes or extremely
active individuals. Some triathletes and marathon runners
have been reported to require as many as 5000-6000 calories
per day or more just to maintain their weight!
Don't just focus on gaining weight. It doesn't do you any
good to gain weight if most of it is fat. The goal of a
weight gain program is to gain lean muscle mass with little
or no increase in body fat. If you have access to body fat
testing, get it done every 1 -2 weeks. If you find yourself
gaining fat, first add in 20-30 minutes of cardio 3-4 days
per week. If, after adding cardio you still gain fat and
the quality and quantity of calories is correct, then you
will need to begin cycling your calories up and down in
a "zig-zag" fashion. Three high calorie days at
your optimum calorie intake for weight gain, followed by
three lower calorie days at or slightly below your maintenance
level (TDEE) will allow you to add solid weight while keeping
your body fat in check.
Using these calorie guidelines, you can expect to gain
muscular bodyweight at a rate of 1/2 to 1 lb. per week,
or slightly slower if you are female. If two weeks go by
and you haven't gained any weight, you're doing something
wrong; most likely, you're not eating enough and you should
increase your calories. After 3 - 4 months, the rate of
muscle gain tends to slow down closer to 1/2 pound per week.
Eventually, as you get closer and closer to your genetic
limit for carrying muscle mass, the rate of muscle gain
will slow down to 1/4 lb per week. Even at this rate, that's
still 13 pounds of solid muscle per year.
In Part Two of
"How to Gain Lean Bodyweight" will discuss meal
frequency, meal ratios, caloric density and proper food
choices for packing on the muscle.
>>
Click here for Tom's Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle program
About the Author
Tom Venuto is an NSCA-certified personal trainer, certified
strength and conditioning specialist, lifetime natural bodybuilder,
and author of the #1 best-selling e-book "Burn the
Fat, Feed The Muscle" (BFFM). Tom has written over
170 articles and has been featured in IRONMAN Magazine,
Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Muscle-Zine,
Olympian’s News (in Italian), Exercise for Men and
Men’s Exercise. For information on Tom's "Burn
The Fa Feed the Musclet" e-book, click
here
For more information on gaining lean muscle mass, check
out Will Brink's book, "Muscle
Building Nutrition": Learn the FACTS on exactly
how, what & when to eat to achieve maximum lean muscle
gains with minimum bodyfat in record time, & discover
precisely which muscle building supplements can help you
achieve those goals and which ones are just hype.
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