T Nation

Muscles

Bodybuilding
#1

Hi everyone,

I was doing some research and found out that for every pound of muscle you earn you burn 50 extra calories a day right? well, i was reading this BBs bulking diet and he weighs 190 pounds, 5’9’’, around 7% bf, and just eat 3200 calories (this includes the surplus for gaining weight) and they gain almost 1 pound a week with this 3200 cal diet.
How can this be? maybe theres something wrong with this theory that each pound of muscle burns 50 extra calories?
what do u guys think about this?

Thank,

Rollus

#2

Once again this burns down to everyone being an individual. We all burn K/cals at different rates.

Most equations give a solid starting point but you have to adjust it to fit you in most cases.

It also burns down to what, when, etc. you are eating. What type of traing you are doing.

If me and you ate the exact same macro to weight ratio, trained exactly the same, same rest, etc., are results would very likely differ. We just arent the same.

Hiope that helps.
Phill

#3

Phill got it dead on.

individual differences play a huge role in varying metabolic rates. it’s the difference between the skinny guy who can eat anything in sight and the fat guy who eats a twinkie and gains 4 pounds. even though there are accepted standards/averages for energy consumption in various tissues (skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, brain, etc) when/what is consumes also plays a huge role in how that energy is put to use (or stored as fat).