How many calories do I need per day to gain lean muscle?

Please read everything.

I calculated my BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), and it states that I should intake 1675.9 calories a day.
I'm doing the Insanity workout right now, currently on my recovery week of month 1, and I'm not going to stop.

Height : 5 ft 7/12 inches
Weight : 135 lbs
Age : 13 (turning 14 on August 27)
Gender : Male

My calorie intake is suppose to be 1675.9 (1669.1 once I turn 14).

I also calculated that I have 12% body fat. I'm doing the Insanity workout right now, and I'm at my recovery week of month 1. I'm planning to be look lean yet buff before school starts here in September. How many calories do I need per day?

Extra Details :
Likes to exercise -- specifically cardiac training, I don't lift
Average workout is about 40 minutes (Insanity workout)
I ALWAYS drink about 95 US oz of water per day -- just 4 bottles of a 710 mL Gatorade bottle
I sleep 8 hours a day -- sometimes an another hour or two.

Am I missing something? Thanks.

You will not be buff by next month is takes years too build muscle. Doing insanity is not going too build you very much lean muscle mass at all, you need too bulk at 2000 or more calories, get your macros, and get too a gym and do a program like SS for 6 months too build a strength base and put on some mass. Then you need too start an intermediate/advanced routine too build on more muscle. After that all you have too do is cut and get down too a low bodyfat, rinse and repeat for big muscles.

READ THE STICKY

You should do something like Starting Strength which obviously requires you to lift heavier weights each session.

With cardio, you're not going to gain muscle. 1700 calories also seems very low for an active teenage boy.

[QUOTE=XCRunner9;1113122433]You should do something like Starting Strength which obviously requires you to lift heavier weights each session.

With cardio, you're not going to gain muscle. 1700 calories also seems very low for an active teenage boy.[/QUOTE]

I agree, I think thats if he was sedentary.

[QUOTE=briansaturnino;1113120513]Please read everything.

I calculated my BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), and it states that I should intake 1675.9 calories a day.
I'm doing the Insanity workout right now, currently on my recovery week of month 1, and I'm not going to stop.

Height : 5 ft 7/12 inches
Weight : 135 lbs
Age : 13 (turning 14 on August 27)
Gender : Male

My calorie intake is suppose to be 1675.9 (1669.1 once I turn 14).

I also calculated that I have 12% body fat. I'm doing the Insanity workout right now, and I'm at my recovery week of month 1. I'm planning to be look lean yet buff before school starts here in September. How many calories do I need per day?

Extra Details :
Likes to exercise -- specifically cardiac training, I don't lift
Average workout is about 40 minutes (Insanity workout)
I ALWAYS drink about 95 US oz of water per day -- just 4 bottles of a 710 mL Gatorade bottle
I sleep 8 hours a day -- sometimes an another hour or two.

Am I missing something? Thanks.[/QUOTE]



Forget your BMR. Determine your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) this is your maintenance. If I were you I'd eat at a 10-20% surplus from that as your already light and you wouldn't want to weight any less.

[QUOTE=notgunnacut;1113122233]You will not be buff by next month is takes years too build muscle. Doing insanity is not going too build you very much lean muscle mass at all, you need too bulk at 2000 or more calories, get your macros, and get too a gym and do a program like SS for 6 months too build a strength base and put on some mass. Then you need too start an intermediate/advanced routine too build on more muscle. After that all you have too do is cut and get down too a low bodyfat, rinse and repeat for big muscles.

READ THE STICKY[/QUOTE]
In short, I'll take your advice. Thanks! I'm aware that it takes years to gain muscle, however, my goal is to see results while working out. By results, all I want are six-pack abs and could endure long amounts of working out.

[QUOTE=XCRunner9;1113122433]You should do something like Starting Strength which obviously requires you to lift heavier weights each session.

With cardio, you're not going to gain muscle. 1700 calories also seems very low for an active teenage boy.[/QUOTE]
Thank you for your advice. Basically, I need to eat more then, right?

[QUOTE=notgunnacut;1113122823]I agree, I think thats if he was sedentary.[/QUOTE]
I try to workout 30 minutes a day.

Um...after I'm done with Insanity. I'll be going into Insanity : Asylum.

Like I said before...all I want are visible six pack abs and to endure long amounts of working out.

[QUOTE=EddiePer;1113124333]Forget your BMR. Determine your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) this is your maintenance. If I were you I'd eat at a 10-20% surplus from that as your already light and you wouldn't want to weight any less.[/QUOTE]
I'll take note of the TDEE. There's so much things for me to learn!

eat 4000 cal a day

[QUOTE=Ungiftedgenetic;1113125413]eat 4000 cal a day[/QUOTE]
I took the advice of EddiePer and calculated my TDEE. I'm supposed to eat 2,790 calories/day.

How in the world am I going to eat 2,790 calories? Could anyone link me to some methods?

[QUOTE=briansaturnino;1113127043]I took the advice of EddiePer and calculated my TDEE. I'm supposed to eat 2,790 calories/day.

How in the world am I going to eat 2,790 calories? Could anyone link me to some methods?[/QUOTE]

Track your diet, also weigh your foods such as vegetables, meats, etc.

I always guessed how much food I was eating which I found out was really inaccurate.

I always thought I was eating about 6-8 oz of chicken for dinner, found out I was really eating 12-14 oz.

I started off a little less than you also, just work hard and you'll see some gains. Also I prefer to eat slightly above my maintenance in order to keep fat agins minimal.

Bro as a fellow Insanity member, I finished Insanity and to be honest it gave me the abs yeah sure cool, but they were skinny abs which were useless. What's your goal? What would you like your physique to be. Btw, here's a picture of me before I did Insanity around 175-180lbs:

[img]http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2012/12/08/60481912/progresspic/mZRKmONdCYshhGpqiopIykaDzhSAjpzPjCwI-610xh.jpg[/img]

If you're trying to gain weight.. eat more calories.

The smallest amount of calories you can eat while slowly gaining weight will be optimal

[QUOTE=LHSFB32;1113128613]Track your diet, also weigh your foods such as vegetables, meats, etc.

I always guessed how much food I was eating which I found out was really inaccurate.

I always thought I was eating about 6-8 oz of chicken for dinner, found out I was really eating 12-14 oz.

I started off a little less than you also, just work hard and you'll see some gains. Also I prefer to eat slightly above my maintenance in order to keep fat agins minimal.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Karim1997;1113128823]Bro as a fellow Insanity member, I finished Insanity and to be honest it gave me the abs yeah sure cool, but they were skinny abs which were useless. What's your goal? What would you like your physique to be. Btw, here's a picture of me before I did Insanity.[/QUOTE]


[QUOTE=Big.Jazayrli;1113129913]If you're trying to gain weight.. eat more calories.

The smallest amount of calories you can eat while slowly gaining weight will be optimal[/QUOTE]

Notes Taken :
Macro Food
Eat Slightly Above Needed
Insanity gives skinny abs :( (btw, amazing transformation, Karim1997!)

Thank you, guys. Gave you some rep points for the help. I have a few questions.
Should I stop Insanity? I'm about 1/2 into the program.
Could I have a few links leading me into a 2,790 - 3,300 calorie diet?

You likely aren't going to find anything that specifically lists meals associated with 3000 calories.. perhaps aim for some macronutrients like.. 300 carbs, 80 fat, 250 protein?

Eat literally anything that fits within those macronutrients. Obviously for the sake of internal/overall health try to eat a diet with some variety (i.e. fruits, veggies, sufficient fiber)

There are several threads in the nutrition section that are stickied that will help you to figure this all out.

[QUOTE=Big.Jazayrli;1113132293]You likely aren't going to find anything that specifically lists meals associated with 3000 calories.. perhaps aim for some macronutrients like.. 300 carbs, 80 fat, 250 protein?

Eat literally anything that fits within those macronutrients. Obviously for the sake of internal/overall health try to eat a diet with some variety (i.e. fruits, veggies, sufficient fiber)

There are several threads in the nutrition section that are stickied that will help you to figure this all out.[/QUOTE]

Thanks. I'll be looking into that. Is there a specific diet you follow?

You're also a teen, so that TDEE will be inaccurate, but eat 10-20% above it and if you don't gain, add 200 calories on top that and see if gains go nicely.

[QUOTE=briansaturnino;1113131093]Notes Taken :
Macro Food
Eat Slightly Above Needed
Insanity gives skinny abs :( (btw, amazing transformation, Karim1997!)

Thank you, guys. Gave you some rep points for the help. I have a few questions.
Should I stop Insanity? I'm about 1/2 into the program.
Could I have a few links leading me into a 2,790 - 3,300 calorie diet?[/QUOTE]

My advice would be to finish it and yeah sure whatever you'll have skinny abs and if you're lucky you got get to a really low body fat and start bulking from there, and depending on your body type; if you're a hard gainer don't even count calories go in and eat everything in sight. However, if you gain fat easily I would say count your macros and what not. But my recommendation would to be eat clean but as much as you want. Personally after Insanity I started lifting and I would count my calories for 3 months and what not and I got fed up and dirty bulked and would say I made gainz.

1675 calories if your BMR
These are the calories your metabolic processes burn, so they don't include any sort of calorie burned by activity including waking, talking, washing, eating, typing and so on
If you were to just do those activities (no exercise, no physical jobs) you would burn 1.2x your BMR
That's 2010 calories and you would maintain your weight eating those
But if you also train with weight, you can add on average 300 calories for each workout. Say you workout 4 times a week, this is 1200 extra calories burned in a week or 171 extra calories a day. So your maintenance would be 2181 calories.
If you want to gain lean muscle, eat a 15% surplus from that. 2496 calories or better yet 2500 calories
This will be your starting point and you adjust your intake according to results.

But an every easier way to calculate calories needed to gain muscle is 18 x bodyweight. It always work
So I calculated, the complex way, a 2500 calorie need to gain muscle for you. But what about 135 x 18? 2430 calories.
See? People think it's too simplistic but it never failed me. 18 x bodyweight or 19 x bodyweight is you're doing cardio as well is as accurate as more complex formulas.

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[QUOTE=JaredPunch;1113147323]

But an every easier way to calculate calories needed to gain muscle is 18 x bodyweight. It always work
So I calculated, the complex way, a 2500 calorie need to gain muscle for you. But what about 135 x 18? 2430 calories.
See? People think it's too simplistic but it never failed me. 18 x bodyweight or 19 x bodyweight is you're doing cardio as well is as accurate as more complex formulas.[/QUOTE]

^don't do this

[QUOTE=Meadey;1113147823]^don't do this[/QUOTE]

it works so why not, there's no a single case when using a complex formula like Harris-Benedict or what not results in a way better prediction than just a 18-19 x bodyweight, not even when you factor age or height in it, the difference is almost irreleavant (30-40 calories more or less)

[QUOTE=JaredPunch;1113148293]it works so why not, there's no a single case when using a complex formula like Harris-Benedict or what not results in a way better prediction than just a 18-19 x bodyweight, not even when you factor age or height in it, the difference is almost irreleavant (30-40 calories more or less)[/QUOTE]

multiplying by some arbitrary constant does not work, stop with all the stupid 'advice'

[QUOTE=Meadey;1113148403]multiplying by some arbitrary constant does not work, stop with all the stupid 'advice'[/QUOTE]

It does work
Of course it works as a starting point as everyone knows you [b]can't[/b] use any formula including Harris-Benedict or others to determine your needs, just to determine a starting point from which to adjust your intake based on results, and there's always a 1-2 weeks learning period no one can do without. Again, take any person, run his stats on whatever complex formula or calculators and you will get a starting point bulk number which is extremely close to 18-19x bodyweight. Only exception would be a competitive athletes.

[QUOTE=briansaturnino;1113120513], I don't lift
[/QUOTE]


You're not going to get buff in a month. Even if you were lifting. Eat min 3000 cals a day and start lifting weights then you'll see results.

[QUOTE=Meadey;1113148403]multiplying by some arbitrary constant does not work, stop with all the stupid 'advice'[/QUOTE]

This.

JaredPunch you're an idiot, stop giving advice.