The Skinny Guy Bulk up guide: Count Macros not Calories!
Written by Martin Ebner, Head PT and sports nutrition specialist at Ebylife
Welcome fellow Ectomorphs. If you're seeking refuge from the constant barrage of weight loss and dieting programs trying to convince you that happiness, skinniness, and health are one and the same, then you've come to the right place. You probably know all too well that for some people, gaining weight is just as big a struggle as losing it can be. Changing your body composition takes sweat equity and considerable nutritional know-how. It's true, a daily calorie surplus will certainly result in some all-around weight gain but bulking up and building lean muscle mass (AKA clean bulking) requires a watchful eye not just on your calorie count, but on your macronutrient intake. In fact, I'd argue that counting macros and finding the right macronutrient split is just as important if not more so than an exponential increase in your calorie intake. Here's why.
Related article: Muscle Growth: 12 Essential tips to build more muscle
Calories vs. Macros: What's the difference?
Have you seen the #IIFYM hashtag going around? Well then in some strange virtual way, you're familiar with macronutrients. The three macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Counting macros basically means tracking what you eat and breaking it into these three buckets. Everybody's macronutrient split or ideal intake of any particular macro is different. You can calculate your macro split by taking into account your age, sex, body types, typical activity level, and maintenance calories. Essentially, you eat to fulfill a certain amount of each macronutrient each day, hence the hashtag "If It Fits Your Macros".
Let's contrast this to calorie intake. This method looks at the total calories you consume in a day but doesn't specify the source of your calories. When it comes to bulking up or putting on weight, it's recommended that you consume 20–30% more calories than your body needs. As we all know, 150 calories of soda or other junk food is not nutritionally equivalent to 150 calories of rolled oats or all-natural Greek yogurt. Your food intake matters. That's why when we're told to max out on calories without any emphasis on where those calories are coming from, the results are rarely on par with bodybuilders, we just get, well, skinny fat.
Counting macros and calories is not contradictory. In fact, you need to count some calories in order to determine your macros. The difference lies in your end goal. Many of us don't want to gain body weight for body weight's sake, we want to "bulk up" and maximize muscle growth whilst minimizing fat storage. That's why counting macros becomes so crucial.
How to Count Macronutrients
As a skinny guy, you're probably used to being able to eat large if not huge quantities of food without putting on weight. You can thank (or curse) your metabolism for that! Building new muscle requires specific macronutrients and a dedicated workout plan. In order for your body to remain in the anabolic (AKA muscle building) state, it has to have a constant supply of energy aka food. Primarily, if you want to reach your muscle-building goals whilst maintaining a healthy body fat percentage, you need to keep a close eye on the amount of protein you consume in a day in relation to the other macronutrients - carbohydrates and fats. While protein should only make up around 30% of your daily macronutrient intake, it’s one of the most important macros for muscle building. Try to consume a healthy serving with every single meal.
The first step of counting your macronutrients requires finding your basal metabolic rate, or the minimum amount of calories your body needs in order to function. This is the only bit of calorie counting you'll do! A calorie deficit will result in weight loss, so even though counting macros is king over counting calories, it is necessary to know your "minimum requirement". If you're serious about bulking up, I recommend setting your calorie count to about 3500 a day. You can first calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure or TDEE to find the bare minimum then add an additional 20–0% on. You can use the equation below or have an online calculator do it for you.
Minimum calorie intake for an adult male: 66 + (6.3 x body weight in lbs.) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years) = BMR (basal metabolic rate)
This number helps you to determine the size of your plate. The next step is finding your ideal macronutrient split, AKA what types of food to fill your plate up with. The ideal macronutrient split for increasing lean mass is roughly 50-60/30/20 - Carbs to protein to fats. You can imagine it like a plate with a portion of protein like meat, a carb like brown rice, and healthy fats like olive oil.
Once you've determined your BMR and macronutrient ratio, you're ready to start tracking. There are many different macro calculator apps to choose from. Each allows you to log the foods you're eating to make sure you're on track to hit your daily macros. I recommend trying MyFitnessPal.
Your Macronutrient Split on A Plate
Now that we understand what types of macronutrients need to go on your plate, it's important to understand why and when to eat each one.
Protein is the building block for muscle. It's the most important macronutrient when it comes to muscle gain. In fact, many studies have shown that consuming plenty of protein can help to build muscle, fulfill appetite, and even speed up recovery from injury so you can get back to your strength training. Your first "method of attack" to ensure you're getting enough protein should be through your diet. An ideal high protein diet should contain about 1-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Fill up your plate, or rather, 20-30% of your plate, with lean protein sources such as chicken and turkey breast, beef and pork, fish, soy and legumes. If you fall short of your protein intake or just want to be on the safe side, you can add a clean protein powder to your breakfast, lunch, pre and post-workout or even a quick protein shake before bed. I personally recommend Tri-protein, a protein formula that uses 6 different proteins to offer one of the most comprehensive supplements on the market.
Another food group that will take up considerable real estate on your plate is carbs. Carbohydrates will provide your body with its primary energy source to help you power through strength training so they are best utilized on training days when your energy expenditure will be at its highest. A great pre-workout meal should contain whole foods with high-quality carbs like fruit, oats, quinoa, whole grains, sweet potatoes, and brown rice.
Because fats have more than twice the calories per gram than carbs and protein, they should make up around 20% of your macro ratio. Sautee veggies in olive oil, add a scoop of nuts and seeds or unsweetened nut butter to your oatmeal or make fatty fish your main protein to get an adequate amount of fat in your diet without going overboard.
Related: How to Combat the Nutritional Decline of Fruits and Vegetables
The Skinny Guy’s BULK UP diet plan
If the idea of eating 3500+ calories a day and counting macros still has you scratching your head, fear not! We’ve created a fully comprehensive BULK UP meal plan for all you skinny guys out there looking to add some serious size to your frame.
Welcome to the ultimate Bulk-Up diet plan for skinny guys.
What’s included in the diet plan:
✔ A fully comprehensive and easy-to-follow 7-day food plan (To be repeated until you reach your ideal weight and/or results).
✔ A carefully calculated calorie surplus, macronutrient split and precise measurements to maximize weight gain and encourage muscle growth for Skinny guys.
✔ 2 Delicious post-workout smoothie recipes to help fuel your gains.
✔ A weekly grocery list and instructions.
✔ A sample workout from our 5-day split bulk-up workout plan for skinny guys.
✔ Combines perfectly with all of our Skinny Guy bulk-up workout plans.
This diet plan is perfect for Ectomorphs and ‘hardgainers’ looking to build muscle and gain weight.
The file is in PDF format and is compatible with all phones, computers, and tablets.
A final word
As a skinny guy trying to bulk up, it can at times feel very difficult and frustrating. Especially as eating such large quantities of food when you aren’t used to it can feel like torture instead of pleasure.
Counting macros provides much more flexibility than you'd think. You're not limited to chicken breasts and quinoa every day (unless that's your thing)! If you're still in doubt and looking for some help laying the track to help you hit your macros and bulk up, check out my meal plan (above): The Skinny Guy's BULK UP diet plan.
For more great tips and advice on how to eat, train and supplement, check out our Skinny Guy's Bulk Up Guide.
The Skinny Guy’s BULK UP workout plan7
Welcome to the ultimate 3-day Full-body bulk-up workout plan for skinny guys.
What’s included in the plan:
✔ A fully comprehensive 3-day workout plan (To be repeated for 8-12 weeks or until you reach your ideal weight and/or results).
✔ 3 Full-body workouts designed for maximum muscle growth (hypertrophy). You will be hitting all of the major muscle groups every workout with a selection of compound and isolation exercises.
✔ A daily sample from our Bulk-up meal plan for skinny guys.
✔ A delicious post-workout smoothie recipe to support your gains.
✔ This workout plan combines perfectly with all of our Bulk-up diet plans (Omnivore, vegetarian, and vegan) for skinny guys.
While this plan is suited for all fitness levels, it’s ideal for men with 12 months or less of strength training experience.
The file is in PDF format and is compatible with all phones, computers, and tablets.
