High kcal diet experiences?

[Iron Mind]

Hi all,

At the moment I need like 4800kcal on trainingsdays and like 3800-4000kcal on restdays to gain a bit of body weight per week. Current bodyweight: 81,5kg or 180lbs. I'm not a cardio freak or whatsoever, my body just needs such an amount of kcal nowadays after 3 years of lifting to gain more weight. I do ride my bike a bit each day (just to get from A to B 10-15km each day, low intensity) and when I train 4-5 times in the gym.

My question is how others make up their macro's on such a high kcal diet? It's pointless to work with % as such a high kcal diets.


At the moment my macro's look like this during my bulk period.
4800kcal*: 250g protein, 650g carbs, 120g fats
The macro's dont fully match the kcal count, since the macro's are exclusive some kcal (like 100-200kcal) for fibre. That's the way I've always done it. So it doesn't matter since I've already worked with this.

Diet consists of mostly brown rice, pasta, oats, skimmed yoghurt, half-skimmed milk, quark, chicken, turkey, lean ground beef, tuna, eggs, all sort of veggies, olive oil, mixed nuts, coconut oil, whey, omega-3 caps and from time to time some whole grain bread slices. 1x per week a junkmeal such a pizza etc.

Anyhow, what would you guys increase on the macro's if I would need like 5000 or 6000kcal per day to gain weight?

Just curious about how others would divide their kcal between the macro's on 5000 or 6000kcal a day.

P.s. on juice I would up the protein also a bit btw. Althought 250g protein is on the high end for my bodyweight, I know.

[Buster Brown]

I don't think there is really a magic ratio to use (ex. 40/40/20 or 30/55/15 etc.) You seem to be on the right track but remember ....it takes time and you don't keep growing in a linear fashion.

[Iron Mind]

I don't think there is really a magic ratio to use (ex. 40/40/20 or 30/55/15 etc.) You seem to be on the right track but remember ....it takes time and you don't keep growing in a linear fashion.

Thanks for your input. Hehe, I've noticed that my past year. The gains are far from linear after 3 years of "proper" training.

But I just keep upping my kcal until I gain a few 100g in 1-2 weeks.

Just wondered what you guys would eat on such kcal diet.

[Buster Brown]

Thanks for your input. Hehe, I've noticed that my past year. The gains are far from linear after 3 years of "proper" training.

But I just keep upping my kcal until I gain a few 100g in 1-2 weeks.

Just wondered what you guys would eat on such kcal diet.

You can bulk dirty or clean....its really up to you. I wouldn't focus so much on the scale......I used to do the same and I came to the conclusion its just not worth it. I try to look at my strength goals and how I look over battling the scale. You will get there. I truly wouldn't advise dirty bulking to reach a scale goal.... that is not how you want to grow.

[Iron Mind]

You can bulk dirty or clean....its really up to you. I wouldn't focus so much on the scale......I used to do the same and I came to the conclusion its just not worth it. I try to look at my strength goals and how I look over battling the scale. You will get there. I truly wouldn't advise dirty bulking to reach a scale goal.... that is not how you want to grow.

Oh yeah I always bulk clean. Just trying to up my weight 0,5-1kg per month and then after a while (3-6 months) some cutting to shred off the gained bodyfat and then bulking again and so on. Always did it that way the past 3 years.

Just keeping track of my strength goals is also a method yeah.


But I'm just thinkg about what to up when I need 5k+ kcal when bulking in the future..

[Docd187123]

Thanks for your input. Hehe, I've noticed that my past year. The gains are far from linear after 3 years of "proper" training.

But I just keep upping my kcal until I gain a few 100g in 1-2 weeks.

Just wondered what you guys would eat on such kcal diet.

A lot of burgers and fatty steaks, pasta, lots of rice and potatoes, PB&J sandwhiches, whole milk, fast food, and whatever else happens to be calorie dense foods.

[Iron Mind]

A lot of burgers and fatty steaks, pasta, lots of rice and potatoes, PB&J sandwhiches, whole milk, fast food, and whatever else happens to be calorie dense foods.

Hehe, I mean macro wise, man

[Docd187123]

Hehe, I mean macro wise, man

Right now this is what I do:

Protein: 1-1.5g/lb

I try not to go below the 1 or above the 1.5 for protein intake but I can vary day by day. I don't follow a set eating plan which causes the changes.

Fats: .4-.7g/lb

Again, this changes quite a bit but usually what I try to stick to

Carbs: whatever remaining cals I have

I'm training for a PL meet now so I prefer loading up on as much carbs as I can.

[Iron Mind]

Right now this is what I do:

Protein: 1-1.5g/lb

I try not to go below the 1 or above the 1.5 for protein intake but I can vary day by day. I don't follow a set eating plan which causes the changes.

Fats: .4-.7g/lb

Again, this changes quite a bit but usually what I try to stick to

Carbs: whatever remaining cals I have

I'm training for a PL meet now so I prefer loading up on as much carbs as I can.

Thanks for your input, so that's pretty much the same as I do it at the moment.

Most guys go for 200-300g protein, 80-130g fat and the rest of the kcal from carbs.


I was just concerned about upping the carbs all the time on a daily base. Not sure when insuline resistance might become an issue for a bodybuilder when he takes in like 750g+ carbs almost every day.

[Buster Brown]

Thanks for your input, so that's pretty much the same as I do it at the moment.

Most guys go for 200-300g protein, 80-130g fat and the rest of the kcal from carbs.

I was just concerned about upping the carbs all the time on a daily base. Not sure when insuline resistance might become an issue for a bodybuilder when he takes in like 750g+ carbs almost every day.

Don't forget that over carbing will lead to gaining stored fat. Your body will only soak up so much in the form of glycogen.

[Docd187123]

Thanks for your input, so that's pretty much the same as I do it at the moment.

Most guys go for 200-300g protein, 80-130g fat and the rest of the kcal from carbs.


I was just concerned about upping the carbs all the time on a daily base. Not sure when insuline resistance might become an issue for a bodybuilder when he takes in like 750g+ carbs almost every day.

Insulin resistance won't become an issue unless you are genetically disposed to diabetes/insulin problems, you chronically overeat, you live a sedentary lifestyle etc more than likely. Yes 750g of carbs is a lot, but if you are a healthy individual who is consistently working out and making relatively smart food choices it shouldn't be an issue.

Don't forget that over carbing will lead to gaining stored fat. Your body will only soak up so much in the form of glycogen.

You have to seriously over carb for this to be an issue. On the magnitude of 700+ carbs once you've already maxed out glycogen storage. Carbs converting to fat can almost be considered a non-issue for humans. The studies done that show this happening are done on mice who process carbs much differently than humans do.

[Iron Mind]

Don't forget that over carbing will lead to gaining stored fat. Your body will only soak up so much in the form of glycogen.

Yeah, it's always about the balance.

Insulin resistance won't become an issue unless you are genetically disposed to diabetes/insulin problems, you chronically overeat, you live a sedentary lifestyle etc more than likely. Yes 750g of carbs is a lot, but if you are a healthy individual who is consistently working out and making relatively smart food choices it shouldn't be an issue.

You have to seriously over carb for this to be an issue. On the magnitude of 700+ carbs once you've already maxed out glycogen storage. Carbs converting to fat can almost be considered a non-issue for humans. The studies done that show this happening are done on mice who process carbs much differently than humans do.

Ah yeah, alright. Especially when I would go on cycle. I might get away easier with 750-800g carbs each day. Since glucose uptake in the muscles would be higher with 500mg test/week instead of 40-60mg/week as a natural.

Yeah, it's impossible to store carbs as fat. Lipogenesis doesn't occur from carbs. What does occur is that the fat you take in will make you more fatter and only gets stored as fat and doesn't get "burned". One of the reasons why you don't want too much fat in your diet when you go high carb. Although 120g fat isn't considered low-fat, but there is not much choice when you got to eat 5000+ kcal each day..

[Iron Mind]

Directly thought about using this thread to drop my diet set-up for my upcoming cycle.

I was thinking about such a macro set-up for the total duration of my cycle (12+2+5=19 weeks) while bulking.

Training days 4-5 times a week:
5300-5500kcal. 300g protein, 750g carbs, 120g fat.

Rest days 2-3 times a week:
4300-4500kcal. 300g protein, 500g carbs, 120g fat.

I always kept a pretty big difference between rest and trainings days, because I try to really "rest" that day. Save me from doing some cardio etc. and of course not training that day.

For a 12 week test-e 500mg/week cycle
2 weeks off
5 weeks of PCT

I would keep eating this amount of kcal during the total cycle including PCT and see what happens with my bodyweights and especially bodyfat. Might up the kcal even further on cycle, during PCT if bodyweight vs. bodyfat is going well.

And then see if I need to maintain such a kcal intake up it or decrease after PCT, however I think It would be better to maintain or maybe even slightly increase kcal after PCT.

[Buster Brown]

Directly thought about using this thread to drop my diet set-up for my upcoming cycle.

I was thinking about such a macro set-up for the total duration of my cycle (12+2+5=19 weeks) while bulking.

Training days 4-5 times a week:
5300-5500kcal. 300g protein, 750g carbs, 120g fat.

Rest days 2-3 times a week:
4300-4500kcal. 300g protein, 500g carbs, 120g fat.

I always kept a pretty big difference between rest and trainings days, because I try to really "rest" that day. Save me from doing some cardio etc. and of course not training that day.

For a 12 week test-e 500mg/week cycle
2 weeks off
5 weeks of PCT

I would keep eating this amount of kcal during the total cycle including PCT and see what happens with my bodyweights and especially bodyfat. Might up the kcal even further on cycle, during PCT if bodyweight vs. bodyfat is going well.

And then see if I need to maintain such a kcal intake up it or decrease after PCT, however I think It would be better to maintain or maybe even slightly increase kcal after PCT.

That's a good plan. For me.....I always did better keeping my cals at 300 above maintenance through pct as I was no longer utilizing the carbs at that point. Keep an eye on it!

[Iron Mind]

That's a good plan. For me.....I always did better keeping my cals at 300 above maintenance through pct as I was no longer utilizing the carbs at that point. Keep an eye on it!

Thanks man! Awesome back btw! Looking massive and solid, damn.

Alright so for example if you were eating 5000kcal on-cycle (and maybe had to up to 5250-5500 during the 12 weeks) which would be +500kcal on maintenance you would drop like -200kcal of carbs during PCT.

[Buster Brown]

Thanks man! Awesome back btw! Looking massive and solid, damn.

Alright so for example if you were eating 5000kcal on-cycle (and maybe had to up to 5250-5500 during the 12 weeks) which would be +500kcal on maintenance you would drop like -200kcal of carbs during PCT.

Thank you........ there is no right answer or set formula. I like to call it a transitional period. I used to follow the strict +500 Cal through pct and found I began to put on bad weight that I couldn't burn off because I was so afraid of losing gains. The battles with the scale didn't help much either. So, after some research I began to keep my cals at about +300 when I was training and maybe +200 on off days. Once pct was completed I weighed in and set my cals based on my new bodyweight. I am Carb sensitive and this worked well for me but you will have to play with it a little bit but atleast you have the concept.