Numbers just aint adding up

[HardTrainer78]

Age 42
5'11
212lbs
Off and on history since 21

So I normally am around 195 when I'm not trying to do anything in particular training/diet wise. Maintenance is right around 2000-2100 cal, go down to 1700-1800 if I want to cut to around 185-187. Couldn't remember the last time I actually tried to pack on weight/muscle has to have been at least 10 years. I've been as high as 214 in the past, but that was a long time ago and on some PH's. Totally natural now, not even any supplements outside of the BCAA in protein and about 7g of glutamine a day.

Anyway, I just started back up seriously 6 weeks ago and can't figure out how I am gaining so much weight (with very little fat). I'm up 14lbs in 6 weeks and up until the last 2 weeks I was on a "net" 2200 cal diet every day. When I say net, I mean taking out my workout burn calories off daily (work out 5x a week for 1hr each time, no cardio currently). Last 2 weeks I bumped it up to 2500. If you average out the weight gain, it would indicate I have been in about a +1250 cal surplus daily for the last 6 weeks straight, which is impossible(especially for first 4 wks when I was only at net 2200 daily). My activity level outside of working out is almost nil (due to the rona/working from home), but that is all factored in anyway with my "net" calories daily accounting for no energy expenditure outside of the workout.

I can fairly confidently say that I am not gaining much fat, because I took measurements before I started back up and my stomach is literally the exact same number as it was when I started. Visual check looks like same amount of fat just ore muscle. And that is where if I am going to gain fat it is going to be, right around the love handle/flank area as it is with a lot of males. Strength is skyrocketing weekly, with a lot of bodyweight stuff included. I can't imagine if I gained the standard 1:1 fat to muscle ratio most do while bulking my stomach measurement would be exactly the same as it was 6 weeks ago.

So I guess the question is how the hell am I putting on 3-4 lbs a week with not gaining much fat on 2500 net cals a day?? I don't get it. Not exactly complaining but usually on bulk guys are eating at least 3000 if not more (to squeak out a lot less per week/month). I will be very interested in what happens as I go on to see if I keep gaining or start to level off as I approach the 214lb number which I have never gotten past. I don't drink, have 2 cheat meals a week (and still stay at the 2500 cal number daily either way), and eat very clean otherwise. 45/35/20 split usually. It is all tracked/logged on myfitnesspal for accuracy.

Here is avg daily cals by week and the weight gain -

Week 1 - 2094 - 2.5
Week 2 - 2206 - 2.4
Week 3 - 2205 - 1.9
Week 4 - 2288 - 1.6
Week 5 - 2574 - 3.7
Week 6 - 2559 - 3.4

I feel like I would have to be around 2,000 to "only" gain the recommended 2-3lbs a month. Which again makes no sense. (actually less if you do the math).

[Smart-tony]

If you start back up train, you will add your old muscle mass back.

A good way to know, is to take your body fat with caliper, take your weight measurements.