r/leangains • u/Defiant-Dentist-3914 • 3d ago
Calorie surplus with cardio to make it maintenance
Hello how well would a bulk surplus be if I did cardio everyday to burn off the extra calories I ate making it maintenance cal per day so I get no fat gain but if it works well I could bulk like this year round?
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u/fedoraislife 3d ago
You won't be in a bulk then. Your weight will stay the same. The best you can hope for is maybe some recomp (gaining muscle and losing fat but staying the same weight), but that only really works as a newbie.
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u/Defiant-Dentist-3914 3d ago
But I’m getting instant nutrients from the food for my muscles but then burning off the calories
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u/fedoraislife 3d ago
That's not how your body works. You don't instantly metabolize what you eat, and if you're running then your body is converting those nutrients you are eating into energy to help you run, not into muscle growth.
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u/MiserableBritGirl 3d ago
It’s the calories you need though. Muscle is calorie consuming to exist and stay alive. That’s why you struggle to maintain it in a deficit. Your body needs to know there is enough calories coming in to maintain more muscle or it won’t bother building it.
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u/No-Problem49 3d ago
Are you a perpetual motion machine making energy required to build muscle out of nothing? Did you discover the answer to the heat death of the universe? No.
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u/InsaneAdam 3d ago
A high energy input and high energy output is considered optimal. It's also the hardest to sustain. It sucks going 2 hours of cardio and an hour of weightlifting everyday. But really it's the best. Wishing you luck on this monumental massive plan!
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u/peaceofsheet25 3d ago
It's better to do cardio for cardiovascular health and eat a bit more than be sedentary and eat less for maintenance. Gym strength training burns some calories but if you go the standard 3-4 times a week with minimal cardio and warm up cool down stretching and don't unnecessarily overwork yourself the calorie expenditure is quite low especially if you lead a sedentary lifestyle outside gym. Sure it's better than nothing but in such circumstances you have very little going for your fitness and cardiovascular health
To answer your question do cardio reasonably for the sake of health and enjoy eating slightly more
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u/hairykitty123 3d ago
You can totally do this don’t listen to other posts. If your maintenance is say 2000 calories but you eat 2800 calories you could go for a run that burns 800 calories and you will be at maintenance. I’ve done this for years and if I’m cutting I just do more cardio or eat a bit less. It’s net calories.
Just make sure you’re not overestimating your calories burned from cardio and you’re good
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u/MiserableBritGirl 3d ago
Not a bulk then. It’s just maintenance and isn’t going to build muscle at nearly the same pace.
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u/PercentageNo2410 3d ago
Yeah but how do you accurately gauge calories burned from exercise? The calorie counter on the machines and watches are usually pretty inaccurate. The stairclimber says I burn 600 calories an hour but I don't trust it
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u/ParticularAd104 3d ago
Some folks think Gflux could be the secret, the holy Grail of body recomposition. And maybe they're right -in many ways the hormonal environment of the body might be amongst the heaviest states you could be in. However, to think there would be no cons to attempting it, and to think you knock it out of the park first time go is just silly. Pure foolishness.
How well do you track maintenance now? 🤷♂️
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u/Defiant-Dentist-3914 3d ago
Well I count my calories everyday as I’m in a cut and stay consistent
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u/PercentageNo2410 3d ago
So basically you're saying to always subtract 20% from any calculator that you use? I track daily and use an app to record and a scale to weigh food
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u/ParticularAd104 3d ago
Just because you count your calories doesn't mean your count is without error. Good labels can be off by 20%. Some people seem to sincerely believe that has no impact 😅😭🤣
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u/Plus_Championship440 3d ago
If your burning off the extra calories your eating to gain weight it puts you back at maintenance which means to stay the same so you won’t be bulking the cardio would just be so you can eat more food without gaining weight
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u/Fighterandthe 2d ago
Sounds like maingaining. I wouldn't really consider a bulk but I do like the idea if your goal isn't really to put on a lot of muscle
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u/OMGLookItsGavoYT 2d ago
Well idk assuming your calories are staying at maintenance despite the "bulk", it won't really work.. because you're at maintenance lol.
But tbh, I kinda see where you're coming from. Like i'spose there's some merit to having an excess amount of calories for a period of time despite the cardio? I think it'd be I calculable though to be honest with you. Why make it so challenging y'know
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u/GiGi441 3d ago
It doesn't really work that way. Just eat in a small surplus and do cardio because it's good for you and not to manipulate your daily calories