How many calories per day should you consume for bodybuilding?

Theoretically, eating fewer calories than you expend can help you lose weight, but the type of calories you eat influences your results. ... To create an effective reverse diet, you may also need to do less cardio and more heavy lifting, which will further optimize your metabolism to build muscle and shed fat. read more

Athletes should increase their total caloric intake by 250-500 calories per day to gain weight. Some experts even recommend a 1,000 caloric increase per day. Remember to consider activity level when calculating caloric intake. Athletes should aim to consume the proper ratios of nutrients. read more

Of these calories, you should be aiming for at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight (170 grams for our example). You can bring this up to 1.5-2 if you wish, but going any higher isn't really all that beneficial. read more

Athletes should decrease their total caloric intake by 500 calories per day to lose 1 pound in 1 week. The caloric deficit can be created from additional exercise, diet, or a combination of both. Remember to consider activity level when calculating caloric intake. read more

Based on your goal and time frame, you should decide how many calories over your maintenance you want to eat. read more