How to Track Your Macros for Bulking on MyFitnessPal

Ready to track your macros for bulking? It can be a game-changer when it comes to increasing muscle mass, because it’s all about building the right plates to fuel your growth. You need enough protein to feed your muscles, carbs to power your workouts, and just the right amount of fat to keep everything running smoothly. (1)

With MyFitnessPal, it’s easy to track your intake of the big three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. You can fine tune your targets to get into just enough of a calorie surplus to crush your muscle-building goals. 

This guide will walk you through how to set up and track your macros for bulking in MyFitnessPal so that you can maximize your results. From setting personalized daily targets to logging every meal, drink, and snack, MyFitnessPal gives you the tools and structure you need to stay consistent and focused on your bulking journey. 

Let’s break down how to use these features to support optimal muscle growth.

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About the Experts

Caroline Thomason, RD, is a dietitian and diabetes educator combining her love of nutrition with the power of making better health easy to understand. With 12 years in the industry, she’s published in 40+ publications, a CPG consultant and advisor, a speaker, broadcast spokesperson, and recipe developer.

Daisy Mercer, RD, is a Food Data Curator at MyFitnessPal. She graduated with her bachelors of Food Science and Dietetics from Colorado State University and completed her dietetic internship with the VA San Diego Healthcare system.

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What Are Macros and Why They Matter for Bulking

Macros, short for macronutrients, are the three essential nutrients your body needs in large quantities: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. 

You’ve got to strike the right balance of macros to gain muscle mass without excess fat gain. (1) Though anytime you bulk, you’ll gain both muscle and fat. (Though it’s technically possible to gain muscle while losing body fat — known as body recomposition — it’s not usually what people mean by “bulking.” It’s also extremely difficult to do.) Outside of macros alone, eating enough calories to support building muscle is key. (2) 

You’ll need to know how many calories you need to maintain your current weight, and likely you won’t need to add too many more calories to your daily maintenance targets to see an increase in muscle mass. (2)

Here’s a bit more context about each macronutrient for bulking:

Protein 101

Protein is the cornerstone of muscle building. It provides the building blocks, amino acids, for repairing and growing muscle tissue after intense exercise. (3) Getting enough protein not only enhances recovery but also can help manage appetite cues by reducing hunger levels because protein tends to be more satiating. (3)

Pro tip: Aim for high-quality sources, such as from meats, eggs, and dairy, and spread intake throughout the day to maximize muscle gains.

Carbohydrates 101

Carbs serve as the body’s primary energy source, fueling both your workouts and the recovery process. (4) When bulking, increasing your carb intake (especially coinciding with an increased protein intake) supports your endurance and strength during exercise by replenishing glycogen stores in muscles. (4) The energy boost can improve workout performance, allowing you to lift heavier, and generally exercise harder — all supporting muscle gain. (3)

Pro tip: Opt for complex carbs, like whole grains, oats, and sweet potatoes, for sustained energy and added nutrients. Plus, it’s OK to indulge in less nutrient-dense options while bulking to meet your more flexible calories targets. 

Fats 101 

Fats are key for hormone production, like testosterone and growth hormones, which play a significant role in muscle gain. (5) Fats are the most calorie-dense macronutrient, making it easier to reach a calorie surplus for bulking without overloading on large quantities of food. (5) 

Pro tip: Focus on healthy fats instead of those found in packaged foods. Think: avocados, nuts, seeds, dairy, fish, and olive oil the majority of the time.

How to Set Macro Goals for Muscle Gain

Here’s how to set up macronutrient goals in the MyFitnessPal app:

1. From the dashboard, tap on “More” at the bottom right to open the main menu, then select “Goals.”
2. Under “Nutrition Goals” tap “Calorie, Carbs, Protein, and Fat Goals” to change the default goals set for you based on general dietary guidelines. 
3. First add your calorie goal, and then adjust each macronutrient as a percentage of your total calories.

To determine your macronutrient split, here are some general guidelines around the percentage of calories for each macronutrient. (6)

• Protein: Experts generally suggest aiming for a daily protein intake of 1.2–2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight to support muscle recovery and growth. Protein should account for around 25-30% of your daily calories.(6)
• Carbohydrates: 55-60% of daily calories is the usual recommendation. On a 2,500-calorie diet, 55% from carbs would mean about 1,375 calories, or roughly 344 grams of carbs (4 calories per gram). (6)
• Fats: Consider aiming for 15-20% of your daily calories. On a 2,500-calorie diet, 20% from fat would mean about 500 calories, or roughly 55 grams of fats (9 calories per gram). (6)

Keep in mind that sports dietitians agree your protein target shouldn’t change much throughout a bulking phase, assuming you’re already eating 1.2 to 2.2 grams per kg of body weight per day. Carbs and fat are the easiest macronutrients to manipulate in a calorie surplus for muscle gain. 

To summarize, if you’re aiming for a 2,500-calorie intake, your macros might look like this:

• Protein: 150 grams (about 600 calories or 25% of total calories)
• Carbs: 344 grams (about 1,375 calories or 55% of total calories)
• Fat: 55 grams (about 500 calories or 20% of total calories)

Your personalized macronutrient targets may look different than these numbers, and that’s OK. 

If you’re tracking your macros to add muscle mass but not getting the results you want, here are a few things I recommend:

• Check your tracking accuracy: Be certain to log your meals, snacks and beverages to ensure accurate tracking. Measuring in grams will give you the most accurate numbers. 
• Confirm your macronutrient breakdown: Once you know you’re tracking accurately, confirm that your macronutrient breakdown resembles the above split — about 25% of your calories from protein, 55% from carbs, and 20% from fat. 
• Consider how hard you’re working out: If you’re tracking your macros and not seeing results, it might not be nutrition related at all. Make sure you’re training effectively – you should feel muscle fatigue by the end of each set to stimulate muscle growth. (3)
• Give it more time: Muscle gain takes time. If it’s only been a week or two, you likely need more time to see the results of weight gain and body composition changes for bulking.
• Increase your calories: Finally, if all the above are accounted for, you might simply need more calories to add muscle mass to your frame.

You can use our macro calculator to find a macronutrient split that works for you. If you want more personalized targets, speak with a dietitian to receive personal nutrition recommendations for your macronutrients. 

Tracking Your Protein, Fat, and Carb Intake in MyFitnessPal

It’s easy to track macros for bulking in your meals, snacks, and drinks. 

Here’s how to do it in five steps:

1. Log Your Food: Enter your meals in the Diary to start tracking your intake.
2. Navigate to Macros: From your food diary, tap the three dots on the lower right corner of the screen to access the “More” menu. Tap on “Nutrition.” At the top of the nutrition screen, tap “Macros” to view your macros.
3. Review today: You’ll see a pie graph displaying what percentage of the calories you’ve consumed today that come from each of the three macronutrients. Beneath the pie chart, you can see how your day’s macro totals compare to your goals. Scroll down to see the foods and drinks you’ve consumed today that are highest in each macronutrient.
4. Review a different day: Find the “Day View” menu above the pie chart. Navigate to yesterday or tomorrow using the side arrows. Or tap “Day View” and then tap “Change Date” to pick another date.
5. Review your week: To get a sense of the bigger picture, tap “Day View” and then tap “Week View.” You’ll see a bar graph showing what percentage of your total calories came from each macro every day of the week, as well the foods you’ve consumed that are highest in each macronutrient that week. 

For U.S.-based users, you can also navigate to Nutrition Overview to see a Progress Bar. If you’re already in the Nutrition section, tap “Overview.” Or you can find it in the Dashboard. Your Progress Bar shows meals you’ve eaten, protein targets, and other nutrient goals. It also gives you tips for boosting your day’s progress. 

Tips to Track Macros For Bulking with MyFitnessPal

Bulking effectively requires consistency with your nutrition and workouts, eating enough food, and paying attention to macronutrient distribution.

Here are our top expert-approved tips for effective bulking with MyFitnessPal.

Set Your Calorie and Macro Goals 

Determine your maintenance calories and add a surplus of 10-20% to support muscle growth without extra fat gain. Use MyFitnessPal’s “Goals” feature to set these targets.

Prioritize Protein Intake

Aim for 1.2–2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (8).

Adjust Carbs and Fats

Remember, carbs provide energy and recovery, and fats support hormone health, flavor, and fullness. You can adjust the ratios of these macros based on your personal preferences, energy needs, and progress. 

Review Nutrient Intake Regularly

Periodically check your weekly nutrient summary to ensure you’re meeting goals for both macro and micronutrients during your bulking phase.

Compare with Weight Trends

Track weight changes in MyFitnessPal’s “Progress” section to ensure you’re bulking at the pace you want, adjusting your calorie intake if necessary if you’re gaining weight too quickly or notice an unwanted increase in body fat.

FAQs About Tracking Macrosfor Bulking

The post How to Track Your Macros for Bulking on MyFitnessPal appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

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2024-12-27 15:17:29