How much protein should you eat while bulking to build muscle?

While bulking, aim for about 1.6-2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight per day. So someone weighing 70 kg needs about 112-154 g of protein, while someone weighing 85 kg needs about 136-187 g. If you're not sure where to start, aim for about 1.8 g/kg and monitor your progress. Protein alone won't build muscle, though—you also need strength training and a small calorie surplus.

The good news: you don't have to live on chicken and rice and three shakes a day. Below, you'll find how much protein to eat, how to spread it across meals, and where to get it without getting bored.

How much protein should you eat while bulking? A chart for different body weights

Calculate your target using your current body weight. If you're significantly overweight, it's better to use your target weight instead, or the result may be too high. You can also find your target with the protein calculator.

The 1.6-2.2 g/kg range is what research most often suggests for building muscle in people who do strength training. That's much more than the recommended amount for adults, which is about 0.9 g/kg. Read more about it in our article on how much protein to eat per day.

Should you choose the lower or upper end of the range?

Choose closer to 1.6-1.8 g/kg if you:

• are just getting started with training,
• are eating enough calories and gaining weight,
• would rather leave more room for carbs to fuel your workouts.

Choose closer to 2.0-2.2 g/kg if you:

• have been training for years and progress is slower,
• eat mostly plant-based (plant protein is somewhat less easily absorbed),
• simply feel better and more satisfied when you eat more protein.

Above about 2.2 g/kg, extra protein offers little additional benefit for muscle growth. It doesn't harm healthy people, but it takes up room that could go to carbs and fat—and it can cost more, too. If you have kidney disease, always follow your doctor's advice on protein intake.

Protein isn't everything: calorie surplus and training

Muscle grows when three things come together: progressive strength training, enough protein, and a small calorie surplus. Without any one of these, your muscle-building progress stalls.

For a slow bulk, a surplus of about 150-300 kcal above your daily calorie needs is usually enough. We explain how to set it in our guide on setting your calorie goal. A larger surplus won't speed up muscle growth proportionally—much of it will simply be stored as body fat.

Don't forget carbs. They're your main fuel for strength training, and too few can make it harder to train hard. Fat is important, too—usually about 20-35% of your calories.

How should you spread protein throughout the day?

Your total intake for the day matters most, but it's better to spread it across 3-5 meals than to eat it all at dinner. In practice, that's about 0.3-0.4 g of protein per kg of body weight per meal, usually 25-40 g.

Example for someone weighing 75 kg with a target of about 135 g of protein (1.8 g/kg):

Our guide shows you how to calculate the protein in a meal like this, step by step: how to calculate a meal's macros.

Working out in the evening? No need to rush to the locker room with your shaker. A meal containing protein within a few hours before or after your workout is more than enough—the so-called anabolic window is much wider than old gym myths suggested.

Where to get protein: the best sources

Values are approximate and vary by brand. The easiest approach is to include one substantial protein source in each meal, then add smaller sources such as dairy, bread, grains, and legumes.

Protein powder? Convenient, but not essential. It's simply protein in powdered form—if you're reaching your target through food, you don't need to buy it. It can help if you're finding it hard to eat enough protein or need a quick snack on the go.

Protein while bulking on a plant-based diet

You can build muscle on a vegetarian or vegan diet, too—you just need to put in a little more effort. These approaches work well:

• aiming closer to the upper end of the range, about 2 g/kg,
• combining different sources throughout the day: legumes, tofu, tempeh, grains, nuts, and seeds,
• Choose foods that are high in protein per serving: tofu, tempeh, lentils, chickpeas, and soy protein.

Not gaining weight? What to check

If your weight hasn’t budged for 2-3 weeks and your strength in the gym has stalled too:

1. Check your calories — “I eat a lot” often turns out to mean less than your daily calorie needs. Add 150-200 kcal a day and monitor your progress for another 2 weeks.
2. Check your protein — track everything you eat for a few days and see whether you’re actually meeting your goal.
3. Check your training — are you adding weight or reps from week to week? Without progressive overload, your muscles have no reason to grow.
4. Check your sleep — with only five hours of sleep, recovery suffers, and so does your progress.

On the other hand, if your weight is rising very quickly—for example, by more than 1 kg per month despite having trained at the gym for a while—your calorie surplus is probably too large.

The easiest way to keep track of all this is with a food diary. EatSee calculates protein from meals you log with a photo, your voice, or a barcode, while the meal plan builds your day around your calorie and protein goals.

During pregnancy, while breastfeeding, if you’re under 18 years old, or if you have kidney disease, it’s best to discuss your protein intake with a doctor or dietitian.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace advice from a doctor or dietitian. Written by the EatSee editorial team. Editorial policy.