Calorie Surplus Calculator
A calorie surplus means eating more calories than you burn, giving your body the extra energy it needs to build muscle and gain weight. This calculator turns a weekly weight-gain goal into a concrete daily calorie target.
Fill in the form and select Calculate to see your result here.
What is Calorie Surplus?
This calculator converts a target rate of weekly weight gain into the daily calorie surplus required, using the same ~7,700 kcal-per-kg estimate used across our calorie calculators.
Calorie Surplus Formula
The weekly gain goal (in kg) is converted to a total weekly calorie surplus, then divided across 7 days to get a daily number, which is added to your maintenance calories.
Daily Surplus = (Weekly Gain Goal (kg) × 7700) ÷ 7 Target Calories = Maintenance Calories + Daily Surplus
Calorie Surplus Example
With 2500 maintenance calories and a 0.25 kg/week goal: daily surplus = (0.25 × 7700) ÷ 7 ≈ 275 kcal, so target calories = 2500 + 275 = 2775 kcal/day.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter your maintenance calories (from the TDEE Calculator).
- Choose your desired weekly weight gain rate.
- Select "Calculate" to see your daily surplus and target calorie intake.
Limitations
- A faster surplus increases total weight gained but also raises the proportion gained as fat rather than muscle — a smaller, steadier surplus is generally recommended for a leaner gain.
- 7,700 kcal per kg is a population average; individual results vary with training status, genetics and how new you are to resistance training.
- This is not personalized medical or dietary advice.