Diet while blasting - how aggressive are you guys with the surplus?

[FLbodybuilder]

On my second cycle now, test e and dbol kickstart. Trying to figure out how aggressive to eat. Natty I would do a lean bulk at around 300-400 cals over maintenance. On blast I keep hearing you can push the surplus higher since you can control fat gain better. How much surplus are you actually running when blasting? Does it depend a lot on the compounds or is more always better?

[Mick AU]

I run about 600-800 over maintenance on a proper bulk blast. Test and deca specifically lets you get away with a bigger surplus without piling on fat the same way you would natty. That said individual response varies a lot. Start conservative and bump it up if the scale is not moving.

[Marc NL]

500 over maintenance has been my sweet spot. More than that and I start putting on fat faster than I want even on blast. The compound matters too - test only I can push higher, when on something like tren the calories practically do not matter as much.

[NYCgains]

Depends on your goal too. If you want maximum mass push the surplus. If you want a quality bulk and care about what shape you are in at the end, keep it moderate. I have done both and personally prefer the moderate approach - more sustainable and the quality of gain is better.

[BERLINER]

I run 500-600 over maintenance on a blast. In Germany food labels are quite accurate so I can track calories precisely. The precision actually helps - you know exactly what you are eating and can adjust systematically.

[MunichMarc]

I am on my first proper blast and trying to figure out calories too. Started at 400 over maintenance and gaining about 500g per week which seems reasonable. Not sure if I should push higher or stay conservative for a first run.

[Dutchman]

From a scientific standpoint the surplus question is more nuanced than people think. mTOR signaling that drives muscle protein synthesis is optimised at moderate rather than extreme surplus. Very large caloric excess does not proportionally increase gains but does increase fat storage. 500-700 over maintenance is likely optimal for most enhanced athletes.