Lean Bulking - Myth or Reality? Q&A #1

Welcome to the first Leangains Letter Q&A. 

Today we're going to unravel some of the myths and realities of lean bulking.

Q: I'm lean bulking but deathly afraid of putting on fat. Currently eating 300 kcal above maintenance on training days (4x a week) and maintenance on rest days. Is this sufficient?

1. Unless you're closing in on your maximum muscular potential, a weekly surplus of 1200 calories is leaving gains on the table. Any beginner or intermediate lifter will do well on a net surplus of 2100-2500 calories per week. Women should cut those numbers in half.
2. There's no scientific evidence for a beneficial role of calorie cycling in optimising gains. If that sounds surprising, look around you. We live in a world where most people are fat and out of shape, or old and so fragile they break a hip from falling. Researchers focus on those people. Not 20-somethings looking to optimise gains. 
3. Just because something hasn't been proven by science, doesn't render it pointless. Much of what I did 10 years ago has since been validated in clinical trials and controlled studies, e.g. intermittent fasting and reverse pyramid training. There is more to come. Soon.
4. With caveat 2 and 3 in place, I would suggest +500 calories on training days and +100 calories on rest days for a net total of +2300 kcal/week. Women should do +250/+50. Rank beginners could go as high as +3500 kcal/week with favourable results thanks to the magic honeymoon period which lasts 3-6 months. 
5. The intermediate lifter should not expect linear gains of +5 lbs or +1 rep every week in accessory or pressing movements (bench, overhead press). For every 5 lbs of strength gained in the bench press, for example, it's reasonable to assume a body weight gain of 1-2 lbs. Indeed, increasing bench by 2.5 lbs for every pound of weight gained is good; increasing it 5 lbs for every pound of weight gained is outstanding and indicates very favourable ratio of muscle-to-fat gain. While lean bulking, however, gaining 1-2 lbs takes 2-3 weeks to achieve. Important to keep in perspective. All too often, I hear people say they've "stalled" just because they haven't seen increases in a lift in 2-3 weeks. In reality, they have gained strength and muscle, but the gain is too small to translate into an extra repetition (or an extra 5 lbs on the bar). The solution? Don't lean bulk - it's not for impatient types.
6. No matter how small or large the surplus, I've yet to encounter one who gained 100% muscle on a lean bulk. The best I've ever done personally was 2/3 muscle and 1/3 fat which I think is terrific, if not as good as it gets, at the intermediate level. This was back in 2006 when I first started intermittent fasting and I've yet to replicate those results since; see The Autumn Bulk. In clients however, I've replicated it many times and consider it a good measuring stick for a successful bulk.

This is a deep and complex topic - one I have many thoughts and ideas about. If you'd like me to revisit and expand upon it in future Q&As, please make your opinion heard in the poll.