When you’re already 265–290 lbs, a 300–500 calorie surplus is usually plenty.???

At that bodyweight, smaller surplus limits fat gain.

Big guys grow fine without massive calorie overkill.

Lean gains come easier with conservative surplus calories.

At 280 pounds, recovery not calories limits growth.

More food just adds fat when already heavyweight.

Surplus sweet spot shrinks as bodyweight climbs higher.

Strength progress doesn’t require endless calorie loading either.

Maintenance plus slight surplus keeps composition tighter overall.

Heavier lifters waste calories chasing unnecessary bulking phases.

Slow surplus beats aggressive eating at higher weights.

Digestive stress increases before muscle gains at size.

Calorie efficiency matters more once you’re already big.

Food quality matters more than sheer surplus numbers.

Big frames recomp easier with modest calorie increases.

Excess calories often worsen insulin sensitivity at size

Training stimulus drives growth, not massive overeating alone

Scale weight rises faster than muscle past calories.

At high bodyweight, surplus tolerance drops significantly overall.

Smaller surplus supports longevity, joints, and digestion better.

Eating more won’t fix recovery or programming mistakes.