If you don’t know what bodybuilding macros are, allow me to explain:
Macros is short for macro-nutrients. As a bodybuilder, you want to determine your macro-nutrient percentages to achieve your ideal physique.
If you’re good at math and know what you’re doing, see the short answer below. If you want an explanation and a helping hand along the way, continue reading this post.
Macros for bodybuilding short answer:
Protein – 40%
Fat – 20%
Carbs 40%
Macros for bodybuilding, detailed answer:
As for the detailed answer, we’re going to take 5 steps to create your fat burning, muscle building nutrition plan and determine your bodybuilding macros.
Before we get into that though, I have a useful chart below that will help you convert nutrients from grams into calories. I know it might sound a bit confusing, but I promise, by the end of this post it will make perfect sense. If it doesn’t, feel free to leave a comment below and I will do my best to help clarify things.
| Macronutrient | Calories Per Gram |
| Protein | 4 grams |
| Fat | 9 grams |
| Carbohydrates | 4 grams |
1. What is your goal? – Bulking or cutting?
2. Determine your daily maintenance calories -
If you chose to bulk, you are going to need to eat above your maintenance level – > Multiple your body weight by 18. That’s how many calories you should aim to eat each day.
Example: I weigh 200lbs. If I wanted to bulk up, I would consume 3,600 calories every day
If you choose to cut, you are going to need to eat below your maintenance level – > Multiple your body weight by12. That’s how many calories you should ai to each every day.
Example: I weight 200lbs. I’m currently cutting, so I’m aiming to consume about 2,400 calories every day.
3. Determine your daily protein requirements -
Aim to consume 1-1.5 grams of protein for every lb of body weight.
Most people think protein is most important during a bulk. Wrong. My protein intake is the highest when I am cutting. The reason for that is because when you are cutting, you are at risk of losing muscle mass if you are not careful. Keeping your protein intake high will preserve muscle.
So if you usually consume 1g of protein for each lb of body-weight, boost it to 1.5g of protein for each lb of body-weight while you are on your cut.
Example: I weight 200lbs and I am currently cutting, so my protein intake is 200-300 grams every day. For the sake of easy math, let’s say 250.
250 grams of protein is is equal to 1,000 calories. (250 gramsx 4calories per gram)
1,000 calories is 41% of my 2,400 total daily calories..
Most bodybuilding macros recommend 20%-30% of your calories come from fat.
Again, for the sake of easy math, I’m going to recommend 20% fat. You can adjust this as neccesary. I wouldn’t go above 30% or below 20%, though.
Example: My current daily calorie requirements are 2,400 calories/day. 20% of that is 480 calories. 480 calories/9 calories per gram of fat = 53g of fat per day
5. Determine your daily carbohydrate intake -
Your remaining calories should come from carbohydrates. Since 1,000 of my calories is coming from protein, and 480 of my daily calories are coming from fat, I have 920 calories left to consume every day. Those calories should come from carbs. 920 calories / 4grams per calorie = 230 grams of carbohydrates everyday.
At the end of our 5 step macros formula you should have come very close to reaching the bodybuilding macros that I recommended in the first part of my post. Protein – 40% , Fat – 20% , Carbohydrates – 40% – Don’t worry if it’s off a bit, everybody is different and you are going to need to experiment a little bit. However, if you are following the recommendations outlined in this post I guarantee you will see more results than the majority of people who have no plan at all when it comes to eating. Remember – What can be measured can be managed.
Note: Any calorie calculator or nutrition formula is only going to give you a good starting point. You should track your progress, if you haven’t gained/lost weight after a week or two alter your calorie intake by 250-500 calories.
P.S. If you want me to create your meal plan for you, check out this page: http://www.muscleclass.com/custom-plans-bamc
this is an exceptional guide keep up the good work
Hey Lekhu,
I’m glad you liked it. thanks for the kind words
Readers like you keep me going.
I second that, this is very helpful!
Hey Marvin,
I’m glad you found this useful. Keep me posted on your results using this method.
Sir i cannot thank you enough for this incredibly simple but informative article. I can finally start planning my diet more carefully to see better gains.
No problem Elvis, I really appreciate the positive feedback
I’m sorry but your telling me that theirs 4 calories per gram of protein, 9 calories per gram of fat, and 4 calories per gram of carbs?
Hey Lester! Thanks for commenting.
Yes, that is correct. Fat contains 9 calories. Protein & Carbohydrates contain 4 calories.
Thank you so much. Very easy to understand, especially for someone like me. *Bookmarked this page.
Awesome! Thanks, I’m happy I was able to help. If you liked this, you should check it the,free report I recently wrote. I think you’ll really like it. You can get it here: http://www.muscleclass.com/lmb
Is this the same for females?
Yes, but only the ones who want a sexy body!
I did the math and I’m a tad confused. I’m 5’6″ 139lbs and 2502 cals sounds really high, is it not? You’re the pro here and I’m the wanna be… Let me know … I’ve figured out : 2502 cals, Protein: 634.4 cals or 159.85g, Fat: 500.4 cals or 55.6g, Carbs: 1362.2 cals or 340.55 g. This seems off no?
Hey Seth,
Those numbers look about right, yes.
What did you choose as a goal? Bulking or cutting?
I am about to start a bulk,
would it be better to do a 50carb/ 30 protein/ 20 fat diet
or would you suggest the 40/40/20?
Bumping the carbs up to 45-50 should be fine.
However, what is your body-type?
If you tend to put on weight easily, I wouldn’t go to crazy with the carbs.
You want to add quality lean muscle, not fat.
40/40/20 is a great starting point that I recommend to all of my readers and customers,
but every body is different. So you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment with the percentages a little
bit and see how YOUR body reacts to the changes.
I hope this helps!
What about maintaining bodyweight once you have reached your desired weight ? Would you still use the 40/40/20 split ?
Yes, but those numbers are likely to change slightly as you gain/lose weight.
So if you started off at 250lbs and you reach 185lbs you’re going to get a different number of daily calories, protein, fats, and carbs.
Also, remember This is just a really good estimate for a starting point. Based on your body type you may find that you gain or lose weight easily and actually require more or less calories to maintain your body weight.
If you do the calculations, but are still gaining/losing weight when you want to be maintaining… increase/decrease your calories by a small number (250) until your weight stays consistent.
Hopefully that wasn’t too confusing
Ok… Hope I did this right. I weigh 137. I’m trying to cut.
Total intake calories: 1640
Total protein calories: 640
Total fat calories: 328
Total carbs calories: 672
This doesnt look right to me. Cut me slack, I’m a woman not a math expert.
Thank you in advance
Hey Jeannie, thanks for the comment! It’s nice to have some women around here haha.
Those numbers actually look perfect. I think the reason you feel like it doesn’t look right is because you haven’t converted the calories to grams yet.
For example, you’re not going to consume 640grams of protein! That’d be crazy.
So what you need to do is divide each of those numbers you gave me, by the number of calories in each gram of the macro-nutrient.
Total Protein: 640 calories / 4 = 160grams of protein
Total Fat: 328 calories / 9 = 36grams of fat
Total Carbs: 672 calories / 4 = 168grams of carbs
Do those numbers sound more realistic?
Remember, everybody is different. Depending on your body type, daily activity, etc you might find out that you’re losing weight to quickly, or not quickly enough. In which case, make small adjustments to your daily calorie intake. I’d start with consuming 200 calories less if you’re not losing weight, or 200 calories more if you’re losing weight too rapidly.
You are awesome! Thank you so much for responding and I’m glad to be on board… Hey, I act like a LADY but train like a man.
PS. Nice guns btw.
Have a wonderful weekend. J
I’m happy to help!
Sorry be that guy, but I just want to make sure this is correct. First off, I’m a 23, 6′, 187lb guy who is on a workout plan for isolated body parts 4 days a week. By your math I’ve arrived at the following:
Calories: 3366
Carbs (40%): 337g
Protein (40%): 337g
Fat (20%): 75g
isn’t that an awful lot of protein? will my body even use it all?
i remember reading something to the extent of 1 gram of protein per pound you weigh, or is that wrong? i’m just very excited about bulking right this fall for serious results in the spring. also, i won’t be super heavy after all this eating will i? (read: i can only wear sweatpants, ha) Thanks in advance for your help!
Hey,
You don’t have to be sorry! A few people were a bit confused.
I’ll try to clarify a bit:
First, remember – any formula or calculator is just going to give you a good starting point.
If you feel like 3,336 calories is too much you could try multiplying your bodyweight
by 16 or 17 and see if you are gaining at a steady pace. Then decide whether or not
to increase the calories.
Honestly though, I don’t think 3,336 calories for a bulk seems like a ton.
I understand that it’s not the overall calorie intake, but the amount of protein
that worries you, so let’s break it down.
The formula says you need to consume 3,336 calories to bulk.
40% of that is 337g of protein.
Some sources do recommend 1-1.5g of protein for each lb of body weight.
According to those methods you should consume 280g of protein.
And really, that’s only 57g of protein less than my formula.
That’s like one extra piece of chicken and a whey protein shake.
Let’s go deeper…
My formula recommends 3,336 total calories to bulk.
Let’s say you combine my formula and the other formulas.
After consuming the 280g they recommend, you still need to consume
another 228 calories to hit your daily calorie requirements.
Wouldn’t you agree that it’s better to make sure those 228 additional calories come
from a lean protein source like an extra piece of chicken, fish, steak
or a protein shake rather than getting those 228 additional calories from
a carb or fat source?
They’ve got to come from somewhere right?
Gotcha. Thanks man! I think I will try it your way. That way, if I happen to fall a little short calorie wise on certain days, I’ll still be in a good area. I was wondering, however, about including cardio to minimize fat gains. I am using the Expert 4 day work out in the Fitness Buddy app and using MyFitnessPal to keep track of my macros. In short, how many days do you think I should I run before or after my workout and should I run as long as it takes to burn the fat calories? I appreciate your quick feedback, keep up the good work!
Cool, glad I could help man. You’re going to be seeing progress in no time!
About cardio…
If you gain and hold onto weight easily, like me, I’d do some low to medium intensity cardio 2-3 times a week for 15-20 minutes.
Something like the stair stepper, walking on the treadmill on an incline, low intensity jogging, etc.
If you find it hard to put on size, like a hard gainer, I wouldn’t do much cardio at all. Maybe 1 or 2 cardio sessions just to keep
your heart strong. Something low intensity low walking on an incline.
Thanks again man!
Hey man thanks for the info, hopefully this will help my bulking more! Follow if you have twitter @ColinWood08
Thank you, you explained this very well.
Hi, i just want to start off by saying thank you for your time and effort you’ve put into this website. it has really put the confusion in my mind at rest. but i just have one question for you.
So i’ve just come off my bulk and am ready to start my cut, but i’ve heard that before you start a cut you should first start off with your maintenance calories for like 2 weeks so that you don’t lose your gains that you’ve just put on! But the thing is, i would like to know your method on finding your maintenance calories and also how much Carbs, Protein and Fats you should be consuming during maintenance.
Thank you and have a great day mate!
I always keep the % the same. So carbs would remain at 40%, however the maintenance calories I would do Bodyweight x 15 (Again, like I’ve said over and over it’s just going to give you an estimate)
Hello Anthony,
Just started trying to understand all this. What I’m going for is increase muscle while decreasing by fat %. I think this is considered bulking or?? Anyhow, I’m at 112lbs so if I follow the 40/40/20 it would be:
2016 calories
402 cals/45g Fat
807 cals/202g Protein
807 cals/202g Carbs
I honestly don’t eat that much in a day.. Just seems like a lot to me!
Hey Claire,
It’s honestly not a lot if you’re training hard in the gym with weight son a regular basis
Give it a shot and track your progress.
Also, don’t forget I do custom diets and workout routines via email.
If you’re interested all you have to do is email me at anthmyers@gmail.com
This was a very helpful article, thanks for all the help information!!! I am currently starting a 4-5 week cutting phase; so far I am aiming at 2,000 calories, which after my own adjustments comes out to: 191.25 g protein, 209.75 g carbs, and finally 44 g for fat. I used a set protein multiplier of 1.25g times my weight, 153 lbs, then I calculated my fat, then put the rest into carbs. Do you think a cutting phase should be higher in protein and lower in carbs, or am I at a good starting point? I am mainly doing a cutting phase in order to shed a little body fat from my midsection, so that my abs will show more.
Hey Joe, I think you’re at a good starting point. I would track your progress for 2 weeks before making any alterations though
Hey Anthony, I’m pretty excited about continuing with this diet for a while to come and seeing how my body reacts to it. One question though.
I’ve been told by a few people that your body can only process 30g of protein at a time, but I should be taking in 364g a day. How should I do this?
First, that’s false your body can process more than 30g. I remember hearing the same myths when I first started working out.
Second, split the 364 up into 5-6 meals. So each time you eat it would be ~60g of protein or so.
Hey i weigh 150 lbs i’m trying to bulk so my calorie intake is 2700 but i tried it with 1g of protein for every 1lb of weight and my numbers didn’t make sense so i tried 1.5g per 1 lbs and it still didn’t work out quite right so heres my current numbers: 225g protein 60g fat and 315g carbs any feedback at all would be a big help i’m not exactly a mathematician.
Hey Jasper,
That sounds pretty good to me
Sounds like you did it right.
Hi, Thanks for the great article. Ok, so I am looking to bulk(and already inadvertently have by a few pounds the past 6 weeks) based on the calculations here, i need to consume 2,718 calories a day (151 x 18) is there a problem if I go OVER this number or should I shoot for this number approximately? Thanks for any further advice! -Jeff
Hey Jeff,
A couple of things to consider…
First, when dealing with any sort of ‘calorie calculator’ or ‘formula’ you need to take the results with a grain of salt.
EveryBODY (literally) is different. It’s going to take some experimentation to find your sweet spot. My formula gives an
awesome ballpark estimate, but you should track your progress closely and alter your calorie intake based on your results.
Whether you are trying to cut or bulk, I only recommend increasing or decreasing your calories by 100-250 calories at a time.
No need to increase or decrease by 500-1000 calories.
Second, since your goal is to bulk up I want you to understand that any bulking period is going to mean a bit of extra fat added.
If you go higher than 2,718 calories you will be fine, but expect a bit of fat to accompany the new found muscle you will be adding.
Honestly, it’s nothing to worry about. You can get rid of it with a bit of cardio when you’re ready.
I just wanted to make you aware. So, yes, you can go over 2,718. However I wouldn’t go in excess of 3,500.
I hope that makes sense Jeff
I am going to do a cut. I am at 240# right now and am 6 feet tall. I want to cut to 200 and then bulk back up. Would a 40/40/20 macro diet work well for this cut or would a CKD carb cycling diet be better?
Am looking to cut to 200 while preserving as much LBM as I can. Then bulk up to 225 and stay around there,
I will also be doing 5×5 2 times a week with hypertrophy 2-3 times a week also. PHAT Training. Doing cardio after workout 2-3 times a week. And HIIT sprints once a week.
What would you recommend?
Thanks
If you can handle the carb cycling I’d say it’s worth a try. I know a lot of people that have had great experience doing a carb cycling or intermittent fasting program resulting in fast fat loss.
My first recommendation is always to follow a simple calorie deficit and perform cardio on a regular basis. If you’re still having trouble dropping weight after 4 weeks I’d give intermittent fasting/carb cycling a shot.
Good like Rey
Great read! Don’t know why it’s taken me soo long to find this! Not sure if I have done this right. I thought it would be alot more?
I am 19, 6ft weight 76kg (167lbs). I have been training for a year and before I started I was 60kg. However I have been stuck on 77kg for about 3months I eat every hour and half as much as poss but doesn’t seem to be helping. Used your above formula is this right:
3,006 cals to bulk
PROTIEN: 250grams of protein a day (that takes up 1k cals)
FAT: 20% of 3k cal = 600 cal = 66grams of fat a day
CARBS: 1,400 remaining = 350grams a day
Please help would highly appreciate it. Just very frustrated I am not growing. After spending a good year at the gym and saw massive change its a total mind f^&^&
That plan sounds right! What exactly do you need help with? I’m here to help Dervis
Everything became quite clear after reading the entire post, wrote down my numbers but I figured I could write them here as well.
I went to another calculation site before and their results were a bit different, but they didn’t consider bulks/cuts, just “insert your kg/lb” and it calculated it, so this seems more proper.
The other site told me ~2000Cals, ~175gProt, ~43gFats & ~220gCarbs.
Your calculations:
I am 21, 5.7ft, weight 70kg (155lbs), bulking.
Cals: 2790
Prot: 230g (40% should land on 279 though)
Fat: 62g (Exactly 20%)
Carbs: 328g (40% again on 279)
Prot Cals: 920 (230*4)
Fat Cals: 558 (62*9)
Carbs Cals: 1312 (328*4)
Total: 2790
Should I go for 230g of protein and 328g of carbs which would be a more dirty bulk, or go with 279g of protein and 279g of carbs which would be more of a lean bulk in your opinion?
Long post I know, just wanted to get everything in.
Hey Daniel,
Don’t worry about the long post. That’s what I’m here for.
Personally, I don’t like “dirty” bulking. I try to add the least
amount of additional calories possible that it takes to see results.
No sense of gaining extra fat, ya know?
So I’d go with the lean bulk.
You’re going to see results either way. If you do the dirty bulk I’d
throw in 1-2 days of light cardio just to keep the fat at bay.
Thanks for your reply. Basically i dont know what im doing wrong. Im into my second year of training about 15months in total and passed 3 months i dont seem to be gaining weight. i havent changed anything as it seemed to be working. It defo not my routine as i change it every 6weeks and i train hard and smart. Im sure its my diet but i dont know what? Any advice?
It’s most definitely in your diet.
Would you be able to tell me EXACTLY what you eat on an average day?
Also tell me your height, weight, age.
19, 77kg (170lbs?), 6ft
8am – 1 boiled egg, toast and jam whey protien shake.
9.30am – porridge
11am – Tuna sandwhich with white bread
12pm – same as above
1.30pm – lunch (usually pasta and chicken, rice and chicken or lamb meat and potatoes or spag)
2.30/3pm – flap jack or apple coated in peanut butter
4.30pm – fruit such as grapes plum. If its another apple il coat it in peanut butter
5.45pm – banana before i hit gym and whey protien shake again
7pm – whey protien again and dinner – what ever mum cooks similar to my lunch e.g. Rice and chicken with spoonfuls of yoguart, spaghetti, rice, lamb, and other traditional turkish food.
10pm – deserts and then bed.
Hope this helps, thanks for your help.
Hey Dervis,
Sorry for the delay.
If your goal is to gain weight I’d do a few things things.
First, eat a bigger breakfast. 1 egg is NOTHING. I usually eat 4-5 whole eggs at a time.
Second, add more calories to the protein shake by mixing with MILK (not water)
Third, don’t be afraid to eat dirty. It sounds like your body is able to handle a lot of calories
without gaining too much weight. I have the opposite body, if I look at food I gain weight!
If you’re really finding it hard to gain weight, you could try extreme strategies like hitting
the buffet once a week or doing GOMAD (Gallon Of Milk a Day).
I’ve never done GOMAD, but I’ve heard good things. When I was trying to bulk up I would drink a lot
of chocolate milk after my workouts. It’s an easy 800 calories, I would just stop at a grocery store
and grab a 1 liter of chocolate milk and drink it on my way home. Lots of protein, it taste delicious,
lots of calories, and it’s cheap.
Thanks for the advice! Yes I am cautious of eating dirty! I only eat one cheat meal a week, funnily enough its usually a chinese buffet or similar! I will increase my ‘dirty meals’ and change my shake to milk. My breakfasts are pretty bad as im in a rush to get to work. But will attempt to wake up earlier. When you say chocolate milk i guess you mean chocolate milkshake?
I highly appreciate your advice hopefully i can come back in a few months and show you some progress! Keep up the good work.
No problem!
When I say chocolate milk, no not a milkshake, literally chocolate milk
This is exactly what I drank after my workout:
fantastic! great read, really enjoyed it… shall be starting monday after i have got my calculator out over weekend!! thank you
Start tomorrow! Monday never comes
Something that will definitely help you eith the eating portion (the most important part) of
fitness/bodybuilding is this cook book. I’ve recommended it 100x and I’ll recommend it 100 more.
Everybody that has ever downloaded it has sent me an email and thanked me for the recommendation.
It’s simply awesome! My highest recommendation
check it out here:
http://www.muscleclass.com/muscle-building-cook-book
Hey, i got a question. With what number should i calculate my maintenence weight?? would it be 15?
Hey Elvijs,
Yes your bodyweight x 15 would give you a good estimation of your maintenance calories
Antonio! Help!
Alright: 44 years old, 190 lbs, 5’10″ med build
By the math for bulking up:
3420 calories (190×18)
190g/760 calories protein (190 x 1) = 22%
76g/684 calories fat (3420x.20) = 20%
494g/1976 calories carbs = 58%
Is that a good ratio? (Not the 40/20/40) If my protein was 40% of my calories, I’d have to consume 342g, right?! ([3420x.4]/4)
Is that ratio so far off because I’m bulking? Or did I mess something up?
Thanks for your help!
Hey Rich,
If you’re bulking it’s totally okay to increase the carbs and decrease the protein a little bit, so yes your
ratios would work as well.
I find that I need the most protein when I’m cutting, actually – to help preserve the muscle I worked so hard to earn.
A lot of people lose muscle and fat at a 1:1 ratio when they try cutting for the first time. That’s no good.
I try to let everybody know that any formula or calculator is only a ballpark estimate. I’ve actually been considering
reworking this article to make it more detailed based on an individual goals
I’d aim for 225-250g of protein and a little less carbs than 494g, just to keep the fat from creeping up on your belly while you bulk.
Hi there, thanks for the helpful article!
So I calculated 1392 for cutting (I am 116 lbs; 160cm tall)
Do I stick to this caloric intake regardless of whether its a training day or rest day? Or do I eat back calories I burn through exercise/eat less calories on rest days?
I know everyone says not to go under 1200 cal..and with regard to macronutrients is it based on the percentages 40:40:20 or do I keep protein constant e.g. At 1.5g of protein per pound body weight?
Thanks.
I’d consume 250 less on the days you don’t train. Ideally cut back on those calories via carbs.
Hi, please help I dont know what I’m doing here with my diet .. I’m 5’2 .. 100 lbs (55 kilos) and want to bulk.. But without getting fat or being able to maintain and have nice abs.. Ive gain weight before but ate pretty much anything .. Please help me understand how to build mass but with nice abs and no love handles
Hey Vanessa, I’d love to help you.
Could you send me an email to anthmyers@gmail with a little more details about your goals?
I can definitely help you put together a plan to achieve your goals.
Hey Anthony I’m 6.1 and 200 lbs. I have decent muscle and size already but I need to make 2013 my year!! So Im around 20% body fat just estimate as I don’t no and I was just wondering weather to cut now or bulk then cut for the summer as it’s still off season (winter)?? Is there any way you could sort out a eating plan to follow…. Thanks
Hey Luke, thanks for the comment, dude!
I’d definitely suggest you cut. My recommendation is that if you’re over 15% body fat you concentrate on leaning down first
before bulking up and adding even more unnecessary fat.
I’d love to help you design an eating plan.
Send me an email to anthmyers@gmail.com and we can talk about how I can help you.
Thanks again dude,
Best of luck to you!
- Anthony Myers.
Do I calculate my Macros based on my Total Body Weight or my Lean Body Mass?
Great question, and definitely something I should note in the article. In my example it was based on total body weight, because not many people know their LBM, and if they do know their LBM, they don’t usually have access to the equipment to continually test their LBM as they gain/lose weight. If you know your LBM, I would definitely calculate macros based on LBM, that would be ideal. That way you’re not taking into consideration extra weight that you DONT want to feed.However, calculating based on total body weight will work fine for most people. Rmember, any calculator or nutrition formula is only going to give you a ballpark estimate anyway. You need to watch your body, measure, and make changes as needed as you go along.
I hope that helps Jason.
So i’m planning to go on a cut, my body weight is 178 lbs. i followed your key guide to get my calorie intake. daily protein 213 grams, 854 calories from protein. 213 grams of carbs, 854 calories from carbohydrates. 47 grams of fat, 427 calories coming from fats. is this correct? and also if it isn’t much to ask, do you have any great foods for cutting?
Thanks!!
Hey Fernando!
That sounds perfect, man
As for foods – chicken breast, brown rice, oatmeal, protein shake, nuts, vegetables, eggs, lean beef such as steak, venison, etc, fish if you like it (i hate it!),
hot sauce, zero calorie drinks like water and crystal light.
That stuff get’s boring quick, so my girlfriend and I try to cook something from this cookbook at least once a week:
http://www.muscleclass.com/bc-akitchen
Okay thank you so much! now when on a cut should cardio be done and should i recalculate my macros as i lose weight.
Fernando,
I would definitely do cardio on a cut. If it’s hard for you to lose weight, sprinting is amazing for fat loss. I also love jumping rope, and HIIT training.
Give those a shot
Yes, recalculate your calories as you lose weight. Once a month should be good.
Sorry to bother you again, I’m just a dude who wants to better himself haha. so i am trying to get all of my macro nutrients down, but I feel that i find myself outweighing Either Carbs/Protein/Fats (not drastically) on meal plans. Is it ok that 1 is slightly higher on grams than the other or should everything be on point. I find it difficult since foods tend to have either more protein than carbs and vice versa. Thanks again Anthony!!
Hey dude, no problem, you’re not bothering me. This is my passion
I’m happy to help.
It doesn’t have to be pinpoint, it’s totally okay if 1 is slightly higher in grams than the other.
Hi I need some help! I am currently 117lbs and I workout almost everyday cardio/lifting. I am trying to gain lean muscle but I wouldn’t consider it bulking. I also currently eat 1800 cals 231gram protein 156g carbs and 34g fat. 50%protein 34%carbs and 16% fats. I want to know what my macros should really be looking like! THANK YOU!
Hey Shannon, I just seen this comment. I usually get an email whenever somebody leaves a comment on my site, but I haven’t got notified the past few comments. IF you want to email me, I can help you devise a plan. My email is anthmyers@gmail.com
Hey there i was wondering if you could help me out with my Macros that i worked out, i think i may of gone wrong somewhere as I’m terra-bad at math haha here is what i worked out…
My aim is to Cut -
Im 210lbs and around 20% BF
2520 Cal
315g Protein
56g Fat
189g Carbs
Is that right or have i indeed messed something up? any and all advice / help would be greatly appreciated!
Also is it ok to get the majority of my Protein from shakes?
Thanks
Looks perfect, break it up into 5-6 meals and youll be golden, let me know if you need help designing a meal plan
Well I’m shocked i got the math right haha but sure would love some help with a meal plan
It doesnt have to be perfect, just close! Lol. You keep an eye on your progress and then make changes as you go.
Shoot me an email anthmyers@gmail.com and ill see what we can do about gettin you a meal and workout plan dude
Hey Anthony, I’m 25 years old, I weigh 125, and I’m 5’1′ – 5’2′. I’m guessing I want to cut since I want to lose a little bit of weight and gain definition. Correct me if I’m wrong there. My calorie intake to cut is 1500 calories. Since proteins are supposed to be 1-1.5g per pound of body weight I have set my protein at 40% which puts me at 150g of protein that’s outs me at more than my body weight but not quite 1.5. Now for fat and carbs I wasn’t sure how to go about that. I ended up doing 30% fat and 30% carbs. Do you think that is a good idea or should I cut fat to 20% and make carbs 40%, please help lol. I would also like some help on meal planning. It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
There’s no fire, relax Lindsay, we’re gonna get you in shape! Lol
.
Okay, first the protein is fine at 40%, but before I tell you to increase/decrease your fat/carbs I’d like to know more about your body type
are you the type that gains weight easily if you eat carbs? If so, go with 30/30 fat/carbs, if you’re not carb sensitive you could do 40 carb and 20 fat.
Make sure the fat is coming from a healthy source Lindsay.
Or you can just have me do all the work for you
http://www.muscleclass.com/custom-plans/
I just launched this service 2 days ago and I have had over 10 requests already! I’m so excited
if you’d like to get a custom plan check that page out or write me an email to anthmyers@gmail.com
and we will get you all taken care of.
Lol thanks Anthony! I’m not really sure if I’m carb sensitive or not. I’ve worked out faithfully for a couple years now doing beachbody workouts mainly. P90x, insanity, pump, etc. recently started doing hot yoga weekly and some boxing. I’ve always tried to eat good, but I guess good hasn’t been good enough so recently I’ve started learning about clean eating, what eating clean really is, and macros. Maybe that’s where my problem is. I guess 30/30 carbs/fat is where I should start? Since I’m not sure on how sensitive I am.
That sounds like a solid plan!
Oh and if I had to guess I’d say I am either a mesomorph or a endomorph. I say mesomorph because I pretty much can eat what I want lol and I don’t consider myself chubby but idk mesomorph is my guess but I could be wrong. I’m also a lot like my dad. I have muscle and I’m strong. My thigh muscles are ridiculous lol. I’ve always heard people say I have an athletic build if that helps. It would be awesome if you could get me on the right track with food.
Lucky! Sounds like my girlfriend, she eats pretty much whatever she wants and still has that “Victoria Secret” body type. The good thing about girls like you two is that with just a little work you can seriously have an amazing body, like a model/bikini competitor body within 6 months. My cousin was exactly the same way, she became a professional IFBB and WBFF bikini competitor pretty quickly because of her body type.
I’d love to help you design a meal plan, like I said, I just launched this service on my website where I design custom workout routines and meal plans
and I’d love to have you as a customer.
If it’s something you’re interested in please shoot me an email anthmyers@gmail.com
I’ll hook ya up
Awesome write up can’t wait to start it. Just to double check my breakdown (like everyone else :p) I’m 5’9 165
3000 calories a day:
250 grams protein (1000 calories)
66 grams of fat (600 calories)
350 grams of carbs (1400)
I see a lot of people saying doesn’t matter what you eat as long as it fits your macros. I still can’t shake to think that eating healthier foods would be a better option, what’s your opinion? Also, is there any app you’d recommend to track your daily macros progress? Thanks again for the article and how active you are on it. That’s rare to see and pretty awesome on your part
Hey JonV,
First, I wouldn’t agree with those people saying it doesn’t matter what you eat. At least not 100%
Here’s a great video by Layne Norton about that subject though:
I don’t really use an app to track my macros, I just use a pen and paper to write down my meals.
I’m kind of old-fashioned
should I recalculate macros weekly or should I use the same macros till I stop loosing weight. btw good explanation. thanks in advance
Hey Hitesh,
Recalculate when you stop losing weight. Weekly would be way too much work!
Sorry for the delay, my website has an error that took a few days to fix. I couldn’t login!
Take care, feel free to ask any other questions.
Great write up and awesome informative but simple information! I plan on starting my cut soon and I was hoping you could double check my numbers for me. Right now I’m 165lbs and 5′ 10″.
2000 calories
248 grams of protein (1000 calories)
45 grams of fat (400 calories)
150 grams of carbs (600 calories)
I feel like the fat is pretty high for a cut like the one I’m going for. What do I need to adjust and thank you in advance!
Hey Millarg,
It actually seems pretty good to me, but what’s your body type before I give you any instructions?
Do you hold gain weight/hold onto fat easily, but find it hard to lose weight?
Were you always a skinny child?
Or is gaining muscle and burning fat pretty easy for you?
I was always somewhat skinny as a kid, but gained a little weight throughout my teen years. As soon as I started eating right and lifting I lost 20 lbs of fat really quickly and put on a good amount of muscle. I would have to say I’m a mesomorph to be literal. Thanks for the reply!
If you’re a mesomorph, hitting the gym 5x a week with moderate to heavy weights, and doing 1-2x a week cardio, and keeping your diet clean you should see great progress. Mesomorph is the ideal bodytype man, count your blessings!
Im cutting im so bad at math i mean horrible Can you help me. I weigh 148 and Im 5’2″ and Im lifting to get lean/cut. Just started actually. I can’t do math anything but math thank you
I’d love to help you, shoot me an email anthony@muscleclass.com
Hi Anthony,
My name is Lauren. Thank you for the great info on this site. I’ve recently gotten into working out and eating clean. My question for you is.. Should my biggest carb meal be post workout?
I do weights and legs and some cardio. I’m trying to cut not bulk. I workout 5-6 times a week and I’m trying to come up with a good meal plan for myself. But some things that I think are good now that I’m doing the math it doesn’t seem as good. Tonight I made ground turkey with brown rice and black beans. Doing the math on a calorie counter app my numbers are coming to: 369 calories, 13g of fat, 25g of protein and 55g of carbs. I’m about 128lbs 5’3. So does that seem like high numbers to you for 1 meal!?
Sorry I’m new to this and just a little confused.
Hey Lauren,
My girlfriend’s name is Lauren, too. What a coincidence!
About carbs – Yes, post workout and in the morning tend to be the best time to take most of your carbs in.
The overall calories doesn’t seem high at all to me, probably because most of my meals are 600+ calories, however
the carbs are a little high. Is this your post-workout meal? If so, it looks pretty good. If not, bring the carbs
down a little bit and increase the protein. Maybe consider adding a little more ground turkey, a little less brown rice,
and maybe even a protein shake?
Don’t be sorry, it’s fine that’s what I’m here for.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Wow, six months later and you’re still answering questions. Awesome! I’m 5’2″, weigh 150 lbs, and have a high BMI. My goal is to lose weight and cut. Based on your formula I calculated: Calories: 1,800; Protein: 150 grams (600 calories, 33%);
Fat: 40 grams (360 calories, 20%); Carbs: 210 grams (840 calories, 47%). Does this sound right? I won’t just maintain my weight instead of lose? Thank you so much for providing useful information.
Hey Adriana,
That sounds about right, but like I say in the article – Any calorie calculator or formula is only going to give you a ballpark estimate.
You’re going to need to track your progress on a weekly basis and determine whether you need to cut the calories back or not.
If you’re working out hard, you’re also going to be burning a lot of calories from those workouts and cardio, so you should lose weight.
If your body is being stubborn and just won’t budge, cut calories back slowly, like 200 calories/day at a time. Don’t go overboard and
cut back 750 calories because the scale wouldn’t budge. Make small changes and you’ll see big results
Great Job!The best forum by far. I am 2 weeks into my cut. I bulked up to 205 lbs, 5’11″ and 17% bf. I have my macros on training days at 40% C, 40% P,20% F. 2900 cal (4 days a week of weights and HIT). On rest days, 30%C, 40%P, 20% F. 2200 cal.
My goal is to get to 10%BF…185lbs. I figure that would take about 5 months.
Could you offer your opinion?
Hey Fisher,
I personally don’t think it should take any longer than 3 months if you stick to your diet.
I like that you calculated two sets of calories, one for workout days, and one for rest days.
This is a good strategy that I have been considering writing about.
If you were to start doing this TODAY (May 1st) there’s no reason you couldn’t have visible abs and
look real good come 4th of July.
I’d kick up the cardio, stick to mostly chicken, vegetables, oatmeal, brown rice, and crystal light.
Basically, I’d diet like I was getting ready for a bodybuilding show.
The fat would melt off dude, you’re going to look great if you do this.
Anthony,
I am 1 month into my cut and progress is great. Down 8lbs in 4 weeks. Abs are starting to show, arms, shoulders, chest, and back are showing separation. I adjusted my cal. intake for my current weight. One quick question, i finding that i am getting hungrier between my meals. My meals are 2.5 hours apart, (6 meals resting days / add pre and post meals for work out days). Does this mean my metabolism is speeding up? Should I be adjusting my frequency? or go back to my old cal. intake?
Since you’re on a cut I presume that you’re training harder, doing more cardio, and eating leaner meals – meaning less carbs, probably no sweets, etc? If so, this is the reason for your increase in appetite, totally normal Fisher
. I honestly wouldn’t adjust the frequency or increase the calories – you said it yourself, you’re seeing results. This is just the nature of the beast, when you’re on a cut you will tend to be more hungry. You could try the ECA stack, which I myself love (ephedrine, caffiene, asprin) in low doses as it acts as an appetite suppressor.
I’m looking for a nice way to tell you to MAN UP haha, only kidding.
feel free to shoot me an email and I can take a look at your current diet and see if I notice any holes in it – anthony@muscleclass.com
Hahaha! Man up! I like that one.
Thanks for the quick response Anthony. I will shoot you an email with my diet.