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Calculating your macros for bodybuilding

Posted by Shawn

If you are a bodybuilder then you need to be fully aware of what macros are, how they function and the quantities you need every day. Your macros are proteins, fats and carbohydrates from which you get your energy to train, the requirements you need to repair the muscle damage done in the gym and the balance required to get results.

In just a few minutes you can get to an online macros calculator which will automatically calculate the macros you will need depending on your age, height, sex and body-type. The results of correctly balancing these three simple macros will be directly responsible for your testosterone and HGH levels as well as insulin.

If these macros get to you at the right time in the correct amounts, maximum muscle gain will be achieved in the shortest possible time. The timing and quantities of the macros you ingest every day will inevitably lead to an awareness of these vitally important macros.

Along with the knowledge of how to recognize and calculate the quantity of fat, protein or carbs in any food you eat should also include counting calories or at the very least a basic knowledge of calorie dense foods. If you can eat whole foods you will be doing yourself a big favor in maintaining any muscle building on a long-term basis.

Keeping a food scale in your kitchen along with a calorie counting guide with a few measuring cups is a good start when increasing your macros awareness. If you are not buying whole foods you will but processed foods which means it will have a detailed food label on it telling you exactly what is in it.

There are countless highly accessible apps available online that can help to make this process hassle free. Just knowing the basics like a boiled egg is 70 calories and a fried egg is 250 calories. Or a chicken breast is 140 calories with 26 grams of protein in it and 3 grams of fat can make all the difference when selecting macros correctly.

Just doing macros calculations in your head every time you eat will have you calculating these quantities in just a few weeks by simply looking at the food. Knowing what a meal is "worth" just by looking at it and knowing how it was prepared can be invaluable when calculating your macronutrients.

But macros are just the tip of the iceberg as these macronutrients break down into micronutrients like amino acids, minerals and fats that all make the process work. If you get into the habit of writing down what you eat you will be able to look back and know exactly why you are successful or not.

Creating a plan of attack is going to get you measurable results. For example within just a few minutes online you can get how many calories your body needs every day based on your age, sex, weight, height, the speed of your metabolism including your activity levels and what your ultimate goal weight is.

When you know your daily calorie requirement you then need your meal plan starting with something simple like 40/40/20 which means 40% of your daily calories are from protein, 40% from carbs and 20% from fat. If you convert these calories into grams then you will know exactly how to create a meal plan.

Something that will always help in macros calculations is:

One gram of protein = 4 calories.

One gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories

One gram of fat = 9 calories.

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