Assess Body Composition
20 minutesMeasure body fat percentage and calculate BMR to establish your metabolic baseline for nutrition planning.
Field context
This workflow is part of 6 niche fields
Fitness nutrition planning workflow with TDEE calculations, macro splits, meal timing strategies, and hydration targets aligned to your training goals.
Measure body fat percentage and calculate BMR to establish your metabolic baseline for nutrition planning.
Factor in training volume and daily activity to determine maintenance calories before setting bulk or cut targets.
Allocate protein, carbohydrates, and fats based on training goals — hypertrophy, endurance, or recomposition.
Structure pre- and post-workout nutrition using calculated macro targets to maximize performance and recovery.
Reassess body composition, recalculate BMR and macros, and adjust calories based on progress photos and performance.
Estimate body fat percentage using skinfold or Navy method. · Track body composition changes month over month.
Calculate basal metabolic rate as the foundation for TDEE. · Cross-reference BMR with activity multiplier for TDEE. · Recalculate BMR after significant weight change.
Determine total daily energy expenditure including activity. · Verify daily calorie total matches macro gram sum.
Split calories into protein, carb, and fat gram targets. · Calculate per-meal macro breakdown for training days. · Adjust macro ratios when switching between bulk and cut phases.
Recommended macronutrient splits for common fitness objectives.
| Goal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle Gain | 25–30% | 45–55% | 20–25% |
| Fat Loss | 30–35% | 35–40% | 25–30% |
| Endurance | 15–20% | 55–65% | 20–25% |
| Recomposition | 30–35% | 40–45% | 25–30% |
Eyeballing portions leads to 20–30% calorie estimation errors. Use a food scale until portions become intuitive.
Fat supports hormone production. Keep intake above 0.5 g/kg body weight even during aggressive cuts.
Creatine monohydrate (5 g/day) and vitamin D are evidence-backed. Everything else is marginal until nutrition is dialed in.
If your lifts are progressing, your nutrition is likely adequate regardless of what the scale shows.