How much protein do I need to build muscle?

Research consistently lands around 1.6–2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight (roughly 0.7–1.0 g per pound). MuscleBuddy uses 2.2 g/kg for trained lifters in any phase, the top of that range, so you are never the reason it fell short.

Why does fat stay constant at 75 grams in the standard split?

Fat supports hormone production, and the commonly cited floor is around 0.6 g per kg of body weight. 75 g clears that for most adults, and holding protein and fat steady is what lets carbs flex with your calorie goal.

Do I need to track carbs strictly?

Carbs fill the calorie balance after protein and fat are set. Hitting your calorie and protein targets matters more than precise carb numbers, but consistent carb intake helps training performance and recovery.

What is a keto macro split?

Keto runs ~70% of calories from fat, moderate protein, and under 50 g of carbs per day. The calculator includes a keto preset that auto-shifts fat upward and carbs near zero.

Should I eat the same macros every day?

Constant macros work well for cuts and bulks where consistency is the priority. For more advanced goals, carb cycling (high/low days) or refeeds can preserve metabolic rate during prolonged dieting.

How often should I update my macro targets?

Every 4–6 weeks, or whenever your weigh-in trend stalls or runs off the rails. Macros that worked a month ago drift out of date as body weight changes.

Macro Calculator

Free macro calculator that splits daily calories into protein, fat, and carb grams. Supports cut, maintain, bulk, keto, low-carb, and high-protein presets.

A macro calculator splits your daily calorie target into the three macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrate) so you have a concrete number to aim at for each. Without this split, "eat 2,500 calories" is too vague to act on. With it, you know to hit ~165 g protein, 75 g fat, and the rest in carbs.

This tool sets protein first (2.2 g per kg of body weight), fat second (75 g as a floor by default, or higher for keto and low-carb), and lets carbs fill whatever calories are left. The order isn't arbitrary: protein is the macro doing the most for the muscle you're trying to keep or build, so it gets locked in before anything competes with it. MuscleBuddy uses the same order, then keeps adjusting the numbers against your weigh-in trend.

UnitsBiological sexBody weight

Height

Age

yrs

Activity levelGoalDiet style

Daily calories2635 kcal

Protein165 g

Carbohydrates325 g

Fat75 g

BMR 1699 · TDEE 2633 · Target 2633 kcal

How this works

The calculator runs in two stages. First it computes your maintenance calories (TDEE) from the Mifflin-St Jeor BMR formula multiplied by an activity factor, then it adjusts that baseline by ±500 kcal depending on whether you’re cutting, maintaining, or bulking. That gives you a target calorie level, but calories alone aren’t enough.

Stage two converts the calorie target into macro grams in a fixed order:

Protein: 2.2 g per kg of body weight (≈1 g per pound). That sits at the top of the range the research supports for trained lifters.
Fat: 75 g baseline (covers hormone production for most adults). Keto shifts to 70% of calories from fat; low-carb to 40%.
Carbs: fills the remaining calorie balance, typically 200–400 g for most lifters on a standard split.

Why protein stays high on a cut and a bulk alike: in a deficit it protects the lean mass your body would otherwise be willing to burn, and in a surplus it's the raw material for the muscle you're trying to add. Keeping it up costs you nothing you'd miss.

Why fat gets a floor instead of a percentage: your body builds steroid hormones, testosterone and estrogen, from dietary fat, and very low-fat diets are associated with lower hormone output. Research generally puts a sensible floor somewhere around 0.6–1.0 g/kg, and 75 g clears it for most body weights without you having to do the math.

Why carbs flex: they're the macro tied most directly to how your training feels, and the easiest one to move up and down as the day's calorie target changes. Carb cycling, high days on training and low on rest, is that same idea on a schedule.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein do I need to build muscle?: Research consistently lands around 1.6–2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight (roughly 0.7–1.0 g per pound). MuscleBuddy uses 2.2 g/kg for trained lifters in any phase, the top of that range, so you are never the reason it fell short.
Why does fat stay constant at 75 grams in the standard split?: Fat supports hormone production, and the commonly cited floor is around 0.6 g per kg of body weight. 75 g clears that for most adults, and holding protein and fat steady is what lets carbs flex with your calorie goal.
Do I need to track carbs strictly?: Carbs fill the calorie balance after protein and fat are set. Hitting your calorie and protein targets matters more than precise carb numbers, but consistent carb intake helps training performance and recovery.
What is a keto macro split?: Keto runs ~70% of calories from fat, moderate protein, and under 50 g of carbs per day. The calculator includes a keto preset that auto-shifts fat upward and carbs near zero.
Should I eat the same macros every day?: Constant macros work well for cuts and bulks where consistency is the priority. For more advanced goals, carb cycling (high/low days) or refeeds can preserve metabolic rate during prolonged dieting.
How often should I update my macro targets?: Every 4–6 weeks, or whenever your weigh-in trend stalls or runs off the rails. Macros that worked a month ago drift out of date as body weight changes.

Related tools

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