Understanding Macro-Based Diets Part 1: Macros, Maintenance, Health & Fitness
IFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) and CICO (Calories In, Calories Out) has become increasingly popular as a way to help guide diets, not just for weight loss, but in general health. Macros refer to carbs, fats, and proteins - the three nutrients a body needs to survive. Tracking macros can help figure out what kinds foods and ratio of foods work best for individuals, whether they are trying to lose or gain weight, or just want to eat more balanced.
Plateau?
It’s natural to see diminishing returns as you advance in fitness because the closer you get to your genetic limit, the harder and longer it takes to make progress. Most times when people complain about plateauing, what they’re really complaining about is not seeing the results they want fast enough. Properly managing expectations and accurately tracking your progress is key.
Clean Eating And IIFYM/CICO Are Actually The Same Thing
Clean Eating is a type of diet where you can eat as much as you want as long as the foods are “clean.” If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) is a diet where the specific foods don’t matter as long as you’re meeting certain calorie and macronutrient numbers. Both of these approaches are incomplete or unsustainable over the long term. Clean eating needs to be more flexible in the types of food that people eat either because for ease or enjoyment, and IIFYM has to include a wide variety of foods to ensure proper fiber and micronutrients.
How Do I Build Maximum Strength?
Training for strength is remarkably similar to training for any athletic goal, and a lot simpler than people make it out to be. Still, it’s very possible to mess things up by getting in your own head and having the wrong mentality and approach. Here, we go over what it takes to become as strong as humanly possible.
How Do I Build As Much Muscle As Possible?
Building muscle is a lot simpler than you think, if you know how to focus your energy. Here are the (shockingly simple) methods I’ve used to build elite levels of muscle mass, both for myself and my clients, over the past 20 years.