Calculators for Strength Training

The ten tools

The evidence-based strength workflow

Set the calorie floor. TDEE + Maintenance Calorie Calculator give your baseline. Cuts run 15–25% below; bulks run 200–500 kcal above. Recomposition (most beginners) runs at or slightly below maintenance with high protein.

Set protein. Protein Calculator gives the floor (1.6 g/kg general, 1.8–2.2 cut, up to 2.4 elite athlete). At higher body fat, use Lean Body Mass Calculator and apply Helms 2014\'s 2.3–3.1 g/kg LBM for a more accurate target. Per-meal: 0.4 g/kg every 3–4 hours (Phillips 2009 leucine threshold) for optimal MPS stimulation.

Set training max. 1RM Calculator from a true 3RM or 5RM gives your estimated 1RM; take 90% of that as your "training max" for any percentage-based program. Re-test every 8–12 weeks. The 1RM percentages drive Wendler 5/3/1, Sheiko, Starting Strength linear progression, and most modern strength templates.

Track body composition, not just scale weight. Body Fat % Calculator (US Navy tape method) gives ±3–4% accuracy vs DEXA when measured carefully. Monthly measurements catch muscle gain that gets masked by scale weight stalls. During a cut, losing 1 lb/week of which 0.2 lb is muscle is a great outcome; the scale alone won\'t reveal that split.

The protein evidence — Morton 2018, Phillips 2009, Helms 2014

The Morton et al. 2018 meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine pooled 49 randomised controlled trials with 1,863 participants and established the dose-response plateau for protein and lean mass gains at 1.62 g/kg/day. Below that point, more protein reliably produced more muscle. Above it, additional grams produced statistically insignificant gains. For anyone doing structured resistance training, 1.6 g/kg is the evidence-based floor.

The Phillips & Van Loon 2009 work in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition established the per-meal threshold for fully stimulating muscle protein synthesis at 0.4 g/kg per meal — roughly 25–40g for most adults. Distributing daily protein across 3–4 meals each meeting this threshold produces more total MPS than the same daily total eaten in two larger boluses.

Helms et al. 2014 in JISSN reviewed natural lifter contest prep and recommended 2.3–3.1 g/kg of lean body mass during caloric restriction — which works out to 1.8–2.2 g/kg of total body weight for most recreational lifters. Above 2.4 g/kg, no additional benefit was found.

Related

• Tools for weight loss
• Tools for CGM users
• Science posts

FAQ

What protein target should I actually use?

The Morton 2018 meta-analysis (BJSM, 49 RCTs, 1,863 subjects) established 1.62 g/kg/day as the dose-response plateau for lean mass gains from resistance training. For cuts, Helms 2014 recommended 2.0–2.4 g/kg of total body weight (or 2.3–3.1 g/kg of LBM if you have a body fat measurement). For maintenance and recreational training, 1.6 g/kg is the evidence-based floor; above 2.4 g/kg, additional protein produces no measurable benefit. The Protein Calculator handles the multipliers; the Lean Body Mass Calculator gives you the LBM input for more precise targets at higher body fat.

Do I need to test a real 1RM, or are estimates enough?

For competitive powerlifters, yes — real singles are necessary for peaking and meet prep. For everyone else, rarely. The 1RM Calculator using a 3RM or 5RM input gives you a reliable training max (90% of estimated 1RM) for programming 5/3/1, Sheiko, Starting Strength, or any percentage-based template. Greg Nuckols and the Stronger By Science consensus: under-10-rep estimated 1RM is the practical standard for non-competitors, with much lower injury risk than testing maximal singles.

Should I bulk, cut, or recomposition?

Beginners (first 6–12 months of structured lifting): recomposition at maintenance calories with high protein (1.8 g/kg+) works — you'll gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously thanks to the "newbie gains" effect. Intermediate lifters under 15% body fat (men) / 23% (women): conservative bulk at +200–300 kcal above maintenance. Above 20% body fat (men) / 28% (women): cut to lower body fat first, then bulk. The Maintenance Calorie Calculator finds your baseline; the Calorie Deficit Calculator handles cuts.