BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the minimum number of calories your body needs just to stay alive while lying down and doing nothing. GymCalc uses the highly accurate Mifflin-St Jeor formula.
- Men —
10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) − 5×age + 5 - Women —
10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) − 5×age − 161
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is your total daily calorie burn, obtained by multiplying BMR by an activity factor. Sedentary is about 1.2, light exercise 1.375, moderate 1.55, active 1.725, and athlete level 1.9.
To cut, eat less than your TDEE; to bulk, eat more. A common recommendation is a −15–20% adjustment for cutting and +10–15% for bulking. GymCalc's nutrition calculator handles this whole process automatically.