Are you looking to take your health and fitness to the next level? Whether you want to build muscle, lose fat, or just feel your best, tracking your macronutrient intake is key. But with so much conflicting info out there, it can be hard to know where to start.
That‘s where Legion Athletics comes in. This premium sports nutrition brand makes it easy to dial in your nutrition with their free macro calculator and line of high-quality supplements.
In this comprehensive review, I‘ll give you an inside look at Legion Athletics, explain how their macro calculator works, and share my experience using it to reach my own fitness goals. I‘ll also highlight some of their most popular products that can help you hit your daily macro targets.
By the end, you‘ll see why Legion is my top recommended brand for anyone who‘s serious about optimizing their health and performance. Let‘s dive in!
About Legion Athletics
Founded in 2014 by fitness expert Mike Matthews, Legion Athletics is on a mission to help people reach their fitness goals faster with 100% natural, science-based supplements.
What sets Legion apart is their commitment to full transparency and using clinically effective ingredients at the proper dosages. Unlike many companies that hide behind "proprietary blends," Legion lists the exact amount of each ingredient on the label so you know exactly what you‘re getting.
All of their products are also rigorously tested by third-party labs for potency and purity. And if you‘re not satisfied with your results, they offer a generous 90-day money-back guarantee.
But Legion is more than just a supplement company. They‘re a one-stop resource for all things health and fitness, with an active blog, podcast, and online community. Mike and his team provide no-BS information and motivation to cut through the noise and help you stay on track.
What are Macronutrients and Why Track Them?
Before we get into Legion‘s macro calculator, let‘s start with the basics. Macronutrients, or "macros" for short, refer to the three main nutrients your body needs in large amounts:
- Protein – builds and repairs tissues; boosts metabolism and muscle growth
- Carbohydrates – your body‘s main energy source
- Fat – provides energy, absorbs nutrients, maintains cell membranes
The right balance of these macros is crucial for reaching your health and fitness goals, whether that‘s fat loss, muscle gain, better performance, or just maintaining your weight.
Tracking your macros takes things a step further than just counting calories. It ensures you‘re getting the proper amount of each macronutrient for your body and goals. This is especially important for athletes and bodybuilders who have higher protein needs to support muscle growth and recovery.
But even if you don‘t have physique goals, tracking macros can help you make better food choices, keep your energy levels stable, and just feel healthier overall.
The problem is, figuring out the right macro ratio for you can be tricky. It depends on many factors like your age, gender, weight, activity level, and goals. That‘s where a macro calculator comes in handy.
Legion Athletics Macro Calculator Review
Legion Athletics offers a free macro calculator right on their website, no email required. In just 60 seconds, it creates a customized macronutrient plan tailored to your body and goals.
Here‘s a step-by-step look at how it works:
Step 1: Input Your Stats
First, you‘ll input your gender, age, weight, height, and activity level on a simple scale from "Little to no exercise" to "Intense exercise 6-7 times per week." Be honest here – the more accurate your inputs, the better your results will be.
Step 2: Choose a Goal
Next, choose from one of four goals:
1. Lose fat
2. Build muscle
3. Maintain weight
4. I‘m not sure
If you select "I‘m not sure," it will recommend a plan based on your stats. You can also specify a weekly weight loss or gain target between 0.5-2 lbs per week for the fat loss and muscle gain goals.
Step 3: Select a Diet Type
Here‘s where Legion‘s calculator really shines. You can choose from 5 different diet types to suit your preferences:
- Balanced – moderate carbs, protein, and fat
- Low-carb – limits carbs; higher in protein and fat
- Keto – very low carb; high in fat
- High-carb – great for athletes and active individuals
- Plant-based high-protein – for vegans and vegetarians
The diet type you choose will determine the percentage split of your macros. For example, the balanced plan has 40% carbs, 40% protein, and 20% fat, while keto has 10% carbs, 30% protein, and 60% fat.
Step 4: Get Your Results!
Finally, the calculator spits out your results based on all the inputs. You‘ll see:
- Your maintenance calories (TDEE)
- A recommended calorie target to reach your goal
- The exact amount in grams of protein, carbs, and fat to aim for each day
You can also toggle between three different activity levels to see how it affects your numbers. This is helpful if your exercise routine varies from week to week.
Pros and Cons
After testing out Legion‘s macro calculator myself, here are some of the main advantages I found:
Pros:
- Free to use with no signup required
- Clean, user-friendly interface
- Supports both imperial and metric units
- Provides the actual gram amounts for macros, not just percentages
- More diet type options than most calculators (keto, plant-based, etc.)
- Ability to adjust based on activity levels
Cons:
- Doesn‘t account for body fat percentage, which can affect results
- No way to save your info or track your progress within the calculator
How It Compares to Other Calculators
I‘ve tried a lot of different macro calculators over the years, both free and paid. Here‘s how Legion stacks up to some of the most popular ones:
MyFitnessPal – This app has a built-in macro calculator, but it‘s very basic and only uses percentages, not gram amounts. It also pushes you to sign up for a premium account to unlock features.
Healthy Eater – This calculator is also free and anonymous, but it doesn‘t have as many goal or diet type options as Legion. The interface is a bit clunky too.
IIFYM – The "If It Fits Your Macros" calculator is more detailed than Legion‘s, factoring in body fat percentage and letting you choose between 3 different carb/fat intake levels. However, the free version is limited – for the full experience and a meal plan, you‘ll need to pay for premium access.
Overall, I found Legion‘s macro calculator to be the best balance of customization and ease of use. The fact that it‘s 100% free is a big plus too.
My Experience Using Legion‘s Macro Calculator
A few months ago, I decided to use Legion‘s macro calculator to lean down for summer. I had hit a plateau with my usual routine and wanted to be more strategic with my nutrition.
I inputted my stats (27 years old, female, 150 lbs, moderately active) and selected fat loss with a goal of losing 1 lb per week. For diet type, I chose the standard balanced plan.
The calculator gave me the following daily targets:
- 1,576 calories
- 142g protein
- 158g carbs
- 35g fat
At first, I was surprised at how high the protein and how low the fat was. But after doing some research, I learned that when you‘re in a calorie deficit, it‘s important to keep protein high to preserve muscle mass.
I started planning my meals and tracking my intake using MyFitnessPal. Some of my go-to macro-friendly foods were:
- Lean proteins: chicken breast, egg whites, nonfat Greek yogurt
- High-volume veggies to fill up my plate: zucchini, broccoli, asparagus
- Complex carbs: oats, sweet potatoes, quinoa, fruit
- Healthy fats: avocado, olive oil, nut butter
It took some getting used to at first, but after a couple weeks, hitting my macros became second nature. I started seeing results both in the mirror and on the scale.
What I really liked was having the flexibility to enjoy treats in moderation, as long as they fit my macros for the day. Knowing I had those numbers to hit kept me accountable.
After 8 weeks of consistently tracking, I was down 10 lbs and noticeably leaner. I had more energy, my workouts were better, and I just felt healthier overall.
I‘ve continued tracking macros ever since, and it‘s honestly been a game-changer. I feel like I finally have control over my nutrition and results. And it all started with Legion‘s simple macro calculator!
Of course, everyone‘s experience will be different based on their unique stats and compliance. But I really believe tracking macros is one of the most effective ways to reach your physique and performance goals.
Hitting Your Macros with Legion Athletics Products
As I mentioned earlier, getting enough protein is key when you‘re trying to lose fat or build muscle. But sometimes, hitting your daily protein target through whole foods alone can be a challenge.
That‘s where supplements can help. Legion Athletics offers a variety of high-quality products to support your macro goals, such as:
Whey+ Protein Powder – With 22g of protein per scoop, this pure whey isolate is perfect for post-workout or anytime you need a protein boost. It comes in delicious flavors like French Vanilla and Chocolate Peanut Butter.
Plant+ Protein Powder – For plant-based athletes, this pea and rice protein blend delivers 25g of protein per serving. It‘s also naturally sweetened and flavored.
Atlas Mass Gainer – If you‘re trying to bulk up, this weight gainer provides a massive 38g of protein and 74g of carbs per serving. It‘s made with whole food ingredients like sweet potatoes and oats.
Protein Bars – With 20g of protein and only 6g of sugar, these bars make a great on-the-go snack. They come in flavors like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Cinnamon Roll.
What I appreciate about Legion is that all their products are third-party tested and formulated based on scientific research. You can trust that you‘re getting the highest quality ingredients in the proper amounts.
Of course, supplements should never replace a well-rounded diet and training plan. But they can certainly make hitting your macros more convenient and enjoyable.
I personally use Legion‘s whey protein powder every day and always keep a few of their bars in my gym bag for emergencies. They‘ve really helped me stay on track with my macro targets.
Final Thoughts on Legion Athletics
As you can probably tell by now, I‘m a big fan of Legion Athletics. Not only do they offer an excellent free macro calculator, but their commitment to science-backed formulas and transparency is unparalleled in the supplement industry.
If you‘re serious about reaching your health and fitness goals, I highly recommend giving their macro calculator a try. It‘s a simple yet powerful tool that can help you create a nutrition plan tailored to your body and lifestyle.
And if you need some extra support, their line of clean, effective supplements can help you hit your daily macro needs and optimize your results.
At the end of the day, consistency is key. Tracking your macros with Legion‘s calculator is a great start, but it‘s up to you to put in the work day after day. There will be obstacles and temptations along the way, but stay focused on your goals and keep going.
I know it‘s not always easy, but I promise it‘s worth it. The confidence and control you‘ll gain over your nutrition and physique is priceless.
So what are you waiting for? Head over to Legion Athletics and start dialing in your macros today. Your future self will thank you!
