Macro Masters
Which macronutrient has the highest thermic effect of food?
Protein. Approximately 20–30% of its calories are used during digestion and processing.
What is the primary stimulus for muscle growth: sweating, soreness, or mechanical tension?
Mechanical tension
Myth or Fact: Menopause makes fat loss impossible because estrogen levels decline.
Myth. Menopause can influence fat distribution, sleep, and energy expenditure, but fat loss is still possible.
Myth or Fact: Performing abdominal exercises can specifically target belly fat.
Myth. Spot reduction is not a reliable method of fat loss.
A babe misses Monday's workout and says her entire week is ruined. What should she do?
Adjust her schedule and continue with her next available workout rather than abandoning the week.
Myth or Fact: Eating more protein than your body needs automatically causes the excess protein to be stored as fat.
Myth. Excess protein can be used for energy, and a sustained calorie surplus can contribute to fat gain.
Myth or Fact: During resistance training, the eccentric (lowering) phase of a movement generally allows muscles to produce more force than the concentric (lifting) phase.
Fact. Muscles can typically produce greater force during eccentric contractions than concentric contractions. This is why you can often control a heavier weight while lowering it than you can lift back up.
Which two reproductive hormones generally decline over the menopausal transition?
Estrogen and progesterone.
What does NEAT stand for?
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.
A babe finishes a fat-loss phase and increases her calories toward maintenance. Within the first week, she gains a pound. She immediately wants to return to her deficit. What would you explain?
Increasing calories, especially carbohydrates, can replenish glycogen stores and increase water retention. More food in the digestive tract can also increase scale weight. This doesn't automatically mean she's gained body fat.
If you're consistently eating 40 grams fewer carbohydrates than your prescribed macros, how many calories below your target does that put you?
160 calories
A babe finishes 12 repetitions but feels she could have completed another seven. What training principle suggests she may need to increase the challenge?
Progressive overload, with attention to proximity to muscular failure.
Which hormone helps transport glucose from the bloodstream into muscle and other cells?
Insulin
Myth or Fact: Metabolic adaptation can cause your body to burn fewer calories than expected after prolonged weight loss.
Fact. Energy expenditure can decrease beyond what is explained by changes in body size alone.
A babe hasn't increased her lifting weights in six weeks. Her repetitions, range of motion, and technique have improved. Is she still progressing?
Yes. Progressive overload involves more than simply increasing weight.
A babe increases her carbohydrates and gains two pounds within three days. What process could explain this without actual body fat gain?
Glycogen replenishment and associated water retention.
If two women perform the same weekly training volume, does training a muscle twice per week automatically produce more growth than training it once?
No. Total training volume and quality are generally more important than frequency alone.
Myth or Fact: Cortisol must remain low throughout the day for women to lose body fat.
Myth. Cortisol is necessary for normal bodily function and naturally fluctuates throughout the day.
Name two ways consistently inadequate sleep can negatively affect body composition goals.
Increased hunger or cravings and impaired recovery or training performanc
A babe is losing weight quickly, but her strength is declining, hunger is extreme, and fatigue is increasing. What should be prioritized?
Reassessing her calorie deficit, nutritional intake, and recovery.
Why is distributing protein throughout the day generally more beneficial for muscle protein synthesis than consuming most of it in one meal?
It provides multiple opportunities to stimulate muscle protein synthesis throughout the day.
A babe's scale weight hasn't changed in eight weeks, but her measurements are decreasing and her strength is increasing. What is potentially happening?
Body recomposition: losing body fat while gaining muscle.
Which two hormones are commonly associated with regulating hunger and satiety, and what are their primary roles?
Ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin helps stimulate hunger, while leptin communicates information about the body's energy stores and helps regulate appetite.
Why might two women of the same age, height, and weight have significantly different maintenance calorie needs?
Differences in muscle mass, daily activity, training, genetics, and individual energy expenditure.
A babe has been consistent for six weeks, her weight hasn't changed, her waist measurements are decreasing, and strength is improving. She wants her calories lowered. What should you do?
Evaluate all progress indicators before making adjustments. Body recomposition may be occurring, and a calorie reduction may not be necessary.