- Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't like counting calories. He simply "turns the dial."
- Whether trying to lose fat or gain muscle, Schwarzenegger tweaks his diet and adjusts if needs be.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is no stranger to sculpting his body. However, unlike many bodybuilders, the former Mr. Olympia is not a fan of counting calories. He simply "turns the dial."
Fat loss requires being in a calorie deficit, and a calorie surplus (alongside strength training with progressive overload) is optimal for building muscle.
But Schwarzenegger, 76, takes an unscientific approach, he said in a recent Q&A with fans in his newsletter, Arnold's Pump Club.
"I call it turning the dial," he wrote. "I add just a little or cut out just a little, maybe cutting bread or adding bread (just one food), see how it goes, and then turn the dial more if I need."
Bread isn't inherently fattening, and it can be a fiber-rich energy source, but different approaches work for different people.
Schwarzenegger added that he has "no clue" how many calories he consumes, and instead adjusts his food intake based on how he feels and his results. "I really have never known anything and just turned the dial," he said.
With decades of experience in fitness, Schwarzenegger is experienced enough to know what his body needs, he has previously said.
"If I've dialed back how much I'm eating a little bit but I look in the mirror after a couple weeks and realize I am not getting leaner, I can turn the dial back even more," he said in an August Q&A in his newsletter. "I understand if you want or need to count calories to figure out how to dial up or down, but I am allergic to overthinking. It takes a lot of energy to think. I choose what I use my energy on, and for me, it's never been tracking calories."
Now in his eighth decade, Schwarzenegger's focus is simply on maintaining his muscle as best as possible, and he still works out every day, he previously told Insider.
You don't have to count calories, but calories always count
Counting calories can be an effective way to educate yourself about the energy in different foods and your body's requirements, but it's not necessary for fat loss or muscle gain.
While some people enjoy the scientific aspect of counting calories and macros — macronutrients, protein, carbs, and fat, which make up all our foods — for others it can become an unhealthy obsession or seem like too much effort to be sustainable.
"If calorie-counting exacerbates disordered eating or disordered behaviors, then you want to stay away from it," personal trainer and fat loss coach Jordan Syatt previously told Insider. "There's no reason to try and do it if you know it's going to be triggering for you."
If you're trying to lose fat, finding the right calorie deficit for you can require trial and error, particularly if it's the first time you're entering a fat loss phase. So even when you are counting calories, "turning the dial" here and there can be necessary to find the balance of food that keeps you fueled and helps your recovery while also leading to fat loss.
Sometimes the act of keeping a food log, whether tracking calories or just writing down everything you eat in a food diary, can help you be more mindful and make healthier choices, sports nutritionist and weight loss coach Scott Baptie previously told Insider.