Andrew Menechian is Head of Fitness at FitCommit and Founder & CEO of Peak Performance, a Sydney-based coaching practice for busy professionals. He has 12+ years in the fitness industry and has mentored 100+ personal trainers through education roles at The Fitness Playground and Clean Health Fitness Institute. He is the 2015 IFBB Australasian Men's Physique champion and unofficially broke the under 90kg RAW Australian Deadlift mark of 320 kg at 89 kg bodyweight.
Andrew is the architect of the macro calculation framework used across FitCommit's tools and content. The framework is built on the Katch-McArdle BMR formula, which accounts for lean body mass rather than total body weight, and uses sliding scales for calorie deficit, calorie surplus, protein, and fat that adjust to the individual rather than applying one fixed number to everyone.
As FitCommit's Head of Fitness, Andrew owns the macro and nutrition framework that powers FitCommit's calculators and is the sign-off authority for fitness methodology. Before founding Peak Performance, he was Head Coach at Clean Health Fitness Institute and Education Manager at The Fitness Playground, where he ran trainer workshops on training, nutrition, and coaching.
Achievements
Bodybuilding
- 2015 IFBB Australasians Men's Physique Tall Class Champion. 1st place.
- 2011 ANB Asia Pacific Junior Bodybuilding. 2nd place.
Powerlifting
- 2014 CAPO Bondi Strength Co Arnold Qualifier 90kg Class RAW Champion. 1st place with a 700 kg total.
- Unofficially broke the under 90kg Australian RAW Deadlift record. Unofficial because the lift needed to happen at a national-level competition to count.
- 2013 CAPO Australian Strength Coach Challenge 90kg Class RAW Champion. 1st place with a 692.5 kg total.
- 2013 CAPO Australian Strength Coach Challenge 90kg RAW Class Champion. 1st place with a 678 kg total.
- 2012 Powerlifting Australia Western Sydney Hardcore Challenge 83kg Open RAW Champion. 1st place with a 560 kg total. Result source
- 2011 Powerlifting Australia Singleton Strength Triathlon 83kg Junior RAW Champion. 1st place with a 540 kg total. Result source
Coaching
- 100+ personal trainers mentored. Through education roles at Fitness Playground and Clean Health.
- 12+ years working in the fitness industry. Started self-study at age 13, professional coach since 2013.
Areas of Expertise
Certifications and Credentials
Nutrition
- Precision Nutrition Level 1 · Precision Nutrition · 2017 Issuer
- CHFI Performance Nutrition Coach Level 1 · Clean Health Fitness Institute Issuer
- CHFI Performance Nutrition Coach Level 2 · Clean Health Fitness Institute · 2019 Issuer
- The Science of Nutrition · Layne Norton
- Gut Health and Hormone Optimization Mentorship · Dave O'Brien · 50 hours
Personal Training
Strength and Hypertrophy
- Poliquin PICP Level 1 · Poliquin Performance Centre
- Poliquin PICP Level 2 · Poliquin Performance Centre
- Poliquin BioSignature Level 1 · Poliquin Performance Centre
- Deconstructing the Gym Lifts · Strength System Education
- Program Design · Strength System Education
- Advanced Program Design · Christian Thibadeau
- Advanced Strategies to Program Design · Kilo Strength
- Training the Physique Athlete · Layne Norton
- BFI Level 1 GPP · Boutagy Fitness Institute
- BFI Level 2 Strength and Hypertrophy · Boutagy Fitness Institute · 2017
Body Composition
- BFI Level 2 Fat Loss · Boutagy Fitness Institute · 2017
- Shredded By Science Certificate · Shredded By Science · 2018
Special Populations
- Pre and Post Pregnancy and Exercise Course · Mind Body Fitness
Experience
- Founder & CEO, Peak Performance · Sydney, Australia · Apr 2020 to Present
- Head Coach, Clean Health Fitness Institute · Chatswood, Sydney · Sep 2019 to Mar 2020
- Education Manager, The Fitness Playground · Marrickville, Sydney · Sep 2015 to Sep 2019
- Founder & Head Trainer, Andrew Menechian Fitness · Marrickville Fitness Playground · Apr 2013 to Sep 2019
- Level 3 Personal Trainer, Fitness First Australia · Bond Street, Sydney · Sep 2014 to Sep 2015
- Senior Personal Trainer, City Gym · Darlinghurst, Sydney · Apr 2014 to Sep 2014
- Senior Personal Trainer, Clean Health · Apr 2013 to Apr 2014
FitCommit Review Standards
Andrew reviews FitCommit fitness methodology for calorie targets, macro targets, protein ranges, body-composition guidance, and practical coaching language. His review focus is whether the advice is useful for real training decisions, aligned with evidence, and clear about where an estimate stops.
FitCommit content is not medical advice. Topics involving diagnosis, medication, pregnancy, eating disorders, or clinical nutrition require qualified medical review before being treated as health guidance.
Evidence and Sources
Public records are linked where reliable source pages exist. Older bodybuilding, CAPO, and coursework records that are not cleanly indexed online are listed from Andrew's supplied credential record.
Andrew's Macro Framework
BMR Formula
Katch-McArdle: 370 + (21.6 x lean mass in kg). Lean mass estimated from body fat percentage rather than total body weight.
Cutting Deficit
Sliding scale from 15% (Gentle) to 40% (Very Aggressive) below TDEE. Default 25% (Recommended). Larger deficits suit higher body fat; smaller deficits protect lean mass at lower body fat.
Cutting Protein
Sliding scale 2.3g to 3.1g per kg lean mass, scaled to deficit size. Higher protein at aggressive deficits and for leaner individuals to minimise muscle loss.
Bulking Surplus
Sliding scale 5% (Lean Gain) to 15% (Aggressive) above TDEE. Default 10% (Normal). Protein 2.3g per kg lean mass.
Fat Targets
Cutting: 25% to 30% of calories, scaled by deficit. Bulking and maintenance: 25% fixed for hormonal support. Carbs fill the remainder, minimum 50g.
Fat Safety Floor
Floor = max(0.5g per kg body weight, 20% of calories). Protects testosterone, joint health, and overall hormonal function during aggressive deficits.
Content Reviewed by Andrew Menechian
Macro Calculator: Protein, Carbs and Fat by Weight and Goal
420 pages covering cutting, bulking, and maintenance macros for men and women from 130 to 260 lbs.
Cutting Guide
Deficit strategy, protein targets, and muscle preservation for a successful cut.
Lean Bulk Calculator
Surplus targets, lean bulk vs dirty bulk, and protein timing for muscle gain.
Calories Per Day by Sex, Age and Activity Level
Calorie targets based on TDEE, covering every activity level and common age groups.
Body Fat Measurement Methods Compared
DEXA, InBody, Bod Pod, calipers, Navy method, and AI body scan rated by accuracy, cost, and convenience. Reviewed accuracy claims against peer-reviewed sources.
Blog Posts by Andrew Menechian (6)
Body Fat % for Visible Abs: 10-15% Men, 18-22% Women
DEXA Scan Cost in 2026: What It Measures and Cheaper Alternatives
How to Calculate Your TDEE (and Why Most Calculators Get It Wrong)
Does Ozempic Cause Muscle Loss? Yes. Here Is How to Prevent It.
How Accurate Are AI Body Scans? What the Research Says
