Lean body mass is the weight of your body that doesn't come from fat. It's generally a more useful measure of fitness than total body weight, since you may actually gain muscle weight as you become more fit. The specific calculations for lean body mass are different for each gender. Women need to make a few extra measurements to calculate their lean body mass that aren't required for men.
Step 1
Weigh yourself in pounds with a scale. The calculation of your lean body mass will be most accurate if you take your measurements when you first wake up. This is because your water weight should be at its lowest level at this time.
Step 2
Measure your waist at your navel with a tape measure. Your waist measurement and all subsequent measurements should be in inches.
Step 3
Take additional measurements if you're female. Measure your forearm, wrist and hips at their fullest points.
Step 4
Compute your lean body mass with the following equation from Dave Draper at IronOnline if you're male: (weight x 1.082) -- (waist x 4.15) + 94.42. A male weighing 163 lb. with a 32-inch waist, for example, has a lean body mass of (163 x 1.082) -- (32 x 4.15) + 94.42 = 138 lb.
Step 5
Calculate your lean body mass with the following equation from Dave Draper at IronOnline if you're female: (weight x 0.732) - (waist x 0.157) + (wrist / 3.14) + (forearm x 0.434) -- (hips x 0.249) + 8.987. Assume that you weigh 152 lb., have a 32-inch waist, a 6-inch wrist, an 8-inch forearm and 37-inch hips. Your lean body mass is therefore (152 x 0.732) - (32 x 0.157) + (6 / 3.14) + (8 x 0.434) -- (37 x 0.249) + 8.987 = 111 lb.
Things You'll Need
- Scale
- Tape measure
- Calculator
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