How Do You Calculate Lean Body Mass?
Your lean body mass (LBM) measurement is of the utmost importance to you and your bodybuilding efforts. Your LBM measurement is determined by a percentage of body weight reading (using a caliper) in decimal form, multiplied by your body weight and subtracting the result from your body weight. For example, if your caliper reading is 17.5% and you weigh 173 pounds, you convert your body fat reading to a decimal (.175) and multiply that number times your body weight (.175 x 173 = 30.3 pounds of body fat). Then, you must subtract the pounds of body fat from the total body weight in order to get your LBM measurement (173 – 30.3 = 152.7 LBM). You’ve no doubt heard the phrase, “muscle weighs more than fat.” Well, that is almost right. Actually, a pound of fat weighs exactly the same as a pound of muscle, but the pound of muscle doesn’t occupy nearly so much space as a pound of fat. Fat is “fluffy,” and thus larger. Muscle is hard, solid, and compact. So by VOLUME, muscle weighs more than fat.
