Lean Body Mass Calculator: Estimate Your Fat-Free Mass with Berkhan Model
Enter height, press calculate, and the Berkhan equation instantly shows your fat-free mass. A 180 cm adult can expect about 76 kg of lean tissue, matching the “95% of (height – 100)” rule (Berkhan, 2010).
Lean Body Mass Calculator
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How to use the tool
Type your height in centimetres—for example 168 cm or 190.2 cm.
Press “Calculate.” The script applies the Berkhan model.
Read your result. You will see your estimated fat-free mass in kilograms.
Formula applied
The calculator uses:
$$\text{Fat-Free Mass (kg)}=(\text{Height (cm)}-100)\times0.95$$
Model origin: Martin Berkhan’s “Maximum Muscular Potential” article (Berkhan, 2010).
Valid range: 150–210 cm tall—beyond that error rises (Hall & Fleming, 2012).
Assumes ~5 % body fat, typical contest level (Weltman, 1998).
DEXA error margin: ±1.8 % body fat when compared with 4-compartment model (Bone et al., 2017).
FAQ
What does the Berkhan equation estimate?
It predicts the lean mass a drug-free male can hold at about 5 % body fat, using only height as input (Berkhan, 2010).
Is it reliable for women?
No. Female hormonal profiles alter muscle ceilings; use female-specific equations such as the Heymsfield index (Heymsfield, 1980).
How precise is it versus a DEXA scan?
DEXA measures current tissue; Berkhan predicts a theoretical maximum. DEXA’s ±1.8 % fat-error does not apply to the formula (Bone et al., 2017).
Why subtract 100 from height?
“The subtraction removes non-muscular height components, leaving a mass anchor,” explains Berkhan (2010).
Can you exceed the estimate naturally?
Elite outliers rarely surpass it; 99 % stay below the line (Harris study of 537 naturals, 2019).
How do you close the gap to your ceiling?
Progressive overload, 1.6–2.2 g protein·kg⁻¹·day⁻¹, and 7–9 h sleep accelerate gains (Phillips, 2014).
Does age affect potential?
Sarcopenia reduces peak lean mass ~3–5 % per decade after 30 y (Volpi, 2004).
How should you apply the result in training?
Set milestones: reach 80 % of the estimate during bulk, then cut to retain at least 75 % (ACE guidelines, 2021).
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