Most FFMI pages explain the formula and then leave you to do the arithmetic. This one is the lookup table. It shows how many kilograms of lean mass each FFMI score means at your height, what that looks like on the scale at different body fat levels, and where the reference values for women come from. If you want the formula, the worked examples and the story of the famous limit of 25, read FFMI explained alongside it.
How to read the chart
FFMI is fat-free mass in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Fat-free mass is everything that is not fat: muscle, bone, organs and the water they hold. Because it depends on height squared, the same FFMI means a different amount of lean mass for a tall person than for a short one. That is the whole point of the chart below. It turns each score into kilograms at your height.
FFMI chart by height (men)
The columns are commonly quoted rule-of-thumb scores for men: 18 for an average untrained man, 20 and 22 for above average and high, and 25, the highest value in one 1995 sample of non-users of steroids. A score of 23.5, often called excellent, falls between the 22 and 25 columns. The table gives the fat-free mass needed for each, with the pound figure in brackets.
| Height | FFMI 18 | FFMI 20 | FFMI 22 | FFMI 25 | Add for normalized |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 cm (4'11") | 40 kg (89 lb) | 45 kg (99 lb) | 50 kg (109 lb) | 56 kg (124 lb) | +1.8 |
| 155 cm (5'1") | 43 kg (95 lb) | 48 kg (106 lb) | 53 kg (117 lb) | 60 kg (132 lb) | +1.5 |
| 160 cm (5'3") | 46 kg (102 lb) | 51 kg (113 lb) | 56 kg (124 lb) | 64 kg (141 lb) | +1.2 |
| 165 cm (5'5") | 49 kg (108 lb) | 54 kg (120 lb) | 60 kg (132 lb) | 68 kg (150 lb) | +0.9 |
| 170 cm (5'7") | 52 kg (115 lb) | 58 kg (127 lb) | 64 kg (140 lb) | 72 kg (159 lb) | +0.6 |
| 175 cm (5'9") | 55 kg (122 lb) | 61 kg (135 lb) | 67 kg (149 lb) | 77 kg (169 lb) | +0.3 |
| 180 cm (5'11") | 58 kg (129 lb) | 65 kg (143 lb) | 71 kg (157 lb) | 81 kg (179 lb) | +0.0 |
| 185 cm (6'1") | 62 kg (136 lb) | 68 kg (151 lb) | 75 kg (166 lb) | 86 kg (189 lb) | -0.3 |
| 190 cm (6'3") | 65 kg (143 lb) | 72 kg (159 lb) | 79 kg (175 lb) | 90 kg (199 lb) | -0.6 |
| 195 cm (6'5") | 68 kg (151 lb) | 76 kg (168 lb) | 84 kg (184 lb) | 95 kg (210 lb) | -0.9 |
| 200 cm (6'7") | 72 kg (159 lb) | 80 kg (176 lb) | 88 kg (194 lb) | 100 kg (220 lb) | -1.2 |
The last column is the normalized FFMI adjustment, the number to add. Normalized FFMI scales everyone to a 1.8 m reference height by adding 6.1 for each metre under 1.8 m and subtracting it for each metre above. To compare yourself with the rule-of-thumb scores, add that number to your raw FFMI. A 160 cm man with a raw FFMI of 21 has a normalized FFMI of about 22.2.
A worked example: a man who is 178 cm and weighs 80 kg at 15% body fat has 68 kg of fat-free mass. His FFMI is 68 ÷ (1.78 × 1.78) = 21.5. At his height, an FFMI of 22 would need about 70 kg of lean mass and an FFMI of 20 about 63 kg, so he sits between the two lines.
What these scores weigh on the scale
Lean mass is not what you see on the scale. Add body fat and you get total weight. The table shows how much a person at FFMI 22 weighs at three body fat levels.
| Height | At 10% body fat | At 15% body fat | At 20% body fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 cm (4'11") | 55 kg (121 lb) | 58 kg (128 lb) | 62 kg (136 lb) |
| 155 cm (5'1") | 59 kg (129 lb) | 62 kg (137 lb) | 66 kg (146 lb) |
| 160 cm (5'3") | 63 kg (138 lb) | 66 kg (146 lb) | 70 kg (155 lb) |
| 165 cm (5'5") | 67 kg (147 lb) | 70 kg (155 lb) | 75 kg (165 lb) |
| 170 cm (5'7") | 71 kg (156 lb) | 75 kg (165 lb) | 79 kg (175 lb) |
| 175 cm (5'9") | 75 kg (165 lb) | 79 kg (175 lb) | 84 kg (186 lb) |
| 180 cm (5'11") | 79 kg (175 lb) | 84 kg (185 lb) | 89 kg (196 lb) |
| 185 cm (6'1") | 84 kg (184 lb) | 89 kg (195 lb) | 94 kg (207 lb) |
| 190 cm (6'3") | 88 kg (195 lb) | 93 kg (206 lb) | 99 kg (219 lb) |
| 195 cm (6'5") | 93 kg (205 lb) | 98 kg (217 lb) | 105 kg (231 lb) |
| 200 cm (6'7") | 98 kg (216 lb) | 104 kg (228 lb) | 110 kg (243 lb) |
Body fat matters as much as height here. A 180 cm man at FFMI 22 is about 71 kg of lean mass. At 10% body fat he weighs 79 kg, and at 20% he weighs 89 kg, with the same lean mass.
FFMI chart for women
Reference data for women are thinner, and no widely accepted grading scale exists. What published research does show:
- In a Swiss reference study of 5,635 adults (Schutz, Kyle and Pichard, 2002), the median FFMI for young adults aged 18 to 34 was 18.9 for men and 15.4 for women.
- A later analysis (Kyle and colleagues, 2003) reported FFMI values of 16.7 to 19.8 for men and 14.6 to 16.8 for women among people with a normal BMI.
The table gives the lean mass at those reference points plus 18 and 20. It does not grade them, because there is no sound way to say what a woman at FFMI 20 should be called. Trained women will vary, and published norms for them are limited.
| Height | FFMI 14.6 | FFMI 15.4 | FFMI 16.8 | FFMI 18 | FFMI 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 cm (4'11") | 33 kg (72 lb) | 35 kg (76 lb) | 38 kg (83 lb) | 40 kg (89 lb) | 45 kg (99 lb) |
| 155 cm (5'1") | 35 kg (77 lb) | 37 kg (82 lb) | 40 kg (89 lb) | 43 kg (95 lb) | 48 kg (106 lb) |
| 160 cm (5'3") | 37 kg (82 lb) | 39 kg (87 lb) | 43 kg (95 lb) | 46 kg (102 lb) | 51 kg (113 lb) |
| 165 cm (5'5") | 40 kg (88 lb) | 42 kg (92 lb) | 46 kg (101 lb) | 49 kg (108 lb) | 54 kg (120 lb) |
| 170 cm (5'7") | 42 kg (93 lb) | 45 kg (98 lb) | 49 kg (107 lb) | 52 kg (115 lb) | 58 kg (127 lb) |
| 175 cm (5'9") | 45 kg (99 lb) | 47 kg (104 lb) | 51 kg (113 lb) | 55 kg (122 lb) | 61 kg (135 lb) |
| 180 cm (5'11") | 47 kg (104 lb) | 50 kg (110 lb) | 54 kg (120 lb) | 58 kg (129 lb) | 65 kg (143 lb) |
| 185 cm (6'1") | 50 kg (110 lb) | 53 kg (116 lb) | 57 kg (127 lb) | 62 kg (136 lb) | 68 kg (151 lb) |
| 190 cm (6'3") | 53 kg (116 lb) | 56 kg (123 lb) | 61 kg (134 lb) | 65 kg (143 lb) | 72 kg (159 lb) |
Compare any score with the same caution. An FFMI of 18 is above the young-women median of 15.4 but a little below the young-men median of 18.9, so the same number means different things for the two sexes.
How accurate is your own FFMI?
The FFMI you calculate is only as good as your body fat estimate. A five-point error in body fat moves FFMI by about a full point, which is the gap between neighbouring rows of the men's chart. That is why the table above works best as a reality check and a way to see your trend, not as a grade. The body fat measurement methods guide compares the options, and the body fat percentage chart gives ranges by sex and age.
Remember also that fat-free mass is not pure muscle. Bone, organs and body water are included, and a high-carbohydrate or high-salt day can change water by more than you would think. Use the same method, at the same time of day, and watch the direction over months.
Using the chart for goals
- Find your height row. Pick the FFMI you want to compare with.
- Note the lean mass. That is the kilograms of fat-free mass the score implies.
- Compare with your own. Weight times (1 minus body fat) gives yours.
- Set a realistic pace. Lean mass is gained slowly and gains slow down with training experience. The natural muscle limit guide covers realistic rates.
If you want a ceiling from your height and frame, the Muscle Potential Calculator estimates one. The FFMI Calculator does the arithmetic for you, and the Body Fat Calculator gives you a starting body fat figure.
This guide is general information, not medical or coaching advice. See our disclaimer.
Sources
- Kouri EM, Pope HG Jr, Katz DL, Oliva P. Fat-free mass index in users and nonusers of anabolic-androgenic steroids. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 1995.
- Schutz Y, Kyle UUG, Pichard C. Fat-free mass index and fat mass index percentiles in Caucasians aged 18-98 y. International Journal of Obesity. 2002;26(7).
- Kyle UG, et al. Body composition interpretation: contributions of the fat-free mass index and the body fat mass index. Nutrition. 2003, as summarised by GlobalRPh, "Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI) Calculator".
- The men's score bands (18, 20, 22, 23.5, 25) are rules of thumb used in lifting circles, not a published population norm.