This page contains calculators that will help you determine a number of key parameters that are very important for combating excess weight and subsequently maintaining a normal weight.
Here you can calculate: metabolic rate, body mass index, daily calorie needs, body type, etc.
Attention!
All parameters are calculated based on your individual anthropometric data, so indicate the input values as accurately as possible, using tenths and hundredths of numbers if possible.
To calculate parameters with other initial data, there is no need to refresh the page; you just need to edit the initial values and click the calculate button.
A question mark means that there is additional information available for that item. To read it, hover your mouse over the sign.
Functions of muscle mass
Without muscle tissue, it would be impossible to smile or frown. A person would not be able to make a single movement, including breathing. He would just die.
A person cannot exist without muscles. After all, the heart also consists of muscle tissue, just like the internal organs.
Therefore, it is important to monitor your muscle mass, normalizing it and bringing it to ideal parameters. A lack of muscles depresses not only motor functions, but also the very functioning of the body.
Six reasons to maintain normal muscle mass
If it seems to you that everything is fine with your muscles, and you can forget about gymnastics, then think about how much benefit your muscles bring you.
- With a good muscular frame, you will have a “model” body. Any clothes will fit as if they were created just for you.
- If the muscle percentage is high, then your endurance and work performance will increase significantly. Down with fatigue and drowsiness!
- Having more muscle speeds up your metabolism.
- Your body will not only become stronger physically, but also improve the functioning of your immune system.
- You can't even imagine how strong you will be if your muscle mass is just above the generally accepted norm.
- A healthy and beautiful person is always confident in himself.
Well, do you want to increase the percentage of muscle mass in your body?
To grow muscle mass, strive to increase your strength records in multi-repetition maximums
A multi-rep max is the maximum weight you can lift on a basic exercise many times (preferably 8 to 18 reps).
If you increased your bench press record by 10 kg by pressing the weight 1 time, this does not mean an increase in muscle mass. But if you managed to increase the working weight in the bench press by 5 kg by squeezing it 12 times, this means that your triceps, deltoids and chest muscles have definitely gained in mass.
It is the increase in the multi-repetition maximum record that is an accurate and proven sign of muscle growth.
Therefore, if you are “on the mass”, try to worry not about one-time records, but about the growth of working weights in regular approaches
By the way, there is no way to do this without keeping a training diary.
Rule 2
Methods for measuring muscle mass
If you are faced with the need to take measurements of your muscle mass, then do not worry. There are several ways by which you can find out more or less accurate percentages of muscle mass, fat and water in your body.
- Measurements in clinics and hospitals. They can be considered a standard of accuracy, since in such institutions they monitor the adjustment of instruments. There are only two disadvantages: the inconvenience of constant monitoring and the need to pay for the procedure. They are unlikely to measure you for a “thank you.”
- You can purchase so-called smart bathroom scales. The pricing policy is quite pleasant; you can find a good gadget for 1,000 rubles. Of the minuses: the accuracy will be less than during an examination in a clinic, but it is not critical. The difference will be approximately 1-2% from hospital measurements, which is quite satisfactory. To track the norm of muscle mass, such a deviation is quite acceptable.
- You can take measurements yourself through measurements and calculations. This method is quite difficult to perform without outside help and does not give accurate results, unlike the first two.
Normal muscle mass in women
It is quite difficult to express the muscle norm for a woman as a percentage. It will change due to age, height and race. Ideally, the percentage of muscle mass in women should be about 40. That is, if a woman weighs 60 kg, then 24 kg of this weight should be muscle. However, on average this percentage rarely exceeds 36-37.
The structural features of the female body are such that the bulk of the muscles are distributed below: the hips, legs and lower abs swing much more easily than the muscles of the arms or chest. This is due to the natural purpose of procreation.
By the way, it is precisely because of the need to accumulate energy for the child that a woman needs to make more efforts to get rid of fat reserves. The body is extremely reluctant to part with what it has accumulated, secretly awaiting the onset of hungry days. And this can only be overcome through your own perseverance and hard work on yourself.
Normal lean body mass for men
Men gain weight more easily due to increased muscle mass. Thanks to testosterone, their body readily part with fat deposits and acquires the desired shape. It is much easier to meet “dry” men than women.
So, what can be considered normal muscle mass weight in men? For a man who is not too pumped up, the normal muscle mass is about 45%. With intense training, this ratio can be adjusted, making your figure leaner. It is quite possible to bring your body to 55% muscle mass, but further development will stall.
The body always acts based on its own benefit. Without support with special means and injections, no matter how much you train, you will not be able to achieve a muscle mass of 70% of your total body weight.
Calculation of muscle mass for women
Representatives of the fairer sex need to measure the circumference of the hips at the widest point and the abdomen at the level of the navel, keeping the meter strictly horizontal and tightly adjacent to the body. Take measurements three times and calculate the average. Mark the values on the sheet and find the corresponding constants in the table for calculating muscle mass.
The percentage of fat mass is calculated using the formula:
Const A + Const B - Const C
Now you need to calculate your body fat weight. This can be done using the following formula:
We multiply the percentage of fat mass by body weight and divide by 100.
Calculation of lean body mass is therefore the difference between body mass and fat mass.
Why is it important to control your muscle mass?
The percentage of muscle in the body can be very different. If a person does not engage in physical work, then his muscles become decrepit and lose their weight. As a result, motor function and overall health deteriorate.
There are at least four reasons why it is necessary to control the weight of muscle mass in the body.
- A sharp drop in the percentage of muscles in the body can be considered a warning about a “breakdown” in the body. Perhaps an incorrect diet or excessive work in the gym is to blame.
- A decrease in muscle mass under unchanged living conditions can signal a disease that is hidden in the body.
- A high percentage of muscle in the body is the key to good health and longevity. A high level is considered to be one that exceeds the generally accepted norm by about 5%.
- A decrease in muscle volume may indicate dehydration. Make sure you drink enough water daily.
The role of muscle mass for men
Developed and powerful muscles were valued and needed by the strong half of humanity at all times. In the modern world, the value of large and durable muscles has become less significant, but is still relevant in some situations. For example, at work, where you have to bear increased physical stress, the role of developed muscles can hardly be overestimated. In addition, muscles are the basis for building a beautiful body, which almost every man strives for.
Muscle strength can increase approximately fourfold with only a 50% increase in muscle mass in men. According to the findings of bodybuilding experts, an increase in muscle strength to an increase in muscle mass can be correlated with a ratio of 4:1 to 8:1, which depends on various factors. The inverse relationship will also be absolutely true in this situation. A decrease in the norm of muscle mass in a man’s body will cause a sharp and significant deterioration in strength indicators. A sedentary lifestyle often leads to exactly this outcome.
How many calories should you consume?
You can try to look for the exact amount of calories you need to consume daily in different sources, or you can calculate it yourself using a proven formula:
655 + 9.6 × (weight in kg) + 1.8 × (height in cm) – 4.7 × (age in years).
For example, for Anna at the age of 45 with a height of 172 cm and a weight of 86 kg, the formula will take the following form:
655 + 9.6 x 86 + 1.8 x 172 – 4.7 x 45 = 1,578.7 calories per day.
The result does not take into account physical activity. That is, we received the amount of calories needed during normal life.
If you do additional physical education, then you need to multiply the result by:
- 1.38 with one active session per week or morning exercises daily;
- 1.55 if a person is actively engaged three to five times a week;
- 1.73 if classes are held daily.
The resulting number can be considered the basis for further calculations.
For example, if you want to lose weight, then the calorie intake should be reduced by 20%.
For the growth and development of the muscle frame, you need to know the calorie intake for gaining muscle mass. Good news for food lovers: you can eat less restrictively if you want to build muscles! You will need to consume more calories to gain and increase the percentage of muscle mass in your body. The calorie intake in this case is 15% higher than the basic one.
This is a must. Muscles need energy to grow, but where will you get it if you cut your own calories?
Top products for fat burning
The main experts consider the following.
- Vegetables and greens. Thanks to fiber, they are perfectly satiating without adding extra calories.
- Egg white. An indispensable product in the difficult task of losing weight.
- Lenten bird. It can be turkey or chicken, and you need to choose the breast. Unfortunately, the rest of the meat contains too much fat, so you will have to give it up or seriously reduce its consumption to a couple of times a month.
- Citrus. Make special mention of grapefruit. Several very effective diets have been built on the constant use of this fruit.
- Celery. Its calorie content is so low that when consumed, the body expends more energy to digest it than it receives from it. Energy deficiency causes weight loss.
Top foods for muscle growth
In fact, it is large, but here we will highlight the main ones.
- Milk. Choose whole milk, it is much healthier than skim milk. Milk accelerates protein synthesis in muscles, which helps accelerate their growth.
- Cottage cheese. Casein in its composition is absorbed by the human body very slowly. Because of this, a constant amount of amino acids necessary for muscle growth is maintained in the blood.
- Eggs. The leucine they contain slows down the rate of muscle tissue breakdown.
- Beef. It contains a set of amino acids similar to human ones. For building muscle, beef is as effective as protein.
- Chicken breast. It has an effect on the body similar to beef. Most of all kinds of diets for both weight loss and weight gain include this meat.
- Chickpeas For vegetarians, chickpeas can be a complete replacement for meat dishes.
- Fish. Choose the following types: cod, salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel, chum salmon, pink salmon or mackerel. This fish contains a lot of easily digestible protein and amino acids necessary for life. It's simple: the fattier the fish, the healthier it is. And there is no need to worry about the dangers of this fat, because if you eat fish once or twice a week, it will not cause harm.
Bottom line
Many of us become too obsessed with losing, gaining, or maintaining weight. This is the wrong goal setting, because you can lose weight not through fat, but through muscle, just as you can gain weight through fat, and not through muscle growth.
The goal has been achieved - you have lost the required number of kilograms or gained them, but began to look worse. That's why you need to control your body composition first. Weight loss should come from losing fat, not muscle. Conversely, weight gain should come from building muscle, not fat.
If you can do these simple things, then you can get the body of your dreams. We hope this article helps you with that!
How to gain muscle mass if it is below normal?
If you have never done physical exercise or abandoned it a long time ago, then you should start immediately. You don't need any additional miracle exercise equipment to do exercises at home. To increase the percentage of muscles in the body and normalize metabolism, just three exercises are enough:
- Classic squats.
- Full rack push-ups.
- Plank position on elbows.
These general exercises, if performed daily, will allow you to tighten your skin, make your muscles more prominent and begin the fat burning process.
However, pay attention to the technique of their implementation: the slightest deviations can reduce the effectiveness of the exercise many times over, and with a low percentage of muscle mass, it can also become extremely traumatic.
BOO based on lean body mass. Body fat percentage
The disadvantage of both of the above formulas is that they do not take into account the percentage of muscle in the body, although, as is known, it is muscle mass that directly affects the metabolic rate.
Therefore, these formulas are well suited for people of average build. However, in some cases it is more correct to use the Ketch-McArdle
, which is based solely on lean body mass.
To calculate your lean body mass, you must first determine your body fat percentage. To do this, you need to specify additional initial data.
After filling in all fields, click the calculate button.
Results:
Body fat percentage: -
Fat mass: —
Basal metabolic rate: —
Daily calorie requirement: -
