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How-to guide

How to Calculate Lean Body Mass: Formula, Steps & Examples

Learn how to calculate Lean Body Mass — the formula explained step by step, with worked examples and a free calculator to check your answer.

By Dr. Neha Sharma, MBBS, MD (Nutrition) · Updated Jun 2026 · 2 min read

Calculating your lean body mass is straightforward once you know the Lean Body Mass formula and what each input means. This guide explains the method in plain language, walks through a manual calculation, and gives worked examples you can follow — then you can do it instantly with the Lean Body Mass Calculator.

What is Lean Body Mass?

The Lean Body Mass calculation tells you your lean body mass from a few simple inputs. The figure you are solving for here is the lean body mass.

The Lean Body Mass formula

The core formula is:

Lean body mass = Body weight × (1 - Body fat percentage ÷ 100)

Here is what each input means:

  • Body weight — a value measured in kg. Example: 70 kg.
  • Body fat percentage — a percentage, such as an annual rate. Example: 2%.

How to calculate it step by step

  • Write down the body weight (for example, 70 kg).
  • Write down the body fat percentage (for example, 2%).
  • Apply the formula above to get your lean body mass.
  • Double-check the result with the Lean Body Mass Calculator.

Worked examples

Example 1

Input / OutputValue
Body weight70 kg
Body fat percentage2%
Lean body mass56.00
Fat mass14.00

With body weight of 70 kg and body fat percentage of 2%, the lean body mass works out to 56.00.

Example 2

With body weight of 140 kg and body fat percentage of 2%, the lean body mass works out to 112.00.

ResultValue
Lean body mass112.00
Fat mass28.00

Example 3

With body weight of 35 kg and body fat percentage of 2%, the lean body mass works out to 28.00.

ResultValue
Lean body mass28.00
Fat mass7.00

Tips for an accurate result

  • Keep your units consistent — mixing, say, months with years or grams with kilograms is the most common source of error.
  • Round only at the very end. Rounding inputs early can shift the final answer noticeably.
  • Re-run the numbers whenever an input changes, rather than estimating from an old result.
  • These figures are general estimates, not medical advice — check with a qualified professional before acting on them.

Prefer not to do the maths by hand? — the Lean Body Mass Calculator does it instantly, for free, with the formula and a worked example built in.

Continue exploring health calculators with these tools: BMI Calculator, Corrected Calcium Calculator, Anion Gap Calculator, QTc Calculator (Bazett), Maintenance Fluid Calculator (4-2-1 Rule).

Calculators in this guide

Frequently asked questions

The formula is: Lean body mass = Body weight × (1 - Body fat percentage ÷ 100). With body weight of 70 kg and body fat percentage of 2%, the lean body mass works out to 56.00.

Gather each input, apply the formula step by step keeping your units consistent, and round only at the end. You can verify your answer instantly with the Lean Body Mass Calculator.

It uses the standard formula with exact arithmetic, so the result is correct for the inputs you enter. Bear in mind that real-world outcomes can still differ when underlying assumptions change.

Dr. Neha Sharma · MBBS, MD (Nutrition)

Dr. Neha Sharma is a physician specialising in nutrition and preventive health, with over a decade of clinical experience helping patients understand body metrics and healthy lifestyle targets.