How to Compute Lean Body Mass
If you want to find out exactly how many calories you should be eating per day to maintain, lose or gain weight, you need to know your lean body mass. According to gain-weight-muscle-fast.com, "Lean body mass is simply an estimation of how much you weigh without the body fat - how much your bones, organs and muscles weigh." There are a couple of methods you can use to determine your lean body mass.
Instructions
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Calculating LBM
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1
Determine your body fat. If you belong to a health club, ask one of the trainers if she can measure your body fat. Most of the better health clubs have at least calipers for measuring body fat. They probably also have a system that uses bioimpedance to analyze body fat percentage. This system is effective if you are very overweight or have a large stomach. Calipers are a good choice if you are somewhat lean or carry your body fat evenly.
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Weigh yourself without any clothes, preferably in the morning before breakfast.
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3
To compute your lean body mass, multiply your weight by your percentage body fat. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds and your body fat percentage is 20, you will end up with the number 30. Your body has 30 pounds of fat. Subtract 30 from your weight, and you end up with 120. Your lean body mass is 120 pounds.
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Alternatively, find a website that computes lean body mass, such as scientificpsychic.com. Many similar websites offer this service free of charge. You enter certain measurements, and the calculation is done for you. This method, while good, is not likely to be as accurate as the method using body fat as measured by a qualified instructor.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure the person using calipers on you knows what she is doing. Using calipers correctly requires skill. Do not use the bioimpedance method if you are a woman on close to your period, or if you are dehydrated (e.g., after drinking alcohol). The result will not be accurate.
