Calculate your BMI below!
How to Interpret BMI
BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It’s a simple calculation that based on your weight and height. The idea is to give a general indication of whether you have a healthy weight for your height.
BMI means the following:1
- Obese: BMI ≥30
- Underweight: BMI <18.5
- Normal weight: BMI 18.5–24.9
- Overweight: BMI 25–29.9
Why BMI Might Fall Short If You Are Strength Training
BMI was designed for the general population, and it completely ignores one big factor: body composition (how much of your body is muscle and how much is fat).
A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same, but muscle takes up much less space. If you’re lifting weights and building muscle, you’re going to weigh more than someone of the same height with less muscle, even if you’re both at a healthy body fat percentage.
Many strength athletes, bodybuilders, and even just generally muscular individuals will find their BMI puts them in the “overweight” or even “obese” category. Without them actually being overweight.
That is because their muscle mass tips the scales, not because they have excess body fat that poses a health risk. If anything, they can have lower body fat percentages than someone considered “normal weight” by BMI standards.
BMI doesn’t tell you how your weight is distributed. Central obesity (fat around the abdomen) is linked with higher health risks, but BMI doesn’t know the difference between that and bulging biceps or muscular quads.
How Should You Interpret BMI as Someone Who Lifts Weights?
Basically, with a grain of salt and a handful of skepticism.
BMI is a very rough starting point. It’s not useless; on the contrary, it works well on a population level.
But if you’re lifting weights and your BMI is in the “overweight” or “obese” category, and you don’t look and feel overweight, don’t panic.
It’s likely a reflection of your awesome muscle gains rather than a sign of poor health.
Better Metrics for Your Body Fat Levels
Instead of relying on BMI, here are some more useful ways to assess your body composition:
Body fat percentage is the gold standard if accurately tested. You can check it with DEXA scans, underwater weighing, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), or skinfold calipers.
Some of these methods are more or less accurate, accessible, and affordable, but they are all more reliable than BMI.
Waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio is also a valuable metric. If your belly is growing but the rest of your body isn’t, it’s a sign that your increasing BMI might be onto something. If not, you’re likely not gaining fat at an alarming rate.
Visual progress and how your clothes fit tell you a great deal about muscle vs. fat gain. Sometimes, the mirror and how your clothes mean more than any number on a scale. Are you looking leaner? Are your clothes fitting better? That’s progress that points to you gaining muscle, not fat.
Bottom Line
BMI might give you a number that looks “too high” on paper, but for a strength athlete, it’s often a badge of honor for the hard work you’ve put into building muscle. Focus on the bigger picture of body composition, strength, and how you feel.
Of course, you can lift weights, have a lot of muscle, and be overweight in terms of body fat at the same time. However, there are more accurate ways to measure it than BMI.