Calculate lean body mass (LBM) from weight and height with the Boer formula — no calipers or body scan needed.
Lean body mass (LBM) is your total weight minus fat mass: muscle, bone, organs, water, and everything else that isn't adipose tissue. The 1984 Boer formula is one of the most widely used methods for estimating LBM from weight and height alone:
The advantage of the Boer formula is that it doesn't require calipers, a DEXA scan, or other measurement methods that aren't available at home — just weight and height. It's most accurate for adults with weight and body composition in the normal range, and less precise at extreme obesity or very low body fat percentages.
Lean body mass includes everything that isn't adipose tissue — muscle, bone, organs, blood and water. Muscle mass is just one part of this. LBM is therefore always higher than your pure muscle mass.
Because men and women on average have different body composition at the same weight and height — partly due to differences in bone mass, muscle mass, and typical fat distribution. The Boer formula therefore uses sex-specific coefficients for better accuracy.
The Boer formula is validated against more precise methods and is considered one of the more accurate formulas using only weight and height, but it's still an average estimate. Individual body composition can vary, especially for athletes or people with unusual muscle-to-fat distribution.