The male formulas
This page starts with the male setting, so you see the men's versions of four classic formulas. Each one starts with a weight for a man who is 5 feet (152 cm) tall and adds a set amount for each extra inch (2.54 cm):
- Devine (1974): 50 kg plus 2.3 kg per inch
- Robinson (1983): 52 kg plus 1.9 kg per inch
- Miller (1983): 56.2 kg plus 1.41 kg per inch
- Hamwi (1964): 48 kg plus 2.7 kg per inch
For a man who is 5 ft 10 in (178 cm), they land between about 155 and 165 lb (70.3 to 75 kg). Notice how Hamwi adds about 6 lb for every inch, while Miller adds only about 3 lb. That is why the formulas spread further apart for taller men.
These formulas were built to help doctors dose medicines, not to set a goal weight.
Why muscle throws them off
The formulas only know your height. So do BMI-based ranges. A man who lifts can sit well above his "ideal" number while carrying little fat. If that sounds like you, other checks tell you more:
- Our body fat calculator for men estimates fat with a tape measure.
- Our FFMI calculator shows how much muscle you carry for your height.
- A waist under half your height is a simple target that works even for muscular people, according to NICE.
A note on age
Adult BMI cut-offs don't change with age. The CDC uses the same ones for all adults. Still, for men 65 and older, a 2014 review found the overweight range was not linked to a higher risk of death, while a BMI under 23 was. Keeping muscle matters more as you age.
Learn more in our guide to ideal weight for height, or go back to the main ideal weight calculator.