What’s The Ideal Muscle Mass Percentage For Men & Women? A Guide To Better Body Composition

Do you want to have a toned body, look more athletic, or build muscle? The key to achieving these goals is to improve your body composition, which means reducing your body fat percentage and building lean body mass (muscle mass). 

There are different ways to estimate your ideal muscle mass percentage, including using medical equipment, calculating body fat percentage and measuring certain areas of the body. In addition to looking more athletic, maintaining a healthy muscle mass percentage has several other benefits, such as a reduced risk of age-related muscle loss. 

In this blog, we shall discuss the ideal muscle mass percentage, why it can be useful, and how to calculate it.
 

Table Of Contents

1. What Is Muscle Mass & Why It’s Important?
2. How Do You Calculate Your Ideal Muscle Mass?
3. What Is A Good Muscle Mass Percentage?
4. Benefits Of Having Ideal Muscle Percentage
5. Dietitian’s Recommendation
6. The Final Say
7. FAQs
8. References 
    

What Is Muscle Mass & Why It’s Important?

Our muscles are the engines that allow us to move and release energy in the body. Muscles play a key role in protein metabolism throughout the body by serving as a major reservoir for amino acids to sustain protein synthesis in vital tissues and organs and providing hepatic gluconeogenic precursors.

Muscle refers to the pieces of soft tissue throughout the body, including smooth and skeletal muscle. Muscle mass is the amount of muscle in your body. Ideal muscle mass refers to the ideal mass of your muscles that should be present in your body to stay healthy and fit. 
 

There are 3 different types of muscles:
 

• Skeletal Muscles: They make up about 30-50% of adults' total body weight, including the shoulder, back, and thigh muscles. 
• Smooth Muscles: They can be found in the gastrointestinal tract, organs, and skin.  
• Cardiac Muscles: These are muscles exclusive to the heart and are responsible for its pumping action.

Maintaining an ideal muscle mass percentage is important for several reasons, such as:

• Body movement
• Body strength
• Maintaining posture
• Supporting joints
• Bones stabilisation
• Protecting internal organs
• Storing nutrients
   

The ideal muscle mass percentage varies for everyone based on gender, age and fitness level. This percentage denotes the ideal amount of muscle mass that should be present in a person’s body. Depending on your body composition, you may have low or high muscle mass with a low or high body fat percentage.
 

Also Read: Top 20 Effective Muscle Toning Workouts For Beginners
 

How Do You Calculate Your Ideal Muscle Mass?

Measuring ideal body muscle percentage requires specialised and expensive equipment. Though ideal muscle mass can be calculated at home using different methods, these clinical tests are more reliable: 
 

1. Dual X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA)
2. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
3. Computed Tomography (CT)
    

These scans are typically used for diagnostic purposes in clinical and research settings. However, they are expensive and not readily available. 
 

Here are some ways to calculate your ideal muscle mass percentage at home:
 

1. Body Mass Calculators 

Premium body mass calculators like ToneOp provide a quick and easy way to check if you’re in your ideal body mass range. By analyzing factors like height, weight, age, and gender, these tools help you understand where you stand on your fitness journey. Knowing your ideal body mass can motivate you to make healthier lifestyle choices, track your progress, and achieve your fitness goals.

2. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA)

BIA is probably the most cost-effective and simplest way to measure muscle mass. It measures body fat and muscle mass by sending a minute electrical current through the body and measuring the resistance to the current. 

Muscle tissue contains more water and conducts electricity better than fat, which is how BIA can estimate the proportion of muscle mass and fat. It is a quick and non-invasive way to calculate muscle mass. It is also available on many home devices, such as bathroom scales. 
 

3. Skinfold Calliper Method

The skinfold calliper method measures the thickness of skinfolds in standardised locations on the body to estimate body fat and lean mass. It's affordable and accessible, but its accuracy depends on the skills of the person doing it.
 

4. Tape Measurements

Tape measurements measure the body circumference (e.g., waist, hips, arms) to estimate body composition. It's easy and inexpensive but only provides a rough estimate and is less accurate for determining muscle mass or fat percentage.

Additionally, many online calculators and tools claim to do this but are not accurate. At best, they can provide a rough estimate of your body’s muscle mass and fat mass. 

Without expensive technology, it is impossible to determine the exact percentage of muscle mass. There are calculators, formulas, and scales that claim to measure muscle mass, but these options have not been proven to be accurate.

However, if you know your body fat mass, you can easily calculate your body muscle mass using this equation:

Also Read: Top Exercises To Get Fat As Well As A Lean Body By Weight Gain! 
 

What Is A Good Muscle Mass Percentage?

Good muscle mass percentages vary for both males and females, which are as follows:
 

Also Read: Discover The Ideal Weight For Guys: Factors, Strategies & Debunking Myths!
 

Benefits Of Having Ideal Muscle Percentage

Maintaining an ideal or greater-than-ideal muscle mass has many benefits:
 

1. Improved Metabolism

Having an ideal muscle mass means having a suitable resting metabolic rate (RMR), meaning your body burns more calories at rest. This can also help with weight management and fat loss.
 

2. Better Physical Performance

Having an ideal muscle mass enhances strength, endurance, and overall athletic performance. This is especially beneficial for activities like running, lifting, or sports, where strength and agility are key.
 

3. Increased Strength and Functionality

With an ideal muscle mass percentage, you can carry out everyday tasks more easily, like lifting, climbing stairs, or carrying groceries.
 

4. Reduced Risk of Injury

Stronger muscles protect your joints and bones from strain and injury, as they provide better support and stability during movement. Well-developed muscles can also prevent the loss of bone density over time.
 

5. Improved Posture and Balance

Muscle mass, especially in the core, has a key role in maintaining proper posture and balance, which can reduce fall risk and help you avoid injuries.

Also Read: Get Fit With These 4 Best Core Strengthening Exercises For A Solid Workout Regime!
 

6. Healthier Body Composition

Having the right balance of muscle and fat contributes to optimal body composition, lowering the risk of obesity-related conditions like diabetes, heart disease and metabolic syndrome.
 

7. Slower Ageing Process

Maintaining muscle mass is crucial in combating sarcopenia (muscle loss with age). Strong muscles help with mobility, reduce the risk of falls, and enhance quality of life as you age.
 

Dietitian’s Recommendation

As a dietitian, I recommend incorporating physical activity and maintaining lean body mass through strength training and proper nutrition. Adequate protein intake can have a positive impact on overall health and well-being throughout life.

Dt. Lavina Chauhan

The Final Say

Muscle mass is the total amount of muscle in your body. In general, the more muscle you have, the less prone you are to injury, chronic disease, and premature death. Muscle mass also indicates physical functions, including mobility and balance. Calculating muscle mass is difficult, and the most accurate methods are expensive. 
 

FAQs

1. What are the best exercises for gaining muscle mass?

Resistance training exercises, including weight lifting, bodyweight exercises, and resistance bands, are highly effective for building muscle mass, but they need to be combined with a high-protein diet. 

2. What does lean muscle mass mean?

Lean muscle mass refers to the total weight of muscle in the body, excluding fat. It includes muscles, tendons, and the water content in muscle tissue.

3. What is a good measure of muscle mass?

A good measure of muscle mass is lean body mass, which estimates the amount of muscle tissue in the body, excluding fat. Methods like DEXA scans, BIA, or MRI offer more accurate and detailed assessments of muscle mass.

4. What is the ideal muscle mass percentage?

The ideal muscle mass for men typically ranges from 40-50% of total body weight, and for women, around 30-40%. 
 

References 

• https://www.bowtie.com.hk/blog/en/muscle-mass/
• https://www.propellolife.com/blogs/news/what-is-a-good-lean-muscle-percentage?srsltid=AfmBOooFZTgkYY5UGs3V8DSyXyfM-ZLGUFhTzEZl8qATsJj_b_I3wDCM
• https://samsungfood.com/blog/muscle-mass-what-should-we-aim-for/
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/muscle-mass-percentage#benefits
• https://www.fittr.com/article/how-to-estimate-lean-mass-47/
• https://www.livestrong.com/article/501467-how-to-calculate-muscle-mass-percentage/
   

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