Measuring lean body mass, the weight of your body minus the weight of fat, is crucial for assessing health and fitness. For example, a person with a body weight of 150 pounds and a lean body mass of 120 pounds has a body fat percentage of 20%.
Knowing your lean body mass is important because it can help you determine your risk for obesity, heart disease, and other health problems. It can also help you set realistic weight loss goals and track your progress. The first step in measuring lean body mass is to measure your body fat percentage. This can be done using a variety of methods, including skin calipers, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and underwater weighing.