Calculate Your BMI: BMI Calculator & Chart
3 min
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Whether you want to lose weight, improve your general health, or build muscle, your body mass index (or BMI) is usually the first aspect you measure. Once you know your BMI, you can put together a training and nutrition program. But what exactly is your BMI and how can you calculate it? We’ve got all the answers, along with a free BMI calculator just for you. Once you’ve used our calculator, go to our body mass index chart to review your score.
What is BMI?
BMI is a measurement and reference value that lets you evaluate your body weight. It’s based on the relationship of your weight to your height and distinguishes between the following categories: underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obese.
How do you Calculate BMI?
Want to calculate your BMI? It’s very easy. The calculation is based on the following body mass index formula:
BMI = (weight [kg]) / (height [m])²
For example, a woman weighs 60 kg and is 1.69 m tall.
So the calculation is (60 kg) / (1.69 m)² ≈ 21
The woman therefore has a BMI of 21.
Calculate your personal BMI now using our free body check.
Calculate Your BMI for Free
If you want to know your BMI, you can find out now. It’s super simple, you don’t even need a calculator, and it’s free, too!
Find out what your BMI says about your fitness level. Our Body Check provides training tips and product recommendations that are tailored to your personal goals.
Review Your BMI on our BMI Chart
Once you’ve calculated your body mass index, you can then use our body mass index chart to see what your score means. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), any score between 18.5 and 24.99 is within the healthy range.
| Category | BMI (kg/m²) | Weight |
| Severely underweight | <16.0 | Underweight |
| Moderately underweight | 16.0 – 17.0 | Underweight |
| Slightly underweight | 17.0 – 18.5 | Underweight |
| Healthy weight | 18.5 – 24.9 | Healthy weight |
| Pre-obesity | 25.0 – 29.9 | Overweight |
| Obesity class I | 30.0 – 34.9 | Obese |
| Obesity class II | 35.0 – 39.9 | Obese |
| Obesity class III | ≥ 40 | Obese |
Based on your BMI score, you can now calculate your basal metabolic rate and active metabolic rate . Your basal metabolic rate is the energy your body uses when it is completely at rest — even if all you’re doing is lying on the couch all day. Any extra energy needed for physical activity is referred to as your active metabolic rate. Already worked it all out? Then put together your own personal training and nutrition plan now.
To achieve optimum results while training, protein shakes like our Whey Protein Shake make a great supplement after a weights session, for example. They also support you when building muscle and burning fat.
Average BMI for Men and Women
Since men’s and women’s weights vary greatly, we recommend having a look at our body mass index chart which shows the average BMI values for both genders. This will help you gain a better understanding of your score from our BMI calculator. As well as gender, age also plays an important role. See our summary here:
BMI Chart for Women
The table below outlines the healthy BMI ranges for women, depending on their age.
| Age | Healthy weight/Healthy BMI |
| 16-17 | 19-24 |
| 18 | 19-24 |
| 19-24 | 19-24 |
| 25-34 | 20-25 |
| 35-44 | 21-26 |
| 45-54 | 22-27 |
| 55-64 | 23-28 |
| 65-90 | 25-30 |
BMI Chart for Men
The table below shows the average BMI ranges for men, depending on their age.
| Age | Healthy weight/Healthy BMI |
| 16 | 19-24 |
| 17 | 20-25 |
| 18 | 20-25 |
| 19-24 | 21-26 |
| 25-34 | 22-27 |
| 35-54 | 23-28 |
| 55-64 | 24-29 |
| 65-90 | 25-30 |
BMI: Pros and Cons
BMI is still a commonly used metric for body weight. It’s a fixed calculation and offers a quick way to evaluate body weight. If you choose to use a body mass index calculator, things get even simpler. You’ve probably noticed however, that certain factors are not taken into account in the calculation. Your physique, gender and the ratio of fat to muscle mass aren’t factors for BMI.
What’s the upshot of this? Well, this means that results can be flawed, such as when you’re very active or building muscle. That’s because you gain weight rather than fat when you build muscle, and as everyone knows, muscle weighs more than fat. Your BMI score would therefore come out higher. If you want to understand your BMI better and calculate your ideal weight, these are factors you need to consider.
Our conclusion
If you’re looking to pin down your weight, then a BMI calculator can be a handy tool. However you shouldn’t set too much store by the result and if in doubt, always consult a doctor you trust. The main issue with BMI is that is doesn’t differentiate between muscle and fat.
