Last updated: 3 October 2026
Reviewed by Jordan Morley, FA Level 2 Football Coach
Ideal body weight estimates the weight range associated with good health for a given height, often derived from a target BMI of 18.5–24.9. Several formulas exist (Devine, Robinson, Miller) and none is perfect — they do not account for muscle mass, frame size or ethnicity. Athletes, particularly those with high muscle mass, may register as ‘overweight’ by BMI while having excellent body composition. Ideal weight is a rough guide, not a diagnostic target.
- Derived from target BMI 18.5–24.9
- Does not account for muscle mass
- Multiple formulas (Devine, Robinson, Miller)
- A guide, not a diagnostic target
In practice
Ideal weight formulas (Hamwi, Devine, and others) were originally developed for medical dosing calculations, not athletic performance, and tend to produce overly simplistic single-number targets that ignore muscle mass, frame size and sport-specific body composition needs — most sports scientists now consider body composition (fat vs lean mass) a far more useful and accurate target than any single 'ideal weight' number.
FAQ
Are ideal weight formulas accurate for athletes?
Not particularly — these formulas were originally developed for general medical use, not athletic performance, and ignore muscle mass and sport-specific body composition needs that matter much more for athletes.
What should athletes use instead of an ideal weight number?
Body composition targets (body fat percentage appropriate to their sport) combined with performance markers are generally considered more useful and accurate than a single generic ideal-weight figure.