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Old 01-19-14, 07:04 AM
  #18  
sprince
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Originally Posted by hamster
Using the same principle as BMI, you can calculate a number called "fat-free mass index". That's simply your fat free mass divided by height squared. If you have BMI of 25 and 6% body fat, your FFMI is 25*0.94=23.5.

An average untrained and sedentary adult might have FFMI on the order of 19-20 if it's a male or 16-17 if it's a female (slowly decreasing with age). Endurance sports do not increase FFMI beyond these levels and, in fact, may even lower it slightly. The only way to raise it is through weight training. A male college baseball player might be at 20-22, a football player might be at 24, and Mr. Olympia bodybuilders from the pre-steroid era averaged 25.4. It is thought that you can't raise FFMI much above 25 without steroids.

Having naturally wide bones might move you up a point or two at the most. Your reference to being at 6% body fat and overweight suggests to me that you were seriously hitting the weights at the time.
Seriously hitting the weights? No, hardly at all, I was quite thin.

Using this http://www.naturalphysiques.com/28/f...ass-index-ffmi and inputting some high and low weights over the years, I come up with a range of 23.3-27.4. Taken at face value, I've been near the range of pre-steroid Mr Olympias, pro football players and well into the steroids only zone? [insert laughing my _______ ___ off emoticon] That tells me this myth is busted.

I did find a few BMI calculators that take into account bone measurement, usually with a wrist measurement. Using those I do get slightly more credible results. I think FFMI has the same problem that BMI has, actual humans, as opposed to idealized from averages humans, have a very wide variation in bone size and density. The result being that those nearer the extremes get exponentially skewed results.
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