You're standing on the bathroom scale. It's Tuesday morning. You've just looked up the average weight for 5'10 on your phone because you're trying to figure out if that number staring back at you is "normal" or if you need to panic. Honestly, most people do this. We want a destination. A target. A specific number that tells us we’ve finally "made it" to health.
But here’s the thing.
That number is a moving target. If you ask the World Health Organization (WHO), they’ll give you a range based on Body Mass Index (BMI). If you ask a powerlifter who stands five-ten, they’ll laugh while weighing 220 pounds of solid muscle. And if you ask a long-distance runner the same height, they might be sitting at 145 pounds. Both are "average" for their specific life, but they look nothing alike.
The basic math of 70 inches
Let’s get the clinical stuff out of the way first. Most medical professionals use BMI as the gatekeeper for what is considered healthy. For a person who is 5'10" (which is 70 inches or about 178 cm), the "normal" BMI range falls between 18.5 and 24.9.
In real-world weight, that translates to roughly 129 to 174 pounds.
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That's a huge gap. A 45-pound difference! You could fit a medium-sized dog in that gap. This is why people get so frustrated. If you weigh 170, you're technically "normal," but if you eat one heavy burrito and hit 175 the next morning, the charts suddenly label you "overweight." It’s a bit silly, right?
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company used to be the gold standard for this. They created "height and weight tables" decades ago based on mortality data. They weren't looking at how good you looked in a swimsuit; they were looking at how likely you were to die and cost them money. Their data suggested that for a man with a "medium frame" at 5'10", the ideal range was more like 151 to 163 pounds. For women, it was slightly lower.
But wait. Who decides if your "frame" is medium?
Why the "average" changes by gender and age
Men and women are built differently. It’s biology. Men generally carry more bone density and muscle mass. Women naturally carry more essential body fat for reproductive health.
For a man who is 5'10", the average weight in the United States is actually much higher than the "ideal" medical range. According to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, the average American man over age 20 weighs about 199.8 pounds. Since the average height for an American male is roughly 5'9", a 5'10" man is slightly taller than the norm, meaning the actual "average" weight you see on the street is probably north of 200 pounds.
Does that mean 200 pounds is healthy? Not necessarily. It just means it's common.
Then there’s the age factor. Sarcopenia is a real jerk. It’s the natural loss of muscle mass as we get older. Most people find that their average weight for 5'10 creeps up by about one to two pounds per year during middle age. Your metabolism slows down, your activity levels might drop, and suddenly that 165 pounds you maintained in your 20s feels like a distant memory.
The muscle vs. fat conundrum
You've heard it a thousand times: muscle weighs more than fat.
Actually, that’s a lie.
A pound of lead weighs the same as a pound of feathers. The difference is density. Muscle is much denser than adipose tissue (fat).
Imagine two people. Both are 5'10". Both weigh 190 pounds.
Person A is a sedentary office worker who rarely exercises. Their 190 pounds is composed of a high body fat percentage. They likely have a larger waist circumference and higher risks for Type 2 diabetes or hypertension.
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Person B is a CrossFit enthusiast. They have broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and significant leg development. At 190 pounds, they are technically "overweight" by BMI standards. But their metabolic health is likely elite.
This is where the average weight for 5'10 metric fails. It doesn't account for what makes up the weight. If you're chasing a number on the scale without looking in the mirror or checking your blood pressure, you're only getting half the story.
Let's talk about frame size
Some people are just "big-boned." It sounds like an excuse, but there is actual science behind it. Frame size is usually determined by the circumference of your wrist in relation to your height.
- Small frame: Your wrist is less than 7 inches.
- Medium frame: Your wrist is 7 to 7.5 inches.
- Large frame: Your wrist is over 7.5 inches.
If you have a large frame, your skeleton itself weighs more. Your attachment points for muscle are wider. You can carry 180 pounds and look lean, whereas someone with a small frame at 5'10" might look quite heavy at that same weight.
Real world examples of 5'10" icons
Sometimes it helps to see how this height looks on famous people. It gives us a reality check.
- Tom Cruise: Often cited around 5'10" (though some debate this). He usually stays around 170 pounds. He looks fit and lean because of a high muscle-to-fat ratio.
- Brad Pitt: In Fight Club, he was famously 5'10" and weighed only about 155 pounds. He looked "huge" on screen because his body fat was incredibly low (around 5-8%), but in person, he would have looked very slight.
- Mike Tyson: In his prime, Iron Mike was 5'10" and weighed about 218 pounds. According to a BMI chart, he was "obese." Obviously, he wasn't. He was a powerhouse of explosive muscle.
These examples show that 155, 170, and 218 are all "normal" for 5'10" depending on the person's job, genetics, and training.
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The danger of the "average" mindset
If you obsess over the average weight for 5'10, you might fall into the trap of "skinny fat." This happens when people diet aggressively to hit a target weight but don't do any resistance training. They lose weight, sure. But they lose muscle along with the fat.
The result? You hit 160 pounds, but your body composition is still 25% fat. You don't feel energetic. Your clothes don't fit quite right.
Instead of looking at the scale, look at your waist-to-height ratio. This is becoming a much more respected metric in the medical community. Take a piece of string, measure your height (70 inches), then fold that string in half (35 inches). If that folded string can't fit around your waist, you might have too much visceral fat—the dangerous kind that wraps around your organs—regardless of what the scale says.
What should you actually do?
Forget the "perfect" number. It doesn't exist. Your body has a "set point," a weight range where it functions best, and for a 5'10" adult, that could be anywhere.
But if you want a roadmap, here is how you actually find your personal ideal weight:
First, get a DEXA scan or use a set of skinfold calipers. Knowing your body fat percentage is 10x more valuable than knowing your total weight. For men, 15-20% is a great healthy range. For women, 22-28% is usually the sweet spot.
Second, check your performance. Can you walk up three flights of stairs without gasping? Can you carry your groceries? How’s your sleep? If you weigh 185 at 5'10" but you run 5ks and your blood work is clean, you are winning.
Third, watch the waistline. For a 5'10" individual, a waist measurement over 35 inches (for women) or 40 inches (for men) is a clinical red flag, regardless of total weight.
Practical steps for the 5'10" individual
If you feel you’re outside the healthy range for your height, don't just "go on a diet." That’s a recipe for yo-yoing.
- Focus on protein intake. Aim for about 0.8 grams of protein per pound of your target weight. If you want to weigh 170, eat 136 grams of protein a day. This protects your muscle while you lose fat.
- Lift something heavy. Two or three times a week. It doesn't have to be Olympic powerlifting. Just give your bones and muscles a reason to stay strong.
- Hydrate like it’s your job. Often, the "weight" we see on the scale is just water retention from a high-sodium dinner the night before.
- Stop weighing yourself daily. Your weight fluctuates by 3-5 pounds every day based on glycogen, water, and waste. Weigh yourself once a week, under the same conditions (morning, before eating), and look at the 4-week trend.
The average weight for 5'10 is a data point, not a destiny. Use it as a loose guide, but listen to your body and your doctor over a piece of plastic on the bathroom floor. If you feel strong, your vitals are good, and you can move freely, you've already found your "ideal" weight.
Immediate Actions to Take
- Measure your waist today. Use a soft tape measure at the level of your navel. If it’s more than half your height (35 inches), prioritize fat loss over "weight" loss.
- Calculate your protein needs. Use the 0.7g to 1g per pound of lean mass rule to ensure you aren't losing muscle.
- Track your energy levels for a week. Note how you feel at different weights. You might find you feel significantly better at 175 than at 160.
- Consult a professional. Ask for a lipid panel and an A1C test. These numbers matter infinitely more than the raw data of your gravitational pull on the Earth.