You're standing on the scale. 175 pounds. For a guy who's 5'9", that number feels... okay? Maybe? You Google "good weight for 5 9 male" and suddenly you're staring at a chart from 1970 telling you that you’re borderline overweight. It’s frustrating.
Most health advice is frankly lazy. It relies on the Body Mass Index (BMI), which was actually invented by a Belgian mathematician named Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet in the 1830s. He wasn't even a doctor. He was a statistician trying to find the "average man." He didn't care about your bicep-to-waist ratio or whether you can squat 315 pounds.
The Raw Numbers: What the "Standard" Advice Says
If we look at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, the good weight for 5 9 male falls within a massive range. Specifically, 128 to 168 pounds.
Think about that for a second.
A forty-pound gap. That is the difference between looking like a marathon runner and looking like a middleweight boxer. According to the BMI, if you hit 169 pounds, you are officially "overweight." But honestly, if you’ve ever stepped foot in a gym, you know that a 169-pound man with 12% body fat looks a lot healthier—and "better"—than a 140-pound man who is "skinny fat" with no muscle tone.
Why 160 Pounds Might Be Your Magic Number (Or Not)
A lot of guys find that 160 is a sweet spot. At 5'9", 160 pounds usually allows for a decent amount of muscle mass without carrying a dangerous amount of visceral fat. Visceral fat is the nasty stuff. It’s the fat stored deep under your skin, wrapping around your liver and kidneys. That’s the stuff that actually kills you via heart disease or Type 2 diabetes.
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But here’s the kicker.
If you have a "large frame"—which basically means your bones are thicker—your ideal weight might naturally be 175 or 180. Researchers at institutions like the Mayo Clinic often point out that "waist circumference" is a much better predictor of health than the scale. If you are 5'9" and 185 pounds, but your waist is 32 inches, you are probably in fantastic shape. If your waist is 38 inches at that same weight? Different story.
Breaking Down the Frame Size Factor
Not all 5'9" skeletons are created equal. You can actually check this yourself. Take your thumb and middle finger and wrap them around your opposite wrist.
- If they overlap easily, you’ve likely got a small frame.
- If they just barely touch, you’re medium.
- If there’s a gap, you’re large-framed.
A guy with a large frame can easily carry 10-15 pounds more than a small-framed guy and still be at a "good weight."
The Muscle Paradox
Muscle is dense. It’s like lead versus feathers. A cubic inch of muscle weighs more than a cubic inch of fat. This is why the search for a good weight for 5 9 male often leads to body dysmorphia. You see a number on the scale go up and you panic. But if you’re lifting weights, that "weight gain" is exactly what you want.
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Take a look at professional athletes. Many NFL cornerbacks or elite CrossFitters are around 5'9". They often weigh between 180 and 195 pounds. By the CDC's standards, these men are "obese" or "severely overweight." In reality, they have lower resting heart rates and better blood pressure than the 145-pound guy who sits at a desk all day and eats processed snacks.
The Risks of Being Too Light
We talk so much about obesity that we forget being underweight is also a nightmare for your hormones. If a 5'9" male drops below 125 pounds, things start breaking. Testosterone levels can crater. Bone density drops. You might find yourself feeling cold all the time or losing your hair.
I once knew a guy, let’s call him Mark, who obsessed over hitting his "ideal" BMI weight of 140. He got there. He looked gaunt. He had no energy to play with his kids. He was "healthy" on a piece of paper, but he felt like garbage. He eventually hiked his weight back up to 165 through strength training and felt ten times better. The scale isn't the boss of you.
Body Fat Percentage: The Real Metric
If you really want to know if you're at a good weight for 5 9 male, stop looking at the total pounds and start looking at your body fat percentage.
- 10-14%: Lean. You’ll probably have visible abs.
- 15-19%: The "Fit" range. You look good in a t-shirt and your health markers are usually excellent.
- 20-24%: The average range. This is fine, but you might want to watch the sugar intake.
- 25%+: This is where the health risks (hypertension, metabolic syndrome) start to climb.
For most 5'9" men, staying between 15% and 18% body fat is the "Goldilocks zone." You aren't starving yourself to stay shredded, but you aren't carrying around a "spare tire" that puts stress on your heart.
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Age Changes Everything
Your "good weight" at 22 is not your "good weight" at 55. As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass—a process called sarcopenia.
Because of this, an older man might actually benefit from carrying a little more weight. Studies have shown that in older populations, being slightly "overweight" by BMI standards can actually be protective against falls and wasting diseases. If you're 5'9" and 60 years old, weighing 175 might actually be safer for you than weighing 145.
How to Actually Reach Your Target
If you’ve decided that your current weight isn't working, don't just "go on a diet." Diets are temporary. Habits are permanent.
- Prioritize Protein. Aim for about 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of your target weight. If you want to be 165, eat 150-165 grams of protein. It keeps you full and protects your muscle.
- Lift Something Heavy. You don't have to be a bodybuilder. But resistance training twice a week tells your body to keep the muscle and burn the fat.
- Walk. It sounds too simple, but 8,000 steps a day is the ultimate "weight maintenance" hack.
- Sleep. If you sleep five hours a night, your cortisol spikes and your body clings to belly fat like its life depends on it.
The Actionable Truth
Forget the perfect number. It doesn't exist. Instead of chasing a specific digit on a plastic square on your bathroom floor, focus on these three things:
- Can you see your belt buckle? (Waist circumference should be less than 35 inches for a 5'9" male).
- How is your energy? If you’re sluggish, your weight or diet is off.
- Are your blood markers okay? Get a yearly physical. If your triglycerides and blood sugar are good, the scale matters a whole lot less.
Your next steps:
Grab a soft tape measure. Measure your waist at the level of your belly button. If it's over 37 inches, focus on a slow, sustainable calorie deficit and daily walking. If it's under 34 inches and you still feel "small," focus on increasing your protein intake and starting a basic strength program like Starting Strength or 5/3/1 to add some functional mass.
The goal isn't to fit a chart; it's to build a body that lasts.