You’re standing on the scale. 175 pounds. Is that good? Bad? Honestly, it depends on who you ask and how much of that weight is actually "you" versus just water and Sunday’s pizza. If you search for the ideal weight for 5'9 male, Google will probably spit out a nice, neat range like 144 to 176 pounds. That’s the standard Body Mass Index (BMI) window.
But here’s the thing.
BMI is a math equation from the 1830s. It was invented by a Belgian polymath named Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet. He wasn't even a doctor; he was an astronomer and a statistician. He specifically said his formula shouldn't be used to judge an individual's health, yet here we are, nearly 200 years later, using it to decide if we're "fit." If you have a decent amount of muscle, that 176-pound limit feels like a joke.
The BMI trap and why 5'9 is the "average" battleground
Most guys who are 5'9" (which is roughly 175 cm) fall right into the middle of the bell curve for American men. Because you're "average" height, the standard charts feel like they should apply perfectly. They don't.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that for a 69-inch frame, anything over 176 pounds is "overweight." Anything over 209 pounds is "obese." But let’s look at a real-world example. Imagine a guy who lifts weights four times a week. He weighs 190 pounds at 5'9". According to the chart, he’s borderline obese. In reality? He probably has a 32-inch waist and a resting heart rate of 55. He’s healthy. Then you have the "skinny-fat" phenomenon. You could weigh 150 pounds—right in the "ideal" zone—but have very little muscle mass and a high percentage of visceral fat around your organs. That guy is actually at a higher risk for metabolic issues than our 190-pound lifter.
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Context matters more than the number. Always.
What do the different "ideal" formulas actually say?
If we move away from BMI, we find a handful of other formulas that try to calculate the "perfect" weight. You’ve got the Robinson formula, the Miller formula, and the Devine formula. They all vary slightly, but for a 5'9" guy, they usually hover around a specific point.
- The Devine Formula: This is the one most doctors use to calculate dosage for certain medications. For a 5'9" male, it suggests an ideal body weight of 160.3 lbs (72.7 kg).
- The Robinson Formula: This one is a bit more conservative, landing at 156.3 lbs (70.9 kg).
- The Miller Formula: This leans even lighter, suggesting 154.5 lbs (70.1 kg).
Do you see the problem? These formulas were mostly designed to determine drug clearances in a clinical setting. They aren't "aesthetic" goals. They don't account for the fact that you might have a broad frame or heavy bone density. If you try to force yourself down to 154 pounds just because Miller said so, you might end up looking gaunt and feeling weak.
Body composition is the real metric you’re looking for
Forget the scale for a second. Let's talk about body fat percentage. This is where the ideal weight for 5'9 male discussion gets interesting.
For a man of this height, your "look" changes drastically based on your lean mass. A 170-pound man at 12% body fat looks like an athlete. A 170-pound man at 25% body fat looks soft. If you want to actually feel good, aim for a body fat percentage between 12% and 20%.
Research from the Mayo Clinic suggests that waist circumference is actually a better predictor of health than weight alone. For a 5'9" man, your waist should ideally be less than 35 inches. Once you cross that 40-inch mark, you're looking at a significantly higher risk for Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, regardless of what the scale says.
Why frame size changes everything
Grab your opposite wrist with your thumb and index finger. If they overlap, you likely have a small frame. If they just touch, you're medium. If they don't meet? You've got a large frame. A guy with a large frame at 5'9" can easily carry 185 pounds and look perfectly lean. Someone with a small frame might look "overweight" at that same number.
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company used to publish "Height and Weight Tables" that actually accounted for frame size. They were honestly onto something. For a 5'9" man with a large frame, they allowed for a weight up to 184 pounds back in the 1980s. Modern BMI charts are actually stricter than the old insurance tables, which is wild when you think about how much more we know about muscle mass now.
The role of age and metabolic health
Your "ideal" weight at 22 isn't your ideal weight at 52. Sarcopenia—the natural loss of muscle mass as we age—starts kicking in during your 30s. If you stay the exact same weight from 20 to 50, but you aren't strength training, you're actually getting "fatter" because your muscle is being replaced by adipose tissue.
Instead of obsessing over 160 pounds, look at your blood markers. Are your triglycerides low? Is your HDL (the "good" cholesterol) high? Is your fasted glucose under 100 mg/dL? If those numbers are dialed in and you can climb three flights of stairs without huffing, you're likely at your personal ideal weight.
How to actually find your "best" weight
If you’re still itching for a target, don’t just pick a random number. Use a more modern approach like the Waist-to-Height Ratio (WtHR).
The rule is simple: keep your waist circumference to less than half your height. Since 5'9" is 69 inches, your waist should be 34.5 inches or less. This metric is a much better "BS detector" than BMI because it focuses on where the weight is stored. Abdominal fat (visceral fat) is the stuff that actually causes health problems. Fat on your legs or arms? Mostly harmless.
Practical steps to hit your target
If you find that you're sitting at 200 pounds and want to get down to a healthier range, don't just starve yourself. When you go on a massive calorie deficit without lifting weights, you lose muscle. When you lose muscle, your metabolism drops. Then, the moment you eat "normally" again, you balloon back up.
- Prioritize Protein: Aim for roughly 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of target body weight. If you want to be 165, eat 130-160 grams of protein. It keeps you full and protects your muscle.
- Lift Heavy Things: You don't need to be a bodybuilder. But resistance training twice a week tells your body "Hey, keep this muscle, we need it." This shifts your "ideal weight" higher because you're carrying more lean mass.
- Track the Trend, Not the Day: Your weight can fluctuate 5 pounds in a single day just from salt and water. Use an app like MacroFactor or Happy Scale to see the moving average.
- The "Mirror and Belt" Test: If your clothes fit better and you have more energy, you're winning. Even if the scale is stuck at 180.
The bottom line on being 5'9"
The ideal weight for 5'9 male is a moving target. For a sedentary guy, 155-165 pounds is probably the sweet spot for longevity. For a guy who hits the gym and has some decent thickness to his frame, 175-185 pounds might be where he looks and performs best.
Stop letting a chart from the 1800s dictate your self-worth. If your waist is under 35 inches, your blood work is clean, and you can move your body comfortably, you’ve already found it. Focus on adding some muscle and keeping that waistline in check. The rest is just noise.
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To move forward effectively, measure your waist today at the narrowest point (usually just above the belly button) and compare it to that 34.5-inch threshold. If you are over that mark, focus on a modest 300-calorie daily deficit and prioritize protein to drop visceral fat without losing strength. If you are under that mark but still unhappy with the scale, consider a "recomposition" phase—eating at maintenance calories while increasing the intensity of your strength training to swap fat for functional muscle.