Let’s be real for a second. If you’re standing in front of the mirror wondering about the perfect weight for 5 7 male, you’ve probably already Googled a dozen different charts. You've seen the Body Mass Index (BMI) ranges. Maybe you’ve even used one of those clunky online calculators that tells you you're "overweight" because you dared to have a bit of bicep muscle. It’s frustrating.
Weight is a weird, fickle metric.
If you are 5 feet 7 inches tall, the standard medical community—think the CDC and the World Health Organization—generally points to a range between 121 and 158 pounds. That is the "normal" BMI window. But honestly? That range is incredibly broad. A 122-pound man looks and feels vastly different from a 157-pound man, even if they share the exact same height. And if you happen to lift weights or have a naturally broad frame, those numbers might actually be dangerous to aim for.
The BMI Trap and Why It Fails 5'7" Men
BMI was invented in the 1830s by a Belgian mathematician named Adolphe Quetelet. He wasn't even a doctor. He was looking for a way to measure the "average man" for social statistics, not to diagnose health. Fast forward nearly 200 years, and we’re still using his math to tell a 5'7" guy whether he’s healthy or not.
The formula is simple: your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared.
$$BMI = \frac{mass_{kg}}{height_{m}^2}$$
Here is the problem. BMI cannot distinguish between five pounds of visceral fat around your organs and five pounds of dense muscle on your quads. If you’re a 5'7" guy who hits the gym four times a week, you might weigh 170 pounds. According to the BMI scale, you’re "overweight." But your waist might be a lean 30 inches, and your blood pressure might be perfect. In that case, 170 is a much "healthier" weight for you than the 140 pounds the chart suggests.
Medical experts like those at the Mayo Clinic have increasingly argued that we should be looking at waist-to-hip ratios or body fat percentages instead of just the scale. For a man of this height, a waist circumference over 40 inches is a much bigger red flag for heart disease than a scale weight of 175 pounds.
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Finding Your "Real" Ideal Weight
So, if the charts are flawed, how do you actually find your target? It usually comes down to your "frame size."
People aren't built the same. Some guys have narrow shoulders and small wrists; others are built like fire hydrants. You can actually test this. Wrap your thumb and middle finger around your opposite wrist. If they overlap, you likely have a small frame. If they just touch, you’re medium. If they don’t meet at all? You’ve got a large frame.
For a perfect weight for 5 7 male with a small frame, staying on the lower end—perhaps 135 to 145 pounds—might feel most comfortable. If you have a large frame, you might find that your body naturally wants to sit at 155 to 165 pounds.
Age matters too. As we get older, we naturally lose muscle mass (sarcopenia) and our bone density shifts. A 20-year-old at 5'7" and a 60-year-old at 5'7" should not necessarily be chasing the same number. Research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society has even suggested that for older adults, being slightly "overweight" by BMI standards can actually be protective against certain health issues.
Body Composition Is the Real King
Let’s look at two hypothetical guys. Both are 5'7". Both weigh 160 pounds.
Guy A has a body fat percentage of 25%. He carries most of his weight in his belly. He gets winded climbing stairs.
Guy B has a body fat percentage of 14%. He has visible muscle definition and plays soccer on weekends.
The scale says they are identical. Their health profiles say they are worlds apart.
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If you're trying to optimize your weight, you should probably stop obsessing over the total pounds and start looking at your body fat percentage. For men, a "fit" range is typically 14% to 17%. If you’re an athlete, you might be closer to 10% to 12%. Anything over 25% for a man is usually where health risks like Type 2 diabetes and hypertension start to climb.
How do you measure this? You can use skinfold calipers (sorta old school), or get a DEXA scan if you want to be really precise. Even a basic Bioelectrical Impedance scale at home—the ones you step on that send a tiny pulse through your feet—is better than a standard scale, even if they aren't 100% accurate. They at least give you a trend line to follow.
Practical Factors: Nutrition and Activity
You can't talk about weight without talking about how you're fueling the engine. If you're 5'7" and sedentary, your maintenance calories are likely around 2,000 per day. If you're active, that jumps to 2,500 or more.
Protein is your best friend here.
When people try to reach their perfect weight for 5 7 male, they often make the mistake of just eating less. They lose 10 pounds, but half of that is muscle. Now their metabolism is slower, and they look "skinny fat." By keeping protein high—aiming for roughly 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight—you protect your muscle while the fat drops off.
Real-world example:
Instead of a bowl of cereal, try eggs and Greek yogurt. Instead of a massive plate of pasta, try a smaller portion with a large chicken breast and greens. It sounds cliché, but for the average-height male, these small caloric pivots make a massive difference in how the weight actually sits on your frame.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think there is a "destination." They think "Once I hit 150 pounds, I’m done."
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Health doesn't work like that.
Your weight will fluctuate. You’ll be heavier on Monday after a salty Sunday dinner. You’ll be lighter after a sweaty workout. If you’re 5'7", a 3-pound fluctuation looks more noticeable than it does on a guy who is 6'3". Don't let the daily zig-zags drive you crazy.
Also, ignore the "Hollywood" weights. You see an actor who is 5'7" and weighs 145 pounds of shredded muscle for a superhero movie? He’s likely dehydrated, depleted, and miserable. It’s not a sustainable "perfect" weight for a guy with a job, a family, and a life.
Actionable Steps to Finding Your Best Number
Forget the "perfect" number for a second. Let's focus on markers that actually correlate with living a long time and feeling good.
- Measure your waist. Keep it under 37 inches. If you’re over 40, prioritize fat loss immediately, regardless of what the scale says.
- Focus on performance, not gravity. Can you do 10 pushups? Can you run a mile without stopping? Can you deadlift your own body weight? If you can do these things, your weight is likely in a healthy spot for your frame.
- Adjust for your bone structure. If you have thick wrists and broad shoulders, don't kill yourself trying to get down to 130 pounds. You’ll just end up looking gaunt and feeling weak. 160 or 165 might be your "sweet spot."
- Prioritize Lean Mass. Use resistance training. Lifting weights twice a week ensures that the weight you do carry is functional muscle rather than stored fat.
- Check your bloodwork. Ask your doctor for an A1C test and a lipid panel. If your numbers are in the green, and you feel energetic, the specific number on the scale matters a lot less than you think.
Ultimately, the perfect weight for 5 7 male is the one where you are metabolically healthy, physically capable, and mentally happy. For most guys, that falls somewhere between 140 and 165 pounds, depending entirely on muscle mass and frame. Stop chasing a ghost and start chasing a better-feeling body.
Next Steps for Success
Start by tracking your waist-to-height ratio. Divide your waist circumference by your height in inches. Aim for a ratio of 0.5 or less. This is a much more accurate predictor of health than BMI. If you are 67 inches tall (5'7"), your waist should ideally be 33.5 inches or less. If you meet this metric, you are likely at a healthy weight regardless of the total number on the scale.