Your Strongest Bodyweight | Carl Raghavan

[AnthonyS]

I’m curious: how might this be modified for shorter female lifters. My wife is 5’ and I’m 5’ 2”. I’m 182 lbs and she is around 175 and pretty overweight. I’m guessing her weight should be in the 155-165 range?

[Steve Cox]

Thanks Cole, and Rip too, that answers my suspicion. Guess I need to go back and look at BB Prescription again, as I either overlooked or forgot reading that in the nutrition section.

[Carl Raghavan]

Yes I just saw Thor @ 6’8 is 200kg. The second man in history deadlift 500kg. That’s what I call an exception to the rule.

Good call James.

Gaining weight and building strength has been a straightforward journey—just don’t quit. I’ve been through it all, made every mistake in the book, and come out the other side with the lessons that matter. For the average man, gaining weight is the biggest stepping stone to taking strength to the next level.

Cole is 100% on the money!

[WCSteppe]

At 31 years of age and 6ft tall, I'm glad this agrees with my desire to go from 275 to 300 as my lift numbers increase over the year as well.

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Where does this data come from? Which population was studied to produce the chart?
From the look of it, most national-level PLers and WLers would be considered underweight according to the chart.

IPB

[deborahlebl]

I love you, Carl, but you're leaving out half of the population. What does Carl think a woman should weigh? My best guess is that the female scale would be -40lbs from the male scale. FWIW, I'm 5'6" and 175lbs right now. I worked really hard to put on a really good 35lbs over the years. I'm currently working on getting to 180 but it'll be a while. Ladies, if you are on the fence about gaining weight, get off right now. Every pound you gain will benefit you in ways you cannot imagine. You WILL look better at a higher body weight. You will not be fat. You will be muscular and feminine and strong.

[Carl Raghavan]

I completely agree, and I recognize that this is a major gap in the article. However, that omission was intentional. It’s not my place to dictate what a woman should weigh—this scale was designed specifically for male lifters.

That said, I fully agree that gaining lean muscle mass is just as important for women as it is for men. As strength coaches, we want to see women build as much lean mass as possible because the benefits—both in performance and aesthetics—are undeniable. However, given the societal pressures around body image, weight, and physique, discussing a specific number on the scale can quickly become counterproductive. For that reason, I’ve chosen to stay away from prescribing weight targets for women.

That being said, if we were to apply the same lean body mass guideline I use for men (1.5 to 2 kg per inch of height) and adjust it for sex-based differences in muscle mass, we get a useful estimate for women: 1.2 to 1.7 kg per inch of height. This suggests that a well-trained, muscular woman would typically weigh 30-40 lbs less than a comparably built man.

For example, at 5’6” (66 inches):
• Male range: ~220-290 lbs (at 1.5-2 kg per inch)
• Female range: ~180-250 lbs (at 1.2-1.7 kg per inch)

A woman who trains seriously and builds significant muscle mass could absolutely carry 175-180 lbs at 5’6” and look athletic, strong, and well-proportioned. The fear of “getting too big” is unfounded—muscle mass transforms the body in ways that aren’t just about the number on the scale.

What I will say is this: women benefit tremendously from focusing on performance rather than weight. Follow a structured strength program, progressively add weight to the bar, and prioritize getting stronger. When you do that, everything else falls into place—more muscle, better confidence, a more capable body, and the freedom to eat well without stressing over every pound.

This scale wasn’t designed for female lifters, and perhaps that’s where a different voice needs to step in. If there’s a discussion to be had about optimal body weight for women in strength training, it should come from someone with firsthand experience. A strong, well-muscled woman speaking from her own journey would have far more impact than any male coach trying to shape that conversation.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I'd be interested in Deborah's thoughts on this. Sounds about right to me.

[deborahlebl]

I'd be interested in Deborah's thoughts on this. Sounds about right to me.

Writing the article now...