Army Body Fat (US Military)
US Army tape-test body-fat % with age-based pass/fail.
Formula
BF% via tape (US Army AR 600-9)
How to use
- 1Choose gender and enter your age.
- 2Enter height, neck and waist (women also add hip), plus weight.
- 3Read body fat %, the age standard, pass or fail, and fat and lean mass.
About this calculator
The US Army does not judge body composition by weight alone. It uses a tape measure and a formula from Army Regulation 600-9 to estimate body fat percentage and check it against a standard that varies with age and gender. This calculator reproduces that tape test and reports your body fat, the age standard, a pass or fail, and your fat and lean mass.
Formula explained
The method uses circumferences: neck and waist (at the navel) for men, plus the hip for women, with height. Men: BF% = 86.010 × log₁₀(waist − neck) − 70.041 × log₁₀(height) + 36.76. Women: BF% = 163.205 × log₁₀(waist + hip − neck) − 97.684 × log₁₀(height) − 78.387. Keep all measurements in the same units.
Worked example
Waist − neck = 47 cm. With height 175 cm the male formula returns a body fat estimate, compared to the standard for a 25-year-old man for a pass or fail. Weight is split into fat and lean mass.
Tips & notes
- Use a non-stretch tape held snug but not compressing the skin, kept level all the way around.
- Measure at the same landmark and time of day each time for comparable readings.
- Do not suck in; breathe normally when measuring the waist.