Army Body Fat Calculator
The US Army uses a simple tape-measure protocol to estimate body fat — no calipers, no bioimpedance scale. The formula, codified in AR 600-9, takes circumferences at the neck and waist (and hips for women) along with height. This tool runs the official equations so soldiers and candidates can see where they stand against the service standards before a weigh-in.
How to run the Army tape test
-
1
Measure height without shoes
To the nearest half-inch, standing straight.
-
2
Tape the neck just below the larynx
Tape perpendicular to the long axis of the neck. Round up to the nearest half-inch.
-
3
Tape the waist at the navel
Men measure at navel height. Women measure at the narrowest point. Round down to the nearest half-inch.
-
4
Women: also tape the hips
At the widest point, over the buttocks. Round down to the nearest half-inch.
-
5
Read the estimated body-fat percentage
The calculator applies the AR 600-9 logarithmic formula and returns a single percentage.
The official AR 600-9 formulas
The Army tape-test body-fat percentage is:
- 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
All measurements in inches.
Maximum allowable body fat by age and gender
Standards from AR 600-9 (current edition):
| Age group | Male max %BF | Female max %BF |
|---|---|---|
| 17-20 | 20% | 30% |
| 21-27 | 22% | 32% |
| 28-39 | 24% | 34% |
| 40+ | 26% | 36% |
Why the tape test is imperfect
The formula was derived statistically against hydrostatic weighing and is accurate to within about four percentage points for most soldiers — but it systematically overestimates body fat in muscular people with thick necks and lean waists, and underestimates in soldiers with skinny necks. That is why the Army also accepts a DEXA scan as an alternative when a soldier contests the tape result.
Tips for an accurate tape
- Measure after a normal exhale, not holding a breath in or out.
- Keep the tape snug but not compressing the skin.
- Take each measurement three times and average — the tape test is noisy.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Navy uses the same base equations but with slightly different measurement rules (waist at the narrowest point for men too, not at the navel). The Marines moved to a similar but revised table in 2023. For strict Army compliance, use the Army rounding rules.
Soldiers over the AR 600-9 limit are flagged and enrolled in the Army Body Composition Program. The program mandates monthly reassessment and can block promotions and reenlistment until the soldier meets standards.
Women carry a larger proportion of body fat on the hips and thighs, which the neck-and-waist pair alone does not capture well. Adding the hip circumference improves the correlation with hydrostatic weighing.
No — the calculation runs locally in your browser and no numbers are sent to a server.
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