Army Body Fat Calculator
Estimate your body fat percentage with the classic US Army tape test — the traditional multi-site circumference formulas from AR 600-9 — and see instantly whether you pass the longstanding Army standard for your age group. All you need is a tape measure.
Tape test result
Estimated body fat
19.4%
Standard (age 21–27)
≤ 22%
Result
PASS
Army body fat standards by age group (longstanding AR 600-9)
| Age group | Men max | Women max |
|---|---|---|
| 17–20 | 20% | 30% |
| 21–27 | 22% | 32% |
| 28–39 | 24% | 34% |
| 40+ | 26% | 36% |
The formulas (classic AR 600-9 tape test)
The traditional Army method estimates body fat from circumference measurements in inches using logarithmic equations:
Men: %BF = 86.010·log₁₀(abdomen − neck) − 70.041·log₁₀(height) + 36.76
Women: %BF = 163.205·log₁₀(waist + hip − neck) − 97.684·log₁₀(height) − 78.387
Worked example: a male soldier who is 70 inches tall with a 36-inch abdomen and 16-inch neck: 86.010·log₁₀(20) − 70.041·log₁₀(70) + 36.76 = 111.9 − 129.2 + 36.8 ≈ 19.5% body fat — a pass in every age group. Note that in June 2023 the Army switched official taping to a simplified one-site abdominal method; the multi-site formulas above are the classic version this calculator implements.
How to take the measurements
- Height — without shoes, heels together, looking straight ahead.
- Neck — just below the larynx (Adam’s apple), tape sloping slightly downward to the front, without pressing into the skin.
- Abdomen (men) — level with the navel, at the end of a normal, relaxed exhale. No sucking in.
- Waist (women) — at the narrowest point of the torso, typically midway between the ribs and the hip bones.
- Hip (women) — around the largest protrusion of the buttocks, tape level with the floor.
Take each measurement three times and average the readings. Compared with a DEXA scan, the tape is usually within ±3–4 percentage points — good enough to track direction, not lab-grade. For a civilian estimate with the closely related Navy method, try the body fat calculator, and to plan the calorie side of getting under the standard, the TDEE calculator shows your daily energy burn.