Army Body Fat Calculator
Estimate your body fat percentage with the U.S. Army (AR 600-9) tape method from neck, waist, and height, and check it against the Army maximum for your age and sex.
16.5% BF
PASS
Army maximum for male, age 25: 26%
Note: Per AR 600-9, body fat is estimated from tape (circumference) measurements. This estimate is a screening tool and may differ from an official measurement taken by a trained grader.
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How Army Body Fat Is Calculated
The U.S. Army body fat standard (AR 600-9) screens soldiers whose body weight exceeds the screening table. Body fat is estimated from tape (circumference) measurements and compared against the maximum allowable percentage for your age and sex. This calculator estimates your body fat and tells you whether it falls within the Army maximum.
How the Tape Method Works
The Army uses circumference measurements to estimate body fat. For men, the measurements are neck and waist; for women, neck, waist, and hip. Combined with height, these feed a logarithmic regression (the same family as the U.S. Navy equations) to estimate percent body fat.
Women: %BF = 163.205 × log10(waist + hip − neck) − 97.684 × log10(height) − 78.387
Measure with the tape snug but not compressing the skin, at the level specified in AR 600-9, and average repeated readings for accuracy.
Maximum Allowable Body Fat by Age
| Age | Male max %BF | Female max %BF |
|---|---|---|
| 17–20 | 24% | 30% |
| 21–27 | 26% | 32% |
| 28–39 | 28% | 34% |
| 40+ | 30% | 36% |
Worked Example
A 25-year-old male is 70 in tall with a 38 in neck and 85 cm (≈33.5 in) waist. The equation gives roughly 18% body fat — well under the 26% maximum for his age band, so he passes the standard.
2023 Single-Site Update
In 2023 the Army moved toward a streamlined abdominal-circumference screening for the initial check, with the full neck/waist (and hip) tape method retained for the body composition assessment. Either way, the maximum-allowable percentages above are the pass/fail line.
Note: The tape method is a screening estimate, not a precise lab measurement, and can differ by a few points from DEXA or hydrostatic weighing. An official measurement is taken by a trained grader following AR 600-9 procedures. Use this calculator for self-assessment only.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Army uses the AR 600-9 tape method: circumference measurements of the neck and waist (men) or neck, waist, and hip (women), combined with height in a logarithmic formula to estimate percent body fat.
It rises with age. For men it ranges from 24% (age 17-20) to 30% (age 40+); for women from 30% to 36% across the same bands.
It is a screening estimate, not a lab measurement, and can differ by a few points from DEXA or hydrostatic weighing. Official measurements are taken by a trained grader following AR 600-9 procedures.
How does the Army measure body fat?
What is the maximum body fat allowed in the Army?
Is the Army tape method accurate?
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