Body Fat Calculator
This is the US Navy tape method. All you need is a tape measure, and it gets within about three or four percent of a proper body scan, which is enough to track a direction.
How the math works
US Navy method, in inches. Men: 86.010 x log10(waist - neck) - 70.041 x log10(height) + 36.76. Women: 163.205 x log10(waist + hip - neck) - 97.684 x log10(height) - 78.387. Fat mass is that percentage of your weight, and lean mass is the rest.
Common questions
- How accurate is the Navy body fat method?
- Within roughly three to four percentage points of a DEXA scan for most people. Its real strength is consistency: measured the same way each time, the change it shows is reliable even when the absolute number is a little off.
- Where exactly do I measure?
- Neck just under the larynx with the tape sloping slightly down at the front. Waist at the navel for men and at the narrowest point for women. Hips at the widest point. Stand relaxed, breathe out normally, and do not pull the tape tight.
- What is a healthy body fat percentage?
- For men, roughly 14 to 17 percent is the fitness range and up to 24 is average. For women it is 21 to 24 and up to 31, since women carry more essential fat. Below the essential level is not a goal, it is a medical problem.