Maximum Allowable Body Fat - Active Duty
| Age Group |
Male |
Female |
| 17-20 | 20% | 30% |
| 21-27 | 22% | 32% |
| 28-39 | 24% | 34% |
| 40+ | 26% | 36% |
Maximum Allowable Body Fat - Candidates
| Age Group |
Male |
Female |
| 17-20 | 24% | 30% |
| 21-27 | 26% | 32% |
| 28-39 | 28% | 34% |
| 40+ | 30% | 36% |
🎖️ Exemption: Soldiers who score 540 or higher on the ACFT (Army Combat Fitness Test) with a minimum of 80 points in each event are exempt from body fat assessment.
About the Army Body Fat Calculator
This calculator is based on the Army Body Fat Assessment for the Army Body Composition Program, published on June 12, 2023. It uses the official U.S. Army formula to calculate body fat percentage from circumference measurements.
The Army uses a one-site circumference-based tape method which requires measurement of abdominal circumference at the belly button level and body weight. This method has been validated and correlates with more advanced methods like DXA scanning.
Measurement Guidelines
Height: Stand upright without shoes, feet together, looking straight ahead.
Neck: Measure below the larynx (Adam's apple) with the tape perpendicular to the long axis of the neck.
Waist (Men): Measure at the level of the belly button (navel) in a horizontal plane.
Waist (Women): Measure at the narrowest part of the torso, between the ribs and hips.
Hips (Women only): Measure at the widest protrusion of the buttocks in a horizontal plane.
The Army Formula
For Men:
%BF = (86.010 × log₁₀(waist - neck)) - (70.041 × log₁₀(height)) + 36.76
For Women:
%BF = (163.205 × log₁₀(waist + hip - neck)) - (97.684 × log₁₀(height)) - 78.387
Note: All measurements must be in inches for the formula to work correctly.