Army Body Fat Calculator (US Army Method)
Calculate body fat percentage using the official US Army Regulation 600-9 circumference method.
Updated to reflect AR 600-9 (2023) standards.
Neck: Measure just below the larynx (Adam's apple), perpendicular to the neck axis.
Waist (Male): Measure at the level of the navel.
Waist (Female): Measure at the narrowest point.
Hip (Female): Measure at the largest point of the hip/buttocks.
How the US Army Tape Test Works
The US Army body fat assessment uses circumference measurements rather than scales or calipers. Under Army Regulation 600-9, as updated by Army Directive AD 2023-11, trained personnel measure your neck and waist (and hip for females) with a tape measure. These measurements are plugged into a logarithmic formula derived from research correlating circumference measurements with hydrostatic weighing data. Male body fat percentage = 86.010 × log₁₀(abdomen − neck) − 70.041 × log₁₀(height) + 36.76. Female body fat percentage = 163.205 × log₁₀(waist + hip − neck) − 97.684 × log₁₀(height) − 78.387. All measurements must be taken in inches. Soldiers who exceed the age- and gender-specific limit are enrolled in the Army Body Composition Program (ABCP) and given 90 days to reach the standard. The method tends to overestimate body fat in very muscular individuals by 3–4% compared to DEXA scanning.