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Body Fat Percentage Calculator
Estimate your body fat from tape measurements — blended across the US Navy, Covert Bailey, Deurenberg and Jackson-Pollock methods for a confidence-weighted number.
Measure at the narrowest point
Measure just below the Adam's apple
Men: chest, abdomen, and thigh skinfolds (mm)
Diagonal, midway between nipple and armpit
Vertical, 2cm right of the navel
Vertical, midway on front of thigh
Measurement Tips:
- • Take measurements in the morning before eating
- • Use a flexible measuring tape
- • Keep the tape snug but not tight
- • Take measurements 2-3 times and use the average
- • Waist: Measure at the narrowest point, usually just above the navel
- • Neck: Measure just below the Adam's apple
- • Hip: Measure at the widest point of the hips
Male Categories
Female Categories
What your body fat percentage actually tells you
Your body fat percentage is the share of your total weight that is fat, as opposed to muscle, bone, organs, and water (your lean body mass). It's a far better measure of body composition than the number on the scale or your BMI, because two people of the same height and weight can look — and be — completely different depending on how much of that weight is muscle.
That distinction matters beyond the mirror. Lean body mass largely determines your resting metabolism, which is why this site uses the Katch-McArdle equation — built on lean mass — when you provide a body fat figure. A good estimate makes your calorie and macro targets more accurate, and gives you a way to confirm that a cut is losing fat rather than muscle.
The methods behind your estimate
No tape-or-caliper method is as exact as a DEXA scan, but several validated formulas get close. Rather than trust one, this calculator runs every method your measurements allow and blends them, weighting the more reliable ones higher (an inverse-variance average). Here's what each one does:
US Navy (circumference) — tape only
Uses your height plus neck and waist (men), or neck, waist, and hips (women). Developed by the US Navy (Hodgdon & Beckett, 1984) and validated against hydrostatic weighing, it lands within about 3–4% for most people and needs nothing but a flexible tape.
Jackson-Pollock 3-site — skinfold (most accurate at home)
Caliper pinches at three sites — chest, abdomen, thigh for men; triceps, suprailiac, thigh for women (Jackson & Pollock, 1978–80). With a standard error near 3.5%, it's the most accurate field method, which is why the calculator weights it highest when you supply skinfolds.
Covert Bailey — multi-site tape
A tape-based method that reads several girths (wrist, hip, forearm for men; wrist, thigh, calf for women). A useful second tape estimate that complements the Navy figure.
Deurenberg (BMI-based) — lowest weight
Estimates body fat from BMI, age, and sex. It's the least precise method because BMI conflates muscle and fat, so the calculator gives it the smallest weight and only leans on it when no other input exists.
Healthy body fat ranges
Women carry more essential fat than men for hormonal and reproductive function, so healthy ranges differ by sex. These bands follow the commonly cited American Council on Exercise (ACE) categories:
| Category | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Essential fat | 2–5% | 10–13% |
| Athletes | 6–13% | 14–20% |
| Fitness | 14–17% | 21–24% |
| Average | 18–24% | 25–31% |
| Above average | 25%+ | 32%+ |
Dropping below the essential-fat range is unhealthy — it disrupts hormones, immunity, and organ function — so very low numbers are not a target to chase.
Worked example
A 28-year-old woman, 150 lb (68 kg), 5'5" (165 cm), measures neck 32 cm, waist 74 cm, hips 98 cm:
- Navy method from those girths ≈ 25% body fat
- Body fat mass = 150 × 0.25 = 37.5 lb
- Lean body mass = 150 − 37.5 = 112.5 lb (51 kg)
- That puts her at the boundary of the “fitness/average” range and gives a protein target of about 0.9 g per lb of lean mass ≈ 100 g/day
Add caliper skinfolds and the calculator folds the Jackson-Pollock reading in too, tightening the estimate.
Limitations — read this before you trust the number
Every tape and skinfold method is an estimate, not a lab measurement. Real accuracy depends on measuring the same spots, the same way, each time — a tape half an inch off at the waist can shift the result by a percent or more. Treat any single reading as a ballpark and the trend over weeks as the real signal. For a precise figure, a DEXA scan or hydrostatic weighing is the gold standard. And if a result is unexpectedly high or low, or you have a medical condition, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian rather than acting on an at-home estimate alone.
Frequently asked questions
Which body fat measurement method is most accurate?
A DEXA scan or hydrostatic (underwater) weighing is the lab gold standard, accurate to about ±1–2%. Among at-home methods, a Jackson-Pollock 3-site skinfold reading with calipers is the most accurate (standard error around ±3.5%) when you pinch the sites correctly. The US Navy tape method is close behind (±3–4%) and needs only a measuring tape. BMI-based estimates are the least reliable because they can't tell muscle from fat. This calculator blends the methods you provide and weights the more reliable ones higher, which narrows the error of any single reading.
What is a healthy body fat percentage?
General healthy ranges are roughly 10–20% for men and 18–28% for women. The American Council on Exercise bands it further: essential fat is 2–5% for men and 10–13% for women, athletes sit around 6–13% (men) and 14–20% (women), and the 'fitness' range is about 14–17% (men) and 21–24% (women). Below essential levels is unhealthy for hormones and organ function, so very low numbers are not a goal to chase.
How is body fat percentage different from BMI?
BMI is calculated from only your height and weight, so it can't distinguish muscle from fat — a lean, muscular lifter and an unfit person of the same height and weight get the same BMI. Body fat percentage estimates how much of your weight is actually fat, which is a far better gauge of body composition and health. That's why this site uses body-fat-based formulas (like Katch-McArdle) rather than BMI wherever it can.
How often should I measure my body fat?
Every 2–4 weeks is plenty. Body composition changes slowly, and day-to-day swings in water and food can move an estimate by a percent or two. Measure under the same conditions each time — ideally first thing in the morning, fasted, before training — and watch the trend across several readings rather than reacting to any single number.
Can I estimate body fat without calipers?
Yes. The US Navy method needs only a flexible measuring tape: men measure neck and waist, women add the hips, along with height. It's a solid, well-validated estimate. Adding caliper skinfolds (the Jackson-Pollock 3-site protocol) improves accuracy further, but you can get a useful number with tape alone.
Sources: Jackson AS & Pollock ML, generalized body-composition equations (Br J Nutr, 1978; Med Sci Sports Exerc, 1980); Hodgdon JA & Beckett MB, US Navy circumference method (1984); American Council on Exercise body-fat categories.
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