Army Body Fat Calculator
Check your US Army body fat percentage against AR 600-9 / ALARACT 087/2025 standards. Uses the current 2023-revised one-site tape test. Pass/fail verdict by age and sex.
Age determines your max body fat per branch regulation.
Health Disclaimer: This calculator uses the US Navy method to estimate body fat percentage. Results are approximations and should not be used as a medical diagnosis. Body fat percentage varies with age, ethnicity, and fitness level. Consult a healthcare professional for accurate body composition analysis and before making any health decisions.
Check Compliance with AR 600-9 / ALARACT 087/2025
- Select Army from the branch tabs at the top of the calculator.
- Choose Male or Female.
- Enter your age. Army uses 4 brackets: 17-20, 21-27, 28-39, and 40+.
- Choose Imperial or Metric units.
- Enter your body weight and waist (abdomen) circumference. The Army 2023-revised formula uses only these two measurements — neck, height, and hip are collected but not used in the Army calculation.
- Click Calculate to see your body fat percentage rounded to the nearest whole percent and a pass/fail verdict against ALARACT 087/2025 Table B-2.
Real-World Examples
Soldier — Passing (Age Bracket 21-27)
Male, age 25, 180 lb body weight, 34" abdomen circumference.
Result: Body fat = -26.97 - (0.12×180) + (1.99×34) = 19.09% → rounded to 19%. Army max for 21-27 male = 22%. PASS with 3% margin.
Soldier — Over the Limit (Age Bracket 28-39)
Male, age 35, 210 lb body weight, 40" abdomen circumference.
Result: Body fat = -26.97 - (0.12×210) + (1.99×40) = 27.43% → rounded to 27%. Army max for 28-39 male = 24%. OVER LIMIT by 3%. Soldier is enrolled in the Army Body Composition Program (ABCP).
Female Soldier — Passing (Age Bracket 17-20)
Female, age 19, 135 lb body weight, 28" abdomen circumference.
Result: Body fat = -9.15 - (0.015×135) + (1.27×28) = 24.38% → rounded to 24%. Army max for 17-20 female = 30%. PASS with 6% margin.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Measuring the waist at the natural waistline or iliac crest instead of at the navel level. Per ALARACT 087/2025 B-2 through B-5, the Army measures abdomen circumference at the navel with the tape parallel to the floor.
- Recording the measurement at the end of an inhale. The regulation requires the measurement to be taken at the end of the Soldier's normal relaxed exhalation.
- Using a stretchable tape or cloth tape — the regulation requires a non-stretch fiberglass tape, 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide.
- Rounding abdomen circumference up instead of down. ALARACT 087/2025 requires all tape measurements to be rounded DOWN to the nearest half-inch.
- Confusing the Army formula with the Navy or Marine Corps formula. Unlike those branches, the Army uses only body weight and abdomen circumference — not neck, not height, not hip.
The Formula
Male: %BF = -26.97 - (0.12 × body weight in lbs) + (1.99 × abdomen in inches). Female: %BF = -9.15 - (0.015 × body weight in lbs) + (1.27 × abdomen in inches). Results are rounded to the nearest whole percent. This is the Army one-site formula published in ALARACT 087/2025 Attachment 1 Table B-5, replacing the previous Hodgdon-Beckett method per Army Directive 2023-11.Frequently Asked Questions
Per ALARACT 087/2025 Attachment 1 Table B-5: Men use %BF = -26.97 - (0.12 × weight lbs) + (1.99 × abdomen inches). Women use %BF = -9.15 - (0.015 × weight lbs) + (1.27 × abdomen inches). Results are rounded to the nearest whole percent. This is the Army's one-site formula that replaced the old Hodgdon-Beckett method in 2023.
Methodology & Sources
This calculator implements the Army one-site body fat formula from ALARACT 087/2025 Attachment 1 Table B-5, verified against the primary source PDF on 2026-04-11 (ARN44894 on armypubs.army.mil). The pass/fail verdict applies the age-bracket maximums from ALARACT 087/2025 Table B-2. The Army 2023 revision replaced the older Hodgdon-Beckett Circumference Method with this one-site formula per Army Directive 2023-11.