Free Tool

Navy Body Fat Calculator

Estimate your body fat percentage using the U.S. Navy circumference method. All you need is a tape measure.

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Measure just below the Adam's apple at the narrowest point

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Measure at the navel, standing relaxed

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How does the Navy body fat formula work?

The U.S. Navy body fat estimation method was developed by Hodgdon and Beckett at the Naval Health Research Center. It uses circumference measurements combined with height to estimate body fat percentage using logarithmic equations. The Department of Defense uses this method for fitness assessments across all military branches.

For men, the formula uses waist (at the navel) and neck circumference along with height. For women, hip circumference is added to the equation. The Navy method is accurate to within 3 to 4 percent of clinical methods like DEXA scanning for most people, making it one of the most reliable tape-measure-only approaches available.

What measurements do I need?

  • Neck: Measure just below the Adam's apple at the narrowest point
  • Waist (men): Measure at the navel while standing relaxed
  • Waist (women): Measure at the narrowest point of the torso
  • Hip (women only): Measure at the widest point of the hips and buttocks
  • Height: Stand straight against a wall without shoes

Navy method formulas

Men: % Body Fat = 86.010 x log10(waist - neck) - 70.041 x log10(height) + 36.76

Women: % Body Fat = 163.205 x log10(waist + hip - neck) - 97.684 x log10(height) - 78.387

All measurements are in inches. If you enter metric values, they are automatically converted before calculation.

Try other methods

This calculator also supports the Covert Bailey method (tape measure), Jackson-Pollock 3-site skinfold (calipers), and manual entry for known values from DEXA scans or scales.