Body Fat Calculator
Determine your body fat percentage using Navy, BMI, and Skinfold methods. Track your fitness progress.
A body fat calculator estimates the percentage of your body weight that is fat tissue. Unlike BMI, body fat percentage accounts for muscle mass and provides a more accurate picture of body composition and health risk.
Examples
Male, Navy Method
A 30-year-old male, 5'10", 180 lbs, with a 36-inch waist and 15-inch neck yields approximately 18.5% body fat (Fitness category).
Female, Navy Method
A 28-year-old female, 5'5", 140 lbs, with a 30-inch waist, 13-inch neck, and 38-inch hips yields approximately 25.2% body fat (Fitness category).
Frequently Asked Questions
Which method is most accurate?
DEXA scans are gold standard. Of these tools, US Navy and Skinfold are good; BMI is only an estimate.
What is essential fat?
The minimum fat needed for survival (2-5% men, 10-13% women).
Key Terms
- Essential Fat
- The minimum amount of fat necessary for normal physiological function, higher in women due to reproductive needs.
- Visceral Fat
- Fat stored around internal organs in the abdominal cavity, strongly linked to metabolic disease risk.
- Lean Body Mass
- Total body weight minus fat weight, including muscle, bone, water, and organs.
Sources
- Body Composition — American Council on Exercise (ACE)
Result
24%
- Body Fat %
- 24
- Lean Mass (lbs)
- 136.8
- Fat Mass (lbs)
- 43.2
- Category
- Average
Related Calculators
Quick Tips
- •Measure at the same time of day under similar conditions for consistent tracking.
- •Focus on trends over time rather than any single measurement.
- •Essential fat is 2-5% for men and 10-13% for women — going below these levels is dangerous.
- •Combine body fat measurements with strength benchmarks for a complete fitness picture.