Body Fat Percentage Calculator
Estimate body fat using the US Navy circumference method or the 3/7-site Jackson-Pollock caliper formula. Get fat mass, lean mass, and your fitness category.
Your Measurements
Your Results
Body Fat Categories
This calculator provides estimates, not clinical measurements. Consult a healthcare professional for medical decisions.
How it works
US Navy Method
Uses waist, neck, and hip (women) circumferences. No equipment needed, highly accessible.
Caliper Methods
3-site and 7-site Jackson-Pollock skinfold formulas. More accurate with a trained measurer.
What you get
Body fat %, fat mass, lean mass, BMI, your fitness category, and a full reference chart.
How Body Fat Percentage Is Calculated
This calculator offers three validated methods. The US Navy method uses only a tape measure. The Jackson-Pollock caliper formulas require a skinfold caliper but tend to be more precise when measurements are taken correctly.
All three methods estimate body density or fat percentage from physical measurements, then compare your result to established fitness categories by sex.
Results are estimates. Methods like DEXA scans and hydrostatic weighing are more accurate but require clinical settings.
What this tool gives you
Measurement methods compared
⚓ US Navy Method
Uses waist, neck, and hip (women only) circumferences measured with a flexible tape. The formula was developed by the US military and is widely used for fitness assessments.
No equipment needed📐 Jackson-Pollock 3-Site
Uses three skinfold sites measured with a caliper. For men: chest, abdomen, thigh. For women: tricep, suprailiac, thigh. A good balance of accuracy and simplicity.
Caliper required📐 Jackson-Pollock 7-Site
Uses seven skinfold sites for higher accuracy. Best used with a trained measurer. Covers chest, midaxillary, tricep, subscapular, abdomen, suprailiac, and thigh.
Most accurate non-clinicalQuestions About the Body Fat Percentage Calculator
For men, 14-24% is considered average and 6-17% is athletic or fitness level. For women, 21-31% is average and 14-24% is athletic or fitness. Essential fat (the minimum for organ function) is 2-5% for men and 10-13% for women.
The US Navy method has a margin of error of roughly 3-4% compared to DEXA scans. It works best for people with typical body proportions. Measurement accuracy is critical — small errors in circumference lead to meaningful differences in the result.
Waist: measure horizontally at the navel. Neck: measure just below the larynx (Adam’s apple), sloping slightly downward at the front. Hip (women only): measure at the widest point. Use a flexible tape measure and keep it level. Do not suck in or flex.
Lean body mass is your total weight minus your fat mass. It includes muscle, bone, organs, and water. Tracking lean mass alongside body fat gives a more complete picture of body composition than weight alone — you can lose fat while maintaining or gaining lean mass.
With proper technique, the 7-site Jackson-Pollock caliper formula is generally more accurate than the Navy method for most populations. The 3-site caliper is a good middle ground. All three methods are less precise than DEXA or hydrostatic weighing. Consistency matters most when tracking progress over time.
The Jackson-Pollock caliper formulas include age as a variable because body density changes with age even at similar skinfold thicknesses. Older individuals tend to have more internal fat relative to subcutaneous fat, so age adjusts the density-to-fat-percentage conversion.
Essential fat is the minimum amount of fat required for normal physiological function, including hormone production, organ protection, and nerve insulation. For men this is approximately 2-5%, for women 10-13%. Going below these levels is dangerous and associated with serious health complications.