Army Body Fat Calculator (One-Site Tape Test)

Estimate your body fat with the Army's one-site abdominal tape equation, apply AR 600-9 rounding, and see whether you meet the maximum for your age group.

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How the Army one-site tape test works

Since June 2023 the Army has estimated body fat from just two numbers: body weight and a single abdominal circumference taken at the navel. Army Directive 2023-11 and ALARACT 046/2023 introduced the method, and after a 12-month phase-in it became the only authorized circumference method, replacing the old neck-and-waist (men) and neck-waist-hip (women) multi-site tape.

The equations. For men, % body fat = −26.97 − (0.12 × weight in pounds) + (1.99 × abdomen in inches). For women, % body fat = −9.15 − (0.015 × weight in pounds) + (1.27 × abdomen in inches). Height is no longer part of the calculation. Notice the negative weight term: at the same waist size, a heavier Soldier scores lower, because extra weight carried without extra waist is more likely to be muscle.

Rounding matters. Weight is recorded to the nearest pound. The abdomen is measured three times, each reading rounded down to the nearest half inch, and the average is placed to the nearest half inch. The final body fat figure is rounded to the nearest whole percent. This calculator applies the same rules, so a 34.8-inch reading is scored as 34.5 inches.

Worked example from the regulation. Table B-5 of the ALARACT uses a male Soldier who weighs 210 pounds with a 35-inch abdomen: −26.97 − 25.2 + 69.65 = 17.48, recorded as 17%. The female example weighs 165 pounds with a 30-inch abdomen: −9.15 − 2.475 + 38.1 = 26.475, recorded as 26%.

Standards, screening weight and what happens if you fail

The tape is only required when a Soldier weighs more than the screening weight for their height, sex and age in AR 600-9 Table B-1. A 70-inch man aged 17 to 20, for example, screens at 180 pounds. Above that, the one-site tape decides compliance against Table B-2.

  • Ages 17–20: 20% for men, 30% for women
  • Ages 21–27: 22% for men, 32% for women
  • Ages 28–39: 24% for men, 34% for women
  • Age 40 and older: 26% for men, 36% for women

A Soldier who exceeds the standard gets a confirmation tape by a different team. If that also fails, they may request a supplemental assessment by DXA, InBody 770 or Bod Pod, and a passing supplemental result removes the flag. Commanders can allow up to 60 days when those machines are not readily available.

Practical use of the result. The calculator also shows the largest abdomen that still meets your standard at your current weight. Because the waist coefficient is large (1.99 for men), losing half an inch at the navel lowers a man's estimate by about one percentage point, while losing five pounds of scale weight with no waist change actually raises it slightly. Waist reduction is what moves the number.

Fitness-test exemptions from the body fat standard have changed repeatedly: a 540-point ACFT exemption in 2023, then a 465-point AFT exemption with at least 80 points per event in 2025. Check the directive in force with your unit before relying on any exemption.

Common Tape Test Mistakes

Most surprises on test day come from measuring differently than the graders will. Practice the way the regulation describes it.

  • Measuring at the narrowest point instead of the navel. The one-site tape goes at navel level, parallel to the floor. Many people are an inch or more larger there than at their natural waist, which is worth about two percentage points for men.
  • Sucking in or measuring after a full breath. The reading is taken at the end of a normal, relaxed exhale. Holding your stomach in at home gives a number you will not reproduce officially.
  • Pulling the tape tight. The tape should touch the skin without compressing it. Cloth tapes stretch; the Army uses a non-stretch fiberglass tape.
  • Measuring over clothing or shapewear. Soldiers are measured in the PT uniform with the shirt raised, and undergarments that bind the abdomen are not allowed.
  • Cutting weight right before weigh-in. Because the weight coefficient is negative, dropping a few pounds of water without shrinking your waist slightly raises your estimate. Waist size is what drives the result.
  • Using the old multi-site formula. Neck and hip measurements are no longer used. Calculators still built on the pre-2023 equations can disagree with your official result by several points.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the Army Body Fat Calculator (One-Site Tape Test)

Men: body fat % = -26.97 - (0.12 x weight in lbs) + (1.99 x abdomen in inches). Women: body fat % = -9.15 - (0.015 x weight in lbs) + (1.27 x abdomen in inches). Both come from ALARACT 046/2023 and Army Directive 2023-11, and the result is rounded to the nearest whole percent.

Sources & References

Army Body Composition Program (Army Resilience Directorate)

Official Army Body Composition Program page hosting AR 600-9 guidance, body fat charts and the authorized calculator.
→Source: U.S. Army Resilience Directorate

IG Update 23-4: Army Body Fat Assessment (one-site tape, ALARACT 046/2023)

Summarizes the one-site abdominal tape method from Army Directive 2023-11 and ALARACT 046/2023, including when it became the only authorized tape method.
→Source: U.S. Army Inspector General

Army exempts Soldiers who score 465+ on the AFT from body fat standards (army.mil, 2025)

Supports the 2025 exemption of Soldiers scoring 465+ on the AFT, with at least 80 points per event, from body fat standards.
→Source: U.S. Army (army.mil)

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