Body Fat Percentage Calculator
Body fat percentage measures the proportion of fat tissue in your body relative to your total weight. Unlike BMI, which only considers height and weight, body fat percentage provides a more accurate picture of body composition by distinguishing between fat mass and lean mass such as muscle, bone, and organs.
Knowing your body fat percentage helps you set realistic fitness goals and track meaningful progress. Essential fat levels differ between men and women — men typically need 2–5% essential fat while women need 10–13%. Athletes generally maintain 6–13% (men) or 14–20% (women), while a healthy fitness range is 14–17% (men) or 21–24% (women). Methods for estimating body fat include skinfold calipers, bioelectrical impedance, and Navy method calculations using body measurements.
How it works
The U.S. Navy method estimates body fat using circumference measurements: for men, BF% = 86.010 × log10(abdomen − neck) − 70.041 × log10(height) + 36.76; for women, BF% = 163.205 × log10(waist + hip − neck) − 97.684 × log10(height) − 78.387.
Use cases
- Tracking body composition changes during fitness programs
- Setting personalized fat loss or muscle gain targets
- Monitoring health risks associated with excess body fat
- Comparing progress beyond what the scale shows alone