Why this version is simpler
The men's Navy formula needs just three numbers: your height, neck, and waist. The women's version also needs hips. That makes this one of the quickest body fat checks you can do at home with a tape measure.
This page starts with the male setting. With the sample numbers (5 ft 10 in or 178 cm tall, a 15 in or 38 cm neck, and a 34 in or 86 cm waist), the estimate is about 17.5%. That is just under the ACE average range of 18% to 24%, which the calculator calls "below average (lean)."
Reading your result
The ACE ranges for men who are not athletes:
- Below about 6%: may be dangerously low
- 18% to 24%: average
- 25% or more: obesity range
You'll also see your fat mass and your lean mass (everything else, including muscle, bone, and water) in pounds or kilograms.
How to measure
- Waist: around the belly button, relaxed, after a normal breath out. Don't suck in.
- Neck: just below the voice box, with the tape sloping slightly down to the front.
Measure each spot 2 or 3 times and use the average. Use the same tape and time of day when you check again.
Your waist size on its own is useful too. The WHO links a waist over 94 cm (37 in) in men with increased health risk, and over 102 cm (40 in) with substantially increased risk.
What to do with your number
Lifting weights? Plug your result into our FFMI calculator to see how much muscle you carry for your height. You can also add it to the BMR calculator for men for a lean-mass-based calorie estimate.
See the full body fat percentage chart, or go back to the main body fat calculator.