Army Body Fat Calculator 2026 [WHtR + Tape Test]

Your waist	36 in
WHtR limit	38 in

The Army no longer uses a body fat percentage. Since 7 July 2026, Army Directive 2026-13 makes the waist-to-height ratio the only standard: waist at the navel ÷ height, both in inches, must be under 0.55. The one-site tape test, the height and weight tables and the AFT score exemption were all rescinded. This calculator gives your WHtR and, for reference, the old one-site tape test result.

All you need is a tape measure and your height in inches. The ratio replaces both the tape test and the weight tables; it is the same for men and women and has no age groups, so many 2025-era charts and calculators you'll still find online give answers that no longer decide anything.

How to use this Army body fat calculator

Enter your height in inches, measured from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.
Enter your waist at the navel (belly button) in inches, with the tape parallel to the floor.
Read your WHtR and whether it meets the standard, plus the largest waist that passes at your height.
Optional: add your sex, age and weight to see the old one-site tape test result and the limit that applied to you from June 2023 to July 2026.

The 2026 Army standard: waist-to-height ratio

WHtR = waist at the navel (in) ÷ height (in). Pass: less than 0.550.

The Army's ABCP FAQ says the ratio is recorded to three decimal places, not rounded, and any digits after the third are dropped: 0.549 passes, 0.550 fails. Army Directive 2026-13 sets the rules:

WHtR is the only body composition measure. No tape test or other body fat method can be used to challenge it.
Every Soldier is measured at least twice per calendar year, and all Soldiers had to have one recorded in ATIS within 90 days of the directive.
If the first measurement fails, a different team takes a confirmation measurement the same duty day before any action.
A WHtR of 0.55 or more means a flag (code K) and enrollment in the Army Body Composition Program (ABCP). You leave the program as soon as you meet the standard; monthly progress checks were dropped.
At least 7 days must separate the AFT or Combat Field Test from the WHtR.
It applies to the Regular Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, and USMA and Senior ROTC cadets.

The Army standard comes from a Department of War memo of 18 December 2025, which set an upper limit of less than 0.55 for every service. That memo says to measure the waist parallel to the floor midway between the last rib and the top of the hip bone, "typically at or just above the belly button", height from the soles to the top of the skull, and to round both down to the nearest ½ inch. The Army version measures at the navel.

Largest passing waist by height

This is the table that replaces the old height and weight chart. Waist sizes are in half-inch steps; each is the largest that keeps the ratio under 0.550.

Height	Waist limit (0.55 × height)	Largest passing waist
60 in (5 ft 0 in)	33 in	32.5 in
62 in (5 ft 2 in)	34.1 in	34 in
64 in (5 ft 4 in)	35.2 in	35 in
65 in (5 ft 5 in)	35.75 in	35.5 in
66 in (5 ft 6 in)	36.3 in	36 in
67 in (5 ft 7 in)	36.85 in	36.5 in
68 in (5 ft 8 in)	37.4 in	37 in
69 in (5 ft 9 in)	37.95 in	37.5 in
70 in (5 ft 10 in)	38.5 in	38 in
71 in (5 ft 11 in)	39.05 in	39 in
72 in (6 ft 0 in)	39.6 in	39.5 in
73 in (6 ft 1 in)	40.15 in	40 in
74 in (6 ft 2 in)	40.7 in	40.5 in
76 in (6 ft 4 in)	41.8 in	41.5 in
78 in (6 ft 6 in)	42.9 in	42.5 in

Weight is not part of the Army check at all now. Two Soldiers of the same height pass or fail on waist size alone.

Worked examples

70 in tall, 38 in waist

38 ÷ 70 = 0.542 — meets the standard.

70 in tall, 38.5 in waist

38.5 ÷ 70 = 0.550 — does not meet it, because the limit is less than 0.55, not equal to it. Half an inch makes the difference.

64 in tall, 35 in waist

35 ÷ 64 = 0.546875, recorded as 0.546 — meets the standard. Truncating to three decimals never turns a fail into a pass.

The old one-site tape test (June 2023 – July 2026)

Army Directive 2023-11 (9 June 2023) introduced a one-site circumference tape test and, after 12 months, made it the only tape method. It replaced the multi-site tape method of AR 600-9 appendix B. The June 2023 DA Forms 5500 and 5501 give the equations:

Men: body fat % = -26.97 − (0.12 × weight in lb) + (1.99 × abdomen in inches)
Women: body fat % = -9.15 − (0.015 × weight in lb) + (1.27 × abdomen in inches)

The abdomen was measured at the navel three times, each rounded down to the nearest 0.5 inch, then averaged to the nearest 0.5 inch; weight to the nearest pound. Height and weight screening came first, and only Soldiers over the screening weight were taped. Examples: a man weighing 180 lb with a 36 in abdomen = 23.1%; a woman weighing 140 lb with a 32 in abdomen = 29.4%.

Maximum allowable body fat by age (AR 600-9 Table B-2)

The limits the tape result was compared against until July 2026, kept here for reading old DA Form 5500/5501 records.

Age group	Men	Women
17–20	20%	30%
21–27	22%	32%
28–39	24%	34%
40+	26%	36%

Largest abdomen that passed the old tape test

Found from the equations above in half-inch steps, keeping body fat at or below the age-group limit. Heavier Soldiers were allowed a slightly larger abdomen because weight carries a negative sign in both equations.

Men, weight	Age 17–20	Age 21–27	Age 28–39	Age 40+
120 lb	30.5 in	31.5 in	32.5 in	33.5 in
140 lb	32 in	33 in	34 in	35 in
160 lb	33 in	34 in	35 in	36 in
180 lb	34 in	35 in	36 in	37 in
200 lb	35.5 in	36.5 in	37.5 in	38.5 in
220 lb	36.5 in	37.5 in	38.5 in	39.5 in
240 lb	38 in	39 in	40 in	41 in

Women, weight	Age 17–20	Age 21–27	Age 28–39	Age 40+
120 lb	32 in	33.5 in	35 in	36.5 in
140 lb	32 in	34 in	35.5 in	37 in
160 lb	32.5 in	34 in	35.5 in	37 in
180 lb	32.5 in	34.5 in	36 in	37.5 in
200 lb	33 in	34.5 in	36 in	37.5 in
220 lb	33 in	35 in	36.5 in	38 in
240 lb	33.5 in	35 in	36.5 in	38 in

What changed in 2025 and 2026

Date	Change
15 Mar 2023	Army Directive 2023-08: Soldiers scoring 540 or more on the ACFT exempt from the body fat assessment.
9 Jun 2023	Army Directive 2023-11: one-site tape test phased in over 12 months, then the only tape method.
4 Sep 2025	Army Directive 2025-17: 465 or more on a record AFT, with at least 80 points in every event, counts as meeting the body fat standard.
18 Dec 2025	Department of War memo: all services move to WHtR under 0.55; height and weight tables to end.
7 Jul 2026	Army Directive 2026-13: WHtR is the sole standard. Tape test, height and weight tables, supplemental body fat testing and the AFT exemption rescinded.

The Army said it would run a 180-day assessment of the WHtR standard and would not separate anyone for WHtR failure until it was done and more guidance was issued. Medical exemptions for pregnant and postpartum Soldiers stay in effect.

Navy and Air Force body composition

The Navy's body composition assessment does not use BMI either. Under Navy PRP Guide-4 (June 2026), step 1 is a waist-to-height ratio: 0.5499 or lower passes. Sailors at 0.5500 or higher go to step 2, a body fat estimate from waist, height and weight, with limits of 26% for men and 36% for women. See the Navy PRT calculator for the fitness test. The Air Force scores the waist-to-height ratio as part of its fitness test; see the Air Force PT calculator.

Common mistakes

Using the old tape limits. Body fat percentages by age no longer decide anything for Soldiers. Only the ratio counts.
Measuring at the narrowest point. The Army measures at the navel, not the smallest part of the waist.
Rounding 0.5496 up to 0.550 in your head — or worse, rounding 0.5504 down. The Army drops digits after the third decimal, so 0.5504 is 0.550 and fails.
Mixing units. Waist and height must both be in inches (or both in centimeters). 5 ft 10 in is 70 in.
Counting on a high AFT. The 465-point exemption is gone.

Score your fitness test with the Army Fitness Test (AFT) calculator. To plan a waist reduction, use the weight loss date calculator or the body recomposition calculator, and set calories with the EER calculator. Marines can check the USMC PFT calculator.

This is an unofficial tool, not medical advice. Your unit's measurement on DA Form 5500 and the record in ATIS are official.

Frequently asked questions

What is the new Army body fat standard for 2026?

Since 7 July 2026 the Army's only body composition standard is the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR): waist at the navel in inches divided by height in inches must be less than 0.55. It is the same for men and women and every age (Army Directive 2026-13).

Is the Army tape test still used?

No. Army Directive 2026-13 rescinded the circumference-based tape test and every supplemental body fat method. A Soldier cannot ask for a tape test, DEXA or any other method to challenge a WHtR result.

Are the Army height and weight tables still in effect?

No. The WHtR screening replaces the height and weight screening tables, according to the Army's ABCP FAQ. There is no weight limit on its own any more; only waist and height count.

What was the new Army tape test formula?

The one-site tape test used from June 2023 was: men, body fat % = −26.97 − (0.12 × weight in lb) + (1.99 × abdomen in inches); women, body fat % = −9.15 − (0.015 × weight in lb) + (1.27 × abdomen in inches), per DA Forms 5500 and 5501 (June 2023). A 180 lb man with a 36 in abdomen came out at 23.1%.

What was the maximum body fat for the Army by age?

Under AR 600-9 Table B-2: men 20% at 17–20, 22% at 21–27, 24% at 28–39 and 26% at 40 and older; women 30%, 32%, 34% and 36% for the same age groups. These limits no longer apply to Soldiers since July 2026.

Is a WHtR of exactly 0.55 a pass?

No. The standard is less than, and not equal to, 0.55. The Army keeps the ratio to three decimals and drops the rest without rounding, so 0.549 passes and 0.550 fails.

What waist size fails the Army WHtR?

Any waist of 0.55 × your height or more. At 5 ft 10 in (70 in) that is 38.5 inches, so 38 in is the largest half-inch waist that passes; at 6 ft (72 in) it is 39.5 in.

Does a high AFT score exempt you from body fat?

Not any more. Army Directive 2025-17 had exempted Soldiers who scored 465 or more on the AFT with at least 80 points in each event. Army Directive 2026-13 rescinded it: no AFT score exempts a Soldier from the WHtR standard.

What happens if you fail the Army WHtR?

A different team re-measures you the same duty day. If you still measure 0.55 or more you are flagged and enrolled in the ABCP until you meet the standard. Active-duty and AGR Soldiers get a medical exam; the Army said no one would be separated for WHtR failure until its 180-day assessment is finished.

How often is the Army WHtR measured?

At least twice per calendar year, with at least 7 days between the Army Fitness Test (or Combat Field Test) and the WHtR. Commanders can order a WHtR check at any time.

Does the Navy use BMI for body composition?

No. Its body composition assessment is two steps: a waist-to-height ratio of 0.5499 or lower passes, and anyone at 0.5500 or above gets a body fat estimate, with limits of 26% for men and 36% for women (Navy PRP Guide-4, June 2026).

Sources & method

Results are estimates for general information. Found an error? It helps everyone — see our methodology.

Army Body Fat Calculator (One-Site Tape Test & 2026 WHtR)