The Legion Physique Fats Share Calculator helps you estimate the share of your complete weight that’s physique fats.

Enter your most well-liked unit of measurement (imperial or metric), gender, weight, and age. Then, select the physique fats components you’d like to make use of (defined beneath). Take the required skinfold caliper or tape measurements, plug within the numbers, and the calculator will estimate your physique fats share. 

This calculator additionally serves as an “best physique fats share calculator.” It gives insights into how your present physique fats share impacts your well being. It additionally gives ideas on growing or lowering physique fats to achieve an “best” vary for optimum well-being.

Physique Fats Share Reference Factors

The American Council on Train Physique Fats Ranges



body fat calculator



Jackson & Pollock Splendid Physique Fats Percentages


body fat percentage calculator


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Why Ought to I Management My Physique Fats Share?

Your physique fats share is a key indicator of general well being and wellness. 

In contrast to physique mass index (BMI), which doesn’t differentiate between muscle and fats, physique fats share gives a clearer view of your physique composition and, consequently, your well being.

Having an excessive amount of physique fats, significantly subcutaneous fats, will increase your danger of assorted well being problems. For example, carrying extra fats will increase your danger for coronary heart illnesses like hypertension and atherosclerosis. 

Moreover, a excessive physique fats share contributes to insulin resistance, a significant reason for kind 2 diabetes. Successfully managing your physique fats may also help forestall these well being points and information you towards a more healthy life.

Methods to Measure Physique Fats

There are quite a few methods to measure your physique fats share. Let’s discover the most well-liked ones and focus on their accuracy.

Physique Composition Scales & Handheld Units

Physique composition scales and handheld gadgets use bioelectrical impedance evaluation (BIA) to measure physique fats share.

They’re extremely inaccurate as a result of BIA passes a lightweight electrical present by your physique, which muscle conducts properly (resulting from its excessive water content material), and fats doesn’t. Theoretically, this could correlate electrical resistance with physique fats ranges, however there are main flaws.

First, electrical energy prefers the trail of least resistance, bypassing fats for extra conductive tissues, inflicting these gadgets to miss substantial fats areas.

Second, BIA bases its predictions on equations that usually yield imprecise outcomes.

Lastly, components like hydration, meals consumption, and up to date train can considerably skew the readings, rendering BIA inconsistent and unreliable.

Footage and The Mirror

Estimating an individual’s physique composition primarily based on visible look is difficult resulting from variations in muscle mass amongst people with related physique fats percentages.

For instance, a mean 160-pound man with 10% physique fats carries 16 kilos of fats. However a muscular 190-pound man with 10% physique fats, has simply 3 kilos extra fats however a exceptional 27 kilos extra lean mass, making him seem considerably totally different from the primary man.

Twin-Vitality X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA)

Twin-energy X-ray absorptiometry, or DXA, makes use of a full-body X-ray to find out complete fats and fat-free mass primarily based on the numerous X-ray power absorption of various physique tissues. Regardless of what many imagine, DXA isn’t an infallible physique fats measuring technique.

Machines might yield various outcomes, even these from the identical producer. The algorithms translating uncooked knowledge into physique composition measurements differ, resulting in inconsistencies. The form of X-ray used may also impression the outcomes.

Like BIA, even minor hydration degree adjustments in lean mass can considerably skew DXA outcomes, as can gender, physique measurement, complete fats mass, and illness state.

The Bod Pod

The Bod Pod measures the quantity of air your physique displaces inside a sealed chamber and makes use of equations to translate this into an evaluation of physique composition.

Nonetheless, facial hair, moisture, physique temperature, and the tightness of the clothes you put on contained in the chamber can have an effect on the Bod Pod’s outcomes, which is why they can be off by 5-to-15%.

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Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

MRI scanners use magnetic fields and radio waves to generate detailed 2D photographs of the physique’s insides. Technicians scrutinize these photographs to estimate physique fats share.

The precision of MRI largely is dependent upon the variety of photographs taken. Analysis reveals that estimating physique fats primarily based on too few “slices” yields inaccurate outcomes.

Hydrostatic Weighing

Hydrostatic weighing measures physique density by evaluating your weight on land to your weight underwater. The distinction permits for an estimation of physique fats share, as fats is much less dense than water, and lean tissue is denser.

Nonetheless, this technique isn’t foolproof. Elements like ethnicity, physique weight, and hydration standing can skew outcomes, inflicting potential inaccuracies of as much as 6%.

Physique Fats Calipers and Skinfold Testing

Calipers measure the thickness of your pores and skin at particular physique factors throughout skinfold testing. These measurements feed into equations that estimate your physique’s lean and fats mass. There are a number of methods this may go fallacious.

Grabbing too little or an excessive amount of pores and skin and fats will give falsely low or excessive readings. The equations that convert pores and skin thickness right into a physique fats share may also generate inaccurate outcomes, although this usually solely impacts people with low physique fats ranges (lower than 15% or 25% for women and men, respectively).

Given the practicality and relative cheapness of physique fats calipers, utilizing skinfold measurements is likely one of the major methods I like to recommend monitoring your physique composition. 

Right here’s tips on how to do it precisely:

1. Pinch your pores and skin by inserting the thumb and forefinger in your physique about two inches aside (or additional if there’s lots of fats on this space), firmly pushing them into your flesh:


how to calculate body fat percentage


2. Push your fingers collectively, then gently pull the skinfold away out of your physique:


calculate body fat percentage


3. Measure a pinched skinfold by inserting the guidelines of the caliper in the course of the skinfold about an inch out of your fingers. For instance, the illustration beneath reveals somebody taking a suprailiac skinfold measurement: 


calculate body fat


4. Compress the caliper till it clicks (and no extra), and notice the measurement:


ideal body fat percentage calculator


When taking your measurements, bear the next in thoughts:

  • Take all measurements on the fitting aspect of your physique, standing together with your muscle tissue relaxed.
  • Guarantee your pores and skin is dry and lotion-free.
  • Keep away from taking measurements after something bodily demanding or whenever you’re sizzling, as this may briefly enhance the quantity of fluid beneath your pores and skin, inflating your skinfold thickness.
  • Take physique fats caliper measurements on the similar time of day every time.
  • For those who’re a lady, keep away from taking physique fats caliper measurements throughout your menstrual cycle whenever you acquire noticeable weight.

Lastly, listed below are the varied skinfold websites and tips on how to measure them:

  • Abdominals: Pinch a vertical fold of pores and skin one inch to the fitting of your stomach button.
  • Biceps: Pinch the pores and skin vertically midway between the elbow and shoulder on the entrance of your arm.
  • Calf: Pinch the pores and skin vertically on the within of the most important a part of the fitting calf.
  • Decrease again: Pinch the pores and skin horizontally about 6 inches above the waist and a pair of inches to the fitting of the backbone.
  • Midaxillary: Pinch the pores and skin vertically beneath the armpit on the similar peak as the bottom of your breastbone.
  • Pectoral: For males, pinch a diagonal skinfold midway between the entrance fringe of your armpit and your proper nipple. For girls, pinch a diagonal skinfold about two-thirds of the best way out of your proper nipple to the entrance fringe of your proper armpit (i.e., nearer to your armpit than your nipple).
  • Subscapular: Pinch the pores and skin diagonally an inch beneath the center of your shoulder blade (about three inches to the fitting of your backbone and 6 inches above your waist).
  • Suprailiac: Pinch the pores and skin diagonally above the bony protrusion on the entrance of the fitting hip (the iliac crest).
  • Thigh: Pinch the pores and skin vertically, midway between the highest of the kneecap and the highest of the entrance of your thigh. 
  • Triceps: Pinch the pores and skin vertically midway between the elbow and shoulder on the again of your arm.

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Measuring Tape

Your waist circumference (measured on the stomach button) is a dependable indicator of fatness: in case your waist is shrinking over time, you’re dropping fats, and if it’s rising, you’re gaining fats.

The Navy tape measure technique is one other method you need to use with a measuring tape. This technique estimates physique fats share primarily based on neck and waist circumference for males and neck, waist, and hip circumference for girls.

This technique is straightforward, quick, and reliable. Nonetheless, it’s not with out limitations. It tends to overestimate physique fats in lean people, particularly in males beneath 15% physique fats and ladies beneath 25%.

Right here’s tips on how to do the Navy tape measure technique:

  • For males, measure the circumference of the waist horizontally across the navel. For girls, measure on the narrowest level of the waist. The person ought to keep a pure posture with out sucking of their abdomen.
  • Wrap the tape measure across the relaxed neck with the tape angled barely downward in entrance.
  • For girls, measure the hip circumference at its widest level.

Return to the physique fats calculator above and alter the “Physique fats components” to the “Navy tape measure technique. Then, enter your measurements. 

+ Scientific References