Army Body Fat Calculator (2026): Waist-to-Height and Tape Test
The Army's only body composition standard is now waist-to-height ratio. This calculator checks that, plus the 2023 tape test method it replaced.
TL;DR
Since 7 July 2026 (Army Directive 2026-06), the Army's only body composition standard is waist-to-height ratio: waist divided by height, both in inches, truncated to three decimals. A ratio under 0.55 meets the standard. This army body fat calculator checks your ratio and, on a second tab, the 2023 one-site tape test it replaced.
Waist-to-height ratio
0.500
Meets the standard (under 0.55)
At your height, a waist under 38.4 in meets the standard.
Recorded to three decimals and truncated, not rounded: 0.549 meets the standard, 0.550 does not.
Track Your Waist and Body Measurements
PR Streak tracks your body weight, body fat and 11 body measurements, including your waist, with charts, so you can watch your numbers change over time.
Army Body Fat Calculator: The Current Waist-to-Height Standard
Since Army Directive 2026-06, effective 7 July 2026, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is the Army's only body composition standard. The directive rescinded the height and weight tables, the tape tests and supplemental body fat scans that came before it.
WHtR is your waist measured at the navel, divided by your height, both in inches. The result is recorded to three decimals and truncated, not rounded, so 0.549 meets the standard while 0.550 does not. The standard itself is a ratio under 0.55.
How the Army Measures Waist-to-Height Ratio
Measure your waist at the navel and your height, both in inches, then divide waist by height. This calculator does that division for you and truncates the result to three decimals, the same way it's officially recorded.
It also shows the largest waist measurement that still meets 0.55 at your height, so you can see your margin at a glance.
What Happens If You Don't Meet the Standard
Soldiers are screened for waist-to-height ratio at least twice a calendar year, at least 7 days after an AFT or CFT. A result at or above 0.55 is confirmed the same day by a different team.
A confirmed result over the standard leads to enrollment in the Army Body Composition Program (ABCP). Under the current directive, a soldier can't request a tape test or another body fat method to challenge a waist-to-height ratio result.
The 2023 Army Tape Test (What It Replaced)
From 2023 until July 2026 (Army Directive 2023-11, ALARACT 046/2023), the Army used a one-site abdominal tape test. Men: %BF = -26.97 - 0.12 x weight (lb) + 1.99 x abdomen (in). Women: %BF = -9.15 - 0.015 x weight (lb) + 1.27 x abdomen (in).
Abdomen was measured at the navel and rounded down to the nearest half inch, weight to the nearest pound, and the result rounded to a whole percent. A 210 lb man with a 35-inch abdomen came out to 17%; a 165 lb woman with a 30-inch waist came out to 26%, matching the Army's own published examples.
Maximum allowable body fat under the 2023 tape test, by age
| Age | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 17-20 | 20% | 30% |
| 21-27 | 22% | 32% |
| 28-39 | 24% | 34% |
| 40 and older | 26% | 36% |
The Army Fitness Test and Body Composition Screening
The Army Fitness Test (AFT) replaced the ACFT as the test of record on 1 June 2025. Waist-to-height ratio screening happens on its own schedule, at least twice a year and always at least 7 days after an AFT or CFT.
Used by lifters following PPL, 5x5, upper/lower, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Army's body fat standard in 2026?
Since Army Directive 2026-06, effective 7 July 2026, waist-to-height ratio is the Army's only body composition standard: waist divided by height, both in inches, must come to less than 0.55.
Is there still an Army height and weight chart?
No. Army Directive 2026-06 rescinded the height and weight tables along with the tape tests and body fat scans that came before it, replacing all of them with the single waist-to-height ratio standard.
How is Army waist-to-height ratio calculated?
Divide your waist measurement, at the navel, by your height, both in inches. The result is recorded to three decimals and truncated, not rounded, so 0.549 passes and 0.550 does not.
What is the Army tape test?
It was the Army's one-site abdominal body fat method used from 2023 to July 2026, estimating body fat from your weight and abdomen measurement. It has been replaced by the waist-to-height ratio standard, though this calculator still includes it for reference.
What is the ABCP (Army Body Composition Program)?
It's the program a soldier enters after a waist-to-height ratio result at or above 0.55 is confirmed by a second team on the same day. Under the current standard, a soldier can't request a tape test to challenge the result.
How often is Army body composition screened?
At least twice per calendar year, and always at least 7 days after an AFT or CFT. A result at or above 0.55 is confirmed the same day by a second team before enrollment in the ABCP.
Did the ACFT change the body fat standard?
No. The Army Fitness Test (AFT) replaced the ACFT as the test of record on 1 June 2025, but it's a separate fitness test; waist-to-height ratio is screened on its own schedule.
Sources
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