Body Fat Calculator

Body Fat Calculator:

This body fat calculator estimates the percentage of fat in your body. Choose from several body fat measurement methods, including the US Navy Method, skinfold caliper measurements, and BMI calculations that best suit your needs. Track your fitness progress effectively and get valuable health insights.

Body Composition and Fat:

Body composition is an important factor in overall health, measuring the different proportions of muscle, fat, bone, water, and other tissues in your body. An ideal body composition comes with a higher percentage of muscle mass and lower body fat. The body fat percentage can not determine your overall health condition. Rather it provides valuable insights (inflammation levels, overall fitness, hormonal balance, etc) into your health conditions. 

Maintaining a healthy body composition with a balance of lower body fat and higher muscle mass provides various benefits including:

• Reduces the risk of chronic diseases
• Improves metabolic health
• Enhances Physical Performance

Why Is It Important To Know Your Body Fat Percentage?

Knowing your body fat percentage can help you:

• Assessing Health Risks: If you have excessive body fat then you are at a great risk of chronic diseases like heart attack, type 2 diabetes, cancer,r, etc
• Tracking Fitness Progress: Continuous monitoring of body fat percentage helps to understand how your diet and exercise regime impact your body
• Setting Realistic Goals: Knowing your body fat percentage and body composition helps to set achievable fitness goals 

Knowing your body composition helps to make the right decisions to maintain a healthy balance between your diet and exercise. It leads to an improved health and fitness. To quickly estimate your body fat percentage, try our best body fat percentage calculator. Set realistic goals and track your progress. 

How To Calculate Body Fat Percentage?

There are different methods to estimate the body fat percentage, each technique having varying degrees of accuracy. Below we have discussed a few of them that are convenient to use. 

Body Fat Percentage Formula:

Body fat percentage is the total mass of the fat divided by the total mass of the body. And then multiply the result by 100.

Method #1 - U.S. Navy (Tape Measuring)

This method was developed by the U.S. Navy's Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) in San Diego, California for estimating the body fat percentage. This method was developed specifically for military personnel to meet the requirements of body fat percentage for services.

• For men measure the waist at a horizontal level around the belly button
• For women measure it at the level with the smallest width 
• Measure the circumference of the neck below the larynx by using the tape slowing down to the front 
• For women only: Measure the hips at the largest horizontal measure

Female:

Male:

Accuracy: 3.5%

Method #2 - Skinfold Measurement:

Skinfold body fat measurements were introduced by researchers in 1978 named Dr. Andrew Jackson and M. L. Pollock. As with all of their methods, they aim to establish a system for assessing an individual's fat percentage. Both scholars incorporated to development of simple mathematical equations that take various body sites. 

2.1 - Jackson Pollock 7:

In this test, men and women have the same measurements for body sites in mm (millimeters). These including:

• Pectoral
• Abdominal
• Thigh
• Triceps
• Subscapular
• Supra iliac
• Midaxillary

For Female:

For Male:

2.2 - Jackson Pollock 4

For both men and women, the skinfold measurements are taken from the same area of the body:

• Triceps
• Thigh
• Supra iliac
• Abdominal

For Female:

For Male:

2.3 - Jackson Pollock 3

In 3-site body fat, males and females vary in body size measurements. 

For Female:

• Triceps 
• Thigs 
• Suprailiac

For Male:

• Pectoral
• Abdominal
• Thigh

2.4 - Durnin/Womersley

In Durnin & Womersley method, taking body fat at 4 sites: 

• Bicep
• Tricep
• Subscapular
• Suprailiac

For Female:

For Male:

Source: legionathletics

Accuracy: For all skinfold methods the range in between 3.5 - 5%

Method #3 - Body Fat Percentage (BFP) BMI Method:

For Male:

For Female:

For Boy:

For Girl:

Accuracy: 5% to 10% for the general population.

For those seeking a quick way to determine their body fat percentage, our ideal body fat percentage calculator is a convenient option. Simply input the required values, and it will provide an estimate of your body fat. 

Body Fat Percentage Table For Men

How To Use The Body Fat Calculator?

• Select Gender: Choose your “Gender” and “Body Fat Measurement Method” 
• Choose Body Fat Measurement Method: Select the measurement method (e.g., US Navy, skinfold calipers, BMI, etc.) 
• Enter Input Values: Provide the required input values in the designated fields
• Click Calculate: Click the “Calculate” button and get the body fat percentage, body fat, lean body mass, and Other parameters (BAI, Body fat according to U.S. army, navy, etc.)

What Is Considered A Healthy Body Fat Percentage?

A healthy body fat percentage can vary based on:

• Age
• Gender
• Genetics
• Body type

General Ranges: 

Source: medicinenet.com.

How Do I Reduce My Body Fat Percentage?

1. Diet:

• Eating a Balanced Diet: Focus on having meals that are high in protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. Avoid eating processed food and simple carbohydrates
• Monitoring Caloric Intake: Continuously monitor your calorie intake by counting the number of calories. Set a deficit of calories by eating fewer calories than the need of your body
• Ditch Refined Carbs for Stable Blood Sugar: Refined carbs increase blood sugar levels. Therefore it must be avoided to maintain stable blood sugar levels

2. Lifestyle:

• Staying Hydrated: Take plenty of water throughout the day. It helps in digestion, eliminating toxins from your body and lowering the body fat percentage
• Sleep Well: Research shows that having Inconsistent sleep patterns causes body fat. So, aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep daily
• Manage Stress: Stress can have a significant impact on your body's ability to maintain weight. So, find healthy ways to manage stress

3. Exercise:

• Start Strength Training: Start strength training to build muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories at rest, helping you lower your body fat percentage

4. Other Considerations:

• Try Intermittent Fasting: This is the duration in which you eat little to nothing. A 2014 review found that intermittent fasting was observed to have a weight reduction of 3-8%, over 3-24 weeks
• Coffee in Moderation: According to a study by researchers at Harvard, having a cup of coffee enhances exercise performance and may improve metabolism. On the other hand, drinking too much coffee can have negative side effects like increased heart rate, insomnia, etc

Determining your body fat percentage is a valuable metric in your fitness journey. With its help, you assess the effectiveness of your diet and exercise plan and can make the right adjustments accordingly. For ease, consider using a body fat percentage calculator. You can then easily compare the estimated value with the general ranges to know your body composition. 

FAQs:

How Long Does it Take To Lose 10% Body Fat?

The time it takes to lose 10% of body fat varies from person to person because it depends on various factors including age, genetics, body type, and other factors. Losing 1 - 3% in one month is recommended. Meanwhile, if you go with this recommended pace then it can take 3 - 10 months to lose 10% body fat. 

What happens When Body Fat is Too Low?

Having a very low body fat level can cause:

• Hormonal imbalances
• Immune system dysfunction
• Cardiovascular problems
• Fatigue and weakness 
• Temperature regulation problems
• In women, reproductive issues
• Eating disorders and mental health issues

How Much Belly Fat is Necessary?

A specific amount of body fat is necessary for our health, known as essential fat. It is crucial for various things like organ function and hormone production. The exact amount may vary but typically it's considered 3% for men and 12 % for females. 

Can Body Fat Percentage Affect Athletic Performance?

Yes, the additional amount of body fat can negatively impact the performance of the athletes. Having excess body fat can disturb the performance of athletes in many ways. It can limit the balance, endurance, coordination, and movement capacity of the body, which affects the performance of the athletes. 

At What Body Fat Percentage Do Abs Show?

It's not easy to provide an exact value of body fat percentage for showing the Abs. However, let's take a look at a general guideline:

For Male:

Typically abs start showing when the body fat percentage goes to around 10 - 15%

For Female:

The body fat percentage should lie within the 16 - 20% range to have some abdominal 

Disclaimer: 

This body fat calculator provides estimates based on the information you input and commonly used formulas. Therefore, the results should be used for informational purposes only. Consult with a healthcare professional or dietitian to make any changes in your diet and exercise plan.

References:

From the source of wikipedia.org: Body fat percentage.

From the source of medicalnewstoday.com: Body fat percentage chart.

From the source of webmd.com: What You Need to Know About Body Fat.