Tracking your body fat percentage is one of the most efficient methods of staying fit and healthy. Any job, like the Navy, requiring physical toughness has a cap on the maximum amount of fat that you can have [1]. The United States Navy, in particular, is strict about this limit. They have come up with the most accurate method of determining a person’s body fat content. You can measure yours by using the calculator given below.
What’s My Body Fat Percentage?
The United States Navy has devised its own method for estimating the body fat percentage. This is because it requires that all its personnel maintain certain BF% standards to qualify for military service.
Many aspirants who want to join the country’s Navy division keep regular track of their BF% using this method to check if they can join the service.
In addition, you can also use our US Navy Body Fat Calculator to get a general overview of your current fitness level. This is because your BF% is one of the best trackers of your overall health and body composition[2].
If the percentage is higher than normal, it is an indication that you need to tone down on your fat content. You can do so by either revising your diet program, switching up your training routines, or both. In any case, there are many reasons for you to use the method devised by the US Navy for finding out your fat percentage.
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The US Navy Body Fat Standards
It is presumed that body composition, particularly body fat, affects military performance, military appearance, and the general well-being of personnel [3]. In line with these findings, the United States Navy has set some predefined standards for maintaining the body fat percentage.
According to their guidelines, the maximum limit of body fat percentage for their personnel is given as follows:
|
Age Group |
BF% Limit for Males |
BF% Limit for Females |
|
18-21 |
22% |
33% |
|
22-29 |
23% |
34% |
|
30-39 |
24% |
35% |
|
40+ |
26% |
36% |
The difference in the limit for males and females arises because of the scientific conclusion that women tend to have more body fat than men [4]. Since it is a natural fact, distinctions have been made to make the selection procedure fair to both genders.
The US Navy makes use of BF% as a parameter instead of metrics like BMI or simply body weight because it is a more accurate indicator of overall body composition. Many people in the military service are muscular and weigh more than the average for their height. In terms of BMI, they may be classified as “obese”, which would be strictly false. That is why going with BF% is a more judicial approach.
How Does the Navy Calculate Body Fat Percentage?
The United States Navy has a specific procedure for measuring the body fat percentage of their personnel. They begin by taking some necessary measurements of specific body parts of each individual.
Here are the detailed instructions on how to take these measurements:
- Height: Stand barefoot at attention on a flat surface. Align your head so that it is horizontal and looking directly forward. Make sure that the chin is parallel to the deck. Use the measuring tape to record the height after assuming this posture.
- Neck: Measure the circumference of the neck using a tape just below the larynx or the Adam’s Apple.
- Waist: Remove any shirt or top (bare skin) to take the measurement of the abdomen. Keep the measuring tape directly across the navel while keeping your arms down by your side. The measurement should be recorded at the end of natural exhalation to ensure accurate results.
- Hips: Measure the circumference of the hips by placing the tape around the buttocks. The point of the greatest protrusion (when viewed from the side) is the exact spot to be measured.
- Body Weight: Remove footwear, accessories, and other heavy clothing items and stand on a calibrated weighing scale. Make sure that your pockets are empty. Record your body weight to the nearest pound.
Once you have these measurements, you can simply input the values in the Navy Body Fat Calculator to get accurate results. The calculator uses the navy’s predefined formulas for estimating BF% with the utmost precision.
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What is the US Navy Formula for Body Fat?
The Body Fat Formula devised by the United States Navy makes use of some predefined formulas to estimate fat content within an individual.
The equation was originally developed by the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) situated in San Diego, California.
The formula is given as follows:
US Navy Body Fat Formula for Males
Men have slightly different formulas and coefficients because they have genetically lower fat content compared to their female counterparts.
The equation is given as follows:
Body Fat Percentage = 495 / [1.0324 – 0.19077 * log10(waist circumference – neck circumference) + 0.15456 * (height)] – 450
US Navy Body Fat Formula for Females
For women, their body fat percentage is generally higher compared to men of similar stature. As such, their equation is slightly different.
It is given by:
Body Fat Percentage = 495 / [1.29579 – 0.35004 * log10(waist circumference + hip circumference – neck circumference) + 0.22100 * log10(height)] – 450
It is important to note that the formulas given above are for measurements given in terms of metric units. For imperial measurement, the values of coefficients are slightly different.
How Accurate is Navy Method Body Fat Calculation
The US Navy’s method for calculating body fat percentage is one of the most efficient in modern days. According to research, the method can give accurate results within approximately 3% of the true value [5].
Based on a four-compartment analysis conducted during the test, the Standard Error of Measurement was recorded to be 3.15% for men and 3.12% for women.
This means that if the US Navy estimates your BF% to be around 20%, then the true value could lie between 17% and 23%, which is significantly close to the truth.
Winding Up
The Body Fat Percentage, as a health indicator, has many applications – it can help you track your fitness goals, adjust your diet/training programs, and improve your overall well-being.
One of the most efficient and inexpensive methods of estimating your BF% is devised by the United States Navy. Using that, you can get an accurate estimate by simply measuring your height, weight, neck circumference, waist circumference, and hip circumference.
References
- Police, S. B., & Ruppert, N. (2022). The US military’s battle with obesity. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 54(5), 475–480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2021.12.003
- Tomlinson, D., Erskine, R., Morse, C., & Onambélé, G. (2019). Body fat percentage, body mass index, fat mass index and the ageing bone: Their singular and combined roles linked to physical activity and diet. Nutrients, 11(1), 195. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11010195
- National Academies Press (US). (1990). Body composition in the military services: Standards and methods. Body Composition and Physical Performance – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK235939/
- Karastergiou, K., Smith, S. R., Greenberg, A. S., & Fried, S. K. (2012). Sex differences in human adipose tissues – the biology of pear shape. Biology of Sex Differences, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/2042-6410-3-13
- Hodgdon, J. A., & Friedl, K. (1999). Development of the DoD body composition estimation equations. https://doi.org/10.21236/ada370158