How to Calculate Body Fat Percentage for Men

Calculate your body fat percentage.

Knowing your body fat percentage is more important to your health than keeping track of your weight. Excess fat can cause health problems, and excess fat around your middle is the most dangerous. You can be a healthy weight and still have a dangerous amount of body fat. Knowing your body fat percentage can help you head off future health problems.

Things You'll Need

• Bathroom scale
• Flexible measuring tape
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Weigh yourself on a scale. This is your total body weight. Multiply your total body weight by 1.082. Take your answer and add 94.42 to it.

2. Measure your waist in inches at the navel. Multiply the measurement by 4.15.

3. Calculate your lean body mass by subtracting your answer in Step 2 from your answer in Step 1. This is your lean body mass.

4. Calculate your body fat weight by subtracting your answer in Step 3 from your total body weight. This is your body fat weight.

5. Multiply your answer from Step 4 by 100. Divide the result by your total body weight. This is your body fat percentage.

Tips & Warnings

• Athletes will have a body fat percentage of 14-17 percent.

• People who are physically fit will have a body fat percentage of 6-13 percent.

• A healthy amount of body fat is 18-25 percent.

• A body fat percentage above 25 percent is considered obese.

References

• BMI Calculator: Body Fat Formula
• University of New Mexico; "Getting a Grip on Body Composition"; Len Kravitz and Vivian H. Heyward