Our Covert Bailey body fat calculator uses the exact formulas that Covert Bailey came up with years ago to help people determine the amount of fat they have in their bodies. He has come up with four different formulas for men and women below and above the age of 30. The formulas are scientifically proven to provide you with a high level of accuracy.
Using our Covert Bailey body fat calculator isn’t easy and quick because you have to take multiple measurements. And, unfortunately, we can’t do much here because that's how the author of ‘Fit or Fat’ has designed the formula. If you are looking for simpler alternatives, you may try our Navy method body fat calculator or YMCA body fat calculator. All these body fat calculators have almost the same level of accuracy so you may use more than one of them to get an average.
Keep reading to find out more about the Covert Bailey body fat calculator formula, its accuracy level, and how you can take correct measurements.
📖 Related Article: If you are curious to find out the amount of fat you have in your body, you may be interested to know if you can be a fat guy with abs.
Our Covert Bailey Body Fat Calculator
Covert Bailey Body Fat Calculator
Covert Bailey body fat calculator formula
Just in case you don’t know, Covert Bailey is the author of the bestselling book Fit or Fat in which he has explained how you can maintain an ideal body fat by exercising only for 12 minutes a day. Even after decades, the book is still a hit among fitness enthusiasts who want to live an active and healthy life without spending half of their day in the gym.
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Other than his book, the American fitness expert is also renowned for inventing a unique and highly customized body fat calculator formula. It is pretty new when compared with the Navy body fat calculator and the YMCA body fat calculator. Plus, as I said, it is highly customized. There are different formulas for men and women. And, there are different formulas for different age groups. The Navy method body fat calculators and YMCA body fat calculators do not use these criteria. That's why the Covert Bailey body fat calculator is supposed to have a higher level of accuracy.
Here are the formulas-
Covert Bailey body fat calculator formula for women
The formula needs the following measurements-
A- Hips
B- Things
C- Calf
D- Wrist
To use our Covert Bailey calculator, you will need a soft body measuring tape. These tapes are ergonomically designed and easy to use. You won’t need help taking measurements. Make sure you wrap the tape around the widest point. The measurement should be taken in inches.
The formula for women whose age is 30 years or below is-
Fat% = A + 0.8B – 2C – D
Covert Bailey body fat calculator formula Those whose age is more than 30 years is-
Fat% = A+ B – 2C – D (for Women over age 30)
📖 Related Article: Hate going to the gym but love using gym equipment? Why not build your own home gym in your basement? Here is an interesting guide on why it is worth the investment and how you can build a home gym in a basement.
Covert Bailey body fat calculator formula for men
For calculating the body fat of men, you need to measure-
A- Hips
B- Waist
C- Forearm circumference
D- Wrist
As I said above, you need to take the measurement from the widest points. The formula that Covert Bailey has mentioned in his ‘The Ultimate Fit or Fat’ book is-
For men whose age is 30 years or below-
Fat% = B + 0.5A – 3C – D
Men whose age is more than 30 years-
Fat% = B + 0.5A – 2.7C – D
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How can you determine the state of your fitness using the Covert Bailey calculator?
Use the table below as a reference to find out where you stand.
| Type of fat/state of your body fat | Women | Men |
| Essential fat | 10-13% | 2-5% |
| Athletes | 14-20% | 6-13% |
| Active and fit individual | 21-24% | 14-17% |
| Acceptable | 25-31% | 18-25% |
| Obese | +32% | +26% |
Please note that Covert Bailey hasn’t created the above table. It is prepared by the American Council on Exercise and is widely used as a source of reference.
The formula is different for men and women and there is so much difference in body fat requirement because women need more body fat than men so they can carry on with the processes of reproduction without suffering from deficiencies.
How to measure correctly for using our Covert Bailey body fat calculator
The level of accuracy of our calculator depends on the inputs you provide. You need to measure yourself correctly and at the right time so you get the most accurate results. Here is what you need to do-
- Do not use old or stretched-out tape for taking measurements. Use body tape instead of the standard tape you have at home.
- The best time to take measurements is in the morning after using the toilet but before eating or drinking anything. If that's not possible, you can measure yourself after your workouts. You don’t need to train rigorously. Just 10-15 minutes of cardio followed by 5 minutes of strength training on ProsourceFit Multi-Grip Lite Pull Up/Chin Up Bar or core exercises on URBNFit Exercise Ball is enough.
- As I said above, measure the widest point of the specific area.
- Take multiple measurements and calculate an average. This step is optional but recommended to get highly accurate results.
- Keep your body relaxed while taking measurements. Do not hold your breath or flex your muscles.
How accurate is the Covert Bailey body fat calculator?
Experts believe it has an accuracy of more than 95%, which is probably the best you can expect. The amount of fat our body has depends on numerous other factors than what the Covert Bailey body fat calculator uses. So, it is not 100% accurate. Even the more expensive body fat calculators such as DEXA scans have an accuracy of 97 to 98%, so don’t worry too much unless you are preparing for competitions or you need to closely measure your body fat for whatsoever purpose.
Wrap up
I hope this article helps you understand what the Covert Bailey body fat calculator is and how you can use it to find out if you are within the optimum range. If you still have any questions or are experiencing trouble using it, please leave a comment or email me. Losing excess fat and gaining optimum lean muscles is not an easy task but I have written numerous articles that can make your journey faster and safer. I hope you enjoy reading them.
