Military H&W CalculatorMEPS Height and Weight Calculator
If you are joining the Army, the waist-to-height ratio does not apply to you yet. Applicants are screened on the height and weight table, with a body fat tape test as the second gate. This runs both.
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MEPS Screening Check
Step 2 — Tape Test
You are over the screening weight, which is not a disqualification. The body fat measurement is the gate that decides it.
Round up to the nearest ½ in.
Round down to the nearest ½ in.
How MEPS Screening Actually Works
Being over the weight table is not a disqualification. It moves you to a second test, and that second test is what decides whether you ship.
This is the single most misunderstood part of the MEPS height and weight requirements, and it is why so many applicants talk themselves out of enlisting before anyone has measured them.
- Height and weight are recordedHeight is measured in stocking feet and rounded to the nearest inch for the table lookup. Weight is recorded to the nearest pound with no deduction for clothing.
- You are checked against the tableIf you are at or below the maximum for your height, age band and sex, there is no tape test. You are done with this part.
- If you are over, you are tapedThe circumference method estimates your body fat percentage. Men are measured at the neck and abdomen; women at the neck, natural waist and hips.
- The body fat limit decides itPass the percentage for your age band and you meet the standard, whatever the scale said.
- If you are under the minimum weightThis is its own trigger. AR 600-9 directs a referral for medical evaluation rather than a simple pass, and MEPS medical staff assess it as part of your physical.
Army Height Limits
Separately from weight, AR 40-501 sets a height range for Army service: a minimum of 58 inches (4 feet 10 inches) and a maximum of 80 inches (6 feet 8 inches). The same range applies to men and women. Falling outside it does not automatically end an application — the Army's recruiting regulation, AR 601-210, allows a height waiver to be requested, and that is a conversation for your recruiter.
AR 600-9 Height and Weight Table
This is the weight-for-height screening table, broken out by sex and age band. Height is rounded to the nearest inch before the lookup.
| Height | Min weight | 17–20 | 21–27 | 28–39 | 40+ |
|---|
Over 80 inches tall: add 6 lb per inch for men, 5 lb per inch for women. Falling below the minimum weight triggers a referral for medical evaluation rather than a pass.
If You Are Over the Standard
Recruiters generally hold applicants until they meet the standard rather than turning them away permanently. That makes this a timeline problem, not a verdict.
What works, and what to avoid
Give yourself months rather than days. Dehydration, fasting, sweat suits and last-minute cutting do not change your actual body composition, and MEPS measures you on their schedule rather than yours. Steady training, adequate protein and consistent sleep are both the safe path and the effective one. Military OneSource offers free fitness and nutrition coaching.
Once you ship, this table stops applying to you entirely. From that point you are measured on the waist-to-height ratio, so it is worth knowing where you stand on both — the main height and weight calculator runs them side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the new waist-to-height ratio apply at MEPS?
No. The waist-to-height standard was adopted for people already serving, under DoD Instruction 1308.03. Accession screening falls under DoD Instruction 6130.03, which the change did not replace, so applicants are still measured against the height and weight table with a body fat check behind it.
What is the maximum weight to join the Army at 5'10"?
Under the AR 600-9 screening table a 70-inch male applicant can weigh up to 180 lb at 17 to 20, 185 lb at 21 to 27, 189 lb at 28 to 39 and 192 lb at 40 and over. A female applicant of the same height can weigh up to 174, 176, 178 and 181 lb across the same bands.
Will I be disqualified for being over the weight chart?
Not on that basis alone. Exceeding the screening weight sends you to the body fat tape test, and passing the body fat limit for your age band meets the standard.
What happens if I am under the minimum weight?
Falling below the minimum for your height triggers a referral for medical evaluation rather than a simple pass. MEPS medical staff assess it alongside the rest of your physical.
Can I get a height waiver for the Army?
The Army height standard runs from 58 to 80 inches under AR 40-501, and AR 601-210 allows a waiver to be requested outside that range. Whether one is granted depends on the Army's needs and your recruiter's submission.
Sources & References
Official and primary sources
- DoD Instruction 6130.03 — medical standards for military service, accession
- AR 600-9, The Army Body Composition Program — Tables B-1 and B-2 and the circumference formulas
- Army modifies body composition program, adopts waist-to-height ratio — Army Public Affairs, 7 July 2026
- Military OneSource — free fitness and nutrition coaching for service members
Standards change. Confirm anything career-affecting with your chain of command, your recruiter, or the current publication on Army Publishing Directorate before acting on it.