

Will your abs be visible? Yes, they will.

Upon says that 8 to 10 percent body fat is essential for life. This is a very low, likely dangerous, body fat range for a female. Upton says a body fat in this range makes you a prime candidate for diabetes and puts you at an elevated risk for heart disease further down the line.įemale body fat percentage 5 to 9 percent This is a warning sign for health complications. This is not typically considered an acceptable or healthy body fat for a male, and you’re not going to be seeing any muscle definition on your body. When you reach this level of body fat, outside interventions may be necessary. Rather, you need to be focusing on making lifestyle choices that will help you get back to a healthy body fat range. Upton says aesthetics shouldn’t be your main concern. In this range of body fat, you will not see your abs at all. Upton calls this the higher end of “average” for males. When you hit 20 to 24 percent body fat, there’s a good chance you will be soft around the middle. In fact, Upton says it’s unlikely that you’d see ab definition in this percentage. While still considered healthy, it’s less likely that you will see much muscle definition in this range. But it’s also considered healthier and easier to obtain than the 5 to 9 percent range.Ĭertified personal trainer Steve Washuta says upper abdominal definition and some external obliques can still be seen, but the definition is minimal and the lower half of the abdominals are typically not defined. This range of body fat is still lean, which means your abs will be visible. If you’re closer to 9 percent, you will still be lean and have a visible six-pack. “Visually you would see not only every muscle in your body, but also likely individual muscle strands in certain parts,” he adds. Plus, he says that a body fat level of 5 percent is incredibly hard to get down to, incredibly challenging to deal with, and not at all good for the body. “This is essential body fat only leaving enough for you to survive,” he explains. Having body fat levels at this end of the scale puts you in the genetic elite, or competition bodybuilder level, says Upton. Here, we go over the body fat percentages from the low to high end, indicating the level you need for visible abs. The type of fat that sits on the surface of the body is subcutaneous fat that’s the fat you see in the mirror. Upton says there are several different types of fat, including brown fat, beige fat, white fat, visceral fat, and subcutaneous fat. “Mostly it serves to store and provide energy for metabolic processes for everything from your heart beating to your legs sprinting,” he says. According to Elliott Upton, a senior personal trainer at Ultimate Performance, body fat, or adipose tissue, is a normal part of every human body.

But what about the average person? If you’re looking for information on how body fat and fat distribution affects how visible your ab muscles are, we’ve got you covered.īut before we talk about specific body fat percentages, it’s important to define body fat.
#Body fat percentages for males how to
Navy, to calculate body fat percentage using tape measurements.In fitness circles, people have daily conversations about how to reduce your body fat and get six-pack abs. This calculator uses Hodgdon-Beckett formula, which is used by U.S. If you want to feel fit and look fit make sure you have less body fat and more muscle mass.Īn estimate of the amount of body fat that you need to lose is the first step in any successful weight loss program. But having more than the required percentage of body fat can lead to serious health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart diseases. It is important to have a healthy amount of body fat to regulate body temperature, protect organs and stay energetic. This is due to the difference in the amount and distribution of fat they have in their body.

Two persons of same height and weight may have the same Body Mass Index (BMI) but different body composition. Sored body fat is the fat that is accumulated from the extra calories that are not burnt by the due to sedentary life style and lack of exercise. The percentage of essential body fat for women is greater than that for men, due to the demands of childbearing and other hormonal functions. Essential body fat is needed for life and reproductive functions.
