What percentage of body fat do I need to see abdominals?

If you lose weight while working and eating healthy, you may be wondering when you will start seeing your abs appear. But the number of straights you make will not determine whether you have a six pack or not – it all depends on your body fat percentage.

What is the percentage of body fat and how is it measured?

"Your body fat percentage is the total amount of fat you have," said Tamara Pridgett, NASM Certified Personal Trainer. It is a combination of two types of fat: essential fat and storage fat. Essential fat is necessary to protect your organs and joints, to keep you warm and to promote reproduction. Storage fat is energy stored as adipose tissue, and it is the fat that people tend to see on their body.

You can measure your body fat percentage by taking folds that are not very accurate even if they are taken by a professional. Sports halls may also ask you to use an InBody machine similar to the progression on a scale. It sends a bioelectric current throughout your body, measuring the percentage of body fat. This is not the most accurate either.

A DEXA scan or a BodPod test are two of the most accurate ways to measure body fat percentage. These are usually only offered in specialized clinics and are expensive – around $ 250 to $ 300. What is useful about these six presentation examples is that they can break down the exact percentages of the breakdown of fat in your body.

What percentage of body fat do I need to see my abdomen?

Many coaches agree that it is difficult to give a specific percentage of body fat allowing abdominal visibility. Virginia Kinkel, a certified personal trainer who has been operating and analyzing DEXA scans for five years, said that the location where you store the fat, the amount of fat and the amount of muscle you have will determine if your abdominals are visible or not. "Two people with exactly the same percentage of body fat can store it completely differently – one person may have abdominals, another can not," she said.

Although there is not a specific percentage of body fat you need to see abs since each one's fat is split differently, you can aim for a range of body fat percentage. Ryan Hosler, NSCA-certified personal trainer, chiropractor and owner of Movement Upgraded, said that for men, if you had about 6 to 17% body fat, your abs should be visibly visible. For women, this range ranges from 14% to 24% body fat. The definition will begin to appear higher (17% for men, 24% for women) and your abs will become more sculpted as this number decreases.

How can I reduce my body fat percentage?

Unfortunately, you can not reduce the fat in your belly. You must reduce your overall percentage of body fat, which will decrease fat everywhere, including your stomach. You can do this by doing two main things: first, eat healthy, especially with a moderate caloric deficit, limit processed carbohydrates and sugar. And second, train with a combination of strength training and high intensity interval training.

Warning regarding low body fat percentage

Often, we can focus on achieving a specific percentage of body fat. This can be important for those who manage chronic weight-related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Rachel Fine, MS, RD, RD, CDN, Registered Dietitian, owner of To The Pointe Nutrition, specializing in sports nutrition, warns that it's essential to make sure that the body fat you aim is always enough. Basic metabolism of your body to function properly.

"Often, I will see athletes trying to achieve an extremely low body fat percentage, which causes hormonal disruptions that affect health and long-term performance," she said. . "The body's fat stores act as direct moderators of several hormones, including bone formation and appetite regulators." Without enough body fat, we risk a future of bone fragility and chronic hunger "

Forget the percentage of body fat!

"Having visible abdominals is not really the best indicator of health or fitness," added Jay Perkins, NSCA-certified coach, head coach at KOR Strength and Conditioning. The level of leanness required to have signs of abs can be unhealthy for women in particular, which can disrupt their hormonal balance and their menstrual cycle if they have less than 20% body fat.

Although there is nothing wrong with wanting a flat stomach or visible abdominal muscles, this should not be done at the expense of your health. "Instead of focusing on their appearance, I would like people to focus on their strength and what they can do," said CMHA Certified Personal Trainer, Kekua Kobashigawa.