What is the body fat percentage for abs?

In this brief guide, we will answer the query, “What is the body fat percentage for abs?” We will also discuss the different tips to reach the desired fat percentage for abs.

What is the body fat percentage for abs?

The body fat percentage required for abs ranges between 14 and 20% for women and 6 to 13% for males. There is no exact fat percentage we can pinpoint since everyone has a different body type, what works for one person may not work for the other. However, the appropriate body fat percentage for abs varies depending on how you carry weight, where you generally store fat, and your fitness routine.

In general, 10% body fat is a safe bet for having a sleek, lean, and mean body look. You’ll be able to see your abs at 15% and lower, but they might not stand out that much. Your abs will start to look more defined and really stand out to the others somewhere between 10% and 15%.

Since everyone accumulates body fat differently, there is no hard and fast rule about how much body fat is required for abdominal muscles.  Height and body shape are important factors when talking about the body fat percentage needed for an individual. However, someone with less than 10% is often exceedingly lean. 

Males and females will have significantly different ranges. Generally, in the case of males, someone with just enough body fat is considered healthy, while someone with a little more than just the average body fat can be considered fit. 

Likewise, if you have some extra muscles, you may be considered athletic. It is important to note that the definition of healthy, fit, and athletic may be different for each individual as they all have different heights, weights, body types, diets, and fitness routines. All of these factors play an important role in the body fat percentage.

What are the tips to reach the fat percentage for abs?

It requires a lot of dedication to reach a healthy athletic appearance with a high-fat percentage. Some of the tips to make sure you’re leveling up to get to your desired fat percentage are as follows:

Count your calories 

When it comes to bulking up and getting those abs, it’s always about the calories, so portion control and size play an important role when you’re trying to build muscles. Start focusing on the areas where you eat too much. 

Foods like peanut butter, avocados, and hummus are absolutely essential for a healthy diet and protein content, but you can end up gaining too many calories if you do not control the intake of these foods. It may be nutritious, but a calorie is still a calorie, so portion control is necessary.

Balance carbs and proteins 

For muscle buildup, it is ideal to consume four to six ounces of protein per meal, as well as a half to one cup of carbs and a couple of cups of veggies. You can make three of these large meals and at least two smaller protein-heavy snacks in between. This way of eating can boost your metabolism and stabilize your blood sugar levels which increases the fat burn process.

Furthermore, a study published in Nutrition & Metabolism discovered that taking 20 grams of protein every three hours, four times a day was more effective than eating little quantities more frequently or big amounts less frequently in helping men build lean body mass.

Cut down on extra snacks and alcohol

When you’re mindlessly eating a lot of snacks and drinking too much alcohol, you’re pretty much just adding extra calories to your body. This can highly affect your body weight as well as the fat-burning process. You’re working hard on burning calories, but if you keep adding this unhealthy stuff to your diet, all your efforts are wasted.

Do body-building exercises

You should shift your focus to weight training to build muscle and high-intensity interval training to burn fat during workouts. It’s fairly easy to build abs without doing crunches, but if you want a defined and toned-down body, you need an overall workout that strengthens all the muscles in the body.

You can find some of the workout routines for abs here.

Conclusion 

In this brief guide, we have answered the query, “What is the body fat percentage for abs?” We have also discussed the different tips to reach the desired fat percentage for abs.

Citations 

https://manofmany.com/lifestyle/fitness/the-body-fat-percentage-men-need-to-see-abs