The Body Fat Percentage Needed for Six-Pack Abs

One of the top reasons people (guys in particular) look for a fitness program is because they want six-pack abs. They're smart enough to know they need to build muscle and strip away all the fat on their bellies to make their abdominal muscles visible. They also realize that the only practical way to eliminate that belly fat is to reduce their total amount of body fat.

This begs the question, "What do you have to get your body fat percentage down to before your abdominal muscles will show?" The answer is, "it depends." More specifically, it depends on your gender and genes.

Why Your Sex Matters

Your sex matters because women naturally have a higher percentage of body fat than men. A woman doesn't have to get her body fat percentage down as low before her abdominal muscles begin to become visible. Making things even harder for guys is the fact that males tend to accumulate a higher percentage of their total body fat around their bellies. That means that a man definitely has to get his body fat percentage way down before his abs will be visible.

Why Your Genes Matter

Your genes affect the way locations where fat is stored on your body. For some lucky people, any excess body fat is stored evenly around their body. For others, it seems that every excess bit of fat goes right to their belly or butt. This means that two people with comparable 6-pack abs may have body fat percentages that differ a good bit.

There aren't any good tests around that will tell you exactly what percentage you personally need to achieve to have six-pack abs. The only way to find out is to try and see what happens. You need to keep pushing it until you have the abs you want.

What Body Fat Percentage DO You Need for Six-Pack Abs?

Ok, ok. I'll stop beating around the bush and tell you what fat percentage you need to reach to achieve six-pack abs. As you just saw, there are a few factors that affect things, so the best I can give you is a range of numbers created by reviewing a range of sources. Here are the approximate fat percentages you need to hit to really show off your abs:

Men: To make your entire six-pack of abdominal muscles visible, your body fat percentage will have to be somewhere below 11%. If you get it down below 8%, you'surely going to have a clearly visible 6 pack.

Women: For your abs to be clearly visible, you have to get your body fat percentage down to something less than 17%. Going under 14% would be even better. These are higher numbers than men have to hit, but remember that you naturally have a higher fat percentage, so your job is just as tough as for the guys do.

Those numbers are difficult to reach, but not unattainable. Depending on whose results you use, the average American male has a body fat percentage of between 17 and 26%, and the average American female is carrying somewhere between 22 and 36%. The keys to hitting your target will be your own determination, and the selection of a strong fitness program like the ones featured on this site.