For people aged 20 to 39, women should aim for 21% to 32% of body fat. Men should have 8% to 19%. For people 40 to 59, women should fall between 23% to 33% and men should fall around 11% to 21%. If you're aged 60 to 79, women should have 24% to 35% body fat and men should have 13% to 24%.
Over 20 % body fat: Mildly/moderately overweight. Some extra fat and no muscle definition visible. 15-19% body fat: Normal/healthy level within the average. Slight muscle definition (shoulders and upper arms) is visible.
According to guidelines, for women, healthy body fat percentages range from about 21 per cent for younger women to 36 per cent after the age of 60. Young men can have upwards of 8 per cent body fat to 25 per cent for older males.
Having a six-pack requires a leaner physique - typically within the athletic range. The body fat percentage needed to see your pack of abdominal muscles falls somewhere around 14 to 20% for women and 6 to 13% for men.
The normal amount of body fat is between 25 and 30 percent in women and 18 and 23 percent in men. Women with more than 30 percent body fat and men with more than 25 percent body fat are considered obese.
For people aged 20 to 39, women should aim for 21% to 32% of body fat. Men should have 8% to 19%. For people 40 to 59, women should fall between 23% to 33% and men should fall around 11% to 21%. If you're aged 60 to 79, women should have 24% to 35% body fat and men should have 13% to 24%.
For men, your abs will typically start to become visible at around 15%. But at 12% is when you start to really see some good definition with your six-pack. And at 10%, your six-pack is clearly visible and well defined. For women, I wouldn't recommend a “clearly visible six-pack” as being the goal.
Women: Abs may be visible (or need a few more weeks)
At 15 percent body fat, you are in a very healthy place. Guys, your muscles are starting to show, you see definition in your arms, your legs, and now have a lower fat to muscle ratio. At this rate, men are probably 4 to 6 weeks shy of their goal.
For a man with average genetics and a healthy lifestyle, 14-20 percent is a great, sustainable body fat. It's lean enough to show some decent muscle definition, but high enough that you can build strength and muscle and enjoy your life without strict diets. For a woman, a similar range would be around 21-28 percent.
"The body fat scales you can buy online are safe and convenient, but they aren't accurate," says Dr. Woolcott, who adds that studies on these devices aren't reliable because they're tested on a small number of people. "The scales underestimate or overestimate body fat percentage by quite a lot.
There is more fat all around the body at the 30% level including waist, back, thighs, and calves. The waist looks larger relative to the hips, and the stomach will likely be protruding over the waist noticeably. There is no muscle separation.
20% body fat: Muscle definition is not as present and noticeable especially in the abdomen. A man with this level of body fat typically has the “soft” look and has a pouch on his abdomen. 25% body fat: There is almost no separation of muscles, no noticeable veins and no muscle striations.
By reducing your calorie intake and increasing your physical activity level, you can create a calorie deficit so that the calories you consume each day are lower than the calories you expend. This causes your body to cease storing fat and start burning it.
Your Abdominal Muscles Aren't Thick Enough
If you have a trim waist and minimal body fat and you still can't see your abs, then you need to work on getting the Rectus Abdominis (your 6 pack muscle) thicker. You will never be able to see your abs if the muscle bellies there are weak and small.
“While a strong core is important for stability and functional movement, visible abdominal muscles should not be the sole measure of fitness. In fact, for some individuals, a pursuit of six-pack abs may indicate an unhealthy relationship with food or an overly restrictive diet.
Ultimately, to get ripped, you need to lose fat! That means reducing what you eat (a period like this is known by body builders as shredding), and doing strength-based exercises for your abdomen. The more fat you lose, the more abdominal muscle definition you will achieve.
“Generally speaking, it's safe to lose 0.5% total body fat per week, or 2% body fat per month.” An easier way to measure it at home is approximately 1 to 2 pounds a week, depending on your starting weight. Also, fat loss is different from overall weight loss.
You can lower your visceral fat level by focusing on the same diet and exercise plans you would to help you lose weight and lower your total body fat. Ways to reduce visceral fat include exercising, eating a healthy diet, intermittent fasting, getting more sleep, reducing stress and limiting alcohol.
A good lean muscle percentage range should be about 70% to 90% to be considered healthy. That means your body fat percentage ranges from 10-30%. Athletes typically range in the 7-22% body fat for maximum performance. Men tend to be on the higher side with lean mass in 80-90% range and woman in the 70-85% range.
If you have a high body fat percentage or if you've already been in a bulking phase for a long time, it's better for you to lose fat first before trying to build muscle.