Body fat percentage and the elusive six-pack

[renatar]

Hi guys, from what I've read the most important thing with regard to the six-pack is body fat percentage and that they're usually visible with a body-fat percentage of < 10%.

Maybe I'm missing something...but let's say you had sufficient fat over the abdominals for the six-pack not to be visible and a body fat percentage of 12%. Is it not possible to keep putting on muscle whilst keeping the amount of fat over the abdominals static...and ending up with a really low body fat percentage with no visible six-pack?!

[randyrock]

Hi guys, from what I've read the most important thing with regard to the six-pack is body fat percentage and that they're usually visible with a body-fat percentage of < 10%.

Maybe I'm missing something...but let's say you had sufficient fat over the abdominals for the six-pack not to be visible and a body fat percentage of 12%. Is it not possible to keep putting on muscle whilst keeping the amount of fat over the abdominals static...and ending up with a really low body fat percentage with no visible six-pack?!

Well building muscle effectively usually means you have to increase your cal intake, and so add fat at the same time - so in theory the two don't go too well together (building muscle below in abs, whilst keeping the fat static).

[Birddog6424]

Ab visibilty seems to come up a lot in this section. It is not an exact science. Abs are a muscle and some people have better development than others. I can see my upper abs at 15 to 16%, the top four at 12 and 13%, and all eight at 9%.

But if your abs aren't well developed yet, you may have to lose more fat to bring them out.

To answer your question, yes, it's possible. If you ran a bulk that was lean so you kept fat accumulation down or non-existant, you could make gains on your abs. But you are talking about a very long, slow process. Some people are good at lean bulking because they have epxerience at it. Some people, like teenagers, are good at it simply because of insane metabolisms.

Best suggestion is just to nail down the details of how to bulk and stay lean, and give it a whirl.

[user79879841251]

Well I held an electronic device a week or so ago and it said my bodyfat percentage is 12%, but my BMI is 25.1.

[jay24k]

As you add muscle, your body fat percentage will drop IF you don't increase your fat.

For example, 200 lb person @ 10 percent body fat has 180 of muscle and 20 of fat. (using just numbers not theoretical bones,water, etc)

If that 200lb person put on 20 pounds of pure muscle and no fat. He would be 220 pounds with only 20 of that being fat. His body fat would actually be 9 percent. Also that amount of flab on his stomach would most likely be less.