Body fat % for Abs to appear

[EverBlaze]

Hey everyone,
I'm new, and I did a thread search,
I just wanted to quickly find out if anyone knew at what body fat % a woman should be before their abs show...

I do know this is different on every woman, but personally, my toughest area is my abs,
so it would be great to have a guideline.

Thanks in advance,
if this answer is already out there, please feel free to direct me to the link.
lol

[addicted2arc]

bf< 9-10%

[BuffedWildCat]

I can get ab definition at 22% bodyfat (check my 6.5 mo post-partum pics) and I was 17.6% bodyfat in my avatar pic. But you're right, everyone is different. It helps if your ab muscles are thick.

[EverBlaze]

I can get ab definition at 22% bodyfat (check my 6.5 mo post-partum pics) and I was 17.6% bodyfat in my avatar pic. But you're right, everyone is different. It helps if your ab muscles are thick.

Thanks so much, your abs look great, (i'm off to check your pics out.)

I guess it really does depend on body types, i'm at 18.4% bodyfat right now, and my stomach is the last part of me to shrink.

Anyone in the same boat as me?

[eriplex]

I have to get to 16-17% for definition. my problem is that you can see a light ab definition, but I'm lacking mass elsewhere =( that shall be changed.

the mid section is always so stubborn, so I understand ya grl

[sacha2]

bf< 9-10%

Wrong forum.

OP: I get it at around 17-18%

[iKoniConSciencE]

I've always had what appeared to be the potential for nice abs, even when I was overweight.

In order for this to be more than potential, I have to be 16% or under. Otherwise, I either look like I *would* have nice abs if I dropped 5-10 pounds or like I have a flat, firm stomach with very vague ab lines.

I will also have ripped up arms, killer thighs, and freaky calves before I have amazing abs. The abs are just the last part to show on me and my body naturally stores fat on my sides/hips + "love handles" region (thankfully, those disappeared eons ago, but I had a massive case of jelly rolls way back when I was overweight).

BuffedWildCat, I'm impressed that you can have such amazing abs at 17.6%! I would have guessed something like 14% from your avi,but everyone's body is different.

[BuffedStuff]

I can never trust the bodyfat methods but in my picture I am at about 12 percent my body type can probably maintain year round at about 10 percent....my plan is to take it as low as I can go and still remain healthy so we will see how I change in the next 4-6 month.

[IronMom]

Hey everyone,
I'm new, and I did a thread search,
I just wanted to quickly find out if anyone knew at what body fat % a woman should be before their abs show...

I do know this is different on every woman, but personally, my toughest area is my abs,
so it would be great to have a guideline.

Thanks in advance,
if this answer is already out there, please feel free to direct me to the link.
lol

Remember the bodyfat % is different for many parts of a women's body, that being said I am fairly lean in my upper body while my lower body is a higher bf %. For me, my abs show at 12%, that's 12% for the ab area while my total bf% might be 14% because the lower body brings the percent down. I would not do a competition at 12% however, I would strive for roughly 7-10% total bf, for me this usually means my abs are at 3-8% bf. HTH

[EverBlaze]

Remember the bodyfat % is different for many parts of a women's body, that being said I am fairly lean in my upper body while my lower body is a higher bf %. For me, my abs show at 12%, that's 12% for the ab area while my total bf% might be 14% because the lower body brings the percent down. I would not do a competition at 12% however, I would strive for roughly 7-10% total bf, for me this usually means my abs are at 3-8% bf. HTH

Wow, thanks for the help!

(Thank you everyone who responded)

but this lit a bulb in my head, especially since i'm very lean in my upper body, and have no problems getting definition in my arms, chest and back.....

lower body? Nope. especially abs...
So i guess i'm going to have to play around and see at what point my abs start showing, etc.

Thanks for your help everyone!

[IronMom]

Wow, thanks for the help!

(Thank you everyone who responded)

but this lit a bulb in my head, especially since i'm very lean in my upper body, and have no problems getting definition in my arms, chest and back.....

lower body? Nope. especially abs...
So i guess i'm going to have to play around and see at what point my abs start showing, etc.

Thanks for your help everyone!

Cycle your carbs and make sure you get some CLA's, it'll shake things up pretty fast. Oooh, speaking of fast, def do a few interval cardio sessions per week. That's do the trick on the lower body, well it does for this chick anyway.

[BuffedWildCat]

...

BuffedWildCat, I'm impressed that you can have such amazing abs at 17.6%! I would have guessed something like 14% from your avi,but everyone's body is different.

Hehe, thanks, the fat is all in my legs and butt, LOL. I am just lucky in that I don't carry a lot of fat over my mid-section AND my ab muscles are REALLY thick.

[ShawnCarla]

It is different for everyone. For me, my abs are the last thing to show up. I'm pretty lean over-all (14%), carry most of my fat in my thighs, but my abs are never where I want them to be. They're always flat as a board, just not defined. Try lifting heavier weights with your abs as well as cardio. I was doing 50-100 reps on each ab exercise before and there was zero definition. Now that I'm maxing out at 15 reps (by adding heavier weights) I'm seeing more and more definition.

[kpettitt]

It is different for everyone. For me, my abs are the last thing to show up. I'm pretty lean over-all (14%), carry most of my fat in my thighs, but my abs are never where I want them to be. They're always flat as a board, just not defined. Try lifting heavier weights with your abs as well as cardio. I was doing 50-100 reps on each ab exercise before and there was zero definition. Now that I'm maxing out at 15 reps (by adding heavier weights) I'm seeing more and more definition.

This was me too... I think most of it depends on HOW much muscle you have. I have the top two abs... I see them but there is side defination and thats it below that. I am pretty lean as well, and carry most of the fat in my thighs. I also find that when I work on my lower abs I tend to arch my back up, which I'm sure prohibits them from getting the muscle because I feel the muscles develop more in my back. Its just one of those things! We women have more fat on our bellies to keep babies warm and its a curse! But you look great and hang in there! We'll all be there one day if we just keep doing what we're doing!

[soleuvanathlete]

Last I was measured, I was 19% bodyfat. I'm one of those freaks that can have pretty good ab definition at that percentage. It's so individual...

[kimm4]

I would say without having to flex mine usually show around 12% I think.

Everyone is different.

[BuffedWildCat]

Last I was measured, I was 19% bodyfat. I'm one of those freaks that can have pretty good ab definition at that percentage. It's so individual...

I believe that's also because you are one of the few who has actually gotten an accurate measurement of your total bodyfat %. There are too many women on here who think they are so much leaner than they actually are so in some of the cases it's not "I'm 12-15%" bodyfat and I still don't have any ab definition, but rather that they are not really that lean to begin with due to the inaccuracy of body fat measurement methods. So if a person isn't getting accurate measurements it's going to throw everything else off as far as accurately determining at what bodyfat % an individual's abs come in, as opposed to their legs, arms, etc. It'll all be off. Because of the inaccuracy of actual body fat measurement, women who are wanting ab definition (or whatever else) probably just need to forget about bodyfat measurements and just use the mirror and tape measures instead to gauge progress. When your ab definition is in, it's in, it's not really all that important to know at what bodyfat that happens for you (unless you're just anal like me, heh, I just find it interesting to know these things.)

[BuffedWildCat]

I would say without having to flex mine usually show around 12% I think.

Everyone is different.

Ah, that's another great point. I've NEVER had a six pack WITHOUT flexing and I probably never will because I will never get THAT lean. I was flexing with everything I had to get the pic in my avatar at 17.6% bodyfat and that's the leanest I've ever been. I mainly just have the 3 vertical lines visible when I'm NOT flexing, in the mornings I can see the top 4 but that's it and you have to look close even for that.

[SpittfireDA]

For me, I can see a 6-pack around 18%, but it doesn't get "ripped" until around 15-16% ...

[Marion78]

Hey everyone,
I'm new, and I did a thread search,
I just wanted to quickly find out if anyone knew at what body fat % a woman should be before their abs show...

I do know this is different on every woman, but personally, my toughest area is my abs,
so it would be great to have a guideline.

Thanks in advance,
if this answer is already out there, please feel free to direct me to the link.
lol

I had mine show up around 14-15% body fat.

[PopeGregorius]

bf< 9-10%

For a female?

[EverBlaze]

Ah, that's another great point. I've NEVER had a six pack WITHOUT flexing and I probably never will because I will never get THAT lean. I was flexing with everything I had to get the pic in my avatar at 17.6% bodyfat and that's the leanest I've ever been. I mainly just have the 3 vertical lines visible when I'm NOT flexing, in the mornings I can see the top 4 but that's it and you have to look close even for that.

Oooh!
you guys make a very good point!

Thanks for stating that.

I really thought that most people's pictures were unflexed.

[BuffedWildCat]

Oooh!
you guys make a very good point!

Thanks for stating that.

I really thought that most people's pictures were unflexed.

You're welcome. I just don't want women to be "killing" themselves trying to reach an unrealistic goal and then beating themselves up even more when they cannot attain it. Here ya go:

My FLEXED abs:


vs

my RELAXED abs (taken just now in the mirror):



Yeah, most pics you'll find anywhere on this website are FLEXED pics simply because it's a bodybuilding site. Bodybuilding is all about showing off your flexed muscles.

[jjgodfrey81]

Nice work there - though as you say you've got thick abs so likely to define at higher bf.
Everyone is different, I know a girl who doesn't work out AT ALL and she's got totally defined abs when relaxed. However for a start I'd concentrate on ab building before playing around with your bf. After all, if you develop your abs and they start defining nicely, then no need to trim body fat. If they don't, then trim body fat but with the ab work you've already put in they'll define quicker and better.