Super Muscular (5-9% body fat for men or ~10-12% for women) We call this the “essential fat only” look. Muscles are clearly visible, and each muscle is distinctly defined from the next. We're looking at professional bodybuilders at this range.
Doing targeted exercises like crunches is great for toning abdominal muscles, but losing both subcutaneous and visceral fat is the first step to unearthing your abs. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), you'll need to lower your body fat to about 14 to 20 percent for women and 6 to 13 percent for men.
No matter how much isolation work you do, the vein will pop up only when your body fat percentage comes down to around 12 per cent. A real vascular vein is visible when you hit the single digit.
A good lean muscle percentage range should be about 70% to 90% to be considered healthy. That means that your body fat percentage ranges from 10-30%. Athletes typically range in the 7-22% body fat. Men tend to be on the higher side with lean mass in 80-90% range and woman in the 70-85% range.
Perhaps bulking at 15% body allows us to gain 2 pounds of muscle for every pound of fat that we gain (67% lean mass), whereas bulking at 30% body fat would give us 1 pound of muscle for every 2 pounds of fat (33% lean mass).
If you want to gain muscle and strength as quickly as possible and you're at or below 10% (men) or 20% (women) body fat, then you should bulk. And if you want to lose fat as quickly as possible and you're at or above 15% (men) or 25% (women) body fat, then you should cut.
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. However, the ideal body fat percentage for abs can look slightly different per person, depending on how you carry weight, where you typically store fat and your fitness routine.
The only thing body fat levels impact up to lower body fat levels is testosterone. As your bulking starting point is within 9-12% in men or 20-24% in women, you will probably gain more muscle and less fat over the course of the bulk.
Always cut if you are close to or above 18% or 28% body fat for men or women, respectively. If between 8-18% (men) or 17-28% (women), you can choose either, depending on how lean you want to be in 2-3 months' time. A good cut-off is 13% for men and 23% for women. Cut if higher than this, bulk if lower.
What would allow the athlete to make important lifestyle changes that are realistic for her/him? Student-athletes may be familiar with the recommended healthy body fat range for adult males (10-22 percent) and females (20-32 percent).
When someone is below 5% body fat, not only will you see the separation of the muscles, but you will also clearly see the striations and extreme vascularity (prominent veins).
Protruding veins in your muscles can be the result of a low body fat percentage and high muscle mass. However, fitness isn't the only indicator. Here are a few reasons why your veins may be more noticeable. Play it safe and make sure you're using caution if you want to make your veins more prominent.
Vascularity is enhanced by extremely low body fat (usually below 10%) and low retained water, as well as the muscle engorgement ("pump") and venous distension accentuated by the vigorous flexing and potentially hazardous Valsalva effect which characterize competitive posing.
15% body fat: This percentage of body fat usually fits into the “lean and fit” category. Outlines of muscle can be seen, but there is not really a clear separation between them. Muscles and veins can slightly be seen, but are covered by a thin layer of fat. However, the overall body shape is present and can be noticed.
9% to 13% Body Fat
You definitely have a six-pack and obvious vascularity—you are totally ripped. Your chest and arms are defined, but bulkier than the body fat group below you.
20-25% body fat: Normal/healthy level within the average. Slight muscle definition (shoulders and upper arms) is visible. The abdominals are not yet clearly visible. 17-19% body fat: Fit.
If you are underweight, you should bulk. If you are overweight, you need to cut; however, the less training experience you have, the more likely it is that you will gain muscle simultaneously as you lean out (though you'll lose weight overall).
While advice differs, it's generally said that a bulk should begin when one reaches 10% body fat for men and 20% for women, or under. Of course, this is all up to you. If you're comfortable putting on slightly more weight in fat to get some gains, then that's up to you.
If you're between 12–17% body fat, you might be a bit fatter than you'd like, so cutting isn't wrong, but you're still in a great place to build muscle from. This is where it really comes down to personal preference. But if you're keen on building muscle, bulking is the best path forward.
Estimate Your Fat Needs to Lean Bulk
Because fat can be an easy source of the energy needed to gain weight, increasing fat intake is one way to support muscle growth. However, too much fat (over 30% of calories) in some people could end up causing more body fat gains.
When you gain muscle, you'll notice that your muscles naturally look more defined and are more visible, Berkow said. (To see your abs specifically, you'd have to also lose fat.) Your muscles would also be larger in size or feel "harder." If you gain fat, you'll notice more softness, she said, and you'll gain inches.
In general, the total body fat percentage (essential plus storage fat) is between 12% and 15% for young men and between 25% and 28% for young women {Lohman, 1993 #4151} (see also table 13.1). Average percentages body fat for the general population and for various athletes are presented in table 13.2.
Generally considered to be excessive for men and women, 30 per cent body fat makes puts you in the 'at risk stage', which can lead to heart disease and cardiovascular issues. We're sorry to say, you'll see no signs of six-pack abs at 30 per cent body fat.
For men, if you're around six to 17 percent body fat, your abs should be noticeably visible. For women, the range is 14 to 24 percent body fat. Definition will start to show on the higher end (17 percent for men, 24 percent for women), and your abs will become more sculpted as that number lowers.
Can Everyone Get an Ab Crack? No, not everyone can get an ab crack. This is just one of those areas in which our genetics decide our fate. Some people can do ab workouts religiously and never develop an ab crack, while others can have an ab crack without working out.