Posts Tagged ‘abs’

A Target Body Fat Percentage for Six Pack Abs

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009

 

Many people want to lose fat because they want to have 6-pack abs. Actually, they want to reduce the amount of fat on their bellies so their abs become visible. And they know the only real way to get rid of abdominal fat is to get rid of overall body fat.

So you’re probably wondering what body fat percentage someone needs to reach before their abs will show. That depends on two things: your sex and your genetics.

Your sex matters because women naturally have a higher percentage of body fat than men. A woman doesn’t need to reduce her body fat as far as a man does for her abs to be visible. Making things even harder for guys is the fact that guys usually accumulate a higher percentage of their total body fat around their bellies. That means that a guy has to push his body fat percentage down very low before his abs will be visible.

Your genes affect the fat distribution on your body. For some lucky people, any excess body fat is stored evenly around their body. But for most of us, it seems that every excess bit of fat goes right to their belly or butt. So thanks to genetics, two people whose abs are clearly visible may have greatly different body fat percentages.

There are no tests that will tell you what percentage you personally need to achieve to have six-pack abs. The only way to know for sure is to try and see what happens. You need to keep pushing your body fat percentage down until your abs are visible.

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 read in the preceding paragraphs, it is impossible to give a single number that works for everyone, so the best I can give you is a range of numbers taken from a range of sources. Here are some body fat ranges you should aim for to really show off your abs:

Men: If you want your full six pack of abdominal muscles visible, your body fat percentage will have to be somewhere below 11%. If you can get your body fat percentage down below 8%, you’re virtually guaranteed to have a clearly visible six pack.

Women: For your abs to be clearly visible, you must get your body fat level down to something less than 17%. Taking it below 14% would be even better. These are higher numbers than the guys have to hit, but remember that you naturally have a higher fat percentage, so you have as much work to do as men 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% while the average American female has a body fat of between 22 and 36%.

You have your work cut out for you, so make sure you pick a solid program and stick with it.

If you want to get your body fat percentage down low enough to show off your 6-pack, you need to avoid the great abs mistake. To get unbiased reviews of the top fat loss muscle building plans, visit http://GetFitAtLast.com

How Do You Get Abs Quick

Friday, January 23rd, 2009

I’m pretty sure the article of this title caught your attention and you just had to read through it. Well I’m going to make it worth your while. How to get abs quick? This question has a very simple answer, a word with just 6 letters. Do you need effort, the answer is yes.

Reduce your body fat to achieve that beautiful 6 packs abs. If you have stomach fat, that means that you have unwanted fat on other parts of your body as well. To get rid of it, you need to make changes to your diet while incorporating an exercise regimen.

Your body fat needs to be 10% or less for you to get sexy, sleek abs. Focus on eating healthy food, and do not eat in large quantities. Around 4 to 6 small meals each day will be good. Eating in short intervals helps to speed your metabolism up, and will cure those damned hunger pangs. Vegetables and fruits are wonderful option and sugar should be reduced. Increase your water and fibre intake at the same time.

Cutting down on diet and exercise go hand in hand. Different exercise such as walking or jogging help in burning fat in all the different parts of your body. Cardio exercises are great in reducing one weight. Weight lifting is a good way to reduce your body fat.

Once you have completed your first step of getting rid of all that body fat you must be wondering about the ‘how to get abs quick’ part anxiously. Well this is achieved by performing abdominal exercises in order to strengthen your abdomen muscles. And the most popular one being the crunches. Many are not doing it the right way and thus not finding it effective.

You must lie flat on the ground, bend your knees at a 90 degree angle and your feet touching the ground. Next lift your shoulder blades while trying to touch your chest to your knees. You can try using your stimach muscles to lift your weight. Other exercises that involve bending your knees in and out, bending the pelvis inwards and upwards, and curling or raising your legs are rather effective movements.

Now that you know how to get abs quick, I’m pretty sure you’re planning to get started. You may find it tough and may feel depressed at times, but don’t lose hope and stay determined. Remember, effort is a must and nothing beats having that perfect body to show off.