Sub 10% bodyfat yet no six pack..

MoJokes
MoJokes Posts: 691
edited November 3 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi

I got my bodyfat measured via calipers the other day, measurements as follows:

Thigh - 2mm
Abs - 18mm
Chest - 8mm

This comes to 8% ish. What would I need to do in order to get more visible abs. I don't work my abs directly at all, would that be it?
I do boxing, crossfit as my workouts (involves runs, sprints, weights, circuits etc)

Any advice would be appreciated

Replies

  • leadiax3
    leadiax3 Posts: 534 Member
    Wow. Yeah. Crunches. Leg lefts. Russian twists. All are crucial to my tummy.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
    I suspect that your measurements were incorrect, or that you are looking for a degree of ripped beyond average. A 3-site measurement is not particularly accurate.

    You could go for some eccentric/concentric ab work to pump them if that's important to you, or you could simply start lean bulking and add some more work that affects your core into your routine.
  • MUALaurenClark
    MUALaurenClark Posts: 296 Member
    You can't spot reduce fat, so all the situps in the world aren't going to help with it. Eat clean; abs are made in the kitchen
  • Semt3x
    Semt3x Posts: 23
    Id for sure try directly working abs, it worked kinda for me mate,
    i use a cable pull down to do crunchs, and hanging raises, kinda hits upper and lower,

    obliques need a twisting motion but theres loads of varietys of direct workouts, dont waste time on things that dont get a good burn,
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    1) You're either fatter or not as trained as you than you think you are
    or
    2) Your genetics are such that you won't ever have the "look" you are after;

    This is Boyer Coe:

    Boyer_Coe___firepower2.jpg

    Terrific physique but not really what you would call a six pack.
  • MoJokes
    MoJokes Posts: 691
    Thanks for your feedback all :)
  • Brad805
    Brad805 Posts: 289 Member
    Not meaning to be rude, but with an 18mm ab measurement I doubt you truly are 10% BF.
  • MoJokes
    MoJokes Posts: 691
    Not meaning to be rude, but with an 18mm ab measurement I doubt you truly are 10% BF.

    bodyfat is head to toe..i have zero to pimch on the calves and 2mm (that was a struggle) to pinch on the thighs.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    Imho, they are just a muscle, so their size will vary with what you do with them like any other muscle.

    I can see my top abs and obliques, and adding direct weight work changes the look of them. I can't do the barbell lifts suggested so much, so that's the only weight work they'd get. Crunches and Pilates moves, etc don't build more than endurance there for me that I can tell. Endurance is awesome, but I like SEEING more going on in that area ;)
  • MUALaurenClark
    MUALaurenClark Posts: 296 Member
    Working on ab moves isn't going to help you... there is already plenty of muscle there, you just need to get rid of the fat for it to sow thru. Do that by eating clean. You can try to build that muscle all day long but if there's a thick layer of fat over them, no one will see them
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • MoJokes
    MoJokes Posts: 691
    I hear you two ^^^^ thankyou :)
  • VelvetMorning
    VelvetMorning Posts: 398 Member
    I think its what everyone else said + heavy genetics. I *must* have a high BF%, I never measured it, have no way of calculating it but trust you can grab my thigh and get skin with ease. You can also see muscle on my stomach. I do no ab exercises. Just my experience; take it as you will. :-)

    edit: Ok, I lie. I do crunches once every few months and give up because I'm lazy. :-P
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Edited - NVM. Figured it out. :tongue:

    Here is a link about bodyfat estimating methods/devices that you might want to take a look at. Your measurements could be off and you could be at a higher bodyfat % than you think.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/830595-body-fat-estimation-methods
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    I don't know why some people are saying doing direct ab workout won't help. If you have thick abs, they will pop out at a higher bodyfat percentage. Yes you need a low bodyfat percentage, but I believe direct ab workouts can help if your bodyfat percentage is low enough.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Yes direct ab work will help. They are a muscle that can be worked to make them larger but direct work will not remove body fat in that area.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    - calipers can be very inaccurate as has been mentioned. You may well not be 8%. FWIW, 8% is pretty lean. Genetics has a lot to do with whether you get ab separation, even at a low BF%.

    That being said, to have the best chance of getting them
    - lower your BF%
    - do direct ab work to increase the size of the muscle (direct ab work is not always needed - it depends on your workout routine as a whole and genetics, but it may help)
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    Working on ab moves isn't going to help you... there is already plenty of muscle there, you just need to get rid of the fat for it to sow thru. Do that by eating clean. You can try to build that muscle all day long but if there's a thick layer of fat over them, no one will see them

    not really....

    OP, direct ab work will work. You may just have thin ab's... I'm sub 10% as well and mine hardly show through, yet I show separation in my legs. Why? Because my legs are far more developed than my abs since I never gave them any direct attention. They are a muscle just like any other and if you want to add size to them, treat them like you would any other.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    - calipers can be very inaccurate as has been mentioned. You may well not be 8%. FWIW, 8% is pretty lean. Genetics has a lot to do with whether you get ab separation, even at a low BF%.

    That being said, to have the best chance of getting them
    - lower your BF%
    - do direct ab work to increase the size of the muscle (direct ab work is not always needed - it depends on your workout routine as a whole and genetics, but it may help)

    And this too^
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    - calipers can be very inaccurate as has been mentioned. You may well not be 8%. FWIW, 8% is pretty lean. Genetics has a lot to do with whether you get ab separation, even at a low BF%.

    That being said, to have the best chance of getting them
    - lower your BF%
    - do direct ab work to increase the size of the muscle (direct ab work is not always needed - it depends on your workout routine as a whole and genetics, but it may help)
    ^^^ Every day of the week
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    My calipers measurement for the abs are 5-6 mm and I still do me see my abs too.

    I know that I am a girl but I guess some of us are not built that way.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    The measurement does seem a bit skewed. But then, maybe you do carry more fat on your abs than the average person. What are your waist to hip measurement? If it is below .80, I would have your body remeasured (and use a dex scan if you can).

    But your plan should include the following:
    - Find foods that cause you to bloat and rid them from your diet. Some people have issues with gluten or milk or carbs.
    - If you're going to do ab work, go heavy. And focus on twisting movements.
    - Increase your walking and other low level cardio. It burns more fat vs carbs.
    - Squat heavy, deadlift heavy. Both of these activate your abs and initiate growth hormone and testosterone.

    Good luck.
  • RunBrew
    RunBrew Posts: 220 Member
    A 3-site measurement is not particularly accurate.

    Not true. 3-site is just as accurate as the 7-site, when performed by a trained assessor. In the hands of a random shmo, all bets are off, but I'm going to assume that's not the OP's situation.

    Here's a link to ExRx.net with StdDev tables at the bottom of the calculator, with references cited from the studies conducted by the guys who named the test, Jackson and Pollock. Those calipers are as accurate as anything that came before metabolic analyzers, and a hell of a lot more practical.

    http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/BodyComp.html

    Now if you want to debate the over-arching accuracy of the Jackson-Pollock skinfold test, well that's an argument I'd be more inclined to agree with. a BF calc of say, 15% is really only accurate to +-4%, so they're in a window of 11-19%.

    J-P skinfold/BF calipers are actually quite accurate at measuring *changes* in BF....if the same person measured the same client every 3-4 weeks for a year, you'd see really accurate changes in body comp.
  • MrKnight89
    MrKnight89 Posts: 2
    If you are truly at 8% body fat then clearly you are already doing the right things in the kitchen. Being below 10% and not showing abs is just geneticly unfortunate. In such an instance, doing ab workouts will help, but only to a limited extent.

    IMO it comes down to two things. You either have unfortunate genetics, or you are not at the body fat percentage you think you are. You might be able to get a BF estimate if you post pics.
  • ihelpmotivate
    ihelpmotivate Posts: 1
    Sorry to bump an old thread but I had the same issue and because I'm thinking of cutting soon it starting to concern me.

    I had an 8 point test multiple times at personal training instistute and got in between 8-9% percent and still know abs.

    I'm thinking of adding abs resistance in the hypotrophy range but not sure if I will make the issue worse.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories