Sub 10% bodyfat yet no six pack..

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  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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.

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