At what body fat percentage should I be able to see my abs?

Hi Adam,

Firstly, everyone can get a six pack - well that's not strictly true - some people actually don't have 6 squares in their abs and have a 4 pack, 3 pack or 2 pack but they can get lean and look ripped.

This is achieved primarily through using a good diet plan consistently and adjusting it appropriately. If this is done, 100% of people can get very lean (although people who are a little older or have a lot of weight to lose may have loose skin to deal with when the fat comes off). of course exercise will make you look a lot better when the fat comes off

As far as body fat percentage required to get lean, for most people it's probably about 10% or below but to get very lean (what a bodybuilder might call 'ripped'), you have to go lower than this. The only problem is that VERY few people have been accurately assessed with a reliable method of determining their body fat. Body fat calipers don't give a very accurate assessment, bioelectrical impedance machines are often not very accurate also - especially with very lean or very fat people and their measurements can be thrown off by hydration (so if you're dehydrated, you'll measure as higher percent fat and lower muscle). The only reliable methods for very accurate assessment is the very sophisticated bioelectrical impedance machines, underwater weighing and DEXA - these last two are only available in university laboratories and hospitals and so aren't accessible for bodybuilders, etc.

It also depends upon the person, some people carry most of their fat around their waists and bellies and some carry fat all over.

So the bottom line is that most reports you hear of 3% or 5% bodyfat are either just a guess or have been obtained on somewhat unreliable equipment.