What percentage of BMI can get you six-pack abs?

By - Nuha Adila

People always want to look like the best version of themselves. Toned muscles, stout physique, good posture are body changes you might want in yourself.

Body Mass Index or BMI applies to both men and women. It is the percentage of fat concerning an individual’s height and weight. According to the basic BMI calculation scale, you can be graded as underweight, overweight, obese, etc.

BMI also specifies the muscle buildup in a person. An individual with a normal BMI can build up more muscle. So, what BMI do you need for a six-pack? Well, the BMI for abs with a six-pack is a minimum of 10 to 14 percent body fat.

I have rounded up all details you need to know about the ideal BMI for abs.

What is BMI

Commonly misunderstood, BMI is the amount of fat present in your body for your specific height and weight. Often it is assumed not to be the best accurate indicator of health. A flaw about BMI is it can not focus on the person’s lean content. As a result, the accuracy falters.

Nevertheless, BMI indicates the lifestyle of a person. Therefore, according to his weight and height, we can ascertain whether he is fat or in a good health condition. And, of course, there is a difference between being curvy and fat.

Grading of BMI is given below:

The higher is your BMI, the more risk you have of attaining obesity-related diseases. BMI is a good initial indicator for reducing your body fat content. Diabetes, Atherosclerosis, Angina often occurs in people with higher BMI.

The parallel opinion goes that you can have a higher BMI and still be completely healthy. Often the bodyweight comprises more muscle weight than fat. This is where exactly BMI is mistaken.

Abs

Any fitness enthusiast will tell you that the abs are one of the most difficult muscles to make. As appealing as the six-pack looks, it is extremely tough to get it done over a week.

The abs are the rectus abdominis muscle of your abdomen. Usually, people tend to accumulate most of their body fat in this region. It is assumed to be one of the hotspots for fat to make a home. But the extra fat tones down and sculptures itself when a nutritious diet and exercise routine is followed.

It is said that “Abs are made in the gym and the kitchen.”

Consistency is the key to any workout. No matter what body part you want to tone and sculpt, you must be consistent and patient.

You don’t need to do a rigorous amount of exercise to have abs. However, a proper diet, activities, and tons of patience will slowly get you there.

BMI for abs

Reality check time: Who does not crave that hot summer body? The toned sculpture will complement your shorts or the bikini body. But the burning question is, at what BMI do you see abs.

To get that highly cherishable body, BMI can play a vital part. You can perfect the abdominal muscle underneath your layers of fat with a proper diet and exercise routine. The correlation between BMI and abs is inverted. The lower your BMI you have, the easier it gets for your abs to form.

If your BMI is higher than the ideal rate, try to lower it down. The lower it gets, the closer you get to your desired summer body. So, the success formula of BMI needed for abs is not any rocket science, huh? 

Developing abs is different for men and women. For example, a man takes about a year to have abs at a 1 percent fat loss rate. However, the fat loss has to be above 4 percent for women, which may take over 20 months!

BMI for abs for a man is 17 percent of the body fat weight. For women, the amount is 14 percent. In addition, the physical capacity of a man and a woman also differs. For this, the body takes more time to mold in the right way. Thus, it is obvious that BMI for abs of females will be different than male.

If you are overweight and possess a high BMI, your primary focus should reduce your weight. Once you start your weight loss journey, your body will find ways of coping with it.

The muscles will tend to lose fat and become more slouchy and soften. It will lose shape. You can then bring arms, abs, hips to shape with proper exercise.

Weight loss

A weight-loss journey is never easy. You will need a lot of patience and passion for it.  If not, you’ll gain back the weight at a twice rate. In most cases, you will end up having more fat on one side of the stomach.

To lower your BMI for abs, the most important thing is your diet and your exercise routine. You can join a gym and consult a nutritionist for doing so. They will give you proper guidance in this regard.

Diet

What you are eating is extremely important for having a good physique and good health overall. A good diet not only helps you with weight loss but also keeps you healthy. So before you get wrapped up by the concern of what BMI do abs show, let’s fix your diet first.

There is no accurate BMI for abs. However, comprehensive weight loss will help to shape your body.

Here are some small tips if you want your abs to show, keeping your BMI in mind:

Drink plenty of water

There is absolutely no alternative to having 2-3 liters of water per day. Water will regulate your system and boost up your entire metabolism. It will keep your stomach full and give off a filling vibe. Other than that, water will help flush out the toxins and excrete harmful pathogens from your body.

Keep in mind water will increase your water weight by 1% for 16 cups of it. So your BMI can show a bit higher but do not worry about it!

Fiber foods

The good thing about fibrous food is that a small amount will remain in your stomach and excrete quicker than any other food. Dieticians suggest food like spinach, legumes, and other green leafy vegetables as an inclusive diet for a person trying to lose weight.

Fiber-rich foods will ease bowel movements. It will also lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
As a result, your BMI will gradually decrease, and your body will prepare itself for the process of building abs. And very soon, you will stop asking ‘what BMI to see abs.’ Because you are already there.

Detox water

Ginger, cucumber, coffee, lemon, cumin seeds, apple cider vinegar are good sources of detox water ingredients. You can have this water early in the morning on an empty stomach or can have it early in the morning.

The normal mechanism assumed is, these burn out the excess fat making a reaction with the acid in your stomach and help to boost up your metabolism. If you have it before a workout, you might be burning a few calories extra!

Even though there is a significant debate on whether detox water works out or not, quite a few people have spoken in favor of it.

Alcohol-free lifestyle

Alcohol is high in calorie content. It harms your immune system if you are taking it for an extended period.

A dietician will always suggest an alcohol-free diet because it will keep you healthy and reduce your belly fat. This is because alcohol accumulates in the lower belly regions. Moreover, it also helps to bloat.

If you continue alcohol consumption, reaching the BMI required for abs will be almost impossible.

Intermittent fasting

16:8 ratio intermittent fasting will help you lose weight. The eating window comprises foods that you can take to build muscles like eggs, milk, nuts, etc. Most protein foods are included in this period.
Intermittent fasting promotes a healthy time frame to eat and not to keep yourself hungry.

Protein-rich diet

For any kind of muscle-building activity, proteins are a must. Include poultry, chicken, eggs, milk, fish, soy and almond milk, low-fat dairy products in your diet. These foods will grow your muscles and give you strength.

Exercise

The easiest formula to get the right BMI for abs is daily exercise. As your BMI lowers with your weight, your body will be more flexible. You can infuse a workout routine into your day and start to shape up your body. With a good diet and exercise plan, you are good to go.

Ensure that your abs building exercise should have the following variants if you really want to reach the BMI for 6 pack abs:

Some of these exercises will also help you to trim pelvic fat and get a toned lower abdomen.

Cardio

Best cardio workouts for developing abs are running, walking, swimming, biking, sports, etc. It will involve the muscles of the abs and give you more strength. In addition, it will burn out the excess fat by working up your abdominal muscles.

HIIT

HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training consists of steady and heavy exercises done within a short time. These exercises are impactful and show results faster when paired with the right diet.

Lowering your BMI can include a few HIIT days a week. This will help to strengthen your core muscles and slowly shape up your abs. As a result, you will progress to your desired six-packs of abs sooner than expected.

When you are prepared for doing exercises for a longer time, include strength training in your routine. It will increase your stamina and help you build muscles. Lifting weight with proportion to your body is an excellent way to start strength training.

Never forget to rest after an exercise session. You can do yoga or aerobics to relax your body.

Spot Reduction

It is doubtful that you will only lose the fat of any particular spot. The mechanism of fat distribution is whenever the body will lose fat in an area; the remaining fat will gather up in that location. So at the end of the day, you will gain fat in your targeted area.

However, It will come back, and you have to keep it under control. So it is preferred that the gross fat loss is made. Weight loss will lead to lowering of BMI, and BMI will speed up abs formation.

Things to keep in mind

All in all, remember the following things when you plan on getting BMI for abs to show:

FAQ

At what BMI do you see abs?

The number is different for males and females. Males require a lower fat percentage to show abs than females. The body fat percentage needs to be between 6 to 17 for males if they want to see abs. On the other hand, women require 14 to 24% fat in the body to see abs.

At what weight do you see abs?

Weight is not the factor that impacts whether you will see abs or not. It’s the body fat percentage or BMI that matters. People with higher weight but lower BMI will show more abs than a lightweight person with more fat in the body.

What BMI is needed for a six-pack?

Anything below 15% BMI is an excellent number for a six-pack. However, the number may vary from person to person. For example, women can show six-packs with more fat percentage than men. Similarly, height and weight also play a vital role in showing six-pack in a particular BMI.

Can an obese person get abs?

Of course, yes. If an obese person can reduce the fat percentage, it is possible to get abs. However, a strict diet, exercise, and sticking to the plan are highly essential.

Conclusion

Precisely there is no BMI for abs. However, a lower BMI incorporated with a good exercise routine and diet will help you get the summer body. Above all, your dedication and will are essential. You have to remember you can get abs with blood and sweat. This is not an easy task to do and requires tons of patience.

Give a break to your body. Take cheat days from your meal. Infuse a healthy lifestyle into your daily routine, and do not be too hard on yourself. You will find yourself at what BMI can you see abs in no time.

Eat healthily and embrace your fitness with confidence!