Flexing: At What Body Fat Percentage Do Muscles Show?

December 20, 2021

How long do you have to weight lift before you can start flexing like you mean it? You’re building muscles with every workout, and we all want them to come out of hiding sooner or later. But seeing those muscles in the mirror isn’t just a matter of time but also a matter of body fat. In order to really see all your hard work pay off, your focus should be on reducing body fat—and there’s an art to it.

Gaining muscle is a slow process. It can take several weeks or even months of consistent workouts before you start to see any changes. But arguably more important than time in noticing physical change is your body fat percentage.

Body fat percentage plays a role in when and how much muscle you see. That 6-pack you’re craving doesn’t just pop out of nowhere. If you’re storing some fat around your midsection, all those muscles you’re building are behind the fat. To get them to shine through, you need to think about how to reduce your body fat.

Here’s a closer look at body fat percentage ranges and how they impact your muscle’s visibility (and what you can do next!).

Schedule Test

Why Body Fat Percentage Matters When Building Muscle

Your muscle definition doesn’t just come from exercising. If you’re not prioritizing movements and eating habits that will help you lose fat, you’re going to face a longer road to seeing your muscles in the mirror.

To be clear, you can build lean mass at any body fat percentage. Having high body fat doesn’t impair your ability to grow muscles. But those muscles are not likely to show unless you get rid of some body fat first.

And the more body fat you have, the harder it can be to burn. The reason for this is that fat is sensitive to any changes in insulin in the bloodstream. By decreasing your insulin, your body triggers a response to start burning fat. However, spikes in insulin can lead to your body turning glucose into fat. Obesity can lead to insulin resistance, which allows glucose and insulin to build up. This makes it harder to get rid of body fat, lose weight, and ultimately build muscle definition.

Figuring out the best body fat percentage to help your muscles show is subjective. Your height and weight play a role in this, which is why many bodybuilders and trainers aim for a range of body fat percentages rather than a hard number.

Not All Fat Is Created Equal

There’s another good reason why you should focus on fat loss alongside muscle gains: too much fat can put you at risk of a plethora of health issues, even if you’re not overweight. We’ve already mentioned the risk of obesity and insulin resistance, but high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and gallbladder disease are also high on the list.

Excess fat isn’t healthy, but the type and location of the fat matter, too. Our bodies have two main types of fat: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat.

If you were to poke yourself in the belly and feel a little bit of squish, that’s your subcutaneous fat. It lies just below the surface of your skin and obstructs you from seeing the underlying muscles.

Visceral fat is harder to detect, though. It’s also called your “hidden fat” because it’s found deep inside the abdomen and wraps around your organs. Though as much as 90% of your body fat is subcutaneous fat, visceral fat is the bigger threat. It’s been linked to heart disease, stroke, some cancers, and many other conditions. It’s impossible to look at yourself in the mirror and tell how much visceral fat you have. If you want to find out, you should get a DEXA scan or BOD POD body composition scan.

It’s important to keep both types of fat in check for the sake of your health as well as your muscle tone. Visceral fat is easier to lose and is usually burned first. Then, your body will start burning subcutaneous fat, which is harder to lose but also important to consider if you want your 6-pack to show through.

How to Visually Estimate Body Fat Percentage

When working out, the scale is not your only option to measure your progress. It’s a good tool to use if your goals relate strictly to weight. But if muscle definition is a top goal, then the mirror will be one of your best friends.

Here’s how you can visually estimate your body fat percentage without scales and scans.

Super Muscular (5-9% body fat for men or ~10-12% for women)

We call this the “essential fat only” look. Muscles are clearly visible, and each muscle is distinctly defined from the next. We’re looking at professional bodybuilders at this range.

Classic Beach Body Look (~10-14% body fat for men or ~15-17% for women)

Slightly less muscular than the professional bodybuilder level, the classic beach body look is still mostly defined in terms of muscle visibility. You might not have a chiseled look, but people will be able to tell that you work out. Separation between muscles still exists, but it’s not clear in every muscle. This is still considered a very low body fat percentage but is within a healthy range.

Lean and Slightly Defined (~15-19% body fat for men or ~18-24% for women)

Muscles in this range show less definition, but you still carry the “fit” look about you. Muscle separation is less defined, but fat is not very noticeable. You likely don’t have a 6-pack in this range—or at least not much of one. This is still considered a healthy range of fat. But if seeing muscle definition is your goal, aim to move into the body fat percentage tier below this one.

No Clear Separation of Muscles and Body Fat (~20-24% body fat for men or ~24-31% for women)

This is the most common range, where muscles and body fat aren’t distinctly separated. If you’re looking a little soft around the middle, or your arms look straight instead of having small hills of definition, you might be considered “average.” You have a bit more body fat than the tiers below you, so don’t expect muscles to make an appearance here.

Some individuals in this range might feel they look overweight. This range is considered to be on the higher end of normal and healthy. But because you don’t look muscular, it’s common to feel “skinny fat,” where you have a non-ideal fat-to-muscle ratio. You’re not overweight, but you’re also not fit.

Obvious Signs of High Body Fat (~25% and up for men or ~32% and up for women)

Anything at or above this range of body fat is considered excessive. Being in this stage can put you at risk for cardiovascular diseases and other health conditions over time. You most certainly won’t see any muscle definition at this stage, but you’re also not a lost cause. Many people who successfully build a 6-pack start here. The journey is longer, sure, but it’s also very much worth it for the sake of your health and physique.

How to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle

A lot of people believe that muscle burns fat. With this logic, all you have to do is focus on building muscle, and your body fat will basically take care of itself. But that’s not the whole story.

The reality is that muscle doesn’t directly “burn” fat. For fat to disappear, it needs to be turned into glucose, which your muscles will use as fuel. That’s how fat is “burned,” but it takes more to ignite this process than simply lifting weights to build muscle.

Likewise, if you are only focused on losing fat, you will also delay your results. That’s because a lot of weight loss basics, such as slashing your food intake and doing cardio, can also reduce your muscle mass in addition to reducing body fat. That’s great if your only goal is to lower your body fat percentage! But instead of getting a sculpted body, you’ll get a slightly smaller, thinner version of your former self.

That’s why it’s important to take a total approach to your body composition. It’s so much more than a workout plan or a diet. A lot of clients we work with tend to focus on one or the other without realizing that the two should complement each other.

So, how do you lose fat while gaining muscle?

Let’s start with diet.

Losing fat typically means a calorie reduction, while gaining muscle usually means a calorie surplus. It sounds like an oxymoron until you learn that all calories are not created equal. One study in men found that reducing calories by 40% for four weeks while doing resistance training, HIIT, and consuming a high-protein diet increased lean mass. Another study in women found similar results: a high-protein diet plus resistance training resulted in fat loss and lean mass gain.

So, the bottom line on diet is to prioritize the right foods when building your 6-pack. Muscles need lots of protein to grow and should be a staple in your diet. Limit your sugar—we mentioned earlier that a decrease in insulin can trigger greater fat burning.

Also, how much you reduce your calories depends on how much fat you have to lose. If you’re trying to drop to the next lower range, then you may not have to create a huge deficit. If you need to cut your body fat in half, then you may need a larger deficit. But if you drop your calorie count too low, you’ll struggle to put on any muscle. Muscle growth happens when the amount of protein turned into muscle is greater than the amount of protein breakdown, and the only way to get this dominance is by ensuring you’re eating enough calories.

Now, let’s talk about exercise.

Just like calories, not all exercises are created equal. Resistance training with heavy weights is key for muscle growth. Plus, using heavy weights while reducing calories can help you retain your muscle mass. Gradually increase the weight you lift and/or the number of reps you do—a process called progressive overload. This prevents your body from adapting and helps you keep making progress.

Last but not least, give yourself a break.

Exercising more doesn’t always mean better results. Your muscles need time to rest and repair, and so does your mind. On your non-lifting days, try restorative movements like walking or yoga. It’s good for the mind and allows the body to heal.

Verify Body Fat Percentage Through Body Fat Testing

Visually assessing your body fat percentage based on the above descriptions can be a great way to jumpstart your bodybuilding strategy. A more scientific and informed approach is to get a DEXA scan or BOD POD imaging to assess your body fat and muscle ratio from the inside out.

Both the DEXA scan and the BOD POD are body composition tools that analyze your body’s unique makeup. They look at the amount of lean mass you already have, the percentages of subcutaneous and visceral body fat, and how your fat is distributed throughout your body. They can also help to locate potential issues early, such as low bone density, reducing your risk of injury.

The results of your scan serve as a starting point in your health journey. With a baseline, you can approach your workout goals with an informed mindset and make better decisions to achieve your body goals. And as you continue toward your body composition goals, scans can help you see how and where you’re making progress.

Take an Informed Approach to Building Muscle and Reducing Body Fat

Initial body fat testing and repeating it over time as you progress with your wellness routine can help you stay on track better than mirrors or scales. Find a DEXA scan or BOD POD testing center near you.