The Student Room Group

4.7% body fat, but no proper six pac

i remember on here people saying that if you had less than 10% you would automatically have a 6 pac, well i did a test yesterday and it turns out that i have less than 10% - 4.7% in fact, and i only have a softish six pac, and thats only when tensing?
i have tried doing situps and crunches etc, but what else can i do!!

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Reply 1
What sort of test was this?

EDIT: I mean calipers? electrical impedance testing? height/weight formulas? infra-red biceps fat testing? DEXA scan? water displacement testing?

I bet it was electrical impedance testing... cos they're a load of *******s. Differs with gender and bodytype, much less accurate as you get lighter, drinking water beforehand will change the results. At 5% by a proper test (eg DEXA, water displacement or 7 point calipers by an experienced tester) you'd be shredded.
Reply 2
If the test is accurate which I highly doubt, 4.7% is extremely low, if it is however, your problem will probably be your abdominal muscles aren't developed enough, avoid high repetitions and instead hit the muscles heavy using weight plates and/or dumbells, aiming for a weight where you can manage about 8-12, try weighted crunches, hanging leg raises, reverse crunches using the weight plates and dumbells, and don't forget russian twists and oblique crunches to hit the obliques aswell.

Hope this helps.
Reply 3
your body fat is not 4.7% that is rubbish. If your body was 4.7% firstly you would be able to see your abs. Secondly this is a picture of somebody at 5% bodyfat



i doubt you look anything like that. If it was an electrical monitor like the ones they have in boots or most gyms, they arent even guesses, you may aswell pick a number between 1-100 and you'll probably be more accurate. I did one of them once and it said i was 7%. which i am most definatly not
You don't automatically see your abs at a low body fat.

The formula for visible abs is basically decent LBM (Lean body mass.) with a low body fat. It seems like you don't have the former.

If you use an electrical BF machine, they are usually inaccurate but they come pretty close if they're on the right setting. Most of them have an 'Athletic' setting which isn't the one you should use (Reads your BF as lower than it is.), You should use the 'General' setting.
Reply 5
post pictures. would help alot.
Ditto - post piccies. I don't for one minute believe you are really 4.7% bodyfat. My friend wrote his diss on the accuracy of BF measuring tools and the result was that they were all crap! We all got measured by calipers, electrodes etc. and they all came out with a different result.
Lady Venom
Ditto - post piccies. I don't for one minute believe you are really 4.7% bodyfat. My friend wrote his diss on the accuracy of BF measuring tools and the result was that they were all crap! We all got measured by calipers, electrodes etc. and they all came out with a different result.


Why can't you believe the OP is at 4.7 BF? It's plausible, just not likely. Wait till they post pictures.
Reply 8
at 4.7% bodyfat you would be able to see the abs even if you had a low LBM. 4.7 would be very difficult to maintain, body builders only go that low for competitions because its dangerous
Reply 9
Misogynist
Why can't you believe the OP is at 4.7 BF? It's plausible, just not likely. Wait till they post pictures.


No it isn't plausible.

This person obviously has no idea about diet, training or anything if they are asking why they can't see their sixt pactz.
busbybabe
i remember on here people saying that if you had less than 10% you would automatically have a 6 pac, well i did a test yesterday and it turns out that i have less than 10% - 4.7% in fact, and i only have a softish six pac, and thats only when tensing?
i have tried doing situps and crunches etc, but what else can i do!!


how do you find out your body fat %?
why do people always refer to "bodybuilders" for the benchmark of lean machines lol! all they are is an overworked muscle, if you want to refer to reall bodies refer to people that are lean like boxers, who are athletic like sprinters and so forth

i hate the generalisation that peeps make, if you look at ricky hatton for his last fight he was about 3% body fat apparently soooooo
4.7%? I doubt that very much. I'm at 7.9% and my sixpack shows.
Reply 13
i really doubt you're at 4.7%. watever test you're doing is lying to you
Reply 14
jermaindefoe
why do people always refer to "bodybuilders" for the benchmark of lean machines lol! all they are is an overworked muscle, if you want to refer to reall bodies refer to people that are lean like boxers, who are athletic like sprinters and so forth

i hate the generalisation that peeps make, if you look at ricky hatton for his last fight he was about 3% body fat apparently soooooo


Competition ready bodybuilders are much leaner than boxers.

Boxers aren't 3% or in Amir Khan's case 1.5% when they are measured, it's ********.
Reply 15
yep you're not 4.7%, and I doubt Ricky Hatton was 3%
Yeah, hahaha, what a pile of Tosh. Boxers are probably around 8-10%.
Deadlift.
lol you lot dont really know anything then do you becuase amir khan was at 2 against gomez