What 4 Different Body Fat Ranges Look Like on Real Men—and How to Achieve Them
For decades people both in and out of the fitness world have done whatever they can to get shredded and lean. From suspicious weight-loss pills to quick, intense workouts, there’s no shortage of ways to lower your body fat percentage. The secret no one’s willing to tell you? Fat loss looks different for everyone and no single number is going to give an accurate picture of how healthy you are.
Body fat distribution is heavily influenced by genetics, explains Christopher Jordan, C.S.C.S., director of exercise physiology at the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute and creator of the 7-Minute Workout. That means if you and your friend shed the same amount of body fat, he may secure two more ab outlines, while your biceps and triceps carve deeper (hey, there are worse fates).
“Look at your father and grandfather—that’ll give you an indication of your genetic body-fat distribution pattern,” he adds.
Below we break down what body fat percentage is, what a healthy body fat percentage is, and what different percentages look like.
What Different Body Fat Percentages Look Like
Click through the following slides to see visuals and read exactly what it looks like to have 5 to 8 percent body fat, 9 to 13 percent body fat, 14 to 17 percent body fat, and 18 to 20 percent body fat, to better understand an ideal body fat measurement for you. Then, on the last slide, find out how to achieve each one.
20 to 18 Percent Body Fat
MoMo Productions/Getty Images
Others can tell you’re active and healthy, but you don’t have as much definition of the muscles. There’s probably shadowing of the abs and definition in your arms, but you don’t have a six-pack or rippling arms.
17 to 14 Percent Body Fat
DaniloAndjus/Getty Images
You might see the upper two abdominal areas, but the bottom abs probably aren’t coming in as much. You have some separation and hardness of the muscles all over and slight vascularity, but everything isn’t dug out quite as deep.
13 to 9 Percent Body Fat
Dylan Coulter
You definitely have a six-pack and obvious vascularity—you are totally ripped. Your chest and arms are defined, but bulkier than the body fat group below you.
8 to 5 Percent Body Fat
Marius Bugge
You pretty much look like Michelangelo’s Statue of David—like a living anatomy chart. All your muscles and veins are defined. You might not have the biggest muscles in the room, but they are certainly the most defined.
What Is Body Fat Percentage?
“Body fat percentage is what portion of your overall body composition and body weight is fat and what portion is lean mass. While body mass index (BMI) is a fine measurement for the average person, if you have a lot of muscle, body fat percentage is a better tool to assess your goals by since most guys’ goal is to trim fat,” says ACSM Health Fitness Instructor Jim White, R.D., owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios in Virginia Beach.
American Council on Exercise (ACE) Body Fat Percentage Chart
| Description | Range |
|---|---|
|
Essential Fat |
2-5 percent |
|
Atheletes |
6-13 percent |
|
Fitness |
14-17 percent |
|
Average |
18-24 percent |
|
Obese |
25+ percent |
But what’s the real difference between the numbers? Guys below 20 percent body fat typically have muscle definition of some sort. As the numbers drop, that definition increases, especially in the abs, since men generally tend to accumulate the most fat in their stomachs.
The other difference is your weight. If two guys are 200 pounds with 10 percent body fat, they both have 20 pounds of fat. But while the numbers are the same, 180 pounds of lean muscle looks significantly different on a guy who’s 5’8” than one who is 6’3”.
The former will be lean, but has a thicker mass of muscle, while the latter probably looks skinnier, explains personal trainer and strength coach Pete McCall, C.S.C.S., instructor at Equinox in San Diego.
Related: 50 Best Back Exercises to Build Serious Mass in 2025
What Should Your Body Fat Percentage Be?
“Men need a certain amount of essential fat, which is found in the vital organs, and is essential for normal functioning. That minimum is around 3 percent, typically seen in endurance athletes, but also bodybuilders on competition day,” Jordan explains. However, that range is not very healthy.
All our experts agree somewhere between 10 to 15 percent body fat is the most realistic for looking cut, staying healthy, and sustaining the body weight.
How to Determine Your Body Fat Percentage
For decades doctors and medical professionals have been using body mass index (BMI) to determine body fat. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women, according to the National Institute of Health. However, experts agree that the popular metric has some limitations including the inability to take into account fat versus muscle, how fat is distributed, and overall metabolic health.
If you want to figure out your true body fat percentage, a DEXA scan (Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) is considered one of the top methods. In a DEXA scan, your entire body can be scanned to measure whole-body bone mass and soft tissue composition, meaning you can see specific breakdowns of fat, muscle, and bone mass.
Related: 50 Best Abs Exercises to Carve Your Core
How to Achieve a Lower Body Fat Percentage
Despite what you may think, the biggest difference between 7 and 20 percent body fat isn’t your workout—it’s your diet. The difference boils down to eating for performance and balanced enjoyment, and eating to look good, McCall says.
“The 7 percent body fat guy is definitely following a very strict regimen,” he explains. He’s probably eliminating certain macronutrients, like being Paleo with no carbs, and is definitely paying very close attention to what he eats.
Meanwhile, the 10 to 12 percent body fat guy is in constant flux—some weeks he’s at 9 percent body fat, others he’s at 12 percent body fat.
“He might have a cheat meal—splurging on wings instead of steamed asparagus when out with friends—but not necessarily a cheat day,” McCall says.
Related: Considering the 75 Hard Challenge? Read This First
Someone at 15 percent body fat is having a cheat day. “He’s paying attention and making certain decisions—no fried foods, burger without the bun, no accidental break room pastries. But he’s not uber health conscious,” he adds.
It comes down to what your priorities are: Do you want to go out and have a beer once a week and look pretty good—certainly better than most—or do you want to limit the places and things you can eat, but look ridiculously cut?
“To some people, the aesthetics are very, very important—and that’s fine,” McCall adds. But for others, the balance of looking good and enjoying a few indulgences in life is more desirable.
“When you want to hit a new body-fat category, you have to decide: How important is being less than 10 percent body fat? Because it requires certain lifestyle commitments,” he explains.
At 20 percent body fat, you might cave and have half a pizza. At 15 percent body fat, you’ll have one or two slices. And at 8 percent body fat, you’re sniffing the pizza and eating your salad. The choice is yours.