Everyone on here seems to say stuff about ‘you are probably around x% bf if you can see your 6 pack’. Are they talking flexed or unflexed. For me, for example, under good lighting, abs flexed, I have a fairly well defined 8 pack. Under poor lighting, unflexed, I just have a flat stomach, no real definition.
For those of us without access to fancy equipment and the like, it would be helpful to know which everyone is talking about when they say x%. For example, my diet, and any tweaks, are based on how my waist looks in the mirror. I am interested to know roughly what % i am at, only because it would be helpful to have in mind when i review my diet. I am not a bodybuilder, I am 190lbs, 6’1, and don’t intend to get bigger deliberately. I just train to be fit, strong and a rounded athlete. I have to eat too much go get heavier than that, and am not really interested in doing that, because i can’t make time for it/have other priorities. I am however interested in knowing whether I could be significantly leaner.
For example, would someone with 10%bf have visible abs in poor lighting? I might be being complacent, thinking I am around 10-12%, when in reality I could be significantly higher. That knowledge may spark my curiosity to see if it makes a significant difference dropping bf.
i know what your mean, i am the same (not cutting anymore), if you can see a 6-8 pack clearly while flexed but not when your relaxed, that means your around 12-13% body fat (good ab genetics)
Waistline is around 32.75 inches last time I checked. Height is just over 6’1. Weight 192lbs last time I weighed. I only ask, because I have seen pictures on here and in other places where the guy is supposedly around 8% bf, and thought that I had similar definition in good lighting. Then I’ve seen other pictures with guys around 12-14% and thought that the guy was pretty jacked, and may have been carrying less bf than me.
You are right. Many are loose about personal estimate and pictures can be deceptives. Part is genetic so from your history you know if loosing a few pounds is a good idea. No method is realy precise. My waistline is about 28.5 but i am not strong. My good aspects are flexibility and endurance. Definition all around can give you a clue, also ankles can show water retention possibly from too much salt. Fat is 1 aspect but people use the word for excess weight wich is not allways the total picture. Your blood pressure might also show an excess salt intake. Mesure your ankles in the morning the fluids spread while we sleep and after many hours standing the difference in size is from water retention wich might also diminish your definition. You might try a week without salt, no process food, no cheese and see if the difference is noticable from look and scale.
All the best !