Who comes to your mind when you think of a person with great abs? Probably Virat Kohli, Cristiano Ronaldo, John Abraham, and Hrithik Roshan. Do you know that other than their abs, all of these people have one thing in common: their body percentage? The key to developing visible abs is keeping your body fat below 10%, which all of these people accomplished.
When it comes to losing weight and building abs, no one pays attention to body fat percentage. Everyone wants to hear about the secret supplement or magic drink that would help them gain abs overnight. Abs are a muscle that takes time to develop and necessitates a greater emphasis on body fat rather than body weight. So, before you starve yourself to lose body fat, let's first understand why 10% body fat is popular, how to get there, and what mistakes to avoid.
Why 10% Body Fat Is Trending?
If you use social media sites like Instagram or Reddit, you are probably aware that there is a continuous argument about whether a person is natty or not. Natty denotes that the individual has lost body fat and achieved 10% body fat naturally, i.e. without the usage of supplements. Not imply that a person used drugs to reduce their body fat.
Why this debate is in trend because people believe achieving abs naturally is not possible, and going below 10% body fat also seems fad. In reality, a person can simply obtain abs if they avoid trends and stick to a strict diet and exercise regimen.
How To Get 10% Body Fat?
1) Focus On Fat Loss
Fat loss and weight loss are not the same thing. A person can lose a lot of weight by starving themselves, but they will not be able to lose body fat and build muscle. Fat loss occurs when you eat in a deficit and exercise in order to fasten the process. To summarise, eat in a deficit and exercise your abs three times a week.
Also Read: Tracking Progress: How To Avoid Getting Discouraged In First 30 Days Of Transformation
2) Empty Stomach Cardio
If your goal is to get below 10% of body fat, start with empty-stomach cardio. When you work out on an empty stomach, your body draws energy from its stored fat, which helps you burn stubborn fat and develop quicker abs.
3) Measure Your Food
Dropping body fat takes time, and you must be persistent with your diet. Make it a point to track everything that passes through your system. Even the oil and spices used in the preparation of the specific. A person can easily measure their food, with the help of a food measuring scale and food calculator app.
Mistakes To Avoid
Crash Dieting
Without a doubt, a crash diet will help you lose the majority of your weight, but it will not help you with fat loss. Crash dieting also deprives a person of nutrients, slowing recovery and metabolism. So it's best to stay away from fad and crash diets, instead focus on portion control for fat loss.
Over Training
Exercising for long hours can help you burn a lot of calories, but it also puts your body in a catabolic state. The catabolic stage is when your body begins to lose muscle. Make it a point not to train for five days in a row and to relax when necessary.
Also Read: How To Get In Shape This Summer: A Beginner's Guide To Weight Loss
Ignoring Sleep
Getting enough sleep and managing stress levels is vital for overall health and can have an impact on weight loss and body fat percentage. Ignoring sleep can hinder your progress and make it more difficult to reach below 10% body fat.
Image Credit: Freepik
