Veins will mostly only show on the arms, and sometimes the legs. There will be separation between muscles, but not in every muscle. This is the range that most men want to be at for a classical “beach body” look. There will be a pretty clear distinction between each muscle. Around this level, all of your muscles will show noticeable definition and clear vascularity in most muscles. This body fat percentage is not sustainable for most men. As it grows, it will begin to form all over the body – but still mainly in the stomach.įemales typically see fat funneling into their hips and thigh areas – but some women do see noticeable amounts of fat in their stomachs at even low body fat percentages. Muscle definition is the same way – typically being higher when you have low body fat.Īs men gain body fat, the fat typically starts to go into the stomach of all the places.

Men had a median body fat percentage of 28.2. That would measure roughly 26.9 body fat using calipers. In 2015-2016, men in the United States averaged 28.7 measured by DXA. Average and Median Body Fat Percentage for Men. With calipers, that would be roughly 38.7. The amount of veins that can be saw over the body is known as vascularity and this will decrease as body fat increases. Women had a median body fat percentage of 41.6. Someone with more muscle can look as though they have a higher body fat percentage when muscle separation isn’t clear. The amount of lean muscle that you have plays a huge role in determining how you will look.

Everyone has different body fat distribution, so I tried to find a few pictures of different people between each range.

Mens body fat percentages