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Abs or energy?
A choice you may not have considered
For years, the fitness industry has sold us a very specific picture of “health” - lean, shredded, and defined.
That includes the famous six-pack.
But here’s the truth about six-packs that most people don’t talk about:
Visible abs are not a sign of health. They are simply a sign of low body fat. That’s all.
And low body fat is not the same as health. When too low it can have negative consequences affecting hormonal balance, strength, energy, or long-term wellbeing.
Let’s break down what actually matters for your body - and whether abs are really something you should be focusing on
1. Abs Are a Result of Low Body Fat - Not a Marker of Health
To see your abdominal muscles, your body fat simply needs to be low enough that the muscle becomes visible.
Typical body-fat ranges where abs become visible:
- Women: often around 16–22%
- Men: often around 10–15%
Yet two people with the same body-fat percentage can look completely different.
The range also depends heavily on fat distribution which is usually genetically informed.
Some people store more fat around the midsection. Others store more around the legs, hips, or arms.
So while some people naturally have leaner midsections, even without intense dieting, others will require extreme restriction to get there - which can cause all sorts of health issues.
2. Body Fat and Hormones: Why Too Low Can Be a Problem
While too much body fat around the organs is dangerous and needs to be addressed, that does not mean that body fat in general is the enemy.
A certain level of body fat is absolutely vital for our well-being. It is a living, essential endocrine organ that manages hormones, metabolism, immunity, and reproductive health.
When body fat gets too low for your body’s unique set point, hormonal symptoms occur - even in people who “look fit.”
For women, low body fat can lead to:
- Menstrual irregularities or loss of period (amenorrhea)
- Lower estrogen and progesterone
- Lower bone density
- Lower thyroid activity
- Increased anxiety and irritability
- Poor sleep
- Increased cravings
- Higher injury risk
For men, low body fat can lead to:
- Lower testosterone
- Lower libido
- Increased fatigue
- Muscle loss
- Mood instability
- Chronic stress responses
Healthy body-fat range for most people (evidence-based):
These ranges support hormonal balance, performance, and longevity - not extreme aesthetics.
Women: 22–30% is optimal
Women naturally need more essential fat for hormonal health. Dropping below 20% can already create the negative outcomes mentioned above.
Men: 12–20% is optimal
Below 10% can already cause hormonal disruption in many men.
Remember:
What is healthy for YOU may not look like someone else’s “fit body.”
3. What Healthy Actually Means
Health is not a photo. Health is a state.
You can have someone with abs who sleeps five hours a night, eats too little, trains excessively, feels chronically stressed, struggles with low hormones, and rarely recovers. And you can have another person with no visible abs who sleeps well, eats balanced meals, lifts weights consistently, maintains stable hormones, has strong energy, manages stress, and feels centred in their body.
Guess who’s healthier? Always the second one.
This is why ATTIKA teaches:
Healthy is healthy. Not small. Not shredded. Not aesthetic.
Healthy is balanced, strong, and energised.
4. Hormonal Balance: Real Signs Your Body Is Thriving
There are clear physiological signs that your body is in balance - and none of them involve having abs.
Daily indicators of hormonal health include:
- Waking up with good energy
- Stable hunger cues
- Sleeping through the night
- Emotional regulation
- Good recovery from training
- Feeling strong in workouts
For women, regular menstrual cycles are a sign of strong hormonal function.
For men, normal morning erections and stable libido are reliable markers of hormonal health.
These internal cues tell us a lot more than any aesthetic.
5. Why We Should Focus on Muscle - Not Extreme Fat Loss
If there is ONE metric that predicts healthy ageing, longevity, mobility, metabolic health, and overall quality of life, it’s muscle mass. Muscle is not an aesthetic feature; it is a vital organ of health. Building muscle enhances metabolic function, increases resting energy expenditure, improves insulin sensitivity, strengthens bones, supports posture and joint stability, reduces injury risk, balances hormones, improves mental wellbeing, and contributes to both lifespan and healthspan. Muscle protects you — low body fat does not.
This is why at ATTIKA, we shift the focus from “How do I make my body smaller?” to “How do I make my body stronger?”
6. So What Should You Aim For?
A healthy body is one that has enough fat to support hormonal function and enough muscle to support strength, longevity, and resilience. It’s a body that can train, recover, sleep deeply, and move through the day with stable energy. It moves with purpose and stability, and it feels grounded, capable, and connected. Your healthiest body might never have visible abs and that’s not only okay, it’s normal.
Because real health is not something people can see. Real health is something you feel.
For years, the fitness industry has sold us a very specific picture of “health” - lean, shredded, and defined.
That includes the famous six-pack.
But here’s the truth about six-packs that most people don’t talk about:
Visible abs are not a sign of health. They are simply a sign of low body fat. That’s all.
And low body fat is not the same as health. When too low it can have negative consequences affecting hormonal balance, strength, energy, or long-term wellbeing.
Let’s break down what actually matters for your body - and whether abs are really something you should be focusing on
1. Abs Are a Result of Low Body Fat - Not a Marker of Health
To see your abdominal muscles, your body fat simply needs to be low enough that the muscle becomes visible.
Typical body-fat ranges where abs become visible:
- Women: often around 16–22%
- Men: often around 10–15%
Yet two people with the same body-fat percentage can look completely different.
The range also depends heavily on fat distribution which is usually genetically informed.
Some people store more fat around the midsection. Others store more around the legs, hips, or arms.
So while some people naturally have leaner midsections, even without intense dieting, others will require extreme restriction to get there - which can cause all sorts of health issues.
2. Body Fat and Hormones: Why Too Low Can Be a Problem
While too much body fat around the organs is dangerous and needs to be addressed, that does not mean that body fat in general is the enemy.
A certain level of body fat is absolutely vital for our well-being. It is a living, essential endocrine organ that manages hormones, metabolism, immunity, and reproductive health.
When body fat gets too low for your body’s unique set point, hormonal symptoms occur - even in people who “look fit.”
For women, low body fat can lead to:
- Menstrual irregularities or loss of period (amenorrhea)
- Lower estrogen and progesterone
- Lower bone density
- Lower thyroid activity
- Increased anxiety and irritability
- Poor sleep
- Increased cravings
- Higher injury risk
For men, low body fat can lead to:
- Lower testosterone
- Lower libido
- Increased fatigue
- Muscle loss
- Mood instability
- Chronic stress responses
Healthy body-fat range for most people (evidence-based):
These ranges support hormonal balance, performance, and longevity - not extreme aesthetics.
Women: 22–30% is optimal
Women naturally need more essential fat for hormonal health. Dropping below 20% can already create the negative outcomes mentioned above.
Men: 12–20% is optimal
Below 10% can already cause hormonal disruption in many men.
Remember:
What is healthy for YOU may not look like someone else’s “fit body.”
3. What Healthy Actually Means
Health is not a photo. Health is a state.
You can have someone with abs who sleeps five hours a night, eats too little, trains excessively, feels chronically stressed, struggles with low hormones, and rarely recovers. And you can have another person with no visible abs who sleeps well, eats balanced meals, lifts weights consistently, maintains stable hormones, has strong energy, manages stress, and feels centred in their body.
Guess who’s healthier? Always the second one.
This is why ATTIKA teaches:
Healthy is healthy. Not small. Not shredded. Not aesthetic.
Healthy is balanced, strong, and energised.
4. Hormonal Balance: Real Signs Your Body Is Thriving
There are clear physiological signs that your body is in balance - and none of them involve having abs.
Daily indicators of hormonal health include:
- Waking up with good energy
- Stable hunger cues
- Sleeping through the night
- Emotional regulation
- Good recovery from training
- Feeling strong in workouts
For women, regular menstrual cycles are a sign of strong hormonal function.
For men, normal morning erections and stable libido are reliable markers of hormonal health.
These internal cues tell us a lot more than any aesthetic.
5. Why We Should Focus on Muscle - Not Extreme Fat Loss
If there is ONE metric that predicts healthy ageing, longevity, mobility, metabolic health, and overall quality of life, it’s muscle mass. Muscle is not an aesthetic feature; it is a vital organ of health. Building muscle enhances metabolic function, increases resting energy expenditure, improves insulin sensitivity, strengthens bones, supports posture and joint stability, reduces injury risk, balances hormones, improves mental wellbeing, and contributes to both lifespan and healthspan. Muscle protects you — low body fat does not.
This is why at ATTIKA, we shift the focus from “How do I make my body smaller?” to “How do I make my body stronger?”
6. So What Should You Aim For?
A healthy body is one that has enough fat to support hormonal function and enough muscle to support strength, longevity, and resilience. It’s a body that can train, recover, sleep deeply, and move through the day with stable energy. It moves with purpose and stability, and it feels grounded, capable, and connected. Your healthiest body might never have visible abs and that’s not only okay, it’s normal.
Because real health is not something people can see. Real health is something you feel.
