![\"\"](\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2023\/10\/skinny-fat-6.jpg\")
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Maybe this describes you.<\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019ve got skinny arms, skinny legs, hardly any pecs . . . and a belly. It might not be a big belly, but it\u2019s a soft, doughy paunch nonetheless. <\/span><\/p>\n You look kinda skinny, but also kinda fat. <\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019re skinny fat. <\/span><\/p>\n Skinny fat dudes have a normal body mass index (BMI).<\/span><\/p>\n But, as has often been observed, BMI doesn\u2019t tell the whole story.<\/span><\/p>\n BMI doesn\u2019t differentiate between muscle mass and body fat. So if a guy has low muscle mass combined with average-to-slightly-above-average amounts of fat, their BMI will be reported as normal. Skinny fat guys are walking around thinking they\u2019re healthy. Nonetheless, as we\u2019ll see here in a bit, a skinny fat person might have all the health issues typical of the obese.<\/span><\/p>\n The underlying issue of skinny fat dudes is that they lack substantial muscle mass AND have average amounts of fat (which, in men, gathers primarily around the waist).<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The biggest problem with being skinny fat is that it can deceive you that you\u2019re perfectly healthy when you\u2019re actually not. <\/span><\/p>\n A skinny fat person has a low muscle-to-fat ratio, and muscle helps your metabolic health by doing things like clearing glucose from the blood.<\/span><\/p>\n So if you\u2019re skinny fat, you may not look fat, but you likely have all the same health issues an obese person would have, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure<\/a>, and high cholesterol. This is why obesity researchers often call skinny fat \u201cnormal weight obesity\u201d; a skinny fat person has a normal weight and BMI, but when you look at other markers of obesity like insulin and blood pressure, they\u2019re essentially obese. <\/span><\/p>\n What can make being skinny fat even more of a health hazard is that the fat that a skinny fat guy accumulates is often visceral fat. Visceral fat is a fat that lies deep in the body and grows primarily around our internal organs like the liver, colon, and pancreas. Visceral fat makes and releases proteins that inflame your body and constrict blood vessels, contributing to maladies like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. So visceral fat is no bueno. <\/span><\/p>\n So your health is the biggest issue with being skinny fat. But it\u2019s also just not a great look. <\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019ve got chicken legs and scrawny arms with a belly to boot. When you wear a t-shirt, your arms don\u2019t fill out the sleeves, but you\u2019ve also got a pooch showing through your midsection. <\/span><\/p>\n Doesn\u2019t inspire <\/span>thumos<\/span><\/em><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n When most guys try to stop being skinny fat, they work on not being fat first. They\u2019ll reduce calories and do lots and lots of cardio. <\/span><\/p>\n But this will just make you skinny.<\/span><\/p>\n Remember, skinny fat is caused by a lack of muscle mass combined with average-to-slightly-above-average body fat. <\/span><\/p>\n Instead of focusing on being less fat, focus on being less skinny by increasing your muscle mass. <\/span><\/p>\n How do you increase your muscle mass? Two ways: 1) strength training, and 2) nutrition.<\/span><\/p>\n If you want to stop being skinny fat, you\u2019ve got to strength train <\/span>consistently <\/span><\/em>for months.<\/span><\/p>\n Compound barbell lifts like the squat<\/a>, bench press<\/a>, shoulder press<\/a>, and deadlift<\/a> will give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to strength and muscle gains. <\/span><\/p>\n If barbell training isn\u2019t your thing, you\u2019ve got other options. Bodyweight exercises<\/a>, dumbbell routines<\/a>, and resistance bands<\/a> all provide muscle-boosting benefits. <\/span><\/p>\n Strength training works, but you have to do it consistently for a long time. Don\u2019t expect to see a drastic decline in your skinny fatness in just a few weeks of strength training. Expect it to take a few months. It seems like a lot of guys who are trying not to be skinny fat give up on their training after just a few weeks. Don\u2019t do this! Keep going. Be consistent, and the results will come.<\/span><\/p>\n As you increase your muscle mass through strength training, you\u2019ll create a virtuous cycle that will allow you to increase muscle mass while reducing body fat at the same time. As you increase muscle mass through strength training, you\u2019ll burn more calories even while resting because muscle mass is more metabolically active than fat.<\/p>\n For cardio, include some HIIT training once or twice a week. Walk as much as you\u2019d like. Walking is great cardio and excellent for recovering from strength-training sessions. To boost the calorie burn of your walking further, put on a weighted backpack<\/a> or carry small dumbbells, Heavy Hands style<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Nutrition plays an important role in body recomposition. <\/span><\/p>\n When you\u2019re first starting out in your quest to eliminate body fat, keep it simple because the simpler you keep your nutrition, the more likely you are to stick with your nutrition plan. <\/span><\/p>\n Aim to get at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight. Your body will need that protein to help increase muscle mass.<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond the protein metric, aim to eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits and veggies and carbs like oatmeal. Get some good fats that can be found in things like olive oil and avocados. <\/span><\/p>\n Avoid sugary drinks and refined carbs like donuts and cookies. <\/span><\/p>\n You shouldn\u2019t feel starved during the day, and you shouldn\u2019t feel stuffed. <\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for more advanced or specific ways to approach nutrition, see our article on how to track your macros<\/a> and how to lose weight.<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n After several weeks or a few months of consistent strength training and good eating, you\u2019ll start to notice more muscle and less belly. Instead of being skinny fat, you\u2019ll look and feel more like a solid, all-around healthy dude. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Maybe this describes you. You\u2019ve got skinny arms, skinny legs, hardly any pecs . . . and a belly. It might not be a big belly, but it\u2019s a soft, doughy paunch nonetheless. You look kinda skinny, but also kinda fat. You\u2019re skinny fat. What Is Skinny Fat? Skinny fat dudes have a normal body […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":179338,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42265,7],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-179258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-health-fitness"],"featured_image_urls":{"large":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2023\/10\/skinny-fat-blank-538x280.jpg","aom":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2023\/10\/skinny-fat-blank-372x230.jpg","reactor-320":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2023\/10\/skinny-fat-blank-320x197.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179258"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179258\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":191104,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179258\/revisions\/191104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179258"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=179258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What Is Skinny Fat?<\/span><\/h2>\n
The Biggest Problem With Being Skinny Fat<\/span><\/h2>\n
How to Stop Being Skinny Fat<\/span><\/h2>\n
Strength Training<\/h2>\n
Nutrition<\/h2>\n