The “dad bod” has become a widely used term in mainstream culture, with some praising this body shape and others sharing the potential health concerns. To each their own. That being said, your body shape is an indicator of your overall health, and abdominal body fat does pose certain health risks. I find myself increasingly interested in bettering my health and fitness and sculpting a more muscular physique as the years go on.
A more muscular, leaner shape goes beyond the aesthetics. I was surprised by the mounting literature on the harms of visceral body fat, including the increased risk of heart disease and metabolic syndrome. Visceral fat is the belly fat deep within your abdominal cavity surrounding important organs like your stomach, liver, and intestines. Visceral fat poses more of a threat to your health compared to subcutaneous fat, which is the body fat just below your skin.
If you’re wondering what exactly the dad bod is, if it’s harmful, and how to ditch it, read on for your ultimate guide. We also asked weight loss expert and personal trainer Phil Carpenter to share his top tips for getting ripped and leaving the dad bod in the past.
The history of the dad bod
Plenty of words and catchphrases make their way into the popular lexicon. Back in 1994, on an episode of the science-fiction comedy TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000, a character uttered the phrase, “That’s an assortment of dad bodies.” The term was repeatedly mentioned in social circles throughout the ’90s and early 2000s, and it skyrocketed in popularity after Clemson University student Mackenzie Pearson published a 2015 article called Why Girls Love the Dad Bod on the Odyssey public platform. Pearson’s article went viral, bringing more attention to the dad bod.
What is the dad bod?
The “dad bod” refers to a physique considered most common in fathers as the metabolism and the gym time slows down over time and life gets busy. It’s not exclusive to fathers. The body shape is slightly overweight with a degree of excess fat in the abdominal area and not overly muscular. Some people describe the dad bod as a beer belly or “softness” in the middle with arms and legs that are in relatively good shape overall but not jacked or ripped. Many people say the dad bod is a positive sign of a man who’s busy taking care of his kids.
The dad bod is different from the V-taper look, which refers to a bigger and broader upper body, shoulders, and chest that forms a V shape by tapering down to a smaller, muscular abdominal and waist area.
The importance of a healthier lifestyle as a dad
Being a dad is a big job that requires a lot of time and energy, especially when you’re putting someone else, your kiddo, first. Even so, many dads are concerned about the health risks associated with excess abdominal fat, and they’re looking to make changes to trim and tone up and boost overall fitness.
When you start working out more, strength training, eating better, improving your hydration, and making those lifestyle steps to carve a more muscular shape, you’ll also get the benefits that come along with it. One of those benefits is enhancing your overall stamina, balance, muscle mass, and physical strength, which helps you when you’re looking after and playing with your kids.
When you’re more in shape and have enhanced endurance, you can kick about on the field with your kids for longer and better keep up with all those to-dos, errands, and tasks. Health professionals often say to take care of yourself first so you can take better care of someone else. Many fitness experts also state that while the dad bod isn’t inherently unhealthy, it isn’t a sign of peak physical health either.
What causes the dad bod?
There isn’t a specific medical definition for the dad bod, but health professionals believe certain lifestyle factors play a role, such as:
- A naturally slowing metabolism with aging
- Poor eating habits and overeating processed, sugar-loaded foods.
- A lack of proper nutrition
- A lack of exercise and reduced physical activity due to family obligations or work
- A decline in muscle mass
- Prolonged sitting hours
- A decline in testosterone levels
- Increased cortisol levels due to stress
- Sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality
- Increased alcohol consumption
- Genetics
The body mass index
A BMI or body mass index between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight but not obese, so this is generally the “dad bod zone.” You can check your BMI by using an online calculator like one from the CDC. Your body mass index is a measurement of your weight relative to your height to determine if you’re in one of the following categories: underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese.
It’s important to note that while BMI can be a good tool to use, it’s not always the most accurate tool for every body type. For example, if you’re especially muscular, your body will weigh more, so the BMI category might not be the best representation of your weight and body fat and shouldn’t be used as the sole determinant of health. If you have concerns about your wellness or weight, it’s always best to consult your healthcare provider.
Is the dad bod unhealthy?
The dad bod isn’t inherently unhealthy, but at the same time, having excess fat, particularly visceral fat, in the abdominal area poses several health risks. For example, research shows visceral fat in the abdominal area is associated with:
- Low levels of chronic inflammation
- Fatty liver disease
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
It’s clear this pesky visceral fat causes problems, and having less of it reduces these risks. Prioritizing your health and fitness is always a good idea, no matter your phase of life or whether or not you’re a parent. Instead of looking at the dad bod as a term with negative connotations, many are looking at it as a motivator to work on their wellness and find the balance between family time and personal time to improve their health.
How to ditch the dad bod
You don’t have to, but if you’d like to ditch the dad bod, it requires a multifaceted approach, consistency, and healthy lifestyle changes. It requires assessing your current lifestyle habits and seeing where you could make those switches. You don’t need to reach 10% body fat or win a bodybuilding competition. You also don’t need to jump right into everything all at once and risk feeling overwhelmed; just making one switch at a time will generate long-term results.
The following are practical tips to start building more muscle and losing body fat, including that pesky visceral fat:
- If you have a desk job or you’re spending a lot of time sitting down, try getting up more often and doing some stretches, jumping jacks, Bulgarian split squats, lunges, and whatever you feel like, even just for a few minutes. Short bursts of movement make a difference.
- A mix of cardio and strength training works best for trimming body fat. Try to plan a suitable workout and strength training routine that fits into your schedule. When you’ve mastered exercises like squats, you can add in resistance training and try goblet squats using a kettlebell.
- Incorporate some ab-building exercises to strengthen those muscles, such as the Russian twist, bird dog, and mountain climbers.
- Look at your diet and consider making little changes. For example, you could start by eating a healthier breakfast with natural foods and cutting down or saying goodbye to those sugary sodas. Sugar, especially high-fructose corn syrup, promotes weight gain, increases body fat, and contributes to metabolic syndrome.
- Don’t stress, and try to get some exercise with your kids, like basketball, soccer, bike rides, hikes, and long walks.
- Boost your flexibility with exercises like yoga, Pilates, or some calisthenics moves.
Weight loss expert Phil Carpenter shares tips to sculpt a muscular physique
We wanted to know even more, so we asked weight loss and nutrition expert Phil Carpenter to share tips on how to sculpt a more muscular body shape. Carpenter is a keen martial artist and a personal trainer at PureGym in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, with over 15 years of experience in weight loss and nutrition. He’s also worked as a Royal Army physical training instructor for over 15 years, so he knows a thing or two about staying in shape.
The Manual (TM): What contributes to the dad bod and gaining body fat around the middle abdominal area?
Phil Carpenter: The dad bod and fat accumulation around a person’s midsection is caused by a range of lifestyle, hormonal changes, and metabolism shifts, so it can never really be put down to just one thing. The key factors will often start with a surplus intake of calories, as consuming more calories than burned is proven to lead to fat storage, especially around the abdomen.
Beyond this, as males age, their testosterone will naturally decline, which leads to slower metabolism and more fat storage.
Other factors of aging or being a parent can also come into play, such as reduced activity from a desk job or poor sleep and recovery, which goes hand in hand with parenting. Anyone consuming alcohol on a regular basis or consuming processed foods and sugary drinks will also likely see more fat gained around their abdomen. Finally, genetics are also at play, as some men are genetically predisposed to storing more fat in the abdominal region than others.
TM: As a certified personal trainer, do you have a lot of men asking you to help them get rid of the dad bod and excess fat around the belly?
Phil Carpenter: I see a lot of men that want to get rid of their dad bod, especially as they hit their 30s and 40s. It’s a really common fitness goal in the gym, whether it’s for health reasons, confidence, or just wanting to feel stronger and more athletic again.
TM: We know from growing research that this same harmful type of fat can build up in the arteries. What are the harms and health risks of excess visceral fat?
Phil Carpenter: Excess visceral fat is the fat that is stored around internal organs, particularly in the abdomen, and is far more dangerous than subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin). Excess visceral fat is so dangerous and is linked to metabolic and cardiovascular diseases for multiple reasons. Firstly, it releases inflammatory chemicals (cytokines) that increase blood pressure and damage blood vessels, which link to higher blood pressure and heart disease.
It also raises LDL (bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL (good cholesterol), as well as impairs insulin sensitivity. This makes it harder for the body to regulate blood sugar — increasing the risk of diabetes.
Other issues related to excess visceral fat can include liver disease, hormone imbalances, cognitive decline, and an increased risk of cancer.
TM: Does exercise help men lose abdominal body fat and the “beer belly?” What exercises or workouts do you recommend?
Phil Carpenter: Exercise is proven to reduce fat, and certain types of exercise, in particular, can really help with this.
To start, strength training is a must for anyone looking to lose abdominal body fat, as it will not only burn fat efficiently but also build muscle and boost your metabolism. Second, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a great option as it targets visceral fat better than steady-state cardio.
For strength training, I would recommend focusing on compound movements, including:
- Deadlifts
- Squats
- Pull-ups
- Bench presses
- Rows
- Overhead presses
For the HIIT training, an example of a routine you could follow is:
- 30-second sprint → 30-second rest (repeat for 15-20 minutes)
- 40-second kettlebell swings → 20-second rest (repeat for 4-5 rounds)
- Burpees, jump squats, mountain climbers (circuit)
Beyond strength training and HIIT, activities like hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, and even going for a long walk will help maintain fat loss.
TM: How much does diet play a role? Could you share your top nutrition and diet tips to help men tone the stomach area and lose body fat?
Phil Carpenter: Diet is the most important factor in losing abdominal fat. You can’t out-train a bad diet. A caloric deficit (burning more calories than you consume) is essential for fat loss, and the right foods can help you lose visceral fat far more effectively.
The best strategies when it comes to losing abdominal fat are:
- Eating a high-protein diet: This will boost your metabolism, reduce cravings, and preserve muscle mass. The best sources include lean meats, eggs, fish, Greek yogurt, and beans.
- Reducing refined carbs and sugar: This lowers insulin spikes and reduces fat storage. The main things to avoid include white bread, sugary drinks, and processed snacks.
- Eat healthy fats to balance your hormones: Foods like avocados, nuts, fish, and olive oil will help with this.
- Increase your fiber intake: Like with high protein, this will keep you fuller for longer and improve your digestion. Vegetables and whole grains are great for this.
- Hydrate: Drinking the recommended amount of water will help with digestion and also reduce bloating.
- Limit alcohol intake: As mentioned previously, beer and sugary cocktails will contribute to the beer belly, so limiting this will go a long way.
TM: How can you improve the look, strength, and definition of your abs? How do you go from a dad bod to a six-pack or a more shredded look?
Phil Carpenter: As a personal trainer and coach for over two decades, I have helped hundreds of people achieve a strong, visible core, and it always comes down to two key things:
- Low body fat percentage (so your abs are visible) – This is mainly achieved through diet and fat loss.
- Stronger abdominal muscles (so they look more defined and perform well) – This comes from effective ab training.
Step 1: Lower body fat for visible abs
Target lowering your body fat percentage to around 10-12% for visible abs (this can vary due to genetics). This is achieved through the abovementioned strategies of achieving a calorie deficit, strength training, HIIT, and eating well.
Step 2: Strengthen and build your abs
There are many different exercises to strengthen your core, but some work better than others when it comes to strengthening your abs and gaining the definition you require. For starters, I would recommend:
Weighted ab movements (for muscle growth and definition)
- Hanging leg raises (or knee raises) – Builds deep lower ab strength
- Cable crunches – Adds thickness to the abs
- Weighted decline situps – Builds upper abs and overall core
Core stability and functional strength
- Ab rollouts (from a wheel or barbell) —-One of the best for core control
- Planks (weighted or long holds) – Builds endurance and deep core strength
- Pallof press – Strengthens anti-rotation muscles (great for sports and injury prevention)
Explosive and athletic core work
- Hanging/laying windshield wipers – Works obliques and control
- Russian twists (weighted) – Builds rotational power
- Medicine ball slams – Core power and fat burning
Using these exercises, the main thing is to train your abs like you would other muscles, so two to three times a week is enough, as overtraining won’t help. What does matter is progressive overload. Add weight to your weighted ab movements.
TM: How do you lose body fat and gain muscle at the same time? What other lifestyle tips can you share?
Phil Carpenter: I’ve covered most of this above, and while you can’t spot-reduce fat, the right combination of workouts burns fat effectively while maintaining or building muscle.
The best combo for losing belly fat while building muscle is:
- Strength train 3 to 5 times a week (focusing on heavy, compound lifts).
- Add HIIT 2 to 3 times a week (15-25 minute sessions).
- Maintain an active lifestyle (walking, hiking, or outdoor sports).
- Eat in a slight caloric deficit, prioritizing higher protein and whole foods intake.
TM: How do you fuel and prepare your body for an intense workout? Could you share your nutrition and hydration tips?
Phil Carpenter: I personally use Combat Fuel products daily, I use Combat Fuel Hydrate or Die and pure monohydrate creatine to hydrate. If I do not have that at hand, then I use basic electrolytes that you can pick up almost anywhere.
I do not use pre-workouts, and being quite old-fashioned and in my military ways, I will always enjoy a good old black coffee instead. To fuel my rugby build body frame, I cannot possibly consume the amount of calories a day needed, so I supplement sporadically with whey protein during the working week. This keeps me alert and awake and less likely to have an afternoon nap during work time.
