Some people look skinny but actually have a very high body fat percentage. These people are typically ‘naturally’ thin. They don’t eat much, they smoke or have a high metabolism. We call this skinny-fat.

The issue with being skinny-fat is not so much the excess of fat but the lack of muscle. It’s common among both men and women. Some women actually work to achieve this look by sticking to a low calorie diet and lots of cardio (for fear of looking ‘bulky’).

Unfortunately, as these people age and their metabolisms change, they tend to put on unwanted weight and have find that they don’t have enough muscle to help to them burn off the excess. In addition to this, if you have low muscle mass it’s likely to be because you rarely exercise so it’s also likely that you have a low bone mass. Both of these issues can contribute to a lower quality of life as you age. In addition to the more serious problems, it’s also preferable to look tight and toned rather than just skinny-fat.

Lots of models and celebrities are actually skinny-fat. The ones that say they never exercise? Believe them. They probably just have a low calorie diet and get their fixes elsewhere.

Anyone with over 25% body fat definitely has some to lose.

If you’re skinny-fat the solution is to not to lose weight or to restrict calories, this will only turn you into skin and bones. The aim, however, should be body recomposition – essentially gaining muscle while losing fat (or at least gaining muscle and then losing fat).

You can build muscle at home with this very simple but effective training plan. Start with squats, lunges and push-ups. Decide on three days a week to do them and simply do as many as you can, write down your scores, then try to beat your record the next training day. Make your goal 100 of each with good form. Don’t worry, you’re not going to wake up the next morning and look like the incredible hulk. You will however start to notice yourself looking more and more toned.

Skinny-fat is not a good look, and even if you think you can get away with it–you won’t be able to for long. Invest in building muscle now, and you can achieve a toned look that you can keep for life while increasing the quality of your life.