Does Your Stomach Get Really Hard Before Getting Ripped Abs?

Ripped abs are the result of hard muscles. It is possible to have a hard or ripped stomach that may not be visible if your abdominal muscles are covered under a layer of fat. Abdominal muscles are harder to tone than other muscles because these muscles are used regularly throughout the day, according to Michele Olson Ph.D., professor of physical education and exercise science at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama. You engage your abdominal muscles to keep your body upright and maintain proper posture. To get hard ripped abs, you’ll need to keep your weight down, perform ab-specific exercises and eat a healthy nutritious diet.

  1. Genetics

    • How hard or ripped your abdomen looks has something to do with genetics. No matter how much you exercise, eat well or lose weight, genetics play a role in how your body looks. The shape of your pelvis and skeleton play a determining role in how your abdominals look, and the space between your abdomen and chest. There are some men that have very little body fat and have difficulty getting ripples at the bottom of their abdomen because of genetics.

    Body Fat Affects Ripples

    • How much fat you have affects how hard your stomach looks and how well you can see ripples in your abdomen. No matter how hard you exercise and for how long, if you don’t reduce the amount of fat you have, your six-pack will never show up. It may be there, and your stomach may be hard, but it will remain hidden under a layer of fat. To reveal six-pack abs, you have to engage in a strength training program and cardiovascular exercise that will tone, tighten and help you lose weight so that your abdominal muscles are lean.

    Dietary Factors

    • What you eat affects how hard your abdominal muscles feel and the odds of you gaining a six-pack abdomen. Poor nutrition will affect your abdominal muscles, and the odds of you developing a hard abdomen. Proper nutrition is necessary to support all of the muscles in your body. A clean diet which includes lean protein, high quality vegetables and proper hydration is important for revealing a six-pack. Drinking water helps prevent the body from storing up water which can hide hard abdominal muscles.

    Cardiovascular Exercise

    • Cardiovascular exercise is necessary for burning calories and maintaining physical fitness. Cardiovascular training can include interval training to increase the speed at which your body burns calories, and help you burn fat faster. High intensity cardiovascular exercises including running will help speed up the rate at which you burn fat. Combine cardiovascular activity with strength training to help your body build muscles, which is the only way you will develop abdominal muscles worthy of showing off.