Tip 6 Things That Affect Ab Visibility Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip 6 Things That Affect Ab Visibility Tip 6 Things That Affect Ab Visibility by Dani Shugart October 23, 2019October 26, 2019 Tags Training Strength isn't a great indicator that someone will have visible abs, and while diet can play a role, there are people who have ab definition even when they're not dieting. The truth is, abs can be a sign of multiple things. Here are six variables that affect their visibility: 1 – Genetics The science of abs is pretty cool. Christian Thibaudeau has explained how some people – even when they get lean – won't be able to see their abs because their abdominal muscle bellies aren't naturally thick. (See: Abs Are Built in the Gym, Not the Kitchen.) He's also explained tendinous attachments (they're what create the lines between abs) and how they can play a role in the amount of separation you see between abdominal muscles. In short, they determine whether you'll have a 4-pack, 6-pack, or 8-pack, no matter how lean and muscular you are. It's genetic. 2 – Training Those who don't genetically have thicker ab muscles will need to do more work to hypertrophy theirs. Diet alone won't cut it. The abs are a muscle group, so this shouldn't come as a surprise. Train them directly with resistance. The big lifts alone won't cut it. 3 – Body Fat There's a point when, even if you DO have developed abs, they won't be visible if you're carrying too much body fat. No amount of ab training will make them visible if they're underneath several inches of adipose tissue. You knew that, right? 4 – Digestion Some people say chronic digestive distress can lead to increased body fat around the midsection. I'm not sure I buy that. But I will say that stomach distension and pressure in the gut (from gas, constipation, undigested food sitting in the stomach, etc.) can make your belly protrude. And extreme protrusion alone will make ab separation less visible, unless you flex hard. So even if you're someone who's lean enough to have abs, slow motility and poor digestion can simply make it harder to display them. 5 – Water Retention Ask any fit woman when she wants to get professional photos taken and there's a good chance she'll schedule it around her period. Why? Because there are a handful of days every month when we retain more water than usual, and it can affect the appearance of our midsection. But even men experience water retention for various reasons. Sometimes both males and females will use diuretics before big events in order to manipulate water and increase definition all over, including the abs. 6 – Skin Tone Ab definition is slightly more visible when you have a tan. It just makes what you have easier to see. This is especially true if you're lean enough to have ab definition, but you haven't been able to build much muscle thickness there. So if you're pale skinned and you have a shadow of an ab or two, try slapping some fake tanner on and see if that makes them a bit more visible. To recap, having visible abs mainly depends on what your mom and dad gave you, how much muscle you've built in the midsection, and how lean you are. Contributing factors may include digestion, water retention, and skin tone. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Tip Two Squat Variations You Need to Try Squat multiple times per week for best results, but be smart about it with these load and style variations. Powerlifting & Strength, Squat, Tips, Training Tom Morrison May 24 Training The HIIT Revolution for Fat Burning Success If you bust your butt using these methods, you'll burn fat even while you're sitting on that same butt hours later. Fat Loss Training, Metcon, Training Troy M Anderson October 9 Training Powerlifting The Definitive Guide At some point, every strong guy wants to test his mettle in competition. Here's everything you need to know to make your first powerlifting meet a success! Powerlifting & Strength, Training Jordan Syatt April 2 Training Beyond Kettlebells Mike Mahler knows a lot of training bad asses but he thinks they're complete pushovers in their personal life. They avoid risk and couldn't make a tough decision if their lives depended on it. He wants to change that. Training T Nation June 2