You try and try so hard to get those abs to show. Every day, you put in the work- diet, exercise, all of it. Investments in sweat and determination are driving you to get those abs to show. There’s nothing that hasn’t been done before. But no matter what you do, no matter the intensity of the burn you may feel or the hours upon hours of training, your abs just don’t want to show up. Instead, they’re playing a game of peek-a-boo, popping out and surprising you maybe for a while or when you flex them, only to go away and hide until the next brief “surprise”. If you’ve got a case of peek-a-boo abs, then allow me to be your guide and offer a variety of reasons as to why they’re not showing up. Don’t worry- I’ve got you covered!

Diet

Is it always diet? Most of the time, yes. Aside from a few genetic outliers, most people cannot fully get away with a bad diet. And by bad, I’m referring to one that consists of processed, fake foods filled with sugar, preservatives, and artificial ingredients that were designed to tickle the taste buds and drive you to eat more.
Which reminds me- overeating is also a culprit. And this is not limited to processed foods. This can happen with even healthy foods like nuts, oil, rice, and cheese (to name a few). Overeating (and thus taking in more energy that your body doesn’t need) can result in excess weight gain. Having one too many snacks is yet another problem (which I show you how to tackle here), so if you can, try to be aware of how often you’re eating and how big your portion sizes are.
And don’t forget about chewing- your brain needs time to signal your stomach that it’s full, so if you tend to scarf your food down like a starving dog, be sure to slow down and chew, chew, chew to stimulate those satiety signals that both keep you full and from overeating.
Let’s also consider the type of diet you’re eating. I’m all about being intuitive and listening to your body’s needs. If high carb works for you, then great! But if it’s not, then consider switching to low carb. Either way, tinker around with your diet. It could be that you’re gaining a bit of belly fat from a diet that’s against your bio-individuality. Don’t fight- adapt by slowly learning what diet works best for you.

Lifestyle

The daily habits you make can all have a profound effect on your physique (belly included). Right now, the “in” thing on social media is to cleanse or detox the fat away. By that flawed thinking, the fat around your body will vanish thanks to you “purging” alleged toxins away. Let me stop you right there. Our body naturally detoxes every single day thanks to the liver, kidneys, lungs, and colon. And those pills, teas, and programs can actually make things worse for your abs, making them bloated due to an upset stomach, indigestion, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea, which are all common symptoms that arise as a result of taking them. So please, do yourself and your abs a favor, and ditch the cleanse. Wouldn’t you rather be at the beach instead of the bathroom all day?
Other lifestyle factors that can affect your abs include poor sleep and chronic stress. With sleep, you’re not allowing your body to enter its ultimate reset. Ultimately this will lead to hormone imbalances, uncontrollable cravings and appetite, and blood sugar problems, which can all affect belly fat. (All the more reason to practice proper sleep hygiene!) Then there’s chronic stress. Similar to poor sleep, too much stress can also impact your appetite and blood sugar, as well as increase the hormone cortisol. Cortisol isn’t the bad guy per se; however, it can quickly be a thorn in our side if we don’t manage it properly. Excess cortisol is often the reason why people struggle to lose enough weight. Their body is holding on to fat in a dire need to survive. Out in the wild, our ancestors used this effect to their advantage, drawing energy from the fat and using cortisol to evade a predator or hunt. But today, none of that’s the case, and instead, we’re all struggling to find our ideal, healthiest weight. If you’ve got a massive amount of stress in your life, then please learn how to manage it. (And if you’re also dealing with anxiety on top of that, here’s my take on how to deal with it.)

Health

Next up is health. Some health conditions may impede your ability to have visible abs. The main area of concern would have to be your gut. If you’re constantly bloated, then of course it’s going to be difficult for your abs to show. (In fact, I’ve written about this in the past!) You may have underlying food intolerances or sensitivities, whether it’s in common foods like dairy and gluten or even soy and nuts. Then there are fermentable foods like legumes and cruciferous vegetables you need to watch out for. They’ll definitely make you gassy, bloated, and uncomfortably full instead of flat and toned. (Read more about them here.) If your gut is just all over the place with bloating, reactions, and irregular stools, then schedule an appointment with the doc (or maybe consider doing a mini “gut reset” to give it a rest).
I’d also like to mention chronic inflammation. This can come from numerous things, including stress, poor sleep and exercise recovery, a bad diet, or, once again, underlying condition, like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. Those must be treated by a doctor obviously, but with food, you can definitely make things less severe. Too much inflammation will make it difficult for your body to look and feel its best, so don’t discount it when searching for clues as to why you’re feeling extra puffy around the middle.
Lastly, there are hormones. These too can affect where extra fat is stored in your body and will once again have to be assessed by a healthcare professional. Otherwise, a few starting points I can provide include the following posts on thyroid health and hormone disruptors. Also, ladies, don’t forget that it’s quite common for us to have a little extra bloat or water weight around our midsections during menstruation. It’s a common side effect that will soon subside and can be managed by simply staying hydrated. Even I get it and am not ashamed to admit that it’s definitely a nuisance. But I don’t go running around trying to get rid of it since I know that it’s just a part of being a woman. So, if you’re struggling with belly bloat around that time of the month, don’t sweat it!

Fitness

We’ve made it to what’s not only the last piece of the puzzle but also my favorite. I am a trainer, after all! Now, the lack of ab visibility can be chalked to a couple of things. The first is that you’re carrying excess fat. That’s more than likely due to your diet (or the other culprits I’ve covered), but if you’re not very active and don’t include much conditioning into your routine, then now’s the time to do so. Start with just a few short and sweet cardio sessions a week and start finding the amount that works best for you.
The second thing you’d want to do is to start building strength. If you’re a cardio bunny and still aren’t seeing any definition, therein lies your problem. Cardio by itself isn’t going to sculpt those abs, which are a muscle. And the only way a muscle can truly grow is by the right combination of stimulation and resistance. In other words, you’ve got to get strong. You’ve got your foundational movements like squats and pushups, and targeted exercises for your core (aka, abs), which include things like planks and hanging leg raises. (To learn more on proper core training, read my posts here and here. If you’re a member of my ZGYM, then check out my library of ab-focused workouts.)

Oh boy, I really did it again with this one. I know this article is pretty long, but hopefully, I’ve given you tons of options and things to look into. Abs are definitely one of the more enviable muscles out there. Just keep searching guys, and don’t be afraid to try something new. You will get there- it simply takes time and respect for your body. So don’t give up!