How to Get a Rock-Hard Body

You don't have to be a professional bodybuilder in order to get a rock-hard body. Still, you will need to train and eat like a bodybuilder if your goal is a cut, lean, defined and bulked-up physique. Achieving a sculpted, rock-hard body takes time, dedication and plenty of hard work, but sticking to an intense workout schedule and eating healthy, protein-rich foods will reap the best results.

Create a strength training schedule that has you working your muscles at least four days per week. For example, you might work your upper body on Monday and Thursday, your lower body on Tuesday and Friday, and rest or perform cardiovascular exercise on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Use exercises such as the bench press, barbell press, barbell curls and triceps press-downs for your upper body, and exercises such as calf raises, leg extensions and squats for your lower body.

Choose the appropriate amount of resistance for exercise. Do this by ensuring that your targeted muscle group is completely fatigued. You should reach the point of failure after performing approximately three to five sets of each exercise, with seven to 10 reps per set. Doing exercises in this way will build muscular mass, density and strength.

Use lighter weights and larger numbers of reps on occasion, such as 20 to 25 reps per set using weight equivalent to 30 percent of your maximum. Exercising in this way will maximize your muscular toning, definition and sculpting, burning away fat and revealing the rock-hard muscles you've developed with low-rep strength training exercises.

Consume a diet rich in protein, complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fat. Your diet should ideally consist of about 15 to 25 percent protein, 10 to 30 percent fat and 45 to 75 percent carbohydrates. If you're extremely active, which you should be in order to achieve a rock-hard body, plan on consuming about 1 gram of protein per day for every pound of body weight.

Engage in cardiovascular exercise such as swimming, running and cycling to burn additional fat and achieve a lean, cut appearance without sacrificing muscle tissue. Perform low-intensity cardio four times per week or high-intensity cardio two times per week. Cardio will also enhance your physical endurance, giving you more energy to tackle intense weight training sessions.

Tips

Use a whey protein supplement to meet your daily protein requirements if you aren't getting the recommended amounts in your diet.

Warnings

Consult your doctor before adopting a strength-training program, especially if you have joint problems.