Shredding is the next best thing after adding on pounds of muscle mass. After all, you won’t have a sculpted physique to show off without adding the size first.
Some people are just born with some great-ass genetics that they don’t have to worry about shredding. All they have to do is focus on consuming enough calories so that they can add a few pounds of muscle mass.
And then there are the people who have a hard time shredding. If you’re one of those people, then this bodybuilding 8 week shred program is just the thing you need to succeed!
Sorry to interrupt before you get to the 8 week plan. But if you are willing to upgrade from a free to a premium plan, then you need to take a look at the ultimate 12 week program for Lean Mass.
Boss Workouts not only contains fully explained workout guides, but also a complete nutrition guide and plan.
Backing up the guides in a full online video course. You can rest easy knowing that if you follow Boss Workouts Lean Mass you’ll hit your goals within 30 days.
The 8-week shred program is built around five different phases. Each phase leads off of the other and into the next phase.
Phase 1 (2 weeks) — Hypertrophy
Phase 2 (2 weeks) — Strength
Phase 3 (2 weeks) — Hypertrophy
Phase 4 (1 week) — Shredding
Phase 5 (1-2 weeks) — Maintenance
As mentioned above, each phase builds on the next, piggybacking off of the last phase.
Nutrition is vital to achieving your goal with this shredding program. Without a formulated nutrition plan, your efforts that you’ve put in at the gym are all for nothing.
Each phase has its own unique number of calories that need to be consumed.
Phase 1 — 3,000 kcals
Phase 2 — 2,850 kcals
Phase 3 — 2,725 kcals
Phase 4 — 2625 kcals
Phase 5 — 2,650 kcals
As you can see, the program starts off with 3,000 calories in the first phase and then easily tapers down into the last phase.
These calories won’t be a one-size-fits-all scheme concerning macronutrients. However, everyone will be consuming 3,000 calories at first, but not everyone will consume the same number of protein, carbs, and fats.
Before we get to explaining your macro needs, keep in mind that a gram of protein and carbohydrates are equal to 4 calories, and a gram of fat is equal to 9 calories.
The way that your macronutrient needs are calculated will be as follows:
1. Calculate Protein
First, you’ll have to determine what your protein intake should be. Do this by multiplying your bodyweight (in pounds) with 1.1 — 1.3. Whatever number you end up with, put that number to the 3,000 calories.
So, if you weigh 180 pounds, you would do this:
180 x 1.3
= 234 grams of protein
To get the number of calories from that, you’ll need to multiply 234 with 4.
234 x 4
= 936 calories
Now take the 936 calories and put it towards the 3,000. So, 936 calories out of the 3,000 are reserved for protein.
2. Calculate Fat
Next, you’ll have to determine your fat intake. To get the number of calories and grams from fat, you’ll have to repeat the same process as above, except this time, multiply your bodyweight with 0.4 — 0.5.
Remember to multiply that number with 9. For example:
180 x 0.5
= 90 grams of fat
To get the number of calories from that, you’ll need to multiply 90 with 9.
90 x 9
= 810 calories
Like with protein, take the 810 calories and put it towards the 3,000. So, 810 calories out of the 3,000 are reserved for fat. Add that with your protein and you’ll have a total of 1,746 calories that are reserved for protein and fat.
3. Calculate Carbs
All that’s left is to get the number of carbs that you’ll need to consume. This one is really straightforward. All you have to do is fill the remaining calories with carbs.
3,000 – 1,746
= 1,254 calories for carbs
1,254 / 4
= 314 grams of carbs that our 180-pound fictional subject needs to consume.
To reduce your calories with each phase, you’ll have to do it as such:
Phase 2 — Reduce calories by 5% by reducing carb and fat intake
Phase 3 — Reduce calories by 5% by reducing carb and fat intake
Phase 4 — Reduce calories by 5% by reducing carb and fat intake
Phase 5 — Add 1-2% more calories than Phase 4 by adding to protein and carbs
In total, you’ll be consuming 6 meals (including snacks) each day throughout the whole 8 weeks of shredding. With regards to meal timing, try to eat every 2-3 hours to ensure that you get all of your calories in before the day ends.
Remember that you need to adjust each meal to suit your macronutrient needs. For this reason, quantities of the foods are not included in this plan. Make sure to eat your pre-workout meal an hour to an hour-and-a-half before you train.
Pre-workout Meal (Consumed before your workout)
Meal 1 (Breakfast)
Snack (2 hours after breakfast)
Meal 2
Meal 3
Meal 4 (Evening snack)
With the program broken down into 5 phases, it’ll be easier to break the training cycles up. The movements will remain the same throughout the entire 8 weeks of training, but the exercises will be alternated with different variations.
The variations will be included in the program below, so all you need to do is choose one and stick to it for that training phase.
Training sessions will be performed in either the morning, afternoons or evenings. The training programs are laid out in detail below.
Training Days: Monday — Chest, Tuesday — Arms, Wednesday — Back, Thursday — Shoulders, Friday — Legs.
Note: In Phase 3 of hypertrophy, add 1 set to every exercise.
Flat Barbell/DB/Machine Bench Press — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Flat DB Flye/Pec Deck — 4 sets, 12-15 reps
Incline Barbell/DB/Machine Press — 4 sets, 8-12 reps
Incline DB/Cable Flye — 4 sets, 15-20 reps
Parallel Bar Dips — 3 sets, failure
Barbell/DB/Cable Curl — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Close-grip Bench Press/Bench Dips — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Incline DB/Hammer Curls — 4 sets, 12-15 reps
Tricep Pressdowns (Vary attachments) — 4 sets, 15-20 reps
Planks — 3 sets, 30 seconds
Bent-over Barbell/DB Row — 4 sets, 8 reps
Pullups/Pulldowns — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Seated Cable Rows — 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Reverse Push-ups — 3 sets, failure
Seated Military/DB Press — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Arnold Press/Behind-the-neck BB Press — 4 sets, 12-15 reps
Side DB/Cable Lateral Raises — 4 sets, 12-15 reps
Bent-over DB/Cable Raises — 3 sets, 12-15 reps
DB/Barbell Shrugs — 4 sets, 15-20 reps
Planks — 3 sets, 30 seconds
Back/Front Squat — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Split Squat/Walking Lunges — 3 sets, 12 reps/steps per foot
Leg Extensions — 4 sets, 15-20 reps
Barbell/DB Stiff-leg Deadlift — 4 sets, 12-15 reps
Lying/Seated/Standing Leg Curls — 4 sets, 15-20 reps
Standing/Seated/Donkey Calf Raises — 8 sets, 12-20 reps
Training Days: Monday — Squat, Tuesday — Bench Press, Wednesday — Deadlift, Friday — Squat, Saturday — Bench Press.
Low Bar Squat — 5 sets, 5 reps
Olympic Squat — 3 sets, 8 reps
Low Bar Pause Squats — 3 set, 5-8 reps
Planks — 3 sets, 30 seconds
Medium Grip Bench Press — 5 sets, 5 reps
Close-grip Bench Press — 3 sets, 8 reps
Spoto Press — 3 set, 5-8 reps
DB Skull Crushers — 5 sets, 12 reps
Deadlifts — 5 sets, 5 reps
3″ Block Pulls — 3 sets, 8 reps
Stiff Leg Deadlifts — 3 set, 5-8 reps
Training Days: Monday — Chest, Tuesday — Arms, Wednesday — Back, Thursday — Shoulders, Friday — Legs.
Note: Superset the exercises with the matching letters, i.e. superset “a” with “a” and “b” with “b”.
a) Flat Barbell/DB/Machine Bench Press — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
a) Flat DB Flye/Pec Deck — 4 sets, 12-15 reps
Incline Barbell/DB/Machine Press — 4 sets, 8-12 reps
Incline DB/Cable Flye — 4 sets, 15-20 reps
Parallel Bar Dips — 3 sets, failure
a) Barbell/DB/Cable Curl — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
a) Close-grip Bench Press/Bench Dips — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
b) Incline DB/Hammer Curls — 4 sets, 12-15 reps
b) Tricep Pressdowns (Vary attachments) — 4 sets, 15-20 reps
Planks — 3 sets, 30 seconds
Bent-over Barbell/DB Row — 4 sets, 8 reps
Pullups/Pulldowns — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
a) Seated Cable Rows — 4 sets, 10-12 reps
a) Reverse Push-ups — 3 sets, failure
a) Seated Military/DB Press — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
b) Arnold Press/Behind-the-neck BB Press — 4 sets, 12-15 reps
a) Side DB/Cable Lateral Raises — 4 sets, 12-15 reps
b) Bent-over DB/Cable Raises — 3 sets, 12-15 reps
DB/Barbell Shrugs — 4 sets, 15-20 reps
Planks — 3 sets, 30 seconds
Back/Front Squat — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
a) Split Squat/Walking Lunges — 3 sets, 12 reps/steps per foot
a) Leg Extensions — 4 sets, 15-20 reps
b) Barbell/DB Stiff-leg Deadlift — 4 sets, 12-15 reps
b) Lying/Seated/Standing Leg Curls — 4 sets, 15-20 reps
Standing/Seated/Donkey Calf Raises — 8 sets, 12-20 reps
Training Days: Monday — Chest, Tuesday — Arms, Wednesday — Back, Thursday — Shoulders, Friday — Legs.
Flat Barbell/DB/Machine Bench Press — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Flat DB Flye/Pec Deck — 3 sets, 12-15 reps
Incline Barbell/DB/Machine Press — 4 sets, 8-12 reps
Incline DB/Cable Flye — 3 sets, 15-20 reps
Parallel Bar Dips — 3 sets, 12 reps
Barbell/DB/Cable Curl — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Close-grip Bench Press/Bench Dips — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Incline DB/Hammer Curls — 3 sets, 12 reps
Tricep Pressdowns (Vary attachments) — 3 sets, 12 reps
Planks — 3 sets, 30 seconds
Bent-over Barbell/DB Row — 4 sets, 8 reps
Pullups/Pulldowns — 3 sets, 8-10 reps
Seated Cable Rows — 3 sets, 10-12 reps
Reverse Push-ups — 3 sets, 12 reps
Seated Military/DB Press — 4 sets, 8-10 reps
Arnold Press/Behind-the-neck BB Press — 3 sets, 12 reps
Side DB/Cable Lateral Raises — 3 sets, 12 reps
Bent-over DB/Cable Raises — 3 sets, 12 reps
DB/Barbell Shrugs — 4 sets, 12 reps
Planks — 3 sets, 30 seconds
Back/Front Squat — 4 sets, 8 reps
Leg Extensions — 4 sets, 12 reps
Barbell/DB Stiff-leg Deadlift — 4 sets, 12 reps
Lying/Seated/Standing Leg Curls — 3 sets, 12 reps
Standing/Seated/Donkey Calf Raises — 8 sets, 12 reps
We hope this program that we’ve laid out for you will help you to achieve your goals. And that it also teaches you to take a step in the right direction with your training.
This program isn’t the easiest to follow, but it sure is rewarding when followed down to every jot and tittle.
Remember to follow each phase accordingly as-well-as reducing your calories as you begin to advance in each phase. This program won’t turn you into a Mr. Olympia competitor, but it will certainly help point you into the right direction.
This post was last modified on January 27, 2020 2:15 pm
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View Comments
Hi
Hello! How much rest should be taken each exercise/ phase? 60sec. Or 90sec.?
Ta! ???
Hey there,
Take as much rest as you need/want before moving onto he next exercise. The science is out on how much you need to rest, as both short and long times have their benefits that can somewhat cancel out the other.
Thanks,
Chad
T.y.
Phase means a whole week. Means phase 1 = 1st week?
Reading must be hard for you...
Here you go:
The 5 phases:
Phase 1 (2 weeks) — Hypertrophy
Phase 2 (2 weeks) — Strength
Phase 3 (2 weeks) — Hypertrophy
Phase 4 (1 week) — Shredding
Phase 5 (1-2 weeks) — Maintenance
As mentioned above, each phase builds on the next, piggybacking off of the last phase.