You’re here for one thing, bro. You’re driven to get results that scream ‘ripped! It’s time to get those abs popping, your chest looking like it’s carved from stone, and vascular biceps surging under single digit body fat. This is SpotMeBro’s ‘How to Get Ripped, Fast!’
Article Brodown:
- Step 1 – Mindset
- Step 2 – Planning
- Step 3 – Training & Routines
- Step 4 – Nutrition
- Step 6 – Supplementation
- Final Rep
Step 1 – Mindset
Unless you’re born a genetic freak or a member of the anabolic X-Men, getting ripped means something. Your sheer definition shouts dedication. The lean mass strapped to your shoulders signals a man built for precision.
You’re like a finely tuned piece of machinery that’s perfectly engineered to the tiniest detail. If you were to lift your shirt right now, you’d unveil a set of abs to put Ronaldo or Ryan Gosling to shame. Your muscle tissue cuts through minimal body fat like a razors edge.
Well, almost… First you need to embrace the get ripped mindset!
This way of thinking is all about prioritizing your physique. You don’t cave in to cravings at the first itch. You don’t skip workouts just because you know it’s a tough session that awaits.
Damn, bro, you’ll even turn down an invite to the club, because you’re not about that party life anymore. You’re the guy who measures his macros, wipes the floor with his workouts and doesn’t make excuses! There’s a reason you look like you do.
Step 2 – Planning
So far so good, you’ve decided to make a change. You’re gonna do everything it takes to achieve ripped status and God help anyone who gets in the way. Now it’s time to plan!
Planning your road to ripped will only require a few things. Firstly, you’ll ideally want to set aside a minimum of four to six weeks to see real results. This means putting a big red line through 28-42 days on the calendar for your new lifestyle. Don’t panic, a day off here and there is all part of the process.
Secondly, you want to make sure nothing is gonna clash with your routine. Once you start hitting your macros and have a gym routine on lockdown, you’ve mastered the hardest part. Jet-setting away for a 14-day all-inclusive vacation half way through isn’t the best idea.
So, to set yourself up for success, plan your efforts around a month when you’re not busy. It also pays to grab yourself a gym membership and familiarize yourself with the grocery store. Remember, bro, he who fails to prepare, prepares to fail.
Step 3 – Training & Routines
The best part about getting ripped is the training, fact! Wanna fight about it? Didn’t think so, bro.
Remember when everyone thought treadmills set in the ‘fat-burning zone’ held all the answers? Damn, when you look back it’s kind of funny, almost archaic.
There we were jogging like chubby hamsters on a rubber wheel. Little did we know that we were wasting our gainz away only to end up skinny-fat.
How are you gonna look ripped if there’s no muscle to reveal? Screw that noise!
Body Recomposition: The New Way to Get Ripped
Modern science states that one of the best ways to get ripped is with intensity [1]. If you’re eating enough protein, ramping up your efforts will create a double-blast for both fat and muscle. Not only will you melt away unwanted adipose tissue, but you’ll build a powerful physique too.
You can burn fat super effectively by throwing barbells, slamming stacks of plates and embracing a life or iron. After all, upping the intensity in the weight room sure is hard work – just think of the fuel destroyed!
Strangely enough, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) works in a similar way. Pushing the pace at an all-time high requires oxygen to be processed at an alarming rate to supply your muscles. Again, this takes a helluva lot of energy.
Not only does weight training and HIIT blast through calories like a lightsaber through butter, but it builds muscle too. You’re gonna be doing both over the next few weeks, so buckle up brother.
This process of fat burning alongside muscle maintenance/gain is known as Body Recomposition. Rather than focus on dropping pounds from anywhere, including muscle, you instead melt away fat and stack rock hard mass. You’re literally changing up all the ratio of fat to muscle under your skin, effectively recomposing your physique.
Forget the broscience, bro! It really is possible to grab the gainz from both worlds.
Crush Calories with Compound Lifts
When it comes to crushing calories, compound lifts are king. These are multi-joint movements that recruit hella muscle fibers and get you jacked. Understandably, compounds call upon a ton of energy to perform.
In a study where compound exercises were compared against isolation moves for energy expenditure, the multi-joint ones came up on top. Therefore, you’ll burn more kcals by hitting ‘em hard.
Also, because of the superb level of muscle fiber recruitment, they’re killer for gainz. You’ll have the potential to build full body muscle in a shorter timeframe, meaning you won’t need a six-day bro split.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for isolation exercises, though. You can use these single joint moves to take out certain parts with sniper precision. When programming isolation moves, we recommend you throw them in after your big compound lifts.
HIIT Fat in the Face
HIIT training doesn’t leave anyone on the fence. Bro’s either love it or shake at the sight of the four-letter abbreviation. Either way it’s a badass way to hit fat in the face!
HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. That means going ham at whatever you’re doing for a (typically) short space of time. When we say going hardcore, it’s strictly >80% maximum intensity. After that you usually enjoy a small recovery period before going again. It ain’t for the faint hearted if that’s what you’re wondering.
However, it appears to be worth it!
One study published in the Journal of Obesity showed that obese young men participating in HIIT had a significant 17% reduction in visceral body fat [3]. Not only that, but their fat free mass increased as well. There are other studies to back up the evidence too [4].
What did we say, bro? Double-barrel gainz grenade! Fire in the hole.
Okay, less of the science. It’s time to work out!
SpotMeBro’s 12 for 12
Smash this CrossFit inspired EMOM workout to build muscle and burn fat. The rules are pretty simple; you grab the bar and perform 12 reps every minute, on the minute, for 12 rounds. Whatever time is left on the clock after your finished set you rest.
It’s been created with compounds in mind to achieve a full body blast. Plus, by incorporating everything from legs to shoulders, you’ll have no trouble getting your heart rate up.
Try to use a weight that makes the reps challenging but allows you to work at speed. Form? Let’s keep it good, bro. You don’t have time to sit crying in the emergency room.
Remember, it’s about intensity too. So, don’t b*tch out! Keep your RPE between 8-10 throughout the whole workout.
12 for 12 EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute)
12 reps for 12 minutes
Total reps: 144
How many times per week: 3 or 4
Training Tip: We actively encourage you to change up these exercises from time to time. It’ll help keep things fresh and create a well-balanced physique. Also, aim to have at least one rest day a week, two or three if you’re a beginner.
Fat Torching Tabata
This you’ve got what it takes to crush the hardest four-minute workout of your life? Let’s do this!
Tabata’s are perfect for fitting a cardio inspired session into a short space of time. Again, it’s all about intensity.
This is your HIIT session for the week at a ratio of 1:1. Go next to all-out for 30 seconds, then rest for the same amount of time. Once you’ve clocked in a full four minutes that’s one round in the bag. Rest for a few minutes before taking on the next one.
Four Minute Fat Torching Tabata
Work:Rest = 1:1 = 30:30
Rounds: 3 to 5
- Battle rope waves – 30 seconds
- Battle rope slams – 30 seconds
- Kettlebell swings – 30 seconds
- Box jumps – 30 seconds
Total work: 20 minutes
How many times a week: 3 to 4
Training Tip: As we’ve just mentioned it’s good to mix things up a little. Trying new exercises that allow you to safely up the intensity, build new skills and accelerate your fitness development.
Great movements to include are; pushups, crunches, burpees, medicine ball slams, jump rope and air-dyne sprints. Weighted exercises are also encouraged if your form is tight.
For a different approach…
Sights set on a more bodybuilding-based approach infused with HIIT? Try this 4-week workout plan instead.
Alternatively, if you’re all about that bending the barbell life check out: 4 Barbell Complex Workouts for Killer Conditioning
Step 4 – Nutrition
Six packs aren’t just sculped in sweat. Creating a hard and chiseled frame is a task for the kitchen too.
If you’re like the most of us, you won’t rock single digit body fat naturally. Instead you’ll have to eat at either calorie maintenance or in a deficit to stay lean. When it comes down to it the science is pretty simple; calories in cannot surpass calories out.
Therefore, to get ripped you should focus on a nutritious diet, rich in whole foods. Filling your plate with protein will also protect your muscle mass, while keeping you full.
Do we really have to tell you to stay away from the cake and candy? Nope! Although it’s cool to enjoy one tasty cheat meal per week.
Before you go out and raid the grocery store, there’s just one thing. You’ve gotta work out just how much you need to eat…
Eating for weight loss and maintenance
Depending on where you are in terms of body fat, you either want to lose or maintain weight. Let’s just be clear that when we say weight, we mean fat mass only.
In order to lose weight, you must eat less calories than you burn. This will force your body to tap into your unwanted adipose tissue to make up for the lack of energy coming in. See it like withdrawing cash (fuel) from your very own fatty-ATM machine.
To maintain, all you need to do is keep calories the same. It really is as simple as that, bro.
To find out your average calorie burn for a day, work out your BMR and multiply it by your activity level. For those wondering, BMR means Basal Metabolic Rate, which is the energy required to maintain life at its most basic level. Here’s how to discover yours:
BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) – ( 6.8 x age in years )
Then, multiply your BMR by your activity level:
Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR x 1.2
Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375
Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55
Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): BMR x 1.725
Extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training): BMR x 1.9
Got it, bro? Sweet. Now minus 10-25% to enter a comfortable calorie deficit. Alternatively, keep your caloreis the same to maintain current levels of body fat.
Tip: Keep tracking your calorie maintenance because it declines as you get lighter.
Macronutrients for getting ripped
Your body uses three types of nutrient for energy:
- Carbohydrates – 4kcal per gram
- Fats – 9 kcal per gram
- Protein – 4 kcal per gram
Ideally, you never want to resort to protein for fuel. Once your body starts breaking down muscle tissue to generate glycogen, you’ve messed up and can expect to lose lean mass.
Fortunately, to stop this from happening, you just need to eat the proper amount of carbs and fats. We’ll cover this now bro, don’t worry.
A great macro breakdown for getting ripped is as follows:
- Carbohydrates – 35%
- Fats – 15%
- Protein – 50%
Tip: To stay on top of your daily intake we also recommend you embrace meal prepping. Batch cooking and getting a bunch of dishes ready beforehand will make tracking much easier.
Carbs
Your body’s preferred source of energy is carbohydrates. Digestive enzymes in your mouth already start breaking them down while you’re chewing to unleash their sugary energy. Ever wondered why donuts taste so damn good?
Carbs are essentially saccharides strung together in chains. Digestive enzymes get to work breaking down the bonds to unleash glucose, which is then stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. When necessary this glycogen can then be regenerated into useable glucose.
Depending on how intricate and expansive these chains are, the carb will be either complex or simple. Complex carbs supply a slow release of energy, simple sugars are almost instant.
How you approach carbs can make or break a ripped physique. Want to know more, bro? Check out these two guides for a complete carbohydrate low-down for getting lean:
- Carb Cycling 101: A Detailed Guide to Carb Cycling for Weight Loss
- Carbs and Weight Loss in Bodybuilding: A Complete Guide
Fats
Your second favorite energy source as far as your body is concerned, fats are essential for your health.
Fats can be burned to fuel aerobic activity. Consider this as low intense stuff like walking, jogging, swimming, and scrolling through SpotMeBro.com.
However, there’s a lot more to the calorie dense dudes than that. Fats are vitally important for keeping your hormones and nerve health optimized.
This means they can directly influence testosterone. Your body uses the cholesterol inside healthy fats to make pregnenolone, which is a precursor to the alpha-male androgen hormone. Been avoiding this food group in an attempt to lose weight? Reconsider immediately, bro.
Key point? Don’t skimp on the fats. Measure each serving out in line with your macro intake and keep your hormones healthy. For a detailed guide chow down on:
Protein
Anybody who’s lifted a weight in their life knows protein. They also understand it’s a pretty big deal in the world of physique development. But let’s just try to forget about the image of sweet-smelling shakes for a minute. It’s time to taste the science…
Protein is the undisputed heavyweight champion of muscle building. It’s the very building blocks that make your lean mass and is found in every cell in the body. As you can imagine it’s vitally important for your physique.
When you work out you inflict damage on muscle tissue. To fix this, your body sends amino acids taken from the protein you eat to the trauma site to patch things up.
Imagine it like a NASCAR pitstop crew working endlessly to rebuild the most powerful racing car ever. But, instead of a roaring engine encased in metal, we’re talking about the striated muscle on your back.
Studies also show that a high-protein diet trumps a standard diet for weight loss. Far from a one trick anabolic pony, protein torches fat by boosting the metabolism, building/maintaining lean mass, and helping dieters crush hunger [5] [6].
Do you have your amino acids on lockdown? Take a look at this to find out:
Step 6 – Supplementation
When you’re thrashing tirelessly in the gym your diet needs to be the bulletproof. Choosing the right supplement stack is one way of making sure every single base is covered too.
Here are the essentials for getting ripped:
- Creatine – shown to improve overall strength, power, and size gains
- Protein powder – used to conveniently bolster intake throughout the day
- Pre-workout – power through the biggest lifts with a batch of high-quality energy
- Fat burners – melt away stubborn body fat with scientifically backed thermogenic compounds
- Testosterone boosters – taken to optimize androgen hormones, promote the building of lean mass and help minimize fat distribution
Tip: Going cheap and easy might seem like a good idea on your wallet, but you might be cutting corners on your physique. Look for a supplement doused in research from a reputable company first.
Final Rep
Take our advice and use it to become the most ripped you’ve ever been. Sail onto a sea of single digit body fat and unleash your inner physique.
Embrace the life of being ripped. Live, breathe, and eat your way to the physique every man wants, but only few ever achieve.
Being peeled is now your lifestyle. It ain’t just a pipedream, brother.
Then, once you get there, don’t stop. Keep chasing perfection and build upon the dominant, alpha-male physique you’ve created.
It’s a lot harder to lose fat than it is to keep it off, so don’t be tempted to slip into old habits. We know you won’t, though. Not now you look and feel like a superhero.
Good luck getting ripped, bro. We’ll be seeing you when you’re shredded.
References
- Reis V,et al. Energy cost of isolated resistance exercises across low- to high-intensities. PLoS ONE. 2017
- Paoli A, et al. Resistance Training with Single vs. Multi-joint Exercises at Equal Total Load Volume: Effects on Body Composition, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Muscle Strength. Front Physiol. 2017
- Heydari M, et al. The Effect of High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise on Body Composition of Overweight Young Males. J Obes. 2012
- Zhang H, et al. Comparable Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training and Prolonged Continuous Exercise Training on Abdominal Visceral Fat Reduction in Obese Young Women. J Diabetes Res. 2017
- Campos-Nonato I, et al. Effect of a High-Protein Diet versus Standard-Protein Diet on Weight Loss and Biomarkers of Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Obes Facts. 2017
- Halton T, et al. The Effects of High Protein Diets on Thermogenesis, Satiety and Weight Loss: A Critical Review. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004
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