How To Get Shredded 101: Easy Step By Step Guide To Get Lean
Who doesn't want to get shredded at some point? Especially in today's age, where fitness influencers show their impressive physiques online, chances are you'll want to get a similar look.
Yet, as much as you want to get ripped, many people simply don't know how to make that happen. Sure, they may work out, but that alone won't help you reach your dream physique.
To get a ripped, lean body, you will have to know how to eat, train, and recover properly. You'll have to eat the right foods in the correct quantities. It's going to be essential to stay consistent throughout this process.
In this article, we'll guide you through every step it takes to build a ripped physique. Follow these steps, and you'll see your body composition change drastically.
How Long Does It Take to Get Shredded?
Let's start with the basics. Whenever we talk about getting shredded, there's undoubtedly a deluge of questions asking how long it will take.
In all honesty, though, it's a difficult question to answer. The amount of time it will take to get shredded depends on your body's current fat percentage, genetics, and current physique.
If you're starting from a point where you're already in decent shape and have a regular habit of exercising, you could begin to see results in just a matter of weeks.
However, if you have a high body fat percentage, it will be a different story. In that case, you'll most likely spend months before reaching your goal.
The trick, though, is to push yourself to your limits and be consistent. Building a shredded body will undoubtedly take a lot of time and discipline, but anyone can get there with the right mindset.
How to Get Shredded as Fast as Possible
Don’t expect to work out a couple of times a week and wake up with a ripped body. Getting shredded simply doesn’t happen overnight.
Instead, you’ll have to reduce your body’s fat percentage before any gains become visible. Remember, a ripped body isn’t just strong—it’s also lean.
To reduce your body fat percentage, you’ll have to create a caloric deficit, i.e., consuming fewer calories than your body needs. By reducing your caloric intake, your body will start to burn its fat stores, melting away fat to expose your muscles underneath.
Let’s break down this process into multiple steps to help you better understand how its works.
It won’t happen overnight, but with dedication and determination, you’ll soon burn through pounds of fat and build the shredded body of a Greek god.
Step 1: Create a Caloric Deficit
The first and by far the most crucial step to getting shredded is to create a caloric deficit. Without inducing a deficit, your body will not be able to burn fat, leaving you in a position to only build muscle without getting ripped.
You can induce a caloric deficit by either reducing your calorie intake or increasing the number of calories you burn through exercise. Ideally, though, you should do both.
Reducing your calorie intake will help reduce the amount of fat that your body storage while exercising will help tone your muscles and give you the ripped physique you desire.
But what if you're unsure how many calories you should be eating? We recommend using a caloric calculator to estimate your daily caloric. These are often based on age, height, weight, and activity level.
Once you know how many calories you need, aim to create a deficit of between 300 to 500 calories each day.
So, let's say your caloric maintenance is 2500 per day. To burn fat and get leaner, you'll need to consume between 2200 to 2000 calories.
This will help create a healthy calorie deficit that will promote weight loss without making you feel too hungry. If you create a larger deficit, chances are that you will also lose muscle mass, which has to be avoided at all costs.
During this time, it's incredibly important that you track your macros. We'll go into greater detail about this in the next step, but be aware that what you eat also matters, not just how much you eat.
Simply feasting on processed sugars and fatty junk food isn't going to build a ripped body.
Step 2: Setting Your Macronutrient Goals
Macronutrients are the three major groups of nutrients that the human body needs in large quantities to function. They are present in all foods, but some foods are richer in some macros than others.
These three types of nutrients are protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Although these three macronutrients are essential to a healthy diet, you must manage what you eat as you enter a caloric deficit.
The ideal macronutrient ratio will vary depending on your goals, but, as a general rule of thumb, when getting shredded, you should aim for:
- 30 - 40% Protein
- 30 - 40% Carbohydrates
- 15 - 20% Fats
It's more important to consume these macronutrients from healthy food sources, that way you know you're getting quality macros rather than simple or processed versions.
Healthy proteins, for example, are found in lean meats such as chicken and fish, low-fat dairy products, and nuts.
For carbs, try to stick with complex varieties, such as what you'd find in whole-grain bread, brown rice, and vegetables.
For fats, avoid fried foods and opt instead for olive oil, avocados, and salmon.
By consuming more proteins and complex carbs, you'll stay full for longer. This is even more true for proteins, which take more time and energy to break down than carbs and fats.
Protein is also incredibly important for building a ripped body, as it helps repair your muscles after a workout.
Conversely, simple carbs like candy and cake are quickly digested and cause spikes in insulin levels. These insulin spikes can promote weight gain and make it harder to lose fat.
So, while you still need carbs to function, complex carbs like sweet potatoes and brown rice are a better option when trying to get shredded.
Of course, the occasional cheat meal every once in a while won't ruin your progress. With that said, make sure to stay disciplined.
Step 3: Exercise Intensively
Besides having your nutrition in order, it's also important to train properly and intensively. To get shredded, it's recommended to do both weightlifting and cardio 3 to 5 times per week.
By doing both, you'll be able to tone your muscles while reducing your body fat percentage, resulting in the ripped physique you desire.
Weightlifting is by far the most crucial aspect of your training. It helps build lean muscle mass as well as strength. You must focus on every muscle group in the body, not just a selective few.
By training your entire body, you'll get a good and balanced physique that will look much more aesthetically pleasing. Educate yourself on the different types of routines, and incorporate compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. A good routine we often recommend is PPL - this routine splits your workouts up into a push day, pull day, and leg day.
Cardio, in particular, is essential as it helps improve your cardiovascular health while also burning calories. It's not a must to do cardio to get shredded, but it does help create a more significant caloric deficit.
There are different types of cardio you can do. Most people prefer walking on the treadmill or stairmaster, but you can choose whichever you prefer.
Don't forget to give your muscles time to recover between workouts. Your muscles grow when they're at rest, not when working out. So, take at least one or two days off each week to let your muscles recover.
You should also get enough sleep at night, as this is when your body does most of its repair work.
Step 4: Give Your Body Enough Rest
Working out helps build muscle by breaking down muscle tissue. This is a process that happens when you put stress on your muscles, and it's how your body adapts to the new demands being placed on it.
When you work out, your muscles are subjected to a greater force than they're used to, which causes them to break down.
The breakdown of muscle tissue is actually a good thing because it's how your body builds new cells. When your muscles break down, your body needs to repair them, and in order to do that, it has to build new muscle tissue.
The more frequently you work out, the more often your muscles will break down, and the more new muscle tissue your body will have to build.
Therefore, in between workouts, you must give your body enough rest. This is when your muscles grow and repair themselves, becoming stronger in the process.
When you work out without giving your muscles time to recover, you put yourself at risk of developing overuse injuries. To avoid this, we recommend taking one or two days off each week.
In addition to taking days off from the gym, you should also make sure you're getting enough sleep at night. Most people need around 7-8 hours of sleep each night but if you're trying to get shredded, you may need even more.
Sleep is crucial for muscle growth and recovery so be sure to get plenty of shut-eye if you want to build a ripped body.
Supplements to Help You Get Shredded
When you first set out on the journey towards a shredded body, you may be interested in a little boost to help you get there.
A selected few supplements out on the market can help support your progress. Keep in mind that these products will only function as a boost; they aren't going to do all the work for you.
We only recommend taking them if your nutrition and training are dialed in. Let's go over the most effective supplements for getting shredded.
Fat Burners
A quality fat burner can help you support your shred journey from various angles. Here's what you can expect from a quality and properly formulated fat burner:
- Accelerated fat loss
- Increased metabolism
- Appetite suppression
- Increased energy levels
As you can see, the above benefits can come in very handy when you are cutting. Especially appetite suppression and increased energy are game-changers when trying to reduce body fat.
Within a few weeks, your body will start to shed more weight thanks to the principles of thermogenic weight loss. Thermogenic fat burners work by increasing your body's internal temperature, causing it to burn more calories, which then leads to more fat being burned.
If you're interested in trying a quality fat burner check out our product Eliminate. It has a highly potent formula that combines the thermogenic power of 13 different active ingredients, researched and backed by clinical trials.
With just four capsules a day, you'll find that it's a fantastic product to take when you're on the road to getting shredded.
Whey Protein
Whey protein powders are a type of protein supplement made from dairy whey. It is commonly used as a dietary supplement, as it provides a large amount of protein per serving.
It is also low in calories, fat, and carbohydrates. Therefore, it's great to implement whey protein into your diet to help hit your daily protein intake.
There are three main types of whey protein:
- Whey concentrate – Whey concentrate is the least processed form of whey protein and contains the highest levels of both lactose and fat.
- Whey isolate – Whey isolate is a more purified form of whey protein and contains lower levels of lactose and fat.
- Whey hydrolysate – Whey hydrolysate is the most processed form of whey protein and is pre-digested, meaning that it is absorbed more quickly by the body.
If you're searching for a top-quality whey protein powder, check out our Huge Whey. Every serving contains roughly 25 grams of protein, which will be great for hitting your protein macros.
On top of that, it's also delicious and comes in four amazing flavors, including chocolate peanut butter, vanilla milkshake, and strawberry cheesecake.
Creatine Monohydrate
Another supplement that you should consider taking on your journey to getting shredded is Creatine monohydrate.
Creatine is undoubtedly one of the most promising and safest natural supplements available. It's known for increasing muscle mass, improving strength, and supporting exercise performance.
When you're trying to get lean, it's important not to lose any muscle mass in the process of doing so. That's where Creatine can help you, as it can help preserve muscle mass and strength.
Our Huge Creatine comes in convenient tablets, with each serving packing the scientifically backed dosage of 5000mg Creatine Monohydrate.
Tips to Help You Get Shredded
As you get further into your diet and exercise routine, you may find that the progress is slower than you anticipated.
If so, we can offer a few tips to help you get shredded faster. Stay committed, stick to these guidelines, and soon enough, you’ll have the body you’re after
Keep Your Protein Intake High
Protein is essential for helping you build and maintain muscle mass. Therefore, it's necessary to make sure that you're consuming enough protein each day.
A good rule of thumb is to consume roughly 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. So, if you weigh 175 pounds, you should be consuming around 175 grams of protein per day.
It's also good to know that a higher protein intake will make you feel fuller, which is a great plus when you're cutting.
You can get your protein from various sources, such as lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy, but if you're struggling to keep your intake high, don't be afraid to supplement.
Whey protein powders are a safe and delicious way to add more protein to your diet.
If you're vegan or lactose intolerant, there are even plant-based protein powder brands. Our Huge Vegan protein packs 20 grams of protein per scoop, which comes from fava bean, mung bean, rice, and peas.
Choose Quality Foods
This one is pretty self-explanatory. It's not just about how much you eat, but also what you eat.
If your diet consists of processed and high-calorie foods, losing fat and building muscle will be challenging. If you want to get shredded, you need to cut out the junk food.
Focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods. These include lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats. Not only are these foods more nutritious, but they're also more filling. This means that you'll be less likely to overeat and sabotage your diet.
Many people don't realize that nutrition is by far the most crucial factor when it comes to getting shredded.
Stay Hydrated
Water is essential for health, and it’s especially important when you’re trying to get shredded.
That’s because water helps flush out toxins and keep your body functioning properly. It also helps to regulate your appetite and keep you feeling full.
When you’re properly hydrated, you’ll have more energy and be less likely to experience cravings. In fact, some studies even suggest that it may improve metabolism.
Therefore, aim to drink 8-10 glasses of water per day and drink even more if you train a lot.
Final Thoughts
Getting shredded is no easy feat. It takes hard work, dedication, and determination. However, by following the steps in this article, you can make it happen.
Remember that the key to getting a ripped body is creating a caloric deficit, setting your macronutrient goals, exercising, and giving your body enough rest.
If you’re struggling to get the body you want, take a look at what you’re consuming. If you’re still eating processed foods, eliminate them and restructure your diet.
Alternatively, consider taking supplements to push your body towards success. Thermogenic fat burners can help you lose weight, while protein supplements can give your muscles the support to grow. Creatine can help you maintain muscle mass and strength in a caloric deficit.
At the end of the day, though, it will still take hard work. Strive to hit the gym as much as possible, and you’ll soon have the body of your dreams.
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