Get Ripped

Work out to get ripped and you will get the respect from the other gym rats. While "getting ripped" seems like a matter of more gym time and intense weight lifting, the most important factor involved is actually …diet. Because getting ripped is about much more than a simple increase in muscle size and appearance. It is about lean muscle development and definition brought about through simultaneous fat loss and muscle growth.

The major challenge of ripping the muscles is time. Muscle growth and development takes a considerable amount of time, effort, and attention to detail in terms of diet and workout regimen. However, approaching this goal from the perspective of health, rather than appearance, will get you to your goal more quickly and the results will be longer lasting.

Since getting lean is really about a 70% dietary effort, you should prioritize your efforts here first and foremost. The key in getting ripped is to consume fewer calories than you need in order to maintain your weight so that you are losing fat and holding onto your muscle. Meal timing and foods consume are critical, and should be scheduled around your workouts for maximum pre-workout energy and maximum post-workout burn. Perhaps the most important nutritional element to ripping the muscles, however, is protein. Aim to consume at least one gram per pound of your body weight to prevent muscle loss and encourage the weight loss to drop from your fat stores first.

Other than protein, there are no specific foods to eat when aiming for a ripped physique. It's more about caloric intake. Multiply your body weight by 11 for an accurate calorie consumption goal. This, plus the the one gram of protein per body weight will ensure that the loss comes from fat, not muscle. Plan to get 15% of your remaining calories from lean fat and the rest from carbohydrates for the perfect protein/fat/carb balance.

Although nutrition is the key factor in muscle development, when it comes to the actual weight lifting component, less is more. When designing a workout to get ripped, cut back on the total number of reps and sets you perform while maintaining intensity to preserve muscle tissue mass. If you used to perform four sets of chest presses at 6 reps and 200 pounds, decrease that to 2 sets of chest presses at 6 reps and 200 pounds and try and decrease your time between sets.

Additional considerations when you are focused on getting ripped: Focus on targeting as many muscle groups as possible without individual muscle isolation. Lifts like the bench press, squat, shoulder press, deadlift, and row, for example will keep all the muscle groups functioning together and, most critical, will maintain balance in all muscle groups.

Cardio is the final, essential component. And you don't need much. To avoid plateaus, consider doing one or two sprint cardio sessions per week, for greater fat burning and minimal muscle loss. High intensity interval training is best for quick fat loss.

Ultimately, a balanced approach to diet, weight lifting and cardio is essential to achieving a ripped physique. And by working smarter rather than harder, you can create a ripped appearance within a healthy body.