How To Get Ripped Fast

Building and maintaining an appreciable amount of muscle mass while maintaining a low level of body fat can be one of the toughest challenges in fitness.

It's not all that difficult to be big and bulky with a belly to match it (i.e. big guy at the gym with XXXL sleeveless t-shirt hiding his gut). Simply lifting weights and maintaining a calorie surplus is one way to get big, but not the kind of big you probably want.

It's also not all that difficult to look skinny and atrophied (i.e. marathon runner with six pack abs and noodle arms). Consuming far fewer calories than you are burning while performing endless cardiovascular sessions will leave you with a malnourished appearance, not exactly what you were looking for either.

My definition of ripped is a low body fat level combined with a respectable amount of muscle mass. So, how do you achieve this?

The Best Way To Get Ripped

For starters, to get ripped fast and lose body fat you must be in a calorie deficit, no two ways around it. You must burn more calories than you are consuming. But, along with a calorie deficit comes the unwanted risk of actually losing muscle.

How to get ripped without losing muscle: To prevent muscle loss during periods of caloric deficit, it is extremely important that you get enough protein in your diet. During these periods, I recommend a minimum of 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily, spread out over 5-6 meals. If you weigh 180 pounds, you will need 180-270 grams of protein per day (about 30-45 grams per meal). No kidding. See muscle building foods.

Performing cardiovascular exercises on a regular basis will help ensure that you are in a calorie deficit. Short duration bouts of cardio performed at high intensity are more effective, for burning fat and sparing muscle, than long duration low intensity workouts. See HIIT (high intensity interval training). To reduce body fat, strive to burn approximately 500 more calories than you are consuming each day.

How To Get Ripped Fast

The best way to get ripped fast is by building muscle through resistance training (weight training). The addition of new lean muscle means you are burning more calories per day than you were without it. Losing muscle, on the other hand, means a slower metabolism. You will not get ripped fast with a slow metabolism. Lift weights 3-4 days per week to build, or at least maintain, muscle mass. See fitness training programs for comprehensive workouts.

How To Get Ripped Abs

Ripped abs are the product of low body fat levels combined with a strong muscular midsection. There is no need to perform endless sets of crunches and side bends (my pet peeve exercise), when your time will be far better served training your larger muscle groups and performing cardio. Train your abs for 15 minutes, 2-3 times per week. That's all you really need.

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