You've got the gains, and now it is time to get shredded. After all, what good is it to have the muscles and not fully show them off to their best potential? The internet is full of 'get shredded in 7 days guides'; this is not one of those articles. Getting shredded in a healthy and realistic time frame is vital to maintaining the shred.
What is getting shredded?
Getting shredded is the art of reducing body fat to as low as possible. Getting shredded reduces not only body fat but also enhances the appearance of muscles. Proper shredding is maintaining muscle mass while removing body fat. Think of it like chiseling out the finer details on a marble statue of a Greek god.
To shred correctly, you need to have muscles underneath the last stubborn layer of fat you are trying to shift. The foundation needs to be present before you can get genuinely shredded. If you are not quite there yet, there is hope in sight; following a healthy shredding plan is a step towards getting fit, lean, and then ultimately shredded.
The blueprint to getting shredded
Any temple has a blueprint, your body is the same, so it only makes sense that your shred has one. Without a solid plan in place, you will struggle to burn fat and maintain muscle groups if you wing it the entire way through.
The following blueprint is perfect for anyone, especially those that fall into the following categories:
#1 FAT TO FIT
If you have a few extra pounds and consider yourself fat, the blueprint is the best place to start and get you in a physically fit state. It is easy to progress towards getting ripped from there. Add an extra 30 days to the shred to get even better results. In a 60 day shred, you can expect to lose between 10-20 lbs.
#2 CHUBBY TO CUT
If you are currently a little chubby with a few extra pounds of belly fat, you can expect to be cut and ripped. The shred will get rid of the last few pounds you have hanging on. That lean physique and abs are in sight. Expect a difference of 10 - 12 lbs.
#3 LEAN TO SHREDDED
You're lean and have the physique; what's next? The ultimate shred in 8 weeks is going to get you chiseled.
Pillars to success
Back to building a temple, all good temples have pillars - these are the three pillars of building muscle and destroying fat:
Pillar 1: The truth about getting ripped
The internet is a haven for getting ripped quick guides; while some might get you ripped in truth, you probably will not enjoy it one bit. The cold reality is getting ripped in 10 days is unrealistic and not sustainable. It takes 21 days to form a habit and change your lifestyle, which is maintainable and consistent. Realistically speaking, the best way to think of shredding is to give yourself 60 days.
It could take less time or a few days extra to get to your exact desired goal. However, once you have the fundamentals down, you will get to your desired state much easier without feeling like your diet consists of dry cardboard. This guide will show you that you can lower your body fat and not compromise your lifestyle or taste buds.
A work of art takes time and dedication
Shredding overnight is not possible; it will destroy your metabolism and set you back. So if you are one of those who wants a quick fix without putting in the work, you will end up with a temporary dopamine hit and the ultimate crash when your metabolism packs out. The time it takes to getting ripped is worth it in the end.
Getting ripped: setting some goals
To get that dream body, you need to be realistic about achieving in the 60-day time frame. There is a lot to learn, mostly about what your body is capable of. The shred will consist of:
Pillar 2: Let's talk about diet
It is not viable to spend hours doing cardio while starving your body of vital nutrients. The idea of eating in a deficit shouldn't do metabolic damage. Instead, you will:
This is achieved by following the 4 steps listed below.
Step one: Calculate your maintenance calories
Calories are perhaps one of the most misunderstood parts of a healthy diet. Many different terms will get thrown around, and you end up confused and completely overloaded with information. We want to avoid that completely.
Maintenance calories are the basic amount of calories you need to support energy expenditure.
Just running a body takes energy and burns a certain amount of fuel - food. To lose a healthy amount of weight, you need to lower that amount by about 500 calories per day to get a consistent weight loss. For drastic weight loss, you can lower your calorie intake by between the 700 - 800 mark.
Don't feel like doing the math every single day? That's fine - you can just use the free SuperHuman Calorie Calculator:
Step two: Determine your protein intake
You need to eat about 1 gram of protein for every pound of body weight. Try to include protein in every meal. If you weigh 200 lbs, you should eat 200g of protein.
Great protein sources include chicken breasts, chicken thigh, ground beef - between 90-96% lean, ground turkey - lean, wild fish, egg whites, whey protein, tuna, and salmon. Whole eggs are also a great source of fats so calculate those appropriately.
Step three: Determine your carb requirements
Carbs are your friend; they are not scary monsters that trash your shred if eaten correctly. The idea is to eat carbs before and directly after a workout, limiting them for the rest of the day.
Much like protein, you need 1g of carb per 1 lb of body weight. Splitting your day up into manageable chunks is a great idea, with a small number of carbs before a workout and the rest after. Eating carbs can spike your blood sugar, so it is best to stick to low carb after your bigger carb fix.
Great carbs consist of oatmeal, jasmine rice, reskin potatoes, blueberries, pineapple, watermelon, bread, quinoa, lentils, whole grain pasta, black beans, and high protein wraps.
Most veggies are carbs but are low in calories, and if you eat the right veg, your blood sugar won't spike, so include loads of fresh green veg in particular.
Step four: Determine how much fat you need
Fats are just as misunderstood; they are much needed for a healthy and functioning metabolism. Fats are great hormone stabilizers and are great for using up the remaining calories.
Fat is approximately 9 calories per gram; fat should take up about 20% of your daily calorie intake. Healthy fats include avocado, whole eggs, salmon, olive and coconut oil, almonds and macadamia nuts, peanut and almond butter, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and a little bit of dark chocolate. Just because you are shredding doesn't mean you shouldn't be enjoying your meals.
Pillar 3 - Working out to get shredded
Exercise is just as vital as diet and nutrition. The proper training methods will see you build muscle and keep it in place for your shred process duration. If you train correctly, you will speed the process of burning fat up.
For best results, aim to train for about 3 - 6 days per week.
For optimal fat loss results, here is a guide to exercise. These are excellent at burning more fat and calories:
PPL Split
Weight training is vital; using the PPL method, you can aim to train 3 times a week. Double up and train the PPL split twice if you are on a 6 day training week. The beauty of a PPL split is that the entire body befits from an equal workout.
Planning your workout to include all the right muscle groups evenly plays a vital role in training and succeeding in your training.
Cardio
Cardio is not a mandatory part of the program; however, it is highly beneficial and fantastic for fat burning. Try to add in a few sessions a week consisting of 20 minutes per session. Jogging, cycling, swimming, sprinting, and hiking are all great examples of exercises that can get your heart rate up and fat burning.
HIIT
High-intensity workouts that get your heart rate up are among the best ways to get your body fat down. HIIT workouts are an excellent source of stubborn fat loss. Increasing your heart rate, as well as working with fast-twitch muscle fibers, all increase your metabolism. Another benefit of HIIT is it adds a layer of spice to your workout.
If you are one of those people who find running on a treadmill or biking boring, then this is something that you can have a little fun with while getting in that cardio.
Additional tips
Is it worth it?
If you want to get that head-turning body while still maintaining a happy life and looking after your health - the answer is YES! The best part of a well-planned approach to fitness and shredding is crucial to getting the best results within a scientifically healthy amount of time. Now that you have the ultimate shredding blueprint, GO GET SHREDDED!
Before - 16% bodyfat
After - 8% bodyfat
