Friday, December 24, 2010

ABC of getting ripped

                                            
I want to give you people an overview of how to get a ripped physique following certain pointers. We always marvel looking at the ripped physiques of fitness models or bodybuilders, how is it possible for one to be obtaining such a ripped physique and maintain it? Well the answer is simple it takes a lot of dedication, hard work and knowledge. I would say it can be broken down into two phases, phase one is to bulk up so as to add muscle mass to the body to gain muscle size. Second phase is to shred the unwanted body fat by high intensity workout and cardio to achieve that ripped look. Now, when you are trying to gain muscle mass you tend to gain a lot of fat along with muscle, It’s something unavoidable. Bulking up is like you’re trying to make a beautiful statue and you need a big stone (muscle size) once that’s done, you need to chip away the rough edges to finish the sculpture that’s when you get the perfect statue (ripped physique). Well bulking up is an entirely different ball game which I am going to discuses in my future articles.

Once you are done with the bulking phase and added substantial amount of muscle mass to your body you are ready to get into the cut-up phase. When you’re trying to get ripped your main objective is to shred as much fat as possible without losing lot of muscle mass, although you do lose quite of bit of muscle size depending on the way you train. Two things play a very important role when you’re in cut-up phase, they are training and diet. Training usually becomes very difficult when you’re  in cut-up phase because firstly you have to increase the overall training volume like sets and repetitions then there is another challenge which is to work out while your cutting down on calories and carbohydrate  depletion. Dieting plays a key role when you’re trying to get ripped, there are lots of dieting strategies that you need to look into and remember “what you eat is what you are”. I recommend not diet to extreme rather than that, take it in phases so as the body gets ample time to adjust to training and dieting demands. Well I am going to tackle both the subjects in detail in my future articles.

Main objective of Cut-up phase is to get you that perfect muscularity and definition. Firstly you need to avoid simple carbohydrates from your diet and substitute it with complex carbohydrates, so as to make sure carbohydrate is not converted into fat. Ideally stick to broccoli and green beans. Increase your protein consumption by say 2 grams per pound of body weight so as to not lose the muscle size you have gained. Avoid red meat but can eat more of grilled chicken breast, turkey and lots of egg whites. Since fat is also required you can eat nuts, avocados. Next part is to reduce the calorie intake not drastically but gradually, eat 5-6 smaller meals. 
"Ripped Body"

You need to do a lot of cardio say 4-5 days a week and has to be say 20mins a day then there again gradually increase it to 40mins a day , but make sure you don’t burn up too much and lose lot of muscle mass. Cardio works best in the morning and on an empty stomach, follow this cut-up phase for 8-10 weeks and you should achieve the ripped physique you always desired.
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