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Ways to Get More Ripped

Many people think that the best way to get ripped is to concentrate solely on pumping as much iron in the gym as possible. However, this approach often leads to frustration, as a person might be feeling the pain but not gaining the lean muscle mass. There is no one magic workout, diet pill or diet regime leading to definition of muscles; rather, the route to being ripped is a combination of a healthy diet and fat-burning workouts.

  1. Workout: More Pain Does Not Mean More Gain

    • A popular myth about getting ripped is that a person needs to feel the burn to gain benefit from weightlifting. In fact, most bodybuilding experts and exercise physiologists actually advise that you decrease the number of repetitions and sets you do when you are trying to lose body fat and gain definition in your muscles. The rationale is that your body needs the time to recover from the workout, as there are fewer resources in the form of calories. The other secret to achieving the fastest results is to use exercise regimes that focus on the use of the entire body, as opposed to targeting specific muscle groups.

    Diet: Protein is Your Friend

    • A primary means of keeping calorie intake below what is required to maintain your current weight and at the same time encouraging the body to burn fat is to consume a significant amount of calories in the form of lean protein. Not only is protein required to build muscle mass, but it also takes the greatest amount of energy for the body to metabolize. In other words, eating protein acts as a mini-workout in itself.

    Diet: Carbohydrates Do Not Have to Be Scary

    • Many people shy away from all carbohydrates when trying to lose weight and build muscle mass, which leads them to feel a sense of malaise and fatigue. Most nutritionists and bodybuilding experts recommend consuming 5 grams or 1 to 2 cups of some form of complex carbohydrates post-workout. Examples of complex carbohydrates include sweet potatoes, brown rice and oatmeal. It is best to avoid refined carbohydrates such as high fructose corn syrup, products made with white flour and white sugar.

    Diet: The Body Needs Good Fats

    • Nutritionists and bodybuilding experts agree that people looking to decrease body fat and gain muscle mass need a diet of approximately 15 percent fat per day. The secret is to stick with polyunsaturated fats, such as those found in raw nuts, butters made with nuts, fish oils and olive oils. Fats are essential to the health of nerve fibers as well as maintaining an even insulin level.

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