A Few Ideas on How to Get Ripped

Building massive muscles isn’t what everyone who hits the gym looks for

in a workout program. Men often want that lean and ripped Hugh

Jackman-style physique. If you want to look that way, go for it. Don’t

think low body fat and lean muscles come without effort though.

Be prepared to work hard for a cut look.

Never assume that the look is impossible to achieve either. A smart

approach to diet and exercise could change an average physique into

one that's perfect for a fitness magazine cover.

So, what can you do to get ripped?

Diet Smart and Try Something Different

Cutting calories becomes a must when your goal is muscular definition.

Unless you shed body fat, definition proves elusive. Excess fat covers

the muscles. Cutting out calories without altering your diet, however,

might not be a successful approach. You want something you can

stick with. Finding the right food plan shouldn't be too hard. Many

interesting diet choices do exist. Why not try one out?

The 16:8 intermittent fasting diet seems to help Hollywood stars. With this

diet, you eat your required calories during an eight-hour window. Then, you

fast for 16 hours straight. Many claim great success with this diet.

Another favorite among the health-conscious is the raw food diet. By

eating cooked vegetables and other heated food selections, you eliminate

a ton of extra calories found in oils and other preservatives.

Experiment with different diets until you find one capable of helping you

lean out.

Build Up Muscle

To look cut, you still need to hit the gym and build up your muscle mass.

Failure to build up decent muscle tone before dropping weight can make

your body look smaller. You want increased muscle mass with less body fat. A common suggestion involves lifting the weights at high reps. Don’t

assume, however, this approach reflects the only way to get ripped in the gym.

Any progressive resistance weight training program helps the cause.

Don't overdo things either. Maybe three days lifting weights in the gym is

enough. Performing full body compound exercises combined with one or

two isolation exercises could be enough.

Check Out Supplement Options

Eating a perfect diet is it always possible. Be mindful a healthy reduced-calorie

diet isn't automatically an ideal diet. If nutrients are missing, your food intake

won’t exactly help you get ripped. When nutrients are missing, then you need

to explore supplements.

Protein powder certainly helps build muscle. Protein intake becomes

necessary to repair muscle broken down during the workout. Look into

creatine products as well. A creatine cycle supports increased energy

and also muscle growth among other benefits. Creatine deficiencies

aren't helpful to muscle-building goals.

Don't Burn Off Your Muscle Mass

You don't want to end up looking "skinny fat." A "skinny fat person" is

someone who loses weight in the form of both fat and muscle. They

become a lighter person who still presents some unsightly body fat. The

amount of muscle mass on their bodies appears noticeably gone. How does

this happen? They burned up muscle instead of fat.

Human beings lose muscle mass when their body burns protein instead

of fat for energy. Protein equals muscle. Two poor decisions often cause

muscle burning. The first involves choosing a starvation diet. Drastically

cutting calories below a healthy level sends the body into starvation mode.

The body then chooses to preserve fat as a survival mechanism. Muscle

gets burned instead.

Exercising too much for too long and far too often also burns muscle mass.

That’s why so many marathon runners do not carry decent muscle weight.

Consistent high-intensity workouts also burn muscle. Take it easy with your

workout routines. Overtraining eats up muscle, which makes looking ripped

difficult.

Put In the Right Amount of Time

You won't get ripped overnight. You may need 12 weeks of dieting and

exercise to achieve the desired goal. 12 weeks eventually pass. Why not make

the time productive?