If a guy is hitting the gym it is quite probable that his main
aim includes getting ripped. A ripped body means athletic, lean and
generally aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Some of the basic
properties of a ripped body include but are not limited to: six pack
abs, shredded obliques and muscular arms. You can have big muscles,
however if they are hidden under rolls of fat you will look more like a
friendly teddy bear not a sexy hunk. If your muscles are too big, yet
not in proportion with the rest of the body, you might also leave an
impression of a "muscle freak" to other people. The key to getting a
shredded body is low body fat and moderate, proportional muscle
definition. How to get ripped in the easiest and most efficient way?
Let's find an answer to that in this article.
There are several
misconceptions on how to get ripped and achieve an aesthetically
pleasing physique. Some people think that it is only possible thanks to
good genetics, steroids and fat burners. Others believe that the ripped
muscles you see in ads and magazines are the result of good Photoshop
editing. The truth is that while the aforementioned things can give
results it is usually only a temporary solution and not really healthy.
Fat burners are effective but will only work while you take them and you
will quickly return to your normal self once you stop using them.
Genetics play a big role in your natural fat distribution, but won't
make muscle grow out of thin air. Steroids - let's not even go there. To
look good in photos, even with alteration, you still have to have a
solid base to work with. Therefore, the real key to getting ripped is
rather simple - hard, dedicated work and a solid plan.
A workout
plan is only a part of the equation. While it is important to know how
to do the exercises correctly, how to warm-up and balance your workout
throughout the week in order to exercise all muscle groups evenly and
efficiently, it is usually the easiest part as well. For a beginner any
workout plan that is aimed at building muscle mass and exercising all
major muscle groups will do. If you don't have all your life to dedicate
to gym, 3 days per week should be enough. Leave 1 day between workouts
for muscle rest. For example, exercising on Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays or Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays is a good solution. If you
aren't a professional athlete, you shouldn't need to devote more than 3
to maximum - 5 days per week to gym. In one week you should be able to
exercise all your muscle groups evenly. If you are visiting the gym 3
times per week then you should be able to do 2 muscle groups per one
exercise day. For example, for Monday you would do chest, triceps and
abs, for Wednesday - back and biceps and Friday would be the leg and
shoulder day. Some people worry about having visible abs and end up
training them every day which is not necessary. Abs tend to show when
you develop low body fat percentage and your core gets trained from
performing other basic exercises such as deadlifts and squats. The
saying: "Abs are made in the kitchen" is not without basis, which brings
us to our next point.
When talking about muscle growth, dieting
is one of the most important, if not the most important thing that will
assist you in developing a beautiful, shredded body. If you want your
muscle to grow, then it will need resources which can be transformed
into energy. You can work out all you like, but if you are not taking in
the calories, it is unlikely that you will experience any muscle
growth. That is why guys in the gym usually go through a bulking and
cutting phases. Unless you are overweight already, when building muscle
you should take in a proper amount of calories in balanced meals,
ideally 5-6 times a day. This will build muscle and sometimes add some
fat as well, hence the name - bulking. Once the necessary muscle tonus
is achieved one should change to a "cutting" diet, reducing calorie
intake and exercising the same way as before. This will keep the muscles
working, but the fat will burn and the body will start to look
"ripped". Finding the right amount of caloric intake can be tricky. If
you are skinny, you will have to eat more than you regularly do. Some
people, who are a bit "genetically blessed" and have a very high
metabolism rate can bulk while cutting by consuming a lot of lean meat,
drinking protein shakes, eating fish, broccoli, oatmeal, cottage cheese,
eggs (especially the yolks) and reducing overall carbohydrate intake.
If you are overweight, you will probably have to switch to healthier
foods, eliminating sweets and high fat foods from your diet. The same
rule about eating smaller meals 5-6 times throughout the day applies.
There
are still some important elements worth mentioning in regards to
exercise and muscle building. They are sleep and lifestyle. For your
muscles to grow your body needs rest which means that you will have to
sleep at least 8 hours every day, 9 being ideal. You will also have to
forget about such habits as smoking, alcohol and drugs. Stress can also
leave a negative effect on your body, preventing you in achieving the
perfect physique you always wanted.
These are the basic tips that
should be enough to get you started. For a muscle building program and
specific workouts you should consult a trainer at the gym or body
building forums. There are plenty of resources online that will show you
how to perform the exercises properly and what exercises to do in order
to train the specific muscle groups. Body Building forums are a good
place to start. Just register and make a new thread, asking for a
beginner training program. Mention in your post if you are overweight,
skinny or of normal weight, since that could determine whether you
should incorporate aerobic exercises such as running on the treadmill in
your workout regime.
