Cutting

Get Leaner

How to Get Ripped Fast and Start Building Lean Muscle

This resource is meant to answer those commonly asked questions we get about how to get lean and ripped fast.  While there are many quick weight loss tips for men and women, we'll go over some of the fundamental principles of how to get lean muscle and how to get cut fast, a sample cutting diet to lose fat, and a handful of the most commonly asked questions when it comes to get lean and cut fast.

Common Misconceptions about How to Get Lean and Ripped Fast

  1. Everybody's weight loss goals are different.  Some people are looking to become lean and ripped fast, others are looking to shed a few pounds to be healthier, some workout and eat well, others don't.  What we're trying to emphasize is that you really need to find what works for you, not for everybody else.
  2. We truly believe that the fastest way to get lean and cut is 80% diet. You can run until you collapse or jump on the stairmaster for 2 hours a day and still never experience any quick/fast/rapid weight loss if you aren’t eating right.
  3. You are what you eat. If you keep eating sugary sweets, it'll be that much harder getting ripped fast. You'll never look like a million bucks if you keep eating from the Dollar menu.

Basics of Getting a Completely Ripped and Cut Body

  • Postworkout (PWO) Nutrition: PWO nutrition is hands down the most important aspect of dieting to burn fat instead of muscle. It is within the 15 minutes after a workout that your body is in dire need of nutrients. It is in a completely anabolic state, and what you take in can be optimized to ensure maximum results. If you are burning calories and sweating off a ton of fat, you need to feed the machine immediately after your workout sessions.  A banana or a handful of nuts are convenient snacks we like.
  • Carbs: Wait...what?  I thought carbs were the opposite thing you wanted to take in for a diet to get a totally ripped body for men and women. In a strict cutting diet the majority of your carbs should come in the form of PWO nutrition, and the remainder in breakfast. Fibrous veggies are a staple, but keep in mind that they don’t count towards intake, as they have negligible impacts on blood sugar levels. (Exceptions: Carrots, Peas) All high glycemic carbs outside of PWO should be avoided. The best sources of low GI carbs can be found in oatmeal and brown rice, as well as yams.
  • Protein: You need tons. 1.5-2.0 grams per pound of lean bodyweight is a good general rule of thumb. You should take in a good portion of your protein in the source of real meals, avoid relying purely on protein shakes, as real food comes with far better benefits. The list foods with high protein bioavailability is extensive, and I will only mention a few, (Egg whites, Lean steak, Chicken breast, the list goes on forever.).
  • Water: H2O is the lifeblood of your body and does an incredible job of flushing out your system.  Among the many benefits of drinking water, it also helps your metabolism work more efficiently so it's an ideal piece of the weight loss puzzle.  You should be consuming at least half your body weight in ounces of water a day.
  • Fats: Guess what? You need fat to cutting fat. We are talking about the granddaddy of fats, the EFA (Essential Fatty Acid). Good sources of fat are (Flax Oil, Nuts, Salmon, Olive Oil).
  • Cheating: Cheating is essential. Why? Remember, the body runs on homeostasis, it likes to keep balance. After eating so well after a week, your body begins to adjust, and fat loss over time will not be as rapid. The other extremely important aspect is mental sanity. So many get lean diets crash and fail because people don’t give themselves a chance to breathe. Remember, cheating is not an opportunity for you to pillage the entire mall food court. Shoot for a cheat meal, not an all out binge. A fast food value meal can be 2,000 calories. Eat that 3 times on one day, and you’ve consumed 6,000 calories. And that’s not good in any case.
  • Cardio: Cardio and getting ripped quick usually go hand in hand. If you are wondering how to get ripped fast and lose belly fat, cardio is a must! I won’t go into specifics about length, other than cardio shouldn’t be excessive. 45 minutes to one hour daily should be sufficient, and should be performed on an empty stomach.

Sample Cutting Diet to Build Lean Muscle and Lose Fat Fast

Note: This is a sample get ripped diet for a 200-pound man who is wishing to lose belly fat, how to get cut fast, and get the hard body that they’ve been hoping for. We can assume his BF to be around 17%. This diet will NOT work for you if those criteria don’t apply to you; however it is easy to customize the below diet to take in account your own statistics. It is the principles that are applicable. Further modifying this sample cutting diet to accommodate women wouldn’t be that difficult either.

Meal 1: Lean protein, 1/2 cup oatmeal

Meal 2: Protein shake/lean protein (2 tbsp flax)

Meal 3: Veggies, lean protein

Workout

Meal 4: PWO Nutrition

Meal 5: Veggies, lean protein, 1/2 cup rice or oatmeal.

Meal 6: Shake with flax

That turns into approximately 300 grams of protein, 130 grams of carbs, and 50 grams of fat.

*Reminder: This is a PRIMER. It’s not mean to be comprehensive.

What is Carb Cycling?

Carb cycling is simply just eating a ton of carbohydrates on some days and a little bit on other days in order to facilitate certain types of results to your fitness. Trainer Joe will go in depth and explain it in detail.
 

 

Sample meal plan to get lean for a 150-lb female, a sample high and low to moderate day might look something like this:

High day

Meal 1: 30 grams carbohydrate, 18 grams protein
  • ½ cup oats (dry measure)
  • ¾ cup egg whites (raw measure)

Meal 2: 30 grams carbohydrate, 18 grams protein

  • ¾ cup brown rice (cooked measure)
  • 2 ¼ oz. (63 grams) chicken breast (cooked measure)

Meal 3: 20 grams carbohydrate, 18 grams protein

  • ½ cup sweet potatoes (cooked measure)
  • 2 ¼ oz. (63 grams) chicken breast (cooked measure)

Meal 4: 30 grams carbohydrate, 18 grams protein (postworkout meal)

  • ½ cup oats (dry measure)
  • ¾ scoop (70 cc) whey protein powder

Meal 5: 20 grams carbohydrate, 18 grams protein

  • ½ cup sweet potatoes (cooked measure)
  • 2 ¼ oz. (63 grams) chicken breast (cooked measure)

Meal 6: 20 grams carbohydrate, 18 grams protein

  • ½ cup brown rice (cooked measure)
  • 1 ¾ oz. (49 grams) top round steak (cooked measure)

Low to moderate day

Meal 1: 20 grams carbohydrate, 28 grams protein
  • ⅓ cup oats (dry measure)
  • 1 ¼ scoop (70 cc) whey protein powder

Meal 2: 20 grams carbohydrate, 28 grams protein

  • ½ cup brown rice (cooked measure)
  • 3 ½ oz. (98 grams) chicken breast (cooked measure)

Meal 3: 28 grams protein, green vegetables, 8 grams healthy fat

  • 2 ¾ oz. (77 grams) top round steak (cooked measure)
  • 2 cups steamed broccoli
  • 1 ½ teaspoons all-natural peanut butter

Meal 4: 20 grams carbohydrate, 28 grams protein (postworkout meal)

  • ⅓ cup oats (dry measure)
  • 1 ¼ scoop (70 cc) whey protein powder

Meal 5: 28 grams protein, green vegetables, 8 grams healthy fat

  • 3 oz. (84 grams) eye of round steak (cooked measure)
  • 1 cup asparagus
  • 16 almonds 

Sample meal plan to get ripped for the 250-lb male, a sample high and low to moderate day might look something like this:

High day

Please Note: The carbohyrdrates for this meal total up to 630 grams. This would be a VERY HIGH day. Most don’t need these very often. 375 would be a better carb amount for most people on most high carb days, under typical circumstances.

Meal 1: 90 grams carbohydrate, 40 grams protein
  • 1 ¾ cup oats (dry measure)
  • 1 ¾ scoop (70 cc) whey protein powder

Meal 2: 90 grams carbohydrate, 40 grams protein

  • 2 ¼ cups brown rice (cooked measure)
  • 5 oz. (140 grams) chicken breast (cooked measure)

Meal 3: 90 grams carbohydrate, 40 grams protein

  • 2 ¼ cups sweet potatoes (cooked measure)
  • 1 ½ cup egg whites (raw measure)

Meal 4: 90 grams carbohydrate, 40 grams protein

  • 1 ¾ cup oats (dry measure)
  • 1 ¾ scoop (70 cc) whey protein powder

Meal 5: 90 grams carbohydrate, 40 grams protein

  • 2 ¼ cups brown rice (cooked measure)
  • 5 oz. (140 grams) chicken breast (cooked measure)

Meal 6: 90 grams carbohydrate, 40 grams protein

  • 2 ¼ cups sweet potatoes (cooked measure)
  • 1 ½ cup egg whites (raw measure)

Meal 7: 90 grams carbohydrate, 40 grams protein

  • 2 ¼ cups brown rice (cooked measure)
  • 5 oz. (140 grams) chicken breast (cooked measure)

Low to moderate day

Meal 1: 60 grams protein, 80 grams carbohydrate
  • 1 ½ cup oats (dry measure)
  • 2 ½ scoops (70 cc) whey protein powder

Meal 2: 60 grams protein, 50 grams carbohydrate, 5 grams healthy fat

  • 1 ¼ cup sweet potatoes (cooked measure)
  • 6 oz. (168 grams) top round steak (cooked measure)
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

Meal 3: 60 grams protein, 10 grams healthy fat, green vegetables

  • 7 ½ oz. (210 grams) chicken breast (cooked measure) spinach salad
  • 2 teaspoons slivered almonds

Meal 4: 60 grams protein, 80 grams carbohydrate (postworkout meal)

  • 1 ½ cup oats (dry measure)
  • 2 ½ scoops (70 cc) whey protein powder

Meal 5: 60 grams protein, 15 grams healthy fat, green vegetables

  • 7 ½ oz. (210 grams) chicken breast (cooked measure)
  • 2 cups steamed broccoli
  • 2 tablespoons all-natural peanut butter

Meal 6: 60 grams protein, 15 grams healthy fat, green vegetables

  • 6 oz. (168 grams) top round steak (cooked measure)
  • 1 cup steamed asparagus
  • 1 tablespoon flax oil 

Frequently Asked Questions on How to get Leaner and More Ripped

Q: I’m looking for the fastest way to lose weight, should I completely cut out dairy?
A: Dairy will hold onto fat more stubbornly than anything else, so it is highly recommended if you are trying to lose fat. The best protein to get lean and cut would be an isolate blend that does not have dairy.  If you don’t mind a soft look, fat free cottage cheese is an excellent caseinate source, but as for milks, there is way too much processed sugar.

Q: What’s the best way to get ripped... specifically, what is the best thing to do to go from being fat to shredded fast?
A: Lock down a legitimate meal plan, introduce your body to different types of high intensity cutting workouts and drink lots of water, which are some of the best fitness habits you can develop. The most important thing in my opinion is to simply stick with it and always look for ways to burn a few extra calories. Park further away from the store entrance, wake up and go to bed earlier, take the stairs instead of the elevator, etc. It’s a lifestyle change, not a one-time project.

Q: Is whey protein okay to take while cutting?
A: The common misconception is that whey protein makes you big and bulky, but nothing could be further from the truth.  A cheap whey protein concentrate has less protein per serving, which leaves more room for cheap fillers and other garbage.  All the extra sugar, fat, carbs and sodium probably won’t help your goal of shredding up.  If you instead take a whey protein isolate, there is far more protein per serving with little to no fillers.  Getting shredded fast isn’t just about burning the fat off your body…it’s also about building lean, high-quality muscle which is what a good whey protein will help with.

Q: Is sodium an issue?
A: Outside of the bloating issue, as long as you don't have high cholesterol, sodium in moderation should not be much of a problem.

Q: How do I make my meals not taste like cardboard?
A: Be creative. Mix in some sugar free jam or splenda in your oats, some hot sauce or soy sauce on your meats, or pick up some sugar free ketchup.

Q: I don’t like old fashioned oats. Can I eat the pre-mixed oats with fruit?
A: No. Be a man. Those mixes have ridiculous amounts of sugar.

Q. What about fruit?
A: Fruit replenishes glycogen stores in the liver, and in our opinion, is not to be a staple of a strict cutting diet to get lean.

Q: Can I eat steak while cutting?
A: Definitely. Skip the Waigyu beef and make sure it’s a leaner cut.

Q: Should I just eat cold cereal for breakfast every day?
A: Actually, we don't recommend you eating cold cereal at all.  The process of creating cold cereal zaps the nutrients from the grains and leaves the grain with toxins.  You do want to make sure you are getting some protein for breakfast and that you are eating within the first hour of waking up.

Q: If diet is the biggest factor when it comes to getting completely ripped, is there really a need to workout?
A: Agreed, while the foods you put into your body will be the biggest factors when it comes to get lean and cut, the best type of weight loss workout we love is plyometrics training. If you haven't tried plyometrics yet, start slow and work your intensity in according to your ability.

Q: What are the best supplements to get ripped and lean fast?
A: While all of our cutting supplements are selectively chosen for getting jacked and leaning out, our top recommendations are: