Have you ever wondered why you are not getting those shredded abs when you did every bit of exercise? Well, that’s because you are not doing it right. Ripped or shredded abs do not only happen in the gym. They also happen in the kitchen. So, if you’re not getting your nutrients right, you are nowhere near to being ‘the Rock’.

 Also, before continuing to read this article, let’s get one thing straight. You are not going to get ripped with quick-fix food supplements or any supplements in that sense. To get ripped, you require patience, dedication, consistency and some serious hard work. There is no shortcut to this one. In fact, many studies suggest that eating supplements to reduce weight within a specific period of time is dangerous for your body and can also lead to side effects. Such supplements are just too good to be true.

Now, to get ripped fast you need to bulk up, that is, you need to build a lot of muscles. For that, you would have to burn those stubborn calories in order to get rid of the fat. Therefore, to train your muscles and get military line abs, you need to work on your abdominal muscles and lose body fat. One more thing: No matter how much time and patience, your fitness journey takes, make sure that you do not starve yourself. Divesting yourself from healthy nutrients and appropriate proportions of carbohydrates and proteins can lead to serious deficiencies which later manifest themselves into irreversible diseases.   

How to Get Ripped?

After addressing all the important points, here are some successful tips to get ripped:

1. Bid your adieus to your calories

This is one of the most essential and preliminary steps to lose weight and build muscles. Cut down your calories. Initially, you intake 100% calories which provide you with energy to work for the entire day. Now, the unused calories are stored as energy reserves in your body in the form of fats.

Therefore, it is very important to measure your calorie intake and control it as per your requirements. Moreover, it is also very essential to be aware of the number of calories any food item contains. This step becomes very necessary especially if you are following any diet.

2. Do Strengthening Exercises

More often than not, people are caught under the assumption that cardio exercises are the best ways to burn fat and build muscle. Although cardio exercises galvanize the fat burning process of your body, they are actually not the ultimate ways to build muscles.

In order to get lean muscles in your body and especially ripped abs, you need to work on your core muscles through strength training. Strengthening exercises burn fat even after you complete your training, whereas cardio exercises burn fat only while you are exercising.

Practice strength training for at least two times a week and see how fast results unravel in front of your eyes. The basic core training exercises include:

• Planks
• Sit-ups
• Leg lifts
• Crunches
• Russian Twists

Do at least 30 reps for these five exercises twice a week. You can modify them as per the flexibility and comfort of your body. Make sure you push yourself a little every time you do them.

3. Follow a healthy diet

We cannot stress enough on the word, ‘healthy’, especially when it comes to keeping your body fit. Following a healthy diet does not mean to abstain yourself from the daily meal you eat. Rather, it means to apply healthier food choices.

For instance, for building long, lean muscles increase your protein intake by following a protein-rich diet. Moreover, replace all the unhealthy fats with healthy fats such as nuts, eggs, avocados, and different oils. Apart from protein and healthy fats, do not cut back on your carbohydrates, rather control its amount.

The ketogenic diet or a keto diet includes all three macronutrients: fats, proteins and carbohydrates, in itself. If you are following such a diet, then make sure you control the consumption of healthy fats to be 75%, proteins to be 15% and the rest 10% to be carbohydrates.  

4. Practice High-Intensity Interval Training

As mentioned earlier, strengthening exercises are more beneficial than cardio exercises to help you build muscles and lean out. Be that as it may, make sure you do not completely obliterate cardio exercises as they can significantly reduce the chances of heart diseases in the future. Remember the goal here is not only to get ripped but also to get healthy.

So add High-Intensity Interval Training workouts at least once in a week or your workout schedule. Burning more fat gives more space in your body to build more muscles. According to research, doing a HIIT workout promotes fat loss and improves your stamina.  

5. Get some healthy sleep

Myth: You get ripped when you exercise.

Truth: You get ripped when you rest after exercise.

After you complete your strength training, make sure you stretch out so your body does not feel any pain throughout the day. In the end, get some sleep as a lack of sleep leads to an increase in belly fat and lethargy which makes your tomorrow an ennui. Sleep helps you recover your strength and helps you keep your energy levels high for the day. Without an average of 7-8 hours of sleep, the magic of your healthy diet does not work.

6. Operation Stress Control

How many times did you resort to overeating or consuming extra calories when you found yourself stressed? Stress negatively impacts our lives which leads to accumulation of fat in the lower abdomen. Most importantly, it can affect our will power and prevents us from achieving our goals by making us think that they are far-fetched.

Learn to regulate stress and deal with problems in a realistic manner. Don’t push yourself beyond your capacity. Here are some ways to deal with stress:

• Give yourself a positive pep-talk.
• Meditate
• Take regular breaks
• Talk to your friends
• Sleep. A healthy sleep never harmed anyone!

7. Consistency is the key

If you think logically then, not only motivation results in consistency but also the other way around. Observing your progress keeps you motivated to push your limits and set realistic goals. Create a workout schedule, and keep track of the quality of food you eat every day. In order to get ripped, you are not required to be a hamster on the wheel counting every single calorie you take. 

Just be patient and get closer to your ideal body which you once thought to be unachievable.    

Also read: Keto cheat day tricks