Have you ever found yourself wondering how movie stars, models, and pro-bodybuilders always look in peak condition and ridiculously ripped?
How can they look so lean all the time? Well, the truth is they don’t. We’re not saying it’s CGI or any trickery like that; instead, they’ve got Hollywood’s biggest get-shredded secret in their pocket!
We’re here to share it with you because there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be in on the secret too. So, next time you’re planning a last-minute vacation, or you’ve got a special event, and you want to look your best, try these eight tips to get shredded using the shrink-wrap plan in just seven days.
1. Kick-off lean
Sorry, this is a bit of tough love, but if you can’t already see your abs, you need to diet to shed some of your body fat first. This method primarily helps you lose the water weight obscuring your abs and definition.
2. Use math
You’re probably already keeping tabs on your diet, so know how much you’re eating and how much you want to lose. But to save any guesswork, let us break it down for you.
You should be consuming one gram of protein and 10–11 calories for every pound of your body weight. Aim for 20% of those daily calories to come from fat, and the remainder from carbs.
For example, if you weigh 200-pounds, you’d consume 200g of protein per day, eating 2000-2,200 calories a day.
And that breaks down into:
- 420 calories/50g of fat
- 880 calories/220g of carbs
Start eating this way a week before your event, where you want to look shredded.
3. Remove any allergens
Even if you’re not allergic or intolerant to foods like milk, wheat bread, or artificial sweeteners, cut them out for the next week. Even the slightest irritation to your digestive system could cause bloating or have your body holding onto water. So, eliminate the risk by removing any allergens like dairy and gluten.
Watch out because allergens can turn up in places you’re not expecting; for example, dairy can appear in condiments and dressings. Make sure to read ingredients labels and control your intake as much as possible.
4. Get your muscles primed and ready
It sounds counterintuitive but make your last workout three days before your event. For example, if you’re trying to look ripped for a party on Saturday, make your last workout of the week on Wednesday.
Your muscles bulge the most when they’re full of glycogen (the carbs stored in your muscles), so you need to make sure your body has time to rest and replenish its glycogen stores. If you train too close to the day, the stores won’t be complete, and you’ll end up looking soft and flat.
Your glycogen is refreshed quickest in the muscles you use most, so make sure your last workout focuses on the muscles you want to pop most. So, if you want your pecs and biceps to look ripped, focus on these areas in your last workout.
Also Read: How does food impact strength training?
However, there’s one exception here – your abs. Don’t train these in that last workout because pumping these full of glycogen will make you look inflated, and you will lose some of the definition.
In addition, don’t do any cardio this week because you want to maximize that glycogen. So, avoid anything that would deplete those stores.
5. Carb up
After your last training session, eat 2-3g of carbs per pound of body weight for the rest of the day. This is because once your muscle glycogen stores are full, they’ll stay this way until more strength training is performed.
6. Stay hydrated
Often, when guys want to get that ripped look, they’ll drastically cut their water intake, but this causes you to bloat more as your body holds onto water to avoid dehydration.
Also Read: 8 bodybuilding tips for faster results
Instead, drink your usual amount of water right up until the night before your event, then on the day you’re putting the effort in, halve your water intake. This will help you look a little tighter, but it won’t give your body time to worry about dehydration.
7. Don’t avoid salt
Most of us know that salt causes water retention, but if you cut salt out entirely then your body will go into overdrive to prevent water loss. Instead, continue to salt your food like usual until 24 hours before your event. Then in the 24 hours before, avoid adding any extra salt into your diet.
8. Use Brutal Force
Whether you’re cutting or prepping for an event and trying to shred the fat in a short time frame, our 100% natural and safe cutting products mimic the effects of popular anabolic steroids – with ZERO side effects – to support your goals in getting ripped.
Your seven-day shred plan
Want to know what those tips altogether actually look like? Don’t worry; we’ve got you. We’ve got game day as a Saturday in our example, but apply this plan seven days before you want to look as ripped as possible.
Saturday (7 days to go)
- Figure out your macros and start eating accordingly.
- Eliminate all potential allergens
Wednesday (3 days to go)
- Complete your last workout and focus on the body parts you want to look their best on game day.
- After your workout, increase your carb intake to 2–3 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight by the end of the day.
Thursday (2 days to go)
- Adjust carbs if necessary.
Friday (1 day to go)
- Adjust carbs if necessary.
- Stop salting your food 24 hours before.
- Start to limit your water in the evening.
Saturday
- Avoid salt and drink half your regular water intake up until showtime.
- So, there you have it, Hollywood’s best kept shredding secret!
And if you need a helping hand, go BRUTAL! Get ready to cut through fat like never before for a sculpted, lean look, while keeping your energy levels in check and retaining lean muscle.
