March 27, 2017
How to Get Shredded Fast: 7 Methods from Spot Me Bro
With magazines and fitness accounts filling our timelines on social media, we can't help but want the physical look being portrayed through the screens of our phones – which is, more often than not, one that requires learning how to get shredded.
Being exposed to fitness personalities and people sharing their passion for living a healthy lifestyle makes us want to look more like the figures we see. Who can blame us? It's human nature to want to look good physically and impress those around us – for whatever reason that may be.
Some of us just want to be able to show off our six packs or flat tummies during beach season, while others of us want to sport bicep veins in hopes that girls will take note of our hard work – as if it's "hard work" most guys want to show off to girls.
Whatever your reason may be to rid your body of any unwanted fat, here are 7 tried and tested methods you should incorporate into your routine if your goal is to lose those few pounds of fat – and get shredded fast.
1. HIIT Cardio
You may have heard of HIIT cardio before and still not fully know or understand what it is. HIIT is the abbreviation of High-Intensity Interval Training. The premise behind this form of cardio is to raise your excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). By doing this, you burn more calories by increasing your oxygen consumption. The body burns around 5 calories per 1 liter of oxygen consumed. EPOC is highly dependent on the intensity of the workout, not the duration. And depending on the intensity of your workout, the EPOC effect can last up to 38 hours post-exercise. This means that your metabolic rate is raised for up to 38 hours. It is not recommended to perform HIIT cardio every day of the week. Instead, perform it between 2-3 times a week, and you'll start seeing results.
2. Carb Cycling
Carb cycling is a popular dieting strategy amongst bodybuilders and fitness competitors during the last few weeks of contest prep as a method for how to get shredded fast. As its name indicates, carb cycling is the act of cycling your carbohydrate intake to utilize fat as your primary source of energy. Carb cycling works by implementing a few days of low-carb intake followed by a day or two of "refeeding." The idea behind carb cycling is to deplete your muscle glycogen stores, thus putting your body in a state of ketosis – a metabolic state in which ketone levels are raised in the body. If your carbohydrate consumption is low for a few days at a time, your body will switch to ketosis, burning up fat for energy instead of sugars. However, if you stay in a state of ketosis for too long, your body goes into ketoacidosis. This happens when ketones build up in your blood, eventually becoming acidic. In severe cases, ketoacidosis can lead to a coma, and sometimes even death.3. Heavy Weight Training
Just like HIIT, heavy weight training sessions also have a great effect on your EPOC levels. As mentioned earlier, EPOC is not dependent on the duration of the workout but rather on the intensity. If you go into the gym and perform a few bicep curls, side lateral raises, with a few crunches thrown in, then you've got a sad thing coming if fat loss is what you're looking for. To get the most bang for your buck when it comes to how to get shredded fast, I would suggest performing the three main lifts-squats, bench press, deadlifts-powerlifter style. In other words, moving a few tons of weight each training session. Another benefit of lifting heavy, especially squatting, is that it raises your natural testosterone levels, which helps with fat loss and has a positive effect on the metabolism.
4. Fasting Before Breakfast
This may seem a bit contradictory to what you've previously read or heard about breakfast. Many personal trainers and nutritionists recommend that you eat a hearty amount of carbs for breakfast because you've just come out of a fasted state from sleeping. If this is what you're doing, there's nothing wrong with that. However, what you consume first thing in the morning dictates what your body will be using for fuel during the course of your day. If you're consuming carbs, your body will utilize sugar for energy. However, if you consume fat, more specifically coconut oil (about 1 tablespoon), and around 10 grams of whey protein isolate first thing in the morning, your body will turn to lipolysis – the breakdown of lipids (fat) into free fatty acids to be used for energy. This process of utilizing fat for energy can be prolonged by "skipping" breakfast altogether. When I say skip breakfast, I mean to delay it by at least two hours before your first meal of the day. It boils down to making sure that you are consuming the proper nutrition to fuel your body, in whatever style works best for you. With 6 Pack Bags' original meal management bags, no matter when you plan to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner or any of the important snacks in between, you can always guarantee that the healthiest options are at your side.5. Tracking Macros
As elementary as this may be, tracking your macronutrient intake during your days could have a major impact on your fat loss goals. By tracking what you put into your body, you create consistency. When you're consuming calories sporadically, you're setting yourself up for a date with disappointment. My experience with keeping track of my daily caloric intake led me to become accountable for myself. My goal each day was to stick to the number of calories I had set out for myself to consume. It wasn't long before I saw a positive change in my body composition.