Looking to sculpt those abs and achieve a beach-ready body? It's not just about muscle; you need to be lean too! While single-digit body fat percentages are common for the stage, hitting around 10% is still super lean and likely your goal. So, how do you get there?
Let's find out!
Cycle your diet
An article about achieving leanness wouldn't be complete without mentioning diet, right? While abs are indeed made in the kitchen, diet remains a crucial element in the quest for a leaner physique. Attaining extreme leanness requires disciplined meal planning, strict adherence to that plan, and the ability to listen to your body and make adjustments as needed.
Carb cycling, though somewhat old-fashioned compared to fasting trends, remains a viable and effective method for reducing body fat while maintaining sanity throughout the process. This approach involves alternating days of reduced carbohydrate intake with days of surplus intake.
By temporarily reducing calories, your body is forced to burn fat, even at rest. When your metabolism starts to slow down in response to the calorie deficit, increasing carbohydrate intake provides a necessary boost to reignite your fat-burning metabolism.
Begin by designating which days will be high and low carb days. For instance, reserve high carb periods for lower body training days, opt for low to moderate carb levels on other training days, and save off days for very low carb days.
Initially, it may be challenging to determine the exact carbohydrate levels for each day. Here's a helpful starting point: Aim for 0.5 to 0.75 grams of carbs per pound of body weight on low days, 1 to 1.25 grams per pound on moderate days, and around 2 grams per pound on high days.
Ensure you're consuming at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, which can be increased to 1.5 grams as your diet progresses.
Healthy fats should make up approximately 20-30% of your total daily calories. These fats are particularly beneficial during low carb periods, providing additional fuel to power through workouts.
Training
Many people focus solely on diet when aiming for extreme leanness, often overlooking the importance of training. The misconception that workouts will take care of themselves while diet is the primary concern is a significant oversight.
Is your training optimized for maximum effectiveness? Are you making the most of every minute? Consider your rest periods—can they be tweaked to burn extra calories and boost your metabolism long after your workout ends?
Training serves as the catalyst to ignite your metabolic furnace. Without proper and effective resistance training, a significant portion of the weight you lose may come from muscle loss. Weight training is crucial for preserving muscle mass—it acts as an insurance policy against muscle atrophy.
Increase your training frequency by targeting each body part twice a week. This approach encourages quicker recovery and enhances fat burning.
Monitor rest periods closely. Consistently timing your rest periods is crucial for maximizing training progress and subsequent fat loss. Start with 2 minutes for compound lifts like squats and deadlifts, and 1 minute for other lifts.
Moderate your training volume. If opting for higher frequency training, aim for around 12 sets for chest, back, and quads, and approximately 9 sets for arms, shoulders, calves, and hamstrings.
Check your ego at the door—this isn't a powerlifting competition. Avoid maxing out on every set. Instead, aim for a higher rep range, such as 8-12 or 10-15, while still pushing to failure.
Recover
Proper recovery, including adequate sleep and stress management, is essential for maintaining muscle while losing fat. Quality sleep is crucial for hormone regulation and body repair processes.
Effective stress management is equally important for staying on track. While eliminating stress entirely may not be feasible, consistently managing stress levels can significantly ease progress toward your goals.
Prioritize at least 8 hours of sleep each night, maintaining a consistent wake-up time even on weekends to support meal timing and rest schedules.
Minimize stress as much as possible. Constant stress can derail your progress, so find healthy ways to manage and reduce stress in your life.
Examples
This diet plan is tailored for an average 200-pound male aiming to achieve 10% body fat. While it sets you on the right path, it doesn't come with guarantees or false promises. Adjustments may be necessary, requiring discipline, consistent action, and commitment to achieve your goals.
High-Carb Days:
1. Breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal with 2 tbsp natural peanut butter, 2 eggs, and 5 egg whites
2. Lunch: 6-8 oz chicken or turkey salad with veggies, 1 ½ cup cooked rice, 1 oz nuts
3. Pre-workout: 1 apple, 1 scoop whey protein or 6 egg whites
4. Post-workout: 2 scoops whey protein, 1-2 cups berries
5. Dinner: 6-8 oz chicken, turkey, or fish, 1 cup green veggies, 2 cups sweet potato
Moderate-Carb Days:
1. Breakfast: 2/3 cup oatmeal with 2 tbsp natural peanut butter, 2 eggs, 5 egg whites
2. Lunch: 6-8 oz chicken or turkey salad with veggies, 1 cup cooked rice, 1 oz nuts
3. Pre-workout: 1 apple, 1 scoop whey protein or 6 egg whites
4. Post-workout: 2 scoops whey protein, 1 cup berries
5. Dinner: 6-8 oz chicken, turkey, or fish, 1 cup green veggies, 1 cup sweet potato
Low-Carb Days:
1. Breakfast: ½ cup oatmeal with 2 tbsp natural peanut butter, 2 eggs, 5 egg whites
2. Lunch: 6-8 oz chicken or turkey salad with veggies, ½ cup cooked rice, 1 oz nuts
3. Pre-workout: ½ apple, 1 scoop whey protein or 6 egg whites
4. Post-workout: 2 scoops whey protein, 1 cup berries
5. Dinner: 6-8 oz chicken, turkey, or fish, 2 cups green veggies, ½ cup sweet potato
Workouts
Here's a workout program designed to maintain muscle while losing fat and reaching 10% body fat:
Day 1: Upper Body
1. Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
2. Bent Over Rows: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
3. Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
4. Pull-Ups or Lat Pulldowns: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
5. Tricep Dips: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
6. Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 2: Lower Body and Abs
1. Squats: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
2. Deadlifts: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
3. Lunges: 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg
4. Leg Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
5. Leg Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
6. Planks: 3 sets of 30-60 seconds
Day 3: Cardio and Core
- HIIT Cardio: 20 minutes (alternating between sprinting and walking/jogging)
- Core Circuit: 3 rounds
- Bicycle Crunches: 20 reps
- Russian Twists: 20 reps
- Mountain Climbers: 20 reps
- Plank: 30-60 seconds
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Full Body Circuit
- Perform each exercise back-to-back with minimal rest between exercises. Rest 1-2 minutes between circuits.
1. Push-Ups: 15 reps
2. Bodyweight Squats: 20 reps
3. Dumbbell Rows: 12 reps per arm
4. Dumbbell Lunges: 12 reps per leg
5. Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 12 reps
6. Plank: 30-60 seconds
Day 6: Cardio
- Steady-State Cardio: 30-45 minutes (brisk walking, cycling, or swimming)
Day 7: Rest
Remember!
Experimenting with new workout programs is beneficial to find what suits you best. While it's important to stick with a program long enough to see results, sticking with the same routine for years may not yield optimal results. The provided workout program serves as a template for you to try while monitoring your body fat levels and evaluating adjustments as needed to optimize your progress.
Comments