How to Get Ripped Abs Fast

How to Get Ripped Abs Fast

 

Anyone who has ever entered a gym would like to know how to get ripped abs fast.  No one really wants to put more hours in than they need, to reduce calories more than necessary, or to avoid those guilty pleasure foods…ever.  And because most people don’t know how to balance these things, they err on the side of over exertion in the beginning, and then over consumption once the going gets tough.  But getting ripped abs fast doesn’t need to be excruciating if it’s approached with an intelligent and scientific plan for progress. 

 

How to Get Ripped Fast

Before we discuss getting ripped abs specifically, it’s important to recognize that the abdominal muscles are like any other muscle group in the body.  Muscles are not fat.  Whether or not you have six packs abs has little to do with the strength and development of the abs, and much more to do with how low your overall body fat is.  As a personal trainer, without fail, each new client wants to know which exercises target belly fat and those bothersome love handles.  And without fail they are disappointed when I tell them there is no such exercise. 

 

Exercising a muscle has one specific consequence, assuming it is exercised sufficiently and properly.  It strengthens and grows.  Period.  Exercising the abs will not reduce fat in the midsection.  And there are no specific exercises for getting rid of love handles.  Our bodies pack on and take off fat in a genetically predetermined fashion.  Some people, men in particular, pack on large guts while their legs may not add significant amounts of fat.  Women may add more to the thighs and butt.  Trying to isolate these regions for fat loss will result in a great deal of frustration.  The abdominals are relatively small muscles.  Exercising them will make them stronger, but generally not much leaner.

 

So if isolation exercises will not result in getting ripped, then what will?  Total body exercises that call into play all major muscle groups and require maximum energy output.  The exercises that give the biggest bang for buck and play the largest role in getting ripped fast are those which mimic general movements like pushing, pulling, squatting, and pressing overhead.  Compound exercises that use multiple muscle groups to complete the action are ideal, as they require the most energy, thereby increasing the intensity of the workout.  Training with a high intensity ensures muscular fatigue which will signal to your body to maintain lean muscle mass.  It also burns more calories in a shorter period of time, which greatly aids fat loss.

 

To get more specific, any workout geared toward getting ripped abs fast must be built around the most fundamental resistance training exercises.  The bench press or bodyweight pushup exercises the chest and triceps.  The machine or bent row or bodyweight pull-up strengthens the back and biceps.  The overhead shoulder press or bodyweight handstand pushup will strengthen the shoulders, triceps, and trapezius muscles.  And the weighted squat, deadlift, or bodyweight squat will strength and condition all muscles in the legs and believe it or not, the abdominals, when sufficient weight is used.  The final exercise, or exercise type needed to get ripped fast is some form of interval training, whereby you alternate between working at a sustainable heart rate and one that reaches 80 or 90 % of your total capacity for short periods of time.  This can be done on a treadmill, an elliptical machine, or kickboxing.

 

Notice here that abdominal exercises are not mentioned despite the fact that this hub intends to address the query ‘how to get ripped abs fast’.  In case I haven’t made my point clear, getting ripped cannot be localized to one area of the body.  Look at a person with ripped abs.  Then have a look at their chest, arms and legs.  Chances are you’re going to see a very fit person with all around low body fat.  This principle cannot be overstated.  Getting ripped abs fast requires a fitness plan that gets the entire body ripped fast.  Ripped abs are the consequence of sound total body training and proper diet, soon to be discussed.  Let’s have a look at two sample workouts that apply the principles of getting ripped fast mentioned above.

 

Ripped Abs Fast Workout for Beginners and Occasional Trainees:

Do the following exercises three times back to back without rest (you may rest after the circuit is completed before starting again from the first exercise), three to four days per week, in under 30 minutes per session.  If bodyweight exercises are too difficult, you need to take your time to get ripped, as a body needs to be conditioned before one can achieve a ripped look.  Don’t be concerned with the speed of results.  This assumes you have sufficient strength to make fast changes.

 

• Pull-Ups to failure
• Pushups to failure
• Squats to failure
• Handstand hold against a wall for up to a minute (at least 10 seconds)
• Crunches to failure

 

Ripped Abs Fast Workout for the Gym Buff

Choose heavy enough weights to where your last rep is difficult to complete each time through, but manageable.  This is very taxing on your body.  Only do 3 to 4 sets, 3 times per week.  Do each exercise back to back without rest until the circuit is finished.  Rest and begin again.  Finish in under 30 minutes. 

 

• Dead lift – 8 reps
• Dumbell Press, Bench Press, or Dips – 8 reps
• Bent Rows or Pull-ups– 8 reps
• Shoulder Press or Upward Row – 8 reps
• Squats – 8 reps
• Hanging Leg Raises – 8 to 16 reps

 

Your resistance training program should be supplemented with interval training on days you’re not performing the above circuits.  Below are two interval training samples for getting ripped fast which complement the above circuits.

 

Getting Ripped Fast Interval Program for Beginners and Occasional Trainees

On a treadmill:

• Spend 8 to 10 minutes warming up at a moderate speed
• Increase speed for one minute to a more challenging speed
• Return to base speed for two minutes
• Increase speed for one minute to a level that you can perform for one minute but not for two
• Return to base speed
• Repeat the last two steps two more times
• Cool Down.

 

Getting Ripped Fast Interval Program for the Gym Buff

Do the same as above, but perform 4 to 5 intervals.

Example:

• Jog at 9km for 8 minutes
• Run at 12 km for 1 minute
• Jog at 10 km for 2 minutes
• Run at 14 km for 1 minute
• Jog at 11 km for 2 minutes
• Run at 15 km for 1 minute
• Jog at 12 km for 2 minutes
• Run at 15 km for 1 minute
• Cool Down.

 

Keep in mind that these programs are not carved in stone.  If you understand the principles involved you can apply them in a variety of ways.  These are just sample workouts based on said principles.  These 5 to 6 day workout programs in conjunction with a proper diet are guaranteed to get you ripped fast.

 

Eating to Get Ripped Abs Fast

Sound dieting is really not that complicated.  Most people run into trouble however because they confuse food quantity with caloric density.  It is essential to realize that similar quantities of food can have very different calorie quantities.  To give you an example, having 8 ounces of chicken, a nice bowl of salad with balsamic vinegar, and an apple or two for both dinner and lunch would offer your body the same number of calories as a 1 big mac or a starbucks toffee nut muffin.  We’re talking about two wholesome meals with enough complex carbs, proteins, vitamins and minerals versus one, count it one, muffin that’ll keep you full for about 30 minutes. 

 

Most of us already know what we should and should not eat.  The key to regulating this to get ripped quickly is to replace all your guilty pleasure foods with nutrient rich, low calorie natural foods that feed your body while allowing your body to make up the calorie deficit with your stored body fat.  You see, you must consume fewer calories in order to burn fat.  Calories are energy for your body.  When your body doesn’t have enough, it goes to another source of energy, namely, stored body fat.  Give your body a chance to use that energy you’ve been saving.  Here are a few more tips:

• Eat complex carbs instead of simple ones, ie. Have oatmeal instead of bread in the morning, have mixed vegetable salad instead of white pasta, and have brown rice in place of white.
• Eat sufficient protein to maintain muscle mass.  This does not need to crazy, but one should shoot for a protein source at every meal, whether it be fish, chicken, beans and lentils, etc.
• Refrain from eating excessively at dinner, and avoid all ‘white carbs’ after 6 pm. 

 

Diet secrets of the pros:

1. If you are smart about this plan you’ll give yourself at least 3 weeks to reach your goals.  One day a week you should eat freely, even excessively.  That’s right, eat whatever you want, as much as you want.  When you reduce calories, and believe it or not, you can eat big wholesome meals of natural foods, and you’ll steal be reducing calories due to the fact that most natural foods are not very calorie dense, you run the risk of lowering your metabolism and losing muscle mass.  Eating excessively one day a week will ensure your metabolism does not lower, and it will ensure you continue to burn fat consistently. 

 

2. After you train, your body needs to replenish muscle glycogen.  You have a 1 hr window of freedom to eat things that make you feel good.  You can have cake, cookies, chocolate, whatever, so long as they are not too high in saturated fat.  Your body will metabolize this food in ways you can’t imagine and it will have a positive, not negative effect on your goals.

 

In sum, the key to getting ripped abs fast is to treat the body as a whole.  Make sure your training is total body training.  Don’t neglect your abs, but don’t over emphasize them either.  And eat well, getting your nutrition from natural, nutrient rich, low calorie foods which allow your body to use stored body fat for energy.  Together these changes should help you get ripped fast.