Get Ripped in 12 weeks: is your lean bodybuilding physique hidden under a layer of fat? Don't waste another second—shred up for spring with this scientifically designed high-octane training, diet and supplementation program

by Jim Stoppani

Veiny. Grainy. Striated. Shredded. Cut. Ripped to the bone.

Whatever it's called, it's a condition any bodybuilder wants to achieve in his quest for mass. After all, why build reams of new muscle if you're just going to walk around like a bloated puffball, never showing it off?

If you've achieved some appreciable size and you're ready to take the proverbial chisel to your physique, we've got the program for you. The comprehensive strategy laid out over the course of this article gives you a training regimen for the next 12 weeks, rep by rep, as well as a dietary and supplement plan. It takes a number of factors into account, all with the ultimate goal in mind: getting sliced.

* Intensity Burning bodyfat is the overriding goal of this program, but that doesn't necessarily mean cardio overload--in fact, cardio is pretty minimal, as you'll coax your body to burn fat by manipulating your weight-training workouts.

* Variety Your training changes every two weeks; your diet every four. It's our way of ensuring that you keep your metabolism revved up and that you carry through on the full program to reap the benefits.

* Diet and training integration The food and supplements you take are geared specifically to support training. Instead of the shot-in-the-dark approach that many other so-called fat-loss programs take, we've assimilated the latest research and proven tactics to supercharge this program to get results.

THE TRIPLE THREAT COMBO | The Get Ripped Program comprises three main components--exercise, diet and supplementation. Here's a brief overview of each.

* EXERCISE The training system is divided into six two-week cycles based on a progressive high-low rep scheme. You'll adjust the amount of weight you use to correspond with the number of reps performed, but you should push yourself and use as much as you can handle and not an ounce less. The idea is to keep the level of intensity consistent as your body deals with the varying reps.

Also, note that rest periods between sets decrease as you progress through the program. By using this technique to gently coax your heart into staying at an elevated rate, you will boost your fat-burning capabilities and improve your aerobic capacity, as well.

Finally, peppered throughout the workouts are "accelerators." Think of these as add-ons you can use to intensify your program; they include such devices as forced reps and rest-pause techniques. Accelerators can boost the workload on days when you're ready to do serious battle with the iron.

* DIET The 12-week diet plan is cut into three four-week segments, each one consisting of differing ratios of macronutrients. The human body is an amazingly adaptable machine, and as such can work with reasonable efficiency under a variety of circumstances.

In the first phase, your diet comprises a 30/60/10 ratio of protein, carbs and fats. Your body will become accustomed to using carbohydrates as its main source of fuel.

During phase two, protein intake is increased to 40% of calories, carbs are knocked down to 40% and fats are increased to 20%. With your body already percolating on 60% carbs, it will be in high-bum mode. Take away those carbs and it's going to look elsewhere--namely, fat stores--for energy. Going into the second phase, the total caloric intake is cut by approximately 10%; the increased fat consumption at this time won't get in the way of the leaning-out process.

In the final phase, protein and fat are boosted, while carbs and calories take a dive once again. By this time, your body is being subjected to as many as 30 reps per set per workout, three days a week.

* SUPPLEMENTATION The supplements included here correlate with the goals of each phase. In phase one, a steady supply of green tea will keep your metabolism humming and provide you with the antioxidants your body needs to support your immune system as you beat up on it six days a week in the gym. It also includes calcium, which has been shown to have fat-burning effects.

Phase two includes Bacopa monnieri and evodiamine; both help boost metabolic rate. In phase three, when cravings will be your enemy, you'll use hoodia to blunt hunger pangs. Of course, you should keep up with your normal supplement regimen of multivitamins/multiminerals, protein shakes, etc., while you're following this program.

GET RIPPED PROGRAM PHASE ONE:

WEEKS 1-4

Each four-week segment of Get Ripped includes two two-week cycles of workouts. Your diet remains consistent throughout the entire four weeks. In this initial month, you'll generally stay in the traditional eight- to 12-rep range, setting a baseline. In the next two phases, the built-in swings in reps and weight will result in a shock to your body that should kick-start the positive adaptations you're looking for.

On the nutrition front, you'll slightly cut calories to send your body the message that you want to burn bodyfat. Our baseline recommendation is that a 200-pound trainer, who would take in about 3,000 calories a day to maintain his current weight, should consume 2,800 calories during the first four-week phase, following a 30/60/10 macronutrient ratio of protein, carbs and fat. If you don't weigh 200 pounds, use this formula: current bodyweight multiplied by 15. The answer is an estimate of the number of calories you need daily for maintenance. If you're significantly overweight, then multiply your target weight (rather than current weight) by 15.

GET RIPPED PROGRAM PHASE TWO: WEEKS 5-8

Ready to dive headfirst into the second month? You might be feeling a little sore from the steady barrage of workouts, but your energy should still be high. After four weeks, you may have a little more muscle definition than when you began--be patient, the changes should really pick up during the last eight weeks of the program.

Once again, you'll perform two two-week cycles of training routines, while sticking to a new diet for the full four weeks. Reps will start to deviate from the standard eight to 12 range, which means you'll need to adjust your training poundages according to the shift in reps. Although you may use a heavier weight when performing five- or six-rep sets, you'll need to significantly decrease it when shooting for 15-20.

During this phase, crank up protein and fat consumption while simultaneously cutting carbs and total calories. The ratio you should strive to hit during the middle phase of your diet is 40/40/20 of calories from protein, carbs and fats. The additional protein will help protect muscle mass, and the additional fats will help fuel you through your day while you're decreasing carbs and total calories. Your daily caloric intake for this four-week phase is approximately 2,500 calories.

The meal planner provided is only an example of how you should construct your diet each day. For the sake of variety and a well-rounded nutrition profile, feel free to make substitutions of comparable foods.

GET RIPPED PROGRAM PHASE THREE: WEEKS 9-12

By this point, you should be seeing noticeable changes both in your body and your stamina as a result of this staggered system of training. During this third and final trimester, the number of reps performed in the first half of each week is dramatically different from the second half. There are also differences in the number of sets performed--during the first half of weeks nine and 10, you'll hit major bodyparts with one set more than in phase two; during weeks 11 and 12, two sets.

On the nutrition front during this phase, further cut calories and carbs. A 200-pound bodybuilder would consume only 2,300 calories daily, with approximately 30% of those calories from carbs (that equates to about 150 g of carbs) each day. A little more than 40% of your total calories should come from protein--that's a bit above 220 g a day. Fats continue to increase, as they will better sustain you through the day than other macronutrients. The ultimate effect will be to protect your muscle mass and burn bodyfat, but leave you with as much energy as possible on a low-calorie diet.