Are you mousey or mighty?
The word muscles come from the Latin term, “musculus”, which translates to mean, “little mouse”. Why did they choose this word? It’s because it can look like there’s a little mouse under your skin when you contract your muscles.
If you want to make it look like there’s more than just a mouse under your skin, you need to learn how to get ripped. Luckily for you, we’ve created a short but complete guide that reviews 7 tools to help you reach your fitness goals.
Are you ready to transform your body? Read on to learn the best tips for getting ripped.
-
Food Journal
To learn how to get ripped, you first have to learn how to eat right. We find that keeping a food journal is a great way to eat with intention, while also creating accountability. You can either use a physical journal or one you keep on your phone.
If you’re the type of person who’s likely to lose your food journal, just stick to using your phone. There are also a ton of food tracking apps, that will help you track more than just the food items. Calories, sodium, and carbohydrates are just a few of the things a food journal app can help you with.
There’s a strong link between good nutrition and maintaining a healthy weight. When you combine good nutrition with a steady workout regime, the results are astounding!
Muscle Building Tips
One of the best tips for building muscle we can give is to start eating with intention. If you’re like most people, you simply eat when your hungry or bored, without giving it a second thought.
However, if you want to get serious about getting fit, you have to stop eating because your hungry and start eating with intention. Plan your meals, and begin eating foods that contain the vitamins, minerals, and proteins to assist you in your fitness goals.
-
A Quality Blender
Smoothies are one of the fastest ways to start incorporating new foods into your diet. For some, mastering the art of eating healthy, can be a challenge. Either a lack of knowledge or a lack of time can make trying to fit in nutritious meals seem impossible.
Luckily, by learning a couple of quick nutrition tips, and buying a quality blender, you can be well on your way to eating healthy every day. If you’re pressed for time in the morning, no worries!
You can make a healthy smoothie in less than 10 minutes, and the positive effects will stay with you all day long. We find it’s best to invest in a quality blender, so you don’t have to struggle with the problems a cheap blender can bring.
Next, we’ll show you how to get ripped by making a protein-packed smoothie.
-
Pack in the Protein
Are you unsure what you should put in your smoothie to get drop those unwanted pounds?
Here’s our recipe for a healthy smoothie:
- 1 cup spinach or kale
- ½ cup nonfat greek yogurt
- Flax seeds
- Chia seeds
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 cup ice
If you’re going to drink your smoothie after a workout, you’ll want it to be full of protein. You can add a scoop of a protein mix into the smoothie, or try adding in a tablespoon of peanut butter. There’s a ton of protein in peanut butter, plus it’ll make your smoothie extra tasty.
Tips for Getting Ripped
When you work out, you make microscopic tears in your muscles that eventually rebuild to create a stronger muscle. The protein will help your muscles repair, while also encouraging weight loss.
Without enough protein in your diet, your muscles won’t be able to fully repair. Thankfully, by drinking a restorative smoothie within a half-hour of working out, you can give your muscles all the tools they need to grow.
Another reason to pack in the protein is to promote weight loss. When your body doesn’t get enough protein, it tends to hold on to fat cells.
It’s your body’s way of trying to protect you from starvation. However, when you give your body all of the protein and nutrients it needs, it’ll feel safe letting go of your excess weight.
-
Insulated Back Pack
A lunch box is nice, but an insulated backpack is a way to go when you’re getting serious about shaping your body. Unless you work from home, an insulated backpack is a perfect way to make sure you have healthy food options all day long.
We suggest that you pack several snacks that you can eat throughout the day. For instance, almonds, yogurt, and spinach are all easy to go to snack options.
Regulate Blood Sugar Levels
It’s a common misconception that eating more meals revs up metabolism. However, new research is showing that your metabolism and fat-fighting powers stay the same no matter how many meals you eat. Instead, eating frequently is all about maintaining your blood sugar.
Remember how we said one of the most important parts of how to get ripped is making healthy food choices? Health experts suggest that waiting too long between meals puts you at risk of making poor food choices.
The idea is that the longer you wait, the hungrier you get. After only 3 hours of not eating, your blood sugar levels start to fall.
By the time 5 hours rolls around, your blood sugar takes a major dive. During the 5 hour mark, or past it, you’re more likely to grab whatever you can find to refuel your body. If you have an insulated backpack full of healthy food options, you’ll always have something healthy to reach for!
-
How to Get Ripped With Water
When you get your insulated backpack, go ahead and pick up an insulated water bottle too. Drinking enough water every day is always important, but it becomes even more crucial when you’re starting a new workout routine.
Not only will water help keep you hydrated, but it can also help you drop unwanted fat. A recent study shows that drinking water will increase the number of calories you burn every day.
In the study, overweight women began drinking more 1 liter more of water every day. Over 12 months, they were able to lose 4.4 pounds, simply by drinking more water.
When you combine water with a quality diet and workout routine, you’ll be able to burn even more calories. There’s also research that suggests drinking water before a meal helps lessen your appetite.
-
Stretching Routine
Injuries can be a major setback when you’re starting a new workout regime. Strains, sprains, and tears, are all common injuries when you’re exercising. If you want to avoid these injuries, you have to stretch after your workout.
Here are a few stretching tips:
- Stretch warm muscles
- Hold for 10-30 seconds
- Breathe naturally
- Stretch each muscle group
- Keep things interesting
If you’re going to stretch before your workout, make sure your warm your muscles up first. Simply walk around for 5-10 minutes, to help your muscles become warm and pliable.
Next, make sure you never stretch to the point of feeling pain. While it’s okay for a stretch to make you mildly uncomfortable, it should never flat out hurt. You’ll also want to make sure you balance your routine by strategically stretching each muscle group.
For instance, if you start by stretching the muscles in the front of your legs, the next stretch should address the muscles in the back of your legs. For each muscle group, the stretches should balance to include all sides.
-
Work Out App
Similar to a food journal, a workout app is a wonderful way to create accountability. If you find the right app, you’ll also be able to motivate yourself while learning new exercise skills!
There are all sorts of work out apps available, that cover different types of exercises and skill levels. They usually include instructional videos, as well as ways to track your progress.
We find that workout apps that use some type of goal setting option tend to be the most motivating. Every day, when you log into the app, you’ll be able to track your progress with your goal.
We also suggest you search for a workout app that uses exercises you can get excited about. For instance, if you’re a runner, download an app customized for runners. The best part is that there’s a ton of free workout apps, so you won’t have to worry about spending a dime.
Get Fit and Stay Fit
Now you know how to get ripped by eating right and working out. What one of our tips for getting shredded are you going to try? Are you excited about starting a new nutritious meal plan, or are you ready to stretch your way to bigger muscles?
Whatever tips you choose to use, we’re sure you’ll love the results. For more ways to get fit, and stay fit, check out the rest of this site.
