The New Year is right around the corner which means that summertime is on the horizon.  But are you ready to kick back and relax? Parties, barbecues, and days on the beach can only mean one thing…shirts off! But are your ready to showcase your rock solid muscle?  No one wants to be walking around with a soft, smooth and flabby body, and for the next month or two, all of those serious lifters will be shifting into “get ripped” mode.

How do most muscle seekers go about this?

By performing higher reps and lighter weights…

The higher reps and lighter weights has been a widely accepted way of “getting cut.”  Unfortunately if you ask most trainers at your local gym they will tell you that “heavy weights bulk up the muscle and lighter weights define the muscle”.

The method of “light weight and higher reps method for obtaining a ripped and defined physique has been a steadfast method.  But do you know why?  Here’s the truth…

It is completely, totally and utterly DEAD WRONG.

 

 

It couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, there is no logical basis for this way of training whatsoever, and whoever dreamt up this downright ridiculous way of thinking has caused the vast majority of lifters to waste their time and impede their progress in the gym.

The painful truth is that there is no such thing as ‘spot reduction’.  It is physically impossible for your body to target a certain part of your body over another. Doing a thousand situps per day will not make you abdominals appear harder and more defined.

Every single time you wrap your hands around a barbell, dumbbell or cable, your goal is to stimulate as much muscle growth as you possibly can. There are no special, secret weightlifting exercises that will “define” your muscles or cause them to become more “ripped”.

The bottom line is that training with weights (resistance) builds muscle…end of story.

So how do make it so your muscle is hard and defined?

Lowering your fat levels is the only way to make your muscle stand out and be more visible.  There are two ways to body fat reduction.

1) Change or modify your diet.

Calories will always be the culprit and you should lower your calorie consumption to around 15x your bodyweight.  Eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. This helps keep your metabolism naturally raised.  The result is constant fat burning all day long. Eating less sugars and saturated fats is the key.  You should focus on consuming more lean proteins and low glycemic carbohydrates. You also want to make sure to drink more water throughout the day.  Consume around 0.6 ounces of water per pound of bodyweight daily.

2) Use the right cardio exercises

Longer duration cardio sessions, 30-45 minute duration, are old school and there is a better way. The right type of cardio to burn the most fat while keeping the most muscle is to perform a high level of intense cardio exercise. They key here is to increase your resting metabolism. I recommend 3-5 high intensity cardio sessions per week, spaced at least 8 hours away from your weight workouts.  A cardio workout that will light your fat burning on fire is my HIIT Training Program.

That’s all there is to it, folks. Take the notion of “light weight and higher reps” and throw it right out the window, down the street and around the corner. Following this misguided method will only cause you to lose muscle mass and strength, and will not assist you in burning fat or defining your physique.

All you need to do to mold those rock-solid muscles for the summer time is this:

1) Train with heavy weights and low repetitions to build maximum muscle mass.

2) Modify your diet and implement cardio workouts to eliminate body fat and create visibly harder and more defined muscles.

End of story.

I’ll see you at the beach!