If you want to get shredded by hacking your way to leanness, there are some hacks that can fit into your lifestyle and are effective ways to achieve a leaner physique.
Lifestyle Hacks for a Shredded Physique
Set Goals But Leave Out Hard Timelines
Setting hard and fast timelines for unachievable goals sets you up for failure, especially in the long term. By improving just 1% every day, you can reach 100% of your goal in 100 days. But even cheat days won’t matter if you are consistent enough to get there in the end. It’s the goal that matters.
A realistic approach to consistent gains is far better than extreme dieting, overzealous training, and overdoing it. It also won’t leave you with a “What now?” conundrum if your goals aren’t reached within an over-optimistic timeframe, which can lead to a rebound. Without a plan for when goals aren’t achieved, old behaviors can creep back.
A better approach to goal setting is to accumulate all the habits necessary to achieve your goal and take a step towards it every day.
Create A Sustainable Diet
There are many diets to choose from- Paleo, keto, intermittent fasting, the cookie diet, the master cleanse, or even veganism, all of which can work. However, another diet- the balanced diet- is often a better and less extreme option.
Many diets that trend come with a certain amount of risk, whether they are too restrictive, have a problematic adaptation period, don’t deliver on performance, or create nutrient deficiencies. A balanced diet generally doesn’t have these risks and is also easier to maintain, making it a better choice.
Don’t Be Tempted By Shortcuts
Shortcuts seldom work. Extreme diets don’t sustain leanness or muscle mass over the longer term, and fat burners can’t work in isolation. It’s also humanly impossible to get flat abs in a few minutes. All these fads sell hope rather than results.
Don’t take shortcuts to being lean. Set up a long-term plan, and you may be surprised at how quickly you reach your goals. More importantly, you are also more likely to stay there.
Lift Weights
The ratio behind leanness is the ratio between lean body mass and fat mass. Getting lean takes reducing fat, increasing lean body mass, or both. Lifting weights can address both issues.
Lifting burns calories, which helps lower body fat and also gives your body a growth signal. Muscle growth won’t be maximized while losing body fat, but you can gain lean mass while lowering body fat. To maximize recomposition, keep calories near or just below maintenance, and for maximum gains, adjust your calories.
Overall, look at what works and what doesn’t and see what the experts suggest is sustainable. There is no magic bullet to getting a shredded physique instantly and trying out crazy ideas can result in years of wasted time- time that could have been used to get shredded.
Stick to the resistance training and your NEAT activities, the basics of calorie balance, and progressive overload. Set goals and stick to them without crazy deadlines, and don’t take shortcuts- they don’t work and can distract you from your goals.
If you are serious about your journey, you can start by reading our guides.
Simon Turner is a former Obstacle Workout features writer and writes regularly on sports, fitness and adventure for Probody.
