Shredding diets for bodybuilding can be very complicated. In fact, nearly every competing bodybuilder will give you different answers as to the best way to achieve that shredded look. While each body operates on the same basic metabolic rules, each one also differs in terms of biochemistry and metabolic rate. It is important to experiment with different macro-nutrient ratios, amounts of proteins, carbs and fats, as well as different foods.
Basics
"Xtreme Lean" authors Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman recommend you cut your daily calories by 500 to 750 below your maintenance caloric intake, or that which is required to keep your body as-is. With cardio, you slowly increase frequency and duration. For example, beginning with three sessions of 20 minutes each and increasing by one or two sessions per week, adding five to 10 minutes to each. "Optimum Anabolics" author Jeff Anderson recommends you take in no less than 1.14 gm of protein per pound of body weight.
Misconceptions
Eating too few carbs can be disastrous. As you cut carbohydrates, you must replace them with essential fatty acids to keep your calories high enough to prevent muscle loss. Likewise, eating too low-fat can result in hormonal imbalance. According to "Combat the Fat," you must take in at least 25 to 30 percent of your calories from fats to prevent this. Do not buy into the common misconception that a fat burner will get you shredded. While these products do contain substances that can speed up your metabolism, they will not burn calories for you. Taking fat burners without changes to diet and exercise will have little effect on your physique.
Considerations
Body type, individual metabolism and personal goals dictate your diet. Ectomorphs, with faster metabolism, can take in more carbohydrates, but retain less muscle. Athletic-looking mesomorphs burn fat easily and may even build muscle on this diet. The slower metabolic function of endomorphs requires that they cut more carbohydrates to get shredded. If you want to compete in a bodybuilding competition, you will need to be disciplined and time your peak conditioning. On the other hand, if you are shredding for the summertime, you may allow more time to reach your goal.
Time Frame
The time frame depends on how much body fat you have to lose. The faster you lose body fat, the more likely you will also lose muscle. Traditional bodybuilding diets run 12 to 18 weeks. Dieting longer can put a lot of stress on your body. Staying close to your bodybuilding competition weight allows you to achieve the shredded look faster. To determine how much time you need, you start by getting your body fat percentage tested. Since your goal is to lose as much of your non-lean body weight as possible, you can then determine the time frame, assuming a one to five pound weight-loss per week.
Methods
Since carbs are the body's preferred source of fuel, cutting them forces it to use body fat for energy. Low-carb works fast, but has the downside of muscle loss. Lawson and Holman recommend a moderate-carbohydrate diet instead. Splitting all daily carbs between pre- and post-workout meals, you can make sure they will not be readily stored as fat. Depending on your metabolism you may take in 100 gm to 200 gm of carbs per day, rather than the 50 gm of low-carb diets. The cyclic ketogenic diet provides the best of both worlds. It calls for 50 gm to 100 gm of carbs per day for five days, followed by one or two days of higher-carbohydrates, such as 200 gm to 300 gm per day.
References
- "Xtreme Lean"; Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman; 2005
- "Optimum Anabolics"; Jeff Anderson; 2004
- Muscle & Performance; "Lean in Less Time"; Eric Velazquez, February 2010
- "The Abs Diet"; David Zinczenko; 2004
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