How To Get Ripped Without Counting Calories

How to Get Ripped Without Counting Calories

May 26, 2011 | By Nicole Hogan

Keeping track of your daily calorie consumption can be a tedious task when trying to carve out a lean, sculpted body. Getting ripped involves maintaining lean muscle mass while decreasing your fat percentage. Resistance training aids in muscle maintenance while diet and cardiovascular exercise help melt layers of fat. You can manage food portions without counting every single calorie and still lose fat to get ripped.

Step 1

Consume a diet that revolves around foods in their natural form. Prepare your meals with foods like fish, poultry, eggs, lean steak, vegetables, whole grain cereals and breads, fruits, low-fat dairy, and healthy fats like nuts, seeds and olive oil. Eating natural foods helps you stay full longer with fewer calories. Avoid processed or manipulated foods that are loaded with sodium, preservatives, fats and refined sugar.

Step 2

Consume five to six meals per day to increase your metabolism. Have a serving of lean protein and complex carbohydrates at each meal. Aim for a portion of protein the size of your palm and have a serving of complex carbohydrates the size of a closed fist. Use this as a guideline to prevent overeating at meal.

Step 3

Drink a whey protein shake within one hour after strength training to aid in muscle repair and recovery. Mix one to two scoops of whey protein powder with 10 to 12 oz. of water in a protein shaker or blender. Whey protein is the most easily absorbed form of protein.

Step 4

Engage in strength training workouts four days per week. Train compound muscles on the same day. Work biceps and back on Monday, shoulders and abs on Tuesday, chest and triceps on Thursday and legs on Friday. Incorporate compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time like push-ups, lunges, pull-ups, overhead shoulder press and triceps dips. Perform each exercise for four sets of 12 repetitions.

Step 5

Perform 45 minutes of aerobic exercise in the morning before breakfast six days per week. Ride the stationary bike, walk on the treadmill, go for an outdoor jog or glide on the elliptical machine.