So it’s that time of year again where you have been going balls to the wall in the gym all year to make good gains in size, shape, and definition and now it’s time to peel back the layers and see all your hard work unfold. We all love a great set of shoulders, well defined chest, bulging biceps and a nicely sculpted midsection… Especially on ourselves!
The trick now is to maintain all the hard work you have put it while staying big, but getting lean and defined for the next few months. This can be a bit of a balancing act between exercise intensity, exercise frequency, and optimal nutrition. In this article I will share with you my number one rule to not only getting that body, but also keeping it lean and ripped right throughout summer.
Rule #1 Exercise Intensity
If you’re looking to get ripped, maintain size and have better overall definition, HIIT (high intensity interval training) will help you get there. Drop more short-duration high-intensity workouts into your training regime and see your results soar. The benefits of short, high-intensity training sessions are all about your post-recovery state – if you’re working harder you’re going to have a slightly elevated heart and metabolic rate, meaning you’re burning more calories over the recovery period as well as when you’re actually training. Some studies have shown that HIIT burns 9x more fat than traditional cardiovascular exercise and keeps your metabolism elevated for more than 24 hours afterwards! This means you are going to keep burning calories long after you have finished exercising.
HIIT helps burn fat while maintaining muscle through a stop-start system of training that’s transferable to almost any exercises. HIIT, as the name suggests, combines high-intensity calorie-torching periods of activity with low-intensity recovery periods. The average male can easily torch 350-450 calories in only a 30 minute training session.
Get Super Ripped with Super Circuits
I am a huge fan of super circuits (or giant sets) for a few reasons. Firstly they just work so well and secondly they keep you switched on and motivated. Time just flies by in a super circuit, and if you’re anything like me and get bored easily then this is an essential element of any workout! If you are looking for the “ultimate cardio blast” that activates every muscle in your body, then try this little ripper below and let me know how you go!
To complete my ‘super circuit’ workout, run through exercises one to four resting maximum 30 seconds between each exercise, performing 10 reps of each to failure. Then perform your cardio exercise for 60 seconds nonstop. Rest for two – three minutes (depending on your fitness level) and repeat four sets through.
The Workout
To get started choose four exercises you want to use for that workout containing one for each body part using back, shoulders, legs, chest, cardio. The first set through will be your warm up set, using a moderate weight for each exercise, once that is complete choose a weight that will have you failing at around the 10th rep for each exercise. Once this is done, you have three maximum output rounds for the workout.
Example Workout
Exercise #1 Chin Ups
Exercise #2 Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Exercise #3 Walking Lunges Holding Dumbbells
Exercise #4 Push-Ups
Exercise #5 Rower Machine 60 seconds maximum speed
This simple but effective workout will have your muscles and your heart rate pumping. Combine this workout regime with a healthy eating plan that’s high in protein, fruit and vegetables, and you’re well on your way to developing a five-star fat-blasting regime!
Top Three Cardio Choices
Rower
Perfect for a full body cardio blast that uses both upper and lower body to power through the workout, plus you have the added benefit that the rower is a non-impact exercise.
Plyometric Exercises
Not for the faint hearted or the beginner exerciser, but definitely worth the effort. When performing plyometric exercises attention to the landing phase is critical to eliminate excess impact on the knee joints and to ensure the workout is all muscle!
Boxing
If something with a little more skill is more your style then boxing could just be the thing for you. Boxing is not only an awesome calorie burner; it’s also a great way to get out some extra aggression if the need arises. When done with a partner boxing is also a great way to increase your co-ordination and get some one-on-one interaction. Boxing is also great to bring out definition in the shoulders, upper back and arms.
Mark Moon is one of today’s leading health, wellness, and fitness trainers, and an influential expert on the Blood Type Diet. With more than 15 years’ industry experience and using the most simple and effective techniques from across the globe, Mark has developed a complete range of cutting-edge fitness programs that combine the perfect balance of strength, cardio fitness and recovery. Mark’s unique and inspiring fusion of exercise, nutrition and behavioural changes mean you’ll find it easy to stay fit, healthy and in great shape! Mark is the creator of the online fitness and lifestyle program GET FIT FAST – The Complete Workout System. To learn more about Mark Moon and his workouts, please visit www.markmoonfitness.com
