How to Get Shredded Without Losing Muscle

According to research, over 45% of men in the world wish they had more muscle. Due to unrealistic body standards and unhealthy marketing images, both men and women experience more body insecurities than ever before.

Having more muscle and less fat has become a desirable trait for both men and women, and the pressures of maintaining this image are beyond exhausting.

Many men and women want to get shredded so they can attract a new partner, keep their current partner, feel better about themselves, go on vacation, and unfortunately health being the last reason. 

The main problem that most people experience is how can you get shredded and cut weight without losing your hard-earned muscle mass? The last thing you want to do is compromise your hard work for nothing. 

Thankfully, we’ve created this detailed guide on how to get shredded without sacrificing your muscle. Keep on reading to learn the best way to get shredded and keep your muscle. 

Supplement With BCAAs

In the world of fitness and nutrition, there are two very important terms you need to know while trying to get shredded; anabolic and catabolic. 

Anabolic means that you are preserving and building your muscle mass, and your body is using extra reserves for energy instead. This could be fat reserves, glucose, or carbohydrate reserves. Anabolic type workouts generally are more heavy lifting, isometrics, and muscle-building.

To stay in an anabolic state, you need to have adequate nutrients for your body to thrive. Otherwise, if your body feels depleted, it will dip into your hard-earned muscle mass (catabolic). 

Catabolic means your body is dipping into other energy stores to have enough nutrients to survive. This typically happens when you are not feeding your body adequate nutrients to sustain your workouts. Essentially, your body is breaking down complex structures (proteins) and breaking them down into simpler ones.

Being in a catabolic state is not ideal if you are trying to burn fat while keeping the muscle, so you must supplement with BCAAs to keep you in an anabolic state. 

BCAAs are short for branched-chain amino acids, which feed your body enough amino acids and prevents it from entering the catabolic state. This is the best supplements to get shredded and should be in every gym-goer’s vitamin cupboard. 

Do Slow State Cardio

If you want to get shredded, you need to do more cardio. However, the issue with cardio is you may enter a catabolic state if it is too intense.

This is where the benefits of slow state cardio come in. When you are doing this type of cardio, you are primarily using your type 1 muscle fibers, which give your energy system a chance to relax, removes lactic acid and metabolic waste buildup, and keeps you in an anabolic state.

Slow state cardio could be walking on a treadmill at an incline, a slow bike ride, easy jogging, or walking outside. The only issue with slow state cardio is that in comparison to HIIT cardio, you have to do it for much longer (45 to 60 minutes).

Eat Carbohydrates Post Workout

Contrary to popular belief, carbohydrates are not as evil as you may think. In fact, carbs are essential for you to get shredded while feeding your body the nutrients it needs to stay alive. 

After a heavy muscle-building workout, your muscles become depleted of glycogen, which is the fancy word for muscle sugars. This is what leads to that shaky and weak feeling post-workout.  This also what makes you slower with your thinking process, known as the “post-workout brain fatigue”.

Eating carbohydrates immediately after your workout will not only help replenish your body of energy, but it will also help you easily absorb the protein so you can build muscle quicker. Consume foods such as dextrose with protein powder, sweet potatoes with chicken, quick oats with protein powder, or white rice and ground beef. 

Do Not Crash Diet

If you have a photoshoot or beach vacation coming up, and you are nowhere near the body composition you want, do not panic! The last thing you want to do at this time is to go on a crash diet, as it will only put you in a catabolic state and deplete your muscle-building efforts.

Crash diets are too extreme for the body and signals for your body to go into famine mode. This eventually leads to a rebound and you will gain weight rather than lose weight. 

To get shredded quickly, reduce your calories by no more than 500, this way, you are still getting in enough nutrients and giving your body the nourishment it deserves.

Lift Heavy

If you want to get shredded without looking skinny, you need to maintain your muscle mass. To maintain your muscle mass, you need to constantly challenge your muscles and force them to keep growing. 

This means that you need to keep lifting in the heavier weight range and should aim for reps between 6 to 10 in each set. After the end of the set, you should feel like you cannot lift another rep with proper form. If you feel you could lift more after a 10th rep, you need to increase the weight.

Eat Enough Protein

While you are trying to get shredded while maintaining muscle, you need to feed your muscles exactly what they need during this time. Since protein is the building blocks for muscles, it only makes sense that consuming adequate protein is going to give you the nourishment you need.

Make sure you are consuming lean protein sources only, such as salmon, fish, eggs, chicken, turkey, lean beef, and nuts.

Learn More About How to Get Shredded 

Now that you know how to get shredded while maintaining muscle, it is time to get started on your workout and nutritional plan! Remember that these results do not happen overnight and to be as patient as you can with yourself and your body. 

To learn more about the best supplements to get shredded, check out these high-quality sports nutrition supplements.