Fitness

There are obviously many health benefits both long-term and short-term for losing belly fat. Of course, there are a lot of people who don’t really get motivated by the health benefits, and are really into working out for the exterior visual appeal (and being healthy is just a bonus). One of the most visually striking aspects of the physique is the so-called ‘v-cut’ which runs from the oblique muscles down to the pubic area. This is also referred to as the money maker, for good reason. Having these simple lines appear on your body can create are very aesthetic look and come about body having low body fat.

So how does one get the v-cut? I’m going to break it down from a couple aspects below.

DIET DIET DIET

The first and the most important aspect of achieving this look, is through diet. Yes, everything always comes back to what you eat and how much of it. If one has a diet consisting of sugary snacks and other greasy and unhealthy junk foods, then just be honest about it and recognize that those abs will not show. You can indeed enjoy these foods, once in a while, but that doesn’t mean every other day.

The v-cut will start to appear when the body fat percentage is low enough. Meaning, that there needs to be a lot of work put forth not only in the gym, but also the kitchen.

The absolutely easiest place to cut is in the beverage department. If you currently consume soda, juice, or other sugary drinks…STOP! These empty calories are completely limiting your gains. Hell, back in high school, I started drinking only water and cut out all sugary drinks and lost 15 lbs in within about 5 months. This was without any changes in exercise or the foods that I was eating. Just cutting soda and sugary juice, dropped 15 lbs!

From there focus on the foods you are eating. It can be a good idea to start out by replacing things slowly. Like, for the first week just make sure you eat a healthy breakfast, even if the rest of your diet is crap. Then, the next week, make sure your breakfast and lunch are on point. This way, you don’t have to go through the junk food withdrawals and cravings will be minimal. It’s a slow getting used to the new lifestyle, instead of trying to overhaul everything at once.

Replace processed foods, with natural ones. Keep track of you caloric intake and know how many net calories (net of calories burned through exercise) you need to be at in order to lose fat. For me, 2000-2200 net calories, will lose me fat a pretty fast clip and so that’s what I use as a baseline and adjust from there. Obviously, you’re not the same size as me most likely, so you’ll need to figure out your baseline on your own.

I use an app on my phone called “My Net Diary”, which keeps track of what I eat, my calories, my exercise, and my how many calories I need to consume in order to hit my weight target. So, if I wanted to lose 20 lbs in three months, it would calculate how many net calories each day that are required for me to hit my goal. Is it 100% accurate? No, but I’ve found that it is pretty dead on, though I still need to adjust things to my personal requirements.

Workouts

Losing fat is the most important aspect of getting the money maker. However, there are tons of people on the planet, who are skinny but don’t have a well developed v-cut.  That being the case, the abdominal muscles will have to be increased in terms of volume and for definition.

One way to do this is by working the oblique muscles. The key is not to use too much weight, which can make this area thicker, and sort of distort the lean look that we want to achieve.  Side bends and twisting crunches are some of the exercises that I have found effective for this goal.

Training the abdominal muscles with some weight is obviously important in developing this area. Like any other muscle group, the abs need to be worked to develop strength, and get the right aesthetic. 2-3 days worth of work each week is sufficient to build this group while ensuring proper recovery is allowed to happen.

One more effective tool for getting the v-cut is cardiovascular exercise. Cardio is a great way to burn through the stores of fat covering abdominal muscles and should be used in conjunction with a resistance training program. When cutting I personally step up my cardio workouts to 4-5 times a week to shed the fat.

Need A Program to Get the Results you Desire? Try this!

What is Visual Impact Muscle Building?

• Read My Full Review and Results with Visual Impact

The original VI program is a 3 phase program which lasts a total of six months designed to get you that lean and cut look similar to Brad Pitt in Fight Club, Taylor Lautner, and other Hollywood actors. This program is NOT about adding bulk in whatever form it may come. Rather, the goal is to create as Rusty says, “a sharp-angular look” not the standard bulky ‘meat head’ physique.

I think that most guys want to have some decent muscle mass and have the cut physique that drives women wild and not the huge, steroid monster look that will have them running in fear. Getting in shape isn’t all about the chicks but why not take the benefits that go along with it?

Phase 1 of the program is broken down into 3 separate days and has more of a focus than the other two phases on gaining proficiency and mass. I think that naturally skinny guys would do well to repeat phase 1, so that they could add more muscle before really cutting down in the latter phases. For me, I had to skip the deadlifts and squats in this phase due to an old back injury.

What really changes in between the phases besides some of the exercises is the rep schemes, which is designed to create a certain type of physique and not just add muscle randomly. Below is a link to a video where Rusty Moore explain this in more detail:

 

Who is this program for?

I think that skinnier guys who want to gain some muscle yet retain their leanness would do well with Visual Impact Muscle Building and probably won’t need the cardio program.

Guys who have fat to lose would do well to combine this program with the cardio program, like I did, to really help create a great physique.

What does this program cost?

$47 for Visual Impact and $37 (as of now) for the Cardio program…when purchased individually. Buying both programs usually results in a huge discount for the second one. Really for six months worth of workouts that works out to roughly 26 cents a day in order to help transform your body.

Is the cardio program difficult?

It can be brutal sometimes. It builds up over the program and the last few weeks look pretty damn challenging. There will be weeks in which 5 days a week is commonplace, so it is important to monitor your body and know when to take a break. Overall, I love it. I love having to push myself through workouts because I know that the results are already taking place and I cannot wait until I’m completely chiseled.

Here are some of the perks of Visual Impact Cardio:

• No more guess work. Specific workouts you can tailor to your own fitness level.

• Special Advanced cycle designed to help you get really cut.

• Intense workout to help build stamina and endurance.

• 3 separate, 8 week cycles, which can be repeated and modified as you get stronger.

• The reasoning behind everything is explained in simple, easy to understand terms.

• Can be downloaded instantly, you start right away.

 

 

 

 

There are some folks who start a workout program and follow a diet and start to see results seemingly immediately. For others, it seems like no matter how much work they do, there is very little to show for it. I’ve been in this boat myself and while it’s easy to give up on things and declare that, “Being in shape just isn’t possible for me”, the truth is that it can indeed be done. If you’ve been putting in the work for a few weeks or perhaps months and don’t seem to have the desired results, it’s time to make adjustments. Here are some of the problems that could be throwing things off in your process.

 

1. Not Enough Time Has Lapsed

There is a real issue within our society of not giving things enough time to take hold and really develop, in order to show results.  This is especially true with losing fat or gaining muscle. After all, we tend to feel like we should have amazing results after putting in a few weeks worth of work at the gym, and having the muscle soreness and fatigue to show for it.

However, this process is an extended one. Yes, you can get results in the short term BUT, the results that you’re probably looking for are going to take time. I can remember times when I needed to shed fat, getting frustrated after two or three weeks and had only lost 2 lbs. The thing of it is…results aren’t necessarily linear. Meaning, you might stagnate for weeks on end and then lose 3-4 lbs, the very next week. This happened all of the time with me and had I given up, I would’ve never learned this lesson.

Don’t get drawn into the realm of the quick fix. Remind yourself daily, that this is a process, and every bit of work and sacrifice is getting you closer to your ultimate goal.

 

2. Your Diet is No Good

Diet is the most important aspect of both losing fat and gaining muscle. Yes, you have to workout, but if your diet isn’t on point, the working out isn’t going to have very much effect.

Again, on a personal note, I have lifted and done cardio on a consistent basis before while paying no attention to my nutrition. Working out 4-5 times per week, I was still 20+ lbs away from having six pack abs. Sure, I had muscle and my physical capabilities were much better than the average person who didn’t exercise, but I was just spinning my tires.

I had to learn that I cannot fight the nutrition aspect and expect to get good results.

This meant that I had to give up eating and drinking certain foods and getting my caloric intake inline. Once I stopped resisting, the fat started coming off, and within a few months I was in the best shape of my life. It is much easier to do cardio workouts when not carrying an extra 25 pounds on your body.

Don’t justify to yourself eating that sugary snack or beverage because, “I worked out today”…unless you’re in a caloric deficit, it won’t really matter.

 

What’s Your Actual Goal?

There are people in the gym, who are there everyday for months on end, and get no results. Yes, it’s related to their poor diet, but also the fact that they don’t have a clear goal in mind.

“I want to lose fat” is not an actual goal. I mean, how much fat? In what time frame do you want to lose it? What’s your diet like? Do you want to gain muscle as well?

Be specific with what you want to achieve. It not only allows you to adjust when things aren’t working correctly, but it also allows you to have a specific result that you’re aiming for. Motivation only takes you so far. There are days where you really won’t want to do anything. As such, you need a plan and specific results in mind in order to keep you on track and not give up.

 

4. Following the Wrong Program

Another big factor that is preventing people from hitting their fitness goals is the completely random way they workout. It can be a good thing to switch up a routine and make the body adjust to the new stimulation. However, just going into the gym and randomly using different equipment is going to achieve haphazard results.

Consistency needs to be a part of any workout program. Yes, getting in shape takes hard work, it isn’t a simple 10 minute daily process and then pretending you’ve achieved something so that you can go home and eat more food. Get a routine, stick with it, and give it time to show results.

Need A Program to Get the Results you Desire? Try this!

What is Visual Impact Muscle Building?

• Read My Full Review and Results with Visual Impact

The original VI program is a 3 phase program which lasts a total of six months designed to get you that lean and cut look similar to Brad Pitt in Fight Club, Taylor Lautner, and other Hollywood actors. This program is NOT about adding bulk in whatever form it may come. Rather, the goal is to create as Rusty says, “a sharp-angular look” not the standard bulky ‘meat head’ physique.

I think that most guys want to have some decent muscle mass and have the cut physique that drives women wild and not the huge, steroid monster look that will have them running in fear. Getting in shape isn’t all about the chicks but why not take the benefits that go along with it?

Phase 1 of the program is broken down into 3 separate days and has more of a focus than the other two phases on gaining proficiency and mass. I think that naturally skinny guys would do well to repeat phase 1, so that they could add more muscle before really cutting down in the latter phases. For me, I had to skip the deadlifts and squats in this phase due to an old back injury.

What really changes in between the phases besides some of the exercises is the rep schemes, which is designed to create a certain type of physique and not just add muscle randomly. Below is a link to a video where Rusty Moore explain this in more detail:

 

Who is this program for?

I think that skinnier guys who want to gain some muscle yet retain their leanness would do well with Visual Impact Muscle Building and probably won’t need the cardio program.

Guys who have fat to lose would do well to combine this program with the cardio program, like I did, to really help create a great physique.

What does this program cost?

$47 for Visual Impact and $37 (as of now) for the Cardio program…when purchased individually. Buying both programs usually results in a huge discount for the second one (I think it was 50% off). Really for six months worth of workouts that works out to roughly 26 cents a day in order to help transform your body.

Is the cardio program difficult?

It can be brutal sometimes. It builds up over the program and the last few weeks look pretty damn challenging. There will be weeks in which 5 days a week is commonplace, so it is important to monitor your body and know when to take a break. Overall, I love it. I love having to push myself through workouts because I know that the results are already taking place and I cannot wait until I’m completely chiseled.

Here are some of the perks of Visual Impact Cardio:

• No more guess work. Specific workouts you can tailor to your own fitness level.

• Special Advanced cycle designed to help you get really cut.

• Intense workout to help build stamina and endurance.

• 3 separate, 8 week cycles, which can be repeated and modified as you get stronger.

• The reasoning behind everything is explained in simple, easy to understand terms.

• Can be downloaded instantly, you start right away.

 

 

 

 

The movie, Neighbors, is currently the number one film at the box office because there are no shortage of laughs from Zac Efron and Seth Rogan. Efron plays a fraternity brother in this movie and as such was in crazy shape for the part. I had really never seen Zac Efron in anything else (not a High School Muscial fan, I suppose) but thought he did a good job in this one. Anyways, a question a lot of people seem to be asking is how he got his body in that kind of shape? What was Zac’s workout like? What about his diet? Ab routine? Etc. Well, here is a short interview clip in which Zac talks a bit about his preparation:

 

 

 

There isn’t too much to glean from that in terms of specific details. We know he consumed plenty of protein shakes and got up every morning to throw down in the gym but that’s about it. So, the question is how does one get a body like Zac Efron has in Neighbors? In this post, I’m going to break down a path towards getting this type of physique.

Diet

I have already laid out my approach to a fat loss diet in this post. However, the Zac Efron physique would require that most people put on more muscle first before cutting down. So, would the carbohydrate cycling approach still work? Absolutely. The only thing really needed to change is the caloric intake and possibly adding another high carbohydrate day in the first month or so to really help bulk up.

My carb cycling approach to diet is essentially this:

• On days with intense workouts, high carbohydrate intake (feed glycogen stores)
• On moderate days (i.e. only lifting OR only cardio workout), moderate carbs
• On rest days, keep carbs under 100 grams for the day.

In order to pack on the muscle quickly, I add more protein to my diet. Much like Zac, I’ll have a few protein shakes during the day or pile another chicken breast on my plate to get the extra calories I need.

Here is a sample diet for a high carbohydrate day:

Sample Diet (High Carb Day)

Meal 1: 4 Scrambled Eggs with salsa (add black beans for more calories plus protein and carbs) and 1 cup of oats

Meal 2: 1 scoop of whey protein powder mixed with 1 cup of skim milk

Meal 3: Chicken with broccoli and brown rice

Meal 4: 1 scoop of whey protein powder mixed with 1 cup of skim milk

Meal 5: Peanut Butter Sandwich on whole wheat bread (This definitely adds calories and fat but should work nicely for my purposes of not dropping weight too fast).

Meal 6 (Post-workout): Chicken or fish with 3 small russet potatoes and spinach or salad.

This type of meal plan is very basic and easy to follow, there is nothing crazy involved. Simply add more calories when bulking and subtract when cutting. Also, I might add another higher carb day when bulking and then change a day to lower carb when cutting. With this approach, I never need to think all that hard about what I need to eat. It follows some very basic rules or guidelines:

-No Fast food or sweets

– Low Sugar

– On low carb days substitute grains for greens. Also, bump up the protein and fat intake (healthy fats, not fried chicken or pizza).

-Stay away from liquid calories. Water and skim milk (on high carb days for protein shakes) are what I will be drinking.

-Stay away from heavily processed foods

With this type of dietary approach I can stick to whatever goal I have and not have to change very much in order to effect the results. Plus, I’m never bored or hungry because there are so many possibilities of what to eat.

Workout

While we don’t have an exact Zac Efron workout to follow, I think that he made a very important point in the video. He said he pretty much woke up and went to work out. Consistency really is a key component in getting in great shape, both in terms of diet and exercise. Even really disorganized routines can produce some results if done consistently but they won’t be maximum gains and people will eventually stagnate. Having an exact plan laid out with the ability to adjust it to your own personal needs is essential and can save a lot of unnecessary guess work. Plus, people are wayyy more likely to stick to a well-thought out plan than just going to the gym one day and trying to ‘figure it out’.

I like to lift 4-5 times per week when I’m really trying to get into crazy shape. When it comes to fat loss, I then will also bump up my cardio. I try to play basketball as much as I can but I mostly use the Visual Impact Cardio routine to really cut the fat. I reviewed this program in the link but I’ll give you some bullet point benefits:

• No more guess work. Specific workouts you can tailor to your own fitness level.

• Special Advanced cycle designed to help you get really cut.

• Intense workout to help build stamina and endurance.

• 3 separate, 8 week cycles, which can be repeated and modified as you get stronger.

• The reasoning behind everything is explained in simple, easy to understand terms.

• Can be downloaded instantly, you start right away.

• Fairly inexpensive at $47. Hell, that’s about what it costs for one measly session with many personal trainers.

Rusty Moore (the guy from the video link I posted below), has two awesome workout programs for men called, Visual Impact Cardio and Visual Impact Muscle Building. They are designed to teach people how to ‘master the skill of losing body fat’ and get the ‘lean Hollywood look’. I follow only the cardio program myself since, I like to follow my own weight lifting routine, but I’ve read the Muscle Building program (which includes a fat loss portion), so that might be a better option for most guys. Plus, the whole 60 day money back guarantee is pretty sweet.

It is a downloadable program and is not available in stores, so it can be started right away. Included in the Cardio ebook are three separate programs for beginners, advanced, and one for special occasions when you really want to be ripped (beach trips, photo shoots, attracting the ladies).

 

Here’s what other satisfied customers are saying about Visual Impact methods:

“After following Visual Impact for 6 months I had taken my body fat percentage from 15% all the way down to a chiseled 6.5%. I had traded droopy pecs, chaffing legs and a chubby face for a drop dead sexy physique. This is really where it’s at! Thanks a ton Rusty for putting me on the path to awesomeness.”– Gregory O.

“I finished the Visual Impact Muscle program and I can’t praise this program enough. I finally have the body I have always desired. The muscular body that is as visually attractive as it is strong. I’ve finally achieved the ripped six pack and body I’ve always wanted and I couldn’t have achieved it if I didn’t know the technique of shrink wrapping the muscles in the bonus phase. THIS IS BY FAR THE ULTIMATE SECRET FOR GETTING THE LEAN RIPPED LOOK!”– Atif A.

“Rusty, 42 pounds later, and with the body type I wanted!! Thank You so much. I love your exercise program, because you can personalize it…add a little here, change a set there. It never gets boring. As well, when I get up to work out, I always feel it’s DOABLE.”-Ange

“VIMB for Men review: The book is PERFECT! The program will give you the look of Abercrombie Models which is hot! The information AWESOME! It’s all you need to know to achieve whatever kind of physique you want. The program allows you for customization to achieve the look you like. It is divided into three Phases. I did Phase 1 for 3 weeks and gained 10 pounds of muscle and looking and feeling great.. and maintained my bf%”– Paul W.

Click Here to Check Out Visual Impact Muscle Risk Free for 60 Days!

 

Conclusion

Getting a body like Zac Efron doesn’t have to build insanely confusing, though the work needed to be put in will be challenging. Consistency is the key with any physical pursuit. Find the right diet and stick to it but change little things when a specific result is needed (build more muscle or lose more fat for example). Getting a good workout routine can save you from unnecessary headaches or stagnating because you don’t have a plan to follow. Going to the gym is great but trust me when I tell you, without a specific plan, you’ll be chasing your own tail so to speak. There’s nothing worse than hitting the gym for 6 months and the last two you don’t see any improvement because your body has adapted. In short, work hard, stay on target, and the Zac Efron like physique is definitely possible.

College has many famous traditions and one of the best yearly ones is spring break. Spring break is kind of a weird one, isn’t it? It doesn’t necessarily occur along with Easter or any other legit holiday and it’s dab smack in the middle of the semester. Sure, we used to get Fall break as well but that was like three days. Anyways, a part of this yearly tradition is for college students to venture to the beach and escape the horrors of classwork and winter weather. For most colleges around the country, spring break is 4-8 weeks away from the time I am writing this, so, that means if you want to get into shape you’ll have a limited amount of time to do so. Hopefully, you’ve already been working out, so that you only have to lose that last bit of fat to look great on the beach. You did that, right? If you still have significant amounts of fat to lose, there is only so much you can do in a limited time frame, so don’t trip but learn to appreciate the progress you’ll make and be ready to go by summer. 30 to 60 days isn’t a long time in the grand scheme of things but with dedication and effort to a program you can see some really good fat loss during this period.

 

Cut the Nonsense

Look, we’ve established that we have a short period of time to work with in order to get into fantastic shape. So, we don’t have time to waste by screwing around with our diets.  If you want results you’ve really got to dial it in and that means getting rid of the crappy diet.  While workouts are also important, what you eat will ultimately determine how your body looks. Normally, you could gradually eliminate junk food from your diet but that’s when you have more time available to do so. Now, is the time to get rid of the obvious offenders and replace them with better choices. That means cutting soda, beer, sugary drinks, processed snacks, sweets, etc. You and I both know what these bad foods are so don’t play dumb, just get rid of them.

Other helpful posts:

Exercising but not losing weight?

30 Days to a Successful Life Change

 

Sleep Well

Sleep is a highly underrated factor in transforming your body and it’s a shame because it really does help a lot. A lack of sleep clouds your mind, makes you more irritable, and probably less likely to stick with the plan to achieve your goals. Who wants to be working out, cutting, and not sleeping well? That would be awful. More importantly, sleep is when a majority of growth, recovery, and hormone release occurs….so yeah, it’s really important. Recovery is absolutely necessary to make it through tough workouts and avoid injury. If you don’t sleep like you need to, you’re not going to see the optimal results, period. Here are two posts related to sleep:

How to Wake Up Early for Night Owls

How to Quit Coffee and Energy Drinks

 

Cardio

 

When I’m in fat loss mode, I ramp up the cardio workouts to 4-5 days per week. 7 days per week, even for a month, is probably overkill, as you’ll be losing muscle mass a well and not recovering like you need to be. I usually rotate between the treadmill, elliptical, and exercise bike so that I don’t get bored or have extreme soreness due to too much running. The program that I currently follow is Rusty Moore’s Visual Impact Cardio, which I reviewed here. Visual Impact Cardio is designed to maximize fat loss and help you achieve a beach body. I love the fact that there are three separate workouts within this program and can all be modified to meet my individual needs and progress.

 

Diet

 

Diet is the difference between some results and major results. As I wrote above, you should immediately cut out all junk food and beverages, but what do you replace those foods with? To keep things simple for myself, I generally break down most of my meals into, protein (chicken, fish), good carb (rice and potato NOT FRIED), and a green veggie. Those are the staples of my diet which I supplement with protein shakes and natural peanut butter sandwiches, just to up my fat intake. Getting enough fat is also important because it supports healthy hormone production, such as testosterone which will help build muscle.

 

Here is a brief layout of foods I like to eat during a cutting cycle:

 

Good sources of protein– eggs, turkey, chicken, fish, lean cuts of beef, lentils, beans, whey protein powder.

Good sources of carbohydrates– brown rice, oats, vegetables, whole wheat bread.

Good sources of fats– nuts, olive oil, fish oil, flax seed oil, natural peanut butter.

 

I also like to carb cycle when losing fat. Going completely low carb sucks, though you can see lots of fat loss by following it. However, many people tend to feel extremely low energy on a low carb diet and find it difficult to complete workouts. I wrote about that process, here, and laid out a sample diet that I followed. Carb cycling helps to feed my body carbs when it needs it the most (workout days) and drop the carbs low on rest days. This can help to fat loss process to accelerate.

Also, read this article, which is among the best I’ve ever read on nutrition and fat loss to help explain nutrient timing, the function of macronutrients, and planning.

 

Water

Since you’ve eliminated other liquids from your diet (except maybe protein shakes), water is what you should be drinking exclusively. It is extremely important for all aspects of your health to stay hydrated and recovering from workouts is one of the biggies for our purposes. There is going to be plenty of cellular waste that needs to be transported out due to workouts and water is going to help immensely with that.

 

Weight Lifting

 

Cardio isn’t enough by itself, as it doesn’t shape the body like lifting weights does. Doing a bunch of cardio will probably have you end up looking skinny and flat, which isn’t a desirable outcome. Building muscle also helps to burn excess calories which means carrying around less fat. If you don’t already lift, it’s probably best to start out with something like 3 days per week, so that you can recover from the muscle soreness that you’ll experience. 30 days isn’t going to make you gain insane amounts of muscle (especially while doing that much cardio and following a fat loss diet), however, it will definitely help to shape and tone what’s already there.

I generally bump up my lifting to 5 days per week with the 5 days of cardio, during the last month of preparation. I do this because of the short time frame which won’t be long enough to over train and because I already lift on a regular basis, I won’t be completely sore and unable to move by adding a few extra workouts for a month or so.

 

If you need a weight lifting program laid out for you step by step:

 

Sample customer reviews of Rusty Moore’s Visual Impact Muscle Program:

“So on 7/26 I sent my brother a picture of myself from the 15th and one from the 26th. Only 11 days of Phase 1. His reply was “holy crap”.”

“Over the course of the next 6 months…I was able to get into the BEST shape of my life, and that is no joke or exaggeration. I dropped down to 173 at my lowest, with I’d measured to be roughly 9-10% BF. My abs were visible, I felt amazing.”

“After following Visual Impact for 6 months I had taken my body fat percentage from 15% all the way down to a chiseled 6.5%. I had traded droopy pecs, chaffing legs and a chubby face for a drop dead sexy physique.”

“The book is PERFECT! The program will give you the look of Abercrombie Models which is hot! The information AWESOME! It’s all you need to know to achieve whatever kind of physique you want…”

Watch Rusty’s free videos and more customer reviews here: Visual Impact

 

Supplements

As far as supplements go, I really stick with the basics. I have tried fat burners before but found them to not be very effective plus they really can screw up your sleeping patterns due to all the stimulants. If you have your diet in order they aren’t really necessary. Pretty much, all I use right now is whey protein powder and BCAA’s. The protein powder helps get extra protein in my diet to feed the muscles so they can grow. While the branch-chain amino acids, help enormously with recovery and soreness, which is highly desirable during such a short amount of time filled with intense exercise.

I personally like to use:

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey Protein

Optimum Nutrition BCAA 5000 Powder

Conclusion

Getting into shape for spring break can be a great goal to have but it might be more prudent to change your lifestyle so that you don’t have to put so much effort into a short period of time. Keeping your eating and exercise habits in order, can help you stay in good shape all year, so when these events pop up on the schedule all you have to do is dial things in to achieve an insane physique. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, enjoy the workouts, set goals for yourself, and have fun on your trip but don’t get bent out of shape if you’re not as ripped as you want to be. Remember that the body may help draw girls in but confidence in yourself is what will help keep them around.

Fight Club Diet

Zac Efron Workout

I have been working out at home for the past few months or so and my workouts consisted of dumbbells and doing Insanity: The Asylum for my cardio needs. However, I wanted to get back into the gym and since my alma mater offers memberships for so cheap, I took the plunge and just bought one a few weeks ago. The first few weeks were spent doing a moderate amount of lifting to get my muscles back (push ups don’t prepare for the soreness after the first chest workout) and getting acclimated to the cardio workouts found in Visual Impact Cardio. Visual Impact Cardio is a fat loss program designed by Rusty Moore who has been involved in the fitness industry for years and has put out great men’s and women’s programs in the past few years. Visual Impact Cardio, on the other hand, was specifically written to achieve fat loss quickly through 8 week cycles of cardiovascular exercise.

Testing out the workouts in this program has been tough but in a weird way they have been fun. It has been a Thanksgiving holiday schedule at my gym this week, so I’ve had to make due with home workouts, but I am already looking forward to my Visual Impact Cardio workout tomorrow night. Yes, I am looking forward to getting on a treadmill tomorrow, I find myself loving the challenging lactic threshold intervals. Also, I like the specificity of the workouts because when left to my own devices I may come up with some random cardio workout, if I do any at all. This way I have a set workout that I know going into the day I must get through and so I just put in my headphones and get to work. For this post, I want to lay out what information is included in Visual Impact Cardio and what to expect if you are considering undertaking it.

Contents

After a brief introduction, Rusty breaks down two heavily cited studies that people often use as evidence that shorter cardio sessions are more effective at burning calories than steady state cardio. The first study, Rusty writes, called the Tabata Study, wasn’t even a measure of calories or fat burned. The Tabata Study was a measure of VO2 max (aerobic capacity), and while it increased a participants VO2 max, it was not the most effective way to burn fat. (He breaks the whole thing down in the book, much better than my short attempt).

The second study, Rusty cites, presents a measure of the so-called “afterburn effect”. Simply put, the amount of extra calories your body burns after you finish exercising. The point being, that the people who subscribe to doing  only the short interval cardio training, are misinformed about how many extra calories they are really burning. He says that the participants in the study who did these high-intensity intervals for short periods of time, only lost 0.2 lbs in 15 weeks!

Also, while high-intensity exercise does produce a greater afterburn effect, it amounts to roughly 14% of total calories burned during a workout. Meaning, a 30 minute high-intensity workout burning 400 calories, ends up with a 56 calorie post-workout burn versus roughly 49 extra calories burned for an hour of steady state cardio.

While this program certainly uses and advocates high-intensity interval training, Rusty is pointing out that the afterburn effect and short cardio craze are both overstated. Visual Impact Cardio utilizes a multitude of intensity levels and time intervals.

The next few chapters introduce the idea of the lactic acid threshold and what Rusty likes to call the “Average Intensity Level”, which is extremely important for understanding the amount of calories burned during steady state cardio versus high intensity intervals. He does a great job at explaining these concepts in layman’s terms but they do serve as the basis of the thought behind the program so it will be important to really understand them. He introduces more information on how fat is burned and the role of glycogen. Rusty also explains that this program is designed to fit as a lifestyle and not simply a quick-fix diet, which is why you get to have the weekends off to have fun.

After laying the foundations and introducing the thinking behind the program, Rusty, introduces the day by day guide of the beginners cycle. Followed by the 8 week cycle at the intermediate level, and the special 8 week hell (haha) of the advanced workout cycle.  You get to choose the type of cardio you do (I run some days and use the elliptical on others) but the program presents to you the amount of time spent total on that days workout, the interval timing, and the intensity in terms of lactic threshold you need to do. Each day in the schedule is accounted for, you get rest when there needs to be a rest day and you push harder when it’s called for.

Here is a breakdown of the chapters found in Visual Impact Cardio:

1: Calories Burned After Exercise Don’t Amount to Much

2: Focus on Calories Burned During the Workout

3: Calories Burned: Intervals vs. Steady State

4: A 1 Page Interval Training Summary

5: How Interval Training Actually Works

6: Calorie Deficit, Calories Burned, and Fat Loss

7: Burning Stubborn Body Fat

8: Calories, Food, and Workout Timing

9: Improving Popular Fat Loss Programs

10: Separating Fat Loss and Resistance Training

11: Visual Impact Cardio Preparation

12: The Beginner’s Cycle

13: The Intermediate Cycle

14: The Advanced Cycle

15: The Maintenance Plan

16: Final Thoughts

Try the Program Today by Clicking Here!

Answers to Some Possible Questions About Visual Impact Cardio

How Long Does it Take to Receive Visual Impact Cardio?

It’s an ebook program so once you’ve paid it will be emailed to you. You can start the program, immediately, if you want to.

Is This Program for Advanced Trainers or Can it be Done by Beginners?

The ebook features three workout cycles: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Each of the three cycles lasts 8 weeks. So, any level of experience can take on Visual Impact Cardio. The advanced cycle is an 8 week cycle to take someone who is already lean and get them really cut for a special event. You can use the intermediate cycle consecutive times to get leaner if the first go round wasn’t enough. The beginning program gets you shedding fat fast and building up the endurance necessary for the intermediate program.

Does it Include a Diet Plan?

Visual Impact Cardio also goes into some detail about how you should eat but not necessarily what you should eat. While Rusty does gives some examples of dieting schemes and principles behind them, this program is not a diet plan. Visual Impact Cardio is a program designed to teach you how to lose fat and its three 8-week cycles certainly delivers on that.

Do You Need Access to a Gym for Visual Impact Cardio?

Not necessarily. However, cardio equipment is important for this program so whether that is at the gym or in your home, won’t make a difference. You can still do this program without cardio machines but it won’t be as effective because there is a need to keep track of intensity levels and measuring your lactic acid threshold. I think you’d still get good fat loss without machines though.

Does It Actually Work?

Yes, it works. All exercise burns calories, the key is burning enough calories, in an efficient way to promote fat loss. Even those abdominal machines you see on TV probably work (at strengthening abs) but they don’t burn the necessary calories to get rid of that belly fat. What’s the point of developing your abs if a layer of fat is covering them up? Also, any reasonable exercise plan will work based on the amount of effort and consistency a person puts into it. Some exercise plans will work better because they are based on science and are undertaken in an effective manner. Visual Impact Cardio lays out the reasoning behind the entire program and then offers you 24 weeks of workouts and how to maintain your results after whatever cycle you finish with.

How Many Workouts per Week?

The program is on a Monday-Friday schedule, so either 4 or 5 days per week depending on that week’s level of intensity. Each workout last from 30 minutes to an hour.

Can You Lift Weights Along with Doing Visual Impact Cardio?

I don’t see why not. I’m still lifting weights three or four days a week but I’m not going crazy with it either. Rusty Moore also has the original Visual Impact Muscle Building program, which could be stacked with the cardio. You’d probably have to re-configure the workouts though. If you have your own weight training routine, I doubt you’d gain very much muscle while doing Visual Impact Cardio but you would probably get great definition. If you want to gain mass, you might consider doing a bulk using something like the original Visual Impact, and then follow that up with Visual Impact Cardio to get really cut.

Conclusion

There you have it guys, a basic introduction to the Visual Impact Cardio program.  Like I said before, the results you get will reflect the level of dedication you had during the program. These 8 week cycles will definitely help to shed the fat and after that you can easily maintain your results with a decent diet and a few workout sessions per week. Rusty says in the book, if you slip up after you’ve finished the program and gained 10 pounds, then simply start a new cycle to get back to where you want to be. If you are looking for a challenging workout that will burn off the fat fast, then you should definitely consider giving Visual Impact Cardio a try.

At some point in time, I think that most people get fed up with how they look and feel and decide to undergo a body transformation. Initially, the increase in physical activity almost always leads to both weight loss and fat loss. However, at some point, perhaps rather quickly, the fat won’t go away and the belly in the mirror feels like it is just mocking you. It can be extremely frustrating to put forth lots of effort for multiple weeks straight and not see any noticeable change to your body composition. The good news is that if you stick with exercising and focus on addressing the common problems that hinder weight loss, then you can melt that fat away and have the body you want. By addressing the following issues and getting your program in order, you should have no problem with meeting your goals.

Plateauing

If you saw significant fat loss for the majority of the time when you started your exercise and diet program, and now nothing, there is a good chance that you have hit a weight loss plateau. The human body is quite adept at adaptation and as such can get used to the exercise and dietary demands you are putting it through. It can be a good idea, to switch up the exercises you include in your workout routine or try switching up things like the amount of weight, lifting tempo, amount of rest in between sets, etc. For instance, if you lift weights and have a chest/back day, why not throw in supersets to make the routine more challenging? Meaning, you would do your set for the chest and then immediately start a set for a back exercise. This shortens the rest and gives the workout a more cardiovascular element than keeping the two exercises completely separated.

Not Enough Time Spent

In contrast to plateauing, there are people who are way too impatient. They think that because they’ve worked out and dieted for a month they should be totally chiseled. Sorry but it doesn’t work that way. It probably took months or years to accumulate that fat, so why would it disappear in 4 weeks time? I’m not saying that it will take equally as long to lose weight but it does take time to undo all of your mistakes and figure out what the right type of fat loss plan is for you. There have been times where I’ve stopped going to the gym and put on weight and once I got back into the gym, the first month saw very little results and then things started clicking after that. So have patience.

Sleep

People severely underestimate the importance of sleep in their lives. During sleep, your body releases hormones that repair and build muscle, and some of the major releases only occur during certain parts of the sleep cycle. Meaning that, if you’re not getting enough sleep, you won’t get the optimal level of hormone release. Muscle growth and recovery are highly important in achieving your fitness goals but sleep also helps with your mood. Think about it. Aren’t you grumpy when you’re tired? Do you care as much or feel as motivated to stick with your diet? It’s more likely you don’t really care because your mind is so occupied with sleep and feeling fog that clouds your thoughts. Get enough sleep!

Not Enough Cardio

Cardio can be boring, especially when you don’t want to do it. The problem with that attitude is that it is the most efficient way to burn calories and is great for your overall health. There are plenty of ways to do cardio including sports, exercise classes, hiking, and other activities.

Many people only do one specific type of cardio, such as steady state (walking on the treadmill for example), and then don’t see the results they want. The key is to switch up the intensity, vary the exercises and the amount of time you spend doing it.

Trainer, Rusty Moore, has a great cardio program for fat loss called Visual Impact Cardio. I have been using its principles for the past two weeks (read my review), since I’ve gotten a new gym membership, and have loved the results. It is a full step by step plan that breaks down what cardio exercises you will do each day to maximize fat loss. What I love about Rusty’s program, is that the workout challenges me on each day in a different way. One day will be for VO2 max, another will be interval training, pyramids, and the like. Visual Impact Cardio consists of three 8-week cycles (6 months total) that you can adjust and keep using for as long as you want.

Visual Impact Cardio shows you:

• How to Diet in a way that Maximizes Fat Loss, with little chance of metabolism slow down.
• How to use Cardio Periodization Cycles…the technique where you “take 3 steps forward and 1 step back”…to Lose Body Fat Without Hitting Sticking Points.
• Why there is a Ceiling to How Many Calories You Can Burn with Intervals…and how adding in a Strategic Cardio Routine can take you to the finish line of hitting your fat loss goals.
• Three Complete 8-Week Workout Cycles – taking you from where you are now…ALL THE WAY to your ideal body fat percentage.

Get Instant Access to Visual Impact Cardio by: CLICKING HERE

Too Many Calories

Just because you are working out doesn’t mean that you can eat whatever you want and expect to lose weight. In order to lose fat, you need to create a caloric deficit, which can be done through more exercise (burning calories) or reducing the number of calories eaten. Your workouts don’t burn as many calories as you think they do, so yes, even if you work out that piece of cake can come back to bite you. Research online your daily maintenance calories and try to slowly reduce it. Another way to lose fat without counting calories is to switch over from processed foods to good sources of protein, complex carbs, and fats. Green veggies should be a staple in your diet. Be careful not to restrict calories too much because that can make you hold on to fat as your body wants to preserve every calorie, which will lead to a lack of results.

Lift Weights

There are a ton of people who head to the gym, do some light cardio on the elliptical for 30 minutes, and then head home. These people may see results, but they aren’t maximizing what they could be doing. Lifting weights helps strengthen muscles, grow muscles (which burns more calories even at rest), and helps to shape your body.

If you want to give your body a certain aesthetic look then you need to engage in weight lifting. Simply doing cardio can make you look skinny and flat. Also, why not engage in something like weight lifting that can help you to burn more calories and also helps to release hormones like testosterone which can help with mood, motivation, muscle building, etc.

 

You Haven’t Been Consistent

Sticking with the program both by performing each of your scheduled workouts and keeping your diet in order is absolutely imperative while trying to lose weight. Too many people treat exercise and nutrition as something that is temporary and that they can achieve great results by putting forth mediocre effort. I’m sorry but it isn’t going to work very well with that kind of attitude. You became overweight in the first place due to your lifestyle and you are going to try to lose weight and keep it off by temporarily changing some habits? The negative effects of how you have been living your life must be addressed if you are truly going to make a life altering change in your body and health. So if you have been sticking to an exercise routine and diet during the weekdays and then let yourself have free reign to eat like a slob on the weekends you are pretty much letting most of your hard work go to waste.

Be consistent with everything, you can still treat yourself every once in a while but do so in moderation and pay attention to the nutritional content of the foods that you eat. I found out when I was younger that once I educated myself about proper nutrition I became way less likely to eat the foods that would have an ill effect on my health and appearance. As an added bonus I lost over 30 lbs and stay fairly lean year round just by sticking with the plan I have laid out for myself and when beach season starts to creep up I never have to do anything dramatic in order to look my best, just make minor adjustments.

Losing weight takes a deal of effort to accomplish but it’s not impossible. If you searched for an article explaining why you aren’t losing weight, then you were probably getting frustrated with your results. You need to stay positive and stick with it because the changes you desire will come but it doesn’t happen overnight. Address the problems that I have listed above, in a serious manner, either through your own research or by using a program like Rusty Moore’s. Whatever route you take, accept that this is a lifestyle change and not simply a crash course diet where you lose weight and then gain it all back, only to have to start the cycle again.

There are not only an untold number of methodologies but also an untold number of reasons for guys to exercise. Honestly, isn’t one of the biggest one to get the chicks? Even if that is your surface level goal, getting into shape has profound effects on your confidence, discipline, outlook on life, and that’s not even to mention all of the long term health benefits. Guys who are athletes obviously train to optimize their sport specific results, even if that isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing form their bodies could take. Many other guys go for the traditional bodybuilding training, however, to transform themselves closer to that ‘Greek Ideal’. This body comes with a solid muscle base and lower body fat percentage, highlighted of course by those six pack abs. Some guys see pictures of Arnold or Frank Zane and think that this is their ideal to have that insane size that is symmetrical and also tapered. Other guys see themselves in the aesthetic construct of guys like Zyzz (RIP), Brad Pitt in Fight Club, or Zac Efron in Neighbors and get the motivation to train based off of that. Whatever your case or motivation may be I don’t think there are many guys who would dislike having a set of ripped abs proudly displayed on their midsections. The question is how does one go about getting this ripped look? What kind of diet and exercise program should one follow? In this post, I want to lay out my own current strategy to get in fantastic shape and have a great six pack to go with it.

Diet

The diet is the most important aspect of undergoing a body transformation. You can train all you want but if you aren’t eating right, you will never maximize your muscle gain or your fat loss, in essence you will stagnate for long periods of time.

My diet to start off with is pretty basic. I am not following a strictly low carb diet that would induce ketosis and lead to extreme fat loss because I want to keep up my training schedule, which requires carbohydrates to be able to get through. I want to lose fat at a slow pace (0.5-1.5 lbs per week) so that I can retain as much of my muscle mass as possible and potentially gain some. Losing fat while gaining muscle is a very difficult thing to do but it can be done, you simply won’t be doing either at the most optimal level and since I haven’t trained very much in a while I can expect gains simply by starting back up.

In order to accomplish this, I am taking a carb cycling approach to my diet. This means on days that I work out my diet will be higher in carbohydrates and on my two off days I will keep it under 100g of carbohydrates per day and possibly under 75g. My schedule looks like this:

Sunday- Off Day (Low Carb)

Monday- Weights & Cardio (Higher Carb)

Tuesday- Weights & Cardio (Higher Carb)

Wednesday- Weights & Cardio (Higher Carb)

Thursday- Cardio (Moderate Carb)

Friday- Off Day (Low Carb)

Saturday- Weights (Moderate Carb but with extra carbs post-workout)

This is the diet I have followed for the first week and so far it seems to meet my goals of not losing muscle, losing fat slowly, and not hindering my energy levels especially during workouts. I have been working out for over a week and a half but didn’t start concentrating on diet for the first 3-4 days. I am still 2-3 lbs lighter and have a noticeably leaner look than I did when I started the workout plan.

I have yet to count calories and I don’t plan on doing so for a while. My initial focus is to ‘eat clean’ and to keep my macronutrients within an acceptable range. Most meals are kept quite simple with a protein source, a good carbohydrate, and a green vegetable (spinach, broccoli). If I can keep a majority of my meals this basic, I can avoid eating junk food, easily cycle my carbohydrates, and plan my meals in advance.

My definition of eating clean is as follows:

-No Fast food or sweets

– Low Sugar

– On low carb days substitute grains for greens. Also, bump up the protein and fat intake.

-Stay away from liquid calories. Water and skim milk (on high carb days for protein shakes) are what I will be drinking.

-Stay away from heavily processed foods

 

Protein

My protein sources are pretty consistent each day and I simply up my portions on days when I need more. Chicken, tilapia, tuna, salmon, eggs, whey protein, skim milk, beans, and nuts. Those foods make up the majority of my protein intake. The chicken and fish is either steamed or grilled, never fried. Also, lean red meat is acceptable but it’s probably one meal out of the week if that.

Obviously, protein is going to be the key factor to preserving and growing muscle mass while changing my diet and training program. Again, I haven’t counted calories or nutrients beyond my low carb days, just a rough estimation of how much I should eat per meal. I generally keep my meat portions between 8-12 ounces which ensures that I’m getting more than enough protein without going overboard with the calories. I supplement with whey protein powder which I mix with skim milk or add two scoops to water on my low carb days. I want to keep my muscles fed throughout the day and the whey helps me accomplish that.

Carbohydrates

Low carb diets are great for losing a maximum amount of fat in a minimal amount of time. While I am including carb cycling in my diet, I am not going low carb because it would be detrimental to my muscle gains and I am under no deadline to lose fat. Slow and steady is my plan. Since the body can break down carbohydrates quickly and use them for energy, especially during times of stress (workouts), I definitely want them around so my body doesn’t decide to break down muscle in order to fuel me through the day. Also, as soon as I got off a strictly low carbohydrate diet I would probably gain a bunch of weight back, which would suck.

Carbohydrates also help the body to recover and allow me to have much more energy in order to train both harder and longer. For the purposes of my diet, my carbohydrate sources come from the following foods: potatoes, brown rice, wheat bread, oats, veggies, beans, nuts. On the low carb days, I definitely bump up the amount of veggies I eat, replacing potatoes or brown rice with spinach, broccoli, romaine lettuce.

Fats

In order to lose fat, I am NOT going on a low fat diet. My fat intake will stay between 15-25% (estimates) of my total calories each day. The reasoning behind this is that low fat diets can inhibit testosterone function which is a no-no for my purposes because I want my muscle and my hormones in optimal range. Honestly, the biggest thing for me is to get my fats from sources that aren’t fast food or other fried disasters. My fat comes mainly from these foods: eggs, nuts, fish, olive oil, peanut butter, and some from chicken (skinless).

 

Sample Diet (High Carb Day)

Meal 1: 4 Scrambled Eggs with salsa (add black beans for more calories plus protein and carbs) and 1 cup of oats

Meal 2: 1 scoop of whey protein powder mixed with 1 cup of skim milk

Meal 3: Chicken with broccoli and brown rice

Meal 4: 1 scoop of whey protein powder mixed with 1 cup of skim milk

Meal 5: Peanut Butter Sandwich on whole wheat bread (This definitely adds calories and fat but should work nicely for my purposes of not dropping weight too fast).

Meal 6 (Post-workout): Chicken or fish with 3 small russet potatoes and spinach or salad.

This sample day works out well because all of the parts are in place to make adjustments easily. If I lose weight too fast I can easily up my calories by eating a bit more but not including junk food. If I find that after a while of losing fat I am gaining some back then I can easily cut by replacing with one more low carb day or making some minor adjustment.

 

Sample Low Carb Day

Meal 1: 2 scoops of whey protein in water

Meal 2: 5-6 scrambled eggs cooked in olive oil with cheese and salsa added. (Remember, I bump up fat intake on these days).

Meal 3: Chicken with Romaine Lettuce salad (mostly use fat free Italian dressing but may use ranch if I need the calories)

Meal 4: 2 scoops of whey protein in water

Meal 5: Fish (salmon most likely for the fats) with lots of broccoli or spinach.

Meal 6 (if necessary): 1 scoop of whey in water with a slice of whole wheat bread –OR- cook up a can of tuna with seasoned with lemon and pepper and add some onion and cheese.

Cheat Meals

I haven’t done a cheat meal yet but it can be beneficial to have one cheat meal a week where you don’t go crazy but eat something that is outside of the normal diet. Most likely, I’ll do one day where I simply go pretty high on the carbs just to re-feed my muscles but that might only occur once every two weeks or so.

Vitamins

You may have noticed that I did not include fruits with this diet. I am not opposed to fruits completely, I will have a banana a few times per week. However, I tend to stay away from too many fruits and will drink no fruit juices because the sugar gets easily stored as fat. Green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli are rich in either Vitamins A and C. Romaine lettuce is high in Vitamin K. Potatoes have lots of potassium. So my dietary needs are being met and I supplement with a good multi-vitamin each day. I do eat fruit, simply not every single day.

Supplements

I take the following supplements:

-Multi-vitamin

-Whey Protein

-Creatine

-Fish Oil

That’s it for right now and probably for the rest of the process. You don’t need as many supplements as some companies will try to claim, most of your results come from four factors (weights, cardio, rest, diet). Supplements are there to do just that supplement your routine. Some can make you marginally better but they aren’t going to do squat if the rest of your plan is screwed up.

 

The Workout

For the time being, I will be working out at home (Updated: Back in the Gym using Visual Impact Cardio instead of Insanity and lifting barbells also). For my resistance training, I will be using dumbbells and an Iron Gym pull up bar. This limits me to the type of training I could be doing (i.e. heavier lifts) but it should work just fine as there are plenty of dumbbell exercises for each muscle group and I can always add more weight as I progress. Also, I won’t be doing any leg specific days with weights but I will get work on my legs by using the Insanity/Insanity: The Asylum hybrid workout as my cardio.

My schedule looks like this:

Sunday– Off (maybe a walk around the neighborhood)

Monday- Arms/Shoulders (morning), Insanity (night)

Tuesday- Chest/Back/Abs (morning), Insanity (night)

Wednesday- Arms/Shoulders (morning), Insanity (night)

Thursday- Insanity

Friday- Off

Saturday- Chest/Back/Abs

What I like about this schedule is that I get 4 weight lifting workouts per week as well as 4 cardio workouts per week by using Insanity. Monday-Wednesday, I separate the two types of workouts to ensure some recovery occurs and a maximal effort is given (got this idea from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding).

I usually substitute the upper body exercises that are in Insanity by doing other cardio movements since I have already lifted weights during that morning. I scheduled Friday and Sunday as off days and designated them as low carb days because it works best with my schedule. Also, the Thursday-Sunday portion allows for plenty of recovery from those first three days where I double up the workouts and may workout 1.5-2 hours total.

The importance of rest and recovery cannot be understated. Getting enough sleep each night will allow my body to grow and recover. Also, the body releases a majority of hormones through certain sleep cycles, meaning if you don’t get the sleep you won’t get as much of the necessary hormones. Rest isn’t being lazy, it lets your body hit an optimal state to maximize the results.

Consistency really is a key component in getting in great shape, both in terms of diet and exercise. Even really disorganized routines can produce some results if done consistently but they won’t be maximum gains and people will eventually stagnate. Having an exact plan laid out with the ability to adjust it to your own personal needs is essential and can save a lot of unnecessary guess work. It is easier to stick to a well-thought out plan than trying to figure things out for yourself and cobbling something together..

Rusty Moore is a fitness trainer who has two awesome workout programs for men called, Visual Impact Cardio and Visual Impact Muscle Building. Both of these workout ebooks have been created to get guys the lean and muscular look.. I have the cardio program myself and let me tell you, it is definitely a challenge. I’ve also read the Muscle Building program (which includes a fat loss portion), so that might be what most guys would want to go with. Especially, those who need to pack on the lean muscle mass like Achilles. Plus, the whole 60 day money back guarantee is  a pretty sweet deal.

It is a downloadable program and is not available in stores, so it can be started right away. Visual Impact Muscle Building comes in three phases which lasts for two months a piece. The first phase pretty much helps to build a muscular foundation which is then further refined by the next two phases of the workout. In order to get an Achilles-like body, it would probably be a good idea to repeat Phase 1 of Visual Impact twice, in order to build up mass within four months time and then use the other two phases to start to chisel out a ripped body. This way, the full program is spread out more and it would give someone more time to have their bulking diet to take effect and get serious muscle gains.

Here to Check Out Visual Impact Muscle Risk Free for 60 Days!

How to Keep Yourself on the Right Track

Too often people solely focus on diet and exercise in order to achieve some physical change. That’s great and also wildly important but they also tend to completely ignore the psychological aspects of changing parts of their lives drastically. Think about how many times you ate junk food or sat on the couch merely out of habit. You could have worked out or eaten better and you logically knew you should have but you just didn’t ‘feel’ like it. The problem is that if you decide to undertake a new workout and diet without addressing your bad habits and mind states, you will most likely fail in your pursuit once the initial motivation wears off or you become busier than you had anticipated. I am going to lay out some ideas and helpful tips that can help to stay committed to undergoing a body transformation to get those ripped abs.

Change Your Environment

One way to avoid eating junk food is to not keep any in your house. If you can’t see it, then you probably won’t eat it. This also applies to other daily distractions that may keep you mindlessly occupied instead of hitting your workout goals for the day. For example, consider deactivating Facebook if you spend a lot of time on that. Think about the things in your life that can hinder your progress or derail you totally and figure out how you can remove or lessen that negative influence.

Have a Plan

All the words I wrote up above? That is a plan. Well, more of an outline for the purposes of this post but I do have a more detailed plan for how I want to achieve my ripped look and for what changes I need to make in my lifestyle in order to achieve that goal. A basic plan can start small, maybe, simply a workout plan that you do for a month or so to install it as a habit in your life. After, you’ve got the workout part down pay, then maybe you address your eating habits in a more serious way. If you aren’t good a sticking to plans then maybe a complete lifestyle overhaul all at once isn’t a good plan for you. Maybe you need to break down your negative patterns step by step. (See: Exercising but Not Losing Weight, Spring Break Workout Plan)

Meditation

Meditation is a great habit to pick up. It is simply focusing your mind for 20 minutes or so and clearing out all of the thoughts that are racing through your head. Doing this really helps me to relax and focus on what I truly want to do instead of whatever my mind is worried about at that particular time.

Motivation

Motivation comes and goes, however, you can find sources of inspiration each day to help keep you on track. I like to download motivational podcasts and speeches and listen to them during the day. You might find some cool motivation videos on YouTube that can get you psyched up before your workout. Maybe you have someone who’s physique you admire and you can read an interview with them about how they achieved their goals. Whatever it is, make sure you have a steady stream of positive energy coming into your life, it really does make a difference.

Consistent Not Perfect

Understand that you will make mistakes and occasionally miss workouts. That’s okay. The biggest factor in affecting a positive change is being consistent, not being perfect. If you want to get in shape then you need to stick with it, so don’t let one bad day ruin your whole week, or a week ruin a whole month. If you fall off the wagon, get back on.

Conclusion

Okay, there is my post on getting ripped abs. I plan on updating and revising it as I see fit and as time goes along. I will take the above information and utilize it for the time being but I definitely will make adjustments if my fat loss is too slow or if I drop weight at a pace faster than I’d like to. I’m really like the process so far, I have tons of energy and I’m really focused on giving it my all so that I can transform my body. It’s hard work but it is definitely worth it.