How to Get Ripped

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2. Have a rigid schedule (in the beginning)

Being strict at the beginning of this journey is always a good idea. Even though we’re taking baby steps, write these baby steps down either as goals or scheduled events. Write your workouts down and record your progress. Write down and schedule when you’re going to eat, what you’re going to eat, and make sure you wake up at the same time everyday.

Get into a healthy routine. Schedule your cheat days or meals and schedule when you’re going to drink booze or smoke cigars. Even have scheduled spontaneity when you can just let loose and forget about things for a while.

What else does having a rigid schedule help you avoid:

Being in a rush. This can lead to failing to prepare a meal, which usually leads to fast food. Planning helps you avoid this.
Snacking. The less prepared you are, the more snacking you’re going to partake in. Snacking can kill our awesome physique and get more jelly in the belly.

3. Don’t buy groceries on an empty stomach

My greatest regrets – with regards to grocery purchases – always occur when I’m buying groceries on an empty stomach. I’ve bought chocolate cheerio’s, cinnamon raisin bagels, donuts, and a host of other things that taste great for a second, but are followed by regret, all because I shopped on an empty stomach.

Most people by snacks when they shop on an empty stomach. When we’re hungry, we’re in craving mode. Most often we’re craving foods that are high in sugar or trans fats. Make sure you have something to eat before you go grocery shopping, and always make a list. And stick to it.

4. Find time to de-stress

I have talked about how high cortisol levels can be the death of a great physique, and also of good health. Well cortisol is a stress hormone. It’s released during prolonged physical activity – like long runs – but also when we’re stressed. Stress is very often a state of mind, and as such, something we have control over.

Here are a few techniques that will help you lower your stress levels:

Take a step back. When you’re stressed, think “in the grand scheme is this really a big deal?”. This will usually bring your stress into context, clear your mind, and allow you to find a solution.
Keep a journal. Writing things down helps us find a solution. But it also helps us find clarity and it takes the emotion out of the equation. Anytime I’m really stressed I write it down. Not on the computer, but in a journal. Give it a shot. You’ll also find that going back over your journal to see how you’ve worked through similar situations can be a big help.
Go to the gym. Boxing is a great stress reliever, as is the gym. If you’re feeling overly stressed, head for an unscheduled workout. Physical activity releases endorphins that give us a natural high. Instead of taking anti-depressants, let your body find it’s own solution.

5. Get your 7-8 hours a night

Cortisol is also released when we lack sleep. To combat this lack of sleep we often drink an abundance of coffee which also results in the release of this hormone (more than 3 cups of coffee is shown to result in the release of cortisol, anything less is fine).

To ensure that you’re getting your 8 hours a night, get in a routine of going to bed and waking up at the same time 7 days a week. For one, you’re going to be more productive. Secondly, your body is conditioned to fall asleep and rise at the same time everyday. Waking up become a lot easier, as does falling asleep.

Want a great physique year-round? Keep your cortisol levels low, and testosterone levels high. For more on raising testosterone levels check out this article –> How to Raise Testosterone Levels

6. Never buy snacks.

Snacking is the one area where most of us fail, and fail miserably. We have a ‘see and consume’ way of eating. We see something, and we eat it. We don’t think about why we’re eating it, or even consider if we’re really all that hungry. It tastes good, so we eat it.

It’s completely useless. We end up feeling guilty and it in no way satisfies our hunger – if we were hungry to begin with at all. Do yourself a favour and only by nuts like almost, Brazil nuts, or walnuts as snacks. Don’t have anything lying around that might tempt you. Because odds are it will tempt you.

Here are some recipe’s that’ll help you with your snacking —> Cookbook

7. You are the 6 people you hang out with most.

Have a look at the people you hang around with most. If you’re the kind of guy who finds it extremely hard to say no to that 4th or 5th beer, and all of your friends are constantly drinking, then you’re in for a tough road.

If you’re the kind of guy that finds it ridiculously hard to say no to ice-cream, and your wife eats ice-cream everyday. Then again, you’re not making it easy on yourself. You’re hanging around the right people if:

The know about your goals, and support you in achieving them.
They have high expectations for themselves. They want greatness and how they live shows that.
They push you to become better in every area of life.
They have the physique you want, or are getting there. They are successful and ambitious, or they’re on their way to getting there.

You’re hanging around the wrong people if:

They’re lazy and have no goals or direction.
They eat shitty foods and don’t care about their health.
They smoke, binge drink, and abuse their body.
They want to bring you down to their level.
They’re jealous of your new goals and where you want to go in life.

It’s tough to get rid of people we’ve had in our lives for a long time. The fact is that some of these people don’t want to see us get to that next level because they don’t have the self-respect to push themselves to become something greater – whatever ‘greater’ means to you or to them.

A part of creating the right lifestyle that will contribute to you having a ripped physique year-round is surrounding yourself with people that will help you with this lifestyle. Think about whether or not those closest to you are bringing you closer to your goals, or further away from them. Then take the necessary steps.

For some great lifestyle and training tips check out my buddy Nate Green’s”Hero Workout“. It’s a lot more than just a training system. The hero handbook is packed with info that’ll help you live an awesome, ripped life.

It’s a very helpful resource to have in your library.

Check it out here — The Hero Workout

Next time: Training to Be Ripped. Forever.

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About Chad Howse