Everyone wants that perfect, lean, and cut body, but how does one achieve that? Celebrities all over Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook swear that extremely restrictive diets and workouts are almost impossible to follow through. The only sure way to get ripped is working out and eating right. But not any workout will do! Your workout plan and meal plan should be tailored to maximize muscle build and fat loss. This article looks at a 1-month workout plan to get ripped in no time.
Workout Plan To Get Ripped In A Month
To get ripped in a period as short as four weeks means that you do a series of intense workouts. It will require you to strength train more and at a higher intensity and even crank up your cardio full-body workout routine.
Beginners may be worried that there is nothing for them given the amount of time and high expectations. But that isn’t the case as there are one too many 1-month workout plans to get ripped for beginners to choose from.
The featured 1-month workout plan to get ripped incorporates strength training, cardiovascular (aerobic) exercises, and rest days. Strength training is the one sure way of building muscle. It helps you build strength and improve your performance (9).
Cardio, on the other hand, is famed for being a fat-burning exercise. It is also associated with many health benefits, including decreased blood pressure, increased blood flow, decreased risk of stroke, and reduced age-related mental decline (5).
When strength training and cardio are combined with a healthy nutrition plan, these forms of exercises can help you build muscle and lose fat and weight in no time.
Unfortunately, working out is much harder than it seems but that isn’t to say that it is impossible. You need to be consistent, patient, and committed throughout the entire workout period.
Even on days that you are totally unmotivated, you need to make sure you follow your workout and meal plans. Reminding yourself of the end goal– to get your dream body –might help you stay motivated.
Keep in mind that you can modify this workout in one way or another. For instance, a 1-month workout plan to get ripped at home healthily will require you to do strength training and cardio exercises that can be done at home with the equipment you have.
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When choosing a meal plan remember to consider these three things:
Your Daily Routine
How much time do you have on your hands? Do you work from home and are flexible? Do you work at an office far from home and commute to work every morning?
It is important to factor in your daily routine. Your workout plan should be such that it allows you to complete your day’s tasks and still get enough rest. Basically, it should not put stress on your daily routine and make it impossible to get anything else done.
Fitness Level
What is your fitness level? Do you work out often or not? Make sure you ask yourself these questions so that you can choose a workout plan for your fitness level. If you are a beginner, choose a workout plan fit for a beginner and not an advanced-level workout plan.
Your Fitness Goal
What is your goal in the long run? Do you want to lose weight just before a wedding? Do you want to lose fat or weight? Do you want to gain muscle?
Your goal will help you pick a workout that will aid in achieving it. To get ripped you need to pick a workout plan that will help you gain muscle and get rid of fat.
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Below is what your 1-month workout plan to get ripped will look like:
Week 1
- Monday: Workout A
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: Workout B
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Workout C
- Saturday: Cardio (3 activities)
- Sunday: Rest
Week 2
- Monday: Workout A
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: Workout B
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Workout C
- Saturday: Cardio (3 activities)
- Sunday: Rest
Week 3
- Monday: Workout A
- Tuesday: Cardio
- Wednesday: Rest
- Thursday: Workout B
- Friday: Cardio (3 activities)
- Saturday: Workout C
- Sunday: Rest
Week 4
- Monday: Workout A
- Tuesday: Cardio
- Wednesday: Rest
- Thursday: Workout B
- Friday: Cardio (3 activities)
- Saturday: Workout C
- Sunday: Rest
You will need to go to the gym on selected days if you don’t have one at home. This is because some of the exercises require certain equipment. For instance, you will need a trap bar for the trap bar deadlift.
Other equipment you may need includes a pull-up bar, an adjustable cable machine, barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, benches, and squat racks.
The cardio exercises can easily be done. Keep in mind that choosing to work out from home doesn’t mean you skip your workout. Try to keep yourself accountable and stay consistent throughout workout duration be it weeks or months.
You may find that going to the gym is better as you get an instructor and may even bring along a workout buddy to help you keep you motivated and accountable.
Remember to practice proper form and breathing techniques. Complete all the reps and sets as required. In the case that you feel the reps are too many for you at first, you can reduce them and then increase them gradually as you move on.
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The workouts below comprise the following exercises:
Workout A
- Barbell front squat: 5 sets of 8 reps, 30 seconds rest
- Single-arm cable row: 5 sets of 8 reps, 30 seconds rest
- General pushup: 5 sets of 8 reps, 30 seconds rest
- Neutral-grip pullup: 5 sets of 8 reps, 30 seconds rest
- Barbell hip thrust on the floor: 5 sets of 8 reps, 30 seconds rest
- Band pull-apart: 3 sets of 10 reps, 30 seconds rest
- Ab wheel rollout: 2 sets of 10 reps, 30 seconds rest
- One-arm kettle farmer’s carry: 2 sets of 20 yards, 30 seconds rest (perform on the right arm then the left; you can also use dumbbells)
Workout B
- Trap bar deadlift: 8 sets of 6 reps, 30 seconds rest (you can do a conventional barbell deadlift on two sturdy 45-pound plates stacked flat on the ground instead)
- X-band walk: 8 sets of 10 reps, 60 seconds rest
- Dumbbell push press: 4 sets of 15 reps, 30 seconds rest
- Chest supported row: 4 sets of 15 reps, 30 seconds rest
- Farmer’s walk: 4 sets each 30 seconds, 30 seconds rest
- Bear crawl: 3 sets each 20 seconds, 30 seconds rest
- Kettlebell waiter’s walk: 3 sets of 20 yards, 30 seconds rest
Workout C
- Dumbbell bench press: 5 sets of 5 reps, 60 seconds rest
- Chinup: 8 sets of 5 reps, 60 seconds rest
- Dumbbell goblet lateral squat: 4 sets of 8 reps, 30 seconds rest
- TRX inverted row: 4 sets of 8 reps, 30 seconds rest
- Single-leg Romanian deadlift: 4 sets of 8 reps, 30 seconds rest
- Palloff press: 3 sets of 10 reps, 30 seconds rest
- Barbell biceps curl: 3 sets of 10 reps, 30 seconds rest
Cardio
On the day you are doing cardio, choose any three cardio activities. For every exercise, do five rounds of 30 seconds then 30 seconds off. In between the different exercises, rest for five minutes.
- Sled push
- Treadmill push
- Airdyne bike
- Stationary rower
- Versaclimber
- Jumping jacks
- Burpees
- Sprints
How To Get A Ripped Meal Plan?
Your eating style is also important when it comes to getting lean and cut. Eating healthy, whole meals will help you achieve your goal in the long run. This means you might have to give up some of your favorite foods but it will be for a worthy cause.
You will also need to cut your calorie consumption to lose fat. Your calorie consumption should be enough to meet your nutrient requirements– that means, it shouldn’t be too low such that your body goes into starvation mode, which ultimately results in weight gain.
Foods you need to do away with include: processed foods, fast foods, refined carbs (such as white bread) and white rice, and sugary foods (such as cakes, cookies, candies, carbonated drinks, and energy drinks).
Your meals should include all three macros– carbs, protein, and healthy fats.
Vegetables and fruits are also important as they supply many important micronutrients including vitamin D, E, zinc, iron, potassium, and magnesium. These nutrients promote muscle growth, improve performance and strength, and possess antioxidant properties (7) (10).
As far as carbs are concerned, you need to make the right pick. Go for complex carbs, such as whole grain, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat bread, lentils, peas, and oats.
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in the body. Eating carbs replenish the glycogen stores used up during your workout (6).
Protein remains the most crucial macronutrient when it comes to building muscle. Protein helps grow muscle mass, improves muscle strength, and prevents exercise-induced muscle loss (2).
So, always have protein with every meal. Great lean protein sources include lean beef, skinless chicken, pork tenderloin, cheese, milk, Greek yogurt, tuna, salmon, legumes, nuts, and seafood.
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Below are sample meal plans:
Meal Plan 1
- Breakfast: 4 scrambled egg whites, 2 slices whole-grain, 50 g oats, and milk
- Snack: Hummus on oatcakes and 2 apples
- Lunch: Turkey, Swiss cheese, and salad on whole-grain bread
- Snack: Chocolate protein shake and 2 pieces of citrus fruits
- Dinner: Stir-fried chicken, broccoli, and brown rice
Meal Plan 2
- Breakfast: 3 boiled eggs, grilled bacon, 1 tomato, 2 bagels, and fresh fruit juice
- Snack: Cottage cheese on 6 Ryvitas, 1 banana
- Lunch: Baked Irish potatoes, tuna, cheese, and a protein shake
- Snack: 1 whole-grain bagel, smoked salmon, cottage cheese, and a protein shake
- Dinner: 1 protein shake, then chicken fajitas
Tips To Get The Most Of Your 1 Month Workout Plan To Get Ripped At Home
Working out and adopting a healthier meal plan may be core when it comes to getting ripped, but then a few other things matter too. They may help you yield even better results from your workout plan.
Here are a few tips to help you get ripped:
Listen To Your Body
Sounds basic, right? Regardless, listening to your body is important. True, there are days you will feel like not working out because you are unmotivated. There are also days you will feel too exhausted.
In case you get up and feel too exhausted or unwell, do not force yourself to work out. And while it is okay to do a few extra sets, don’t push yourself too hard.
Hydrate
This cannot be emphasized enough. Water is essential for many functions in the body including lubricating joints, elimination of toxins, optimal functioning of organs, thermoregulation, and moistening of tissues (13).
Water is also important in the recovery of muscles. An interesting water fact is that approximately 76% of muscle mass is water (12). You may also benefit from drinking electrolyte-rich drinks.
Get Enough Rest
You may be tempted to work out seven days a week, do as many reps as possible, and reduce the rest intervals between sets to maximize the benefits of your workout. But this is counterproductive.
When you train too much without proper training, you may develop a syndrome referred to as overtraining syndrome. It is characterized by severe burnout and often leads to underperformance (1) (8).
When working out to get ripped, you don’t want to suffer from constant fatigue, muscle soreness, and frequent illness as it derails your progress. Overtraining also increases your chance of injury (8).
So make sure to sleep at least 7 to 9 hours every night, have rest days and rest in between sets.
Try Carb Cycling
Carb cycling refers to alternating low-carb and high-carb days depending on the activity level for each day. On intense workout days, you eat high-carb meals, while on rest days on less intense workouts days, you eat low-carb meals.
The goal of carb cycling is to provide your muscles with enough fuel on high-intensity training days. Low-carb days are meant to help you lose fat in order to lose weight. And when done right, carb cycling works (11).
The following are guidelines for carb cycling:
- On high-carb days, 50% of your calories should be from carbohydrates. Eat complex carbs. You may eat a small number of carbs also.
- During low-carb days, about 20% of your calories should be carbs. Eat lots of vegetables these days.
- Alternate high-carb and low-carb days; you shouldn’t have two consecutive high-carb days.
- You can have two consecutive low-carb days at least once weekly.
- Your dinners should always be low carb.
Always Warm-Up And Down
Warming up and cooling down are also crucial. Warming up reduces your risk of injury and prepares your body for intense activity by increasing your heart and breathing rates (4). Cooling down helps return your heart rate and blood pressure to their pre-exercise state (3).
Conclusion
Getting lean and cut in just a month requires a lot of effort, commitment, and patience. Even though it is a short period, you can simply achieve your goal if you remain consistent and stick to your workout and meal plans. Also, don’t expect to see results overnight.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
SOURCES:
- Diagnosis and prevention of overtraining syndrome: an opinion on education strategies (2016, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit (2019, mdpi.com)
- Do We Need a Cool-Down After Exercise? A Narrative Review of the Psychophysiological Effects and the Effects on Performance, Injuries and the Long-Term Adaptive Response (2018, link.springer.com)
- Effects of Warming-up on Physical Performance: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis (2010, journals.lww.com)
- Exercise and Cardiovascular Health (2003, ahajournals.org)
- High-Quality Carbohydrates and Physical Performance (2018, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Micronutrients and athletic performance: A review (2021, sciencedirect.com)
- Overtraining Syndrome (2012, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Resistance Training is Medicine Effects of Strength Training on Health (2012, journals.lww.com)
- Role of micronutrients in sport and physical activity (1999, academic.oup.com )
- The Effect of a Moderately Low and High Carbohydrate Intake on Crossfit Performance (2016, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- The Role of Water Homeostasis in Muscle Function and Frailty: A Review (2019, mdpi.com)
- Water, hydration, and health (2010, academic.oup.com)