I’m often asked about the best way to get in shape.

The truth is there isn’t one.

You may have heard people say getting in shape is about a lifestyle change, not a diet?

As annoying as it sounds, they are dead right!

That means in order to build the kind of head-turning, traffic-stopping body you desire, you’ll have to implement a few different steps, and create a few new habits. So in order to help you do that, I’ve compiled a simple list of proven guidelines to speed up the journey. I call them “The Rules To Ripped”, and there are 10 in total. If you do all of these things (or even just most of them) you can expect fantastic results for your efforts.

Table of Contents

• 1. Set A Proper Fucking Goal
• 2. Calories Are King
• 3. Eat More Protein
• 4. No Need To Avoid Fat
• 5. Use Carbs To Go Up Or Down On The Scales
• 6. Take Proven Supplements Before & After You Train
• 7. Frequent Protein = More Growth!
• 8. Enjoy A Handful Of Post-Workout Haribo!
• 9. Use A High Quality Whey Protein Blend
• 10. Get An App To Track Your Nutrition
• The Rules To Ripped: In Summary
• Who Is Russ Howe PTI?

1. Set A Proper Fucking Goal

If I asked a bunch of people to tell me about their physique targets, most of them would say:

“Well, I just want to lose a bit of weight, maybe build some of muscle, and look good.”

Congratulations on making me furious.

Have you ever notied how gyms are packed with people who do the same old workouts, crash off their diet every weekend, and start over on Monday? I don’t want you to become one of them.

These people have not set proper training goals, so when their motivation wears off and the going gets tough (which it will), they crumble very easily.

Your training goal should be the driving force which keeps you on track even when you don’t feel like it. It’s your reason for doing what you’re doing. Without this, you’d just be one of the millions of gym members who are going through the motions and not seeing much progress.

The “trick” is to be as specific as possible when setting your goal.

I like to use the SMART technique:

• S: Specific
• M: Measurable
• A: Achievable
• R: Relevant
• T: Timely

So let’s re-phrase the sentence above:

“Well, I just want to lose a bit of weight, maybe build some of muscle, and look good.”

Now it looks like this:

“My goal is to lose 20lbs before my holiday (specific). It’s our wedding anniversary, and I want to look awesome for my wife in the photos (relevant). I fly on the 1st of July, which gives me three months (timely). I’ll aim for 1.5lbs per week (achievable) from now until then, and I’ll get weighed every Sunday morning to make sure I’m on track (measurable).“

See the difference?

Now this guy has a proper goal, with a reason and a deadline. There are a couple of amazing benefits to doing this.

• Breaking down big numbers

Suddenly, 20lbs doesn’t seem so daunting.

• Creating personal accountability

A 2004 study published in Nursing Science showed us that the feeling of taking control, which comes from creating a sense of personal accountability, is actually one of the most commonly-reported behaviours among people who have managed to lose weight and keep it off. (1)

Grab a notepad and do that now, or click here to read more about goal setting.

2. Calories Are King

No matter where you are in the world, there’s a good chance you are surrounded by silly people.

They’re everywhere.

You’ll find silly people who are incredibly famous for no reason, silly people who like to use the word “bae”, and silly people who believe that putting a lump of butter in their coffee will over-ride the law of thermodynamics.

It’s a jungle out there.

So to keep you clear of all the bullshit, I want you to remember rule #2:

Calories are KING.

No matter what type of food you are eating, or what time of day you are eating it, your weight loss will always come back to the simple rule of calories in versus calories out.

That means if you eat too few calories (not providing the body with enough energy, so it begins to burn through stored fuel) this will put you into a calorie deficit and you’ll see a reduction in body size. Alternatively, if you eat too many calories (providing the body with too much fuel so it stores it for later) this will put you into a calorie surplus and you’d pack on the pounds.

Human beings are hard-wired this way. There is no trick, secret, or hack which can get around it. (2)

Read more on calories in versus calories out.

3. Eat More Protein

Eating protein will help you to build more muscle.

The amino acids found in protein are directly responsible for the hypertrophy (muscle growth) you seek, so it makes sense to prioritize this food group when filling out your meal plan.

But how much do you need?

Well, most people have been given completely bogus information on this.

• Too low

The nutritional guidelines set by the government recommend just 0.35 grams of protein per pound of body weight (185lbs = 65g protein). This is far too low to maximize muscle growth. It’s important to remember that these recommendations were created for the general population, and not for men and women who want to go to the gym and get lean as fuck. (3, 4)

• Too high

Some self-proclaimed “experts” state that your protein needs to be sky-high in order to see results, recommending as much as 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight (185lbs = 370g protei). This is ridiculous. Many of these folks own their own supplement line, and stand to financially benefit from setting your targets so high that you need to rely on whey protein shakes.

• Just right

The answer is somewhere in the middle. The current body of research on the nutritional requirements of athletes states that the sweet spot for hypertrophy is 1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight (185lbs = 222g protein). Eating slightly more that this (up to 1.5g per lb) might have some additional benefits with regards to appetite suppression, but the muscle building benefits are already maxed out. Use this as your yardstick. (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

Read more about protein requirements for athletes

4. No Need To Avoid Fat

Fat was demonized as the biggest cause of obesity back in the 1980s.

Science has since shown this to be untrue, but many people are still a little bit confused by this nutrient.

So let’s get this straight – fat (the nutrient) and fat (body fat) are not the same thing.

Eating the correct amount of dietary fat will play a key role in supporting your gym training because it regulates the production of crucial muscle building hormones like cortisol and testosterone. And, weirdly, certain dietary fats like Omega-3 will actually help you to burn body fat!

The minimum threshold for fat inake is 0.3 grams per pound of body weight (185lbs = 56g fat). I like to set the target alishglty higher at 0.4g per pound (185lbs = 74g fat) as this provides you with a buffer to ensure superior results. (10, 16, 17)

Read more on the muscle building benefits of fat.

5. Use Carbs To Go Up Or Down On The Scales

Carbohydrates are the food group you can play with.

We use them to fill out the remainder of your calorie intake.

So if you had 800 calories left after setting your prpotein and fat targets, that’s your carb spend. If you go on to make reductions or increases to your total calorie target later, do it via increasing or decreasing your carbohydrate spend and leaving protein and fat as they were.

We prioritize protein and fat because they play a more important role in what you’re trying to achieve. The nutrients found in each of these food groups are deemed essential, because the body can’t create them on its own and they must come through our diet, meanwhile there are no essential carbohydrates.

I’m not saying carbs are bad, by the way. I’m just saying they’re less important.

Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred energy source. They are broken down into glycogen. The reason they’re deemed non-essential is because the body can actually create glycogen with a combination of protein and fat if it needs to, but it cannot do this for the other food groups.

Learn more about using carbs to gain size.

6. Take Proven Supplements Before & After You Train

By providing your body with the correct nutrients before and after your workouts, you can improve both your performance and your results.

We want to be consuming these ingredients 20-30 minutes prior to training:

• 6-8 grams citrulline malate
• 3.2 grams beta-alanine
• 200-400mg caffeine

These are proven to boost training output, and the good news is you can pick up a solid pre workout like this which contains them all in the correct doses. (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)

After training we want to grab 5 grams of creatine monohydrate and mix it into your protein shake. Creatine is the most important muscle building supplement of all, and continued usage will lead to gains in both explosive strength and lean muscle mass. Considering the immense results it offers, it’s actually dirt cheap, too. (22)

7. Frequent Protein = More Growth!

In the words of Foo Fighters:

“I’ve got a confession to make.”

A lot of readers will be expecting me to say that eating more frequently will speed up your metabolism and help you to burn more fat, because that’s a commonly believed fitness rule, but instead I’m gonna take you in a different direction.

You see, the number of meals you eat will have zero effect on metabolic rate or fat loss, so we need to put that myth to bed. (11, 12, 13)

However, there do appear to be some benefits to spreading your protein intake throughout the day. Research suggests this allows for a slightly better uptake of amino acids into the muscle cell when compared to consuming the same amount of protein in one serving. If you’ve followed my most popular diet plans before, you might have wondered why I usually structure them around three main meals and a couple of shakes? Now you know why. (14)

Learn more about protein timing.

8. Enjoy A Handful Of Post-Workout Haribo!

Fast-release carbohydrates are wonderful straight after a hard workout.

They’ll give you an instant energy boost and help your body to replenish your glycogen stores. I recommend grabbing a handful of Haribo Gummy Bears to do this, because the main ingredient is dextrose, which can be immediately used.

This is a little “trick” my clients have been using for years, and they sure do get some funny looks from other gym-goers when they whip out a bag of jellies, but it’s a technique which works like a charm. You see, while the primary goal here is to help your body begin the recovery process, you also have the added benefit of being able to enjoy a treat after training. (18, 19, 20, 21)

The psychological aspect of that is huge, and generally leads to greater overall diet consistency.

I recommend having 17 bears (32g carbohydrates).

Here’s a detailed article on this.

9. Use A High Quality Whey Protein Blend

A good whey protien supplement will make it easy for you to hit your targets because they’re just so convenient.

Ideally you want a product which has at least 75% protein-per-serving (i.e. if the scoop is 40g, it should contain at least 30g protein). This ensures ou are getting as litte filler as possible.

Now let’s look at the formula itself.

Brands will automatically tell you to buy their most expensive products, so you should expect they’ll wax lyrical about formulas which contain costly ingredients like whey protein isolate and/or whey protein hydrosylate, which promise greater muscle building results in exchange for a heavily inflated price tag.

However, science is NOT on their side.

Instead it supports the use of a whey protein blend. These are way cheaper to pick up, and they consist of several sources of protein mixed together (i.e. whey, egg, casein, etc). Interestingly, in 2009 a study from the University of Texas found that a combination of whey protein, soy protein and egg protein out-performed a shake containing just whey alone. They credited this to the different speeds at which the amino acids are released from each source, leading to a better uptake into the muscle cells. (15)

If you need help choosing a good supplement, I recommend this one (UK & Europe) or this one (USA).

The only time you will ever really need an isolate formula is if you have digestion problems (i.e. lactose intolerance), in whihc case use this one.

10. Get An App To Track Your Nutrition

If you don’t track, you don’t know.

It baffles me how many gym-goers do not pay any attention to what they’re putting into their body on a daily basis.

People are fucking awful at estimating their food intake. I’ve lost count the number of people I’ve met over the years who told me “I’m eating 1600 calories per day but can’t lose weight”, only to discover the real number was almost twice that. It asn’t their fault, they genuinely didn’t realize what they were doing.

So tracking your food with a good app removes any doubt from the equation, and gives you a significantly higher chance of hitting your targets. Heck, some studies show this is one of the best ways to create personal accountability, too (Rule #1). (28, 29)

I suggest using Carbon Diet Coach. It was developed by Dr. Layne Norton, PhD, and it’s two steps ahead of the competition.

The Rules To Ripped: In Summary

Consider these 10 rules the keys to muscle growth, fat loss, and leading a healthy lifestyle. They give you step-by-step instructions on how to build the body you want, and they don’t need to be any more complicated than that.

Start at the top and work down.

1. Set a proper fucking goal
2. Calories are king
3. Eat more protein
4. No need to avoid fat
5. Use carbs to go or down on the scales
6. Take proven supplements before & after you train
7. Frequent protein = more growth!
8. Enjoy a handful of post-workout Haribo!
9. Use a high quality whey protein blend
10. Get an app to track your nutrition

If you have a question just drop it in the comments section below. I hope you enjoyed the read.

References:

1. Berry D. An emerging model of behavior change in women maintaining weight loss. Nurs Sci Q (2004).
2. Howell S., et al. “Calories in, calories out” and macronutrient intake: the hope, hype, and science of calories. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab (2017).
3. 10 Protein and Amino Acids. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Institute of Medicine (2005).
4. Bray G. A., et al. Effect of dietary protein content on weight gain, energy expenditure, and body composition during overeating: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA (2012).
5. Morton R. W., et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med (2018).
6. Thomas D. T., et al. American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc (2016).
7. Jäger R., et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr (2017).
8. Witard O. C., et al. Effect of increased dietary protein on tolerance to intensified training. Med Sci Sports Exerc (2011).
9. Leaf A., et al. The Effects of Overfeeding on Body Composition: The Role of Macronutrient Composition – A Narrative Review. Int J Exerc Sci (2017).
10. Helms E. R., et al. Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr (2014).
11. Perrigue M. M., et al. Higher Eating Frequency Does Not Decrease Appetite in Healthy Adults. J Nutr (2016).
12. Raynor H. A., et al. Eating Frequency, Food Intake, and Weight: A Systematic Review of Human and Animal Experimental Studies. Front Nutr (2015).
13. Ohkawara K., et al. Effects of increased meal frequency on fat oxidation and perceived hunger. Obesity (Silver Spring) (2013).
14. Moore D. R., et al. Daytime Pattern Of Post-Exercise Protein Intake Affects Whole-Body Protein Turnover In Resistance-Trained Males. Nutr Metab (Lond). (2012)
15. Paul G. L., et al. The rationale for consuming protein blends in sports nutrition. J Am Coll Nutr (2009).
16. Heald A., et al. The influence of dietary intake on the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system across three ethnic groups: a population-based study. Public Health Nutr (2003).
17. Whittaker J., et al. Low-fat diets and testosterone in men: Systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2021).
18. Nilsson M., et al. Metabolic effects of amino acid mixtures and whey protein in healthy subjects: studies using glucose-equivalent drinks. Am J Clin Nutr (2007).
19. Wojcik J. R., et al. Comparison of carbohydrate and milk-based beverages on muscle damage and glycogen following exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab (2001).
20. Parkin J. A., et al. Muscle glycogen storage following prolonged exercise: effect of timing of ingestion of high glycemic index food. Med Sci Sports Exerc (1997).
21. Glynn E. L., et al. Muscle protein breakdown has a minor role in the protein anabolic response to essential amino acid and carbohydrate intake following resistance exercise. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol (2010).
22. Rawson E.S., et al. Effects of creatine supplementation and resistance training on muscle strength and weightlifting performance. J Strength Cond Res (2003).
23. Duncan M. J., et al. The effect of caffeine ingestion on mood state and bench press performance to failure. J Strength Cond Res (2011).
24. Childs E., et al. Subjective, behavioral, and physiological effects of acute caffeine in light, nondependent caffeine users. Psychopharmacology (Berl) (2006).
25. Kim T. W., et al. Caffeine increases sweating sensitivity via changes in sudomotor activity during physical loading. J Med Food (2011).
26. Alvares T. S., et al. Acute l-arginine supplementation increases muscle blood volume but not strength performance. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab (2012).
27. Hoffman J., et al. Beta-alanine and the hormonal response to exercise. Int J Sports Med (2008).
28. Lichtman S. W., et al. Discrepancy between self-reported and actual caloric intake and exercise in obese subjects. New England Journal of Medicine (1992).
29. Ingels J. S., et al. The Effect of Adherence to Dietary Tracking on Weight Loss: Using HLM to Model Weight Loss over Time. J Diabetes Res (2017).

Who Is Russ Howe PTI?

Russ has been a personal trainer in the UK since 2002, and provided both training advice and full programs on this website since 2011.

His work has been featured in Men’s Fitness magazine, and the content on this website led to him being voted one of the world’s top 50 fat loss coaches by HuffPost.

Russ’ days are spent coaching men and women in the legendary Powerhouse Gym, and creating new content for the 109,246 followers of his popular free weekly e-mail, which you can join below!