By: Jordana Brown & Jim Stoppani, PhD

Get Shredded For Spring

It's the dead of winter and your physique is hidden under layers of bulky sweaters and coats. Seems like the perfect time to drown your misery in food and use it to your advantage by molding that macaroni and cheese into immense mounds of muscle, right? Wrong.

Warmer days are around the corner, and you don't want to be caught looking like a block of cheese when you shed those extra layers. Why spend the first few months of spring bundled up while you're dieting down to reveal your ripped self? Instead, prepare to look your absolute best when you come out of hibernation early and unveil a body that proves you take looking awesome seriously.

RELATED ARTICLE

Why Winter Equals Weight Gain! We need to fully comprehend why we gain weight at this time of year and how we can resolve this unhealthy phenomenon. [ Click here to learn more. ]

Fair warning: this is a hardcore three-month training and nutrition program. But we figure you can funnel all your wintry agitation into your training. And when it's done, you - and your hard-won physique - will be ready for spring.

Month One: Training

• Heavy weights for superior results
• Shorter rest periods
• Four-day split program
• High-intensity interval training

You'll start the program off with a bang - a big, heavy bang: heavy weights, low reps, short rest periods and a four-day split. We recommend training Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday to allow for maximum recovery and results, but if you have to pick different days to fit your schedule, that's OK.

Think it sounds counterintuitive to start a training program, let alone a get-shredded training program, by going ultraheavy? Well, let science dissuade you. Research shows that training with heavy weights boosts metabolism both higher and for longer after the workout than when you train with lighter weights and higher reps.

FEATURED COMPANY

Weider Magazines! Weider is one of the most popular and trusted names in bodybuilding and fitness and creates many products for bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts. [ Click here to learn more. ]

Keeping your metabolism amped up when you're not in the gym means you'll burn more calories around the clock. Since you're generally in the gym for only about an hour per day, that leaves 23 other hours when your body's not doing much of anything. By getting your metabolism to work longer, you'll make the most of the hours you don't have a barbell in hand.

For a complete rundown of FLEX's Get Shredded for Spring training and nutrition program, pick up the February issue of FLEX on newsstands now.

Jordana Brown & Jim Stoppani, PhD

Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here!

Visitor Reviews Of This Article!
Read Visitor Reviews - Write Your Own Review

Back To Weider's Main Page

Back To The Articles Main Page.

Related Articles
Flex Excerpt: Hollywood Hardbodies Bedtime Bash!
Muscle & Fitness October 2008 Excerpt: Run, Adrian, Run!
Muscle & Fitness - November 2007 Issue Preview: Ultimate Training Guide!

Weider Super Mega Mass 2000 The Ideal Formula for Packing on Pounds of Hard Mass! Learn More!