Shredding for everyone

When we think about shredding we need to start by talking about diet and the need to strip any unnecessary fats and sugars and think about carbohydrate depletion. Everybody is different and your body will react differently to your diet changes. You need to listen to your body’s needs and still fuel it but cut out the bad or negative foods and when considering shredding there are a few key points to keep in mind.

The first of which is your DIET.

• A high protein diet intake is vital as your body needs all the fuel you can give it during a stressful period.
• A carbohydrate depletion is essential to cut out unwanted sugars and fats that force your shredding period to be prolonged or become not as effective.
• Your body will still need to be fuelled in the right way and during the post workout window is the best time have a protein shake / good quality food ( up to 30 minutes dependent on your body type). This is in the metabolic window, a period after exercise, during which nutrition can put the body in an anabolic state rather than a catabolic one.
• Hydration is always key whether you are working out or not. Given your increased physical activity state and increased intake of between 2-5 litres of water should satisfy your needs.
• At the beginning of your shredding phase it is imperative that you trial and error what works for you. Everybody is different it is all about finding the best combinations for you and your training. Do not be afraid to experiment whilst on your shredding journey!

The next thing to consider is what kind of TRAINING you should be doing alongside a good diet regime.

Training

Cardiovascular training is going to take up a big part of your schedule as the goal of burning fat takes precedence. There are 3 main types of cardiovascular training that I use;

Steady State –A prolonged state of exercise usually over a set time and at the same speed/pace. So for example you could run/bike or row for 30 minutes at a speed setting of 8.0 on each set of equipment. This is done using the idea of having medium intensity/duration or low intensity/duration.

Interval – This involves moderate to high aerobic training with reduced rest time between exercises. This type of training can be varied over different rest intervals and intensities of training rather than one steady effort. So for example you could train moderately for 10 minutes, easily for 2 minutes and 1 minute of hard work. Or alternatively 5 minutes hard work and 5 minutes of easy work.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) – This type of training involves working hard for short periods and then resting for equal or longer moments of time. You can aim to work in this training at around 85-100% of your HR max. Each round is generally longer and more sporadic than that of interval training and is more of a full body workout. For example you could sprint as hard as possible for 30 seconds, walk for 30 seconds, sprint for 30 seconds and then walk again for 30. This can be repeated as many times as possible for your own fitness levels.

Lifting

When we consider lifting during our training regime for shredding we need to think of two major changes to your possible existing plan.

• Less weight
• More repetitions

When we are shredding weight you need to drop the weights you are using as to avoid adding any muscle mass. The increased repetition range will make your body work harder for longer and will avoid adding any muscle mass whilst also defining your muscles. So for example if you were previously doing 4 sets of 10-12 reps you could increase the range to 10 sets of 20-40 reps, with a much lighter weight. You could also think about adding in some plyometric exercises (e.g. kettle bell lunges).

And finally…SLEEP!

As obvious as it may sound sleep is such an essential factor when exercising. Without enough sleep you will struggle to perform anywhere near your maximum level. It gives your body the needed time to repair itself and is pretty enjoyable too!

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