Ripped in 10: lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks with this training and nutrition system. The best part? No cardio required!

Flex, April, 2008 by Shawn Perine, Chris Aceto

Maybe you happened to watch the Olympia webcast and saw Jay Cutler, Ronnie Coleman, et al., strutting the stage with 3% bodyfat and got a little bit envious. Or you may have caught a glimpse of yourself in the gym locker-room mirror and thought, It looks like I'm putting on some good size, buried somewhere below the surface.

In the next moment, however, as you considered what it would take to get on the road to leanville, images of a bicycle, running shoes and a Stepmill appeared, and suddenly your desire to see your abs was squelched.

It's common knowledge that bodybuilders hate cardio. It seems to be ingrained in them, as is the reaction of a cat to water or a slug to salt. After all, if one is naturally attracted to the distinctly anaerobic activity of enduring great stresses for short segments of time, it stands to reason that they would be repelled by the aerobic nature of running, cycling and stepping.

Not all cardio is created equal, however. There's an overriding perception that aerobic activities include only those that require long, monotonous stretches of foot pumping, energy stores can be activated in other ways, as well; ways more appealing to the kind of people who would read a magazine like FLEX.

"Progressive resistance training, if performed at a relatively quick pace, can be very effective in burning fat," says FLEX Senior Science Editor Jim Stoppani, PhD. "By keeping reps fairly high and rest periods short you keep the heart rate elevated to a point where fat, rather than carbohydrates, becomes the primary energy source."

Coupled with the right diet plan, such a training style could result in a loss of a pound of fat a week for the typical hardworking bodybuilder. That equals 10 pounds in two and a half months, time aplenty before beach season next makes its annual appearance.

Suddenly the idea of sporting a six-pack doesn't seem so unappealing, does it?

THE TRAINING

We've devised a total-body training routine that will not only help you burn fat and condition your heart, but build muscle. It's a neat trick, really. The underlying theme is high reps and a fast pace, which normally isn't associated with muscle gain. However, because this system is likely different from the one you're currently following, your body's initial reaction will be to fortify itself against the new stresses.

Basically, what you're doing is periodizing your routine, a technique that involves switching up your training style periodically in order to spur new growth phases. Even though you will most likely be decreasing the poundages you use, the added reps and reduced rest times we prescribe will force muscles to adapt in a new way. Greater vascularity and a denser muscular appearance are two of the benefits you can expect to see as a result of switching to this routine.

We recommend sticking with this program for 10 weeks, then switching back to your typical routine. Changing up your training every eight to 12 weeks is a good idea no matter your fitness goals. The idea is to never let your body get too comfortable with the forces you place on it. Adaptive response is what you should always be after.

You should aim to rest no longer than 60 seconds, at the very most, between sets. If you can move on within 30 seconds, that's great. If you finish a set and find yourself recovering within 15, then get to work. A general rule of thumb when it comes to figuring the amount of time you should rest between sets is to wait until you can breathe comfortably through your nose. Once the oxygen is again flowing freely, you're ready to go.

THE DIET

Just as periodizing your training is a good thing, so is regularly adjusting your eating. One mistake most dieters make as they attempt to shed pounds is sticking with the same calorie-reduced plan seven days a week. That may work in theory, but the body has a finely tuned system of checks and balances that exist to protect it. If it feels it's being starved, a chain of chemical reactions is set in motion that results in fat being stored in anticipation of a future nutrient drought.

By incorporating a high-carbohydrate day into the dieting plan, this program tricks the body into believing it has a surplus of calories, thus negating the metabolic response that comes from calorie depletion. This day can be thrown into the low-carb/low-cal eating plan once every three or four days.

During the low-carb phase of the diet, you will reduce your daily carbohydrate intake by 50%. This technique of cutting carbs is tried and true and is the basis of numerous diet plans. In short, it works, but only when balanced with a high-carb phase.

Conversely, the high-carb phase requires that you boost your daily carbohydrate intake by 50%. For example, an individual currently eating 400 grams of carbohydrates daily will reduce that amount to 200 g for three or four days. The following day, he'll increase his carbohydrates to 600 g (50% more than 400) for a single day.

This "cheat day" actually serves a few purposes. Not only does it prevent your metabolism from slowing, it also gives you a crucial mental break from dieting and may even boost testosterone, growth hormone and insulinlike growth factor, which will help you in your efforts to gain muscle mass.