Supplements

Best Supplements to Get Lean and Ripped: Beginners Guide to Getting Ripped Body

If you want to get ripped, you need to know what supplements work best.

What supplements should you take? What diet should you follow? How often should you workout? Which exercises are best for getting ripped?

We’ll answer all your questions with this complete beginners guide to getting ripped.

Get the answers you need now and get lean and ripped!

Most people dream of having a ripped body, but very few of them know the science behind getting ripped and lean.

Getting ripped doesn’t mean imitating the body of famous celebrities or bodybuilders. Everyone has their individual body type, body structure, and composition based on heredity and a lot of other factors, and hence it is mostly impossible for two people to have exactly similar bodies.

Getting Lean and Ripped: A Beginner’s Guide to the Fundamentals

Source: Canva

Getting a ripped body is a goal that many people aspire to achieve, but it can often seem elusive and difficult to attain. Before diving into the world of supplements and workout routines, it’s important to have a basic understanding of what it means to be “ripped” and the science behind it.

When someone is described as having a “ripped” body, it generally means that they have a low body fat percentage and well-defined muscles. This is often achieved through a combination of diet, exercise, and sometimes supplements.

To get a lean and ripped body, one must have a caloric deficit, which means burning more calories than they consume. This forces the body to use stored fat for energy, leading to a decrease in body fat percentage. Resistance training with weights or bodyweight exercises, such as push-ups and pull-ups, can help build muscle, which can also aid in reducing body fat percentage.

Understanding the Process of Getting Ripped & Lean: How to get lean muscle?

Source: Canva

Ripped body refers to a state where body fat is minimized to extremely lower percentages, maintaining higher muscle mass. This makes the muscles significantly visible through the skin due to the enormously lower amount of fat in the body.

The body fat percentage should remain between 6- 10% in order to get ripped. However, a fat percentage lower than 6% for a long period of time is not recommended as fat is very essential for safeguarding your major organs.

The Body Composition Analysis test is the best way to find the percentage of muscles and fat in the body along with bone weight and the percentage of water.

How to Get Ripped: Step by Step Phase Explained

Source: Canva

Indian people mostly have lower muscle mass and high-fat percentages due to various factors such as genetic makeup, food habits, deteriorating lifestyle, etc. One cannot gain muscle and lose all undesired body fat at the same time; rather it has to be done in two segments:

Phase 1:  Muscle Gaining

The first step to get ripped is to build muscles by doing strength training and proper diet.

In this step, the diet needs to possess adequate calories so that the protein consumed through food and supplements can be utilized for muscle recovery and muscle gaining instead of providing energy to the body (protein-sparing action). One might lose some amount of weight depending upon his/ her workout pattern during this phase. But muscle gain has to the major focus in this segment.

Phase 2:  Fat Cutting phase

After gaining sufficient muscle mass, fat loss is to be done in the second phase.

In this phase, the calorie intake through foods and supplements has to be accurately monitored and reduced gradually under the expert’s supervision. The protein intake has to be sufficient so that there is minimal muscle loss. This part of the ripping process is commonly termed as the cutting phase. People preparing for bodybuilding competitions minimise their calorie intake even further to get extreme results. However, this should be done under proper supervision.

In this phase, the calorie intake through foods and supplements has to be accurately monitored and reduced gradually under the expert’s supervision. The protein intake has to be sufficient so that there is minimal muscle loss. This part of the ripping process is commonly termed as the cutting phase. People preparing for bodybuilding competitions minimize their calorie intake even further to get extreme results. However, this should be done under proper supervision.

Source: American Council on Exercise

Ripping as a whole is a result of proper diet, apt workout schedule and thrusting to the required lifestyle. Along with this, correct supplements and their appropriate usage too is very essential.

Supplements Guide for Lean and Ripped Body

Source: Canva

Phase 1 Muscle Gain: Supplements recommended for Muscle Gain

Along with a nutritious diet, supplements are a very essential part of ripping as diet alone is often not sufficient to meet such high demands of essential nutrients.
Below are the supplements best suited for the muscle-building phase:

1. Whey Protein Concentrate

The best and most significant supplement for building muscles is whey protein concentrate. It has to be consumed post-workout as it leads to the recovery of muscles as well as further promotes the gaining of muscles. The best way to consume it is in water within 20 minutes of workout.

Recommendations: Optimum Nutrition (ON) 100% Whey Protein Powder and Nutrabay Pure Series Whey Protein Concentrate

2. BCAA

Branched Chain Amino Acids, commonly known as BCAAs are considered as the second most important supplement for muscle gaining. They are responsible for instant muscle recovery and hence the best time to consume them is during the workout. Besides immediate muscle recovery, they provide energy and are also one of the best supplements in the process of ripping.

Recommendations: Scivation Xtend BCAA and MusclePharm BCAA

3. Glutamine

Glutamine is an amino acid which is produced by the body, as well as is present in the diet. But extensive workouts can deplete the reserves of glutamine from the body and hence it is essential to be supplemented. Glutamine is responsible for providing strength to intestines, boosting muscle gaining and recovery, and improved immunity. It also provides fuel in the form of nitrogen and carbon to the body. Glutamine is an essential supplement to get a lean and ripped body.

Recommendations: Optimum Nutrition (ON) Glutamine Powder and Proburst Glutamine.

4. Casein

On the contrary to whey proteins, casein is a slow-digesting protein. It helps in the sustained recovery and growth of muscles. The best time to consume it is at night around 2 hours before going to bed, as it works for muscle growth during the night when the body is at fasting.

Recommendations: Dymatize Elite Casein and Optimum Nutrition (ON) 100% Casein Protein

5. Pre-workout Supplements

Pre-workouts are supplements which generally consist of caffeine, beta-alanine, BCAA, Creatine Monohydrate (in some brands), etc, which help to boost energy and endurance during a workout. As the name suggests, it should be consumed just before the workout. It is not necessary to have it regularly but whenever required.

Recommendations: Cellucor C4 Ripped and MusclePharm Assault Pre Workout

Phase 2 Fat Cutting: Best Supplements for Fat Cutting & Weight loss

After muscle building, the following are the best supplements for losing fat and gain lean & ripped muscles:

1. Whey Protein Hydrolysate/ Isolate or Concentrate

Being a more crucial phase, it is better to opt for whey protein hydrolysate or isolate post-workout. This is not because both contain negligible carbohydrates, but because of better quality and absorption of protein. However, if the cost is a constraint then you can opt for whey protein concentrate. Whey proteins will prevent muscle loss during fat loss or cutting phase.

Recommendations: Dymatize Iso-100 Protein and Isopure Zero Carb 100% Whey Protein Isolate Powder

2. Fat Burners

Both thermogenic (heat-producing or with stimulant) and non- thermogenic (stimulant-free) fat burners help in enhancing energy levels of the body. This leads to increased metabolism of the body and so burns more body fat. Although fat burners are not miracles they can work best for 4 weeks at a time to get ripped muscles when accompanied with proper diet and workout. The best time to have fat burners is before the workout.

Fat burners can be safely used for limited durations under proper supervision. However, people with any medical condition should consult their doctor for using fat burners.

Recommendations: Muscle Tech Hydroxycut Hardcore Next Gen and MuscleTech Essential Platimun Garcinia

3. CLA

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is a fatty acid which is found to possess numerous health benefits. In some cases, it has shown to burn fat and reduce the formation and deposition of fat tissues in the body. Lesser fat deposition leads to reduction in belly fat and fat in the thigh area, as most fat accumulation occurs in these areas of the body. 

Although this is a slow process, it may also lead to more visibility of abs because of lesser fat on the stomach area. Various researches are going on to find out the efficacy of CLA in terms of weight loss and fat loss in humans

Recommendations: RSP CLA and Muscle Pharm CLA

4. L- Carnitine

L- Carnitine is an amino acid which is an essential constituent of the fat loss cycle. It carries fat from blood to the mitochondria of cells, which acts upon the fat to produce energy. L- carnitine is naturally produced by the body but supplements are found to be very effective against the burning of unwanted fat. 

It should be consumed for specific durations as per individual requirement. It is a good alternative for people who don’t want to opt for fat burners. Moreover, amino acids are the building blocks of protein and hence it can be one of the best supplements for cutting weight without losing muscles. The best time to have L- Carnitine is before the workout.

Recommendations: Dymatize L-Carnitine Xtreme and Musclepharm Essentials Carnitine Liquid

5. L- Arginine or Nitric Oxide

L- Arginine persuades the formation of nitric oxide in the body, which leads to increased blood flow. This results in proper transportation of all essential nutrients to the muscles as well as the removal of metabolic wastes. Either of them can be used, both L- Arginine and Nitric oxide serve the above-mentioned functions. They are also found to increase the level of growth hormone in the blood.

Recommendations: Nutrabay Pure Series L Arginine and MuscleTech Essential Platinum 100% L-Arginine

Conclusion: Few Things to Keep in Mind Before you Start with Training and Supplement Routine

Source: Canva

Let’s wrap things up and talk about a few key things to keep in mind before you kick off your training and supplement routine.

First things first, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated. It’s a common misconception that drinking water will make you retain more water weight, but in reality, not getting enough water can lead to your body retaining more water. So, bottom line – drink up!

It’s also important to choose the right supplements based on your individual needs and goals. Remember, supplements are just one piece of the puzzle – you also need to focus on a balanced diet, a consistent workout routine, and getting enough restful sleep. These all play a crucial role in getting the ripped body you’re after.

Lastly, building a lean and ripped physique takes dedication, determination, and self-control. It won’t happen overnight, but if you stick to a strict regime and make these lifestyle changes a part of your daily routine, you’ll start seeing results before you know it. So, keep at it and stay motivated!

What supplements should I take to get lean and ripped?

Top 8 Supplements to Get Lean and Build Muscle
Protein Powder. When it comes to getting lean and building muscle, protein powder should be the starring supplement in your regimen.
Caffeine.
L-Carnitine.
Yohimbine.
TeaCrine®
Creatine.
BCAAs.
Melatonin.

What supplements get you ripped fast?

Anvarol is the perfect supplement for cutting, as it helps you to preserve muscle while burning fat. It is also safe and legal, which makes it a great alternative to steroids. Winsol is a powerful supplement that helps you to get shredded in weeks.

How do you get super lean and ripped?

The rest from here is really just supplemental to those two key factors.
Step 3: Eat Enough Protein.
Step 4: Eat a Moderate Amount of Healthy Fats.
Step 5: Try Carb Cycling.
Step 6: Use Portion Control.
Step 7: Add High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Step 8: Get Some Sleep.
Step 9: Control Stress.
Step 10: Stay Consistent.

How long does it take to get lean and ripped?

six to twelve months

You may be surprised that getting lean and ripped takes six to twelve months. More realistically, losing a significant amount of body fat takes two to three years. Nevertheless, six to twelve months is a reasonable timeframe to achieve a ripped body.

Which supplement is good for cutting?

BCAAS are great while cutting because they ensure you prevent catabolism and retain muscle mass, even in a calorie deficit. This supplement is great while cutting because it ensures you’re preventing catabolism (loss of muscle size) and promoting retention of muscle mass, even in a calorie deficit.

Which protein is best for lean body?

Muscle building foods for gaining lean muscle
Eggs. Eggs contain high quality protein, healthy fats, and other important nutrients like B vitamins and choline.
Salmon. Salmon is a great choice for muscle building and overall health.
Chicken breast.
Greek yogurt.
Tuna.
Lean beef.
Shrimp.
Soybeans.

Navneet Kaur

M.Sc. Nutrition & Dietetics

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