The Single Digit Body Fat Guide

Single Digit Body Fat

Getting to single digit body fat is no easy task!

A common theme you will see when individual is striving for 6-pack abs is steady fat loss up until about 12-15% body fat. This is where most of the fit crowd ends up through a bodybuilding fat loss program and bodybuilding fat loss diet.

Unfortunately, continued fat loss at this point becomes a futile endeavor leading to frustration and in many cases insanity (doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result).

Believe it or not, learning how to get rid of body fat is an art and a skill, and it is a skill that can be mastered in the Warrior Shredding Program.

Now don’t get me wrong, you can definitely look good at 12-15% body fat, but by no means will you blow anyone away. To acquire that chiseled and angular look, you need to drop into the single digit body fat levels, somewhere between 6-10%.

Now getting to very low levels of body fat isn’t exactly as simple as people make it out to be. You see, the game changes when you’re cutting to 15% vs 8% body fat.

In the first scenario you are bringing your body to it’s natural set point.

In the other case you are bringing your body into single digit body fat levels and an extremely lean state. One which wouldn’t survive all to well in a time of famine and hardship.

Now if you’re reading this article, that is probably of very little concern to you. Just by having access to a computer and internet I can almost guarantee you never have to worry about where your next meal will come from.

That being said, there are a few key things that are important for you to learn on how to get single digit body fat levels.

And if you want a complete system for getting to single digit body fat as fast as possible, be sure to check out my extremely popular program, Warrior Shredding Program.

How to get Single Digit Body Fat

1. Use The Two-Week Diet Break 

When you’ve been dieting for an extensive period of time, some sort of metabolic decline is inevitable.

Leptin and various hormones including testosterone take a nosedive. Adhering to a strict diet becomes increasingly difficult and fat loss always seems to be slower than predicted.

Not to mention, the psychological component of continued dieting becomes a major burden.

The solution is to take 2 weeks to eat at roughly maintenance. Leptin and testosterone will skyrocket.

In addition, you will get that psychological relief. Finally, when you go back to your diet it will feel easier than before and fat loss will resume as expected.

2. Lose Fat Slowly

This is probably the most obvious of all points to get into single digit body fat levels.

Losing fat at a fast pace when you’re already lean is never a good idea. Cut calories too much and you will experience a greater drop in leptin further exacerbating the issue.

Big calorie deficits are also very counter productive when you’re 15% body fat or less. This is because your body has a limit to how much fat it can burn on daily basis, which is proportional to the amount of fat on your body.

If you use big calorie deficits it’s likely that some of your muscle tissue will become metabolized. 35-calorie deficit per pound of body fat should be the limit.

So if you’re 15% body fat at 180 lbs then you have 27 lbs of fat on your body. Therefore you should never exceed a 945 calorie deficit (35 x 27). This is still a very large deficit and you’d probably be much better off keeping the calorie deficit between 500 and 700.

3. Use Strategic Refeeds 

Carb Refeeds are extremely powerful at busting through a sticking point. Eating at maintenance or 5-10% above with an emphasis on starchy carbs can up regulate metabolism and lessen the difficulty of the subsequent low calorie days.

You can think of this as a zig zag approach to losing fat. Aim for 3 lower calorie days (20-25% deficit) and 1 high calorie day (5-10% surplus). Cycle through this four day schedule and you should be able to coax your body to a lower body fat percentage.

On the high carb refeed days you want to get the majority of your calories from starchy carbs.

Carbohydrates have the most profound effect on circulating leptin levels. Therefore I recommend limiting protein to 0.82g per pound of body weight, fat at 20-25% of total calories and carbohydrates making up the remainder.

My favorite carb sources for this day include potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, rice pasta and occasionally some low fat ice cream or caramel chocolate Quaker rice cakes.

I like to stay away from fruit for the most part. Fructose isn’t effective at elevating leptin.

In addition, fruit isn’t very efficient at replenishing depleted muscle glycogen. Fruit is used mostly to replenish liver glycogen.

4. Emphasize Carbs at Night

For longtime readers of Kinobody you are probably already used to my feast at night approach.

However, for many of you, this may seem brashly counter intuitive.

Now it has been my intuition for a couple years now that carbs should be emphasized at night. This strategy makes it so much easier to control calorie intake.

As well, eating low carb or fasting during the day keeps you focused, energetic and alert. Limiting carbs during the day also helps maximize fat mobilization.

Finally, loading up on carbs at night helps with relaxation and sleep and also boosts anabolism and recovery.

There is some significant research that supports this!

In a study comparing a low calorie diet with the placement of carbohydrates eaten at dinner vs. breakfast, the late night carb group outperformed the morning carb group. In the late night carb group fat loss was greater, health markers improved to a greater degree and leptin had a smaller drop off.

Here’s the study – Greater weight loss and hormonal changes after 6 months diet with carbohydrates eaten mostly at dinner.

Based on that research, it seems as though we can limit the drop off of leptin by eating the majority of our carbs at night.

Has Our Genetic Code Changed?

That being said, we still have the same genetic code as our hunter-gatherer ancestors, many of whom faced harsh conditions like starvation.

So consequently, when our brain recognizes our body fat levels getting too low, it will down regulate metabolism while up regulating appetite. This is a survival mechanism in place to ensure maximum chance of survival during periods of food shortages.

By slowing down your metabolism you increase your chance of survival for when food stocks reemerge.

As well, the significant drop in leptin, coupled with heightened insulin sensitivity, allows you to gain back the lost weight very quickly when food is available. This is one of the reasons why many people who lose a bunch of weight on crash diets are able to gain all of it back in record time.

The same phenomenon is seen with actors who starve themselves to become emaciated for roles.

Michael Fassbender – Hunger

How To Lower Body Fat

Michael Fassbender dropped a large amount of weight for the film Hunger, where he played an Irish Republican who leads the prisoners of a Northern Irish prison on a hunger strike.

Fassbender went on an extreme diet to lose 40 lbs in 10 weeks. After filming, Fassbender was able to gain nearly all of it back within 2 weeks. It was 34 lbs in 2 weeks to be exact.

This type of weight gain seems next to impossible, especially considering how much of what he gained in two weeks was lost muscle. What we must understand is that during extreme calorie restriction, various anabolic receptors and hormones become upregulated.

This allows you to regain weight and muscle at an extremely fast rate once you start eating normally again.

Christian Bale – Machinist to Batman Begins

How to get Single Digit Body Fat

An even more extreme example can be seen with Christian Bale!

After getting into incredible shape for American Psycho, Bale wanted to erase his image of being that fit guy. What better way than to starve himself to a deathly state, sacrificing his health and sanity in the process.

It took 4 months to take his bodyweight from 184 to under 125 lbs.

Then, within 6 months he was filming Batman Begins at a very muscular 190 lbs.

The human body, believe it or not, has incredible potential and is geared for maximum survival. Weight and muscle can be regained obscenely fast.

What does this have to do with getting 6 pack abs?

The same processes that allow us to regain weight and muscle extremely fast, also keep us from getting super ripped.

Michael Fassbender and Christian Bale had no easy time getting to there emaciated state. Their bodies were literally starving, hunger overburdening and their ability to enjoy life deeply suppressed. They relied on sheer will power alone to get the job done.

As they were losing weight and dipping below their natural set point it was as if they were pulling a rubber band. The more weight they lost the harder it was to keep pulling that rubber band back and the greater rebound effect they were setting themselves up for.

Finally, when filming was complete, they created so much tension that the rubber band sprung right back up. This, of course, represents their obscenely fast weight gain. When we’re dieting below set point the same effect occurs, but to a lesser extent.

Are You Under The Wrong Assumptions?

People start dieting and lose 1-2 lbs per week. They think that if they continue this for long enough they’ll be getting to single digit body fat levels.

This is rarely ever the case!

Sure, some people are predisposed to being very lean. It’s likely that these individuals have dominant genes from ancestors that never had to worry much about food shortages. Therefore these individuals can get practically ripped without much trouble. However, most of us aren’t so lucky.

When we try and dip below 12% body fat, it’s almost like our body is trying to fight back. We get extremely hungry, our gym motivation declines and next thing we know we’re raiding the kitchen undoing all of our positive progress. This is the rubber band effect I mentioned earlier. Getting into the single digit body fat levels becomes an art. You need to learn to embrace patience and coax your body there with regular refeeds and a strategic approach.

Which Diet Plan is Best For You?

The four strategies you learned above on how to lower body fat are very effective once you’ve hit a road block in your fat loss journey.

In terms of an actual single digit body fat diet plan to follow, I’ve created the the most effective system ever.

For maximum fat loss, maximum muscle retention and strength building, my Aggressive Fat Loss Program proves exceptionally effective.

Learn How to get to single digit body fat fast with Aggressive Fat Loss 2.0

Beach Ripped Article Series

My flagship program, Movie Star Masterclass, is the most effective fitness program to slice off fat, gain perfect muscle proportion and look like an absolute Movie Star.

196 Comments

  1. Cuello Gabriel on June 29, 2016 at 1:04 am

    Can you achieve single digit fat loss following the “agressive fat loss” program verbatim?

  2. zed on February 21, 2016 at 8:36 am

    hey greg!
    I just started following your advice. Is it fine that I binge on junk food carbs on refeed days as long as it fits my macros?

    • Jesse Baik on March 1, 2016 at 7:42 pm

      hey zed, it should be fine but be careful with junk food carbs because their macros are not the most accurate which can lead you to be above your macros in reality but on your macro tracking app you’re not.

  3. Marcus Colone on July 13, 2015 at 7:06 pm

    Aren’t you going to give anyone that you ripped off for these ideas credit? id: Mcdonald, Kiefer…etc

  4. Nick C UK on February 12, 2015 at 6:11 pm

    Hi Greg,

    thanks for the awesome website and youtube vids.

    Been following your IF for nearly a month now and definitely seeing definition but not quite where I wanna be. Im pretty skinny at the moment with minor amount of muscle.

    Stats are
    180cm
    70.5kg
    ~1800 kcal on rest/cardio days and 2200 on weights days.

    4pt calliper says 8% but I still have a lot of fat on gluts and hamstrings. I really wanna get rid of it so I can bulk. What am I doing wrong?

    • Greg on February 12, 2015 at 10:40 pm

      It’s only been a month, so don’t expect to be totally ripped yet. If you have more fat to lose, you can continue cutting. You don’t have to get crazy lean though.

  5. Dave on January 20, 2015 at 7:30 am

    Could another approach be the opposite of your lean bulking guide?

    For every 3 weeks of cutting you bulk for 1? This would make metabolic crashes next to impossible, no?

    In a perfect world you would start this with a humming metabolism after eating maintenance for 2 weeks to 8 weeks depending on how damaged your metabolism is. Then you can aggressively lose 1.5 lbs week maintain strength for 3 weeks and then go at a 10% surplus for one week.

    What do you think of this?

    • Greg on January 24, 2015 at 3:41 pm

      I think it’s a great approach for people that are close to their goal. 15% body fat or less.

  6. Austin on November 10, 2014 at 12:14 pm

    Hey Greg when eating 10x bodyweight how long can you go without a refeed day before it affects leptin? I was in a hurry when I prepared my weekly meals and forgot my refeed day and so only made enough food for normal. I am gonna take 2 refeed days when I get home to compensate but I just wanted to make sure that missing that one reffed day won’t affect much.

    • Greg on November 11, 2014 at 12:43 pm

      You’ll probably be fine, especially if you’re over 12% body fat. Don’t worry about it.

  7. Temanibble on October 14, 2014 at 4:12 pm

    Hey Greg, first I wanted to thank you for all the tuts and help you have given us! Currently i’m at about 14% bf and want to get down to at least 9.5%. I’ve been in the caloric deficit for half a year now, and after losing a total of 40lb using IF and then later switching to keto, I’ve come to a point where I no longer can lose weight. I’d love to give your shredding program a go, but personally Im worried that after trying everything, I wont be able to lose more weight without doing loads of cardio. I workout 3days/week and do some cardio. I am trying to get down to at least 10% in 12 weeks, and I’m wondering what you suggest me to do.

    Kind regards,
    Temanibble

    • Greg on October 15, 2014 at 3:11 pm

      Dude, you’re not ready to lose weight man. Stop. You need to eat at maintenance for a couple months and really internalize this. Eating should become effortless and very enjoyable. Then you can go back to dieting.

      • Temanibble on October 15, 2014 at 3:42 pm

        What do you suggest my macros should be for maintenance level during those couple months?

        Warm regards,
        Temanibble

        P.S. Bought the Warrior Shredding Program, looking forward to doing it as soon as the maintenance months are over!

        • Greg on October 16, 2014 at 12:28 am

          I’d suggest around 30% protein, 30% fat and 40% carbs

  8. Alex Lu on September 7, 2014 at 7:33 pm

    Hey Greg! I’m feeling a bit confused. (Math isn’t one of my strengths) I’m currently around 172 lbs, with an estimated bodyfat of about 10 %. I’d like to get to around 7-8 %. I train 5-6 days a week, but otherwise live a pretty sedentary lifestyle. According to my results using the Katch Mc-Ardle formula, I should be maintaining at 2917 calories, and be in a deficit at about 2300 calories. My lean body mass is approximately 155 lbs. / 70 kg.

    So should my macros be: 285/155/60 (c/p/f) or am I completely off target? The protein seems really low, and the carbs seem quite high. And do you recommend carb cycling to help boost fat loss? I’m having a tough time figuring all this stuff out as I’m still fairly new to counting macros etc.Thanks for the help, it’s much aprreciated! :)

    • Greg on September 13, 2014 at 12:01 pm

      Well you set protein at lean body mass. I recommend setting it at bodyweight. So I’d go with 175 protein, 265 carbs and 60 fats. But this is still on the higher side. You’d likely see better results dropping carbs down a little further. I’d go with 250 carbs and if you need to drop it down at some point, you can.

      • Alex on September 14, 2014 at 5:38 am

        Thanks again Greg!
        I just wasn’t sure if I should set protein at goal weight or current body weight. :)

  9. mike on May 17, 2014 at 7:33 pm

    Hey Greg, I just started your Warrior Shredding Program , I was a ketonic diet and added healthy fats avocados and coconut oil and feel great. Can I keep these fats in my diet and still lose , as long as I am in a calorie deficit ? How much does the ratio of macros matter , more healthy fat less carbs accept of re-feed days ? thanks for your time

  10. mike on May 17, 2014 at 12:42 pm

    Does the percentage of macos make a difference.i enjoy healthy fats avocados. .almost following ketonic diet.can still cut down as long as I have deficit in my calories. I bought shredded. Thanks

    • Greg on May 18, 2014 at 10:31 pm

      Fat loss is about the calorie deficit – macros are important for performance, muscle gain, satiety and health. I believe in balanced macros.

  11. Mladen on May 17, 2014 at 3:36 am

    Hi Greg, i have a somewhat oposite question….
    I was aleways werry kean/slim and so i have hit a wall were i can not get the body i want…
    I am 1,80 m high but i weight only 60kg and my body fat alerdy lies at 8%.
    I train 3 times a week for 1h but becise of my alerdy low body fat and becouse i do not weigh much i can not gain any more weight becouse i think my body has nothing it can burn.
    Do you know something i could do?
    Becouse my ideal weight would be 70-72 kg

    • Greg on May 18, 2014 at 10:23 pm

      You should be eating high calories. At-least 16-18 cals per pound. You need to drive that weight up, you are very underweight.

      • Mladen on May 19, 2014 at 12:16 pm

        I know that im underweight, but no matter how much i eat i do not gain weight and i eat regulary 6 meals a day…
        Should I be eating the 16-18 cals per meal and pound, ore over the whole day?
        Or should i eat the 16-18 cals per pound of the weight i want to reach?

        • Greg on May 22, 2014 at 3:44 pm

          Well it doesn’t matter if you eat 2 meals per day or 6 meals, it’s about the total calorie intake. Start around 16-18 cals per pound of current weight and adjust accordingly so that you’re slowly gaining weight.

  12. Anthony on April 24, 2014 at 10:25 am

    Hey Greg, I just started your Warrior Shredding Program and really like the way it’s laid out. I’ve done IF for awhile but hadn’t progressed much with it but I’m confident that your system is better than what I’ve tried on my own. I’m 6 feet tall, 194 lbs at around 20% body fat and I’m trying to cut down to 175 lbs at 10% body fat in about 3 months, seems reasonable. I’m using mynetdairypro to track my foods and following a 2100 cals, 170 pro, 158 carbs and 75 fat diet, with one re-feed per week. My workout is the one in your program (3x per week) and I do 2 cardio sessions on my off days (30 minutes moderate intensity). My question is should I stick to this for my cut or since my body fat count is higher should I start with a more aggressive cut program like your aggressive fat loss than switch to the warrior shredding one when I’m closer to 12-15% body fat?

    • Greg on April 25, 2014 at 1:51 pm

      No I think 2100 calories is perfect! You’ll lean up at a good rate and actually experience good strength and muscle growth.

  13. Adam on March 13, 2014 at 9:52 pm

    Greg I’m about 5’11, 160 – about 13-14% body fat. This article really hit home for me in terms of the struggle you mentioned to get to 10%.

    I started to lifestyle in January 2013 after a tough breakup. I went from roughly 20%bf to 13% at 160 in roughly 3-4 months. Ever since then, i feel like i’ve been stuck in a never ending struggle to get to 10%. So much so that I gave up last fall and decided to try and bulk. In 3-4 months, I gained about 5-6 to make my weight right around 166 pounds. Not sure how much of it was muscle, but my lifts all went up tremendously. I started to hate my appearance as it was obvious to me that i was getting a bit flabby. So i stopped.

    I’ve been back in cut mode since January. I’ve lost about 5 pounds in exactly 2 months. My goal was 10 pounds, so I’m a bit bummed. I feel that same struggle starting to take place and its exactly at the same weight I was last time – 160. I would estimate my body fat right around 13% this time. Here’s a pic for reference http://i.imgur.com/2KJXxY5.jpg

    What is your recommendation for getting to 10%? Should I continue my cut, even though i’ve been plateauing for awhile now? For reference i’m trying to eat around 1500 cal/day during the week, weekends I tend to eat closer to 2300.

    Thanks,

    Adam

    • Greg on March 15, 2014 at 2:08 pm

      Damn Adam! You’re trying to cut way too hard man. I’d suggest eating around 1800-1900 calories and once per week going up to around 2600. 1500 is way too low.

  14. Chris on March 9, 2014 at 10:09 am

    So for refeed, you use your maintenance cals then add 5-10% surplus?

  15. Rodrigo on February 5, 2014 at 10:34 pm

    Greg, I always had a doubt with one topic: fat loss/muscle/weight. You see, im around 9-10 bf perc, and 160lbs. When you say that it is possible to lose fat and build muscle, does that also mean that you can gain weight? I believe muscle is heavier than fat, therefore if you build muscle then you should be “heavier” (if muscle gains are equal to fat loss). However I think my approach is incorrect because whenever you are bulking, being clean or dirty, bf goes up. So… Qhat do you say, is it possible to gain weight and lose fat? I know that you need to be in a deficit of calories for losing fat, so that gives me the hint that it is impossible to gain weight and lose fat, since i would need to do the traditional bulk/cut phases. Thank you, and sorry for bad english.

    • Greg on February 8, 2014 at 1:27 pm

      Well muscle gain is a lot slower than fat loss. So you’d see a drop in weight even if you gain a little muscle in the process.

  16. Ben on September 9, 2013 at 2:54 am

    Also do you think its ok for me to go into my work fasted tacking bcaas at 5-6 and not having my 1st meal until 7 and last meal at 9 going to bed around 11 woul that be ok?

    • Greg on September 10, 2013 at 11:11 am

      Yep that’s fine! As long as you take bcaa before you’ll be fine.

  17. Ben on September 9, 2013 at 1:57 am

    And weigh 180 pounds

  18. Ben on September 9, 2013 at 1:05 am

    Hi greg
    I’ve bought your shredding manual and been following the diet and traing tips from that. My diet is maintance cal 2300 200 pro 140 carb 70 fat , low cal days 170 pro 100 carb 60 fat and my training is pretty much the example in the manual 3 days lifting and 3 days cardio (sprinting) and your v cut abs workout and on sunday (rest day) i completley fast. At 6’1 around 16% bf would you say this was a good routine to follow as i just wanna get ripped?

  19. JayC on September 8, 2013 at 12:14 pm

    Hey Greg its Jason

    I recently emailed you my 4month results of dieting using Superhero Workout+Beach Ripped Macros. My estimated Body fat you gave me was 9%. I’m trying to get around 7-8% comfortably and I need some advice. I’m wondering how often I should be doing refeeds and also, should I keep my macros the same during the reduced calories days?

    I was thinking 2 refeeds a week but was curious if the every 4th day method would be more advisable.

    Any feed back is greatly appreciated, Thanks Greg.

    • Greg on September 8, 2013 at 9:39 pm

      I’d go with two refeeds per week on lifting days. Example – monday and friday.

      The increase in calories on refeed days should come predominately from carbs. Therefore I’d recommend keeping protein and fat intake around the same and increase your portions of starchy carbs.

    • Andy on November 26, 2013 at 2:10 pm

      How are you getting the body fat estimate? I’d like to measure but have heard that calipers are not very accurate and I don’t think I want to go as far a doing a water tank fat % measure. Is there an easy and accurate way to do this?

      Thank you,
      Andy

      • Greg on November 26, 2013 at 2:33 pm

        Calipers if done properly are usually pretty accurate. Within 2% usually. IT’s not imperative that you know your actual body fat. Just diet until you are really content with the way you look. Body fat is just a number at the end of the day.

  20. Rajiv Rai on August 19, 2013 at 3:47 am

    hey Greg…following ur intermittent fasting protocol since a month…got down from 19% BF to 12 % body fat..and now i think i have hit a plateau…since i m eating approx 500 calorie..below maintenance…do u feel lowering my calorie to 600-700calorie…would increase the speed of fat loss…and it will go on as expected..

    i want to really go down to 9-10% BF then i would go with a lean bulk of 16calories per bound of BW…

    i have already sent u my pictures regarding my current stats…and eagerly waiting to get a consultation from the Guru…who actually paves the correct path for his followers..!!

    so do u think i should even lower my calorie to 600-700 caloric deficit…or continue with my 450-500caloric deficit…to resume fatloss at normal speed..??

    • Greg on August 19, 2013 at 11:52 am

      You’re at 12% body fat man, that’s good! No need to lower your calories at this point. 500-600 calorie deficit max at this point.

  21. Josepg on August 16, 2013 at 1:43 pm

    Hello Gregory ! I had been cutting for 3 months using the leangains approach and in 1 month’s vacation got it all back. Such a bummer :( I am 165lbs, around 132lbs lean body mass. I did my cut first because I heard its easier to build muscle when around 10% bodyfat. I bought your shredding programm recently. Should I follow that one from start or should I first do a 500 caloric deficit per day / leangains again and when I am down to 12% use your shredding programm ? I know my muscle is seemingly nonexistant but still I want to keep as much as possible while loosing bodyfat fast. I wanna be done with the cutting part ASAP because every 3-4 months I have vacation and I don’t want to make the same mistake again.

    • Greg on August 17, 2013 at 10:25 am

      You can do the shredding program now. For faster fat loss consider eating at only 13 calories per pound of bodyweight on lift days.

      • Josepg on August 17, 2013 at 2:59 pm

        Thank you very much for your fast response ! I have faith in your opinion and will do as you recommend. *crosses fingers and hopes for 2lbs/week fatloss*

  22. eric on August 9, 2013 at 1:56 pm

    Im under 150lbs so i eat 1200-1500 calories, then refeed once a week. My maintenance is 1700cals. Ive been on diet for 2/12 months, is it necessary to take two weeks at maintenance? I havent really lost any strength either which is great. 4days heavy weights 4 days cardio per week

    • Greg on August 9, 2013 at 4:19 pm

      That’s really low. I’d suggest eating about 11-12 cals per pound.

  23. Eric on August 9, 2013 at 12:36 pm

    My maintenance is 1700cal, I eat 1200-1500cals then 2000cal once a week.. I’ve been on diet for 2 1/2 months.. Should I take two weeks at maintenance necessary.. Haven’t lost any strength either..

    • Greg on August 9, 2013 at 4:18 pm

      Unless you’re like 130 lbs, it’s very unlikely your maintenance is that low. People who are getting about an hour of exercise per day, maintenance calories tend to be between 14-16 cals per pound of bodyweight.

      I would suggest eating at maintenance or 5% above for 2 weeks. If you continue to lose weight then it will show that you’re eating below your actual maintenance.

  24. Eric on August 8, 2013 at 10:39 pm

    Awesome article dude.. I’ve been stuck at 13% for two weeks now, I implemented carb cycling 4 days at 50g carbs, then refeed at 300g, 50g and repeat with no avail.. Any suggestions to get over the hump ?

    • Greg on August 9, 2013 at 11:24 am

      Sometimes weight loss can lag for 2 weeks. The scale may start to drop on this third week. Also, make sure you’re eating at a calorie deficit. What’s your calorie intake and maintenance?

  25. Ben on July 30, 2013 at 11:19 am

    While trying to cut is it worth taking creatine to try and keep strength?

    • Greg on July 31, 2013 at 9:14 pm

      If you’re already taking creatine then you should continue taking it during your cut. If you haven’t started creatine yet then you should wait until after your cut to take it.

  26. Neil on July 27, 2013 at 12:12 pm

    I came off of a cut in early May 2013 where I was doing a combination of Phase 2 and Phase 3 from Rusty’s Visual Impact Course with his cardio protocol on every lifting day (15 mins HIIT, 30 mins Steady State Incline Walk). I got down to around 7-8% bodyfat but at 6’2 174 lbs with not much muscle mass. I then proceeded to go into what I thought was a lean bulk but my weight rebounded quickly and so did fat gain. I am now at 6’2 187 pounds and it seems like I am around 13% body fat. Do you recommend I continue a lean bulk or go back to a cut? 

    • Greg on July 28, 2013 at 8:47 pm

      I’d recommend slowly leaning down to 180 lbs. Then you can focus on slowly building muscle without gaining fat.

  27. George on July 18, 2013 at 6:49 pm

    So for the Beach Ripped protocol do you eat the same amount of calories on workout days as you do rest days? I’m 5’7 136-137lbs, 14% BF. My maintenance is 2000 cal.
    Rest Days I eat 1600 cal. Should I eat that amount on workout days too?

    • Greg on July 20, 2013 at 7:35 pm

      Well with the beach ripped article you’ll be doing cardio/exercise on rest days. So yes, you’ll be eating the same cals. But you should be eventually doing 1-2 refeed days per week. These should be place on strength training days.

      • George on July 21, 2013 at 3:37 pm

        So what you’re saying is:

        Monday(Workout): 2100-2200cal
        Tuesday(Rest): 1600
        Wednesday(Workout): 1600
        Thursday(Rest): 1600
        Friday(Workout): 2100-2200
        Saturday(Rest): 1600
        Sunday(Rest): 1600
        Thanks for the help!!

        • Greg on July 23, 2013 at 10:05 pm

          Yes, that would work quite well and the two high calorie days will help with muscle growth.

          • George on July 25, 2013 at 8:41 am

            I love you man (No homo)



          • Greg on July 25, 2013 at 1:43 pm

            haha thanks man!



  28. Jon on July 17, 2013 at 10:18 am

    Like so many others have said, this site is awesome for straight-from-the-source no bull advice. I really appreciate it, man! I’ve been doing your shredding course for a few weeks now, dropped some BF, but I’m plateauing now near 11% BF. I’m a smaller guy (140lbs, 5’7″), so should I cut scale back my maintenance calories from 2100? On low-cal days (2x per week), I eat 1400 and fast days (2x per week), I eat 700. I really want to see those abs, but I don’t want to lose strength, so I’m hesitant to adjust. Thanks again, my brother!

    • Jon on July 17, 2013 at 10:31 am

      Also, I do occasional cheat nights (usually 1x per week or every other week), always on maintenance days. Is it ok to switch around a low-cal day with a maintenance day on the Shredding program to accomodate a Friday night cheat night?

      • Greg on July 18, 2013 at 9:29 am

        Yah, if for example, you’re doing a cheat night on friday, then go low carb on your workout day the next day.

    • Greg on July 18, 2013 at 9:29 am

      Has your weight plateau for at-least 2 weeks? Give it 2 weeks before reducing calories.

      I’d also suggest only doing 1 fast day per week. As well, consider consuming about 13 calories per pound of bodyweight on training days instead of 15.

      • Jon on July 19, 2013 at 10:37 am

        Thanks for the advice, man. The plateau’s actually only been a week. I guess I’m just too impatient haha

        • Greg on July 20, 2013 at 7:45 pm

          haha that’s okay! That’s very common

  29. janlcc on July 13, 2013 at 8:50 pm

    Would you do refeeds if you are around 20% BF or would you wait until you are about 13-15%?

    • Greg on July 15, 2013 at 9:35 pm

      You can refeed once per week if you’re 20% body fat. When you get to 15% or lower, you can do 2 refeeds per week.

  30. JayC on July 4, 2013 at 1:02 pm

    Hey Greg

    I’ve been doing the while Leangains thing for a while with working out fasted(BCAA’s), and I notice that im losing strength and body weight. Thing is, I do Crossfit and it can be very taxing. I usually do CF three times a week and lift once per week.

    Should I take your approach of a straight deficit+ refeeds? I’m thinking it may be better than high carb Tdays with low carb rest day, especially with CF. Also, I’ve been doing IF for a long time now and since I do CF in the morning, fasted, I was considering ingesting some calories like a protein shake with water.

    I’m 6foot,180,32.3inch waist, roughly between 11-12%bodyfat.

    Any feedback or advice would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks bratha!

    • JayC on July 4, 2013 at 1:04 pm

      Oh yea, my cals:

      2400 T-days 180P/50gF/300C

      1700 R-days 180gP/80gF/30-50C

      • Greg on July 6, 2013 at 10:24 pm

        I’d bump up carbs on rest days to 100 minimum and bring fat down to 70g. On lift days you could probably bring fat up to 60g. If you have any hunger issues down the road, consider bumping protein up to 200-220 per day.

    • Greg on July 6, 2013 at 10:22 pm

      What are your goals? Are you trying to lean up? If so, then you want to lose bodyweight. However, you shouldn’t be losing strength. Either you’re going too low in calories and losing more than 1.5 lbs per week. Or you’re training routine is too high volume and you need to cut back to 4-5 exericses per workout and 2-3 sets max. Three sessions per week.

      It’s up to you, which strategy you want to follow. If you want more recomp do the leangains thing. If you want faster fat loss do the beach ripped protocol. If you’re doing leangains don’t go too low in carbs on rest days. 100-150 carbs on rest days is ideal.

  31. Ben on July 1, 2013 at 5:26 am

    Hi greg
    I’ve been readin your blog for a few months now and thinks its great you talk a lot of sense and don’t over sell your pdf’s like most sites. I’m trying to shredd up and am currently following your chritian bale american psycho strength and hitt training. I’m also staying to a strict diet 1634 cals, 48 carbs and 165 protein. My 1st meals at 1 a 3 egg omelet and berries with greek yoghurt and my 2nd is at about 8 an hour after the gym 400g chicken and veg smoothie with some almonds. I’m 6’1 185lb and 16% bf i want to half my bf any and get seriously shredded anything i should change to get better results.

    • Greg on July 1, 2013 at 2:40 pm

      Those are pretty low calories. I think you should stay between 1800-2000 calories. I prefer less extreme deficits these days. You can also bring up carbs to 100-150 grams. This will be much more enjoyable. I’d also recommend doing a carb refeed at-least once per week where you add 200g of carbs.

  32. Chris on June 29, 2013 at 1:59 am

    hey greg man ive spent the whole day reading your articles and you are awesome my bro! im 17 currently 5’6 and weigh 135 pounds, i have 12% body fat my arms grow the fastest when i work out (bicep mostly, but i only have like 12.5 inch arms maybe 13 when im pumped if thats how you call it) i use to go to the gym but i wasnt feeling it anymore, i was getting bigger but not how i wanted which now i know its called lean, i have the visual impact course, but im confused as to which phase to start with, i want to be lean like those hollywood stars like magic mike haha and like you but am i too skinny to do it ? do i need to gain pure muscle first then get lean? should i start with phase 1 and then phase 2 or start with phase 2 since its a mixture of both? sorry for all the questions, thanks

    P.S i think i might buy the shredded guide you have, really got my attention

    • Greg on June 29, 2013 at 1:16 pm

      I would do phase two first for about 2 months while leaning down to about 9-10% body fat. Then you can go back to phase one and focus on adding muscle mass while staying under 10%.

  33. Andy on June 27, 2013 at 11:02 pm

    hey greg im really knew at this never really done this before, im starting the gym on monday ive gone to the gym and left it cause i wouldnt be as motivated after a month, but this time after reading your guides i think i can do it, after some research about body fat and comparing myself to some pictures i think i have around 11 or 12% body fat, i sort of understood your guide but im confused on the calorie intake and things like that, could you give me some advice on what to eat and what not to eat, ( i know fast food is a no for sure) and also what to eat throughout the day as in breakfeast dinner and at night (snacks too ) so i can start as soon as possible, cant wait to finally be able to get the abs i want thanks to you ,
    thanks, hoping for your reply

  34. JayC on June 21, 2013 at 11:07 am

    Hey Greg

    I just wanted to ask a quick question regarding stubborn body fat areas( lower abs and lov e handles) When you first started dieting and you got those areas of fat gone, once you started introducing more cals and switched to muscle gain, were you able to keep those areas of fat off or to a minimum?

    Reason im asking is that im dieting right now using yours and Nates methods and im currently around 12-13% body fat (6foot 183lbs 33inch waist, my goal is 8%) I know this isn’t really a concern right now, not until I get to atleast 10% bf, but since I’m not at that level of leanness, I was wondering if those areas get problematic again.

    One more thing. Right now im at 2100 cals 200-225carbs,170protein and 60g fat and im noticing my lifts are dropping and my endurance is starting to suck. I do Crossfit and Power Lifting routine. Even though im around 12-13% body fat, would it be a good idea to start adding reefed once a week? Just to maintenance or just increase my carbs a bit?

    Thanks man, as always.

    • JayC on June 21, 2013 at 11:16 am

      Also just to add, When I did my first diet I was on a low carb bullshit diet and I ended up rebounding myself back to a heavier and fatter version of myself. I workout 4 days a week now with 2 Crossfit days and 2 power lifting days and my main focus is just lose the last 6-8lbs of fat and be happy and also keep some strength. I really just want to avoid strength loss although I do accept some loss, just not as much as im losing now. Hit me up with any advice or feed back Greg, as always I appreciate it.

    • Greg on June 21, 2013 at 12:16 pm

      First of all, at 12-13% body fat you should definitely be doing refeeds once per week! Bump up the carbs by about 200g on that day.

      Secondly, you can definitely maintain leanness while adding muscle. It’s a trickier process and requires careful diet moderation but it can be done.

      • JayC on June 21, 2013 at 1:05 pm

        Oh ok good. I was hoping you’d say that haha. Thanks bratha!

        Brb 400grams white rice!

        • Greg on June 21, 2013 at 6:37 pm

          Right on dude! Enjoy the carb sedation.

  35. Bryan Drake on June 17, 2013 at 7:05 pm

    Also curious if you saw Man of Steel since it is the inspiration for one of the greatest posts on the site.

    • Greg on June 18, 2013 at 11:16 am

      I just saw it yesterday actually. I thought it was really good and Henry Cavill looked incredible.

  36. Bryan Drake on June 17, 2013 at 7:05 pm

    Quick question about macros on a daily basis. My numbers are roughly 180 g. Pr. 200 g. Carbs 65 g. Fat. On non lifting days do I need to hit that 200 carb macro if trying to burn fat?

    Thanks man!

    • Greg on June 18, 2013 at 11:16 am

      Good question. Well if you’re doing cardio on your rest days then I would stick with those same macros. Those macros are set up to be at a 25% deficit. No need to go any lower in my opinion. That said, if you aren’t doing cardio then you can drop the carbs down.

  37. Ladis on June 13, 2013 at 1:44 pm

    Hey Greg! On a refeed day, is it still necessary to have IF until about 12-1pm and then the feast window 1-10pm? Or is it allowed to eat let’s say in the morning – to reach that 5-10% above maintenance level? Thanks a million!

    • Greg on June 13, 2013 at 10:45 pm

      You can do either or! I prefer to fast but if that’s too much food you can eat breakfast.

  38. Julian on May 22, 2013 at 8:23 am

    Would bananas qualify as starches or?

  39. Jay on May 17, 2013 at 5:21 pm

    Hey Greg!

    I really like the carb at night approach, it helps my sleep tremendously. I got 2 questions about it:

    1- If I train early, do I load my post-workout meal with carbs or do I wait for my meals later in the day?

    2- With the summer coming, I play a lot of tennis and sometime matches in the morning. In that case, should I re-introduce a carb loaded breafast before going to play or is there better options?

    Thx a lot for your work!

    • Greg on May 18, 2013 at 1:13 pm

      1 – No need to load carbs post workout. Some carbs post workout is fine but save most of them at night. After training you don’t necessarily need a lot of carbs. As long as you’re getting in the right amount of carbs within a 24 hour window you will be fine.

      2 – This is something you will need to figure out for yourself. If you’re playing for 2 or less hours then you won’t need to load up before. Listen to your body and find what works best for you for maximizing performance. If you eat too much you won’t be able to perform as well. Try and give two hours since your last meal before playing.

      • Jay on May 21, 2013 at 8:25 am

        Thx a lot!

        I wanna even try to go play fasted if I play for less than two hours. My main concern about playing tennis in the morning is: “will I loose muscle by doing so while I work hard in the gyn to gain some?” I guees I’m not the only intermediate lifter who’s getting paranoid about loosing muscle by doing the sports I like a couple times a week!:)

        • Greg on September 5, 2013 at 11:44 am

          haha hell no you won’t lose anything! Being active is fantastic.

  40. Evan on May 15, 2013 at 2:15 pm

    Another fabulous article. The information you provide is second to none. Quick question; if I’m 50 lbs overweight should I be lifting or focus mainly on cardio? I’ve been doing 45 minutes of cardio 4-5 times a week and I’m losing weight at a steady clip. I really want to start tightening up my chest, as it is kind of embarrassing right now. Should I hold off or go ahead and start following one of your workouts?

    Thanks for your help
    Evan

    • Greg on May 16, 2013 at 10:06 am

      Start strength training 2-3x per week. 1-2 exercises per muscle group and 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps. This will ensure you maintain your muscle so the weight you are losing is 100% fat instead of 70% fat and 30% muscle.

  41. Matt on May 14, 2013 at 8:47 pm

    Hey Greg,

    Have you seen that ‘Incline cardio’ programme that Rusty is promoting at the mo? It’s basically walking at a steady pace at an incline on a treadmill. The author claims you get ripped abs as your abs are constantly engaged during the 30 min walk.
    What’s your take on it mate?

    Cheers, Matt

    • Greg on May 15, 2013 at 6:03 am

      Yes, I’ve heard of it! I haven’t read the manual so I don’t really have a complete perspective on it. Bodybuilders and fitness models have been using incline walking on the treadmill for a long time when dieting to get lean. I think it can probably work pretty well. Whether or not the abs are engaged during the walk won’t really make much difference. Abs definition is mostly due to body fat percentage, get lean and they will show. Genetics are also a big factor to how the abs will look when you’re lean. If you’re trying to develop your abs I believe there to be better ways to do so then walking on an incline.

  42. Terez on May 13, 2013 at 7:09 pm

    Hey greg, in your muscle building program you recommend shoulder press on the same day as incline bench. However, because shoulder press follows bench I don’t really seem to be making gains on the shoulder press. Would you recommend a different split to see better gains?

    • Greg on May 14, 2013 at 1:43 pm

      Try taking 5 minutes rest after incline bench before shoulder press. You should still be able to make gain on shoulder press. If that doesn’t work very well then you can perform shoulder press on workout b after chin ups. On workout A perform close grip bench or weighted dips instead of shoulder press.

  43. Alan on May 12, 2013 at 2:38 pm

    hello greg, im currently doing your strength and density routine to maintain my muscle on a cut, im eating 12kcal per bw for 2 months and i was able to loose 4kilos :D (thanks man!) my question is if you think is possible to get under 10% until july, now im at 14%, and you think will help me add 1 or 2 24 hours fasts per week to accelarate fat loss?

    Thanks for the help and motivation!

    • Greg on May 13, 2013 at 8:45 am

      You’re at 14%, I wouldn’t try to lose more than 2% bf per month. So you can hit 10% by about mid July. Keep to it.

  44. Ed Johnnie on May 10, 2013 at 7:07 pm

    Hey Greg,

    This may be a strange question, but was wondering how far I have to go to get a full visual six pack abs. I can feel and at times see my top abs and linea alba is starting to become more noticeable. I am 5’8″ and weigh 155. Was wondering how much more weight I will need to drop?

    Thanks!

    • Greg on May 13, 2013 at 8:30 am

      Can’t say without pictures.

  45. Harry on May 10, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    What’s up man. When you talk about getting lean enough that you have visible abs without flexing, does that cover all lighting conditions? Seems like a stupid question, but it is a factor that makes a massive difference as far as my appearance is concerned. For example, in good down lighting, I have clear definition between each line of abs without flexing. In normal lighting I have visible definition between each line unflexed, and pretty defined when flexed. Then in bad lighting, I can look downright sloppy unflexed, like I’m carrying weight across my love handles and lower abs, and flexed I have a deep (1cm or more) split between left and right, but almost no definition between each line of abs. I don’t have the means to do body fat testing, so I have no idea where I am at, how much lower I could be going comfortably. Any input from your experience would be appreciated.

    • Greg on May 13, 2013 at 8:29 am

      The implication is visible abs without flexing in good lighting.

  46. Jason on May 8, 2013 at 9:12 am

    Hey Greg!

    I wonder if it is possible to have fixed refeed days instead of cycling every 4 days. If so, should I go for 1 refeed per week or 2?

    I didn’t included reffed days since I started cutting almost 2 months ago and it seems I’ve hit the wall at around 12% body fat. Not to mention that it is harder to progress on my lift these days.

    Thx!

    • Greg on September 5, 2013 at 11:51 am

      Yes, I actually do two refeeds per week because I like fitting it into a 7 day schedule. My refeeds are monday and friday (my two upperbody lift days). This works quite well.

  47. Taiso on May 8, 2013 at 8:10 am

    Yo greg, really appreciate all your hard work in sharing this priceless info!

    I really want your advice on something

    I do my training fasted, with no BCAA’s
    is it ok to continue the fast for 1-4 hours post workout?
    I ask because I need to train in the morning (around 9) but my eating windows is 2-10 and I dont want to take BCAA’s

    I have not been able to get any good answer yet,
    the fasting/hodgy twins say they will continue to fast 2-4 hours post workout

    but it is my understanding you,miyaki and martin eat somewhere 30 minutes-2 hours post workout? Is this true? what is the most ideal time to eat your post workout meal. I ask because I have heard the post workout window is much larger then most people though before. I know that fasted training has a big boost in HGH and the insulin from the post workout meal will cancel it. So what is your advice?
    P.S.
    I think rusty also will fast post workout sometimes.

    rusty and the hodgy twins seem to be much less shredded then you,miyaki and martin. So I am guessing you need to eat a postworkout meal soon after?

    also I had another question that has been killing me.
    Say you do a month of shrink wrap effect/superhero training
    and you boost your glycogen stores to give your muscles that pumped look. If you go back to low rep strength sets (3-6) for the next few months, will you lose that pumped up look via the enhanced glycogen stores? Or will the low rep sets be enough to maintain the glycogen stores?

    thanks a lot man!
    respect!

    • Greg on September 5, 2013 at 4:09 pm

      Good question!

      Ideally I would recommend training closer to 2pm. There are benefits of pre and post workout protein. So I would advise either taking BCAA’s before or training later in the day. If that’s not possible, I doubt it will make a noticeable difference if you were to train completely fasted and continue fasting for 2-4 hours post workout. Provided you’re getting sufficient protein during the rest of the day, you should be fine. I just find that I get hungry after training so I prefer to workout closer to my meal time.

  48. Randy on May 8, 2013 at 7:23 am

    Hey is taking CLA supplements good for losing weight and body fat combined with proper nutrition and exercise?

    • Greg on September 5, 2013 at 4:10 pm

      CLA doesn’t really do much at all. Most of the studies showing it’s benefits were on animals and not humans. I would save the cash.

  49. John on May 8, 2013 at 5:55 am

    Hey Greg,

    I can’t say how happy I am to come across this website. What a piece of art! I have a question, however, that I’d like to discuss with you.

    It seems that your website is targeted for the people that needs to lose fat. If I can remember correctly, you said yourself that your body fat percentage fluctuates at about 12%…

    I am by no means muscular (yet), but as an ectomorph, my body fat percentages stays at ~7%. But let’s say I start eating a lot in order to gain some muscle and in the process, my body fat goes up a bit. Say, around 10%. Would this be my “new” natural body fat level? Would I lose my ability “to enjoy life” if I dropped back to ~7% after the bulking?

  50. CK Sam on May 8, 2013 at 2:13 am

    Also, it would be great if between you and Chris maybe at some point you could do a piece or a podcast geared to towards people training at him with minimal equipment. I train at home a bench, powerblock dumbells and a chin up bar. I also have an exercise bike and a bunch if bands but haven’t really needed to use them yet. I could afford to get more stuff but my space is limited.

    So far I’m seeing great gains but whenever I ask around everyone is like ” you gotta hit the gym” but here’s the thing. I have a wife, 2 kids and work between 8-12hrs a day. If I included travel time/changing etc that would add about to my work out time. When you have a crazy schedule and need to actually spend some time with your family that extra time kinda makes it a deal breaker. I know I can’t be the only person in this position so it would be great if someone like yourself covered this kinda topic.

    • Greg on May 8, 2013 at 9:53 am

      Great idea CK!

      You can definitely get very strong, muscular and fit with limited equipment. The main thing will be having 4 or so movements that you use to track progress and improve consistently on. ex: weighted chin ups, weighted push ups, pistol squats, standing db press. You can also get some adjustable dumbbells and get into more heavy dumbbell training. Ex: heavy incline benching, heavy shoulder pressing, heavy dumbbell rows.

      • CK Sam on May 8, 2013 at 11:43 am

        Yep. I got the adjustable dumbells. Best by ever. I’m doing DB, benching, shoulder pressing and rows. Only tough thing I can’t seem to find the right replacement for are the infamous Squats and Deadlifts. Ironically though, my legs are fine. I’m doing DB lunges, but i’ve run for years and always had good legs. Never had chicken legs and always got complemented on them even when the rest of me wasn’t too hot, so I’m not overly worried. Anyways, hopefully you’ll give this topic the Kinobody treatment at some point in the future.

        • Greg on May 9, 2013 at 10:44 am

          Sounds like you don’t really need to add much mass to your legs. Avoiding squats/deads might actually be beneficial. You can do single leg stuff like bulgarian split squats and weighted pistol squats.

  51. Guillermo on May 7, 2013 at 2:00 pm

    I got I question

    You said that “One which wouldn’t survive all to well in a time of famine and hardship”

    So in 6-9% bodyfat, you are not as powerful, energetic, limitless mind, focus,strong as the movies show? because in the movies you see that the hero or protagonist faces really tough challenges, for example the movie 300, they were in a very cool shape, so in reality, they could not stand againist the challenges they faced in the movie?
    So If a shredded guy goes in a plane, and the plane crashes and they are 2 other people on average condition and shape, the shredded guy has less chances to survive?
    Jajajaja my mind flew with last one XD

    • Greg on May 7, 2013 at 2:42 pm

      Someone who is 6-9% body fat can definitely be powerful, energetic, focused and strong! But they won’t last very long if they have to go weeks without food.

  52. nick73 on May 6, 2013 at 10:22 pm

    awesome post Greg!

    could you please clarify whether you absolutley emphasize performing your cardio regime early morning In the fasted 14-16 hour state as opposed to say sometime in the afternoon after having consumed roughly half of your calories. My concern is whether cardio in the fed state would yield less favourable results even though the same amount of work was put in, since from my understanding, our bodies would utilize glycogen stores as its primary energy source due to the carbs consumed prior to cardio instead of fat. I would love to reap the benefits of fasted cardio training if there are any! Thanks!!

    • Greg on May 7, 2013 at 8:47 am

      It doesn’t really matter when you do your cardio, so long that you do it. I like to do cardio before a meal because 30-60 minutes after a cardio session I am hungry and want to eat usually. If you do cardio empty stomach, you’ll burn more fat during the cardio session, but less later in the day. If you do cardio in the fed state you’ll burn more carbs/glycogen but later in the day you’ll oxidize more fat. In both cases you’re in the same caloric deficit so fat loss should be the same.

      • nick73 on May 7, 2013 at 9:06 am

        Right on Greg! appreciate it!

  53. CK Sam on May 5, 2013 at 6:49 am

    Hey Greg. Would be great if you could do a podcast or a blog series about adding lean muscle mass. Would be great to have a detailed guide explaining the diet(using IF), exercise and everything in between. Similar to your beach ripped series but geared towards those of us trying to gain 12-20 pounds of lean muscle mass. Most info out there is geared towards weight/fat loss and not so much about building lean mass which I’m finding is way harder. Particularly when you’re small. I’m 5’7 and went from like 175lbs to 132lbs. Now would like to get to a ripped 145-150 and around 8-10% body fat. I’m at like 12% bf now. I’m on course and at around 138 now, without any fat gain, but I’m finding the process more challenging than weight loss and much slower. Anyways, I think it would be a great subject for you to cover in depth at some stage.

    • Greg on May 6, 2013 at 11:12 am

      Thanks for sharing this idea Sam! I think it’s a great article series idea and I’ll definitely get something like that going. In terms of gaining muscle it’s important to accept that it will take time. I actually recommend striving mostly for strength targets and let the muscle mass come on as a side benefit. This method, if implemented properly, never fails! Some additional volume work can be added for further growth but getting the main lifts up is where it’s at.

      • CK Sam on May 7, 2013 at 2:48 am

        Look forward to it! Definitely seeing strength gains, definitely looking bigger and waist size is the same so a guess all is good. I’m just finding the the real truth this lean muscle building, body re-comp thing is that it’s slow as fuck!

        • Greg on May 7, 2013 at 9:00 am

          Well yah ahah! Don’t get obsessed with the scale. At best you’ll gain 2 lbs of muscle per month. So the scale can definitely be disconcerting. I’d actually recommend going mostly by the mirror and your performance on 3-4 core lifts – Incline Bench, Weighted Chin ups, Sumo Deadlifts….

  54. Julian on May 3, 2013 at 7:55 am

    Hey, Greg just a quick note, how about an article on maintenance, you know once you’ve achieved your desired amount of muscle and bodyfat %, how can you maintain it, whilst still having say an active social life?

    • Greg on May 4, 2013 at 10:50 am

      Great idea! I’ve written that article idea down and I’ll write something up for June on that topic. It’s actually fairly simple and downright but you still need to be reasonably strict and diligent with your workouts and nutrition.

  55. Jim on May 3, 2013 at 3:22 am

    Hi Greg. Hope you are well. I’ve been following your muscle programme and I’ve bought the fractional plates which are great. Just a quick question, do you increase the weight on all lifts with the fractional plates? I only it’s only an extra half kg or so but it seems very hard to increase all the lifts. Thanks in advance

    • Greg on May 4, 2013 at 10:47 am

      I use it mainly for my core movements – weighted chins, incline bench, standing press, hang cleans.

      The other exercises increase the weight when it becomes easy.

  56. Guillermo on May 3, 2013 at 2:29 am

    You said that you like to stay away from fruit for the most part that fructose isn’t effective at elevating leptin and isn’t very efficient at replenishing depleted muscle glycogen.

    So the fruits are bad? Or just are bad while cutting?

    So what would it be the best time or day to take fruits?

    I ask because I like fruits very much especially banana, orange, strawberries, grapes, peach, papaya, apples, watermelon, mango and melon

    • Greg on May 4, 2013 at 10:45 am

      Fruits are definitely not bad! They are high in vitamins and they don’t have that many calories. But basically if you’re eating tons of fruit your liver glycogen stores will be maxed out, only some of the carbs from fruit will be used for muscle glycogen and the rest will end up being burned/stored.

      If you like fruit I’d aim for about 2-4 servings of fruit per day. Get the rest of your carbs from starchy carbs like rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice pasta…….

      • Guillermo on May 5, 2013 at 1:49 pm

        what you mean with “eating tons of fruit your liver glycogen stores will be maxed out”, what it is the liver glycogen?

  57. Guillermo on May 3, 2013 at 2:23 am

    You recommend intermittent fasting (6-8 hrs after wake up) on refeed day or I can take a breakfast that day?

    • Greg on May 4, 2013 at 10:43 am

      I recommend doing it daily, even on refeed days. Yes, it will be awesome having all of those calories/carbs to consume in a 8 hour window.

  58. Amadeus on May 3, 2013 at 2:20 am

    If I cycle 3 low calories 1 refeed, my maintainance are 1900, my low calorie deficit would be 1400 – 1200 and refeed days would be 1995 – 2090. But what if the refeed day drops on rest day should I drop to 1650 – 1575 cal. instead of 1995 – 2090 cal. ? Or simply try to make my refeed day be in lifting day ?

    If I confused you then:

    1.- The low calorie day intake is the same on lifting day as rest day?
    2.- The refeed calorie day intake is the same on lifting day as rest day?

    • Greg on May 4, 2013 at 10:42 am

      1900 maintenance calories is pretty low. I imagine you are under 150 lbs, correct? I wouldn’t go under 1400 calories. Basically, I recommend getting exercise daily on a fat loss program. That can be lifting weights 3x per week and doing cardio/activity the other 4 days. So your maintenance requirements should be very similar each day. Do the refeed every fourth days, it’s okay if it’s not on a lift day. You’ll be stronger the next day when you do lift.

      • Guillermo on May 5, 2013 at 1:47 pm

        No, I am not 150lbs I am 123 lbs and 5.2 of height and 11 % bf. Actually I lift monday to friday but saturday and sunday I do nothing completely nothing, so you recommend doing some activity the saturday and sunday when I am in fat loss? And if so, what kind of activity or how much of cardio?

        • Greg on May 6, 2013 at 11:37 am

          If possible I recommend getting activity on a daily basis. Whether it’s walking 3-4 miles or doing 30-40 minutes of cardio at the gym.

  59. Codi Coleman on May 1, 2013 at 11:59 pm

    Wow bro I looked at your site like a year ago ,maybe longer, and I must say I’m thoroughly impressed ! Lol we do the same thing as far as carbs at night fasted during the day

    It works really well and you can sleep so much better ! I used to eat really low carb in an effort to get leaner but I was playing ball and constantly lifting (lol plus I had no clue about leptin or re feed days) so I would just be in freakin ketosis all day, NOT a good feeling

    Anyways just wanted to let you know I agree with everything your saying and the fact you stuck with your blog and have improved it so much really inspired me man ! So thanks you’ve helped me Alot

    Keep doing your thing bro !

    • Greg on May 2, 2013 at 11:44 am

      Thanks for the support and encouragement man! Definitely appreciate it.

  60. Tim on April 29, 2013 at 7:16 am

    What’s up Greg i have a buddy who’s at 20% body fat and weighs 250. he has to lose 45lbs by September for ROTC. you have any suggestions for what to do?

    • Greg on April 29, 2013 at 9:08 am

      First of all, it’s very doubtful he is only 20% bf at 250. That would mean that to get down to 10% bf he would only have to cut to 225. It’s much more likely that he is closer to 30%bf. If he is legitimately 20% body fat then he will have to lose a lot of muscle to get down to 205. Basically he will need to cut his calories down. He can eat about 10-12 cals per pound for fat loss.

  61. James on April 27, 2013 at 3:34 am

    Hey Greg,

    What do you think about kettlebell swings as a form of cardio?

    Thanks

    • Greg on April 27, 2013 at 11:26 am

      For conditioning I think they can be very effective! Same with snatches. As a form of calorie burning exercise, I think it can be very tiresome and repetitive and lead to burn out and fatigue. If you choose to do swings then limit it to 5-15 minutes then follow that up with other forms of cardio like jump rope, running, steady state…..

      • James on April 28, 2013 at 11:05 am

        I have certainly felt the burn out. I haven’t mastered the snatch yet, I have to strengthen my shoulders first. I’m also considering staring swimming, what is your take on that?
        Thanks

        • Greg on April 29, 2013 at 9:00 am

          Swimming is a great form of exercise! In the summer I incorporate some swimming into my routine. Usually 1 minute hard followed by 1 minute rest. I am a pretty lousy swimmer so it definitely kicks my butt.

  62. Terez on April 26, 2013 at 5:57 pm

    In your muscle building program you suggested doing hang cleans, but it’s a really technical lift and I don’t think I’m doing it correctly(feel like I’m working my arms not legs). Would you suggest I stick with the movement until I master it or would I be better off going with an easier lift(I.e dead lift) were my legs are for sure getting worked?
    Secondly how accurate do you find home scales for identifying bf %. My scale tells me I’m 20%. I’m 160, carry most of my fat in my belly & and am 5’9 with a 35 in waist. Everywhere else I’m lean , I just can’t grasp the fact I’m that fat. Is it possible this is my set point?

    • Greg on April 27, 2013 at 9:36 am

      I would do sumo deadlifts instead. The sumo deadlift works the legs pretty well, won’t build too much mass and is safer on the lower back. Home scales aren’t that accurate but a 35″ waist at 5’9 is pretty big. You’re going to want to get that down to 31-32″. So you’re looking about losing about 15-20 lbs of fat. Don’t worry about set point in this context unless you’ve been exercising hard and watching what you eat for several months.

  63. kato on April 26, 2013 at 12:32 pm

    Greg , you are awesome.
    I´ve been following kinobody almost from the start. Glad you are growing as time passes , both your knowlegde and your site. Definetly one of top 3 sites in the net for building a good pisique. Thanks for your work , really appreciate it!

  64. Julian on April 26, 2013 at 5:40 am

    Hey Greg, say I coax my body down to 6-8 bodyfat, would it then be possible to maintain without obsessing over my diet? or should accept my current natural setpoint (12-14%). Basically is it possible for me to change my natural bodyfat setpoint if i’d ever stop watching my diet (not meaning going on a binge) and eating rather “normal”. Thanks in advance!

    • Julian on April 26, 2013 at 6:35 am

      My personal ultimate goali s to be able to stay between 6-12 % for the rest of my life.

    • Greg on April 26, 2013 at 10:21 am

      Well there is currently no research that suggests you can change your set point. What I have noticed, with particular diet strategies it is much easier to stay full and satisfied with less food/calories. Intermittent fasting and eating most of my carbs in my last meal helps tremendously. The key, however, if you’re not tracking calorie intake is to eat enough food without overeating. I’d actually aim for 8-9% bodyfat. Sub 8% is pretty extreme, takes a lot of work and hormones may suffer.

      • Julian on April 26, 2013 at 1:41 pm

        thanks!

        • Julian on April 26, 2013 at 2:02 pm

          So since the warrior-physique requires sub 8% it isn’t something to maintain your round , without hormonal damage? or only for those who are naturally lean?

          • Greg on April 27, 2013 at 9:33 am

            Yep! I wouldn’t try to maintain sub 8% bodyfat year round unless you are genetically gifted. Staying between 7-10% is more healthy and ideal in my opinion.



  65. Danielle on April 24, 2013 at 5:12 pm

    Hey Greg love Your post..was wondering if it’s ok to use olive oil in cooking if I only eat 1meal a day?

    • Greg on April 25, 2013 at 8:57 am

      Don’t cook with olive oil. Get either coconut oil or macadamia nut oil. Olive oil goes rancid at high temperatures.

  66. Buck on April 24, 2013 at 12:21 pm

    Hey Greg, its nice to see someone who is actually in great shape giving diet advice, it’s becoming a little less common than it should. So my question is about a performance diet. I play competitive soccer 5-6 days a week, with 2-3 games per week. Now I know I’m training and working very hard and likely burning tons of calories, but I’m also having to eat a lot to maintain proper energy levels and whatnot. I’m wondering what you recommend for getting leaner than I already am (around 12%) while still being able to perform well. Thanks

    • Greg on April 24, 2013 at 12:41 pm

      Performance may decline a little with a drop in calories. Use caffeine as necessary about 30 minutes pre game. You can also aim to consume more calories around training. So get some carbs in about 2-3 hours before a training session and game and then in the meal afterwards.

  67. Blake on April 24, 2013 at 2:30 am

    Hey Greg, couple of question regarding your latest post?

    1. How long will you restrict calories before having a 2 week break?
    2. If you are planning on having a 2 week break after X weeks do you still use refeeds during your diet?
    3. Where did you come up with 35 calories per pound of body fat as a guide to creating a calorie deficit. This seem like a unique method. I have seen most people advocate a moderate deficit of 15-25% daily/weekly but that is based on your maintenance calories not your body fat? Do you have a link to a study or reference for that method?

    • Greg on April 24, 2013 at 10:18 am

      1. It really depends. I’d say about 2-3 months and then a 2 week break. Someone who is leaner and doesn’t have much to lose might do a 2 week break every 6 weeks.

      2. No need! Simply eat around maintenance each day.

      3. Martin Berkhan of Leangains.com brought this up in one of his facebook articles. He closed his fb page so I can’t find any of the sources.

  68. Amadeus on April 23, 2013 at 12:59 pm

    Hi, good post, I am now at 11% thanks to your diet plans, I likeed this post and i want to achieve one single digit bf to this summer but i didn’t get the “diet plan to follow”, in the strategic refeeds you mentioned “Aim for 3 lower calorie days (20-25% deficit) and 1 high calorie day (5-10% surplus)”, Just some questions

    -Can i follow this diet plan (3 lower cal and 1 high cal cycle through) if i have 5 liftings days?
    -What about cardio? it is necessary or not?
    -Do you still recommend BCAA before workout?
    -This diet plan (3 lower cal and 1 high cal cycle through) after high calories day I can do 24 hrs fast as day 1 of low calories day?

    Regards,,

    • Greg on April 24, 2013 at 9:54 am

      This article isn’t a diet plan! Follow the plan from the earlier beach ripped articles and start doing refeed days every 4th day or so.

  69. Jim on April 23, 2013 at 9:28 am

    Hi Greg. Been following your muscle building course and seeing really great strength gains. Would like your advice though. I’m currently 182 pounds and around 12 per cent bf. I want to get to single figure per cent body fat but find I start looking too skinny if I lose much more weight than I am. Any suggestions?

    • Greg on April 23, 2013 at 9:40 am

      You have a few options!

      Option 1 – Start a recomposition plan and hit the superhero phase! This should allow you to lean down slowly while adding some muscle

      Option 2 – Cut down to 10% body fat only (probably only 4 lbs or so of weight loss) then lean bulk to gain those 4 lbs back in muscle. Repeat this process eventually getting down to your goal body fat, 8% ex

  70. Jeremy on April 22, 2013 at 5:51 pm

    Ahh just listened to you talk about this on the RTR show!

  71. Ed Johnnie on April 22, 2013 at 5:42 pm

    Hey Greg,

    I may have posted this twice. If so, I apologize. I am 37 years old. I am 5’8″ and currently weigh 155 pounds. I have lost 5 pounds over the course of 5-6 weeks using one to two 20-24 hour fasts and keeping my over calories low M-Th but raising them to maintenance to sometimes above maintenance F-S. I can tell I am slowly getting leaner and my waist is at 31in. I can start to see a bit of my top abs but wondering around how much I have left to visually have a six pack? Do you think another 5 pounds? Is my strategy ok to get me there? My shoulders are at 47.5in and chest at 40 in. When I have visual six pack I am going to change course and start to add muscle to my upper body to aim for my AI.

    Thanks! Ed

    • Greg on October 13, 2013 at 2:17 pm

      Yah 31″ waist at 5’8 is very good! You might need to get it down to 30″. So I would say maximum 5 more lbs of fat loss.

  72. garrett brissette on April 22, 2013 at 1:02 pm

    Everytime I create a calorie defecit I get horrible insomnia and can’t sleep until I eat some carbs. I’ve tried low and high carbs and an equal balance too, but no matter what I do I won’t be able to sleep if I don’t eat at maintenance or higher. Any tips? I’ve tried herbs and most natural remedies too.

    • Greg on October 13, 2013 at 2:19 pm

      Yes, I’ve been there. You can try a tablespoon of honey before bed, I have found this to help quite a bit. Also watch your caffeine intake. Try no more than 2 cups of coffee per day. Supplement with 400-450g of magnesium citrate with dinner. These should allow you to sleep well on lower calories.

  73. Guillermo on April 22, 2013 at 12:30 pm

    Hi, good post, I am now at 11% thanks to your diet plans, I like this post and i want to achieve one single digit bf to this summer but i didn’t get the diet plan to follow, in the strategic refeeds you mentioned “Aim for 3 lower calorie days (20-25% deficit) and 1 high calorie day (5-10% surplus)”, Just some questions

    1.-Can i follow this diet plan (3 lower cal and 1 high cal cycle through) if i have 5 liftings days?
    2.-What about cardio? it is necessary or not?
    3.-Do you still recommend BCAA before workout?
    4.- This diet plan (3 lower cal and 1 high cal cycle through) after high calories day I can do 24 hrs fast as day 1 of low calories day?

    Regards,,

    • Greg on October 13, 2013 at 2:21 pm

      1 – yes
      2 – not necessary. But i recommend 30-40 minutes on rest days
      3 – only before fasted strength workouts
      4 – no, don’t do it. Too big of a deficit. Fine if you’re over 15% body fat

  74. Raza on April 22, 2013 at 11:49 am

    Carbs at night is increasingly popular. Guys like Jason Ferrugia, Nate Miyaki, Martin Berkhan and other have been talking about it for a while now. In fact, Nate Miyaki has a great interview with Zac Even-Esh on the topic of intermittent feasting (just Google it)
    Even Alan Aragon, the staunchly scientific author/bodybuilder/nutritionist has spoken to its practicality and efficiency.

    Your posts are well-written and a very meaningful contribution to this topic. Yours is one of the few blogs I consistently visit. Your initial “Beach Ripped” article is a goldmine of information.

  75. Rick on April 21, 2013 at 6:39 pm

    Have to say, love your banner! Did you do it yourself? A little photoshop? Its extremely simple and awesome!

    • Greg on April 23, 2013 at 9:21 am

      99designs.com and thanks!

  76. Ricardo on April 21, 2013 at 6:27 pm

    Can i have the refeed day on an off day? or is it counter productive?

    • Greg on April 23, 2013 at 9:21 am

      Ideally set up the refeed so that it is on a strength training day. This will lead to slightly better results. If that doesn’t jive with your schedule having a refeed on a rest day ain’t bad. Especially if you’re lifting the next day. You’ll find you’ll be extra strong the next day.

  77. jason on April 21, 2013 at 12:44 pm

    Hey nice blog. I am doing visual impact. I hit 12%. From Sunday to Thursday I do two shakes and a salad, Thursday night I eat whatever fast 24 hours and do two shakes and a salad Friday and eat whatever on Sat and fast till Sunday and start all over. Should I change some things around for my push to 8%?

    • Greg on April 23, 2013 at 8:53 am

      That seems like a pretty extreme diet! You could probably bring the calories up and aim to lose weight slower, 1 lbs per week! Try eating about 10-12 calories per pound of goal bodyweight and every 4th or 5th day bring calories up to 16 per pound.

  78. Dave on April 20, 2013 at 1:10 pm

    Hey Greg,

    So this approuch should be used after how long ? 2 months, 3 months ? because I am now at end week 2 and I have lost about 2 lbs.

  79. Jay C on April 20, 2013 at 1:01 pm

    Oh and btw mmmm!@ caramel chocolate quaker rice cakes, I gotta try that sometime! Also, I never seen that movie Hunger, going to check it out online. Is it any good?

  80. Jay C on April 20, 2013 at 12:51 pm

    Great arcticle Greg!

    I remember last year when I was so set on getting to single digits. It was such a miserable expereince using low carb bullshit diets(50grams). I think it was your VIMB results video that inspired me to lose weight. I lost so much weight and muscle that the desire to workout was gone and I remember my incline DB bench went from 100sx8 to barley putting up 80 for 5 reps. It was rough, but the only thing that kept me going was envisioning myself at a shredded state.

    After 6months of dieting, I just said ” F*ck this”, failed and gave up. I even called in sick from work a few times thats how bad it was. It was like I was stuck and I couldn’t lose that stubborn body fat. It got really frustrating and much like you said, I felt like I was on the verge of insanity. I even stopped talking to friends and family. I wasn’t the same person.

    On December 3rd, I started my bulk and to make a long story I went from 170bs, 31inch waist,11%Bf to now currently 16% 200lbs and 35inch waist. I was eating like 4k cals a day, I didn’t even care what I ate. My strength shot up and more. I’m stronger now than ever, but I look like complete shit. Total fat ass, especially the way I carry my fat. I look back at the pics of me last year and compare it today and I’m just like ” What the F did I just do to myself?!” Even though I was weaker and felt like shit, I still looked 100times better than I do today.

    I started dieting this week on Monday( April 15th) and this time, im doing this proper and taking my time. Last time all I cared about was looking at my scale move every morning, but now, I just need to change my mindset and be patient. I have alot more info today than I did last year. I think having a scale when dieting can really work against you and make you become obsessed with numbers, if you let it.

    Anyways, live and learn. Once I lose this weight again, I will never, EVER go back to being a fatty again.

    • Mike on May 18, 2013 at 2:39 am

      Hey dude, I am sure a lot of readers can say that they have experienced similar results before they found the right path. I think what Greg does such a great job of teaching is that the physique we are all after takes time, takes patience, the right system, and support.

      We are misled by suppliment companies who show before and after pictures saying you can go from flabby to chisled in 12 weeks. I used to buy into those false promises too until I discovered this site and the VI program. At 42 years old I am in the best health of my life and continue to drop bodyfat slowly and gain muscle as needed. I realize it will take me 2-3 more years to really have the dense muscle and lean body of a Hollywood actor. During this time, I am literally reversing the aging process and looking younger day by day. On a recent trip to Florida, I was the guy at the pool looking fit and defined with my shirt off while guys in their twenties covered up their manboobs and flabby guts under their teeshirts.
      Kinobody has the answers and Greg O’Gallager has the right approach. Great job for sticking with it bro!

      • Greg on May 18, 2013 at 1:17 pm

        Thanks so much Mike! I appreciate you sharing this here.
        You’re killing it dude, keep up the awesome work.

  81. John on April 20, 2013 at 12:09 pm

    Great article Greg. Do you keep fats constant at 20 to 25% calories every day or do you also cycle them between high carb-low fat (workout days) and low carb-high fat days (rest days)?

    • Greg on April 23, 2013 at 8:41 am

      It depends! I like to keep my fat intake somewhere between 20-30% of total calories. Going over 30% fat seems to be counterproductive for me. Sometimes I might drop the carbs and let my fat up to 30%. Other times I’ll stick to very lean meals, keep carbs higher and fat around 20%. On average, my fat intake stays around 25-28%, this is what feels best for me. I find this allows me to stay full, maintain good testosterone and still leave enough room for ample carbs and protein.

  82. Aaron V on April 20, 2013 at 11:33 am

    Great article bro! Very in-depth and to the point. Very much enjoyed as usual, congratz!

  83. Joe on April 20, 2013 at 6:20 am

    Another great article! I actually decided to take a 2 week break this week after listening to your pod cast. I definitely hit a wall. I can see my abs unflexed in good overhead lighting but if its daytime and a lot of natural light is coming in I can only make them out a little if I’m flexing. Also I was starting to drop in strength so I think this article came at just the right time. Thanks again for all your info.

  84. Nick on April 19, 2013 at 11:51 pm

    Greg, you are the ultimate fitness guru, you make everything as simple and concise as possible.
    I need your opinion…. I have been following the RPT approach for my main compound movements for well over a year now and have become significantly stronger. Unfortunately, my flat/incline bench press started to flat line so I decided to switch things around a bit and started wave loading my flat/incline press days a month ago and have been seeing improvement ever since. For example Wave 1: 200×5, 220×3, 240×1….Wave 2: 205×5, 225×3, 245×1. My concern is whether wave loading (for flat/incline press only) would be okay to carry on with while on a strict diet say like your shredding program, or would you recommend switching back to RPT while cutting and in a weekly caloric deficit.
    Keep up the amazing work, Nick

    • Greg on April 20, 2013 at 12:45 pm

      That’s a good question! I think wave loading should be fine on a strict diet. However, if you’re not making any strength gains then it may be preferable to keep doing RPT and save the wave loading when you’re not dieting.

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