Are you the one who is cursed with the skinny fat physique and wants to get ripped? Then this is the right place for you. I’ll give you the step-by-step guide to transforming your physique from skinny fat to ripped.
But before that, let me explain to you what is skinny fat means. So let’s deep dive into it.
What is Skinny Fat Means?
‘Skinny fat’ – though it’s a contradictory term in itself. Like how can someone be skinny (thin) and fat at the same time? But this is possible and very common.
It’s a physique where you have a normal BMI, look decent with clothes but have a layer of extra fat under the skin.
On top of that, you don’t have much muscle mass.
Don’t worry if you’re skinny fat. It is possible to get yourself from skinny to ripped but yes, you have to do it mindfully and with a proper plan. And that’s where most people lag.
The skinny fat dilemma
Skinny fat guys got stuck in the decision that how should they start – bulk or cut first? If you are one of them, then you also have this question in your mind.
The problem is, you have to cut fat from your belly to see your six-pack abs. Along with that, you need to gain muscle mass and get those pecs and biceps pumping.
That’s why you get confused about how to approach your training and nutrition. Now, most people do the mistake of fluctuating between bulking and cutting and end up nowhere.
I can understand this as I also did the same mistake in my early days. But don’t worry, I won’t let you do this. ✌
I’ll clear all your confusion and give you a blueprint to get a lean and ripped physique. Just stick with me.
From Skinny Fat To Ripped: step by step guide
Here’s the step-by-step guide to transforming your physique from skinny fat to ripped.
#1 Find your body fat percentage
Skinny fat is a very subjective category. Different people can have different body compositions, hence there can be no one size fits all.
So first, find your body fat percentage. You can use a body fat caliper of any brand for finding your body fat percentage. They are cost-efficient and easily available on amazon.
You can get a good analog body fat caliper within a range of 100-250. You can check them on amazon.
However, their reading may not be accurate but you’ll get a good approximate by taking multiple readings.
#2 Decide Bulking or Cutting
The most common question that skinny fat people ask me is “what should I do first, bulking or cutting?“
The problem is that if you start bulking then you may get more fat and if you go with cutting then you’ll be more skinny. So what should you do first?
To decide what best suits you, go with the body fat percentage you found in step 1.
Start bulking if..
If your body fat percentage comes out less than 15%, start bulking. Remember, you may gain some fat along with lean muscle mass but that’s okay. You can afford to gain some fat as you don’t have too much body fat.
One more thing, forget about showing abs at this time. Don’t get obsessed with them. You’ll get them visible as soon as you’ll start your cutting phase.
After gaining some decent amount of muscle mass (3 to 6 months later), start the cutting phase. Keep your cutting phase continue unless you reach about 10% body fat or below.
This may take around 8-10 weeks. And here you are with your first body transformation. Now just keep on continuing this bulking and cutting cycle.
Start cutting if..
If your body fat percentage comes out more than 15%, then start cutting. As you have a lot of extra fat in your body, so it would be better to lose some fat before gaining.
Don’t worry if you end up looking more skinny and thin. Transforming your physique is not a 1-month work, it’s a long journey mate.
Keep on reducing fat unless you reach about 12% of body fat. After that, start lean muscle gain and keep on continuing this cutting and bulking cycle as above.
#3 Make a proper plan
Now, it’s very important to make a blueprint to reach your goal. The things which are planned are easy to accomplish.
Don’t follow any fad diets or celebrity workout plans. Design your own workout and diet plan according to your current physique and goal.
Here’re some important points you should consider while designing a blueprint for you.
Things to consider while gaining:
TRAINING
1. Do most of your sets in the hypertrophy rep range (6-12 reps).
2. Lift moderate to heavy weights and never compromise with the form.
3. Train each muscle 2x a week and train each muscle with enough intensity.
4. Do some cardio while bulking. Cardio doesn’t kill your gains if you do it smartly. It strengthens your heart and improves your cardiovascular ability.
Make sure to do cardio after weight training, not before it.
Read more: Cardio Before or After Weights: What Should You Do?
NUTRITION
1. Eat in a caloric surplus and try to take at least 80% of calories from healthy foods.
2. Eat enough protein, about 1 gm per lb of body weight.
3. Don’t forget to take healthy fats and other important micronutrients. As only protein is not enough for your overall health.
Read more: Find Your Macros for Lean Bulk in 3 Simple Steps
Things to consider while cutting:
TRAINING
1. Don’t do the mistake of raining with light weights for higher reps while cutting. In fact, lift heavy, will help in retaining the muscle mass you have and minimize muscle loss.
2. Don’t do too much cardio. This is the most common mistake people do while fat loss.
3. A 20-minute session 3-4 times a week after the workout is sufficient. You can also try HIIT if you want, It burns a lot of calories in a short period of time.
Read more: HIIT vs LISS Cardio
NUTRITION
1. Of course, you have to be in the calorie deficit while cutting. There’s no other way to burn fat.
2. Eat slightly more protein than gaining. As you are on a low-calorie diet, so high protein will help you in retaining muscles.
3. Add at least 1-2 servings of salad to your diet. This will help you in eating less without even noticing.
Skinny Fat To Ripped: In A Nutshell
So this was the step-by-step guide to going from skinny fat to ripped. Here’s the sum-up of the whole article.
Don’t be anxious and keep changing your routine. Just choose your goal according to your body fat percentage and stick to it.
Just keep following my instructions with patience and you’ll definitely achieve your dream physique.
Thanks for reading this far. I hope you like the article and learned something from this. If you have any queries related to fitness, just leave a comment below.
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