We’re gonna go ahead and estimate that the average gym-going dude probably has about 15 percent body fat. That’s well within healthy levels, but it’s not going to turn many heads on the beach. To look that good, you need to get below 10 percent—the point at which most guys can see some definition—and ideally as low as seven percent. That seems to be the magic number, the body fat percentage when guys become “shredded,” “diced,” and even “genetically gifted” (haters always gonna hate).
How do you reach the abdominal promised land? The plan is simple: six-pack, seven percent, eight weeks. Let’s go.
The Plan
If you’re already working out and in decent shape, you’re probably halfway to seven percent body fat—hovering at around 15 percent. We’re going to take you through the other half of the journey. (If your body fat is currently higher, that’s OK. We can’t promise you’ll get to seven percent in eight weeks, but you may cut your number in half.) The strategy is to gradually increase your weight training and cardio while cutting calories and carbs. The last few weeks will be challenging, but remind yourself that it’s only for a short time. Follow the meal plan we’ve outlined for all eight weeks. We’ve given you parameters for your workouts, but the specific exercises, sets, and reps are up to you. Since nutrition is the most important aspect of getting lean, you need to hit the macronutrient numbers we’ve listed. You can adjust the meals you eat a bit to suit your palate, but try to replicate the numbers as best you can. To help make your diet more enjoyable, we’ve provided recipes for three delicious meals that won’t derail your progress.
SEE ALSO: The 10 Best Hangover Helpers
<p class='slide-count'>1 of 8</p><img width="1109" height="614" src="/uploadfile/2024/1210/20241210162218581.jpg"><p class="photo-credit">LauriPatterson / Getty</p>Week 1
On TRAINING DAYS, eat:
Meal 1: 1 serving egg frittata
Meal 2: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, or any lean white fish; 1/2 cup oats (dry measure)
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables, 1/2 cup (cooked) brown rice
Meal 4 (Pre-Workout): 50g whey isolate; 1/4 cup cream of rice (dry measure), prepared with water; 1 tbsp almond butter*
Intra-Workout: 90g carbs from highly branched cyclic dextrin, 40g casein hydrolysate, mixed in 1,500ml water
Meal 5 (Post-Workout): 2 yam-apple-almond pancakes**
Meal 6: 6 oz (cooked) cod, or any lean white fish; 1 cup veggies; 1 serving Protein Berry Crisp
TOTALS: 3,652 calories, 311g protein, 233g carbs, 164g fat.
*Mix the nut butter into the cream of rice. Consume this meal about an hour before your workout.
**Because you got plenty of nutrition in your intra-workout shake, you don’t neeed to rush to eat your post-workout meal. Take your time, and enjoy it.
On OFF DAYS (NO TRAINING), eat:
Meal 1: 6 whole eggs, 1/2 tbsp virgin coconut oil, 1 cup spinach, 1 oz avocado
Meal 2: 50g whey isolate, 2 tbsp almond butter, 2 slices ezekiel toast, 1/2 tbsp organic butter
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables, 8 oz (cooked) sweet potato
Meal 4: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, 1 cup berries, 2 slices ezekiel toast, 1/2 tbsp organic butter
Meal 5: 6 oz (cooked) chicken, 8 oz (cooked) sweet potato, 1 cup vegetables
Meal 6: 6oz (cooked) chicken, 8 oz (cooked) sweet potato, 1 cup vegetables
TOTALS: 2,881 calories, 277g protein, 252 carbs, 85g fat
WEIGHT TRAINING
Work out four days per week, splitting up your routine as follows: legs, chest and shoulders, back, arms.
CARDIO
Perform 45 minutes of brisk walking six days per week upon waking. (Do not do cardio on leg day.) Mix a shake containing 10g BCAAs and consume it gradually throughout the session.
SEE ALSO: 5 Ways to Eat Parmesan Cheese
burwellphotography / Getty
Week 2
On TRAINING DAYS, eat:
Meal 1: 1 serving egg frittata
Meal 2: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, or any lean white fish
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables, 1/2 cup (cooked) brown rice
Meal 4 (Pre-Workout): 50g whey isolate; 1/4 cup cream of rice (dry measure), prepared with water; 1 tbsp almond butter*
Intra-Workout: 90g carbs from highly branched cyclic dextrin, 40g casein hydrolysate, mixed in 1,500ml water
Meal 5: (Post-Workout): 2 yam-apple-almond pancakes**
Meal 6: 6 oz (cooked) cod, or any lean white fish; 1 cup veggies; 1 serving Protein Berry Crisp
TOTALS: 3,497 calories, 306g protein, 206g carbs, 161g fat
*Mix the nut butter into the cream of rice. Consume this meal about an hour before your workout.
**Because you got plenty of nutrition in your intra-workout shake, you don’t neeed to rush to eat your post-workout meal. Take your time, and enjoy it.
On OFF DAYS (NO TRAINING), eat:
Meal 1: 6 whole eggs, 1/2 tbsp virgin coconut oil, 1 cup spinach, 1 oz avocado
Meal 2: 50g whey isolate, 2 tbsp almond butter
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables, 8 oz (cooked) sweet potato
Meal 4: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, 1 cup dark-colored berries, 2 slices ezekiel toast, 1/2 tbsp organic butter
Meal 5: 6 oz (cooked) chicken, 8 oz (cooked) sweet potato, 1 cup vegetables
Meal 6: 6 oz (cooked) chicken, 8 oz (cooked) sweet potato, 1 cup vegetables
TOTALS: 2,682 calories, 271g protein, 224g carbs, 78g fat
WEIGHT TRAINING
Work out four days per week, splitting up your routine as follows: legs, chest and shoulders, back, arms.
CARDIO
Increase walk duration to 50 minutes. Mix a shake containing 10g BCAAs and consume it gradually throughout the session.
SEE ALSO: 5 Ways an Unhealthy Diet Can Ruin Your Sex Life
LauriPatterson / Getty
Week 3
On TRAINING DAYS, eat:
Meal 1: 1 serving egg frittata
Meal 2: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, or any lean white fish
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables
Meal 4 (Pre-Workout): 50g whey isolate; 1/4 cup cream of rice (dry measure), prepared with water; 1 tbsp almond butter
Intra-Workout: 90g carbs from highly branched cyclic dextrin, 40g casein hydrolysate, mixed in 1,500ml water
Meal 5 (Post-Workout): 2 sweet potato pancakes
Meal 6: 6 oz (cooked) cod, or any lean white fish; 1 cup veggies; 1 serving Protein Berry Crisp
TOTALS: 3,389 calories, 303g protein, 183g carbs, 160g fat
On OFF DAYS (NO LIFTING) AND PUMP DAYS, eat:
Meal 1: 6 whole eggs, 1/2 tbsp virgin coconut oil, 1 cup spinach, 1 oz avocado
Meal 2: 50g whey isolate, 2 tbsp almond butter
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables, 4 oz (cooked) sweet potato
Meal 4: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, 1 cup dark-colored berries, 2 slices Ezekiel toast, 1/2 tbsp organic butter
Meal 5: 6 oz (cooked) chicken, 8 oz (cooked) sweet potato, 1 cup vegetables
Meal 6: 6 oz (cooked) chicken, 8 oz (cooked) sweet potato, 1 cup vegetables
TOTALS: 2,566 calories, 270g protein, 196g carbs, 78g fat
WEIGHT TRAINING
Work out five days per week, splitting up your routine as follows: legs, chest and shoulders, back, arms, and one additional leg day. The second leg day should be lighter than the first—use less weight and perform more sets of higher reps (for example, 12 and above). This is called a “pump day.”
CARDIO
Perform 50 minutes of brisk walking five days per week upon waking. (Do not do cardio on either leg day.) Mix a shake containing 10g BCAAs and consume it gradually throughout the session.
SEE ALSO: How to Gain 10 Pounds of Lean Muscle in a Month
Stephany Len / EyeEm / Getty
Week 4
On TRAINING DAYS, eat:
Meal 1: 1 serving egg frittata
Meal 2: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, or any lean white fish
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables
Meal 4 (Pre-Workout): 50g whey isolate; 1/4 cup cream of rice (dry measure), prepared with water; 1 tbsp almond butter
Intra-Workout: 90g carbs from highly branched cyclic dextrin, 40g casein hydrolysate, mixed in 1,500ml water
Meal 5 (Post-Workout): 2 yam-apple-almond pancakes
Meal 6: 6 oz (cooked) cod, or any lean white fish; 1 cup veggies; 1 serving Protein Berry Crisp
TOTALS: 3,389 calories, 303g protein, 183g carbs, 160g fat
On OFF DAYS (NO LIFTING) and PUMP DAYS, eat:
Meal 1: 6 whole eggs, ½ tbsp virgin coconut oil, 1 cup spinach, 1 oz avocado
Meal 2: 50g whey isolate, 2 tbsp almond butter
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables
Meal 4: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, 1 cup dark-colored berries, 2 slices Ezekiel toast, ½ tbsp organic butter
Meal 5: 6 oz (cooked) chicken, 1 cup vegetables
Meal 6: 6 oz (cooked) chicken, 4 oz (cooked) sweet potato, 1 cup vegetables
TOTALS: 2,102 calories, 266g protein, 84g carbs, 78g fat
WEIGHT TRAINING
Work out five days per week, splitting up your routine as follows: legs, chest and shoulders, back, arms, and one additional leg day.
CARDIO
Perform 50 minutes of brisk walking five days per week upon waking. (Do not do cardio on your first leg day or your back day.) Mix a shake containing 10g of BCAAs and consume it gradually throughout the session.
SEE ALSO: 3 Tips For Your Post-Workout Snack
LauriPatterson / Getty
Week 5
On TRAINING DAYS, eat:
Meal 1: 1 serving egg frittata
Meal 2: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, or any lean white fish
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables
Meal 4 (Pre-Workout): 50g whey isolate; 1/4 cup cream of rice (dry measure), prepared with water; 1 tbsp almond butter
Intra-Workout: 90g carbs from highly branched cyclic dextrin, 40g casein hydrolysate, mixed in 1,500ml water
Meal 5 (Post-Workout): 2 yam-apple-almond pancakes
Meal 6: 6 oz (cooked) cod, or any lean white fish; 1 cup veggies; 1 serving Protein Berry Crisp
TOTALS: 3,389 calories, 303g protein, 183g carbs, 160g fat
On OFF DAYS (NO LIFTING) and PUMP DAYS, eat:
Meal 1: 6 whole eggs, 1/2 tbsp virgin coconut oil, 1 cup spinach, 1 oz avocado
Meal 2: 50g whey isolate, 2 tbsp almond butter
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables
Meal 4: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, 1 cup dark-colored berries, 2 slices Ezekiel toast, 1/2 tbsp organic butter
Meal 5: 6 oz (cooked) chicken, 4 oz (cooked) sweet potato, 1 cup vegetables
Meal 6: 6 oz (cooked) chicken, 8 oz (cooked) sweet potato, 1 cup vegetables
TOTALS: 2,334 calories, 268g protein, 140 carbs, 78g fat
WEIGHT TRAINING
Work out six days per week, splitting up your routine as follows: legs, chest and shoulders, back, arms, one additional leg day, and one additional back day. Perform the second back day with more volume and less weight as you have been for the second leg day.
CARDIO
Perform 50 minutes of brisk walking four days per week upon waking. (Do not do cardio on your heavy leg day, your heavy back day, or chest and shoulder day.) Mix a shake containing 10g BCAAs and consume it gradually throughout the session.
SEE ALSO: 8 Power Fruits for Better Health
fcafotodigital / Getty
Week 6
On TRAINING DAYS, eat:
Meal 1: 1 serving egg frittata
Meal 2: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, or any lean white fish
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables
Meal 4 (Pre-Workout): 50g whey isolate; 1/4 cup cream of rice (dry measure), prepared with water; 1 tbsp almond butter
Intra-Workout: 90g carbs from highly branched cyclic dextrin, 40g casein hydrolysate, mixed in 1,500ml water
Meal 5: (Post-Workout): 2 yam-apple-almond pancakes
Meal 6: 6 oz (cooked) cod, or any lean white fish; 1 cup veggies; 1 serving Protien Berry Crisp
TOTALS: 3,389 calories, 303g protein, 183g carbs, 160g fat
On OFF DAYS (NO LIFTING) and PUMP DAYS, eat:
Meal 1: 6 whole eggs, 1/2 tbsp virgin coconut oil, 1 cup spinach, 1 oz avocado
Meal 2: 50g whey isolate, 2 tbsp almond butter
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables
Meal 4: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, 1 cup dark-colored berries, 2 slices Ezekiel toast, 1/2 tbsp organic butter
Meal 5: 6 oz (cooked) chicken, 4 oz (cooked) sweet potato, 1 cup vegetables
Meal 6: 6 oz (cooked) chicken, 4 oz (cooked) sweet potato, 1 cup vegetables
TOTALS: 2,218 calories, 267g protein, 112g carbs, 78g fat
WEIGHT TRAINING
Work out seven days per week, splitting up your routine as follows: legs, chest and shoulders, back, arms, one additional leg day, one additional back day, and one additional chest and shoulder day (done in the same fashion as described in previous weeks).
CARDIO
Perform 50 minutes of brisk walking four days per week upon waking. (Do not do cardio on your heavy leg day, your heavy chest and shoulder day, or your heavy back day.) Mix a shake containing 10g BCAAs and consume it gradually throughout the session.
SEE ALSO: The 10 Best Sources of Carbs
Julia Murray / EyeEm / Getty
Week 7
On TRAINING DAYS, eat:
Meal 1: 1 serving egg frittata
Meal 2: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, or any lean white fish
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables
Meal 4 (Pre-Workout): 50g whey isolate; 1/4 cup cream of rice (dry measure), prepared with water; 1 tbsp almond butter
Intra-Workout: 90g carbs from highly branched cyclic dextrin, 40g casein hydrolysate, mixed in 1,500ml water
Meal 5 (Post-Workout): 2 yam-apple-almond pancakes
Meal 6: 6 oz (cooked) cod, or any lean white fish; 1 cup veggies; 1 serving Protein Berry Crisp
TOTALS: 3,389 calories, 303g protein, 183g carbs, 160g fat
OFF DAYS (NO LIFTING) AND PUMP DAYS
Meal 1: 6 whole eggs, 1/2 tbsp virgin coconut oil, 1 cup spinach, 1 oz avocado
Meal 2: 50g whey isolate, 2 tbsp almond butter
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables
Meal 4: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, 1 cup dark-colored berries, 2 slices Ezekiel toast, 1/2 tbsp organic butter
Meal 5: 6 oz (cooked) chicken, 1 cup vegetables
Meal 6: 6 oz (cooked) chicken, 4 oz (cooked) sweet potato, 1 cup vegetables
TOTALS: 2,102 calories, 266g protein, 84g carbs, 78g fat
WEIGHT TRAINING
Work out seven days per week, splitting up your routine as follows: legs, chest and shoulders, back, arms, one additional leg day, one additional back day, and one additional chest and shoulder day.
CARDIO
Perform 50 minutes of brisk walking three days per week. (Do cardio only on pump days.) Mix a shake containing 10g BCAAs and consume it throughout the session.
SEE ALSO: 9 Unique Muscle-Building Meals
Creativ Studio Heinemann
Week 8
On TRAINING DAYS, eat:
Meal 1: 1 serving egg frittata
Meal 2: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, or any lean white fish
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables
Meal 4 (Pre-Workout): 50g whey isolate; 1/4 cup cream of rice (dry measure), prepared with water; 1 tbsp almond butter
Intra-Workout: 90g carbs from highly branched cyclic dextrin, 40g casein hydrolysate, mixed in 1,500ml water
Meal 5 (Post-Workout): 2 sweet potato pancakes
Meal 6: 6 oz (cooked) cod, or any lean white fish; 1 cup veggies; 1 serving Protein Berry Crisp
TOTALS: 3,389 calories, 303g protein, 183g carbs, 160g fat
OFF DAYS (NO LIFTING) AND PUMP DAYS
Meal 1: 6 whole eggs, 1/2 tbsp virgin coconut oil, 1 cup spinach, 1 oz avocado
Meal 2: 50g whey isolate, 2 tbsp almond butter
Meal 3: 6 oz (cooked) grass-fed beef, 1 cup green vegetables
Meal 4: 6 oz (cooked) tilapia, 1 cup dark-colored berries
Meal 5: 6 oz (cooked) chicken, 1 cup vegetables
Meal 6: 6 oz (cooked) chicken, 4 oz (cooked) sweet potato, 1 cup vegetables
TOTALS: 1,903 calories, 260g protein, 56g carbs, 71g fat
WEIGHT TRAINING
Work out seven days per week, splitting up your routine as follows: legs, chest and shoulders, back, arms, one additional leg day, one additional back day, and one additional chest and shoulder day.
CARDIO
Perform 55 minutes of brisk walking three days per week. (Do cardio only on your pump days.)
SEE ALSO: 20 Tips to Shed Body Fat For Good
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