It’s time for my weekly progress update… holding myself accountable in my mission to get ripped abs after going through a long muscle building phase and gaining a small amount of fat in the process.
I’ve been consistently burning 1 pound of fat per week, which is really becoming noticeable in my upper abs, obliques, and my back… The “Christmas Tree” is now in season 😉
The lower abs are beginning to show themselves more. It’s the last place I melt the fat… in addition to the love handles. With the fat pretty much gone from most of my body we should really start to see the lower abs and obliques become more cut during the next two weeks.
I’m taking a new approach during this cutting phase… and it’s been a complete eye opener for me… and one hell of an amazing experience.
Previous Approach To Getting Ripped Abs…
For my previous photo shoots and bodybuilding contests I took a more aggressive approach with my diet and training…
I was doing cardio on the Stepmill and Stationary Bike for at least 45 minutes daily… including some HIIT. Sometimes I would even do cardio twice per day. Most of the time I was waking up at 4:30am to get my cardio in.
This was in addition to 5 killer physique training workouts each week.
I stuck to a rigid calorie and carb cycling plan of 1600 calories on low days and 2200 calories on the high days. I learned to become a little more relaxed with my food choices leading up to my last natural bodybuilding contest. The week leading up to the show I was still eating Doritos and ice cream.
NOTE: I’m a lightweight and my maintenance level calories are approximately 2500
This approach obviously worked. I got ripped abs and look amazing for the photo shoots and bodybuilding contests.
But was all that work necessary?
New Approach To Getting Ripped Abs…
When it was time to start a new cutting phase I wanted to experiment with a different approach and see how my body responded…
1) Slow and Steady Process
2) Minimal Cardio and HIIT
3) Minimal Caloric Deficit
4) Flexible Diet Choices
When I began this cutting phase I was happy with my physique… even though I was carrying around some excess fat.
NOTE: It helps that I now have a body fat standard for myself that I do not allow myself to exceed during muscle building phases.
Slow and Steady: Because I was relatively lean… didn’t have a photo shoot or bodybuilding contest scheduled… I didn’t feel rushed to get ripped. So I opted to take a slow and steady approach.
Although I still believe there is a time and a place for urgent rapid fat loss… There are countless benefits for taking a slow and steady approach.
The three biggest benefits I’ve experienced are…
1) Maintaining Strength
2) Maintaining Muscle Mass
3) Maintaining Sanity
Minimal Cardio and HIIT: My number one priority is resistance training. During my previous approaches to getting ripped abs the excessive cardio and HIIT interfered with my resistance training.
It was also very time consuming… and cut into my sleep because I was waking up extra early to get it in.
This time around I just walk my dog Chief for 30-40 minutes most days of the week. I consider this more like active recovery than cardio.
I’ve been performing 10-15 minute HIIT sessions on the spin bike (20 second sprints with 40 seconds recovery)… 2 time per week on average.
I find that this dose of cardio benefits my resistance training and even recovery…
…and that’s the key… experimenting with various doses of cardio or HIIT and becoming aware of how your body responds to it.
For example… during the first two weeks I was performing full body workouts three days per week. I tried to include HIIT, but it was beating my body down and hindering my recovery, so I stopped. Now that I’m doing a body part split, it’s been easier to include HIIT.
Minimal Caloric Deficit: It’s no fun being in a deficit no matter how big or small… but the more aggressive the deficit… the more challenging it can be… both mentally and physically.
This time around I opted for a 400-500 calorie deficit… putting me at approximately 2000 calories per day. Instead of having a rigidly planned re-feed day, I simply listen to my body and bump up my calories when I feel I need to… which as been working out to once per week on average.
I haven’t been measuring or counting my calories this time around. I’m simply eye balling my portion sizes. Because I have already put in a great deal of time planning and tracking my meals in the past… and because I tend to eat a lot of the same foods and meals… I have a pretty good estimate of my caloric consumption… but it’s far from exact.
Putting in that initial ‘grunt work’ to educate yourself on the caloric content of the most common foods and meals you eat… is well worth in the long run.
Flexible Diet Choices: In the past I worried that if I had one cookie I would eat the entire bag… so I wouldn’t have any treats unless they were planned.
Now, I’m having treats just about daily… and because my deficit is fairly small… I don’t have the desire to ‘binge’ on the treats.
You’ve heard it over and over again… “everything in moderation”. It can be easier said than done… as some people struggle with what ‘moderation’ really means… but this simple advice can make things a heck of a lot easier for you.
Workouts To Get Ripped Abs
I train the same whether my focus is building muscle or burning fat. The only thing that changes is my caloric consumption… which can have an impact on your workout performance. You won’t gain strength or have the endurance during a workout when your in a deficit compared to a slight surplus.
I’ve been following AMP… the Aesthetic Muscle Plan workouts and loving every second of it. The same workouts that helped me pack on lean muscle are now helping me burn fat.
One of our female Physique Artists has melted 7 pounds from her body during the first 5 weeks on the Aesthetic Muscle Plan! She’s stoked and I couldn’t be happier. She’s getting stronger too.
Closing Thoughts
I’m still surprised to see the kind of results I’ve been experiencing with such a small deficit and next to no cardio. I believe part of the reason is because I’ve spent the past year in a slight surplus.
My intention was to ease into the process and crank things up if necessary… but as of right now, it’s not looking like I’ll need to push things any harder than what I’m doing right now.
I’m not feeling stressed about the process at all… I’m enjoying every bit of it… and I believe that is playing a role in my progress.
…Plus I’m getting some great sleep for the most part… up until this week at least… which has been a crazy one.
I’m looking forward to seeing what happens during the next few weeks and sharing the experience with you.
Thanks for sharing in my journey. I appreciate the support and accountability.
My Current Stats:
5′ 7″
154 lbs
38 years old
Sculpt a Masterpiece,
Scott Tousignant
About The Author
Scott Tousignant, BHK is a Physique Coach and Elite Natural Bodybuilder with the UFE.
Scott specializes in helping regular men and women sculpt their body into a chiseled work of art.
Viewing training as an art form and your body as a sculpture is a simple shift in mindset that brings out the beauty in your ongoing body transformation.
The art of molding and chiseling an aesthetically pleasing physique with spectacular symmetry, proportions, and carved out detail is one of life’s most rewarding and fulfilling experiences…
…It’s an opportunity for self growth and self discovery that will impact every area of your life.
Learn more about Scott’s physique-focused training programs:
AMPlify Aesthetic Muscle Gains and Strip Away Stubborn Sacks Of Fat with AMP – Aesthetic Muscle Plan
Get a taste of Scott’s hardcore physique training programs with Physique Phreak
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