“Everything seems impossible till you do it. Nothing seems impossible now.”
Brandon – V Shred Client 

“I tried working out before I found your program. I didn’t really know what I was doing, just throwing weights around. I wasn’t seeing any progress,” remembers Brandon before discovering V Shred. 

Brandon wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking for when he stumbled across V Shred, he just knew he had gained about 80 pounds, was unhealthy, unhappy, and something had to change.

“I was sitting on the couch eating some cheetos or something and flipping through Facebook, and I saw your ad on there, and I clicked on it, watched the videos, and thought I’m gonna do it, this is it,”  he says.

Brandon’s starting point was 210 pounds and close to 28 percent body fat. He says he jiggled when he walked and got too winded to play with his young kids. 

Now? After a grueling 18 months of going back and forth between Ripped In 90 Days and Clean Bulk — Brandon is 151 pounds, 7.8% body fat, and feels the healthiest he has in his entire life!  

“That was the coolest part about the whole thing is watching my body shrink and muscles are starting to develop, and you can see them,” says Brandon

Brandon loved our programs so much he completed Ripped In 90 Days a total of 6 times and Clean Bulk twice. But says the custom diet plan was the real game-changer, especially during his clean bulk phases.  

“It was cool because it was the right kind of food. I am putting on muscle and watching myself get bigger, not fatter.”

Brandon’s results also motivated one of his sons to hit the gym and his wife to jump on board too! 

“She did at home workouts, lost 30 pounds,” he says. 

Brandon says it’s not just the aesthetic changes, inspiring others, or even the health benefits from losing weight — he says his entire life has changed for the better since finding V Shred a year and a half ago. 

“My confidence level has gone up a lot. It’s really reflected in my life. My career has taken off. Bought our first house, got both our kids cars, 3 kids, two are teens.” 

The 43-year old says the biggest advice he has for anyone thinking about purchasing one of our programs and getting started is simple — invest in yourself! 

“I feel like I can do anything. It’s not just the training, and it’s not just the food, it’s the package deal, everything has come into play where Over the past year and a half I’ve seen myself do things I didn’t know I could do!”

To hear more about Brandon’s V Shred journey and learn which supplements were his favorite to use that helped him recover faster from his workouts, amplify his results, and improve his sleep — click the video box at the top of this page! 

We would love to help you take your first step so that you will also have a V Shred testimony to share! You can reach our team by clicking HERE! 

Brandon’s Case Study is the story of Brandon’s  unique experience with V Shred and his weight loss and fitness journey.  His results are uniquely his and this Case Study is a detailed presentation of Brandon’s decision making and use of V Shred products and programs. There is no assurance that your personal experience will be similar to his.

The post V Shred Review: “I got rid of my Dad Bod and got shredded with the V Shred program!” appeared first on V Shred.

We all come in different shapes and sizes, referred to as our body type.

You can be healthy or unhealthy with any body type. Just because you are “skinny” doesn’t mean you are healthy, and just because you are “curvy” or “big-boned” doesn’t mean you are unhealthy.

But the shape of your body can be telling of your overall health and how easily you can lose weight, put on muscle, and get in better shape. 

This body type theory originated way back in the 1940s by a psychologist and scientist named William Sheldon. His research determined there are three body types based on bone structure and body composition.

• Endomorphs
• Mesomorphs
• Ectomorphs

There are no doubt outside factors that contribute to your body type, such as lifestyle, gender, age, and even hormones. But Sheldon concluded that body types are mainly inherited (genetic.)

Because of this, reaching weight loss and fitness goals may be achieved faster and easier using an individualized diet and exercise plan that is BEST for your genetics. 

No, you can’t change your genetics or bone structure, but you do have some control over changing your body type! It’s not necessarily fixed. Research has shown that diet and training can influence your body type, allowing you to transform over time.

No matter your shape, size, or genetics —  you can achieve the health and fitness goals you desire. You just may need to eat and train in a specific way that will help you work with your body, rather than against it.

Today we are focusing on the ENDOMORPH body type.

This body type is known to be the hardest to have in terms of managing your weight and overall fitness. We will tell you how to know if you have an endomorph body type and the best way to eat and train to achieve the best results. 

WHAT IS AN ENDOMORPH BODY TYPE

If you find yourself to be more round and on the heavier side, hold on to more body fat than muscle, tend to gain weight fast and lose it slowly, and/or weight loss has been a struggle most of your life — you are likely an endomorph.

Here are a few key traits of ENDOMORPHS:

• High levels of body fat
• Big-boned, stocky, wide, or curvy
• Round or apple shaped
• Wide waist and hips
• Shorter arms and legs
• Can’t “get away” with overeating or eating whatever you want
• Trouble losing and/or keeping weight off
• Puts on weight or muscle easier in the lower half of the body 
• Can develop strength much easier than losing fat
• A slower metabolism

If you are an endomorph, that doesn’t automatically mean you are less healthy than other body types, but it does mean that you may have to work a little harder to lose excess body fat. 

Endomorphs may also benefit from supplementing with quality thermogenics that can help boost the metabolism and aid in helping burn stubborn fat faster and easier.

WHAT TYPE OF DIET IS BEST FOR AN ENDOMORPH

Endomorphs often need to be a little bit more strict with their diet than other body types, and because of a potential overproduction of insulin, the endomorph body type likely doesn’t manage carbs as well as the other body types.

In short, this means if you are an endomorph, you may function best by eating high protein, moderate to high fat, and lower carbs. 

That is NOT to say you should avoid carbs if you are an endomorph! You just need to be mindful of how many calories come from carbs and focus on eating whole-grain fiber filled carbs instead of refined ones. 

Some examples of these types of carbs include:

• Sweet potatoes
• Quinoa
• Brown rice
• Beans
• Oats
• Whole Wheat Bread
• Low/Moderate GI Fruits

You can see the best calorie range and macro breakdown for an endomorph body type by using the macro calculator in the V Shred app for iOS or Android.

In addition to a higher protein and lower carb diet, some excellent supplements for endomorphs include:

• A quality thermogenic to help give boost the metabolism
• A nighttime thermogenic to keep fat burn going virtually 24/7
• A pre-workout to help bring intensity and extra calorie burn to workouts
• Turmeric to help speed up recovery time and aid in fat burn

To take out all the guesswork of which supplements are best for an Endomorph and get the best bang for your buck, you may want to look into going with a Fat Loss Stack — like this one.

WHAT TYPE OF EXERCISE IS BEST FOR AN ENDOMORPH

If you are an endomorph, it is key to include a proper weight training program that will help you build more calorie-burning muscle. You will also need to include a little more high-intensity cardio than other body types.

Don’t let this discourage you! It’s still totally possible to reach your goals in a healthy, sustainable, and timely manner — you just need to be strategic. 

For endomorphs, some research concludes that it is most beneficial to include compound exercises and circuit style training.

Compound exercises utilize several muscle groups at once.  Some compound exercise examples include:

• Deadlifts
• Squats
• Pushups
• Bench Press
• Lunges

Circuit training isn’t a specific exercise; it’s a training style where you use short but intense bouts of exercise routines with very brief resting periods in-between.

Doing your workouts “circuit style” gets your heart rate up higher than other training styles. The higher your heart rate, the more calories you burn – which is vital for endomorphs! 

Being an endomorph means you have low muscle mass, so you CANNOT neglect resistance training!! But because fat loss is a priority for the endomorph body type, you will need to prioritize cardio.

Any cardio is better than none, but the best cardio for an endomorph is said to be HIIT (high-intensity interval training.) 

Here are a few examples of short HIIT cardio workouts that are perfect for beginners but can also be adapted to all fitness levels. 

The V Shred programs Fat Loss Extreme for Women or Fat Loss Extreme for Men are  great examples of this combo of training and cardio.

ARE YOU AN ENDOMORPH?

One of the best ways to determine your body type is to look in the mirror and, without judgment, give yourself a good honest look. 

That said, our eyes can play tricks on us, making it hard to decipher what we really see in the mirror. Some people can even fall into two different body types.

That is why we created a FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ that anyone can take that will help you determine what body type you have.

It’s only a few questions; you get your results instantly and will even be given free tips for the ideal workout style and diet for your lifestyle and goals!

You can take it HERE! 

WHAT IF YOU AREN’T AN ENDOMORPH?!

Make sure and check the blog over the next couple of weeks! We are going to talk in-depth about the other two body types – Mesomorph and Ectomorph! 

The post The Influence Body Type Has On Weight Loss appeared first on V Shred.

If you are one of our clients/customers, we hope that we’ve been able to clear up some of that for you with our free body type quiz and easy-to-follow programs, and recipe-based meal plans.

 If you are new around here, you can find out more information about our dieting approach at the end of this article. 

Today we hope to clear up any confusion you may have about a term being used a lot in the diet and fitness space — Metabolic Confusion.

Don’t worry. It’s really not confusing at all.

The term “confusion” comes from what this eating style has the potential to do for helping create a healthier metabolism, which is essential for burning more calories and promoting fat loss.

Some studies show that metabolic confusion can help your metabolism work harder, possibly leading you to lose weight easier or bust past a weight loss plateau. 

While metabolic confusion is technically a type of “diet,” — it’s really more of an eating style where you alternate your daily calorie intake instead of aiming to eat the same number of calories each day.

The best part is that you can use this approach with whatever diet is best for you, your body type, and your goals. 

Maybe you’ve heard of it, or perhaps this is the first time you’ve seen it mentioned. Either way, it’s a topic worth educating yourself on!

Let’s dive into what metabolic confusion is and if it’s something you might want to consider, as well as two different ways to easily incorporate it into your healthy lifestyle, especially if your goal is fat loss! 

WHAT IS METABOLIC CONFUSION

As the name suggests, metabolic confusion is when a person attempts to “confuse” (and hopefully improve) their metabolism.

Eating too few calories (dieting) for an extended time can cause a major decrease in your metabolism. Basically, your body learns to  “adapt” to fewer calories. If this happens, your weight loss may slow or stop.

To break this plateau, some experts believe you need to adjust your diet or exercise routine to start losing weight again.

Metabolic confusion is one way you could potentially do this. 

The theory behind a metabolic confusion diet is that by varying your calorie intake from day to day instead of eating the same amount of calories daily, you’ll trick your metabolism, so it doesn’t get used to the calorie deficit you are in while dieting, leading to an increased basal metabolic rate (the number of calories your body needs to survive.) 

Metabolic confusion does not restrict food groups and can be achieved by using several different eating approaches that mix high and low-calorie days, also known as  “calorie shifting.” 

We will dive into three different methods you can use a little further down in this article. First, let’s talk a little bit about why it may be an approach you want to consider and what the experts have to say about it. 

WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO CONSIDER METABOLIC CONFUSION

Anyone can incorporate this eating style, but if fat loss and a healthier metabolism are your goals, incorporating metabolic confusion is certainly something to consider. 

Or maybe you’ve tried different styles of dieting, from keto to intermittent fasting or even a flexible dieting approach, and still find it hard to lose weight — then a metabolic confusion diet is no doubt worth trying out! 

You can adopt this eating style anytime you wish; however, we think it’s a great idea to incorporate it BEFORE a plateau occurs. 

Our favorite method of metabolic confusion is carb cycling, but there are numerous approaches you can take, which we will dive into in just a second!

But first, we want to tell you what science says so you can better decide if it’s an approach you want to consider.

WHAT DOES THE SCIENCE SAY ABOUT METABOLIC CONFUSION

To date, there isn’t a ton of research that supports whether or not calorie cycling has a significant impact on your resting metabolism. 

There have been studies done that show using a metabolic confusion dieting approach does positively affect a person’s resting metabolic rate, as well as body weight — compared to eating the same number of deficit calories every day. 

The theory is that on a typical low-calorie diet, where you stick to a set calorie deficit (the same calories/macros) every day over a specific period, your metabolism will adjust to these low calories at some point, and your weight loss may slow or stop. 

They have concluded that to break this plateau, confusing your metabolism can help you start losing weight again, or even better, prevent plateaus from happening.

Despite little scientific backing, many nutrition experts swear by it, and at V Shred, we believe in using this dieting method because we’ve seen it work for hundreds of thousands of our clients and customers. 

DIFFERENT EATING STYLES TO ACHIEVE METABOLIC CONFUSION

There isn’t one set way to incorporate metabolic confusion into your diet, and it isn’t something you need to do forever. 

Most people incorporate this type of eating a few times a year – anywhere from a month to several months at a time. 

Here are the two most common methods used for creating a metabolic confusion diet.

Calorie Cycling

One approach to metabolic confusion is simply varying your calorie intake by splitting your week into high and low-calorie days.

Unlike carb cycling (which we will touch on next) – these calories can come from any macro (protein, carbs, or fats.)

However, we don’t suggest you take calories away from your protein macros. It’s best to set your protein intake and leave it alone and only adjust your calories from fat and carbs. 

How would you go about this?

For instance, let’s say your daily calorie value to lose weight is 1500 calories per day. This is just an example. You would need to use your own personal calories. 

1500 calories per day =  10,500 calories per week.

When you are on a “normal” diet, you would eat 1500 calories every day, and by the end of the week, you would have consumed 10,500 calories. 

With calorie cycling, you would still get in 10,500 calories for the week, but you wouldn’t eat 1500 calories every day. Some days you might eat 1200 calories, and some days you might eat 2000. 

This can be achieved in many different ways. The most popular method is to have two back-to-back high-calorie days followed by 5 days at the low-calorie number. 

Example:
Monday-Friday: 1350 calories each day.
Saturday & Sunday: 1875 calories each day.
Total calories: 10,500

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: 1200 calories each day.
Wednesday & Thursday: 1350 calories each day.
Friday & Saturday: 2100 calories each day.
Total calories: 10,500

The combinations for calorie intake are limitless as long as you stay within your target weekly calorie range. It is also not suggested that you do more than two high days in a row.

Carb Cycling

Instead of calorie cycling, some dieters opt to cycle carb intake. You keep your protein and fat intake the same 7 days a week, and your carb intake is the only thing that changes. 

This is the metabolic conditioning eating style we prefer here at V Shred because solid research backs this strategy to be optimal for leptin – the hormone in your body that affects your metabolic rate.

The theory is that the extra calories from carbs on high carb days will temporarily boost leptin levels – leading to a boost in metabolism,  more satiety when you go back to a low carb day, and increased fat burn.

For this metabolic confusion strategy, you would eat low to moderate carbs some days and high carbs on other days. 

An example of a typical carb cycling eating plan is one day of moderate carb intake, followed by four days of low carb intake,  followed by one day of high carb intake.

Example:
If you typically eat 200 carbs every day, by the end of the week, you would have consumed 1400 carbs.

On a carb cycling plan, you may do this instead:

Sunday: 250 carbs (moderate carb day)
Monday – Thursday: 100 carbs (low carb days)
Friday & Saturday: 375 carbs (high carb days)

Monday-Wednesday:  100 carbs (low carb days)
Thursday: 250 carbs (moderate carb day)
Friday: 100 carbs (low carb days)
Saturday & Sunday: 375 carbs (high carb days)

Using either example above, your total carb count for the week would still equal 1400 by the end of the week. 

Just like with calorie cycling, the number of carbs consumed and cycle length varies by person.

But in general, most days should be low carb days, and it is best if you don’t have more than two consecutive high carb days. If you have a high carb day, the next day should be a low carb day, or at the least, a moderate carb day. 

FINAL THOUGHTS ON METABOLIC CONFUSION

While you can’t really “trick” your metabolism, incorporating a metabolic confusion eating style may help prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which can make it harder to lose weight.

It is still a diet where you are restricting calories, but most people like calorie/carb shifting because it allows for more flexibility and mimics a more “normal” eating style of eating more some days than others. 

There are also certain body types that may benefit from metabolic confusion more than others. For example, some studies claim that creating metabolic confusion through carb cycling is the best way to help endomorphs lose weight. While mesomorphs and ectomorphs might need to take a different approach.

If you don’t know your body type, below you will find a link to a free quiz you can take to find out in minutes! 

The biggest perk of adopting metabolic confusion into your nutrition plan is that it gives you a mental break from the daily grind of dieting without using methods such as “cheat meals” or “cheat days,”  which can create a negative relationship with food for some dieters. 

If all of this seems too complicated, or it would be a headache to vary your calories or carbs day-to-day, it might be best to stick to the same calories daily and incorporate a weekly free meal instead or have more frequent diet breaks if you are restricting calories for a long time.

If you would like to know if metabolic confusion is an eating style that would work for you and your unique body type… 

We have a BODY TYPE QUIZ anyone can take FOR FREE! 

It’s only a few questions; you get your results instantly and are given suggestions for the diet and exercise regime that can help you get results faster and easier! 

And if you still have questions or want someone to do the groundwork for you, we have a team of expert coaches here at V Shred that would be happy to create a CUSTOM diet and exercise plan for you that is best for your lifestyle, goals, and genetics.

The post Metabolic Confusion: Is it a metabolism hack or hoax appeared first on V Shred.

We have a killer 4 exercise – 4 minute – no equipment HIIT workout for you to bookmark! 

Yes, this workout is less than 5-minutes! That’s not a typo!

But before we give you this quick and simple (but certainly not easy) workout, we want to make sure you know that this IS NOT a workout most people should do as their primary form of exercise!!

When it comes to getting in a workout, of course, something is better than nothing. But it doesn’t matter if your goal is to lose fat, gain muscle, or increase endurance — 4-minute workouts will never be enough to reach those goals! 

We like to call this one an “In Case Of Emergency” workout. 

• Oversleep?
• Get off work late?
• Kids forget to tell you about their art project due in the morning?
• Stuck in a hotel with no equipment and very little time? 
• Just not feeling like going in for your typical hour at the gym?

We all have days when a workout seems impossible…

This 4-MINUTE HIIT WORKOUT is perfect to have on standby for times when life throws hurdles your way, and a “real” workout just isn’t gonna work out. 

It wastes NO time, and while it may not be ideal for daily exercise, we promise if you give every second 110% all-out effort — you will break a sweat, feel the burn, and blast a lot of calories!!

• If you need to do this workout, chances are you don’t have gym access. So we also made sure you can do it ANYWHERE!
  
• It doesn’t require any equipment, only a small space!
• If you oversleep – do while your shower heats up!
• If you’ve gotta work late –  do it in your office between meetings!
• If you’re waiting on your kids – do it in the parking lot! 
• Do it while dinner is in the oven or while your morning coffee is brewing!

You get the idea!! Even on your busiest day, we know you can find (less than) 5-minutes! 

Instead of making TIME an excuse
and canceling your workout altogether …
HIT PLAY
and do this short “IN CASE OF (exercise) EMERGENCY”
4-Minute Follow Along

4-MINUTE HIIT WORKOUT

Structure
Do each exercise below for 45 seconds. Take 20 seconds of rest between exercises. Once all four exercises are done – so are you!! 

Of course, if you have more than 5 minutes to spare, you can take about a minute to breathe and do another round or two! 

Exercises
Reverse Lunge to Knee Drive
Double Plank Jack to Jumping Jack
Spiderman Pushup
Plank Up Downs

Workout Tips

• If you aren’t sure how to do any of these exercises, we show you how to do each one with proper form HERE!
• Make sure you are going all out during the entire 45 seconds!! HIIT workouts, especially really short ones like this, are only effective if you get your heart rate in that 80-90% max range for the entire “work” time! 
• No timer? Use this video! It is a real-time follow-along, so all you have to do is hit play!!
• Only use this workout as an occasional substitute or an “extra” little boost if you want some additional calorie burn! Most days, you should be following a full-body training plan that is best for your goals and body type! 

If you don’t know what your body type is… check out this FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ!! It guides you through six easy questions about yourself. Then based on your answers, it tells you what body type you have and the type of dieting, training, and cardio that you should do to get the BEST RESULTS based on YOUR genetics!!

And …
If you like “backup plan” workouts like this one
(or just short workouts in general)

Take a second and go comment HERE and let us know; that way, we know what kind of workouts you want us to film and post in the future! 

And while you are there, if you have any questions about this 4-Minute HIIT Workout – you can post them there, and one of our expert team members will get back to you asap! 

The post 4-Minute No Equipment HIIT Workout appeared first on V Shred.

If you are looking for an ab workout that can help create the abdominal “v-shape” you’ve always wanted — we have an 8 minute follow along you need to add to your ab workout routine!

Essentially, you are trying to develop your “v-lines” – which are the part of your stomach where your lower abs and obliques come together.

If you want these lines to pop, it takes some strategic ab work! You can’t just get on the floor and do some crunches and sit-ups.

You need to do several things, including target training a very specific part of your core — which is exactly what we are doing in this workout!

You don’t need any weights or equipment and if you are using our FOLLOW ALONG VIDEO BELOW, you won’t even need a timer!

Before we give you the workout …. if your goal is to build VISIBLE abs, we need to quickly talk about something important.

If you only care about developing core strength and don’t care if you see the abs you are building, then feel free to scroll down and skip straight to the ab workout.

But if you care about SEEING your abs, listen up!

Ab workouts ALONE will not give you VISIBLE AB DEFINITION

Ab workouts help build your ab muscles, but to see them, you have to get rid of the fat covering them, and the only way to do that is to focus on OVERALL body fat reduction!

This can ONLY be achieved in two ways …

Full Body Training — The more lean muscle you have all over your body, the faster your metabolism will be, which means you will burn more calories even while at rest!

Proper Nutrition — You can’t crunch, or even squat and run, your way to a flat stomach or shredded six-pack. You have to focus on your diet if you want to have visible abs! Your diet is just as important as exercise (probably more) to reduce overall body fat.

THE CATCH WITH BOTH EXERCISE & DIET
IS THAT THEY BOTH NEED AN INDIVIDUAL APPROACH.

This is especially true with diet!

The program that works for your friend or favorite fitness influencer probably isn’t the right one for you. You have to hit your personal macros and split them up in the right protein, carb, and fat ratios that are best for your goals and body type.

If you need help with any of this, we have a free fitness quiz that will tell you your body type, the exact amount of calories (broken down into macros) that you need for your genetics and goals, and the three most important things to do to reach those goals.

It’s really quick to take, your results are instant, and it’s free!

CLICK HERE to check it out!

Alright .. let’s hit the floor … and build some v cut abs

We will specifically be targeting the obliques the most since that is the part of your abs that really helps create the v taper of your waist!

Since this workout is heavily focused on that part of your core, you will need to use this workout in addition to other ab workouts that hit the rest of your core just as hard!

We have hundreds of free ab workouts to choose from on our YouTube Channel if you need some ideas.

AT HOME V CUT ABS WORKOUT

Here is the breakdown, so you know what to expect when following along with us, or in case you want to print out the workout and do the workout on your own!

Equipment: NONE!! You don’t even need a timer if you follow along to THIS VIDEO.

Structure: 20 seconds on – 10 seconds rest – for each exercise.

Rounds: Two

Total Workout Time: 8 minutes (if you do not rest between rounds.)

Workout Breakdown
20 seconds – Side to side crunches
10 rest

20 seconds – Side to side crunches
10 rest

20 seconds – Side Plank Hip Dips (Left Side)
10 rest

20 seconds – Side Plank Hip Dip (Right Side)
10 seconds rest

20 seconds – Floor Wipers
10 rest

20 seconds – Floor Wipers
10 rest

20 seconds – Mountain Climbers
10 rest

20 seconds – Mountain Climbers
10 rest

Repeat for one additional round!

WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS AT HOME V CUT ABS WORKOUT
AND BEFORE YOU GO …
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to take our free fitness quiz!

Then send the quiz, or this article, to a friend that you see doing endless crunches in hopes of melting body fat or sculpting a shredded six-pack.

We’ve gotta get the word out that even the best ab workouts will never be enough if it’s visible abs you are seeking — because you can’t pick and choose where your body stores or loses fat!

We know it sucks.

It’s not fair that some people genetically lose fat in their stomachs easier than others. But instead of complaining about it and doing things that aren’t effective, why not accept it and shift your mindset to what will work!

If you want to get started on that CLICK HERE to learn more about what full-body strength training program and a diet is best for you!

The post Quick, Simple, and Effective 8 Minute V Cut Abs Home Workout appeared first on V Shred.

Ahhhh, summertime!

Temps are rising, the sun is shining, the bbq is fired up, and days at the pool, beach, or lake are likely on your agenda. 

Pretty exciting stuff, right?

Until you realize that likely means … wearing a swimsuit … and you glance in the mirror to see the not-so-flat stomach that has been hiding under jackets and baggy sweatshirts all winter!

Today we have an AB WORKOUT CHALLENGE that will help you get your abs ready for swimsuit season! 

But before we tell you about the challenge… 

It’s important to point out that if you are healthy and happy — the perfect “beach body” is the one you have right now! We support you in being confident no matter your shape or waist size. 

You do NOT need shredded abs to wear a swimsuit
Swimsuit ready can be at ANY SIZE….

Being healthy should be your priority and for most people, that won’t be having year-round rock hard abs. Getting a shredded six-pack requires having very low body fat.

There is nothing wrong with wanting abs or a totally flat stomach. Just know it takes lots of work (inside and outside of the gym.) 

If that is really your goal, or even if you just want to tone and tighten up a little bit, we have a great AB WORKOUT CHALLENGE that will help you achieve a flatter, stronger and more sculpted stomach —  in just minutes a day!

We aren’t saying that this ab workout challenge is all you will have to do to get summer-ready abs!! 

 Doing ab exercises is only part of the equation…..

Having great-looking abs requires consistently performing the right ab exercises with precise form, as well as full-body training, cardio, and eating for your goals and body type! 

You can no doubt strengthen your abs with our  AB WORKOUT CHALLENGE, but you won’t be able to see your abs until the fat covering them is gone.

You can not spot reduce fat. 

You can do 100 rounds of this ab workout challenge and you still won’t be able to see your abs —  if that is where your body holds on to fat. 

If you want help getting rid of that layer of fat you should check out our FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ .

After you answer 6 short questions, you will know your body type and the best way to eat and exercise so you can have your best shot at losing body fat and gaining lean calorie-burning muscle!

CLICK HERE to take it whenever you have a couple of minutes!

Now that you understand that ab exercises are just ONE thing you will need to do to get the mid-section of your dreams … let’s dive into our ab workout challenge!

This ab challenge is perfect for every fitness level. From advanced lifters to those that have never done a single sit-up!

It consists of FOUR EXERCISES. None of them are advanced movements. These are what we call the basic staples.

Don’t let the world ‘basic” fool you.

These exercises are staples because they work and hit all areas of the abs that you need to challenge to get six-pack abs! 

What makes this ab challenge .. challenging … is the number of rounds. 

You’ll start where you can. Even if that is only one round. But then the next day, you attempt to do another round, then the next time another round, and so on.

The idea is to keep adding rounds (as you can) so that you progressively overload your abs!

Because remember ..
Your abs are just like any other muscle in your body
and need progressive overload for growth.

Here is the thing with ab training though… it’s probably the muscle group where people use the crappiest form. 

And …  Crappy form = Crappy results! 

You might still manage to still get sore, but you will not see ideal results if you aren’t using proper form. 

If you are carving out the time …  make every rep count!?

Don’t just print out this AB WORKOUT CHALLENGE and assume  you know how to do each exercise– be sure to check out THIS VIDEO ⬇️!

We quickly show you how to do each of the exercises below with correct form. Take a couple minutes and watch it before you start the challenge! 

POOL PARTY AB WORKOUT CHALLENGE

STRUCTURE
10 reps of each exercise.
No rest in-between exercises.
After all 4 exercises, you will rest for 1 minute.
Repeat for as many rounds as you can. 

EXERCISES
Exercise One: Straight Arm Crunch

• Lay flat on your back.
• Stick your arms straight up over your chest.
• Crunch up ONLY using your abs.
• Raise arms toward the ceiling, but keep them straight. Do not rock or use your arms to gain momentum!!  If you do that, you won’t be working your abs very much at all! Keep those arms locked!!
• Repeat for 10 total reps.

Exercise Two: Russian Twist 

• Sit up on your tailbone.
• Lean torso “back” until your feet come up off the ground.
• Clasp your hands together and turn/rotate your shoulders to one side as much as you can until your elbow comes as close to the ground as possible.
• Do the same thing on the other side. 
• Once you have gone to each side, that is one rep.
• Repeat for 10 total reps. 

Exercise Three: Reverse Crunch (Vince’s favorite bodyweight ab exercise) 

• Lay flat on your back. 
• Put your hands on the floor next to you or under your butt.
• Put your knees up at a 90-degree angle.  This is your starting position. It is where you will start every single rep. 
• Drive your knees into your chest until your lower back comes up off the floor.
• Bring your knees back to the starting position.
• Repeat for 10 total reps.

Exercise Four: Heel Taps

• Stay on your back. Put your feet on the floor with knees bent. 
• Your arms stay down by your sides.
• Crunch up (shoulder blades off the mat) and then reach out as far as possible with your hands.
• Twist to the left, tap your left heel, and then twist to the right and tap your right heel. Keep your shoulder blades off the floor the entire time!  
• One rep is once you have tapped each heel.
• Repeat for 10 total reps.

You may be thinking that this sounds pretty “easy” —  but remember that you are going for as many rounds as possible and there is no rest between exercises. You only get to rest after all 4 exercises are complete! 

Your first attempt will be setting your personal “base-line.”  You are determining how many rounds you can do as of right now. Then in a day or two, you will do the workout again and try to get in at least one more round.

If  you can’t do another round yet, no problem! Try adding another next time!!

You will keep attempting more rounds every time you do the workout (which we suggest doing at least a few times a week.) 

Don’t get frustrated if you can’t advance right away, or get stuck on a certain number of rounds, just make sure you aren’t doing fewer rounds than the time before.  Aim to do the same number of rounds as the previous day — or more!

Even if it takes you a couple weeks to add another round — as long as you are progressing, consistent with doing the challenge at least a few days a week, focusing on full-body exercise, and eating for your body type and goals — you will lose fat and get those abs poppin!

And don’t forget….  if you aren’t sure how to eat and exercise for your body type or aren’t even sure what your body type is, we have that FREE QUIZ you can take! 

It’s already helped tens of thousands of people reach their goals faster and easier!
CLICK HERE to check it out!

The post Let’s Get Your Abs Ready For Summer — 4 Exercise Ab Workout Challenge appeared first on V Shred.

It is that time of year!! 4th of July is upon us!!

Burgers on the grill … fireworks in the sky … and for many .. an excuse to skip the gym and eat thousands of calories .. in one sitting!

It can be tempting to throw your diet and training mindset out the window when holidays come around. But you must treat holidays just like you would any other day.

Have fun .. enjoy the time with family … and even enjoy all the food .. but keep your goals in mind. One of the best things you can do .. is still get in a solid workout!

We’ve got the perfect 4th of July PRE PARTY PUMP!

The workout we’re giving you below will not only burn a ton of calories .. the endorphins released from this short HIIT workout will boost your mood .. which will help you keep your healthy food habits in mind when it’s time to fire up the grill!

We will never tell you that you need to “earn” your calories .. that is not the kind of relationship with food we promote here at V Shred & Sculpt Nation.

Food should never be seen as “the enemy” or “a reward” .. and exercise should never be viewed as punishment.

Diet culture makes us feel bad about having a nice dinner with friends, and it makes us fall into the mind trap that holidays will make us gain weight.

What happens next?

We feel guilt .. and view exercise as “punishment” we “have” to get up and do the next day .. or as justification that if we burn a ton of calories pre-feast .. it’s okay to eat that extra serving of ice cream or calorie-filled cocktail.

Once you get this mentality, you will begin an endless (and very unhealthy) relationship with food. You will start to believe you ALWAYS have to earn food .. and will only feel okay about enjoying yourself .. if you have exercised.

Instead, look at your patriotic pump as a FREEDOM that you are blessed to have! You have an able body that GETS to move!!!

And view all that 4th of July food as FUEL! Getting in a workout before a big meal is a great way to rev up your metabolism and prepare your body to USE (instead of store) any extra calories you may consume!

Don’t fall into this food guilt trap..But also don’t go to the totally opposite end of the spectrum and make the holidays an excuse to be lazy and throw all your food mindfulness out the window! Use the short 15-minute workout  below and then ENJOY your day!

Alright .. let’s get our PATRIOTIC PUMP ON!!

Here is a quick fat blasting FOLLOW-ALONG cardio workout that won’t interfere with your day full of fun with friends and family!

The video above is a FOLLOW ALONG! Just press play and get to work! This fat-blasting workout consists of only 5 exercises. You will do each exercise for 40 seconds and take a quick 20-second break before moving on to the next exercise.

Explosive Squat with Calf Raises – 40 Seconds
Speed Skaters – 40 Seconds
High Knees – 40 Seconds
Alternating Toe Taps – 40 Seconds
Bicycles – 40 Seconds

It only takes 15 minutes and can be done from home with NO EQUIPMENT! You don’t even need a mat or a timer! Since it’s a follow-along .. we’ve got everything taken care of for you!

Fill up your shaker with some Sculpt Nation PRE Workout , and let’s get our Independence Day sweat on together… more calories burned means more BBQ to enjoy later, right?

And to help you burn off those extra calories from your 4th of July festivities and achieve your best results possible we are offering a MASSIVE discount code for our blog readers our entire Sculpt Nation supplement line!!!

For a LIMITED TIME we are giving you a whopping 40% off our entire Sculpt Nation supplement line! CLICK HERE TO SHOP! 

But these mega-savings are only going to be available for a limited time! Just use the code JULY40 at checkout and stock-up on all your favorites before this promotion expires!

The post 4th of July Fat Burning Cardio Workout appeared first on V Shred.

What if someone told you the reason you haven’t seen results, no matter what diet or training plan you follow, isn’t your fault?

What if there was a “biological hack” that could finally allow you to unleash and promote your full fat-blasting potential?

If researchers from places like Cambridge and Harvard are correct … there is!!

The struggle is real…
Trying to re-shape your body by building lean muscle and losing body fat takes time and consistency.

We all know that there is not a quick way to go about this.

But for some…
It doesn’t matter how hard they push, how many hours of cardio they log, or how many calories they restrict – the changes just don’t seem to happen. Or if they do – they are painfully slow.

If this is you or someone you know… the information in this article could be life-changing!

Some of the top researchers from around the world wanted to find out why some people can’t lose weight no matter what or how hard they try.

They made A MAJOR FAT BURNING DISCOVERY!!

What we are sharing with you is something even those that don’t struggle with weight issues need to know because… the culprit is something we all have circulating through our bodies… waiting to attack our fat cells.

The reason every diet you have ever tried has failed could be something in YOUR BLOOD.

We are NOT talking about genetics.

The genes your parents gave you and your body type aren’t all that matter.
Anyone can have too much of this circulating through their blood.

The blame could be because of excess protein.

Not the kind you eat. This is a protein that is flowing throughout your body right now even as you read this article, and its job is to BLOCK YOU FROM LOSING WEIGHT!

No matter what type of lifestyle change you make… if you have too much of this protein in your blood… you could still struggle to lose fat.

WHAT IS THIS FAT BLOCKING PROTEIN?!
It has a scientific name, but we are just going to call it THE FAT PROTEIN – because that is exactly what it does. It slows down your metabolism and sabotages your efforts to lose weight.

These proteins attach themselves to your fat cells and virtually force your body to hold on to fat for dear life! They stop your metabolism from generating the kind of heat it needs to burn fat.

Scientists discovered that people that are overweight have MORE of this protein in their bloodstream.

But why? And what can you do about it?
Keep reading!!

HOW TO STOP YOUR BODY FROM MAKING “THE FAT PROTEIN”…
You need MORE FAT!

Hold up .. we aren’t talking about the kind of body fat you want to get rid of.
We also aren’t referring to “healthy fats” you should eat.

You have TWO types of FAT CELLS in your body, and both play a role in your metabolism.

• White Fat: This is bad fat. It is responsible for storing excess fat to be later used for energy.
• Brown Fat: This is good fat. It creates heat in your body and revs up your fat-burning metabolism.

Researchers found that this fat protein is only made by your WHITE (bad) fat cells.

If this is true, then logic would tell us that you can help tackle this by making LESS white fat and MORE brown fat, right?

How in the world can you do that? Is it even possible? YES!!

HOW TO SUPPORT MAKING MORE METABOLISM BOOSTING BROWN FAT…
There are THREE things that researchers have found to help increase the amount of BROWN (good) fat cells that you have.

Unless you like being cold and hungry, you aren’t going to like the first two… they are extreme.

The third method is fast and easy. Researchers found that you can help support and restart your fat-loss engine with a single nutrient.

There is an herb that has the potential to promote the conversion of unhealthy white fat cells into fat-burning, thermogenic, brown fat cells.

WHAT IS THIS SUPER NUTRIENT THAT INCREASES FAT BLASTING BROWN FAT??
It is an ancient herb that very well may be the most effective nutritional supplement in existence. You can purchase it almost anywhere, and it is pretty inexpensive.

Not only is it said to increase the production of brown fat .. this power-house herb has been shown to ….

• Balance Mood
• Support a Healthy Inflammatory Response
• Support Carbohydrate Metabolism
• Ease Temporary, Activity Related Joint Pain/Stiffness
• Support A Healthy Metabolism
• Decrease Muscle Soreness

There is only one problem…
This nutrient is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream unless you consume it with other specific substances.

To see its benefits, you have to have a unique blend designed for maximum absorption, in specific ratios!

Quality also counts. Recent research found that some companies lace this ancient herb with pigments (many of which contained lead) – to enhance its color!

Everyone reading this could benefit from this herb…
But you must ensure the source is safe, and you use a blend that supports enhanced absorption. Otherwise, you are wasting your money.

If you want to support the rapid production of more fat-burning brown fat and help slow down
this fat protein in your blood …
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHAT THIS SUPER NUTRIENT IS!!

We will also tell you about those other two methods that could help your body produce more thermogenic brown fat. But we already know… Tip #3 is going to be what you choose!

If you are…

• Sick of every diet failing.
• Can’t fathom eating any less or training any more than you already do.
• Fed up with putting in the work and not seeing results.

And you want to add support to…

• Ensure your body is producing GOOD (brown) fat.
• Limit the amount of “Fat Protein” flowing through your blood.
• Finally, see the results you are working hard to achieve.

You have to virtually “turn off” these proteins…
And go directly to one key root cause of all that unwanted fat accumulating in your trouble areas.

Support to ensure no more failed diets!!!
Get your hands on what researchers from some of the most prestigious schools in the world consider to be the most exciting biological hack in weight loss support history!

Sources
Turmeric VSL
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664031/

The post The Protein That Could Be Making You Fat (And How To Help Crush It) appeared first on V Shred.