The Science Behind Get Ripped!
Get Ripped is a well-designed and progressive fitness workout. Each level of the Get Ripped workout builds on the previous. All five levels of this workout have specific goals. Special attention has been given to lactic acid accumulation and recovery within the workout that fits the metabolic goal for each level. The methodology of this workout allows for continual adaptation, since each level has unique rest intervals, exercises, and overall volume of work. Through this structure of programming, Get Ripped is applicable to both the entry-level and advanced participant.
It's All About Science
Developed with fitness experts and medical professionals, the Get Ripped Workout is a highly scientific program optimally designed to achieve your fitness goals.
Jari Love has worked with our Exercise Physiology Laboratory as a measure to completely understand all of the physical adaptations that occur within the Get Ripped workout. Our laboratory has performed Volume of Oxygen Consumption (VO2) testing with a metabolic cart using the Get Ripped workout as the exercise protocol. Measured variables included the percentage of carbohydrates (RER), lactic acid profile, calories (Kcal), ventilation and oxygen consumption (VO2). Our research has discovered the following major points:
- Individuals utilized predominantly 90-100% of carbohydrates as the main fuel source during the workout. This implies that individuals should not be glycogen or carbohydrate depleted prior to a Get Ripped! class because it will impair performance and effort. Moreover, participants will utilize their fat stores more readily for regeneration after the class since the glycogen stores are near depleted. This also helps explain why individuals lose body fat with frequent participation in this program.
- Secondly, since the predominant energy source is derived from carbohydrates, lactic acid readily accumulates through the exercise sequences. Lactic acid is a major stimulus for muscle growth, which supports why participants significantly increase their strength although the loads for the program are relatively low compared to traditional weight training.
- Thirdly, participants achieve similar caloric expenditures compared to a running on a treadmill. Therefore, this class can be used a substitute for individuals seeking high caloric burning activities such as running.
If you have any questions regarding this program, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Cory Fagan MSc
Exercise Physiologist
Peak Power Sport Development
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
Calgary, AB Canada T2M 0L4
Phone: (403) 284-7175
E-Mail: cfagan@sportdevelopment.com
Jari with Cory |
Jari with Derek |
Get Ripped!™ Caloric Assessment (RCA)
New to the Peak Power lab, a specific test has beened designed to reflect the metabolic changes that a person undergoes in the popular Get Ripped!™ Workout. This test was designed in conjunction with Jari Love, founder of Get Ripped!™. Direct assessments of caloric expenditure, fat and carbohydrate utilization and heart rate are measured for the most common Get Ripped! exercises.
Contact Cory Fagan at Peak Power Sport Development (284-7175) for more information on this assessment.
Key Elements of Weight Training – the basis of Get Ripped
Benefits of muscle building:
- Improves blood cholesterol levels
- Lowers blood pressure
- Burns fat
- Hardens bones
- Thins blood
- Reduces stress
- Speeds up metabolism
- Improves sports performance
- Prevents injury
Muscle Building Methods:
Muscle building as a fitness foundation
The basic goal of the Get Ripped workout is to change your body by burning fat and building muscle. Research has shown that rapid body change is most effective when you focus on muscle building. To build muscle successfully, you need to give yourself time to build a solid foundation, upon which the rest of your fitness is built. Always manage your expectations and work within your level of fitness, focusing on precise form and careful technique. This will save you from both injury and disappointment. Learn the basic training principles before going on to advanced movements and body-shaping techniques.
Remember that in weight training you are also training your central nervous system (CNS) with every movement. In learning new exercises, your CNS creates a recruitment pattern to produce enough force to move the muscle. This is another reason to progress slowly in weight training: you are not only burning fat and building muscle, you are establishing neural networks between your brain and your working muscles. Sports science research indicates that the first gains in training are neurological; muscle gains will follow, provided you stimulate your muscles consistently and take time to learn each movement with both your mind and your muscles.
Allow your body to become familiar with each new exercise. Both muscles and nerves need to get acquainted with the movement before you incorporate heavy resistance into your workouts. With each exercise, execute the full range of motion with a light weight first, and prepare your body for heavier weight, which you will add as you progress. Remember that the key to success in weight lifting is good technique. Lighter weight applied correctly to the muscle is more effective than heavier weight used with poor form.
Overload Principle
- Overload principle, one of the primary tenets of resistance training, states that as long as demands on the neuromuscular system are progressively increased over time, muscle fibres will increase in size and/or strength.
- To make a muscle grow you have to work it beyond its present capabilities.
- Resistance training is the most effective stimuli for increasing muscular capabilities.
- Resistance training also strengthens the skeletal muscles.
- The most powerful way to go beyond capabilities is to completely fatigue the muscle.
Variables in weight training
There are five basic variables you can manipulate to keep your muscles challenged:
- Choice of exercise or movement
- Order or sequence of exercises
- Amount of time spent per workout or per set (volume)
- Amount of weight lifted (load)
- Rest periods between workouts; remember, muscle gains happen during recovery, and only with proper nutrition
Important: Don’t make the common mistake of trying to do too much too soon.
Repetition range and training effect
- The number of repetitions per set should be in the range of 8 to 12.
• If too many repetitions are done, the direction of the workout changes from building size to building endurance. For instance, a set of 8 to 12 reps best supports the goal of building up muscles, where as a set of 20 or more repetitions is best for muscle endurance
Proper form and technique
- Avoid using momentum in weight lifting – focus on making the muscle do the work, leaving the joint out of the movement. Bouncing the bar, heaving it up, and swinging the elbow joint back are typical errors of momentum, and lead to serious injury.
- Maintain proper body alignment. Do not arch your back, keep it flat and strong by engaging your abdominal muscles, keeping your hips neutral, and holding your shoulders back and down. The shoulders should be level with the floor and the spine should not be bent unnaturally.
- Complete the full range of motion in all movements with grace and control.
- Be aware of your stance in relation to the floor at all times. This means avoiding leaning to either side (this causes injury). Also, leaning to one side when squatting can cause a major back injury. Keep your spine centered and square, and your feet anchored at all times.
- When doing seated and prone movements avoid arching your back to avoid injury to the spine.
Keeping a record
A simple but useful tool to guarantee that you will make the changes you want is keeping a training diary. A blank book or agenda is all it takes. It gives the message that you take your workouts, your goals, and your level of fitness seriously. The main reason for keeping track of your progress and goals — body weight, size of arms, measurements of time and weight — is to help you realize your goals and assess your progress. It only takes a couple minutes to write down what you’ve done after each session and a couple extra minutes each week to track your progress. Write down your weight, or pounds lifted, or repetitions – make a note of how you feel, before and/or after. You can personalize your training diary and change it over time to match your changing goals. Remember: “the thinnest line is better than the thickest memory – so write it down.”
Rest and nutrition ~ key ingredients for muscle growth
The rhythm of muscle growth is like the tides of the sea – give and take, stress and recovery, work and rest. During resistance training, muscles being worked are actually torn down. Your body is stimulated to grow muscle during rest and with good nutrition. However, if you lift weights consistently without adequate rest, the muscles will actually weaken. Novice exercisers often make the mistake of training the same muscle group too often, and then wonder why they aren’t making muscle gains. While training frequency varies from one person to the next and depends on the type of training, remember that all training must begin slowly – in gentle nudges. How much time should you allow between workouts? 48 hours is a good basic timeline. Others find they can make gains with 72 hours of repair and rest.
Lactic acid & cortisol ~ chemical elements of muscle building
When you exercise, a waste product called lactic acid is produced in the muscle cell, and causes a swell in the muscle that is commonly referred to as “pump.” This is a good indication of a muscle that has been sufficiently worked to stimulate growth. It’s interesting to note that the amount of lactic acid in the muscle tissue is proportionate to the amount of cortisol released into the muscle tissue. Cortisol breaks down muscle tissue and forces your body into what is known as a “catabolic state,” which simply means that a metabolic breakdown is occurring, accompanied by a release of energy from the muscle. Your body will adapt to this kind of gentle breakdown by repairing the muscle tissue. It is this repair work that makes the muscle bigger. And thus strength is built – by slowly increasing the demand you make on your muscles.
Key exercises
The squat (quadriceps):
- An essential body-shaping tool.
- Squats are a metabolic optimizer, placing great emphasis on the quadriceps.
- They demand focus, and it’s important to keep your mind and muscles working together to effect each squat safely and effectively.
- Squats kick the metabolism into high gear and actually stimulate the growth of muscles throughout the body (research shows that bodybuilders who neglect to exercise their lower body do not make gains as quickly as those who train both their lower and upper body muscle groups).
Bent over row (back):
- Your back comprises the largest and most complex group of muscles of the upper body.
- Bent-over row is a good exercise to challenge the back – done by bending forward at the waist and grasping barbell with a medium-width grip.
- Back injuries are sometimes caused by a strength imbalance between the lower back and abdominals, so it’s important to train your abs frequently in complement to back exercises and squats.
Triceps:
- Triceps kickback technique means maintaining constant tension throughout the movement and is best performed without overextending the elbow joint.
Biceps curl:
- In the biceps curl, bring the weight just past elbows (not all the way up) to keep tension constant. If you go beyond this point you allow the tension to come off the biceps and they rest, which renders the move less effective
Reference
Kennedy, Robert et. al. MuscleBuilding for EveryBody. Training & Nutrition to Develop a Muscular Body. Mississauga, ON : Musclemag International, 2002.
Muscle Definition (MD)
This is the “getting ripped” phase of training. Athletes strive to develop refined, polished, and visible muscles. Through specific training methods using high repetitions, fatty acids act as a fuel source and help to burn the fat that hides those precious “cuts”.
Scope of MD Training
- Burn off fat and increase the visibility of muscle.
- Increase protein in muscles by doing long, high-rep sets, which results in better definition.
- Increase aerobic work, which increases capillary density in the muscle and could result in a slight increase in muscle size.
The duration of the MD phase depends on the individual. It can either be 3 weeks, 6 weeks, or a 2x6 week phase; the latter ensuring better results in MD.
Training Methods and Duration for MD
The majority of bodybuilders and strength trainers today are convinced the highest number of repetitions they ever need to perform is 12-15. They believe a large number of repetitions is not necessary to increase muscle size,.
We are breaking away from the traditional approach, and believe that the overall body package is more important than plain mass. The goal is to promote better looking bodies with higher muscle density, perfect symmetry, and increased muscle separation and striation; and the MD phase of training plays a very important role in sculpting the ideal body.
Burn Off That Fat
To maximize muscle separation, striation, and definition, one must burn off as much fat as possible. To do this, the duration of nonstop muscular contraction must be increased. Traditionally, aerobic work, such as running or using rowing machines, stationary bikes, or stair climbers, was used to achieve this, but this type of work does not entirely achieve the goal of burning off most of the body’s fat.
To eliminate fat from the overall body and local muscle groups involved in activity, the number of repetitions per muscle group and per workout must be drastically, but progressively, increased. It is important, as well, to perform the program in a nonstop fashion – to perform hundreds of repetitions per muscle group per workout. To do this effectively, the exercises must be continually alternated during the workout.
Decrease Load With More Reps
To perform extremely high repetitions per muscle group, the load must be decreased to 30-50% of 1RM. Only a limited number of muscle fibers are active at the beginning of a high-rep, low-load set; the other fibers are at rest, and become active as the contracting fibers become fatigued. This progressive recruitment of muscle fibers allows one to perform work for a prolonged period of time. In this process, the only fuel available to sustain the activity is fatty acids. The use of this fuel source burns fat from the body, which increases muscle striations and definition.
Program Design for the MD Phase
As previously mentioned, you must perform a high number of repetitions per set nonstop to use fatty acids as fuel. The best way to achieve this goal is by having short RIs. This condition forces the body to tap into its fatty acid reserves. It is necessary to select exercises and work stations so it takes no more than 2-3 seconds to move from one station to another.
Pair Exercises
Exercises are often paired together, so it’s advisable to select an even number of exercises for each session. For each exercise, the goal is to increase the number of reps to 50 or more in the first three weeks. When that is accomplished, the exercises are grouped into 2, then 4, and so on, until eventually, all 8 exercises can be performed together without stopping. For maximum benefits, the ideal program is one containing two 6-week MD phases; the longer the time spent on MD, the greater amount of fat burned, and the better the muscles will show their striations.
What are the "Zones" and why do you need to know them?
Zones define the intensity of effort while you are exercising. It’s important to understand your intensity for several reasons. If you are new to fitness, you need to be aware of and manage your effort to avoid discouragement while making sure your progress is steady. For instance, you should only attempt higher-intensity zones (3 and 4) occasionally for short periods. You should never attempt zone 5 during the early stages.
If you’ve been exercising for a while, you also need to understand zones. For instance, you can use zones to avoid overtraining and training injuries. Zones also help ensure that your body does not become too familiar with an activity.
Following is a brief summary of the zones and their various training effects.
Zone 1: Healthy Heart Zone
Exercise at this level of intensity:
- 50 to 60% of maximum heart rate
- Burns mostly fat as fuel
- Considered “aerobic” activity – meaning oxygen is readily available to the muscles
- Lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels, decreases body fat, reduces risk of heart attack, and improves immune system
- Ideal intensity while in transition from being inactive to active
Zone 2: Temperate Zone
Exercise at this level of intensity:
- 60 to 70% of MHR
- Burns mostly fat as fuel
- Builds muscle mass while burning fat
- Keeps lots of oxygen available to muscles
- Trains the body to access its fat supplies more efficiently
- Increases metabolic rate (amount of calories burned)
Zone 3: Aerobic Zone
Exercise at this level of intensity:
- 70 to 80% of MHR
- Burns mostly carbohydrates as fuel
- Increases caloric use in a shorter length of time
- Improves physical performance
- Increases cardiovascular fitness and endurance
- Stimulates improved oxygen transport (VO2max)
- Builds resistance to fatigue
Zone 4: Threshold Zone
Exercise at this level of intensity:
- 80 to 90% of MHR
- Burns almost all carbohydrates
- Considered the “anaerobic” threshold – the point at which muscles cannot get enough oxygen
- Can only be sustained for short periods
- Increases lactic acid metabolization
- Improves oxygen transport (VO2max)
- Your maximum sustainable heart rate
- Breathing becomes erratic
- Needs a recovery period immediately after
Zone 5: Red Line Zone
Exercise at this level of intensity:
- 90 to 100% of MHR
- Burns carbohydrates almost exclusively
- Extremely high caloric expenditure
- Considered the “high-performance” zone – generally used by athletes only, and for short periods of time
- Increases muscle efficiency and coordination
- Induces fatigue quickly
- Creates oxygen deficiency in muscles
- Can hurt aerobic endurance if done too often
- Has a higher risk of injury
Fueling the Zones
You may have been told that if you’re looking to burn fat, you should stick to low-intensity workouts, because high-intensity exercises burned carbohydrates. While this is true, it’s also misleading because it doesn’t account for caloric expenditure or training effects of higher-intensity zones.
In low-intensity exercises, fat is the primary fuel. As the workout gets tougher, the fuel switches over to the tank that holds the carbs. Although more carbs are being used as fuel, fat is still being burned as well. As you approach your anaerobic threshold, your fat burning level will begin to peak. You burn both carbohydrates and fat as fuel. However, the number of calories you’re burning will be much higher. It’s the ratio of fat to carbohydrates that changes as you go increase or decrease intensity.
Here’s a breakdown of how fat and carbohydrates burn at each of the five heart zones:
Zone 1
Fat: 70-85%
Carbs: 10-25%
Zone 2:
Fat: 50-70%
Carbs: 25-50%
Zone 3:
Fat: 40-60%
Carbs: 50-85%
Zone 4:
Fat: 10-20%
Carbs: 80-90%
Zone 5:
Fat: 10-15%
Carbs: 85-90%
Cory Fagan, BPE (Hons), MSc
Exercise Physiology Consultant
Cory is the Director of Peak Power Sport Development at SAIT in Calgary. Cory has two degrees in Exercise Physiology from the University of Calgary (BPE (Hons) and MSc.). Cory initially specialized in weight training and sport science testing and in the last 5 years has moved into studying and participating in Endurance Sports like marathons and Ironman competitions. Cory enjoys skiing, weight lifting, hockey, skijoring (with dogs), and beers with the staff every week.
Cory worked with Jari at the Peak Performance lab to measure the physical adaptations that occur within the Get Ripped! workout. The lab performed Volume of Oxygen Consumption (VO2) testing with a metabolic cart using the Get Ripped! workout as the exercise protocol. The discoveries resulting from this testing explain why the Get Ripped! workout gets such fantastic results!
Alma Ladouceur
Biomechanics consultant
Graduating from the University of Calgary with a BSc in Kinesiology (Biomechanics) wasn't enough. Alma decided to complement her degree with further studies in massage therapy, AFLCA, ACSM, NCCP, First-aid/CPR, Fit to Deliver (prenatal fitness) and WaterArt.
Alma is a well-rounded fitness professional and brings her expert knowledge of human movement to the Get Ripped! program. Working as an adapted/post rehabilitation trainer, athletic trainer, wellness trainer and specialty group fitness leader, Alma lives to improve the quality of life of all her clients. As an international fitness competitor and avid sports player, Alma believes in herself and in you. Alma’s favorite quote: “There are two pains in the world. The pain of discipline and the pain of regret. You choose.”
