Superhero Shredding 2.0 Main Guide

KEITH LAI

SUPERHERO SHREDDING 2.0

2 superhero shredding 2.0

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The information provided in this book is for educational purposes only. I am not a doctor and this is not meant to be taken as medical advice. The information provided in this book is based base d upon my experiences as well as my interpretations of the current research available. The advice and tips given in this course are meant for healthy adults only. You Yo u should consult your physician to insure the tips given in this course are appropriate for your individual circumstances. If you have any health issues or pre-existing conditions, please consult with your physician before implementing any of the information provided provided in this course. This product is for informational purposes only and the author does not accept any responsibilities for any liabilities or damages, real or perceived, resulting from the use of this information.

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ABOUT KEITH LAI Keith Lai is the founder of FitMole, a fitness brand that believes life should be more about eating doughnuts and drinking whiskey and less about being an obsessive fitness freak who only cares about getting a six pack and going to the gym. All his workout, diet, and fitness strategies are based on a philosophy called the Non-Fitness Lifestyle which promotes the belief of using fitness to enhance your life, not control it. Ok referring to myself in 3rd person is pretty awkward. Let’s just get into Superhero Shredding 2.0.


CONTENTS

05

49

MACRO FLEX TRACKING: HOW TO TRACK YOUR MACROS & DIET WITHOUT GOING CRAZY

53

THE IMPORTANCE OF DYNAMICALLY ADJUSTING YOUR CALORIE S

54

SUPPLEMENTS: WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS?

58

ALCOHOL AND FITNESS: HOW TO GET WASTED WITHOUT RUINING YOUR RESULTS

62

MEAL FREQUENCY AND INTERMITTENT FASTING

68

REFEED DAYS: HOW & WHY YOU S HOULD OVERE AT TO GE T RIPPED

72

CALORIE CYCLING: HOW TO EAT OUT, PARTY LIKE A ROCKSTAR, AND NOT SCREW UP PROGRESS

75

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER WITH DIETING: 5 STEPS TO CREATING YOUR ULTIMATE LIFESTYLE DIET

82

MEAL EXAMPLE USING MACRO FLEX TRACKING

86

OVERVIEW OF SUPERHERO SHREDDING WORKOUT

89

PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD: THE UNDISPUTED LAW OF TRAINING

92

BREAKING DOWN THE DIFFERENT TRAINING STYLES

98

EXERCISE SELECTION: PICKING THE RIGHT EXERCISES FOR A BADASS SUPERHERO BODY

103

WARMING UP + PICKING WHAT WEIGHT TO LIFT

107

NOVA SERIES: DOING IT RIGHT AS A BEGINNER

110

TITAN SERIES: TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

113

HOW TO BLAST THROUGH TRAINING PLATEAUS

117

EXERCISE SUBSTITUTION CHEAT SHEET

119

SUPERHERO SHREDDING CARDIO PROTOCOLS

125

LIVING THE NON-FITNESS LIFESTYLE: YOUR KEY TO FREEDOM

127

WHAT TO DO AFTER SUPERHERO SHREDDING: THE ART OF MAINTENANCE

GETTING STARTED

18 SUPERHERO MINDSET

30

N O I T I R T U N D N A T E I D

DIET AND NUTRITION

85 WORKOUTS

124 WRAPPING UP

D E T R A T S G N I T T E G

T E S D N I M O R E H R E P U S

06

THE SECRET TO BUILDING A SUPERHERO BODY? THERE IS NO SECRET

08

WHAT RESULTS CAN YOU EXPECT TO GET WITH SUPERHERO SHREDDING?

13

HOW TO TRACK YOUR PROGRESS WITH SUPERHERO SHREDDING

19

THERE’S A 99% CHANCE YOU WILL FAIL (2 ARROWS)

23

WHY DO YOU WANT THIS? INTRINSIC VS. EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION.

26

FIND YOUR WHY: DIG THROUGH THE ONION LAYERS

28

TRUST THE PROCESS: JUST FUCKING DO IT

31

WHY EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT DIETING IS WRONG

35

CALORIES: THE MO ST IMPORTANT FOUNDATION OF EVERY DIET

40

BREAKING DOWN MACROS AND MICROS

S T U O K R O W

P U G N I P P A R W

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getting started THE SECRET TO BUILDING A SUPERHERO BODY? THERE IS NO SECRET WHAT RESULTS CAN YOU EXPECT TO GET WIT H SUPERHERO SHREDDING? HOW TO TRACK YOUR PROGRESS WITH SUPERHERO SHREDDING

6 6

getting started | the secret

LESSON 1

THE SECRET TO BUILDING A SUPERHERO BODY? THERE IS NO SECRET.

S

o you wanna know the secret? The secret to building slabs or rock hard muscle and shedding that nasty body fat that makes you hate life? The secret to getting that lean and muscular superhero body that you see in movies?

Well you’re not going to find it here. Wanna know why? Because there is no fucking secret. “Secrets” are ways for businesses to suck money out of you. Tell me, which of the following pitches sounds better: “This ancient Chinese secret has recently unlocked a new hormone in the human body that allows you to burn 44.56% more fat and build 82.95% more lean muscle mass.: “Eat less, move more” I’m guessing you picked #1. And I don’t blame you. The fitness business is a very slimy and nasty place filled with blood sucking scam artists. You can’t make billions of dollars selling “eat less, move more.” So you have to give your products sleazy angles like #1 above. I fucking hate that.

getting started | the secret 7

SUPERHERO SHREDDING CHANGES ALL OF THAT – NO MORE

BULLSHIT

O

f course, while there is a massive amount of truth to the whole “eat less, move more” statement, it’s still a very crude oversimplification of how to get in shape.

Superhero Shredding is built on sound scientific training and nutrition principles that cuts the fluff and shoots straight to the point on how to build a lean and muscular superhero body. But in the end it all boils down to time, dedication, and just never giving up. There’s a damn good reason why only 1% of guys walk around ripped abs, broad shoulders, and a sleek V-taper back – because it’s hard as balls. I created Superhero Shredding to simplify all the concepts and details about building your dream body but it’s still not a magic bullet. But put in the work, and even if you only get like 8090% of it right, I can guarantee you’ll get results beyond your wildest dreams.

But in the end it all boils down to time, dedication, and just never giving up.

Lesson Recap This lesson recap is very simple and I only want you to understand one thing: There are ZERO shortcuts when it comes to fitness and building your dream body.

8 getting started | what results

LESSON 2

WHAT RESULTS CAN YOU EXPECT TO GET WITH SUPERHERO SHREDDING?

I

’m going be brutally honest with you on type of results you can expect to get with Superhero Shredding. First off, there will be no 30-day magic transformation where the dude gains 10 pounds

of muscle and loses 15 pounds of fat in a month. I wish results happened like, that would be sweet. Unfortunately, the fitness industry does nothing these days but promote “quick fix” solutions. You’re just not going to see game-changing, life altering results in 30 days unless you’re trying to lose those last 2-3 pounds, which I’m guessing the majority of you aren’t trying to do. But here are the long-term results you can expect to see with Superhero Shredding based on your starting point and experience level:

getting started | what results 9

Complete beginner trying to lose fat

A

s a complete beginner, I’m going to make the assumption that you have no prior or very little experience with lifting weights. And if you’re one of those guys casually lifting “on and off” over the years, you’re still a beginner.

If you haven’t seen any serious strength gains and haven’t gained at least your first 15-25 pounds of muscle, then you are still a beginner. So here’s what you can expect as a beginner trying to lose fat: •

If you’re a beginner trying to lose weight, your first instinct will probably be to measure your results by the scale. And if the scale drops, you think you’re seeing results. This is a very dangerous way to measure results.

•

While the scale is important, beginners trying to lose weight tend to build muscle at the same which can result in the scale not going down at all. This is because the stimulus of weight lifting is so new that it shocks the body into building lean muscle tissue.

•

So for example, even if you lose 2 pounds of fat, you might gain 2 pounds of lean muscle mass and the scale might not even change. But I can guarantee you’ll look better in the mirror.

•

So bottom line – the scale is important, but especially for beginners, it is not an accurate way to measure progress.

In the next lesson, I’ll go over the best ways to measure progress. Be sure to go through it.

Complete beginner trying to build muscle

I

f you’re a beginner focused on building muscle, obviously I’m going to assume that you’re a skinny guy.

You shouldn’t be overweight and trying to build muscle. Focus on losing weight first (and hey, you’ll most likely build some muscle in the progress). But as a skinny dude focused on building muscle, you should expect to gain about 0.5 pounds of lean muscle mass per week.


Of course there are factors like genetics that determine the rate and overall amount of muscle you’ll be able to eventually build but approximately 0.5 pound per week is the general average. Now you’re probably thinking, 0.5 pounds per week? That’s nothing. Well understand that most advanced lifters are considered lucky if they can put on 0.5 pounds of muscle in a 1-2 months. As a beginner, you’ll never gain strength and muscle faster than you will right now so enjoy it. So for example, take a 150 pound male. In his first 6 months of training, he will likely gain 12-15 pounds of muscle mass. And trust me, 12-15 pounds makes a HUGE difference in your physique. And after a year, you’ll have put on close to 30 pounds, that’s game changing!

Complete beginner who is skinny fat

A

h, skinny fat people. You’re in quite dilemma, huh?

You’re not necessarily necessarily fat but you’re not a skinny twig either. You likely have a very pudgy stomach, and maybe some man boob-like things on an otherwise skinny frame. How do we solve this? By eating more and lifting heavy. When skinny fat guys focus on eating more high quality calories, lift heavy and get stronger, they tend to lose fat and build muscle at the same time resulting in a body recomposition effect. So just like the situtation above where the beginner is trying to lose weight, the scale is not a very accurate way of measurement here since you’ll be losing body fat and building lean muscle mass at the same time. Check out the next lesson on the best ways to measure progress.

getting started | what results 11

Intermediate lifter who is trying to lose fat

A

Alright so you’re no longer a beginner. I classify an intermediate as someone who has gained at least 15 pounds of muscle. Typically this means they have been training for at least 6 months, preferably

closer to a year. And if you’re an intermediate trying to lose fat, then you already have a solid base of muscle. This means you will not be building muscle and losing fat at the same like a beginner would. Instead, you should focus exclusively on dropping body fat while maintaining your current levels of muscle mass. If for some reason you do gain some muscle, just consider it a bonus. Someone focused exclusively on fat loss, should expect to lose about 1 pound per week. When you’re first starting out, you tend to lose weight faster (it’s not uncommon to lose up to 5 pounds in the first week). The more weight you have to lose, the more weight you will lose in the first week. But this is largely water weight. After the initial week, expect weight loss to taper off to about 1 pound per week. And once you get down to your last 5-10 pounds, expect weight loss to slow down even more to around 0.5 pounds per week.

Intermediate lifter who trying to build muscle

A

s an intermediate, your ability to build muscle fast dramatically decreases.

After a year, you should expect to gain about 1-1.5 pounds of muscle per month (0.25-0.375 pounds per week).

Again, some of you might be freaking out about how low this amount if but how can you expect muscle growth to not slow down?


If everyone kept on gaining 0.5 pounds per week, then dudes who have been training for 10+ years would have put on 200+ pounds of muscle which is just not possible, even with steroids.

Lesson Recap So let’s recap this lesson:

If you haven’t seen any serious strength gains and haven’t gained at least your first 15-25 pounds of muscle, then you are still a beginner.

•

Kill the idea of 30-day quick fix transformations in your mind.

•

Beginners who are trying to lose fat will likely gain muscle at the same time too so the scale is a very unreliable way to measure progress.

•

Beginners trying to build muscle will build about 0.5 pounds of muscle per week. So expect to build 20-30 pounds in your first year.

•

Intermediates trying to lose fat can expect to lose up to 5 pounds their first 2 weeks due to water weight decreases. But weight loss will taper down as they get closer and closer to their goal weight. Expect a steady 1 pound per week weight loss until you hit your last 5-10 pounds then weight loss will slow down to 0.5 pounds per week.

•

Intermediates trying to build muscle can expect to gain about 1-1.5 pounds per month (0.25-0.375 pounds per week).

getting started | how to track 13

“

IF YOU’RE NOT TRACKING, YOU’RE JUST GUESSING.“

LESSON 3

HOW TO TRACK YOUR PROGRESS WITH SUPERHERO SHREDDING.

T

racking is an absolute must when it comes to losing weight or building muscle.

If you’re not tracking or at least have a decent idea of what your numbers and measurements are, then you’ll never really know for sure if you’re progressing. Below, I’ve outlined the 5 best ways to measure your progress when doing Superhero Shredding and exactly how to do it.

METHOD #1 – THE SCALE Let’s just get this out of the way since it’s by far the most popular measurement method. The scale is great but way too many get attached to the scale and whatever number shows up. There are 2 big problems with the scale:

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getting started | how to track

Problem #1 – Scale weight is heavily influenced by water weight so your weight can fluctuate like crazy on a daily and even weekly basis. So on days you eat a ton of sodium or carbs, you’ll likely see a large spike in water weight which can really mess you, emotionally if you tie yourself too closely to the scale. Remember, the scale just measures bodyweight which includes everything – muscle, fat, bone, organs, water, even the clothes you wear. It can’t differentiate between what’s what. Problem #2 – Like I mentioned in the previous lesson, beginners who are either trying to lose weight or are skinny fat have a tendency to lose fat and build muscle at the same time. So they could, in theory, lose 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle, therefore not affecting the scale weight at all. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll look 10x better in the mirror but the scale weight itself might not change much. But if you do weigh yourself, how do you do it?

THE BEST TIME TO WEIGH YOURSELF IS IN THE MORNING, RIGHT AFTER YOU WAKE UP, TAKE A PISS, AND BEFORE EATING OR DRINKING ANYTHING. THIS WILL BE THE MOST ACCURATE TIME TO DO IT.

The scale does work relatively well for intermediates looking to lose fat. Since at this point, you won’t be building muscle anymore and the weight should be steadily dropping. And an intermediate looking to lose 20 pounds should be 20 pounds lighter at the end of his journey. Again this is why the scale is just one method of tracking progress. The methods below are much more accurate.

METHOD #1 – TAPE MEASUREMENTS Tape measurements are a much more reliable way to measure progress. Here are the body parts I recommend taking weekly measurements of: Note 1: Obviously take off your clothes when measuring and make sure to use soft (not hard) measuring tape so you can easily wrap it around your body. Note 2: These measurements should be taken in the same state as you weigh yourself (after you wake up, after you take a piss, and before eating/drinking anything).


• • • • •

Shoulder circumference (at the widest point) Chest circumference (right across nipples) Leg circumference (at widest point) Waist circumference (at belly button) Arms (taken with biceps flexed at widest point)

If your focus is to lose weight, your waist measurement should go down as all other measurements remain the same. And if you’re a beginner, then you might also see increases in your shoulders, chest, legs, and arms at the same time your waist goes down. If your focus is to build muscle, your shoulders, chest, legs, and arms should be getting bigger while your waist remains relatively the same to ensure you’re building muscle, not fat. Also make sure you don’t purposefully flex (except when measuring arms) or suck anything in when taking the tape measurements.

METHOD #3 – BODY FAT MEASUREMENTS Body fat measurements are great, whether it’s via calipers, DEXA scans, or hydrostatic weighing but there’s always going to be a margin of error when it comes to measuring your body fat. I’ve had clients that used DEXA to measure their body fat but when they measured themselves, the DEXA scan said they lost 10% muscle mass when in fact, but the tape measurements and the mirror said otherwise. So definitely don’t use body fat measurements as your main method of tracking progress. If you want to measure body fat, I recommend calipers since they’re the easiest to use and most convenient. And as a general guideline, if your caliper measurements are going down and tape measurements (chest, shoulders, legs, arms) remain the same, then you’re definitely losing body fat, not muscle.

METHOD #4 – STRENGTH LEVELS This is one of the most underrated but effective ways to track progress. Building muscle is built on the law of progressive overload, meaning that you need to get progressively stronger over time (either in the form of adding weight or increasing the number of reps) and as long as you’re getting stronger, you’ll be able to build new muscle tissue since your body needs to adapt to the new load you’re moving.

16 getting started | how to track

For fat loss, you should focus on maintaining your levels of strength since maintaining your strength is generally a good indicator that you’re maintaining your current level of muscle mass. If you’re dieting and you find yourself losing strength on a weekly basis, then I guarantee you’re losing muscle mass. So make sure you track your progress in the gym. Make sure you’re gaining strength if you’re trying to build muscle and maintaining your current level of strength if you’re trying to lose fat.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR BEGINNERS Like I’ve said multiple times – beginners are a special breed. They can lose fat and build muscle at the same time. And this means they can gain strength consistently even when they’re trying to lose weight. But once you hit that intermediate level, you will no longer be able to consistently get stronger while losing weight, and your #1 job is to just maintain what already have.

METHOD #5 – PROGRESS PICS/THE MIRROR Now this right here, is the MOST POWERFUL form of tracking. There is no better way of seeing results than with your own eyes. This is why the mirror and just analyzing your own body works so well. And nothing feels better in the world than taking 10-20 progress pics and seeing yourself transform over a few months. So take progress pics 1-2x per week (front, back, side of body) and you’ll have one of the most efficient ways of tracking your progress.


In a perfect world, all of them.

SO WHICH TRACKING METHOD IS BEST?

All these tracking methods work synergistically with each other. For example, when weight goes down, you tend to lose fat. When strength goes up, weight tends to go up since you’re building muscle. So really, just spend a 5-10 minutes each week and record your progress. I promise, you won’t regret it.

Lesson Recap So let’s recap this lesson: •

There are 5 main ways of measuring progress: Scale weight, tape measurements, body fat measurements, strength levels, progress pics (the mirror).

•

The scale is just a number and can be heavily affected by water weight. It can even barely change at all if you lose fat and build muscle at the same time.

•

Tape measurements are an accurate way to see which body parts are gaining muscle and to see if you’re only losing fat.

•

Body fat measurement methods can have a high margin of error but are still worth keeping an eye on.

•

Gaining strength is essential to gaining muscle and maintaining strength is essential to maintaining muscle. So keep your strength if you don’t want to lose muscle.

•

The mirror don’t lie. Take progress pics 1-2x per week.

•

Take all measurements in a fasted state when you wake up in the morning, after you take a piss, and before eating/drinking anything.


superhero mindset THERE’S A �� CHANCE YOU WILL FAIL �� ARROWS� WHY DO YOU WANT THIS ? INTRINSIC VS. EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION FIND YOUR WHY� DIG THROUGH THE ONION LAYERS TRUST THE PROCESS� JUST FUCKING DO IT

superhero mindset | there’s a 99% 19

LESSON 1

There’s A 99% Chance You Will Fail (2 Arrows) No one wants to fail.

S

eriously, failure sucks. When we fail we want to do nothing but go back to our old shitty life and habits.

This is all too common with fitness. For example, take the holy grail – New Years resolutioners. When January 1st strikes, everyone’s super fucking motivated, posting selfies and social media updates about how they’re going to “crush it,” and being so damn sure that they’re going to finally build the body of their dreams. The gym becomes more packed than a Japanese orgy house and the fitness industry sees a 500% spike in revenue across all boards. But then it happens.

FAILURE. People who hit the gym 5x per week the first week of January, all of a sudden just stop going.

WHEN WE FAIL WE WANT TO DO NOTHING BUT GO BACK TO OUR OLD SHITTY LIFE AND HABITS.

20 superhero mindset | there’s a 99%

FAILURE IS GETTING SHOT BY

� ARROWS

O

bviously I’m talking metaphorical arrows, because otherwise you’d be like…dead. But every time you fail (whether it’s fitness, relationships, business, whatever…), you get shot by 2 arrows.

I actually got this idea from one of my favorite authors, James Altucher. Here’s what he has to say about the 2 arrows: BUT LISTEN� FAILURE IS ACTUALLY TWO ARROWS. THE FIRST ARROW IS THE FAILURE ITSELF. THAT FIRST ARROW IS A HORRIBLE IMPACT. KNOCKS YOU DOWN. KNOCKS THE BREATH OUT OF YOU. MAKES YOU BLEED. BUT THAT ARROW WON’T KILL YOU. THE SECOND ARROW IS HOW YOU REACT TO THE FAILURE. THAT ARROW WILL BLIND YOU, INFECT YOU, AND EVENTUALLY KILL YOU.

ARROW #1 Arrow #1 is the immediate aftermath of the failure. It’s when you decide to binge eat 5000 calories just because you felt guilty about overeating 100 calories. It’s when you decide to skip the entire week’s worth of workouts just because you missed the first day. Arrow #1 sucks and you might feel depressed for days or even weeks. And this is fine. It’s all part of the process but what truly matters is how you react when you get shot by arrow #2.

superhero mindset | there’s a 99% 21

ARROW #2 Arrow #2 is how you react to failure in the long run. Okay, so you had a slip up and binged eat on 5000 calories worth of doughnuts and double stuffed Oreos? Big fucking deal. Deal with it. That isolated event is NEVER going to be what determines your end result. Will it set you back a few days? Probably, but a few days is absolutely nothing compared to your end goal. When people email me saying how they feel like a failure because they binged eat, I always just want to slap them in the face. People don’t fail in fitness (or anything for that matter) because they screwed up one day or one event. It’s all about how they let that one event determine the rest of their journey. For example, if you had a binge eating episode one night, you need to learn how to brush it off and resume your normal diet as best as you can the following day. DO NOT be like most people who binge eat one day and decide to just say “fuck it” and binge eat the entire week only to promise they’ll do better next Monday and go on to repeat the cycle again.

DON’T VIEW FAILURE AS A BAD THING

M

ost people view failure as a bad thing. I view it as an opportunity.

An opportunity to analyze your mistakes and grow.

It’s when you decide to skip the entire week’s worth of workouts just because you missed the first day.

22 superhero mindset | there’s a 99%

Because on your path to building a superhero body, I’m 99% sure that you will fail somewhere along the way. I don’t know a single person who starts from absolute zero and builds a shredded physique without a single screw up. And yes, even with the workout and dieting systems I give you with Superhero Shredding, you’ll most likely screw up at least 1-2 times along the way. I’m not one of those gurus that say my system is 100% bulletproof. And please don’t be one of those ignorant assholes that say “I never fail.” No motherfucker, you will fail. And when you do, embrace it. It’s how you react to that failure (Arrow #2) that determines where you’ll end up 6-12 months from now.

Lesson Recap

It’s all about how they let that one event determine the rest of their journey.

•

There’s a 99% chance you’re going to fail any fitness program no matter how well-designed it is. So expect failure sooner rather than later.

•

Every time you fail you get shot with 2 arrows.

•

Arrow #1 is the event of failure itself (e.g. binge eating one night).

•

Arrow #2 is what you decide to after that event of failure. Do you decide to take that isolated event of failure and let it snowball into even bigger failures (e.g. binge eating for an entire week)? Or do you decide to get your shit together, learn from the failure, move forward and improve? The choice is yours.

•

Embrace your failure and grow from it rather than mull over it like a little girl.

superhero mindset | why do you want this? 23

LESSON 2

Why Do You Want This? Intrinsic Vs. Extrinsic Motivation.

I

know all of you bought Superhero Shredding because you want to lose fat, build muscle, and get into badass shape. It’s not like you all bought it because you think I’m super good looking.

But why do you want it to get in badass shape? What’s your motivation? Well first off, there are 2 types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic and really understanding these 2 is the first key to getting your shit together.

WHAT IS INTRINSIC MOTIVATION?

T

he first type of motivation is intrinsic motivation. The definition of intrinsic motivation is:

“Intrinsic motivation occurs when we act without any obvious external rewards. We simply enjoy an activity or see it as an opportunity to explore, learn, and actualize our potentials. ” When it comes to fitness, that means you workout and watch your diet because you’re doing it for yourself. You do it because you enjoy the process training, eating right, and seeing yourself improve. Literally every single guy I know who’s in amazing shape doesn’t train their ass off for years because they’re after LIKES on Facebook or Instagram. They don’t do it because they want to get laid. They do it for one reason and one reason only – themselves.

24 superhero mindset | why do you want this?

What is extrinsic motivation

Extrinsic motivation is defined as follows:

Extrinsic motivation occurs when we’re motivated to perform a behavior or engage in an activity to earn a reward or avoid punishment.

Extrinsic motivation is all about the “stuff,” the “bling bling.” People who are extrinsically motivated only care about the end goal (e.g. I need to lose 10 pounds). Or they only care about the “rewards” they might get by reaching their goals (e.g. I want to get a six pack because I want to fuck models.) Even Hollywood actors are, for the most part, extrinsically motivated. They take 6 months to get in great shape for a movie because it’s literally their job but afterwards become out of shape again.

Now you’re probably reading this and thinking that extrinsic motivation is the worst thing in the world. That’s actually not true. While being intrinsically motivated is an absolute must if you want to build and maintain a superhero body, I believe the best form of motivation is a combination of both.

How to combine extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to become unstoppable

Extrinsic motivation isn’t bad, it just can’t be your end goal

I’d be lying if I said my main source of motivation to improve my physique these days is just because “I enjoy it.” Yes, I absolutely love the way training and eating healthy makes me feel. I love the massive feeling of accomplishment when I hit a PR (personal record) in the gym. But that’s not the whole story.

superhero mindset | why do you want this? 25

I also love being lean and muscular. I love when guys come to me and ask me for workout advice. I love the feeling that I have some pretty impressive strength numbers. And no, I don’t say that to sound like a vain douchebag. I say it because it’s the truth. It would be very hard for me to continue training for the past 10 years if it meant I had to look like a fat slob. This is my combo of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. I love the process, but I also love the rewards.

Lesson Recap

It’s all about how they let that one event determine the rest of their journey.

•

There are 2 main forms of motivation: Intrinsic and extrinsic

•

Intrinsic motivation is when you’re not motivated by external rewards. You do something because you simply love the process of doing it.

•

Extrinsic motivation is when you’re motivated solely by external rewards such as money or in the case of fitness, you’re only working out because you want a six pack and you think it’ll help you get more girls.

•

The best form of long-term motivation is a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. You have to love the process of fitness, training, dieting, and constantly improving yourself to maintain life long results. But at the same time, being motivated by factors such as people complimenting you or looking good naked plays a huge role as well.

26 superhero mindset | find your why

W

hy do you want this?

LESSON 3

FIND YOUR WHY� DIG

THROUGH THE ONION LAYERS

Why do you want to lose fat, build muscle, and get ripped?

Seriously, why? And why isn’t just so you can lose weight and look better. There’s ALWAYS a very deep, emotional for why anyone wants to do anything fitness/ health related.

And the faster you can find, accept, and fully your “WHY,” the more likely you’ll get and maintain your results. This is where you need to peel back the onion layers (which I stole from that one scene in Shrek).

THE � O NION LAYERS The 3 onion layers are used to drill down to REAL reason you want this. For example, ask someone why they want to lose weight and here’s what the 3 layers might look like: Layer 1 = “I want to improve my health.” Why do you want to improve your health? Layer 2 = “The doctor said if I don’t, I will develop Type 2 diabetes.” Why don’t you want to develop Type 2 diabetes? Layer 3 = “I want to set a good example for my son and never want to see him in my position.” Layer 3 is where the money is at. It’s what you use to motivate yourself on the days you don’t feel like training or feel like binge eating. Because you will have your bad days and when you do, you need to remind yourself of your “WHY.”

superhero mindset | find your why 27

IS YOUR WHY AN INTRINSIC OR EXTRINSIC GOAL? Last lesson, I talked about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. And almost every great WHY is intrinsically based. That’s not to say there’s no extrinsic component. For example, if you train because you want a body like Chris Evans. That’s great. That’s extrinsic motivation. But what happens when you’re at the same level as Evans? Chances are you’re not going to be comparing yourself to Evans 3-5 years from now. No, at this point, you really need to shift to a more intrinsic goals of enjoying the process of continuing to train and eat right. That’s really the only way to maintain long term results. Extrinsic motivation eventually tapers off for everyone. It’s not a matter of “if,” but “when.”

Lesson Recap There’s ALWAYS a very deep, emotional for why anyone wants to do anything fitness/health related.

Let’s recap this lesson: •

You need to find your WHY, your big reason for why you want to reach your fitness goals.

•

Peel back the “onion layers” to find that deep emotional WHY. Most WHYs are typically 3 layers deep.

28 superhero mindset | trust the process

LESSON 4

If you can’t get the basics down, you won’t get anywhere with this program.

I

TRUST THE PROCESS:JUST FUCKING DO IT

will outline the entire Superhero Shredding workout and diet in upcoming lessons but before I do so I need to tell you one thing – trust the process. A lot of people like to ask the question, “What if this doesn’t work?”

I can personally guarantee you that Superhero Shredding works, if you just follow the plan.

Don’ t make this more complicated than it is Everyone likes to make shit complicated. If you want to boil down the process of fat loss down to its simplest terms, it’s “eat less than you burn.” If you want to boil down the process of building muscle down to its simplest terms, it’s “get stronger and eat more than you burn.” Things like protein & carb manipulation and hormones matter, just not nearly as much as people like to think. If you can’t get the basics down, you won’t get anywhere with this program.

Doing the work guarantees the results If you follow the diet and workout as laid out in Superhero Shredding, you will get the results you desire. It’s not even a matter of “if.” It’s virtually guaranteed. I find that the people who fail are those who constantly question the process.

superhero mindset | trust the process 29

“Oh but will it be better if I do this exercise instead? “Hey man, I found this workout online, can I do this instead?” No motherfucker, there’s a reason everything is laid out as it is. And if you need to tweak something to fit your lifestyle or environment, that’s totally cool. But don’t try to tweak a perfectly good program when it’s already all designed and laid for you. What I find is people want to change things out of fear more than anything else. They’re afraid of putting in the actual work, so instead of going to the gym, they go i nto perfectionist mode and pretend to act busy by tweaking shit around to make them feel better about themselves. JUST FOLLOW THE FREAKING PROGRAM!

Lesson Recap •

Trust the process of training and dieting.

•

Actually put in the work and the results are guaranteed.

•

Stop jumping around programs and trying to make everything perfect. Nothing will ever be perfect, take action now!

“eat less than you burn.”


diet & nutrition WHY EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT DIETING IS WRONG CALORIES� THE MOST IMPORTANT FOUNDATION OF EVERY DIET BREAKING DOWN MACROS AND MICROS MACRO FLEX TRACKING� HOW TO TRACK YOUR MACROS � DIE T WITHOUT GOING CRAZY THE IMPORTANCE OF DYNAMICALLY ADJUSTING YOUR CALORIES SUPPLEMENTS� WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS? ALCOHOL AND FITNESS� HOW TO GET WASTED WITHOUT RUINING YOUR RESULTS MEAL FREQUENCY AND INTERMITTENT FASTING REFEED DAYS� HOW � WHY YOU SHOULD OVEREAT TO GET RIPPED CALORIE CYCLING� HOW TO EAT OUT, PARTY LIKE A ROCKSTAR, AND NOT SCREW UP PROGRESS PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER WITH DIETING� � STEPS TO CREATING YOUR ULTIMATE L IFESTYLE DIET MEAL EXAMPLE USING MACRO FLEX TRACKING

diet & nutrition | why everything 31

31

LESSON 1

WHY EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT DIETING IS WRONG

T

hanks to the media, there’s this belief people have that you need to be super strict and hardcore with your diet in order to see results. I mean, I don’t blame people.

Every time a celebrity gets ripped for a movie role whether it’s Daniel Craig for 007, Henry Cavill for Superman, or Chris Pratt for Guardians of the Galaxy, every single news site publishes thousands of articles talking about how hardcore these actors with their diet. “Oh Henry Cavill ate 5000 calories and 8 meals per day.” “Chris Pratt didn’t drink any alcohol and gave up sugar for 6 months.” So when thousands of different sources publish information like this, it’s kind of hard not to believe that the only way to get ripped is by sacrificing everything. We become very easily brainwashed that the only way to diet is to go as hardcore as possible, to cut out all forms of sugar and booze, and to never eat your favorite foods again. Well, guess what? The media is wrong. Celebrities are wrong. Your mom who said sugar causes cancer is wrong (sorry, mom).

32 diet & nutrition | why everything

32

YOU REALLY | DO THINK IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATE CUPCAKES FROM YOUR DIET AND LIFE JUST SO YOU CAN LOSE WEIGHT?

Hardcore diets = no long term results Celebrities, bodybuilders, and fitness models all fall into this trap. They eat super super “healthy” for anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months and get into amazing shape. Chris Pratt gave up beer for 6 months, lost a ton of weight, and got ripped for Guardians of the Galaxy. Good for him but do you really need to give up your favorite foods and drinks just to get ripped? Just think about it, logically. For example, let’s say you want to lose weight and you fucking love cupcakes. They’re your favorite thing in the whole wide world and make you happier than a 3 threesome with Megan Fox and Scarlett Johansson. Do you really think it’s a good idea to completely eliminate cupcakes from your diet and life just so you can lose weight? Hell no. That’s just stupid and unrealistic. Obviously you can’t smash a dozen cupcakes per day like you used to but there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t have one every day as a treat at the end of the day (assuming it’s not a 800+ calorie cupcake). A large part of Superhero Shredding is just mastering the art of being realistic and responsible when it comes to the types of foods you eat. That’s might not sound super sexy but it’s something you must absolutely critical if you want to get AND MAINTAIN life long results.

diet & nutrition | why everything 33

CALL IT A DIET OR CALL IT A LIFESTYLE � IT REALLY DOESN ’T FUCKING MATTER Over the recent years, a lot of people have developed a hatred for the word “diet.” “It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle.” Hell, even I’m guilty of saying this at one point or another. But then I realized how stupid this is. Since when did being afraid of a word be a thing? I understand the negative connotations behind “diet.” But at the same time, is “lifestyle” really better? Are you really going to start saying, “Yeah man, my lifestyle is going really well now. I’m down 5 pounds.” No you just sound weird when you say that. Of course we could just start using the phrase “food consumption protocol” but I have a feeling that’s not going to catch on very well. Bottom line – A diet is what it is, just don’t be afraid of the word. You’re changing the way you eat, embrace it. If it really does make you want to throw up every time you say it, then use whatever fucking word you want (and maybe see a therapist).

Eat, get ripped, and enjoy your damn life Let’s say you’re on a meal plan that has you eating 6x per day. Each meal cycles between a carb source (rice, pasta, potatoes), some meat (chicken, steak), and some sort of veggie. That’s great but what happens if your buddies call you up and want to grab some beer and chicken wings? What do you do?

34 diet & nutrition | why everything

At this point you probably think you’ll have 3 options: Option 1: Be the werido who brings his tupperware of rice and chicken to the bar. Option 2: Don’t go at all because you’re scared of screwing up your diet. Option 3: Go out with your friends and end up binging on beer and chicken wings, get drunk, and continue to munch on junk food the rest of the night. I prefer magic option #4: Go out with your friends, have 1-2 beers, eat a reasonable amount of chicken wings (enough to satisfy yourself but not so much to the point you want to puke) and call it a day. No bullshit, no drama. And you can still get results. Superhero Shredding wasn’t created so you have to under a rock eating the same foods over and over. It’s the designed to be the ultimate, flexible dieting system that lets you live you life and build the superhero body of your dreams.

Lesson Recap Let’s recap this lesson:

“It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle.”

•

You do not need to go on a super hardcore “no sugar, no booze, no fun” diet to see results.

•

A lot of people hate the word “diet” and like to use “lifestyle” instead. It doesn’t matter what you fucking call it. Just don’t be afraid of the word “diet” itself.

•

You can still go out and enjoy yourself if you just learn to be smart about it.

diet & nutrition | calories: the most 35

LESSON 2

CALORIES: THE MOST IMPORTANT FOUNDATION OF EVERY DIET

I • •

f you take any diet (seriously, ANY diet) in the world and break it down to its core, you’ll find that it really only consists of 2 things:

Calories Macronutrients (proteins, carbs, fats)

That’s it. All this crazy carb cycling, low fat, paleo, blood type, 6 meals per day craziness that you hear about are all variations on the 2 things above. In this section I’m going to give you what’s essentially the ultimate crash course on nutrition and dieting.

36 diet & nutrition | calories: the most

Calories: The foundation of any diet

U

nless you have some type of thyroid or hormonal disorder, then weight loss is a matter of calories in, calories out. There’s not arguing about this.

If someone says weight loss is not about calories, then turn around and run.

The #1 rule when it comes to dieting for weight loss is to create a calorie deficit. The opposite goes for muscle building, you can’t optimally build muscle without being in a calorie surplus.

For example, if you maintain your weight at 2500 calories per day, eating any less than that for an extended period of time will result in weight loss. Every diet out there, whether it’s low carb, paleo, south beach, 6 meals per day, intermittent fasting…are various ways to help you create a calorie deficit. That’s weight loss boiled down to its simplest form possible. Which brings us to the burning question on everyone’s mind.

How many calories do you need to eat to lose fat? To keep things nice and simple for you, you’re going to be using the following formula to calculate your daily calorie intake to lose fat. Using the formula below, you can expect to lose approximately 1-2 pounds of fat per week depending on your current starting point. As a general rule of thumb, the more weight you have to lose, the faster you’re going to initially lose weight. So super heavy guys could potentially lose up to 5-10 pounds in one week (75% will be water weight) while someone who’s already close to their goal weight might only lose 0.5 pounds per week.


Daily calorie intake to lose weight

FORMULA: 10-12x your bodyweight in pounds Use the following guidelines below to determine which multiplier you should use: USE 10 IF… You are morbidly obese. This should be used as a “last resort for most guys. For most guys, a 10x multiplier is too low to sustain for an extended period. USE 11 IF… You are over the age of 45. Most older guys have a slightly slower metabolism so I recommend them to use a 11x multiplier. You can also use an 11x multiplier if you have a substantial amount of weight to lose but aren’t morbidly obese. USE 12 IF… You are under 45 years old, I recommend the majority of guys to use a 12x multiplier Note: These guidelines are used for both beginners and intermediates.

Keep in mind that this formula is just an estimate. It’s nearly impossible to create a “one size fits all” calorie formula that takes into account the endless amount of potential variables (body type, age, training background, eating habits, etc…) So start with this formula as a general baseline, and if you aren’t losing weight after one week, lower your calories by 200 per week until you do start losing weight.

How many calories do you need to eat to build muscle? Calories are just as important for building muscle as they are for losing fat. However, like I said in the “what to expect” lesson, beginners can lose fat and build muscle at the same time even when in a deficit. The formula below is just for beginners who are skinny or skinny fat.

38 diet & nutrition | calories: the most

Daily calorie intake to gain muscle for beginners

FORMULA: 16-18x your bodyweight in pounds Start at a 18x multiplier and taper down. If you find yourself getting too fat, then lower your intake by 200 calories per day. If you find yourself not gaining weight at all after a week, then bump up calories by 200 per day.

Now, the above formula was for a beginner trying to build muscle. If you are an intermediate (someone with 6-12 months of proper training), then use the formula below which involves calorie cycling.

How to gain muscle as an intermediate (Lean bulking protocol)

Dieting for muscle mass as an intermediate is similar to a beginner with the exception that you’re going to cycle your calories on a daily basis. This means that you’re going to eat more calories on the days you train and less calories on the day you’re not training (aka lean bulking). We do this because intermediates gain muscle at a much slower rate than beginners and therefore don’t need to be eating in a large surplus every day. This ensures that the majority of the weight you’re gaining is muscle. There will always be a little fat spillover, but that’s guaranteed whenever someone puts on muscle as an intermediate. It’s never 100% muscle. Here are the formulas: TRAINING DAY CALORIE INTAKE: 16-18x your bodyweight in pounds


REST DAY CALORIE INTAKE: 15x your bodyweight in pounds + 100 calories The reason there’s 100 extra calories on rest days is to keep you in a very small surplus all week long. 15x by itself is an estimate of your maintenance intake (how many calories it takes to maintain your weight) While you could technically lean bulk by eating at maintenance levels on rest days, you don’t want to run the risk of going under maintenance on rest days since growing new muscle requires you to constantly be in a surplus which is why I threw in the extra 100 calories.

Lesson Recap Let’s recap this lesson on calories:

Calories are just as important for building muscle as they are for losing fat.

•

Calories are the foundation of all weight loss and weight gain.

•

You need to eat in a calorie deficit to lose weight

•

You need to eat in a calorie surplus to gain muscle (although you can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time as a complete beginner)

•

The daily calorie intake for losing weight: 10-12x your bodyweight in pounds

•

The daily calorie intake for gaining weight as a beginner is: 16-18x your bodyweight in pounds

•

You need to cycle your calories to gain muscle with minimal fat as an intermediate. This means you eat 16-18x your bodyweight in pounds on training days. And you eat 15x + 100 calories on your rest days.

40 diet & nutrition | breaking down

LESSON 3

BREAKING DOWN MACROS AND MICROS

A

ll calories are either made up of proteins, carbs, and/or fats. In the fitness space, we call these “macros” for short.

For example, if you eat a grilled cheese sandwich, the majority of the macros are going to be carbs and fats. But if you eat piece of chicken, the majority of the macros will be protein. While being in a calorie deficit is important for weight loss, the macronutrient breakdown is just as important. And I know what you’re thinking, “But Keith, if I simply need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, why does it matter if what foods I eat?” Well 2 things: 1. Use some common sense and your best judgement. If you’re in a calorie deficit but your diet consists of nothing but doughnuts, candies, and cake, is that really good for your health? 2. If you want to make sure that you only lose body fat and not your hard earned muscle mass then you better make sure you get enough protein and your macros are optimized (which I’ll show you how to do below).

diet & nutrition | breaking down 41

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Protein: The most important macro for building/ maintaining muscle

P

rotein is absolutely critical if you want to build muscle and it’s critical if you want to maintain muscle while losing fat.

If that doesn’t excite you, then let me put in a simple way – if you want to build a badass superhero body, then you need to be getting an adequate of protein in your diet. If you’re anti-protein for whatever reason, then stop reading and I’ll refund your money. There’s a reason why the protein powder market is so damn big. I mean, even fucking Mark Wahlberg has his own protein powder line. Without an adequate amount of protein, you simply won’t be able to build a lean and muscular body. If you try to build a substantial muscle on a low protein diet, it’s simply not going to work. In my 8+ years of training, I’ve never seen it happen. “But what about for fat loss? People lose weight all the time by juicing and going on low calorie/low protein diets” Yup you’re right. You can lose weight by doing fad diets like juicing but do me a favor and look at the end result. Look at any guy who follows a juicing or low protein diet. They might lose weight and look skinnier but they don’t look great. They don’t have lean muscular physiques. They don’t have broad shoulders, square pecs, and a V-shaped back. They just look like skinny, smaller version of themselves which is great if you like looking skinny and frail but that’s not what we’re after here.


CALCULATING YOUR PROTEIN INTAKE So by now you’re probably wondering how much protein should you be getting per day. In typical bodybuilding circles, most guys will say you need anywhere from 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. Even most celebrities take in about 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. I know so many fitness gurus and trainers pushing the “1 gram” rule but in recent years I’ve discovered that the “1 gram rule” is actually not necessary. In fact, research has shown that you can build/maintain muscle just as efficiently on as little as 0.6 grams of protein per day. But just to be on the safe side, I’m going to be recommending a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight for this course. Daily protein intake = minimum of 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight And yes, you use this formula for both losing fat and building muscle. So is there any benefit to the “1 gram” rule? Yes, when you’re dieting to superhuman shredded levels (under 8%), I highly recommend bumping up your protein intake to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight to preserve muscle mass. But if you simply want to lean down to a respectable 10% or so, 0.8 grams is fine.

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Fat: Eating fat will not make you fat

“

Fat clogs your arteries.” “Eating egg yolks will give you cancer.”

Oh please. Consuming an adequate amount of fat, especially saturated fat is absolutely critical for maintaining healthy testosterone levels. If you don’t get enough fat in your diet, you risk: • • • • •

Decreased sex drive. Decreased testosterone levels Depression Decreased brain function Your penis might fall off ***

*** That last point may or may not be true.

But while fat is important, you definitely don’t want to go overboard with it. Fat is 9 calories per gram, while protein and carbs are 4 calories per gram, making it over 2x as calorie dense. This is why something like peanut butter has so many calories (100 calories for just 1 tablespoon), because it’s almost all fat calories.

Calculating your fat intake 20-30% of your total is a good range for most guys. Daily fat intake = At least 20% of you total calories should come from fat This range allows you maintain a healthy testosterone level while still allowing you to enjoy many “fun” foods like ice cream and the occasional slice of cake.


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What types of fat should you eat? The following foods are fantastic for hitting your fat numbers: • • • • • • • • •

Avacado Olive oil Coconut oil Nuts (almonds, pistachios, brazil nuts, etc…) Nut butters (peanut, almond, cashew, etc…) Bacon Fats found in meats Egg yolks Pretty much anything that comes from a natural source. For example, the fats that come from potato chips and Twinkies are not “natural.”

Carbs: The Secret Sauce To A Superhero Body Sigh… Is it really still cool to hate on carbs? I mean, it was cool in the 90s with the popularity of the Atkins and whatnot, but c’mon it’s 2015, guys. But yes, everyone still loves to bash on carbs. And with diets like paleo becoming more and more popular every day, it’s even cooler now. But think about it for a second? Do you really think big guys like Hugh Jackman and Dwayne Johnson got jacked by eating nothing but apples and bags of lettuce? Hell no! To build muscle and get ripped, they ate mountains of rice and pasta. Rice, pasta, quinoa, potatoes, yams, bread, oatmeal, these are all great, nutritious sources of carbs. In fact with Superhero Shredding, the majority of your daily calorie intake will be coming from carbs. The way it works is, after you determine your daily protein intake and allocate 20-30% of your calories to fat, the rest of your calories will come from carbs. “But carbs are the devil. They spike da insulin levels and make you store them as fat, even


45

Dr. Oz said so.” Well 2 things: • •

Fuck Dr. Oz for the sleazy scumbag ass that he is. Carbs are not the devil.

The reason most people think carbs are evil is because when people think of carbs, they typically associate it with “junk foods” like cookies, cake, and chips. Combine that with highly flawed and biased scientific studies and false reporting by the media, and boom, you have the most hated macronutrient in the world. But if people really think carbs are the sole cause for obesity, then explain how guys like Mark Haub, who became infamous with his “Twinkie Diet,” eating nothing but Twinkies and other junk foods. Not saying you should eat nothing but Twinkies, but the Twinkie Diet provided undying proof that carbs are not the enemy. So let’s take a look at why carbs are so essential for building muscle, losing fat and building a superhero body. Here are 4 reasons you need to eat carbs: Reason #1: Increased performance in the gym Carbs refill your muscle glycogen levels, the fuel used when you lift weights. If you don’t get enough carbs, you won’t have enough muscle glycogen to train intensely which leads to half-assed workouts that are a pain to get through. This is one the main reason why guys who do juice fasts or low-carb type diets never have a lot of muscle – because they simply don’t have the energy or power to lift heavy weights in the gym. Reason #2: Helps you not feel like crap Okay, not the most eloquently worded reason but you get my point. Many people feel like crap when they’re on a low carb diet. Getting enough carbs in your diet ensures healthy dopamine levels, which is the “feel good” hormone in your body. Reason #3: More muscle As mentioned earlier, you can’t perform your best in the gym without enough carbs.


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What does this mean? It means less strength and weaker lifts which equals less muscle and a less sexy body. You don’t want that, do you? And if you aren’t getting stronger in the gym on a consistent basis, how can you ever expect to gain muscle. Reason #4: Easier fat loss Losing weight isn’t simply a matter of eliminating all carbs and surviving off boiled chicken breast and lettuce for the rest of your life. Shocking, I know. Surprisingly, what I find with my clients is that those who eat more carbs while dieting lose more fat, maintain their results longer, and are happier with their lives. Why’s this? There are many reason but I believe the main one to be psychological. Look, why do diets fail? Because people hate them and think it’s all about cutting out your favorite foods. But nothing could be further from the truth. Successful dieting is not about “eat this, not that,” it’s about flexibility and eating in controlled amounts, but not permanently cutting out your favorite foods. In the Superhero Shredding, you get to eat a very healthy amount of carbs (yes, even doughnuts) which will make you happy. And when you’re happy and actually eat foods you enjoy, dieting becomes 100x easier. How many carbs should you eat per day This is simple to calculate. Once you hit your daily protein and fat intake, you just subtract that number from the rest of your calories and that will be your carb intake.


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Calculating your carb intake

Daily carb intake = total calories minus daily protein and fat calories

Don’t worry if all these calculations sound complicated. I’m going to show you a method on the next page that’s going to make the process of tracking what you eat on a daily basis a piece of cake (no pun intended).

The importance of eating fruits and veggies Remember how your mom always told you to eat your fruits and vegetables? Well…your mom was right. Fruits and veggies help you get you get your micronutrients (e.g. vitamin A, B, C) Ideally you should be getting at least 3 servings of fruits AND vegetables per day, and feel free to eat even more. While the diet plan in Superhero Shredding is fairly unrestrictive, you can’t eat nothing but pizza and doughnuts all day long. Fruits and veggies provide essential micronutrients and fiber to keep you good health. And there’s no point in having a great looking body if it costs you your health. Some examples of fruits to eat include: apples, oranges, mango, bannas, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes (yes it’s a fruit). Some examples of veggies to eat include: spinach, kale, bell peppers, carrots, onions. FYI corn is not a vegetable.

What to do if you don’t have time to eat your fruits and veggies? A lot of people don’t have the time to eat 3 servings of fruits and veggies per day and I get it. If you find that you don’t have the time to eat enough fruits and veggies, here’s what you do. •

Get a blender (a simple one like this is fine).


• •

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Throw in your daily intake of fruits and vegetables into the blender Drink the juice

Just mix all the fruits and veggies together and hit blend. Then drink it all 1-2x during the day. It might taste horrible but for people who are too lazy or find that they don’t have the time to get fruits and veggies in their diet, this is a pretty sweet way to do so. Just chug it. And no a greens powder is not a substitute for eating real fruits and veggies. It’s good as an absolute last resort but it just doesn’t replace the real thing.

Lesson Recap

Without an adequate amount of protein, you simply won’t be able to build a lean and muscular body.

•

Calories are made up of macronutrients (macros) – proteins, carbs, fats.

•

While eating more or less calories, will cause you to gain or lose weight, it’s the macros that determine your body composition, hormones, and energy levels.

•

Aim for at least 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.

•

Aim for at least 20% of your calories to come from dietary fat.

•

The rest of your calories should come from carbs.

•

Aim for at least 3-5 servings of fruits and veggies per day. If you have trouble doing this, blend it into a juice/smoothie and drink it for convenience.

diet & nutrition | macro flex tracking 49

LESSON 4

MACRO FLEX TRACKING: HOW TO TRACK YOUR MACROS & DIET WITHOUT GOING CRAZY

A

lright so in the last lesson I gave you a breakdown of macronutrients and the formulas that tell you how much of each macro you should be getting.

And if you’re like a lot of people new to this, you might be freaking out about having to track proteins, carbs, and fats and making sure they all the numbers line up perfectly on a daily basis. Don’t worry, I get it and I got your back . In this lesson I’m going to introducing a concept called Macro FLEX Tracking (MFT) which is a much more flexible approach to the traditional macro tracking method.

How traditional macro tracking works Traditional macro tracking, aka “if it fits your macros” requires you to track all 3 macro variables and make sure all the numbers line up perfectly at the end of the day. For example, if you use the formulas in the previous lesson to calculate your macros, let’s say you end up with the following macros for a 180 pound guy: • • •

150 grams of protein 300 grams of carbs 50 grams of fat

This means every single day, you need to hit the numbers above. And as long as you hit these numbers, and eat reasonably healthy foods, you’ll lose fat and build muscle. In theory this might sound great, but it’s actually extremely hard

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to do without driving yourself crazy. You’re always going to end up being a couple grams over or under certain macros. Nothing is ever going to line up perfectly which can lead to a feeling of disappointed and obsessive compulsiveness. The traditional approach to tracking macros has led a lot of guys to become obsessed to the point where all they do all day is play around with calculators and food tracking apps on their phones. I don’t want this to happen to you guys. That’s where Macro FLEX Tracking comes to save the day.

What is Macro FLEX Tracking? Macro FLEX Tracking (MFT) takes the underlying concept of tracking macros and simplifies it even further by telling you to focus primarily on overall calories and protein. This means you will no longer be tracking carbs and fats down to the exact gram. I can’t tell you how much easier this makes tracking shit and dieting. You’ll still need to eyeball carbs and fats but you’ll no longer need to track the exact amounts and make sure everything lines up at the end of the day. Let me tell you, this is a game changer when it comes to tracking and dieting and that’s not a word I like to use lightly. This is hands down the most flexible approach to dieting I’ve found in all my years in the fitness industry. When you use MFT, you’ll be able to go out to eat whenever you want, stop stressing about food, and just enjoy massive amounts of freedom while building muscle, losing fat, and getting ripped.

3 steps to using MFT Step 1) Know your overall calorie and protein numbers These are the only 2 numbers I require you to keep tabs on every day. It’s really not too hard to do since it doesn’t require the balancing act of all 3 macros.

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I chose these 2 because calories are the determining factor behind whether you lose or gain weight. And protein is the main macro that determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain your muscle mass. Step 2) Ballpark your carb and fat intake Yes, I know the word “ballpark” is super vague but I think in this case, it’s pretty simple and straightforward. When it comes to macronutrient ratios, I always recommend a balance of protein, carbs, and fats. You simply can’t go too high, or too low in certain macros without experiencing some negative backlash. Go too low in protein? You lose muscle. Go too low in carbs?You lose energy, performance in the gym suffers, and you feel like crap. Go too low in fats? Testosterone levels and sex drive drop. This is why some sense of balance is key. As long as you hit your protein numbers for the day and stay within your daily calories, you can simply ballpark your fats and carbs to make sure you’re getting a decent balance of the two. Step 3) Still follow the 80/20 rule The 80/20 rule basically states that 80% of that foods in your diet should come from whole nutritious foods like meat, nuts, fruits, veggies, rice, potatoes, etc… And the other 20% can come from whatever you want. This is where you’re allowed to have some fun and be more flexible with your foods choices. Maintaining your diet for the long haul is all about balance, and the 20% you get every day gives you that level of freedom without ruining your results or health.

Track macros th e traditional way for 1-2 weeks before usin g MFT This isn’t a requirement but if you have no idea what your daily diet looks like in terms of calories and macros, I highly recommend you to track macros the traditional way for 1 week

52 diet & nutrition | macro flex tracking

before switching over to MFT for the long haul. I only say this because you need to establish a good baseline for the amount of protein, carbs, and fats you’re going to eat. I highly recommend you to buy a food scale and weigh out common foods that you eat frequently such as potatoes, rice, pasta, chicken, beef, etc… Weigh out what 100 grams of each food looks like just so you can get a good idea of what portion sizes look like so when you do start ballparking your intake with MFT, you’ll have an idea of how much you’re eating.


Focus primarily on overall calories and protein

•

Traditional macro tracking (if it fits your macros) requires you to track all 3 macros down to the exact gram on a daily basis.

•

Despite its intentions to give you more flexibility, traditional macro tracking can be very restrictive since the numbers never line up perfectly at the end of the day which can lead to high levels of stress and an unhealthy sense of obsessiveness.

•

Macro FLEX Tracking (MFT) strips traditional macro tracking down to the bare essentials and requires you to only track overall calories and protein.

•

MFT allows you to simply “ballpark” your carb and fat intake which results in 10x more freedom in your food choices and lifestyle.

•

I recommend you to traditionally track your macros for at least 1-2 weeks just so you can get an idea of what food portions look like. So measure out 100 grams of the most common foods you eat (potatoes, rice, pasta, chicken, beef, etc…) to get a good understanding of how much you’re eating.

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LESSON 5

THE IMPORTANCE OF DYNAMICALLY ADJUSTING YOUR CALORIES

A

big mistake I see people make when tracking calories is that they don’t dynamically adjust their calories as their weight changes. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds and have a goal weight of 180 pounds and you’re eating 2400 calories per day to lose weight (200 * 12 = 2400), that DOES NOT mean you should be eating 2400 calories once you hit 190 pounds. When you hit 190 pounds, you need to adjust your calories to match your weight accordingly. Once you hit 190 pounds, you should be eating around 2280 calories (190 *12 = 2280).

Lesson Recap Let’s recap this lesson: •

Your daily calorie intake needs to reflect your current weight, not your starting or goal weight.

•

Make adjustments every 5 pounds.

The same goes for gaining weight. For example, if you go from 180 to 185 pounds, you need to start multiplying 185 pounds by 16-18x. And make sure to adjust your macros as well. I suggest making adjustments every 5 pounds.

54 diet & nutrition | supplements

LESSON 6

SUPPLEMENTS:

WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS?

S

upplements are a multibillion dollar industry so of course everyone is pushing them.

But the reality is, most supplements provide little to no value for the majority of people. You have to realize that supplements are just that – something to “supplement” your existing workout and diet regime. They aren’t meant to replace your diet or workouts (despite what some companies might be saying). However there are a small handful of supplements (and I literally mean a small handful, I can count them on one hand) that might benefit people. Below are the 5 main supplements I currently recommend. In no way do you need these supplements to see results but they can definitely help in certain situations.

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Protein powder

I

f you have trouble getting the minimum of 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight required in Superhero Shredding, then a high quality protein powder is your new best friend.

It’s the easiest thing in the world – just take 2-3 scoops per day after a workout, chug it, and you’re already at 50-80 grams of protein for the day.

Just make sure it’s 100% whey protein. It has one of the best amino acid profiles and digests the fastest. Do not buy weight gainers or any other mixes. Whey protein is all you need. Here are the brands I have used and recommend: • • • •

MTS Whey ON Gold Standard Whey Smart Powders Scivation Whey

If you can’t stomach whey, then I recommend a combination of rice and pea protein to replicate the amino acid profile of whey protein.

100% creatine monohydrate One of the few supplements that’s scientifically proven to help you gain strength and muscle. And by “only” I literally mean the ONLY one. Now understand, creatine monohydrate doesn’t directly help you build more lean muscle tissue. How it works is that it draws more water into your muscles which give you a boost in energy and strength in the gym, allowing you to push heavier weights. So creatine monohydrate doesn’t magically synthesize new muscle tissue. It helps you get stronger and it’s from that strength increase that you gain more muscle tissue. So basically: You take creatine -> You get stronger because you take creatine -> You gain lean muscle over time because you’re getting stronger Make sense? There are decades of research to backup the effectiveness of creatine monohydrate.

56 diet & nutrition | supplements

Just make sure you buy 100% creatine monohydrate. The brand doesn’t even matter too much. Make sure there are no other ingredients or fillers. Take 5 grams per day. When and how you take it doesn’t matter.

Pre-workout supplement or coffee or caffeine pills Pre-workout supplements are hit or miss for a lot of people. Some people do fine without them while others can’t even step foot in the gym without a scoop of their EXTREME SUPER HARDCORE NITRO RUSH MIX. Do you need to take a preworkout? Maybe. I don’t know. The only way to know is by trying it out yourself. If you see a noticeable difference in your gym performance and feel better, then keep taking it. If not, you don’t need to take one. Here are a few great pre workout supplements I’ve used and recommend: • •

C4 Totalis

And if you don’t want to shell out $30+ bucks for a preworkout, then I recommend giving coffee or caffeine pills a shot. I find them to be nearly as effective for a fraction of the price. Plus caffeine is one of the main ingredients in preworkouts. A 100 pill bottle will run you about $3-5. Start off at 200mg before your workout. If you still don’t feel anything I recommend increasing it by 50mg at a time.

Fish oil Fish oil is great. Most western diets tend to have too much omega 6 fatty acids and we need more omega 3s in our diet to balance it all out. You can also get the necessary omega 3s by eating fatty fish like salmon a couple times per week. But most people don’t, so an omega 3 supplement can definitely help.

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Aim for 2 grams EPA and 1.5 grams DHA per day. I like the brand Nordic Naturals but other brands are fine as long as you hit the EPA/DHA recommendations above

Multivitamin This is one supplement that I was really hesitant to put on the list. The reason being, if you eat a decently well-rounded diet, get your fruits and veggies, and follow the 80% rule of eating whole unprocessed foods, then a multivitamin is largely unnecessary. For a lot of people a multivitamin is more of a “feel good” supplement than anything else. But don’t be like “Oh I ate like absolute shit today but it’s all good because I took a multivitamin.” Um…no. That’s not how it works. A multivitamin isn’t a magical “erase all the bad shit I ate” pill. It’s a pill to simply cover any potential vitamin and mineral deficiencies that you may have. So I would just buy a bottle and keep it around “just in case…” for the days that you know you didn’t eat a ton of nutritionally dense foods, take a multivitamin.


A multivitamin isn’t a magical “erase all the bad shit I ate” pill.

•

Supplements are NOT necessary to lose weight, build muscle, or build a superhero body.

•

Supplements are simply used to fill defficiencies in your current diet.

•

The 5 supplements I recommend are: whey protein powder, creatine monohydrate, a preworkout (or just coffee or caffeine pills), fish oil, multivitamin.

58 diet & nutrition | alcohol and fitness

LESSON 7

ALCOHOL AND FITNESS� HOW TO GET

WASTED WITHOUT RUINING YOUR RESULTS

T

his is for all the alcoholics who bought Superhero Shredding.

Just kidding.

But a lot of people worry that they will never be able to party or drink again once they start training and dieting but that’s just not true. There are a few “rules” you need to follow when it comes to alcohol, but they are super easy to follow once you understand them.

The “beer belly” myth I’m sure you’ve heard guys complain about having a beer belly before. Maybe you’re one of those guys. But you need to understand that having a “beer belly” is almost never even directly caused by drinking beer. This is how most guys actually get a beer belly: A real beer belly = Drink a few beers + eat a bunch of shitty food while drinking I don’t think there’s a single guy in the world who’s overweight just because he drinks a lot. If you just drink and get hammered every night, but don’t eat, you’ll probably be at normal (or even under normal) bodyweight. Note: Don’t do this, dumb ass.

2015 magazine flaxible

59

So don’t blame the beer because you’re overweight. Blame the mixed nuts, pretzels, chips, burgers, pizza, doughnuts, burritos, and crappy bar food you eat while you’re drinking.

The “5 drink” rule I don’t like setting hard limits and rules on people but I can’t have people getting shit faced and it’s 3pm on a Tuesday. Which is why I’m setting a “5 drink rule” during the week 5-drink rule guidelines: • • • • •

5 drinks total during the weekday (Mon-Fri) No more than 2 drinks per day (Sorry no cheating and having all 5 on Tuesday night.) 1 drink means a normal sized drink (a 12 oz beer, glass of wine (5 oz), 1.5 oz hard liquor) Don’t drink right before you workout. I can’t believe I have to say this but people have emailed me about this in the past Work the alcohol calories into your daily calorie intake

I think 5 drinks during weekdays alone is plenty and it’s pretty damn generous considering your end goal – a shredded superhero physique. If you’re complaining at that, then well…maybe you need to stop doing shit that involves drinking all the time.

SO DON’T BLAME THE BEER BECAUSE YOU’RE OVER� WEIGHT.

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The “Project X” rule I know there are going to be a few crazy party animals who want to use this course and still get ripped so this is for you. The Project X rule, named after the overhyped and not so great 2012 movie is for those that want to essentially drink as much as they want for one day and still lose weight and maintain muscle mass.

PROJECT X RULE GUIDELINES: •

Use this method extremely sparingly. I recommend no more than ever 4-6 weeks. There really are no benefits to drinking this much (unless it gets you laid, I guess).

•

Use this method extremely sparingly. I recommend no more than ever 4-6 weeks. There really are no benefits to drinking this much (unless it gets you laid, I guess).

•

On the day you drink, you will be eating a high protein, low carb, low fat diet. You can eat as much protein as you want (no need to count calories) but aim for a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. This will help prevent muscle loss. Foods to eat include skinless white meat chicken, beef jerky, low fat cottage cheese, whey protein, and egg whites. Pretty much anything high in protein and low in carbs and fats is fine. You will find that this really limits you to foods similar to the ones I just described.

•

Eat 2-4 servings of fruits and veggies. Stick with high water content fruits like apples and oranges.

•

Don’t eat while drinking unless it’s high protein, low carb and low fat foods.

•

Stick with low carb beers, wines, and liquors.

•

Only use zero calorie mixers. You can pretty much drink as much as you want but don’t use and mixers with sugar or calories like Red bull or soda. Diet soda, Red Bull Zero, and club soda is fine.

•

Drink water. Seriously. This isn’t so much to help you lose weight as it is so you don’t feel like absolute shit the next day.

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If you stick with the guidelines above, you can drink as much as you want and you’ll still lose weight. Without the carbs and fat, your body really can’t synthesis fat cells from just the alcohol. Hell, a lot of people even lose a ton of water weight after a night of heavy drinking since the alcohol helps produce a “woosh” effect and rids the body of a lot of water weight. So the following morning, you might looked more ripped than ever. I should note that your workout the following day (if you have one) is probably going to suck ass. So try not to schedule a workout for the following day although I find some low-medium intensity cardio does help. Happy drinking. Disclaimer: I’m not responsible for any of the stupid shit that happens when you drink. Drunk? Call Uber.


Stick with low carb beers, wines, and liquors.

•

You can still drink without ruining your results.

•

A beer belly is almost NEVER caused by drinking too much beer. It’s caused by eating too much crap when you drink beer.

•

Use the “5 drink rule” to moderate your alcohol intake. This means every week, you get to have 5 drinks and no more than 2 drinks per day.

•

The Project X rule is how you can drink as much as you want without gaining any fat and still preserve muscle mass.

62 diet & nutrition | meal frequency

LESSON 8

MEAL FREQUENCY AND INTERMITTENT FASTING

A

fter you get all the calorie and macro stuff sorted out, you now have to move onto the next step, meal frequency.

THE NUMBER OF TIMES YOU EAT DOES NOT MATTER Whether you’re trying to lose fat or build muscle, the number of meals you eat per day simply doesn’t matter. It boils down to personal preference. Whether you eat 1 meal per day or 6 meals per day, the choice is up to you. The amount of fat you lose or muscle you gain is not determined by the number of meals you eat. However, I will recommend an approach called intermittent fasting (IF) that focuses on eating bigger, but less frequent meals (typically 1-3 meals per day).

WHAT IS INTERMITTENT FASTING? For those who don’t know, IF a way of eating where you simply alternate between extended periods of eating and fasting (not eating). You still eat the same amount of calories and macros every day but they would be spread out into less frequent, larger meals vs. the typical 6-8 small meals per day. This allows you to eat a crap ton of more food during each meal and still lose fat.

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I regularly eat 1.5 pound Chipotle burritos and still drop fat like crazy :) This is because I’m still eating the same amount of calories, the only difference is I’m eating less frequent but much larger meals. With IF, it doesn’t matter how often you eat, the only thing that matters is staying within your calories and macros.

BENEFITS OF INTERMITTENT FASTING Just off the top of my head here are some of the awesome benefits of intermittent fasting: • • • • • • • • •

Increased growth hormone levels Increased metabolic rate Reduced blood lipid profile Reduced blood pressure You get to eat massive meals You get to out to restaurants and still enjoy yourself You feel fuller from meals You’re more likely to stick with your diet You stop worrying about food and eating every 2-3 hours

But above all else, the biggest benefit of IF is the freedom it gives you.

RECOMMENDED SUPERHERO SHREDDING IF PROTOCOLS There are literally hundreds of IF variations. I’m going to be covering the 2 best IF protocols for fat loss and building muscle


SUPERHERO SHREDDING IF PROTOCOL �� ONE BIG MEAL PER DAY � � FRUIT SNACK This is based off the popular Warrior Diet by Ori Hofmekler. On this plan you basically fast the entire day and eat one big meal per night. Plus I allow one serving of fruit that’s no more than 100 calories to help tide you over in case you have any hunger pangs. For example if you need 2000 calories per day to lose fat, you would fast the the entire day (water and any zero calorie drink is allowed) and eat all 2000 calories in a single meal at night. As you can imagine, 2000 calories in one meal is a ton so you get to have a lot of fun when deciding what to eat :) Here’s an example of one of the massive feasts I’ve recently had using this system: • • • • •

12 ounce rib eye cooked in butter. Massive baked potato loaded with onions, sour cream, and low fat cheese. Huge salad of greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and a low cal balsamic dressing A scoop of Ben & Jerrys Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream An apple and a scoop of whey protein a few hours later

That’s the beauty of IF. Because you have so much flexibility in food choices and so many cals to play around with, you get to incorporate “fun” foods like ice cream into my diet without going over your calorie limit. Not to mention I was stuffed that night. It can feel like Thanksgiving dinner every night when using this plan.


SUPERHERO SHREDDING IF PROTOCOL �� BIG MEALS PER DAY � � FRUIT SNACK Some people don’t like eating one big meal per day since they feel it’s too much food or that they don’t like fasting the entire day. If that’s you, then I recommend IF protocol #2 where you eat 2 big meals per day. This plan has you fasting throughout the entire morning. Your first meal will be in the afternoon (it’s up to you when you want to break your fast, most people typically break around 12-1 pm). Your second meal will be at night time during dinner (again, the exact time is up to you). So using the same 2000 calorie example, each meal in this plan will be 1000 calories. Obviously your meals can’t be massive like IF plan #1 but 1000 calories is still a lot for a single meal. And you’re also allowed one fruit snack (no more than 100 calories) like IF protocol #1 above.

IF PLAN MODIFIERS: ADDING SMALL SNACKS + MIXING & MATCHING

In addition to the 2 IF protools above, there are a few ways you can modify them by adding small snacks or combining both protocols. Adding more snacks Fasting from the night before to the following afternoon or evening can be tough so it might it might help if you added 1-2 smalls snacks in between your fasts. You can eat these snacks during any time of the day but you should aim to keep them around 100-200 calories each.


As for the type of snacks, I recommend a large piece of fruit with high water content or a high fiber protein bar like Quest bars (seriously the best protein bars on the market right now, ask pretty much anyone). For fruit, I recommend apples, oranges, and banana due to the high water and fiber content. And no, your body won’t automatically stop burning fat just because you ate a piece of fruit. That’s not how the body works. The small snacks are just to tide you over until you break the fast with a big meal. Pro Tip: Drinks like black coffee (you can add a splash of milk or zero calorie sweetener), tea, and diet soda are great for helping you curb hunger throughout the day. Mixing and matching the protocols Whether you choose IF protocol #1 or #2, you aren’t permanently locked into either one. For example, if you like eating one meal per day, that doesn’t mean you need to do IF plan #1 all 7 days of the week for the rest of your life. You could do IF protocol #1 on weekdays and IF plan #2 on weekends if that works out better for you or vice versa. You have complete control and massive amounts of flexibility when it comes to IF so mix and match however you wish. The most important thing is to pick an approach that you enjoy and that you know you can stick with for the long run.

EATING BEFORE AND AFTER A WORKOUT

Whether or not you need to eat something pre-workout is totally up to you. Some guys do fine completely fasted, some need a cup of coffee, while others need a piece of fruit and some whey protein. In this situation, the golden rule is to simply pick what gives you the best performance in the gym. As for postworkout, no matter when you decide to break your fast, I recommend getting at least some protein in within 2 hours finishing your workout. If you break your fast within these 2 hours, great. But if not, try to get some form of protein in to help build and repair your muscles.


GUYS WHO NEED TO EAT A LOT TO BUILD MUSCLE MIGHT NOT NEED IF

One of the main reasons I recommend IF is because it helps you feel super satisfied when dieting. But if you’re trying to build muscle and you need to eat 3000+ calories to build muscle every day, then IF might not be the best option for you since it might be hard for you to stomach so much food in one sitting. In this case, you might be better off eating 4-6 meals per day. So if you struggle with eating enough food while using the IF, then try eating more frequent meals. Just experiment around and see what works for you.


Whether you’re trying to lose fat or build muscle, the number of meals you eat per day simply doesn’t matter.

•

Meal frequency doesn’t matter when it comes to fat loss or muscle building. You can eat 1 meal per day or 6 meals per day, it’s totally up to you and what you like.

•

Intermittent fasting is the practice of eating less frequent, but much larger meals.

•

The 2 most effective IF protocols (for my clients and myself) are: eating 1 large meal per day at night and eating 2 big meals per day. Each of these protocols also allow 1 serving of fruit any time during the day to help curb hunger.

•

IF might not work too well for guys who need to eat a massive amount of calories to build muscle since it’s just so much damn food to eat in one sitting. In these cases, a lot of guys do better on 4-6 meals per day.

68 diet & nutrition | refeed days

LESSON 9

REFEED DAYS: HOW & WHY YOU SHOULD OVEREAT TO GET RIPPED

S

ometimes you need to actually eat more to continue to lose fat.

While being in a calorie deficit is absolutely necessary to lose weight (and it’s what you’ll be doing that majority of the time), being in one for too long will eventually lead to a plateau. And when people begin to plateau, they lose motivation, decide to binge eat, and regain all their weight. This is why so few guys go from lean to ripped. Sometimes you need overeat to blast through these plateaus and this is where refeed days come into play.

REFEED DAYS ARE NOT THE SAME AS CHEAT DAYS Let’s just get this out of the way – cheat days are not the same as refeed days. Let’s start by defining these cheat days and refeed days: Everyone has their own definition but I’m going to define them as used in the most practical sense: Cheat days – You spend an entire day eating without any form of restriction (no tracking macros or calories). Refeed day – A structured and controlled day of overeating (where the extra calories come

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primarily from carbs).

WHY I DON’T RECOMMEND CHEAT DAYS On paper, cheat days sound like the most epic thing ever. But if you’re not careful, they can quickly turn into a disaster. When most people have a cheat day, they simply have no sense of self control and eat until they feel sick and want to puke. If you spend Monday-Friday eating healthy and creating a deep calorie deficit only to decide to have a cheat day on Saturday and eat 3000 calories over maintenance, then you’re fucked. You just undid the majority of your previous efforts during the week. This is why I don’t recommend cheat days; most people just don’t have the level of self control to know when to stop. That’s not to say you can never have cheat days where you eat in a completely unrestricted manner, but once per week is probably too much. Save full blown cheat days for special occasions like birthdays, holidays, and vacations.

Save full blown cheat days for special occasions like birthdays, holidays, and vacations.

WHY YOU NEED REFEED DAYS TO GET RIPPED Being in a calorie deficit for an extended period of time is rough on your body. As you start getting leaner and dropping body fat, hormone levels such as leptin (which is important for regulating hunger) start dropping which results to a decrease in energy levels, motivation, and metabolism. So we fix this by periodically increasing calories with a refeed day. After refeed days, you typically feel a lot better (both mentally and physically), your muscles feel fuller, and your energy/motivation levels increase.

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Plus, strength level go up the day after a refeeding due to the increase in muscle glycogen levels.

HOW TO DO A REFEED DAY On refeed days, eat 40% more calories than your current deficit intake. Note: This number can be anywhere from 30-50% is but 40% a good starting point. So if you’re 180 pounds, and you’re currently using a 12x multiplier and eating about 2160 calories… On your refeed day, you would then eat 3024 calories. (0.4 * 2160 = 864 calories + 2160 = 3024)

MACRO REQUIREMENTS FOR REFEED DAYS •

THE 40% INCREASE IN CALORIES SHOULD COME PRIMARILY FROM CARBS. SO HAVE SOME FUN, EAT MORE CEREAL, COOKIES, AND PASTA :)

•

SLIGHTLY DROP FAT INTAKE TO AROUND 10% OF OVERALL CALORIES. (IF YOU’RE USING MFT, JUST EYEBALL IT AND TRY TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF FAT DURING THE DAY)

•

PROTEIN STAYS THE SAME AT A MINIMUM OF 0.8 GRAMS/POUND

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU DO REFEED DAYS? Here’s the thing – the leaner you are, the more frequent you’re going to need refeed days. This is because as you lose weight, you’ll naturally burn less overall calories because you’re simply not carry as much weight which also leads to a slight decrease in metabolism. This is also known as adaptive thermogenesis. •

So leaner guys (who are 10-12% body fat) should have one refeed day every week.

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•

If you are above 12% body fat, you should have a refeed day every 10-14 days.

•

If you are really overweight (25% and up), you really don’t need more than one refeed day every 3-4 weeks. But test this to see how you feel. If you really feel you need more, then do it. Always listen to your body.

And while the exact day doesn’t matter too much, it’s probably the most practical to have a refeed day on the weekends when you know you’re already more likely to overeat.


most people just don’t have the level of self control to know when to stop.

•

Being in a deficit for too long will eventually lead to a plateau and one of the best ways to blast through it is with refeed days.

•

Refeeds are planned days of overeating where you eat about 40% more than your current calorie deficit intake.

•

The 40% increase should come primarily from carbs. Fat intake should drop slightly to around 10%. Protein stays the same at a 0.8 grams/ pound minimum.

•

Leaner guys need refeed days more often than guys who have a lot more body fat.

72 diet & nutrition | calorie cycling

LESSON 10

CALORIE CYCLING: HOW TO EAT OUT, PARTY LIKE A ROCKSTAR, AND NOT SCREW UP PROGRESS

W

hen it comes to dieting, hopefully you’re not one of those people who lives under a rock because he’s scared eating any outside food is going to fuck up his fat loss progress.

And even worse, I pray that you don’t become one of those people that brings their own tupperware container of food to a restaurant. I want you to know that there is a way for you to go out, eat massive amounts of tasty food and still see amazing results. And no, this isn’t cliche “pick the healthier option” advice either. No, instead there’s a very effective system I teach people called calorie cycling that allows them to manipulate their intake so they can still enjoy themselves when going out to eat or hang out with friends.

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WHAT IS CALORIE CYCLING?

F

or example, let’s say you’re a guy who needs 2000 calories per day to lose one pound per week. Here’s how most people would setup their diet:

• • • • • • •

Monday – 2000 cals Tuesday – 2000 cals Wednesday – 2000 cals Thursday – 2000 cals Friday – 2000 cals Saturday – 2000 cals Sunday – 2000 cals

Total weekly calories = 14,000 calories Pretty simple, right? While this is fine, it doesn’t allow for much error. If you have a birthday party on Saturday night and overeat by 2000 calories then you’ve dramatically decreased the amount of fat you’re going to lose for that week. Here’s how to effectively “cycle” your calories using the same example above so that you can have higher calorie cheat meals/days while still staying on track and losing weight: • • • • • • •

Monday – 1500 cals (save 500) Tuesday – 2000 cals Wednesday – 2000 cals Thursday – 1500 cals (save 500) Friday – 2000 cals Saturday – 3500 cals Sunday – 1500 cals (save 500)

Total weekly calories = 14,000 calories See what we did there? We “banked” an extra 500 calories on Monday, Thursday, and Sunday. This gives us an extra 1500 calories to play around with and I added them to Saturday since the weekends are when people typically overeat more.

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So on Saturday, you can go to your friend’s birthday or whatever, eat 3500 calories, still effectively lose a pound of fat for the week. Of course this is just an example and you can cycle your calories however you wish. But don’t get too extreme with calorie banking. It doesn’t mean you can eat zero calories Monday-Friday and eat 7000 calories on Saturday and Sunday. To be safe, don’t bank more than 500 calories per day for more than 3x per week.


I want you to know that there is a way for you to go out, eat massive amounts of tasty food and still see amazing results.

•

Calorie cycling is one of the best tactics to use if you want to go out to eat in social settings without really restricting what you eat.

•

The basic premise behind calorie cycling is that you undereat (even lower than your current calorie deficit) 1-3x per week so that you can eat significantly more on certain days.

•

For example, you might eat 500 calories less on Thursday so that you can eat 500 calories more on Saturday.

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LESSON 1 1

Give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER WITH DIETING� � STEPS TO CREATING YOUR ULTIMATE LIFESTYLE DIET

Below is a 5 Step Chart that summarizes everything I’ve been talking about in the diet/nutrition module and ties it all together in a pretty bow for you.

76 diet & nutrition | putting it all together




Step #1 – Choose a meal frequency that fits your lifestyle Drill this into your head: meal frequency is irrelevant. There’s no difference between eating 1 meal per day or 6 meals per day. How you determine which meal frequency to follow is completely up to you. Some people do better on 6 meals per day. Some do better on 2 meals per day. I’m a huge fan of simply eating 1-2 meals per day but that might not work for everyone. I recommend trying 2 big meals per day if you’re trying to lose fat and see that works for you. If you’re trying to gain muscle, you might want to increase meal frequency a bit since eating a large amount of calories in only 1-2 meals per day is hard for some people. But bottom line – experiment and find what works for you.


Step #2 – Calculate your Macro FLEX numbers Your calories and macros are going to form the foundation of your diet. And like mentioned in previous lessons, you don’t need to track your macros down to the exact gram like a lot of other fitness gurus say. Note: I do recommend you to track all 3 macros for a week or so just to get an idea of what food portions look like. It’s more about staying within your overall calories, hitting a certain amount of protein, and eyeballing everything else which is the foundation of Macro FLEX tracking. Here’s how you calculate your Macro FLEX numbers: 1. Determine whether you’re trying to lose fat or gain muscle 2. Determine your daily calorie intake: 1. If you’re trying to lose fat, multiply your bodyweight (in pounds) by 10-12 2. If you’re trying to gain muscle, multiply your bodyweight (in pounds) by 16-18 3. Eat 0.8-1 0.8-1 gram of protein protein per pound of bodyweight 4. Ballpark your carbohydrate and fat fat intake so that you’re getting at least 20% of your daily calories from fat and the rest comes from carbs. Don’t stress over this; it’s just an estimate. If you need a visualization, imagine a burrito. The burrito would have a tortilla, rice, beans, and meat. This makes up the majority of the burrito which is protein and carbs. But 20% of the burrito will likely have some cheese and sour cream – that’s your fats. So as a general tip, aim to get more carbs than fats.

Step #3 – Focus on the 80/20 principle 80% of your diet should come from whole, nutritious foods like meats, potatoes, rice, pasta, fruits, veggies. The other 20% can be whatever you want.

Step #4 – Sort the details The first 3 steps above are more important than anything else. But like with any diet there are always little details you need to figure out as well. So I suggest figuring out the following before you start: Do I need a refeed day? Remember day? Remember you only need this if you’re trying to lose fat. The more fat you currently have, the less refeed days you need and vice versa. Guys at 20% and over


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only need a refeed day once every 2 weeks or so. Guys at 12% and under will probably need one once per week. Listen to your body. If you’re really low on energy, do a refeed. Find your trigger foods. Everyone foods. Everyone has a food that they simply can’t control themselves if it’s in their house. For me it’s doughnuts. I can’t portion control this either. If you know you’re going to overeat on Saturday night or whatever, cycle your calories. This means eat 500 calories less during the week so you have 500 calories more to eat on Saturday. Drink a shake if you have trouble getting enough calories. Throw in milk, peanut butter, protein powder, coconut oil and createa a super calorie dense shake that goes down easily. Find a way to get at least 3 servings of fruits and veggies per day. day. If you don’t like eating them, just throw them into a blender and drink them.

Step #5 – Determine if you even need supplements You don’t need supplements to reach your goals. But if you know you’re deficient in certain areas, they do help. Not getting enough protein through real food? Take a whey protein powder. Not eating a lot of fatty fish and getting a lot of Omega 3s? Take some fish oil. Struggling to gain some strength in the gym? Try taking creatine monohydrate. Low on energy before you workout? Take some caffeine or a preworkout supplement. So just examine what you’re low on or what you’re deficient defic ient in and supplement as necessary. necess ary.

82 diet & nutrition | meal example

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LESSON 1 2

Meal Example Using Macro FLEX Tracking

IF I TOLD YOU WHAT TO EAT EVERY SINGLE DAY, THAT WOULD GIVE YOU ZERO ROOM FOR FLEXIBILITY.

People always ask me why I don’t provide exact step-by-step meal plans. Any my answer is always because they’re too restrictive and they don’t teach your how to create YOUR ideal lifestyle. I can’t tell you exactly what to eat every single day because I don’t know you, your food preferences, prefer ences, your schedule, and your lifestyle. If I told you what to eat every single day, that would give you zero room for flexibility. flexibility. This is why I give you guidelines instead. This is why I give you the Macro FLEX strategy – so you can have massive amounts of flexibility in your diet, enjoy the foods you eat, and still see amazing results. But just so you have something to work off of, here’s an example of what a typical day might look like.

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superhero shredding 2.0 85

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workouts OVERVIEW OF SUPERHERO SHREDDING WORKOUT PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD� THE UNDISPUTED LAW OF TRAINING BREAKING DOWN THE DIFFERENT TRAINING STYLES EXERCISE SELECTION� PICKING THE RIGHT EXERCISES FOR A BADASS SUPERHERO BODY WARMING UP � PICKING WHAT WEIGHT TO LIFT NOVA SERIES� DOING IT RIGHT AS A BEGINNER TITAN SERIES� TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL HOW TO BLAST THROUGH TRAINING PLATEAUS EXERCISE SUBSTITUT ION CHEAT SHEET SUPERHERO SHREDDING CARDIO PROTOCOLS

86 workouts | overview

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LESSON 1

OVERVIEW OF SUPERHERO SHREDDING WORKOUT

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uperhero Shredding workouts are broken into a variety of splits for beginners and intermediates.

Workouts range from 2-4x per week depending on your current experience level and last approximately 1 hour per workout.

The main problem with traditional workouts The main problems with most traditional workout are intensity and frequency. When you hear about how actors like Henry Cavill or Chris Pratt get in shape, it’s always this super intense workout that has them training 5x per week for 2+ hours a session.

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This is exactly why so few celebrities are only ripped for the movie and unable to maintain their results for the long run. I’m not saying you can’t eventually train 5x per week for 2 hours per session (if that’s your goal), but you definitely can’t start there. If you’re the average dude who wants to look like a Hollywood celebrity, then you just can’t be training at that level of intensity or you will burn out very quickly. And no, this isn’t just about having to just “man up” and just copy what everyone else is doing. That’s stupid and you should never just copy what someone is doing just for the sake of it. You need to plan that you know you can follow in the long run and doesn’t constantly burn you out. You need to train in a way that’s suited for you, your goals, and your experience level. Superhero Shredding does that for you.

How do the Superhero Shredding workouts work? There are 2 series of workouts in Superhero Shredding. Series 1 is called the Nova Series which was made for complete newbies and beginners. Series 2 is called the Titan series which was made for intermediates. And within each level are a variety of different splits for you to choose from depending on your goal. Here’s an overview of what the Superhero Shredding workout splits looks like:

Nova Series (Beginners) •

Ground Zero Training (2 day split)

•

Nova Fat Loss (3 day split)

•

Nova Mass (3 day split)

Titan Series (Intermediates) •

Titan Fat Loss (3 day split)

•

Titan Mass (4 day split)

In the next few lessons, I’ll be going into the exact details of the splits and how to do them.

88 workouts | overview


Most

traditional

workouts

you

see

celebrities and fitness models won’t work for you because they’re not made for you. They typically have you training 5+ times per week which is overkill for the average beginner. •

Superhero Shredding workouts are 2-3x per week for beginners and 3-4x per week for intermediates.

You need to train in a way that’s suited for you, your goals, and your experience level.

•

Superhero Shredding workouts are broken up into 2 series: Nova series (for beginners) and the Titan Series (for intermediates). Each series has a variety of splits depending on your goals.

workouts | progressive overload 89

LESSON 2

PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD: THE UNDISPUTED LAW OF TRAINING

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orkout programs are like ice cream flavors, everyone has their favorite, everyone has their opinion what is best.

But if there’s one thing about workouts and training that everyone agrees on, it’s the law of progressive overload. Without progressive overload, you’ll never get stronger, you’ll never build more muscle, and you’ll never move forward in your quest to build a lean and muscular superhero body.

What is progressive overload (PO)? Progressive overload simply means doing more work done over a period of time. It’s a very simple concept but one that most guys ignore for whatever reason. PO can be achieved in a variety of ways with the most common methods being adding more weight or doing more reps.

90 workouts | progressive overload

But there are a couple of other ways to achieve PO, which include: • • •

Decreasing rest times Doing more work in the same amount of time (do 15 reps in 60 seconds vs 10 reps in 60 seconds) Increasing relative strength (lifting more weight at the same bodyweight)

As you can see, each of these methods have you doing more and more work. And as long as you consistently improve, even if it’s at an incredibly slow pace, you’ll eventually get stronger and build more muscle.

PO is easier to achieve if you’re in a calorie surplus You’ll have a much easier time achieving PO when you’re in a calorie surplus. The reason is twofold: • •

Being in a surplus gives you more energy. Being in a deficit for a long period of time will eventually lead less energy in the gym. Being in a surplus is creates the optimal environment in your body to build more muscle. It’s pretty much impossible to build muscle if you’re in a calorie deficit unless you’re a beginner.

So if you’re an intermediate and doing any of the Titan Series workouts, don’t expect to get stronger if you’re trying to lose fat.

Beginners vs. intermediates – How PO slows over time When you first start training as a beginner, you’ll find that you’ll gain strength at an incredibly fast and consistent rate. Every week, you’ll be able to add more weight and do more reps like magic. But as you get more advanced and transition to the intermediate stage of lifting, you’ll find that PO becomes much harder. Getting stronger doesn’t happen week after week and you’ll likely hit a plateau every now and then. This is guaranteed to happen because you simply can’t expect to get stronger every week till the end of time. If that were the case, I’d be doing weighted chin ups with 800 pounds

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strapped to my waist by now. The bottom line is, as you get more advanced, PO slows down and everything becomes much more non-linear. Be sure to read the next lesson of the different training styles in Superhero Shredding and how to effectively progress on each of the training styles.


Getting stronger doesn’t happen week after week and you’ll likely hit a plateau every now and then.

•

Progressive overload (PO) is one of the few undisputed laws of training and is absolutely necessary if you want to build muscle and get stronger.

•

PO means you’re doing more work done over time. So this means you’re progressing in the form of adding more weight or doing more reps.

•

PO is easier to achieve if you’re in a calorie surplus.

•

Don’t expect to consistently get stronger if you’re in a deficit, unless you’re a beginner.

•

PO is much more linear when you’re a beginner and becomes much more non-linear when you become an intermediate lifter.

92 workouts | breaking down

LESSON �

Breaking Down The Different Training Styles

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ach of the exercises in the Superhero Shredding workout need to be done in a specific style. There are 3 main training styles.

In the actual workouts, I’ll specify which training style applies to each exercise.

Training style #1: Straight set Straight sets are relatively simple and make up a large chunk of the Nova Series workouts. Here’s how it works: • • •

Pick a weight you can lift for the specified rep range (this might take a little trial and error) Rest the specified amount of time Rinse and repeat for following sets

So for example, if an exercise calls for 3 sets of 4-6 reps, you would do 3 sets, with each set being 4-6 reps. Super simple.

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Most straight sets are done in a specific rep range (e.g. 4-6 reps instead of just 6 reps). The reason behind this is because the first set will fatigue your muscles which typically results in you not being able to lift as much weight in subsequent sets. So you might hit 6 reps the first set but only 4 reps the second set. So as long as you stay within the rep range, you’ll be fine.

Progressive overload on straight sets

This is how you progress on straight sets: Using an example where you’re told to lift the weight for 4-6 reps…

• • • • •

Pick a weight you can only lift for 4 reps. The 5th rep should be extremely challenging to do. Keep working with this same weight until you can do 6 reps with it. Once you’re able to do 6 reps with this weight, increase the weight by lowest possible amount. Lift the new weight for 4 reps. Rinse and repeat.

Training style#2: Reverse Pyramid Training Traditional pyramid training requires you to start with the lightest weight and work your way up each subsequent set. For example, if you do 3 sets of bench press…set #1 will be the lightest, set #2 will be heavier, and set #3 will be the heaviest. Reverse pyramid training is well…the reverse of that. It’s a more advanced training style that will only be used in the Titan Series. Instead of starting with the lightest weight, your first set will be your heaviest set. The reason reverse pyramid training is so effective is because it allows you to push the maximum amount of weight during your first set while you’re still fresh.


You haven’t been fatigued by previous sets so you’re able to go all out that first set when you have the most energy which ends up recruiting the most muscle fibers and spurring the most strength and growth. After the first heavy set, you lower the weight by 10%, and on set #2, you do 1-2 more rep than set #1. You do the same thing for set #3 and – lower the weight by 10% and do 1-2 more reps. So for example, here’s how it would look like for the bench press. • • •

Set #1: 225 pounds for 5 reps Set #2: 205 pounds for 6 reps (Rounded up from 202.5) Set #3: 185 pounds for 7-8 reps (Rounded up from 184.5)

Progressive overload on reverse pyramid training

There are a couple ways to progress on reverse pyramid training. The simplest (and recommended) method is to simply increase the weight you’re lifting on your top set (Set #1). Because when you increase the top set, you will naturally progressive moving forward since taking 10% off set #1 will automatically make set #2, #3, and so on heavier. If you’re unable to increase your top set, then try the following: •

Focus on doing more reps in the following sets (set #2, set #3, and so on).

•

Decrease the amount of weight you’re doing on Set #1 and do more reps. This will of course naturally increase the amount of reps you push in Set #2 and so on.

Training style #3: Rest Pause Training Rest pause training is a very underutilized but damn effective method for getting a lot of work done in a very condensed time frame. Basically, it means you get to workout less and still get badass results.


So what is it? Rest Pause Training is essentially a “‘cluster” of 3-6 mini sets sets grouped into one big set that has you using the exact same weight for all 3-6 sets. What makes it so challenging is the fact that you only get to rest 10-15 seconds between sets. So let’s use an example, dumbbell shoulder presses. Let’s say you can press 60 pound dumbbells for 10 reps before you hit failure. With rest pause training, you will do 10 reps in your first set, rest 10-15 seconds, and attempt as many reps as you can with the same weight. You will repeat this process until you’ve done 3-6 total sets. Read that sentence a few times until you understand it perfectly. It looks like this: Set 1: 10 reps with 60 pound dumbbells [rest 10 seconds] Set 2: As many reps as you can with 60 pound dumbbells [rest 10 seconds] Set 3: As many reps as you can with 60 pound dumbbells [rest 10 seconds] Set 4: As many reps as you can with 60 pound dumbbells [rest 10 seconds] Set 5: As many reps as you can with 60 pound dumbbells [rest 10 seconds] Set 6: As many reps as you can with 60 pound dumbbells When you do rest pause training, you will find that that the amount of reps you’re able to do on Set #2 decreases by about 50%. By the last set, you’ll probably only be able to get 1-2 reps, which is totally fine and expected.


The whole point of rest pause training is to get a large amount of work done in a small amount of time and to fatigue your muscles as much as possible.

Rest Pause High Rep Activation Set

You can also use a variation of rest pause training using a lower weight/higher rep for your initial set.The first set will be your “activation set” and will involve choosing a weight you can lift 15 times.So lets say you can press 45 pound dumbbells 15 times until you hit failure. Since your first set is done with substantially higher reps, you will only be able to get 3-6 reps for each subsequent set. The rest pause high rep activation set will look something like this: Set 1: 15 reps with 45 pound dumbbells [rest 10 seconds] Set 2: As many reps as you can with 45 pound dumbbells [rest 10 seconds] Set 3: As many reps as you can with 45 pound dumbbells [rest 10 seconds] Set 4: As many reps as you can with 45 pound dumbbells [rest 10 seconds] Set 5: As many reps as you can with 45 pound dumbbells Feel free to use either rest pause training method in your training.


Progress overload on rest pause training

Progressing on rest pause training is done by the following: • • •

Increase the weight you’re doing on set #1 (preferred method) Increase the number of reps you’re doing on set #1 Do more reps in sets #2-6


Each of the exercises in the Superhero Shredding workout need to be done in a specific style.

•

There are 3 main training styles in Superhero Shredding: straight sets, reverse pyramid training, rest pause training.

•

Straight sets: Lift the same weight for the specified rep range.

•

Reverse pyramid training: First set is your heaviest. Following sets decrease the weight by 10% but increase the reps by 1-2 reps.

•

Rest pause training: Lift the weight for the specified reps, rest 10-15 seconds, lift the same weight till failure, rinse/repeat for 3-6 sets.

•

Progression methods vary depending on the training style. Please refer to lesson above for details.

98 workouts | exercise selection

LESSON �

EXERCISE SELECTION: PICKING SELECTION: PICKING THE RIGHT EXERCISES FOR A BADASS SUPERHERO BODY

S

uperhero Shredding isn’t about doing nothing but bench presses and bicep curls.

It’s about getting building insane amounts of strength and focusing on body parts like the upper chest, shoulders, and back that will give your physique the greatest visual appeal. If you look a celebrities like Ryan Reynolds and Daniel Craig you’ll notice they don’t look like your typical bodybuilder. bodybuilder. They all have a very lean, aesthetic physique which isn’t achieved by simply benching, squatting, and deadlifting. Below are some notes you should know about the main exercises in SS, how to do them, and substitutions if you can’t perform it or don’t have the necessary equipment.

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THE “BIG �” MYTH One of the biggest myths in the bodybuilding/fitness space is that you must do the “Big 3” in order to build an amazing physique. The Big 3 are bench press, squat, and deadlift. If you go to a traditional bodybuilder forum and tell them you don’t squat, you’ll likely have your manhood and any sense of self-worth destroyed by a bunch of 14 year olds. But nothing could be further from the truth. These 3 movements are the same movements powerlifters practice to perform at meets but we’re not powerlifters. The problem with focusing on just these is that they don’t produce a very aesthetic, lean and muscular physique. They don’t build that lean V-taper V-taper that we want. Instead, they end up building a a set of very large, bulky legs and a large lower chest, caused by the flat bench press. I’m not saying the Big 3 are bad exercises, they just can’t be the primary focus if you want a superhero physique. To build a superhero physique, we need to focus on movements other than the Big 3.

BARBELL INCLINE PRESS Notice I put barbell incline press and not the flat barbell press like everyone else does. This is because focusing on the incline press produces a much nicer, “square shaped chest” warrior look vs the bodybuilder man boob look. Choosing between betwee n incline and flat isn’t going to make or break your body but if possible, put p ut a focus on incline. How to bench without killing yourself: – Retract your scapula. This is quite possibly the greatest tip I can give you if you feel any sort of pain in your shoulder when benching. To retract your scapula, do these 3 steps: 1) Shrug your traps up like you’re performing a shrugging movement. 2) Pull your shoulder blades as far back as possible while holding the shrugging movement.


3) Lower your shoulder blades while still holding that shrugging movement and having your shoulder blades pulled back. If you still don’t understand how to do it, watch this video demonstration. It might be a bit uncomfortable to lie down in this position at first but I can pretty much guarantee guaran tee all pain in your shoulders will be gone. Also be sure to arch your back while keeping your feet firmly planted in the ground.

SQUAT Squat variation: Back squat, front squat, goblet squat Squats are a great way to build up your lower body. Squats are also one of the most technical lifts out there. It’s a lot more than just “go up and down” like a lot people like to say. If you still find yourself unable to do squats properly, try the goblet squat variation with dumbbells or the Bulgarian split squat as seen below.

DEADLIFT Deadlift variations: conventional, sumo, trap bar, rack pull, Dumbbell swings + hyperextensions I recommend experimenting between conventional and sumo variations to see which one feels more natural. Depending on your height and leverage points, you might be better off doing conventional or sumo. If for whatever reason you’re really having issues with mobility, you can do rack pulls which are like partial deadlifts done in a power rack (with the pins set at knee level). Tips to not screw up the deadlift (these rules apply to any deadlift variation): • • • • • •

NEVER round your lower back (keep it arched) Keep your head in a neutral position Keep your core as tight as possible Keep the bar close to your body Keep your chest up Don’t hyperextend your back at the top

workouts | exercise selection 101

BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT A fantastic movement for your quads, the Bulgarian split squat (BSS) is a single leg movement where you train one leg at a time by elevating one leg to the back of a bench and squatting down with the other leg. The biggest mistake people have with the BSS is keeping balance making sure you don’t constantly fall over. To maintain your balance, keep your head in a neutral position, keep your core tight, and make sure your feet are fully planted in the floor to make sure you don’t fall off balance. You should feel a deep burn in the quad (the side where your foot is on the ground).

WEIGHTED CHIN UPS Weighted chin ups are hands down, one of the best back exercises ever. Nothing comes close to packing on rock hard muscle on your back and getting that sleek v-taper than doing super heavy weighted chins. Once you can do weighed chins with 100 pounds for reps, you WILL NOT have a small back. And once you can do it with over 75% of your bodyweight attached, you will have a back that puts Greek gods to shame. And not only are weighted chins great for your back, they also build a badass pair of biceps. Notes: •

•

•

Do not start adding weight to your chin ups until you can do at 10 chin ups with your bodyweight only using strict controlled form (each chin up should be done from a dead hang position. No swinging.) You do not need to get a weight belt to do weighted chin ups until you start crossing using heavier weights. Instead, you can simply take a dumbbell and put it in between your legs. This is a lot easier than using plates until you start working with really heavy weight. Once you start doing chins in the 80+ pound, it’ll probably be easier to buy a weight belt. Putting a 120 pound dumbbell between your legs isn’t very fun. I highly recommend the Brute Belt. I’ve tried a lot of belts on the market and this is hands down the best, most durable belt out there, and it’s super easy to use.


WEIGHTED DIPS Weighted dips are the triceps equivalent of weighted chin ups. They are an awesome exercise for building your triceps that’s it’s a mystery why more people don’t do them. If you can work your way up to 100+ pound weighted dips, you will never have to worry about having small triceps again. Notes: •

• •

You can also put a dumbbell between your leg to do weighted dips. But you’re probably wondering, how do I position myself in the dip station with a giant dumbbell between my legs especially if the bars are positioned too high? What I do is put the dumbbell between my legs and then I place my forearms on the dip bars and use my forearms to lift my body up. Don’t go down more than 90 degrees when doing dips, doing so will put you at a very high risk of injury. Some people experience shoulder pain when doing heavy dips. If you find this to be constantly happening to you, then I suggest switching to close grip barbell bench press instead.

CABLE CRUNCHES Cable crunches are one of the main ab exercises in Superhero Shredding. However when a lot of guys do them, they don’t fully activate their ab muscles and end up working out their lower back instead. Your starting position should be you on your knees with an arched back. And I can’t of any easier way to explain this, but your ending position should be you trying to suck your own dick. Make sure to really brace your core as you do every single rep.

workouts | warming u p 103

LESSON �

Warming Up + Picking What Weight To Lift

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arming up is a must so you don’t injure yourself so make sure you don’t skip it even if you feel like you don’t need it. Superhero Shredding uses a 2-stage warm-up system.

2-STAGE WARMUP: DYNAMIC MOBILITY DRILLS + LIGHTER WORKING SETS

Stage 1: Dynamic mobility drills I recommend doing some light mobility drills before certain big lifts, primarily bench press, squats, and deadlifts. Before your warm-up sets on any bench press exercise • •

10-15 reps x 2-3 sets of arm circles 10-15 reps x 1-2 sets of side to side arm swings

Before your warm-up sets on any squat/deadlift exercise • • •

10-15 reps x 1-2 sets prisoner squats (arms behind head) 10-15 reps x 2 sets front to back leg swings 10-15 reps x 2 sets side to side leg swings

Note: You only need to do these drills before your first big primary lift (e.g. squat, deadlift, bench press)

104 workouts | warming up

After doing the mobility warmups as outlined above, you need to do 3-4 warm up sets before your actual working set. This may seem like a lot but it’s absolutely necessary if you don’t want to injure yourself, or you know, die.

Stage 2: Warm-up sets You should do 3-4 warm up sets before your working set. Your last warmup set should be 80-85% of whatever your first working set is. So let’s use an example with the sumo deadlift and let’s say your first working set is 315 pounds. This is how you would warm up: • • • •

Warm up set #1 (bar only) : the bar only for 5-10 reps. Warm up set #2 (40-50% of working set): 135 pounds for 3-5 reps Warm up set #3 (60-70% of working set): 195 pounds for 3 reps Warm up set #4 (80-85% of working set): 255 pounds for 1-2 reps

Rest times between each set should be no more than 30 seconds. And as you can see, warm-up sets progressively increase in weight and decrease in reps. This is how it should be for all warm-up sets. Your last warm-up set (done with 80-85%) of your working set should only be done for 1-2 reps to avoid burnout and fatigue. Note: I typically recommend doing a 4 set warmup only if the exercise is done with a barbell since it’s a good idea to warm up with the barbell only. Other movements done with dumbbells or machines can usually be warmed up with 3 sets.

ONLY WARM-UP MAJOR FRESH BODY PARTS A “fresh” body part is a body part that hasn’t been hit at all during the workout. For example, if you do deadlifts and bench press in the same workout, you would need to warm up for both exercises using both stages 1 and 2 above. But if you do deadlifts then chin ups, you wouldn’t need to do a 3-4 set warmup for the chin

workouts | warming u p 105

ups since deadlifts hit your back already to some extent. I would however do one set of chin ups before your working set just to “feel out” the movement and a make sure everything feels right. This set should be done around 60% of your first working set for 2-3 reps. However if you do chin ups then deadlifts, I would warm up on chin ups using the same 3-4 set procedure above. But with all that said, it’s never a bad idea to do one warm up set before any exercise just to get a feel for the exercise.

ONLY WARM-UP MAJOR FRESH BODY PARTS When doing isolation movements like lateral raises, dumbbell curls, and tricep extensions, you don’t need to warm up since the muscle is so small and you’ve already hit them earlier with the big compound movements. Just jump straight into your working sets.

DO YOU NEED TO PERFORM STATIC STRETCHES? No. I find static stretching (e.g. touching your toes) to be largely ineffective. Some people find that it helps and if you think it helps you then feel free to stretch.

PICKING WHAT WEIGHT TO LIFT In the Superhero Shredding workouts, I’ll specify the exact number reps you need to do for a specific exercise. For example, I might tell you to perform the bench press for 5 reps. But this does not mean you can choose ANY weight you want and lift it for 5 reps. So many people screw this up and think just because the reps are specified that they can just pick and choose any weight they want and lift it. Remember this: When I tell you to lift something for 5 reps, you need to pick a weight that’s challenging enough to the point that you can only lift it for 5 reps with maybe 1 more rep left “in the tank,” meaning you could maybe do a 6th rep if you really really tried but that would push you to the brink of failure. The 5th rep should feel really tough to do.

106 workouts | warming up

The same goes for any other rep range, whether it’s 8, 10, or 15 reps: pick a weight heavy enough that you can only lift it for that specified rep range. And yes, this might take a tiny bit of trial and error to find what weight is challenging for you. But it’s something you have to do.


A “fresh” body part is a body part that hasn’t been hit at all during the workout.

•

The 2-stage warmup system consists of dynamic mobility drills an lighter working sets.

•

Only warm up “fresh” body parts. For example, you don’t need to warm up for 1-arm dumbbell rows after you just warmed up did pull ups. However, doing one lighter set just to get a feel for the movement is never a bad idea.

•

Warming up is absolutely critical. Don’t skip it. You will regret it.

•

Static stretching is not needed. But if it makes you feel better, then feel free to do it.

•

Picking what weight to lift is as simple as picking a weight that’s challenging enough to lift for the specified reps. So if you’re told to lift something for 5 reps, pick a weight that you can only lift 5 reps.

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LESSON 6

NOVA SERIES: DOING IT RIGHT AS A BEGINNER

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here are 2 main workout series in Superhero Shredding: Nova and Titan. In this lesson, I’ll cover the Nova Series.

Nova means “new” in Latin so the Nova Series is for beginners (yeah, I’m fancy like that).

ARE YOU A BEG INNER? Contrary to popular belief, a beginner is not just someone who has never lifted weights before. Just because you’ve been lifting for the past 3 years doesn’t mean you’re not a beginner. If you’ve been lifting, what I care about is if you got results. Anyone can lift, but very few actually get results. So you’re a beginner until… • • •

You’ve gained a significant amount of strength You gained your first 15-25 pounds of lean muscle You’ve been lifting consistently for 6-12 months

The Nova Series are consists of 3 different workout splits: • • •

Ground Zero Training Nova Shred Nova Mass REMEMBER, BEGINNERS LOSE FAT AND BUILD MUSCLE SIMULTANEOUSLY Remember that since you’re a beginner, you have the power to easily build muscle and lose fat at the same time. So even if your goal is fat loss, you’ll likely gain some muscle too.

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And if your goal is to gain muscle, you might lose some fat in the process. The reason I say this is to serve as a reminder that you shouldn’t use the scale as your main method of tracking progress. Losses in fat and gains in muscle can easily cause the scale to not move at all. So be sure to know how to track progress effectively. Read this lesson if you need a reminder.

GROUND ZERO TRAINING (GZT) Who should use GZT? Guys who have a significant amount of weight to lose. If you’re 25% body fat and up, you should use GZT. Training frequency for GZT is quite low (only 2x per week) The reason behind this is because I want you to use your diet as your main tool for fat loss. As a beginner, you simply can’t train that hard without burning out. The goal of GZT is to get you to a point where you’re relatively lean at around 15% body fat, then I recommend transitioning to Nova Shred if you want to lose more fat or Nova Mass if you want to start focusing on building muscle.

NOVA SHRED Who should use this Nova Shred? Guys who are 20% body fat or below. Nova Shred is a fat loss workout for beginners who have moderate to low amounts of fat to lose. Nova Shred is like a more intense version of GZT. It’s a 3 day split. And since you’re a beginner, you’ll likely gain muscle and lose fat at the same time as you get stronger.

NOVA MASS Who should use Nova Mass?

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Skinny or skinny fat guys. Nova Mass is a 3 day split focused 100% on helping you pack on as much muscle as fast and efficiently as possible.

SHOULD SKINNY FAT GUYS EAT MORE? Yes. I completely understand how skinny fat guys are both skinny and fat and how it’s frustrating as hell, but training heavy and eating is the best thing you could be doing right now. Since you’re so new to weight training, the combo of heavy weight training and eating more quality food will actually help you lose fat and build muscle at the same time. So do the Nova Mass workouts and combine it with a calorie surplus and you’ll see some magic happen.


The Nova Series was designed exclusively for beginners.

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Nova Series consists of 3 workout splits: Ground Zero Training, Nova Shred, Nova Mass.

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Ground Zero Training - Use this if you have a significant amount of fat to lose (25% body fat and up).

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Nova Shred - Use this if you have moderate to low amounts of fat to lose (20% body fat and below).

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Nova Mass – Use this if you’re skinny or skinny fat and looking to gain quality muscle mass.

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LESSON 7

TITAN SERIES: TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

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he Titan Series is the next level. It’s designed exclusively for intermediate lifters and uses more advanced training styles like reverse pyramid training.

If you know for sure that you’re an intermediate lifter, then jump right in. Otherwise please make sure that you’ve been on Nova for at least 6 months and have gained your first 15-25 pounds of muscle if you’re transitioning from a beginner. The Titan Series consists of 2 different workout splits: • •

Titan Shred Titan Mass

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Everything happens slower for intermediate lifters Depending on how you view it, being an intermediate is both good and bad. On one hand, you already have a solid foundation of muscle built up so you probably look somewhat decent now, you just want to take it to the next level. On the other hand, progress from this point forward happens a lot slower than it did when you were a beginner. Gaining strength and muscle is nowhere near as fast as when you were a beginner, not to mention the fact that you need to do even more work (more sets, reps, and volume) in order to progress. But that’s what it takes for anyone to get results. So if you’re ready, let’s dive into it.

Titan Shred Titan Shred is strictly a fat loss workout. It’s a 3-day split with the primary goal being to simply maintain your current levels of muscle mass. If you do gain any strength while on Titan Shred, just consider it a bonus, but strength gains shouldn’t be your primary goal.

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Titan Mass Titan Mass is an advanced 4-day muscle building split. If you’re used to training 3 days per week or less, then the first 1-2 weeks might feel a bit exhausting but your body quickly builds up to handle this level of training volume so I wouldn’t worry about it. The split itself as you can see below is a 4 day upper/lower split that incorporates all 3 training styles (straight sets, reverse pyramid training, rest pause).


Titan Series is for intermediate lifters only.

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Don’t do the Titan Series if you haven’t gained at least 15-25 pounds of lean muscle.

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Titan Series consists of 2 splits: Titan Shred and Titan Mass

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Titan Shred - A 3 day fat loss split

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Titan Mass – A 4 day advanced muscle building split

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LESSON 8

HOW TO BLAST THROUGH TRAINING PLATEAUS

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ventually you’re going to plateau in you’re training. It’s inevitable.

You simply can’t keep getting stronger, week after week until the day you die. Long term strength gains are never linear, and busting through them sometimes requires a little tweaking here and there. This lesson will show you how to do it.

Beginners rarely plateau Understand this – you will never gain strength faster and more consistent rate than when you’re a beginner. The act of lifting weights is so new to you that you’ll be able to get stronger week after week without any trouble. Granted, this is also affected by your diet. If you are in a surplus, it will be easier to gain strength. If you are in a deficit, you’ll still be able to gain strength just not as easily.

Make sure your mindset is straight Mindset is everything. If you go into your workout thinking that you won’t be able to do lift a certain weight, then you probably won’t. This is why you always see guys psyching themselves up before a lift. I don’t recommend beating your chest and making gorilla like noises in the gym but get your head on straight before going into your workout. Don’t stress, take a few deep breathes, and really concentrate on the task at hand. Don’t underestimate the power of your mind.

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You’d be surprised by how much more you can actually push if you have the right mindset.

Consider taking a break first If you’re been training hard for 12+ weeks, consider taking a week off to give your body and your CNS (central nervous system a break). Sometimes all you need to do is to give your body a chance to recover. So if you’ve been feeling tired, stressed, and worn out, take one week off from the gym.

You’re not in a plateau if you’re not stuck for at least 3-4 weeks If you’re not able to increase the amount of weight you’re lifting for one week, don’t automatically jump to the conclusion that you’re stuck in a plateau. Stick with the workouts in Superhero Shredding for at a minimum of 3 weeks before trying to switch things up. A lot of the times, you just need to be patient and if you just stick with the weight for 3 weeks for so, you’ll typically be able to bust through. With that being said, if after 3 weeks you still find yourself stuck, use the plateau busters below.

Plateau buster #1: Change the rep scheme This is where you modify the number of reps you lift. For example in the Nova or Titan workouts, you might do an exercise for 4-6 reps (straight set). To modify the rep scheme you can change it to 6-8 reps. This would require you to lower the weight a bit. After performing the exercise in a different rep range, you’ll find when you return to the original rep range again, your strength will go up.

Plateau buster #2: Extend your rep range There is some overlap between this method and method #1 above but both work well.

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If you find yourself in a plateau, one thing you could try is extending your rep range. For example, if you do 4-6 reps (straight set), then work past the 6th rep. So if you’re benching 135 pounds and get to 6 reps, extend it with to 8 reps while still pushing 135 pounds.

Plateau buster #3: Rotating exercise selection Another method you try to blast through your plateau is simply changing up your exercises. For example, if you’ve been stuck on the incline barbell press, then switch to incline dumbbell presses. You can find a list of exercise substitutions here.

BONUS PLATEAU BUSTING TIPS •

If you aren’t already taking a pre-workout, consider taking one to boost your energy.

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Take creatine monohydrate if you’re not already to increase strength.

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Make sure you’re warming up properly. Jumping into your first working set without warm ups is never going to lead to optimal performance and your chances of injury skyrocket.

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Remember to use these methods strategically Do not abuse the 3 methods above. There’s no need to rotate exercises and switch up your rep scheme every single week. Staying patient and consistent is more important than anything else.


Don’t underestimate the power of your mind.

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Beginners gain strength faster than anyone else.

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If you don’t have the right mindset, nothing else matters. Get your head on straight before you enter your workout.

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If you’ve been training super hard for 12+ weeks, consider taking a one week break especially if you feel tired and worn down.

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You’re not really in plateau unless you’ve been stuck at your weight for at least 3 weeks.

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The 3 plateau busters are: changing your rep scheme, extending your reps, and rotating exercise selection

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Some other things to consider are taking a pre-workout to increase energy, taking creatine monohydrate to increase strength, and making sure you’re warming up properly.

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LESSON 9

Look, I’m not the type of guy to shove an exercise down your throat and tell you that you MUST do it.

EXERCISE SUBSTITUTION CHEAT SHEET

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f course there are exercises and movements I highly recommend over others but sometimes you simply can’t do the specified exercise because your gym doesn’t have the proper equipment, the exercise simply doesn’t feel natural to you, it doesn’t work since you have a

pre-existing injury, etc…

Whatever the reason, below I have listed the acceptable exercise substitutions for almost every single exercise in Superhero Shredding Nova and Titan workouts. If I missed something or you have a specific substitution you want to run by me, ask me in the Facebook group.

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THE WAY CARDIO WORKS IN SUPERHERO SHREDDING IS VERY VERY SIMPLE.

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SUPERHERO SHREDDING CARDIO PROTOCOLS

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nlike most people, I don’t believe cardio is necessary for fat loss or muscle building.

The foundation of Superhero Shredding is to let the act of lifting weights build/maintain muscle and to let your diet handle your fat loss. I find when you place too much of an emphasis on cardio, you burn out too quickly which leads to large amounts of mental and physical stress which can then lead to episodes of overeating/bing eating. Not to mention the amount of calories you burn with cardio is nothing to the amount you can burn by simply eating less. I’m definitely not here to bash on cardio and conditioning work, it’s definitely beneficial from a cardiovascular and endurance standpoint, I’m just saying it shouldn’t be the your primary method for losing weight. Think of cardio as the “supplement” of workouts.

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You can reach 95% of your goals without doing a single second of traditional cardio. But if you want to go from looking “great” to “fucking amazing” then you might want to consider using the following cardio protocols.

DO YOU NEED TO DO CARDIO IF YOU’RE TRYING TO BUILD MUSCLE? No cardio doesn’t directly help you build muscle. But it does help build endurance, stamina, conditioning levels, and just maintain good overall health. Just make sure sure the cardio you do doesn’t doesn’t interfere interfere with your recover recover levels levels and your recovrecovery levels and ability to lift heavy in the gym. But a very important note: Cardio burns extra calories, so you absolutely MUST eat even more food to compensate for the extra calories burned with cardio. For example, if you decide to do sprints one day, make sure you’re eating an extra 200-300 calories on top of what you were already planning to eat.

CARDIO PROTOCOL #1 – JUST WALK Intensity: Low

This is probably the lamest sounding form of cardio ever, but it works. Simply finding opportunities to walk more is an amazing way to burn more calories without even thinking about it. If you walk just an extra 10-20 minutes per day, that can add up very quickly in terms of calories burned. Plus, the low intensity nature of walking won’t impact your recovery levels. If you’re not the type of person who likes to do high intensity conditioning work like the cardio protocols below, then I highly recommend just walking more.

CARDIO PROTOCOL #2 – HIIT SPRINTS Intensity: High

I’m sure you’ve heard about the benefits of HIIT (high intensity interval training) before. They are touted as one of the best ways to burn fat and increase conditioning levels. And


this is true but they can also quickly lead to burnout especially if you’re a beginner. beginner. So start with doing sprints 1x per week and work your way up. Here’s how you can setup your HIIT sprints:

CARDIO PROTOCOL #3 – MET M ETABOLIC ABOLIC CIRCUITS Intensity: High

Metabolic circuits involve doing traditional exercises like push ups and pull ups, but in a circuit fashion where you do a lot more reps (15+) and a lot less rest. By doing this, you’re increasing your heart rate and working your cardiovascular system much more than simply lifting something heavy for 5 reps. But just like sprints, metabolic circuits are very high intensity and you don’t want to do too much too soon. So start slow (1x per week) and work your way up. Here are 3 sample metabolic circuits you could do:

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Think of cardio as the “supplement” of workouts.

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Cardio shouldn’t be your main driver for fat loss. Use cardio as a “supplement” and use your diet to create a large calorie deficit.

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If you’re trying to build muscle, you need to eat more on the days you do cardio to compensate for the extra activity.

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There are 3 cardio protocols in SS – walking, HIIT sprints, metabolic circuits.

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Walking is an incredibly easy and low impact way to burning more calories without burning yourself out.

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HIIT sprints and metabolic circuits are a very effective way to increase conditioning levels and burn fat but due to their high intensity level they should be used sparingly to avoid burnout. Start with doing them 1x per week and work your way up.


wrapping up LIVING THE NON�FITNESS LIFESTYLE� YOUR KEY TO FREEDOM WHAT TO DO AFTER SUPERHERO SHREDDING� THE ART OF MAINTENANCE

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LESSON 1

LIVING THE NON-FITNESS LIFESTYLE: YOUR KEY TO FREEDOM

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hen creating Superhero Shredding 2.0, my goal wasn’t to create just another 30 or 60 day transformation program. I did this for 2 reasons:

1. While you can get results in 30 or 60 days, you can’t get mind blowing results. 2. I wanted to teach people a system and philosophy that allows them to lose fat, build muscle, and get that amazing superhero body without being obsessed with fitness 24/7. Adding to to point #2, everything taught in Superhero Shredding (the mindset, Macro FLEX Tracking, focusing on heavy lifting, etc…) encompasses what I like to call the non-fitness lifestyle.

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WHAT IS THE NON-FITNESS LIFESTYLE? The non-fitness lifestyle is a way of living (duh!) and philosophy that believes that fitness should compliment and enhance your life, not control it. Today’s generation of fitness enthusiasts are simply too obsessed with fitness. And don’t think obsession and enthusiasm/dedication are the same thing. I am very dedicated to my training and nutrition but I don’t let it define who I am. However this generation of guys (especially the younger ones in their teens and 20s), treat fitness like it’s their life and job. And I partially blame this on the rise of internet “fitness celebrities” who sensationalize the effects having a ripped body will give you. (e.g. Most guys like to believe having a ripped 6 pack at 6% body fat will automatically make them rich and famous.) Call me bat shit insane but I don’t think believe you were put on this planet just so you can have 18 inch arms and bench press 300 pounds. Sure it’s cool to be super strong and look good, but the moment you let it define you, is the moment you lose. Don’t be like the guys who spend their entire lives just lifting weights and watching Youtube videos of other guys lifting weights. I used to be that guy; it wasn’t very fun. So unless you truly dream of being a fitness model, competitive powerlifter, or any occupation where amazing aesthetics and/or strength are a requirement, then please stop taking this so seriously. That’s the core mission of the non-fitness lifestyle – to take this massive load of fitness obsession off your shoulder, and to show you that if you miss a workout, screw up on your diet, or don’t have 18 inch arms…it’s okay.

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LESSON 2

WHAT TO DO AFTER SUPERHERO SHREDDING: THE ART OF MAINTENANCE

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o you’ve completed Superhero Shredding. Congrats!

Pat yourself on the back and go out and splurge on some hookers and cocaine (or not, if you’re not into that sort of stuff). You must be feeling pretty badass now, huh? Well don’t get too excited. While you managed to build a lean and chiseled, head turning physique that puts even Ryan Gosling to shame, now comes the super hard part, maintaining your results. Too many guys fall into the trap of just fucking everything up once they get results. They work their ass off for months or years, building muscle and losing fat like a boss but everything comes crashing down when it comes to simply maintaining their results. They revert back to old habits, start skipping workouts, and start their old ways of dieting again only to undo all their hard work and progress. It’s a sad thing to see and in this lesson I want to help you make sure it never happen to you.

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PROCESS VS. GOAL ORIENTED � WHY YOU MUST LOVE THE PROCESS TO MAINTAIN LIFELONG RESULTS I already mentioned in earlier mindset lessons, but it can’t be said enough. You must love the process of fitness in order to maintain your results. The reason a lot of guys lose all their results is because they’re goal oriented. They focus on the end (e.g. “I need to lose 30 pounds in 3 months” or “I need to get a six pack this year”). But once they reach their end goal (whatever it may be), they lose all sense of motivation and drive because the goal was all they had in mind this whole time. This leads them to revert back to their old habits and lifestyle. On the other hand, someone who is process oriented understands that reaching their end goal is just the beginning. For someone who is process oriented, they understand that there’s no real “end.”

For someone who is process oriented, they understand that there’s no real “end.”

Maintaining results is a lifelong endeavor and if you can’t accept that, then there’s simply no way you will succeed. In no way am I saying maintaining your body is harder than the initial process of building it, it’s actually a lot easier. What I need you to understand is that there’s no going back to your old habits and way of living. Alright, so with that out of the way, let’s get into how you actually maintain your body.You just undid the majority of your previous efforts during the week.

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR MAINTENANCE INTAKE With Superhero Shredding you’ve either been eating in a calorie deficit (if you want to lose fat) or a calorie surplus (if

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you want to build muscle). So eating at maintenance levels simply means eating at a level where you’re neither gaining nor losing weight. Use the formula below as a guideline to calculate your maintenance intake:

Daily calorie intake to maintain current bodyweight = 15 x your bodyweight in pounds

You can also plug in the calculations into the Macro FLEX calculator

The 5 Pound Rule By definition, maintenance means preserving something in it’s current state. And while the 15x multiplier is a rough estimate of how many cals you need to maintain your weight, I think there’s a slight myth to the whole maintenance thing. The fact is, your weight is never going to stay exactly the same. There are just too many factors to cause weight to either shoot up or down on an hourly, daily, and weekly basis. Factors like water/sodium/carb intake and your training can affect your weight so it’s best to shoot for an overall average more than anything else. I like to focus on the “5 pound rule,” which means you shouldn’t let yourself be 5 pounds heavier than you currently are. Focus on this and you won’t freak out every time you gain 1 pound overnight.

DO NOT START BINGING ON YOUR FAVORITE FOODS One of the biggest mistakes I see guys make when they lose weight and get their desired body is that they start binging on food. They’ll eat all the foods they’re been depriving themselves of and undo all the results they’re worked so hard on. This is why I spent so much time trying to educate you on the importance on calories, macronutrients, micronutrients, moderation, being flexible with your lifestyle, and following

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the 80/20 principle. You’ll typically get about 500 extra calories per day once you bump up your calorie intake to maintenance levels. It can be very tempting to fill these 500 calories with “junk foods.” Do not do this. Technically it won’t hurt your physique but it reinforces a “deprivation mindset.” In your head, you’re thinking “Oh yay I get to eat an extra 500 calories worth of ice cream and doughnuts everyday.” This just sets you up for a horrible relationship with food. Again, follow the 80/20 principle here. Even though you get 500 extra cals per day, 80% of those 500 calories should come from whole, nutritious foods (e.g. have an extra serving of potatoes or double your meat portions). Feel free to have 1-2 extra treats per day but don’t abuse the system.

MACROS ON MAINTENANCE CALORIES Macros remain the same. Focus on getting a min of 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight and just eyeball fat and carb intake like outlined in Macro FLEX Tracking.

HOW TO TRAIN WHEN MAINTAINING YOUR PHYSIQUE It takes a lot less work to maintain your physique than it does to build new muscle. So just focus on maintaining your strength levels more than anything else. If you want to lower volume a bit, that’s fine just make sure your strength doesn’t go down.

It can be very tempting to fill these 500 calories with “junk foods.” Do not do this.

Superhero Shredding 2.0 Main Guide

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