When you need to get dialed-in quickly, you don’t want to hear a lecture on advanced meal planning, periodized cardio and weeks worth of fat-burners. You want to know what you can do right now to get your body tighter and leaner.
You won’t see a day and night difference, but there are things you can do to look better in just days if you’ve really dropped the ball on shredding down. Of course, staying close to beach-ready all the time will be your best bet in the long run.
Below, experienced trainers, physique competitors, and performance experts break down exactly how to get the job done—without panic and without wasting time.
1. Don’t Panic
“Panic is the worst thing you can do when trying to get ripped up,” says physique competitor David Sandler, MS, CSCS. “That leads to overdoing cardio, simply trying to sweat it out, which in turn forces your body to hold back its fat stores. Instead, I restrict my calories a bit and time my carb intake around my workouts. I up the pace and volume of my workouts to help with additional calorie burning while forcing the muscles to suck up the water around them. It probably goes without saying that you need to increase your overall protein intake to maintain muscle and metabolism.
I also do a water depletion cycle rather than trying to drop it all at the last minute, thereby reducing overall water and forcing the muscles to pull it in. The end effect is achieved even if I don’t hit my desired body fat—my muscles are harder and leaner overall. Besides, you can always just suck in the gut, don’t slouch, and when you need to let it all out, make sure no one is looking!”
2. Get Complex
No need to abandon the barbells and run for cardio row, says Josh Bryant, MFS, CSCS, PES.
“I recommend barbell complexes performed as quickly as possible, moving exercise to exercise with no break. To construct a complex, you may do 5-8 squats, followed by 5-8 squats-to-presses (or thrusters), followed by 5-8 good mornings, followed by 5-8 power cleans, followed by 5-8 bent-over rows and finally finished off with 5-8 deadlifts.”
Bryan recommends following these guidelines when developing your own fat-shredding complex:
Use compound exercises
Perform exercises as quickly as possible while maintaining proper technique
Do not rest between exercises
Try your best not to drop the bar
Start with an empty bar and add weights in increments of 5-10 pounds
Do 5-7 exercises per complex, each set consisting of 5-8 repetitions
Rest 1-3 minutes between sets, doing no more than four sets. The total duration should be no more than 15 minutes.
“Complexes work because they are essentially intervals done with weights, which stimulates your post-workout metabolism much greater than long, slow cardio. Additionally, studies have shown intense intervals increase anabolic hormone response post-workout.”
3. Find a Hill
When trying to get ultra lean, people often bemoan how much time is required of them at the treadmill. Well, these folks are not only limiting how much fat they can burn—and how fast—but they are displaying a gross lack of imagination.
“Without a doubt, when you need to get lean in a hurry, nothing can compare to some challenging hill sprint workouts,” says Jim Ryno, CPT. “They are the best way to blast fat without tapping into quality muscle, which long, steady-state cardio is known to do. No other cardio-type workout produces fat loss results while also actually building muscle as quickly as hill sprinting does. To get peeled quickly, do 15-20 short sprints per workout up to five times per week. If you have more time and want to take advantage of what they have to offer, 2-3 times per week should suffice.”
Ryno says to be sure to start with a detailed, dynamic warm-up and to finish with some static stretching.
Justin Grinnell, CSCS, says that some good ol’ NFL-style combine training can work wonders on releasing fat stores.
“The best quick fat-burner of all-time is the sled push,” he says. “Because you don’t want to lose momentum, you are forced to work as hard as possible to keep moving the weight. It works every muscle in the body, causing a huge metabolic disturbance and a nice GH and testosterone release, which further aid in fat burning.”
If you have access to a sled and somewhere to push it, add enough weight to make it challenging to get off the line, then work up to distances of 20 yards or more. Rest 30 seconds between pushes and work up to 10-15 total per session. No sled available? Drive to a large parking lot with a training buddy and take turns pushing the car in neutral. Yes, for reals.
If you’re not as lean as you want to be, work may not be the easy answer to your problem, says WWE strength coach Rob MacIntyre.
“If a client has already been trying to get lean and still has work to do, then I find out what they haven’t been doing,” he says. “Since the body adapts so quickly to aerobic exercises, it is important to mix it up because of the difficulty with 10-20 min high-intensity work this is often a tactic they haven’t tried. It is hard to push yourself to the limit to do this on your own and much easier with a partner or trainer.
It can be any movement really. I like to combine barbell complexes with sprints or strongman work. If you can hold a conversation when it is over and stand up under your own power you may have gone too easy on yourself.”
In other words, train like a boss and the results will follow. It may not suffice to do traditional workouts that your body is accustomed to, even if you think they’re challenging. Using a training partner or coach to push you can really take you out of your comfort zone and into Leanville.
6. Skip the Cardio
Every body is different. So what is advocated by some coaches as get-lean gospel may not always be effective. And, in some cases, it can be downright counterproductive. Phil Gephart, MS, CSCS, is here to challenge the establishment.
I do exactly zero cardio,” says Gephart, who also played professional basketball in Lithuania. “And I teach my clients the same. Traditional steady-state cardio actually makes people fatter by stressing the adrenal glands causing an excess of cortisol production. Simply look at the extremes of aerobic (cardio) exercise versus anaerobic—the Olympic distance runner and the Olympic sprinter. Distance runners have much less lean muscle with a bodyfat percentage between 9-11%. Sprinters have long, lean muscle averaging 2-4% bodyfat.
“Now, if you are already lean, some fasted morning cardio leading up to a photo shoot or competition can help you lean out that last little bit. But all of these fitness competitor coaches who prescribe more cardio are great BS artists. The hormonal response is simply not what you need for leaning out. Keep testosterone and growth hormone (GH) high, and your insulin and cortisol regulated properly and you will lean out quickly. This means sprints—not long, slow, distance cardio. All the cardio in the world won’t help you lean out and keep muscle like you want it to, especially on a time crunch. The body wasn’t designed to run from Los Angeles to San Diego. It was built to run from an animal to survive or to run down an animal to kill it to feed the family. That’s why the body is mostly Type II (fast twitch) muscle fibers. Train it as such and you’ll be happy with the results.”
7. Fat Blasting Supps
If you’re looking to shed more fat, try a combination of these potent supps that tackle the problem from multiple angles.
Supplement – Dose/Timing
Caffeine – 200-400 mg 30-60 min. pre-workout
Green Tea Extract – 500 mg, 2-3x per day with one dose 30 min pre-workout
Yohimbine – 5-20 mg, 2-3x per day with one dose 30 min pre-workout
L-Carnitine – 1-3 g, 2-3x per day with meals, with one dose pre- and one dose post-workout
CLA – 1-3 g, 3x daily with meals
Additional Quick Strategies to Get Lean Fast
Preserve muscle mass and shed pounds with these tips for losing fat quickly:
Prioritize High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Short bursts of maximum effort with brief recovery periods torch calories and boost your metabolism.
Cut Processed Carbs and Sugar
Eliminate refined carbohydrates to stabilize your blood sugar and burn stored fat for energy.
Eat More Fiber-Rich Foods
High-fiber vegetables and whole grains keep you full while supporting digestion and fat loss.
Strength Training for Maximum Fat Burn
Lifting weights builds muscle tissue that burns calories around the clock, even when resting.
Increase Daily Movement and NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)
Staying active throughout the day adds up to significant calorie expenditure.
Focus on Hydration and Sleep
Drink water and get seven to nine hours of quality sleep to optimize hormone function and recovery.
Reduce Stress and Avoid Overtraining
Excessive exercise or chronic stress-induced cortisol can lead to increased fat.
Increase Protein Intake
Lean protein can preserve your muscle mass and keep you satisfied during a calorie deficit.
Limit Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol has empty calories and disrupts fat metabolism.
Try Intermittent Fasting
Fasting may help control your total calorie intake while potentially improving insulin sensitivity.
Optimize Your Macro Ratios
Balancing proteins, fats, and carbohydrates according to your activity level maximizes energy and fat burning.
Take Advantage of Cold Exposure
Cold showers or ice baths may increase calorie burn by activating brown fat tissue.
Train With a Partner
Having a workout companion keeps you accountable.
Fuel Your Morning Right
Starting your day with protein-rich foods kickstarts your metabolism and prevents energy crashes.
Power Up With CrossFit
These intense, varied cardio and strength training workouts are among the best ways to get lean in a hurry.
Ditch the Lazy Habits
Embrace movement-based alternatives whenever possible throughout your day.
Make Vegetables an Essential Part of Your Diet
One of the best ways to get lean in a hurry is to eat low-calorie, nutrient-dense vegetables.
Track Progress and Stay Consistent
Monitoring your measurements and staying committed are effective methods to get lean fast.
