Q: I’ve built up a decent amount of mass but now I want to focus on bringing out the details of my physique. Can you give me some suggestions about how I can achieve this?

A: You need to approach the goal of getting shredded from four distinct angles:

A) Weight training
B) Cardio training
C) Diet
D) Isometric tensing

Let’s take them one by one:

A) Weight Training: Not everyone responds to high rep training so it’s a matter of doing a bit of experimentation to see if this, combined with the other three elements will help bring out your definition. By high rep we mean 50-100 reps with about 40 % of the weight you’d normally perform for 8 reps. The effect of this will be to pump a lot more blood than normal into the working muscle, with a resultant increased capillarization. Many trainers have found that this brings out vascularity and definition. One set once a week after your normal session for that body-part is also a great way to work that muscle group to the limit.

B) The most effective way to get rid off the body fat that is hiding the definition of your muscles is to burn it off. The most effective way to do this is with moderate duration, high intensity cardio exercise – it will eat away at your fat calorie stores AND boost your metabolism. And, contrary to what many think, it will not deplete your muscle mass. High intensity is best because it burns the most calories. But you don’t want it to be so intense that you can’t maintain it for 30-45 minutes. Aim for a level that will get you to 70-85% of your age predicted maximum heart rate. Do this five to seven times per week and you cannot help but get lean.

C) To look lean you’ve got to eat clean. That means cutting out the obvious junk foods and beverages – potato chips, soft drinks, etc. It also means following the one, two, three rule of macronutrient intake which says that at every meal you should have one part fat, two parts protein and three parts carbohydrate. Space your meals three hours apart, drink plenty of ice cold water and give yourself one cheat meal per week (make it lunch rather than dinner). Eat your starchy carbs (cereals, grains) in the morning and your fibrous ones (green vegetables) in the afternoon and evening.

D) Remember seeing Arnold posing between sets in ‘Pumping Iron’? It wasn’t all for show – forcefully contracting your muscles between sets is a great way to bring out definition and striations. Squeeze and tighten the muscle in question for 30 seconds, then slowly stretch it out, concentrating on feeling the negative contraction. If you find it difficult to feel the contraction, use a very light weight until you’re better able to ‘switch’ into the muscle.

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