How Long Does It Take To Go From Fat To Ripped

Switching from fat to ripped sounds like a crazy dream. Luckily, it’s possible but requires ingredients like dedication, nutrition, patience, and a well-planned workout program.

I know you want to trade your embarrassing man-boobs (moobs) for a perfectly ripped beach body as soon as possible.

But the timeframe to lose your body fat and get shredded depends on your body fat, diet, gender, age, genetics, and workout routine.

So how long will it take you to get ripped? Keep reading to find out.

What Does It Mean to Be Ripped?

First, let’s understand what it means to hear the magic words “dude! You’re ripped”.

Many people use the word “ripped” to describe every strong-looking person they see. But we define ripped as having a body with low fat and relatively large, defined muscles.

Examples of truly ripped people are the great Cristiano Ronaldo, the charming Chris Pratt, and even the short and funny Kevin Hart.

These ripped people have some characteristics that make us envy them, such as:

• Low body fat (10% or lower)
• Visibly defined upper body
• Chiseled washboard abs
• Shredded legs

Hold up! Stop flexing your abs and telling yourself, “I’m ripped.” Some people have super chiseled abs but walk on stick-like legs.

For argument’s sake, we’ll consider ripped people to actually be ripped all around their body, like Cristiano Ronaldo. So being ripped is the complete package and not just having ripped abs.

It’s also normal for people to get more jacked up than others in our fitness world. Some people will be ripped like Captain America, while others will stop at the humble Spiderman.

So while everyone’s rip level can vary, being ripped means having a lean physique with visibly defined muscles all-around your body.

How Long Does it Take to Go from Fat to Ripped?

You’re not alone if you’re wondering how long it will take to go from fat to ripped.

Every overweight person has probably asked this question at the beginning of their fitness journey.

We all want a super ripped physique, but nobody wants to wait forever to show off their buff bodies. We want results, and we want them now.

So what’s the timeline? Is it 2 weeks? 3 months? Can you go from fat to ripped in 6 months?

Well, like most things in fitness… it depends. Below are some common factors determining how long it takes to get a ripped physique.

Body fat

The biggest obstacle to being ripped is probably body fat.

For fat people, the time it takes to get ripped highly depends on the percentage of fat stored in their bodies. So we can say that your perfectly shredded beach body might be a few months or years away.

But to look really ripped, you should cut your body fat to around 10%. These layers of fat can hide muscle growth and prevent sweet noob gains from being visible.

Fitness gurus believe you can safely aim to lose 1-2% of body fat per month. At this rate, you’ll be taking gym selfies in no time.

Gender

Your gender also determines how your body carries and stores fat. For example, research showed that women store about 6-11% more body fat than men because women have higher estrogen levels.

Research also revealed that women store fat around their butt, hips, and thighs while men store fat around their abdomen.

Men looking for a Greek god physique should aim for about 6-13% body fat. At the same time, women who want to be ripped should be fine with 14-20% body fat.

Genetics

Genes may also be a culprit in why it takes you forever to get ripped. A research study suggests that our genes can affect how and where we store fat in our bodies.

Some people may also find it harder to burn fat because of the notorious sh***y genes.

Your genetics doesn’t really stop you from getting ripped. Instead, you may need to work longer and harder to get shredded.

There’s no universal timeline for transforming from fat to Johnny Bravo. In general, having more fat means it will take more time to get ripped.

So if you really want to look like your favorite superhero, you can start by cutting fat before building muscles.

How To Go From Fat to Ripped

For many people, being ripped means not having to hide their man-boobs and overhung tummies anymore.

Instead, you’ll be begging the world for a chance to take your shirt off and show your shredded body.

We have already established that being ripped is to be lean and muscular. This means losing body fat and then gaining muscle mass.

If you’ve ever been fat, then you know that losing weight and changing habits may not be easy.

So we decided to show you some steps below to help you go from fat to rip.

Set realistic goals

We know you can’t wait anymore to finally live the buff life. Who can blame you? It feels as good as it looks.

But hold your ripped horses for a moment. The journey from fat to ripped begins with setting realistic goals.

Without realistic goals, you may think your time and effort are wasted, making you give up fitness too early without noticing or acknowledging your noob gains.

Also, trying to lose fat too fast can result in muscle loss or severe fatigue.

So, forget fake formulas for fast fat loss and prepare yourself for a steady and sustained attack on your body’s fat store.

Getting a ripped body is not as easy as many influencers or infomercials make it sound. Some people will tell you about a formula for getting a Baywatch body in 30 days or less. But that’s obviously a lie.

The jacked-up guys seen on Instagram have been working out for years to attain their superhero look. So with realistic goals and enough commitment, you too can go from captain fat to captain ripped.

Lose body fat

If you’re truly serious about being ripped, you need to slice your body fat until it’s around 10% percent.

Body fat of approximately 15% or less is recommended to start seeing that unmistakable defined muscle shape.

The actual time it will take you to reach the desired body fat (10%) depends on how much body fat you currently have.

For example, a person with 15% body fat may find it easier to get ripped than someone with 25% body fat.

But don’t be discouraged because it’s still possible to get ripped no matter how fat you are. You just need to lose fat at a reasonable rate.

Fitness experts say It’s okay to burn about 1 – 2 pounds of body fat per week.

But, be careful when shedding fat!

Many shady people promote products and supplements that claim to shave off excess body fat and get to a fit body in no time. Sadly, many of them are scams.

An excellent way to burn fat is through proper dieting, cardio, or High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

You should focus on getting a low body fat before gaining the muscle mass to complete the godly ripped look.

Gain muscle mass

You’ve worked super hard to drain your body fat. But now, you need to complete the almighty ripped-look by adding muscles.

Building muscles on your lean body is like putting the icing on a well-cut cake. Without muscles, you’ll be just another skinny guy at the beach.

This muscle-building stage determines how ripped you will eventually get.

You will also need a workout routine that targets all your muscle groups to get ripped throughout your body.

So for those people dreaming of a Greek-god-like body, be ready to build the muscles to realize that dream.

A sure way to build muscles is through resistance training. This type of exercise helps build muscles by training them to resist external forces.

You’ve witnessed resistance training in action if you’ve seen World’s Strongest Man or shows where a jacked guy on TV lifts barbells or dumbbells.

You can also use bodyweight exercises such as push-ups and squats to develop other muscle groups around your body.

It’s realistic to gain 0.25-2 pounds (or more) of muscle per month. Although, the speed of your muscle’s growth reduces as your training experience increases.

That is why the first year of your journey is regarded as the noob gains season. This period of noob gains is where newbies build muscles at lightning speed.

Diet and Nutrition

Creating a diet plan that will help you lose weight while building muscles is tricky.

If you overeat, you will lose lean mass. But if you don’t eat enough, you won’t build muscle.

Luckily for us, it’s possible to create a dietary balance between losing weight and gaining muscles.

Fat people trying to lose weight should use a diet plan that creates a caloric deficit.

Every pound of fat contains about 3,500 calories. So if you plan to lose a pound of fat a week, your diet should have a caloric deficit of -500 calories daily.

Here is what your diet would look like if you want to cut fat:

Nutrient	How Much?
Calories	BMR – 500
Protein	45-50%
Carbohydrates	10-30%
Fat	30-40%

For reference when planning your meals: Protein and carbs both have 4 calories per gram while fats contain 9 calories per gram. So if you’re aiming for a macro split with 45% protein, you’d multiply your calorie goal by 0.45 and then divide that by 4 to get the ideal number of grams of protein.

If you choose a caloric deficit to reduce your calorie intake, you will have to increase your protein intake.

Your body needs more protein than it removes to build muscles. If you do the opposite, your body will lose its muscle mass.

Protein is a key to building muscles because protein’s amino acids help build, repair, and maintain muscle tissue.

So if you want to build big buff muscles, you should take about 1.2-2.0 grams of protein per kg of your body’s weight.

If you’re running short on protein, a few supplements can help out, such as

• Whey Protein: to help prevent protein deficiency.
• Glutamine: to encourage protein synthesis and prevent muscle loss. (2019)
• Branched-Chain Amino Acid (BCAA): to help build and synthesize muscle and prevent muscle fatigue.

Exercises To Go From Fat To Ripped

As you know, moving from fat to ripped is a journey of losing weight and gaining muscles. But a couple of exercises can help you out as you seek to get shredded.

Below are a few exercises to help you turn your fat frame into a ripped body.

Cardio

Cardio is short for cardiovascular. Cardio is an effective type of exercise that squeezes fat from your body to reach the desired beach-body-zone (10% body fat).

Cardio exercises come in different types, such as steady-state cardio or high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

Examples of cardio exercises include running, jogging, swimming, and cycling.

What should matter is picking a cardio exercise that you’ll enjoy and stick with until you reach your fitness goals.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a type of exercise that requires intense training within short periods with quick recovery time.

Examples of HIIT workouts include hand-release push-ups, bike sprints, and jump squats.

Research also shows that HIIT can shred 28% more absolute fat than steady-state cardio.

You should aim to perform high-intensity interval training about 2-3 times per week for the most effective results.

HIIT is an effective weight-burning exercise that you can complete without spending too much time in the gym. Sounds nice, right?

Resistance Training

Resistance training is a type of exercise people do to improve muscles and strength by training them to resist external forces.

An example of resistance training is lifting weights such as dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells.

Resistance training by lifting weights can dramatically improve your muscle size and strength, bringing you closer to your goal of being ripped.

Really! How Long Does It Take To Go From Fat To Ripped?

The timeline for switching from fat to ripped can be as short as 90 days or as long as three years. It all depends on some factors such as your body fat, diet, gender, age, genetics, muscle mass, and workout program.

The best way to determine how soon you’ll go from fat to ripped is by calculating your body fat. From there, you can focus on shedding that fat and then building muscles.

Going from fat to fit isn’t easy, but even you can join the “league of ripped” with enough hard work and commitment.