What’s the very last thing you do before you turn into a full CrossFit athlete? Buy a Subaru? Do you start sprinkling protein powder on your spaghetti?
Well, most people usually ditch the normal gym for a more explosive and functional lifting style – like the one Micheal Vazquez has designed.
But is it any good? Let’s see.
About the Creator – Michael Vazquez
Unlike other stories that begin with an unprivileged position, Michael starts his fitness journey more than 8 years ago.
Well, back then, he was entirely focused on drinking and partying. In fact, this was all he wanted back then, but then he started becoming self-conscious about his body weight.
Those around him were telling him that he was getting overweight, and this sparked the fire within him to make a change. He quickly picked up running and functional fitness and even trained in the art of MMA.
Fast forward to 2022, and he’s grown to be one of the biggest functional fitness influencers on the web. His site Michael Vazquez (named after himself) is filled with all the tips he has to help you get into the best shape of your life.
That’s one thing about Michael – he isn’t that focused on building more muscle but rather going for fitness, functionality, and aesthetics. This is definitely apparent in his Ripped Remix plan, so let’s take a closer look at what this plan offers.
Michael Vazquez’s Ripped Remix Program Overview
The Ripped Remix program was designed with three goals in mind: to help you break from the monotony of a normal gym lifestyle, to help you shred down, and to help you improve your cardiovascular fitness.
- Fitness level: Advanced
- Duration: 28 Days
- Workouts per week: 5 workouts per week
- Average workout duration: 45 – 60 minutes
- Equipment needed: Minimal equipment
- Goal: Improve athleticism
By moving the training back home, you’ll be focusing on doing a lot of high-intensity movements in a “hybrid training style.” You’ll still be focusing on certain muscles but with some other factors as well, such as cardio, CrossFit-like training, etc.
(If you liked RSP Triple Threat, you might just enjoy this one!)
Ripped Remix Program Details
As far as home training goes, this plan is super high on the intensity scale and would require you to have some gym equipment to start off with. In that regard, it already falls short of Total-Body Dumbbell Fix – which is a true at-home workout requiring nothing but dumbbells.
Hybrid Training
A lot of the workouts will actually be focused on hitting as many muscles as possible in one workout. This could lead to more calories being burnt, but it’d definitely help more with improving your cardiovascular fitness.
A weekly training schedule will look something like this:
| Monday | Full Body |
| Tuesday | Legs |
| Wednesday | Chest, Triceps |
| Thursday | Rest |
| Friday | Back, Biceps |
| Saturday | Shoulders, Hybrid Training |
| Sunday | Rest |
The workouts will all start off with typical resistance training with weights or bands and then flow into more cardiovascular movements. This is usually a sign that you’d need a ton of volume to compensate for the fact that you don’t have a bunch of weights at home.
And you’ll end up doing quite a lot of volume – which is okay. That said, if you’re one of the few that have a lot of free weights at home, maybe don’t do all the volume.
That leads me to the equipment you will need for this program:
- Dumbbells
- Barbells and plates
- Battle ropes
- Box (for jumping)
- Pullup bar
- Dip bar
- Bench for weighted chest and shoulder movements
- Weighted balls
- This is beginning to sound like you just need the entire gym…
Eating for Performance
As you may or may not know, your nutrition plays a massive role in your physical success, regardless of the goal you have.
So it’ll come as no surprise then that Michael does have some stern requirements for this plan:
- First, you need to calculate the number of calories you need based on your goal. (Take notes, V Shred)
- Then you need to calculate your macros.
- Protein at 0.9-1.0g per pound of body weight.
- Carbohydrates at 1.5-1.75g per pound of body weight.
- Fat at 0.3-0.4g per pound of body weight.
- Stick to the diet.
The nutrition part goes on and on for quite some time. He goes into PERI workout nutrition, food ideas, changing variables for better results, supplementation, and so much more. If you’re looking for sound nutrition advice, this is the plan for you.
2 Ripped Remix Pros
- It’s what it says it is: While functional training might be a fad, the Ripped Remix Program lives up to the promise of getting you fitter and helping you lose weight – no empty promises.
- Great Nutrition: Hands down, one of the best nutrition guides I’ve seen on a Bodybuilding.com page. It’s very sustainable, and there’s plenty of high-grade information as well.
2 Ripped Remix Cons
- It’s hardly “at home”: You may have noticed that the number of equipment pieces you need is huge. This is fine if you have a full gym at home… but definitely not “minimal equipment.”
- It’s way too short: Most physiological adaptations take weeks. This is exactly why you train for the usual 12 – 16 weeks before you see real results. A 28-day program will help but isn’t nearly enough.
Ripped Remix Program – Final Thoughts
This is actually a really good plan that’ll meet the needs of a lot of people. Whether you’re taking a break from the usual 4 x 12 or you just want to move from a busy gym, this plan is the one for you.
That said, know what you’re getting into with Michael Vazquez’s Ripped Remix Program.
If you prefer heavy or volume lifting, this might not be great. After all, it’s focused on getting you fitter and healthier, not stronger or more muscular.
It’s about 3 steps from being CrossFit, so make sure you have your chalk handy…
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
