There’s a MASSIVE difference between being lean and shredded.

You can be lean year round – 365 days a year.

Being shredded is unsustainable. You shouldn’t stay there for more than a few weeks at a time.

People get shredded for photoshoots, bodybuilding competitions, etc.

Today I wanted to share 11 steps/habits that I use to get shredded.

Remember, this is unsustainable. You should NOT stay this low in body fat percentage for more than a few weeks.

These steps will work, but this is extreme and meant to be that way.

Clear??

Okay, let’s get into it :

---

Skip Evening Meals

When you go to sleep, your whole body respiratory quotient (RQ) drops about 5–10% at night, meaning that you’re burning more fat as a percentage of fuel at night than any other time of day.

The earlier you stop eating = the more RQ drops = the more fat you burn at night.

---

Change Walking Baseline

When it’s time to get shredded, I start walking everywhere, all the time.

Normally, I’m at 10k–12k steps per day. That goes all the way up to 20k steps when I’m trying to get shredded.

---

Four Hours Between Food / Meals

I set a strict rule of AT LEAST 4 hours between meals whenever I’m dropping to very low body fat levels.

There’s some evidence to support it, but this one is mainly anecdotal.

I’ve found that after eating, you shut off that glucagon fat-burning response, and that’s why I like to keep meals separated by at least 4 hours.

---

Bonus: Green Tea Is KING

I consume green tea during these “in-between” times where I’m not eating, and I’ve noticed even more intense fat burning results when I do this.

I won’t bombard you with the literature, but you’ve probably heard me mention how much leverage green tea gives you when it comes to fat burning.

It’s not just the fat-burning effects though. Tea makes dieting phases so much more enjoyable, it curbs my appetite like crazy.

It keeps me from just sitting around and thinking about food 24/7.

It also helps reduce oxidative stress, and maybe you haven’t heard yet but… cutting calories is extremely stressful on your body.

Pique Tea is my go-to tea for all instances, but ESPECIALLY during cutting phases.

Their Ginger Green Fasting Tea is literally unreal.

They don’t just have green teas — they also have fermented Pu’er teas and their Sun Goddess Matcha.

They cold-process their teas, which means the nutrition and antioxidants are protected. This is BEYOND critical during aggressive fat-loss phases.

---

Don’t Mix Fats + Carbs

For example, a higher-fat breakfast for me would be steak, eggs, and maybe an avocado. Very minimal carbs.

For a higher-carb lunch, I’d have a lean chicken breast, sweet potatoes, and some fruit.

I’ve noticed when I separate these two macronutrients, I can control my body fat percentage much easier, and my diet feels effortless.

---

Full-Body Split

When it’s shred season, I say goodbye to upper/lower splits and my beloved MetCons.

I’m hitting every muscle daily.

I do this because the evidence is very strong when it comes to sparing muscle using a full-body style split.

Remember, if you don’t use it, you lose it.

---

PSMF (Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting)

I hope you’ve already seen my videos on Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting. It’s by far one of my favorite fat-loss tools.

Spend several days (or even weeks) eating nothing but protein. Very minimal fats and carbs.

Total calories normally add up to somewhere between 800–1,200 calories.

This is NOT for the faint of heart.

Please don’t try this unless you already have experience or feel comfortable.

Go slow. Try it one day at a time. Don’t do consecutive days until you’ve built some experience.

---

One High-Carb Day Per Week

Once every week, I’ll have a very low-fat, high-carb day (around 200g carbs).

When I’m in a depleted state, I notice that I start to lose some muscle volume, and water retention gets a bit intense too.

Adding in a high-carb day is the antidote.

It fills up my muscles and makes me feel better overall.

This isn’t a cheat day by any means — calories are still relatively low.

---

Fasted Cardio

There are two benefits of fasted cardio for me:

It pushes my breakfast out later, so I’m extending my fast while distracting myself and delaying food intake. This helps prevent insane hunger later in the day.

Fat oxidation rates are higher when you’re fasted. It’s just a fact.

---

Yohimbine

I use caffeine year-round to stay lean, but yohimbine and rauwolscine are tools I use during shred phases to curb appetite.

Bonus points if you use them with allulose.

I’ve talked with Derek over at More Plates More Dates about this — we’re on the same page.

These compounds are extremely effective appetite suppressors when used properly.

---

Two Rest Days Per Week

If I don’t take at least two rest days per week, my workouts go to crap when I’m shredding.

You’re simply not getting enough nutrients to recover fast enough, so recovery has to be increased.

I still walk and get my steps in on rest days, but there’s no weight training.

---

Nutrient Density

I’m all about nutrient density.

I eat lots of eggs, beef, vegetables, and more.

If I’m going low-calorie, I want the most micronutrients possible.

But when calories get extremely low, it becomes difficult to cover all micronutrient needs.

That’s when things start going downhill: getting sick, low energy, poor recovery.

So I add in a high-quality micronutrient during shred phases.

I don’t love relying on supplements for nutrition, but it’s good insurance — and I’ve noticed real benefits when doing this.

---

Final Note

Take extreme caution if you’re going to push for very low body fat levels.

This is unsustainable.

But it is gratifying to watch your body morph before your own eyes.

---

Want to Go Deeper?

If you want a deeper breakdown with visuals, I walk through this exact approach step-by-step in the video below.