THE EDITION

ULTRA-LEAN NUTRITION GUIDE

EXPERT TRAINING TIPS & ADVICE

EXCLUSIVE ATHLETE INTERVIEW

THE RIPPEDCORE EDITION

GET RIPPED WITH JAE 3

4 RULES TO GET RIPPED 4

THE RIPPEDCORE DIET 6

HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING 7

THE HITT CHALLENGE 8

RIPPEDCORE NUTRITION 9

JAMES RIPPEDCORE Q&A

3 TOP TIPS TO GET RIPPED

6 PACK POWER GUIDE

6 PACK WORKOUT

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3James is a SCI-MX ambassador, elite personal trainer, strength and conditioning coach, world-class fitness competitor and sought-after model. He is considered one of the most

knowledgeable fitness professionals when it comes to physique

transformations with his clients getting their bodies to shed

fat while building or retaining exceptional levels of lean muscle and definition. James confesses that he built his

physique through sheer hard work, trial and error

plus hours of research into the truth about

training, nutrition and supplementation.

Follow James on Twitter @Jamesalexander

James Alexander-Ellis

James Alexander-EllisWBFF Pro Muscle Model

get ripped with JAE.

4 4 rules to get ripped. As a personal trainer, its my job to get people in shape, fast! The information outlined below is the simple, powerful advice that I give to my clients to get them ripped. Whats more, its the strategy that I personally use to cut-up for modelling assignments and elite fitness competitions. Apply my 4 Rules Of The Ripped and check out how to build an effective diet plan that will force your body to burn fat and retain lean muscle.

Rule 1: Carefully cut out caloriesWhen it comes to getting ripped, you need to instruct your body to tap-into stored body fat for energy. However, while its always tempting to go on a crash diet and slash calories in an attempt to see your abs virtue in two weeks on a 1000 calorie diet, this strategy is a recipe for ab-solute disaster and unhealthy! Excessive calorie cutting promotes a hormonal environment in the body that results in the metabolism of amino acids from skeletal muscle and a blunting of fat burning youll get skinny and not ripped with this approach! The solution is a much less drastic approach of moderate calorie restriction. I always advise my clients to start by cutting their calorie intake by 250 per day, then reassess every seven days. This gives you some space to play with over the course of 6-8 weeks, because you can gradually increase your calorie deficit as your fat loss stalls. I therefore generally recommend a calorie deficit of 250, moving to 500 and then 750 over the course of a few weeks, as you approach peak condition. Once youre ripped you should increase your calories to a maintenance level to stay ripped without risking muscle loss. Ultimately your physique will look better with a moderate energy deficit, combined with more intense training.

Rule 2: Manipulate your macros Experts and those with real-world experience

of getting ripped, agree that the type of

macronutrients consumed (i.e. carbs, fat and

protein) can have a powerful impact on the

body when it comes to fat loss. Focusing on

carbohydrates to mobilise and metabolise stored

fat is key! Carbs increase insulin secretion, which

directly blunts the production of fat burning

hormones. Furthermore, consuming a large

amount of carbs results in high levels of muscle

glycogen. This gives your body a pool of energy to

use in preference to the body fat that you want to

burn. To really force your body to tap into fat for

energy, its beneficial to deplete muscle glycogen

for several days during the week. Its also vitally

important to replace some of the calories you

cut from carbohydrates, with healthy fats from

sources such as nuts, eggs, fish oils, olive oil and

good quality meats. If you fail to increase your

fats, then your energy will slump and youll also

find it physiologically harder to mobilise and burn

adipose tissue effectively!

Rule 3: Protein protectionProtein is the easy part of the fat loss equation,

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because your intake of the nutrient should always remain the same approximately 2g of protein per kilogram of body mass, daily. As you lose weight, this amount will alter slightly, but to be safe, simply multiply your current weight in kilos by two and stick to this protein intake (e.g. 85kg x 2 = 170g protein per day). This level of protein is imperative, because its key to maintaining lean muscle when dieting and training hard, which in turn, will promote the loss of body fat. I recommend consuming your protein evenly throughout the day, since this approach is proven to boost protein synthesis effectively.

Rule 4: Cheat on your diet!Im serious strategically cheating on your diet will help you to get ripped! However, cheating (i.e. a high calorie meal or a day of increased calories) needs to be used strategically. Essentially, after 5-7 days of eating with a moderate calorie deficit, restricting carbohydrates and training hard, your metabolism begins to slow down and the generation of fat burning

hormones is blunted. Your muscle glycogen stores are also extremely low, which inhibits your capacity to train hard and puts tissue at risk of being broken down to supply the brain and other organs with essential glucose. In addition, the hormone leptin is a big talking point when it comes to fat loss and refeeds; the compound instructs fat cells to release fatty acids into the bloodstream where they can be metabolised, but prolonged periods of reduced calories lowers leptin levels, which reduces your capacity to get leaner! Leptin is known as the famine hormone because scientists believe that it evolved as a survival mechanism to preserve fat stores!

How to use cheat days to your advantage: Train hard and eat

clean for 5 days in a row. Then throw in a cheat such as a three course restaurant meal to re-set your fat burning physiology. As you get leaner and go below 10% body fat

(when guys typically begin seeing

defined abs), you may get

best results with 2 cheat meals per week, or a weekly cheat day.

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the rippedcore diet.MealsMeal 1 - 6am, meat & nut breakfast: The Meat & Nut Breakfast has been made famous by Charles Poliquin, one of the globes most prominent training and nutrition gurus.

1 fist-sized portion of lean meat + 50g nuts + 1 cup greens. Supplements: SCI-MX CLA 1000 LEANCORETM x2 and TRI OMEGATM EFA x2

Examples:Steak, 50g almonds, 1 cup broccoli,100% ground beef burger, 1 cup kale, 50g walnuts, 50g pecans.

Meal 2 - 9am, workout:Pre-workout: X-PLODE RIPPEDCORETM

Intra-workout: AMINO INTRA RIPPEDCORETM

Post-workout shake: SCI-MX WHEY PLUS RIPPEDCORETM.

Meals 3-5 - 12 (noon), 3pm, 7pm:A repeat of breakfast, but with a variety of meats. Dont be shy with the green veg, its vitally important if youre cutting back on fruit to reduce your carbs!

Snacks: Small amounts of nut butters to keep sweet cravings at bay. Add to raw carrot sticks for a crunchy snack. Greek Yoghurt is also a healthy low carb high protein snack.

Meal 6 - pre-sleep:GRS 9 HOUR PROTEIN x1 serving

CLA 1000 LEANCORETM x2 TRI OMEGATM EFA x2

ZMA PLUS HARDCORETM caps x2

The Sci-enceSkipping carbs at breakfast time promotes the maintenance of fat burning hormones, while good quality meat delivers muscle protecting protein. By adding nuts to the meal, youll aid beneficial hormone production and trigger the synthesis of neurotransmitters in the brain, boosting productivity both in and out of the gym. Cruciferous vegetables boost testosterone so dont skip them! CLA 1000 LEANCORETM & TRI OMEGATM EFA provide essential fatty acids the body is unable to produce, supplying high levels of pure conjugated linoleic acid, EPA & DHA.

X-PLODE RIPPEDCORETM is a powerful pre-workout with a unique complex of Thermo-CoreTM nutrients to ensure you feel the burn, every workout! While AMINO INTRA RIPPEDCORETM and WHEY PLUS RIPPEDCORETM keep carbs low but protein & growth essential amino acids high to protect lean muscle.

Regular protein and fat meals will supply your body with the amino acids it needs to maintain muscle mass when training hard in a calorie deficit. By also keeping carbs very low, your biology will efficiently start burning stored body fat.

When you combine intense training with a calorie deficit, the over-night fast can be a time when muscle tissue is at risk of being metabolised into energy. Consuming GRS 9 HOUR PROTEIN - a blend of fast, medium and slow release proteins to stimulate muscle growth and repair while preventing breakdown, ensuring your body taps into body fat for extra energy. ZMA PLUS HARDCORETM contains zinc to support testosterone which is essential for the rippedcore trainer.

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Keep lifting heavy!Although you should make the move to circuit style training and higher reps when looking to maximise fat burning, performing one heavy full-body workout per week will help you to maintain strength and muscle mass. For example: perform a strength circuit consisting of 5-10 reps of the squat, bench press, deadlift and row. Repeat for 3 circuits and then perform 20 minutes of interval training.

Generate GH to burn the fat and get definedOnce youve performed your weekly strength workout, its time to up the reps and generate an increased time under tension, which dramatically elevates lactic acid. When combined with minimal rest intervals, the result is an increase in growth hormone secretion, which is a potent fat burning hormone. High intensity and metabolic circuits are ideal options (see workout diary on following pages).

Train HIIT styleWhen it comes to a form of exercise that gets you ripped, HIIT is a brutally effective option that takes your metabolic rate to another level. Its a training style that James frequently utilises to get ripped fast for competitions and shows. The challenge is to beat your rep/weight totals from workout to workout, in a set time limit. Try our HIIT workout for the next 4-6 weeks and see your abs emerge fast!

4 signs youre winning! Sweat: Aim to have your training T or vest drenched in the labour of your workout by the time youre done - a guaranteed sign of working at an optimal intensity! However, make sure youre replacing the fluid as you train.

Heat: A workout that makes you seriously hot is an excellent sign that youre burning a lot of calories. Use compound exercises and very short rest periods.

Heart rate: You need to work at a high percentage of your max heart rate to kick your metabolism into the zone that elicits maximum post-workout fat loss. Keep your blood pumping.

Breathing: If you can chat in the squat rack during your workouts then its time to get serious. In fact, if anyone tries to speak to you, you should be sucking-up the air too hard to offer them much more than a grunt!

No pain - no gain! workouts for rapid fat loss & definition

high intensity training.

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the HIIT challenge.MONDAYWorkout 1: Strength training

Squat x 5-10 repsBench Press x 5-10 repsChin-up x 5-10 repsDeadlift x 5-10 repsComplete 3 circuits

FRIDAYWorkout 5: Interval trainingWarm-up. Phase 1: 30 seconds high intensity + 30 seconds low intensity x 5-10 rounds.Phase 2: 10 second max sprint + 30 seconds low intensity x 5-10 rounds. Cool-down

TUESDAYWorkout 2: The miracle mile1 mile runPull-ups x 100 Push-ups x 200Squats x 300 1 mile runTime: As fast as you can!

WEDNESDAYWorkout 3: Brutal back burner500m rowDeadlift x 15Weighted crunches x 5Crunches x 20Time: As many rounds as you can in 30-40 minutes

THURSDAYWorkout 4: Lactic leg hellFront squat x 12Bench press x 15Front squat x 12Bench press x 15400m sprint, rest 2 minutes200m sprint, rest 2 minutes100m sprint Time: As fast as you can!

x5-10 x5-10 x5-10 x5-10

INTERVALS

1 MILE x100 x200 x300 1 MILE

500M x15 x5+20

x12 x15 x12 x15 400m,200m,100m

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rippedcore nutrition.

Feel the burn!Its not possible to spot reduce body fat (for example trying to do sit-ups to directly burn fat from your abs). However, certain nutrients are proven to boost results. Green tea extract has been found in clinical trials to mobilise and metabolise adipose tissue leading to long-term reductions in fat stores.

Take 2 caps of SHRED-X RIPPEDCORETM on an empty stomach to get the benefits.

Amplify effortIf you want the most out of every workout, a pre-workout is essential. X-PLODE RIPPEDCORETM is a unique formulation, designed to boost workout intensity and pump, whilst an

added Thermo-CoreTM complex ensures you feel the burn, every workout!

Post-workout primerAfter training, your muscles will be trashed if youre following a rippedcore workout plan such as HIIT or metabolic circuits. To protect lean muscle and promote the burning of stored body fat, have a serving of whey protein to rapidly boost protein synthesis. Better still take WHEY PLUS

RIPPEDCORETM which contains green tea to promote fat oxidation, plus CLA to support body composition.

Support your diet with precision nutrition

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JAE rippedcore Q&A.When it comes to learning about rippedcore muscle development SCI-MX ambassador and world-class fitness pro, James Alexander-Ellis, is well equipped to give you his thoughts about muscle, nutrition and training for a truly ripped physique.

SCI-MX: Youre an elite fitness model. Does this mean youre ripped all year round?

JAE: Im not 100% ripped all year round, since its too much of a drain on the body to maintain 6% body fat or lower all year. However, I aim to maintain a good degree of definition at all times and even when I enter a 6-12 week bulking phase, I never get out of shape. This is an approach that the average gym trainer can adopt; get your body fat down to sub 8% and then youll be able to keep it under 12% even if you start training for serious gains. When you approach the 12% mark, youll know its time to cut back down.

SCI-MX: What body fat percentage does the typical guy need to see his abs? JAE: The thickness, genetic shape of your abs and where your body prefers to store its fat has an influence on how they look. This includes how lean you need to be before your abs start appearing and then reach the stage when they pop. Some guys see decent abs at a total body fat percentage of 12%, but for most of us its 10% and lower. Ideally get your body composition checked by a professional, but a good quality set of digital scales will help you track progress.

SCI-MX: How much fat should you aim to lose per week? JAE: As a general rule, the higher your body fat percentage, the larger the amount of weight you can lose without putting your lean muscle tissue at risk of catabolism. However, once youre around 15% body fat, a target of 2lbs a week is safer. When you start seeing some definition in your abs at around 12% body fat, then losing just 0.5-1lb of fat a week will soon add up to sub 10% body fat and a ripped core!

SCI-MX: Does it get harder to lose body fat when you get into single digit territory? JAE: Simply put yes! Its a scientific fact that the less body fat you have on your physique, the less fatty acids you can oxidise per minute. This is often why guys run into the problem of stubborn body fat. The solution I generally recommend is persistence, combined with aggressive carb cycling and

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regular refeeds. This is also the point when extra cardio may be necessary. If youre not already using a good quality supplement like SHRED-X RIPPEDCORETM, it can make a real difference.

SCI-MX: Do your clients have a fear of losing weight when thinking about getting ripped?

JAE: Most guys who train with weights want to look and feel big its human nature! However, if you want to look incredible on the beach then you need to drop the ego and give yourself permission to be lighter. The fact is that you can look muscular at 15% body fat and have a decent physique. However, if that guy wants to get really defined with cut abs, then hes going to have to get down to a minimum of 10% body fat and often in the 6-8% range. Because fat cells retain a lot of water, when you lose adipose tissue you get a compounded weight loss impact, and it can be a bit of a shock to drop 15-20lbs! However, dont forget that when you get ripped, youll often look bigger with your shirt off thanks to your muscle definition. Whats more, your strength:weight ratio can sky-rocket! Its also worth taking a look at elite MMA fighters these guys are light but theyre seriously powerful and very muscular.

Super lean smoothie recipe

Ingredients2 scoops WHEY PLUS RIPPEDCORETM

1 tablespoon natural almond butter1 tablespoon crushed flax seeds

The benefits: It follows the JAE approach to getting ripped, by slashing the carbs and replacing

some of the calories with healthy fats. Flax seeds are also associated with healthy testosterone levels.

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3 top tips to get ripped. Visualisation:

Visualisation is the most powerful tool you have! See your body as you want it to be, or find a physique icon and keep the image very close to hand. This will keep you focused. If you believe then you will achieve.

Get ferocious:Leave your old-school bodybuilding behind and get to work with far more ferocious metabolic workouts: HIIT, circuits, complexes, full body workouts.

Know your carbs & fats:Learn how carbs and fats work for your body and learn how you respond to changing them up in your diet. Most people who train will lose fat when carbs are dropped, but you may need to replace the lost calories with healthy fats. To burn fat, train without carbs in your system and have a low carb protein shake like WHEY PLUS RIPPEDCORETM after workouts.

Upgrade your effortX-PLODE RIPPEDCORETM contains a blend of scientific nutrients targeted to boost workout intensity, pump and burn, while reducing the risk of workout fatigue.

Optimise intra-workout muscle nutritionAMINO INTRA RIPPEDCORETM replenishes metabolised amino acids to protect lean muscle.

It also contains 71% RDA vitamin B6 to promote a healthy anabolic drive.

Post-workout muscle & metabolic supportWHEY PLUS RIPPEDCORETM contains whey isolate for fast amino acid delivery to help maintain muscle mass when dieting + green tea fat burning & CLA to help support lean physique development.

Night time optimisation GRS 9 HOUR PROTEIN - fast, medium and slow release proteins provide total muscle support for 9-hours and protects lean muscle. ZMA PLUS HARDCORETM - zinc for healthy testosterone + Vit B6 for hormone regulation.

Get ripped supplement strategy

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6 pack power guide.

Q: Can you burn fat directly from your abs?

Answer: Sadly, no real evidence of spot reduction exists, which means that specifically performing stomach exercises with the goal of burning away the layer of fat covering your abs, doesnt work. In fact, adopting this strategy will simply waste your time in the gym.

Q: Does doing 100 sits-ups build a 6-pack?

Answer: Although high reps can help you develop good abs, its a myth that doing hundreds of sit-ups builds the best 6-pack. In reality, to build abs that pop like a fitness models, you need to train them with heavy resistance, just like any other muscle in the body. As an example, 3 sets of weighted crunches for 10-12 reps is likely to give you better results than 100 light reps, which would build muscle endurance.

Q: Whats the best exercise plan for getting a ripped core?

Answer: Youll get the best results by using a workout plan that attacks both elements of ab development systematic whole body fat loss and intense abdominal muscle stimulation. Heavy free-weights circuits are the perfect workout choice, especially if you utilise moves such as front squats that deliver a huge metabolic boost and fully activate the abs.

Q: What are the best supplements to help sculpt defined abs?

Answer: Supplements that promote the oxidation of stored body fat such as caffeine and green tea are ideal for anyone following a nutrition and training plan in pursuit of ripped abs, which means a supplement such as SHRED-X RIPPEDCORETM offers effective support. Additionally, optimal protein intake is key to supporting the growth and maintenance of muscle (including your abs), and will correspondingly help to promote the burning of stored body fat when combined with an energy controlled diet. Therefore a protein shake fortified with green tea such as WHEY PLUS RIPPEDCORETM is an excellent option following intense workouts.

All your 6-pack questions answered

What about cardio?

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When it comes to ripping fat from your body and maintaining lean muscle, its very tempting to hit the treadmill to burn the calories. However, according to JAE, cardio should be used strategically.

James suggests starting out with a maximum of one specific interval training session per week for 20-40 minutes, and only resorting to more cardio if your results stall. Whats more, he points out that low intensity cardio has been proven to be an ineffective way to get ripped.

Effective interval training workout:Warm-up

Phase 1: 30 seconds high intensity + 30 seconds low intensity x 5-10 rounds

Phase 2: 10 second sprint + 30 seconds recovery x 5-10 rounds

Cool-down

6 pack power guide.

If you want to get ripped then firstly focus on your nutrition plan, combined with intense weight training and circuits. Forms of training such as CrossFit often contain exercises like rowing sprints and 1 mile runs, so you may not need extra cardio sessions.

When you do cardio, opt for interval training, not long sessions of low intensity jogging that can burn muscle and reduce anabolic hormone levels and always take BCAAs before/during your sessions to mitigate muscle breakdown.

6 pack workout.Heres an awesome circuit workout thats designed specifically to trash your abs. Get it into your routine once a week and youll be well on your way to 6-pack glory.

How to do the workout? Perform each exercise in a circuit style without resting Start with a very heavy set of 5 reps Take each set to muscular failure Move from exercises 1-3 as quickly as possible without resting Reduce the weight used on each circuit to hit the designated reps

Take 1 serving of X-PLODE RIPPEDCORETM 20 minutes pre-training to give you that all-needed boost and focus, and ensure you have eaten 20-30g of protein in the last 1-2 hours. Avoid eating carbs before you train, to maximise fat burning hormone production!

Circuit 1: 5 reps

Circuit 2: 8 reps

Circuit 3: 12 reps

Circuit 4: 15 reps

2. AB CRUNCH

The classic crunch will always be a simple move that fries the abs. Use

a load that allows you to move slowly and deliberately and crunch hard at the peak of the muscle contraction!

3. PRESS-UP ROW

The press-up row is an excellent core activator and torches the metabolism by

activating your whole body for stability. Keep the abs contracted at all times.

Post-training after-burn: After training consume a serving of WHEY PLUS RIPPEDCORETM to supply muscles with a rapid source of amino acids to kick-start protein synthesis and support muscle maintenance. Added green tea ensures fat oxidation is effectively supported during the metabolic increases which can last for up to 36 hours following this workout.

1. FRONT SQUATS

Whichever workout plan you choose to follow to get ripped, including the front squat in your routine will provide you with an exercise that burns fat, builds and protects lean muscle mass and provides an

incredibly powerful workout for your abdominal muscles.

Why the front squat is a killer ab move?

When you perform a front squat, youre forced to keep your torso rigid and upright as you descend deep and then explode upwards. If you dont - youll drop the weight! This procedure is reliant on a strong back and shoulder girdle, but the real hero of the move is your abs, which are forced to fire hard rep after rep.

Key tip: Squat as deep as you can with good form to fully activate your core (you should feel your abs contract more powerfully the deeper you go!). Descend slowly and explode upwards.

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