How do fitness models look so great in photo shoots? What’s the key to staying lean? Many gym goers eat clean and work out hard, but still can’t maintain a shredded physique year round. They go through cutting and bulking cycles, keep their calories low, and engage in long cardio sessions. Getting ripped is just half the battle; the other half is maintaining your figure.

The Truth about Getting Lean

Unless you’re blessed with good genes, you might not be able to stay shredded all year. However, it is possible to keep your body fat pretty low and look lean even in the off season. It all comes down to your priorities. Getting ripped and staying that way isn’t necessarily healthy. It takes a huge effort to look like a magazine cover model year round.

Most bodybuilders and fitness models stay on zero carb diets for months to get shredded. Some work out two or three times a day. Before a photo shoot or competition, they use diuretics to cut water weight. The use of anabolic hormones is quite common too. Steroids allow them to preserve muscle while bringing their body fat levels below 6-7 percent.

These guys also use carb loading, sodium depletion, and other strategies to get in contest shape. Most times, they gain over 10 pounds within a day or two after a contest or photo shoot. The things they do to get in perfect shape are dangerous, expensive, and time consuming. Once you know the risks, you’ll think twice before trying to get ripped. The process that helps you lose the first 20 pounds is completely different from the one that will help you shed the last five or 10 pounds. The leaner you get, the more work it takes to torch fat.

Getting shredded comes at a high cost that not everyone is willing to pay. Staying that way is even more difficult. However, you can achieve a lean physique and maintain your weight through diet and exercise. Just make sure your goals are realistic. A low body fat level (under 15 percent for women and 10 percent for men) may lead to poor health, fatigue, metabolic syndrome, and hormonal imbalances. Not to mention that diet slip-ups are out of the question!

Staying lean year round is a lifestyle. Here are some tips to guide you through this process:

Follow the Five-Pound Rule

More and more fitness models are ditching the on/off season mentality. Unless you’re a pro bodybuilder or looking to get huge, it’s no need to go through cutting and bulking cycles. Once you reach the desired body fat level, stay within five pounds of that weight year round. This way, you’ll look shredded without putting your body through hell every time you want to lose weight. After all, it’s much easier to shed five pounds than 20 or 30 pounds.

Be Realistic

You can not lose fat and build muscle at the same time. Period. If you’re trying to stay ripped year round, your gains will suffer. Fat loss requires a caloric deficit, which means you must take in fewer calories than you burn. To build muscle, your calorie intake needs to be higher than the amount of calories burned. It’s not possible to do both things at once. But you can preserve as much muscle mass as possible and lose fat.

Stop Searching for a Quick Fix

No miracle pills or supplements can help you stay ripped year round. Fat burners can help, but they’re not a magic solution to weight loss. When used along with a balanced diet and intense training, they boost your metabolism and help reduce water weight. However, these products don’t work by themselves. What you eat and how you train has the biggest impact on your progress.

Track Your Macros

Athletes and bodybuilders plan their meals for a reason. This habit makes it easier to eat clean and track their macronutrient ratios. The amount of protein, fat, and carbs in your diet are even more important than your daily calorie intake. These macronutrients directly influence body composition and energy metabolism.

There are no “perfect” macronutrient ratios. What works for you might not work for someone else. Depending on your progress, you’ll have to constantly adjust your macros and plan your diet accordingly. Write everything down, do the math, and then prep your meals for the week ahead.

Try Carb Cycling

Carb cycling is one of the most widely used strategies for maintaining a lean physique. It involves alternating between high carb and low carb days. Ideally, you should eat most of your carbs on training days, and keep them to a minimum on your off days. Some athletes stay on a low carb diet for five consecutive days and load up on carbs over the weekend. There are various ways to implement carb cycling, so try to figure out what works best for you. This dietary pattern keeps your metabolism up and prevents thyroid shutdown, muscle loss, and fatigue.