1. sports
2. bodybuilding

ULTRA-LEAN
NUTRITION GUIDE
EXPERT TRAINING
TIPS & ADVICE
EXCLUSIVE ATHLETE
INTERVIEW
THE
EDITION
contents.
THE RIPPEDCORE EDITION
2
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
10
3 TOP TIPS TO GET RIPPED
12
6 PACK POWER GUIDE
13
6 PACK WORKOUT
15
get ripped with JAE.
James 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.
James Alexander-Ellis
WBFF Pro Muscle Model
James Alexander-Ellis
Follow James on Twitter @Jamesalexander
3
RIPPEDCORE ULTRA-LEAN
4
4 rules to get ripped.
As a personal trainer, it’s 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. What’s more, it’s 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 calories
Rule 2: Manipulate your
macros
When it comes to getting ripped, you need to
instruct your body to tap-into stored body fat
for energy. However, while it’s 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 – you’ll 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 you’re 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.
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, it’s beneficial to deplete muscle glycogen
for several days during the week. It’s 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 you’ll also
find it physiologically harder to mobilise and burn
adipose tissue effectively!
Rule 3: Protein
protection
Protein is the easy part of the fat loss equation,
Rule 4: Cheat on your
diet!
I’m 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!
RIPPEDCORE ULTRA-LEAN
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 it’s 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.
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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RIPPEDCORE ULTRA-LEAN
the rippedcore diet.
Meals
The Sci-ence
Meal 1 - 6am, meat & nut breakfast:
Skipping 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, you’ll 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 don’t 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.
The ‘Meat & Nut Breakfast’ has been made
famous by Charles Poliquin, one of the globe’s
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 RIPPEDCORE
TM
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. Don’t be shy with the green veg, it’s
vitally important if you’re cutting back on fruit
to reduce your carbs!
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.
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
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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.
No pain - no gain! workouts for
rapid fat loss & definition
RIPPEDCORE ULTRA-LEAN
high intensity training.
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 fullbody 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 defined
Once you’ve performed your weekly strength
workout, it’s 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 style
When 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. It’s 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 you’re winning!
Sweat: Aim to have your training T or vest
drenched in the labour of your workout by the
time you’re done - a guaranteed sign of working
at an optimal intensity! However, make sure you’re
replacing the fluid as you train.
Heat: A workout that makes you seriously hot
is an excellent sign that you’re 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 it’s 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!
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RIPPEDCORE ULTRA-LEAN
the HIIT challenge.
MONDAY
Workout 1: Strength training
Squat x 5-10 reps
Bench Press x 5-10 reps
Chin-up x 5-10 reps
Deadlift x 5-10 reps
Complete 3 circuits
x5-10
x5-10
x5-10
x5-10
TUESDAY
Workout 2: The miracle mile
1 mile run
Pull-ups x 100
Push-ups x 200
Squats x 300
1 mile run
Time: As fast as you can!
1 MILE
x100
x200
x300
1 MILE
WEDNESDAY
Workout 3: Brutal back burner
500m row
Deadlift x 15
Weighted crunches x 5
Crunches x 20
Time: As many rounds as you
can in 30-40 minutes
500M
x15
x5+20
THURSDAY
Workout 4: Lactic leg hell
Front squat x 12
Bench press x 15
Front squat x 12
Bench press x 15
400m sprint, rest 2 minutes
200m sprint, rest 2 minutes
100m sprint
Time: As fast as you can!
x12
x15
x12
x15
400m,200m, 100m
FRIDAY
Workout 5: Interval training
Warm-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
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INTERVALS
Support your diet with precision nutrition
Feel the
burn!
It’s 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.
Post-workout primer
RIPPEDCORE ULTRA-LEAN
rippedcore nutrition.
After training, your
muscles will be
trashed if you’re
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.
Amplify
effort
If 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!
9
RIPPEDCORE ULTRA-LEAN
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: You’re an elite fitness model. Does this mean you’re ripped all year round?
JAE: I’m not 100% ripped all year round, since it’s 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 you’ll be able to keep it under 12% even if
you start training for serious gains. When you approach the 12% mark, you’ll know it’s 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 it’s 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 you’re 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! It’s 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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SCI-MX: Do your clients have a fear of losing weight when thinking about getting ripped?
RIPPEDCORE ULTRA-LEAN
regular refeeds. This is also the point when extra cardio may be necessary. If you’re not already using a
good quality supplement like SHRED-X RIPPEDCORETM, it can make a real difference.
JAE: Most guys who train with weights want to look and feel ‘big’ – it’s 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 he’s 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, don’t forget that when you get ripped, you’ll often look bigger with your shirt
off thanks to your muscle definition. What’s more, your strength:weight ratio can sky-rocket! It’s also
worth taking a look at elite MMA fighters – these guys are ‘light’ but they’re seriously powerful and very
muscular.
Super lean
smoothie recipe
Ingredients
2 scoops WHEY PLUS RIPPEDCORETM
1 tablespoon natural almond butter
1 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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RIPPEDCORE ULTRA-LEAN
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.
Get ripped supplement strategy
Upgrade your effort
Night time optimisation
X-PLODE RIPPEDCORETM contains a blend of
scientific nutrients targeted to boost workout
intensity, pump and burn, while reducing the risk
of workout fatigue.
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.
Optimise intra-workout
muscle nutrition
AMINO 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 support
WHEY 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.
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All your 6-pack
questions answered
RIPPEDCORE ULTRA-LEAN
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, doesn’t 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, it’s a myth that doing hundreds of
sit-ups builds the best 6-pack. In reality, to build abs that ‘pop’ like a fitness model’s, 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: What’s the best exercise plan for getting a ripped core?
Answer: You’ll 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 freeweights 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.
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RIPPEDCORE ULTRA-LEAN
6 pack power guide.
What about cardio?
When it comes to ripping fat from your body and
maintaining lean muscle, it’s very tempting to
hit the treadmill to ‘burn the calories’. However,
according to JAE, cardio should be
used strategically.
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.
Effective interval
training workout:
Warm-up
Phase 1: 30 seconds high intensity + 30 seconds
low intensity x 5-10 rounds
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. What’s more, he points out
that low intensity cardio has been proven to be an
ineffective way to get ripped.
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Phase 2: 10 second sprint + 30 seconds recovery
x 5-10 rounds
Cool-down
Here’s an awesome circuit workout that’s designed specifically to
trash your abs. Get it into your routine once a week and you’ll be well
on your way to 6-pack glory.
RIPPEDCORE ULTRA-LEAN
6 pack workout.
How to do the workout?
Perform each exercise in a circuit style without resting
Take each set to muscular failure
Start with a very heavy set of 5 reps
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 3: 12 reps
Circuit 2: 8 reps
Circuit 4: 15 reps
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, you’re forced to keep your torso rigid and upright as you descend deep
and then explode upwards. If you don’t - you’ll 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.
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.
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©SCI-MX Nutrition LLP 2014