Get big and ripped twice as fast!

To star in your own body transformation, master the five steps for rapid-fire fat loss.

We've all seen hundreds of those 90-day makeovers showing side-by-side pics of an out-of-shape guy who has transformed his physique into that of a rock-hard stud. In every case, the body on the right looks far bigger and better. That's one of the illusions competitive bodybuilders and fitness buffs have known about for decades: the magic of looking bigger by becoming more ripped.

The steps to make it happen are:

Re-jiggering a diet to burn more fat while consuming fewer calories

Doing smart cardio to burn more fat and total calories

Tweaking your training to retain muscle size in a calorie-deficient environment

Focusing on smart recovery to ensure you're ready for your next bout

It's virtually impossible to get bigger and leaner simultaneously. Most people who attempt both end up accomplishing neither.

It makes sense, then, to do what every physique athlete or bodybuilder does pre-contest: drill down to reveal their inner ripped, lean physique. What makes this article different from others, however, is that we're aiming to do it in half the time! That means amplifying some of the major variables, which we discuss below.

One final note before we dive in. You need to have some muscle already to reveal said muscle during fat loss. If you embark on a get-ripped plan without any foundation of muscle, you're going to end up 

..looking like a prisoner of war—probably not the look you're after.