Shredmaxxing Protocol (Part 1)
Upregulate your Metabolism, Get Lean, Have Unlimited Energy
How to Get Shredded (Without Even Trying)
(Update: I launched the advanced shredmaxxing protocol part 2 here)
Guys. I finally did it. After years of fidgeting with macros, intermittent fasting, and diet “hacks”, I finally got hyperlean. My visceral fat vanished, muscles are fuller, and vascularity is through the roof. Its like I re-wrote my midwest corn-fed genetics.
But I didn’t just get shredded. Every aspect of my life improved. More energy, better mood, better hormones. I transcended to a biologically better version of myself. I intentionally went off of this protocol to “bulk” but soon realized how much better my life was when on this protocol.
This is what happens when you upregulate your metabolism. Everything runs smoother. You signal abundance and give your body what it needs. It does not need to hold onto fat for a rainy day because there are no rainy days.
That’s all that fat is, energy storage for when the going gets tough. This is why cortisol signals fat storage:
“uh oh, things are getting stressful. This must mean that food will be scarce soon. I better start saving some of the energy I eat for later” - Your Prehistoric physiology
This is a genius survival mechanism, but we live in a world of abundance, not scarcity. Overnutrition kills more people than undernutrition. So we can either starve ourself, or we can teach our body that it doesn’t have to be stingy with its energy. Like a sugar baby with an old man’s AMEX. Spend those kcals.
I call this the shredmaxxing protocol, but its so much more.
The “why do I feel so good all the time?” protocol
The “unlimited energy” protocol"
The “lean mean fighting machine” protocol
You get what I’m saying.
This protocol will give you everything you need to know about this non-traditional cutting method:
Diet
Supplementation
Lifestyle
Frequently Asked Questions
Acknowledgements:
I’ve pieced this protocol together for my own use case & needs. But this concept of upregulating your metabolism is far from new. I’ve taken inspiration from Thermobolic’s Potato diet, Anabology’s Honey diet, And Ray Peat’s findings on metabolism. Check them out for more nuance.
Not Just Leaner, Better
I didn’t just get lean, I became the most athletic I’ve ever been. I sprinted faster, jumped higher. I was in an incredible mood for 90 days straight. My testosterone stayed in the upper reference range (860ng/dl) at a bf% where most people would be hypothyroid & infertile.
Most importantly, it gave me an irreplicable lust for life. Childlike wonder. A twinkle in my eye
This may look restrictive, but once you hardwire this new “metabolic setting”, you can be flexible and still reap the rewards. This protocol makes you MORE resistant to indulgences that would otherwise be setbacks (alcohol, dessert, cheat meals).
Stop Starving, Start Burning
The gym-bro cutting method needs to die. Making yourself miserable for a bicep vein isn't worth giving yourself ED and irreparable hormonal damage. When you aggressively restrict calories, you're teaching your body to run on fumes:
Lower basal metabolic rate
Decreased calorie burn at rest
Suppressed thyroid function
Crashed sex hormones
Dead libido
Reduced leptin (hello cravings)
Compromised immune system
Brain fog and anxiety
And for what? To look like you don’t even lift in a T-shirt? Pass.
Then when you start eating normal calories again, your downregulated metabolism stores everything as fat. Programmed scarcity. You diet yourself into nutrient deficiencies and your body reacts with uncontrollable cravings
The key is to strategically signal abundance. Give your metabolism easy burning fuel most of the day, replenish essential macro & micronutrients on a daily and weekly cadence. Keep fats and carbs separate and keep your metabolism & mitochondria flourishing with physical activity, strategic supplementation, and a holistic lifestyle.
The Low-Down.
The playbook is as follows:
Only eat fruit until noon
Take strategic supplements to improve glucose utilization and nutrient shuttling
Get some form of physical activity before your lunch break
Treat fat like a supplement, avoid PUFAs, prioritize Saturated fats.
High protein, high carb meal for lunch (moderate/low fat)
Train low volume, high intensity to maintain muscle
High protein, high-fat meal for dinner
Lets get into it…
Rule #1: Only Fruit Until Noon
Leverage ‘Morning Metabolism’:
Your metabolism runs differently in the morning.
Insulin sensitivity is at its peak
Cortisol is naturally elevated