Muscles in high-definition

By Jay Blahnik

May 26, 2008 7 AM PT

Special to The Times

What is the secret to looking ripped? I lift weights, run and do yoga, but can’t seem to get my body as ripped and lean as I would like. Any suggestions?

Adam

Santa Monica

Most everyone has the ability to increase strength and muscle tone to some degree, but few have the genes to develop large muscles and the super-cut look often seen on models and actors.

To achieve the physique you want, you need significant levels of muscle mass -- attainable through strength-training. But you also must have very little fat in the areas where you want the ripped look.

Unfortunately for many people, genetics primarily determines where each of us stores our body fat, and even a little bit of fat in an undesirable place can prevent you from getting the look you want. For instance, you can work hard to have strong, toned abdominals, but not actually have a “six-pack” look because of a small (albeit healthy) amount of fat over your abdominal muscles.

An aggressive strength and cardio training program, along with a strict nutrition program, may help you gain muscle and reduce fat to achieve a more cut look. However, the lifestyle changes required to achieve this may simply be too difficult to maintain over time.

Most of the models, actors and others who do have this look have often been extremely lean since childhood -- and have an easier time achieving this goal. Quite simply, they usually don’t have any fat to lose in the first place.

For most people, a better goal is to build strength, muscle tone and a lean, healthy body without an expectation of being as perfectly lean as the men and women pictured in fitness magazines and on television. This is possible for most people without extreme workouts, nutrition programs or surgery -- and more likely to be maintained throughout your lifetime.

Jay Blahnik, a Laguna Beach-based personal trainer and IDEA Health & Fitness Assn. spokesman, has appeared in more than 25 videos and is the author of “Full-Body Flexibility.” He can be reached at jay@jay blahnik.com or health @latimes.com.