23 Time-Tested Tips To Get Shredded in 2026

Short description:

In this episode of The Eric Bach Show, Eric walks through 23 battle-tested strategies to get legitimately shredded in 2026 without wrecking your hormones, your joints, or your sanity. From calories and macros to training, sleep, stress, and environment, this is a full roadmap for busy adults who want to get lean and stay lean without living in the gym.

What you’ll learn:

Fat loss fundamentals:

– How fast you can realistically lose fat without burning off muscle (usually about 1–2 pounds per week).

– How to reverse-engineer your timeline instead of crash dieting and then rebounding.

– Why constantly program-hopping destroys progress.

Calories and macros:

– A simple starting point for calories: roughly bodyweight times 10 for fat loss.

– Why aiming for about 1 gram of protein per pound of target bodyweight works well for most people.

– How to use carbs to fuel training instead of cutting them to zero.

– Why very aggressive deficits and extreme low-carb approaches often backfire on hormones, thyroid, and performance.

Deficit limits:

– Why you generally shouldn’t diet harder than about a 30% calorie deficit for long periods.

– How pushing too hard leads to lower energy, reduced movement, higher cravings, and brutal plateaus.

Food quality and structure:

– The “foods that had a face or came from the ground” rule.

– Why minimally processed, single-ingredient foods simplify fat loss and improve fullness.

– The power of eating the same meals on repeat to reduce decisions and cravings.

– How consistent meal timing can make hitting your targets almost automatic.

Environment design:

– How to set up your kitchen and home so you are not relying on willpower all day.

– Why keeping trigger foods around is like trying to be sober while living in a bar.

Movement, steps, and cardio:

– Why aiming for around 10,000 steps per day is such a powerful fat loss tool.

– The benefits of short, 10-minute walks after meals for blood sugar and appetite.

– How to use cardio intelligently without turning your life into endless treadmill sessions.

Training to get shredded:

– Why you should be lifting weights at least 3–4 times per week when getting lean.

– The key movement patterns to build your training around: squats, hinges, pushes, pulls, lunges, and carries.

– A simple, effective workout structure: 4–6 main exercises per session, heavier strength work first, then higher-rep hypertrophy work, and optional finishers.

– Why including jumps and throws keeps you athletic, powerful, and more resilient as you age.

Hydration, electrolytes, and recovery:

– How hydration and electrolytes can improve pumps, performance, and joint comfort when calories and carbs are lower.

– Why recovery becomes even more important when you’re dieting.

Supplements (no BS):

– Protein powder as a convenient food, not magic.

– When intra-workout carbs can help support performance and immune function during a cut.

– Core supplements Eric often uses: fish oil, vitamin D, creatine, and magnesium.

Sleep and lifestyle:

– Why sleep is one of the most underrated fat loss tools.

– A simple sleep routine structure (like cutting off caffeine, food, work, and screens at progressive times before bed).

– How better sleep leads to more willpower, fewer cravings, better hormones, and better training.

Alcohol:

– Why cutting alcohol to a low weekly number (or close to zero) dramatically improves results.

– The impact of alcohol on sleep, cravings, inflammation, and hormone levels.

Mindset and stress:

– How short daily meditation and unplugged walks reduce stress and improve decision-making.

– Why gratitude and progress tracking keep you focused on your own journey instead of comparing yourself to others.

– The importance of cutting out negative inputs like toxic people, junk content, and constant distractions.

Consistency and identity:

– Why “one bad meal” or “one missed workout” only hurts you if you let it turn into a bad week.

– The idea that the best diet is the one you can stick to when life is chaotic, not just when life is perfect.

– How to stop waiting for the perfect time and start now, even if life is busy.

– The importance of committing to the process and your standards instead of obsessing over the scale.

Who this episode is for:

– Men and women who want to get seriously lean in 2026 without wrecking their metabolism.

– Busy professionals who need a practical, sustainable plan instead of a six-week crash diet.

– Anyone tired of starting over every January and ready to make this the last “transformation” they ever have to do from scratch.

Work with Eric:

If you want a step-by-step plan built around your life, training, nutrition, stress, and recovery so you can look great naked without living in the gym, apply for coaching at:

bachperformance.com/coaching