shredded muscles

Meanings

1. 1phrasepluralinformalsport

   Muscles that look lean and clearly separated because body fat is very low, so the individual muscle shapes are easy to see.

   Grammar: Always plural and used with a plural verb: his shredded muscles look... You would not say 'a shredded muscle' for this meaning.

   Patterns

   • have shredded muscles
   • get shredded muscles
   • show off shredded muscles

   After six months of dieting and lifting, he finally had shredded muscles.

   Her shredded muscles were obvious in the stage photos.

   You do not get shredded muscles from cardio alone.

2. 2phrasepluralinformalsport

   A very low level of body fat combined with visible muscle separation, treated as a training goal.

   Grammar: Often used after verbs like want, chase or achieve, and it names a condition rather than a body part.

   Patterns

   • chase shredded muscles
   • achieve shredded muscles
   • be after shredded muscles

   He is chasing shredded muscles before the summer.

   Getting shredded muscles takes months of careful eating.

   Their coach warned that shredded muscles are not healthy for everyone.

Common combinations

get shredded

He spent the whole spring trying to get shredded.

shredded physique

The magazine praised his shredded physique.

ripped muscles

Fans compared his ripped muscles to a statue's.

low body fat

Low body fat is what makes the muscle lines show.

muscle definition

Good lighting makes muscle definition look stronger.

Synonyms and how they differ

ripped

Very close in gym talk, but 'ripped' describes the whole person, while 'shredded muscles' names the muscles themselves.

lean

'Lean' means little fat but does not promise that the muscles are visibly separated, so it is a weaker claim.

toned

'Toned' suggests firm, slightly visible muscle and is milder and more common in general fitness talk.

defined

'Defined' is the neutral, non-slang word for muscles whose outlines are clear.

Word family

shred verb

To cut or tear into thin strips; in gym slang, to lose fat until muscles show.

shredded adjective

In fitness talk, extremely lean and muscular; otherwise, cut into thin pieces.

shredding noun

Gym slang for a fat-loss phase that aims at visible muscle.

Commonly confused: shredded muscles or torn muscle? shredded muscles or muscular?

Practice

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