Day 33 Pics: Back After A Well-Earned Break & Why You Need To Rest

Day 33 of 84

Status - Round 4: Phase 1: Day 1

G'day,

Well, that was a nice break. I took 3 days off after going for 29 days straight. Even though I had taken a few single days off in the 29 day period this was my first break with consecutive days off.

Taking a break from your regular training and nutrition plan is very important for a few reasons. First and foremost it gives your body a rest and allows you to physically re-charge your batteries. Secondly, it also gives you a mental break from the day-to-day grind which is just as important as the physical rest. Thirdly, a rest from training also prevents over-training which can lead to injuries and allows for little "niggles" or "twinges" to recover.

Finally the rest you take can also co-coincide with a couple of "reward meals" like ice cream, pizza, beer...whatever you want as long as you don't go overboard! My favouites are oreos, choc ice cream and fried chicken, of which I partook.

I timed my rest period to coincide with my work Christmas party which was last Friday night (December 8, 2006). It was the first time I had let my hair down for a month. The nice thing is that I received a lot of nice comments on my obvious physique change.

Never underestimate the power of positive feedback. It gives me validation that my physique transformation is working and also the motivation to keep going and really "blow their minds" in the coming weeks. The feeling you get when you can wear nice clothes that reveal your physique is also a blast. Other people really can notice not only your physique but also your new-found confidence and "swagger."

Now don't get me wrong, you should not attempt to undertake a physique transformation to get other people's approval or validation. If this is your primary focus I guarantee you that you won't get far. It must start with you, you must find and locate your primary reason that ignites your fire.

Your inspiration, goals, reasons and motivation must be internal. Using external reasons that are beyond your control is a great way to set yourself up for failure. Anyhow, the truth is that most people couldn't really care less what your physique goals are, including your family and closest friends. They will only start to take notice once you have done the "hard yards" yourself.

Back to today...I did a double whammy of "Fat Loss circuit Training" in the morning and HIIT cardio on the treadmill with a session of abs in the evening. My circuit training is similar to my previous session (don't know what that was? check out Day 25). My cardio session was high intensity, even with my 3 day rest I was able to hit my cycle of 6, 12, 14, 16 km/h with 2 minutes of 16km/h on the last cycle. All the proof I need to know that my rest was a positive factor.

Well, here are Day 34 pics for December 11, 2006.

P.S. Tomorrow I'll fill you in on how to use the power of visualization in a fun easy way.

Cheers, AJ