Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Zero Day: My "Secret" Pictures Revealed After 3 Years

Zero Day

G'day,

Before I tell you who I am I will let you in what this blog is all about.

This is a real time physique transformation with daily updates on my progress, my workouts, my nutrition plan and my thoughts and feelings. In order to hold myself totally accountable I will also publish daily pictures of my progress along with the occasional video.

This is an ongoing process not an exact science. I am a real live human being posting on this blog. I am not a bodybuilding pro trying to pad my ego. I'm just a regular guy using 100% natural methods to try and get into shape. What you see here is a real guy just posting his thoughts and feelings as I go through this process.

Like anything else you read on the web these days take everything I say with a grain of salt. With that said, if I am successful in transforming my body I do hope you may be able to learn a thing or two that you can use yourself to transform your body.

All in all, my mission here is two-fold. First I want to hold myself accountable to my program by forcing myself to post daily updates and pictures (except for rest days).

Secondly, I hope to inspire anyone out there (you?) reading my posts that a physique transformation is possible within 12 weeks if you follow a few simple (not easy) guidelines. Thats right you can use me as your guinea pig as I discover what works and what doesn't.

So who am I? Well, I am an Aussie living and working in Japan, who is quite frankly fed up with not being in shape. In a "previous life" 6 years ago I was in great shape reaching a bodyfat of 8% down from 17% after doing Body For Life (an intense 12 week program). In the pictures below you can see the result of my previous efforts.


Here is my BFL certificate from Bill Phillips.


I continued to train hard 6 days a week for the next 10 months and maintained a lean shape.

Even though I was proud of my acheivement I still didn't really know squat about fitness.

I just followed the same program 6 days a week for the whole 10 months, it never even occured to me that I could mix it up a little. Truth be told, my ego also exploded out of all proportion. All the new-found attention I got from friends and acquaintances went right to my head.

In retrospect I went on a downward spiral the day after I finished my initial 12 week challenge. Even though I continued to train hard I partied way too hard in the night-time for someone who preached the benefits of fitness in the daytime. It wasn't long before I began to pay the price.

My workouts soon suffered until boredom and tiredness set in to the point where one morning I just said "stuff it!" and decided to sleep in. That little sleep-in turned into days, then weeks and then months. By the time I had woken from my slumber I was back up to 20% bodyfat.

You know what happens next...apathy, self-pity and guilt consumed me. "After all that hard work, how could I just let myself go like that!"

Man, I am so sick of living in the past. It's time for me to get real. So, for the past 6 months I immersed myself into fitness books and videos trying to work out the best program for me. I also got off my ass and went to the gym to prepare and fine-tune my approach.

Let me tell you a secret...right now my bodyfat is again at 20% which I am actually happy with becuase I really "blew out" to proportions so huge that would make you physically ill.

WARNING! Right this minute I have decided to upload the pictures I am talking about. These "before" pictures were taken in July 2003 on another one of my failed attempts to get back into shape. I have been deeply ashamed of these images for a long time. If you look into my eyes you can actually see sadness and depression written all over my face.

It is still hard for me to look at these pictures now. However, I want this blog to be about truth from the word go. In time I believe it will be cathartic for me to release all the skeletons in my closet. Let's face it, none of us are perfect, we all screw up now and again. I'm no different to you, or anybody else in that respect.

Here are the "secret' pictures I have kept hidden for 3 years.


















Ok, that's enough negative energy. Right now it's time for me to "pull the trigger" and dial it in for the next 12 weeks. I'm talking about the whole package: cardio, weights, nutrition and mind power.

That's right baby!

It's time to make a comeback!

Peace, AJ