Why I Started RTP Blog

G'day,

I am a 33 year-old Aussie living and working in Japan.

I started this blog (my second blogging attempt!) on November 8, 2006.

As of today, Day 510: April 1, 2008 I have posted 530 blog entries (almost daily) consisting of my "real-time" thoughts and experiences as I have progressed through mind and body.

In regards to accountability, which is the cornerstone of this blog I take daily pictures to keep the pressure on as I undertake each mission.

I have posted extensively on the four major components I believe are required to make a full-blooded physique transformation: mindset; weight training; cardio and nutrition which you can read more about in the Categories section in the right-hand nav bar.

While I am a certified personal trainer (I got it on Day 177!) I have to stress that what has worked for me may not work for you in the exact same way.

TV Clip On My Weight Loss Story

If you'd like a video overview of who I am and what this blog is all about you can watch this TV Clip below which was broadcast on national TV in Japan on Day 340: October 14, 2007 to 5,000,000 people. They filmed me for 4 hours at the gym and in my house. They then edited it down to a 3 minute segment!

Why I Started This Blog...

First and foremost I want to stress that I am a regular guy with a full-time job not related to fitness. This real-time physique transformation accountability project is something I do in my spare time.

Everything you see on this blog: the written posts; the images; the graphics and the videos have been created by me (Translation: I don't have a staff who does all this for me!).

The truth is that I am no different to you or anyone else. If you so desire you could do the same as me. In fact I would be honored if you started your own real-time physique blog if you are inspired by what you have seen here!

What This Blog Is Really All About

This real-time physique transformation journey is not about changing my body, it's about changing my life. Since November 8, 2006 I have achieved many long-held dreams that I had just about given up on.

After 6 years of "failed" attempts to get back into shape I decided to take yet another crack at transforming my physique, because I knew deep down that a successful physique transformation over 12 weeks would be the catalyst to completely transform my life.

I was right! Since taking action on November 8, 2006 the following "events" have occurred:

• Day 45: After 14 years I finally fit into my board shorts again!
  
• Day 65: I became a published fitness writer for Tom Venuto's private membership site.
• Day 84: I successfully completed Mission 1 decreasing my bodyfat from 20.8% to 10.3%.
  
• Day 116: I got a new pair of jeans that measured 31 inches around my waist!
  
• Day 136: I held a public vote (and won!) on whether my midsection qualified as a six-pack.
• Day 140: By winning the public six-pack vote I was able to go on my "redemption trip" to Phuket!
• Day 177: I finally got my personal trainer certification (after 6 years of procrastination).
• Day 184: I started the RTP VIP Newsletter built on the "mastermind" concept.
• Day 202: After having 4 exclusive articles published at the Inner Circle, Tom Venuto made me an official contributor.
• Day 230: After 95 days of trials and tribulations since I finished Mission 2 I decided to get back in the game and start Mission 3.
  
• Day 331: My videos on YouTube reach 500,000 combined views!
• Day 340 AM: Tom Venuto features me on his Burn The Fat Blog.
• Day 340 PM: I launch www.RTP-Store.com, the place to get your RTP Training Gear and accessories.
• Day 340 PM: A 5-minute profile on me was broadcast on national TV in Japan to an audience of 5,000,000 people.
• Day 342: I made public my plan to start and RTP Online Coaching Service (and got a massive response!).
• Day 352: The First RTP Group Shred goes live. 14 days of real-time accountability for 14 Certified Shredders.
• Day 365: Closing book on my first year of (almost) daily accountability with the Shredder Council.
  

I attribute everything above to my increased drive and ability to take action since I started transforming my physique back in Mission 1. Transforming your body day-by-day really is a great metaphor for life changes.

While I have had to sacrifice and reign in my "old habits" I wouldn't change anything about this journey. Like anything in life, your rewards are commensurate with the effort you put in.

*Check out the Shredder Council & ShredderSphere in the right-hand nav bar for other people who have started their own real-time accountability blogs.

My 7 Year Journey

After 6 years of misery, depression, shame, embarrassment and failed attempts to get in shape I finally took massive action (and followed through) with an old idea on November 8, 2006.

The 16 pictures below document the real-life physique transformation journey I have been on over the last 7 years - including the 6 years of failure I often refer to in my earlier blog posts.

The first 4-picture slide details my Body For Life 12-week challenge success, subsequent burnout and my ultimate descent into depression and apathy. As you can probably tell there was a lot that "happened to me" between the third and forth picture that resulted in me stacking on an extra 34 kg's.

The next 4-picture slide details my failed attempts to get in shape between 2004 and 2006. Yes that's right, they are all "before pictures" with no corresponding "after picture". Believe it or not I have many more "before pics" in my picture vault!

Now for the good part! This 4-picture slide details the progress I made every 4 weeks over Mission 1. Finally, after 6 years of failed attempts I regained control of my life!

The last 4-picture slide details the progress I made during Mission 2 which was a 46-day "six-pack shred mission". This was an extremely intense time as I put my prepaid holiday to Phuket (worth $1,500) on the line and let the public vote on whether my midsection qualified as a six-pack.

Anyway, back to my reasoning for starting this blog. That "old idea" I talked about above was to start a blog/journal and document every single day of my fat loss journey with real-time pictures and progress reports in order to hold myself publicly accountable to my dreams and goals.

I did this because I never wanted to go back to my previous depressed and obese state. As you can see from my results pictures this "daily accountability" strategy has been successful for me.

Life Really Is A Journey

However, I have since discovered that life really is a journey, there is no destination. This is why I will continue to set new goals, publish daily pictures and progress reports for the foreseeable future.

I am also doing this because I hope to inspire and inform people on a fat loss journey that you really can turn your life around in a short period of time. Depending on where you are starting from, sometimes as little as 12 weeks is enough, as it was for me in Mission 1.

This process of blogging daily has also been very cathartic for me as I have exorcised some "demons" and finally got off my chest 6 years worth of guilt and apathy. The truth is that this blog was 6 years in the making, that's why I have been so "motivated" and disciplined in posting (almost daily) since November 8, 2006.

I also highly recommend this approach for anyone who desires "positive pressure" and real-time accountability on their physique transformation journey. Please don't be daunted by this blog as I have built it slowly over time. The most important thing is just to start!

Mission Facts:

Mission 1: 84 Days from November 8, 2006 to January 31, 2007. I added 1.7 kg's of muscle, and dropped my bodyfat from 20.8% to 10.3%.





Mission 2: 46 Days from Feb 7, 2007 to March 24, 2007. Dropped bodyfat from 10.3% to 6.5%. I held a public vote on Day 136 (Day 46 of M2) as to whether my midsection qualified as a six-pack. At stake was my pre-paid $1,500 "redemption trip" to Phuket (I won the vote!).




Mission 3: After 95 days of trials, tribulations and injury I started Mission 3 which went for 135 days from June 26, 2007 to November 8, 2007 to get back in the groove and live up to what this blog is all about (again!)



Important Note Regarding My Transformations:

The results I have achieved thus far are from 100% natural methods. These results are consistent with eating clean, training hard and thinking big.

Just for the record, I will restate below my RTP Ethos:

NO Drugs
NO "Physique Enhancing" Supplements
NO Fad Diets
NO "Secret Workout Routines"
NO Shortcuts
NO Magic Bullets

If you take the time to read through every blog post you'll discover that I am true to my word.

I have never used, promoted or endorsed: drug use; supplements or fad diets; shortcuts or "easy solutions"; and I have also been completely open about my specific workout and nutrition plans (you can read more about these below).

Just a quick word on supplements. I do take protein powder (for portability), antioxidants and omega supplements (for general health). However, I don't take (or promote) any "fat burners" or "muscle gainers" including creatine and glutamine, etc. In my opinion they are not required to transform your physique.

Whether you believe the sincerity of my RTP Ethos or not is up to you. I am well aware that some people refuse to believe that I got my results naturally. To those people I would just say, "Why don't you try a 12 week intensive program and see what happens?"

The Results I Have Achieved Are NOT Extraordinary

Trust me, there are literally tens of thousands of people all over the world who have done similar transformations. My results are not extraordinary. The human body is capable of massive change when you set your mind to a goal and follow through with the required daily actions.

The other thing you may not know is that this blog was "secret" for the first 42 days. No one knew I was doing this (not even my own family!). The reason why I kept it "secret" was because this was a very personal project. I wasn't doing it to impress anyone else, I was doing it to hold myself accountable.

At the end of the day, I know who I am and what I have done. My results are on the board and whether you choose to learn from me and implement my advice is totally up to you.

This Blog Was "Secret" For The First 42 Days

However, since I went "public" on Day 42 the response to this blog and my videos has been overwhelmingly positive. I've formed friendships with people from all four corners of the globe.

Many people have opened up to me and told me of their personal battles with weight and how they have been inspired by me. It still amazes me that I have inspired people to start/continue their weight loss journey because in the 6 years I failed to get into shape I could barely inspire myself!

I guess this goes to show that we all have the capacity to transform our own lives and touch people with our journey. All it takes is hard work, discipline and being laser-focused on your goals and dreams. Like anything in life your greatest rewards will often be borne out of your greatest challenges.

You Alone Will Determine Your Success!

We are all different, we all have our own story's, our own motivations and reasons for starting a physique transformation program. We are also all different physiologically in regards to body types, caloric intake & expenditure, training experience and pain tolerance (amongst a whole host of other factors).

With that said, I have outlined a lot of principles on this blog in regards to rapid fat loss that are known the world over by many fitness experts who practice what they preach. At the end of the day, if you follow a few basic principles in regards to mindset, training and nutrition you will see results.

Of course, the level of your discipline in executing these principles will determine how fast and how great your success is. Only you can determine the outcome, there are no magic bullets, no fad diets, no secret workout routines and no gurus who will (or can) do the job for you.

Free Tips From 411 Previous Blog Posts

If you take the time to read some of my earlier blog posts from Mission 1, 2 & 3 you will find a ton of free tips and insights I learned as I progressed. For ease of navigation you will see links to some of these earlier blog posts in the right-hand nav bar.

If you are someone who is truly interested in transforming your physique in the shortest time possible you could start at Zero Day and read every single blog entry up to present day for tips on mindset, training, abs and nutrition. This will not cost you a penny.

You could also use this blog in "real-time" to hold yourself accountable on a daily basis by checking in daily or weekly. Knowing that someone is (or has been) in a similar situation as you can be very empowering if you harness it correctly.

One more thing, the contents of this blog will always remain intact and free to access. I only ask that you respect international copyright law and do not re-print or re-distribute any of the articles, images and videos contained on this blog without my written consent.

No Paid Advertising Used Or Accepted

It is also important to note that I have not used any paid advertising to attract visitors to this blog. Every single one of the 159,148 visits to this blog since November 8, 2006 have come here of their own free will.

I also do not accept any advertising from supplement/fitness companies. Put simply, I am not owned by anyone! Every blog post consists entirely of my own thoughts, I am not swayed by anyone else's opinion or the "establishment".

RTP Online Coaching Coming Soon...

N.B. I am currently putting together an RTP Online Physique Transformation Coaching Program with the sole intent of personally helping as many people as my time will allow.

I will lay out out my whole system, everything from mindset, goals, accountability structures, fat loss training strategies, six-pack shredding, advanced nutrition, blogging, movie-making and a whole lot more.

If you are interested you can Click Here to fill out a survey and register your interest. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.


The RTP Mastermind

Once I finished my second mission I decided to create a community around this blog based on the "mastermind principle". My goal is to surround myself with like-minded people on a physique transformation who "get it". Through the "mastermind principle" we can all continually hold each other accountable via this support network.

That is why I started the RTP VIP Newsletter and wrote the free downloadable report My Biggest Secret. I also put other people's blogs in my navigation bar under the RTP VIP BlogRoll. The RTP VIP BlogRoll is the just first of many ideas I will soon be implementing.

Click Here To Go To www.RTP-VIP.com

My Workout And Nutrition Plan

If you are seeking more information on my workout routine and nutrition plan please take the time to research the books I have personally used (and blogged about) that are listed below.

These are the only fitness books I recommend for fast fat loss. This is due to my personal experience and the results I have gotten from these eBooks since November 8, 2006.

*I have implemented the workout and nutrition advice from these 3 eBooks for Mission 1, Mission 2 and Phase 1 of Mission 3. The focus of these eBooks is rapid fat loss.

If you are interested in pure muscle gain I will reveal the "natural muscle gain" eBook I have chosen to follow at a later time.

1) Fat Burning Nutrition/Mindset:
Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle by Tom Venuto

Important Update: If you order Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle (BFFM) through this blog you now qualify for my new RTP Supplement Report and BFFM Support Zone Access. Click on my Day 166 blog post below for details.

Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle by Tom Venuto. This is the best-selling fat loss eBook on the entire Internet with good reason. Tom is a lifetime natural bodybuilder who knows his stuff.

I constantly refer to BFFM when designing new nutrition plans and adjusting existing ones. I also follow Tom's advice and use NO supplements (except protein powder). This saves me thousands of dollars a year.

I have also implemented Tom's extensive advice on goals, mindset and how to program your subconscious mind for success. Trust me, this is the major factor in any successful physique transformation attempt.

Click here for my detailed Day 166 blog post for RTP Supplement Report & BFFM Support Bonus and my personal experience with Tom.

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2) Fat Loss Training:
Metabolic Surge by Nick Nilsson

Important Update: If you order Metabolic Surge through this blog you now qualify for my new Maximize Surge: Membership Course. Click on my Day 75 blog post below for Maximize Surge bonus details.

Metabolic Surge by Nick Nilsson is the specific exercise program I have followed since November 8, 2006. Nick outlines a precise 46 day program that I doubled up on during Mission 1 and used exactly for Mission 2.

I have also used Nick's nutrition plan as a guide to follow because it syncs up perfectly with his fat loss training program. However, I did make adjustments to his nutrition plan because I live in Japan so the menu plans offered in the book are not available over here.Nick goes above and beyond the call of duty with this eBook, nothing is left to chance.

One more thing...you won't believe the price!

Click Here for more info on Maximize Surge at my Day 74 blog post and my personal experience with Nick and Metabolic Surge

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3) Six-Pack Training:
Firm & Flatten Your Abs by David Grisaffi

Important Update: If you order Flatten Your Abs (FYA) through this blog you now qualify for my new Flatten Your Abs Support Bonus. Click my Day 78 post below for details on FYA Bonus.

Firm & Flatten Your Abs by David Grisaffi. This is the abdominal training book I followed throughout Mission 1 and Mission 2.

David has a 7 level system of building up your abs and more importantly, crucial advice on how to lower your body fat to reveal them. I highly recommend this ebook as I can finally see my abs after 7 years, its a great feeling!

By the way, Mission 2 culminated in a public vote over 12 hours on March 24, 2007 to determine whether my mid-section qualified as a six-pack. At stake was my $1,500 pre-paid "redemption trip" to Phuket. Get the inside story by watching the video on the below page link.

Click here for my detailed Day 78 blog post on David's book and the FYA Bonus.

You can choose whether you want to purchase the books or not. I do make a commission on the sale of these books but I have also done my best to include some valuable bonus items (based on my personal experience) for each book purchased.

Please understand that the information within these books is copyrighted so I am not allowed to re-produce the specific advice and workout routines on this blog. Also, if you would rather purchase these books from the original source you are free to do that as well.

I trust that this RTP Blog overview has helped clarify what this blog is all about.

Until next time...

Eat Clean,
Shred Hard,
Think BIG!

Peace,
Adam Waters, NESTA-CPT

P.S. Below is a compressed picture slide that documents (exactly!) the 8-year period between April 1, 2000 (taken in Melbourne, Australia) and April 1, 2008 (taken in New York City).