Day 324: Daily Physique Pictures - A Double Edged Sword?

G'day,

Ooohhh man...another intense training session today!

Fat Loss Circuit Training Progressive Overload

I went all out on Fat Loss Circuit Training (FLCT) for Part 2 - from the Metabolic Surge training program I am following for M3: Phase 2 - which consisted of circuit sets for shoulders, triceps, quads and hamstrings.

What makes FLCT so intense is the fact that the 40 sec. "rest period" calls for HIIT cardio. So basically there is no rest period on FLCT, you go full-on for the duration doing a total of 22 weight training sets combined with 880 seconds of HIIT cardio!

The great news is that today I increased rep counts for shoulders (15 kg dumbbell press) and weight increments for quads (105 kg squats) from my previous FLCT workout.

Increased Cardio Capacity

I also noticed a dramatic increase in cardio capacity for my HIIT cardio "rest periods" doing skipping (I prefer skipping because it is a stationary exercise that doesn't tie up other cardio equipment in the gym).

After the first 10 sets of skipping I usually switch from "double jump" to "single step" skipping, however today I was able to maintain the more difficult "double jump" technique for the whole 22 sets!

My M3 Success Is Inevitable, Or Is It?

Clearly I am gaining strength and endurance as I progress through the final stages of Mission 3, as these numbers don't lie. As I have said many times previously I am now lifting, benching and squatting more than at any time in my life.

Now couple these gains with the "positive pressure" that real-time accountability forces upon me through uploading daily pictures onto this blog, and it is inevitable that I will reach my goal of a shredded six-pack by Day 365, or is it?

My M3 "Holding Pattern"

I gotta be honest, I sometimes feel that my daily pictures don't reflect the gains I am making. I actually have that feeling today, it looks as though I went backwards from yesterday as there is less sharpness in my abdominal region.

Truth be told, I have felt this way for a while now. I feel like I've been in a "holding pattern" for a large portion of Mission 3. I know I have made incremental gains, especially when I compare my Day 230 pictures to today.

However, since I got back from Australia on Day 281 I don't see much progress in my physique even though I have been training my butt off consistently during this time!

Why M1 Was Different

I think the problem I have is I keep comparing myself to the massive progress I made during Mission 1, where almost every day my body transformed in a forward manner. Looking back now, I am almost amazed at the progress I made during M1.

However, the big difference with M1 was the fact that I channeled my 6 years of pent-up anger, depression and frustration into those 12 weeks. As I spoke about 7 days ago in my Day 317: Pain Vs. Regret blog post, I took full responsibility for where I had found myself and understood that the "pain" I was about to unleash on myself was a necessary part of the process.

To be honest I don't feel that way anymore. I now wake up every day happy and content that I am finally living my dreams, and the fact that I have maintained a decent physique for 9 months now!

I Have Three Questions, What Do You Think?

Anyway, back to the title of today's blog post!

In light of my limited visual progress over last 2 months, is taking daily pictures a double edged sword?

Is it possible that you may lose confidence and self-esteem if your daily pictures aren't showing the progress that you feel you should be making?

Is it possible that this daily accountability strategy can backfire on you and cause you to quit?

My answer to these questions and the reason why I think so will be revealed tomorrow.

In the meantime, I'd like to hear your thoughts and experiences on your own daily/weekly/monthly progress picture strategy and how it has impacted your overall physique transformation progress.

Until tomorrow...

Eat Clean,
Shred Hard,
Think BIG!

Cheers,
Adam Waters, NESTA-CPT

P.S. Below are Day 324 pics for September 28, 2007: Mission 3 Phase 2 - Day 30 of 70