Day 315: A Six-Pack In 50 Days?

G'day,

I had a brainwave today! Maybe I should re-label Mission 3 to MI3, Mission Possible 3...A Six-Pack In 50 days?

Sorry, that's a pretty lame joke, but I gotta do something to keep myself amused as I go through the daily grind of carving out a six-pack.

Speaking of which, is there anybody out there reading this blog (you?) who has successfully carved out a "full frontal six-pack"?

If you have done it previously I'd love to hear from you. I'd like to hear about your cardio plan, ab training and nutrition plan when you were going through the process.

Did you have a specific deadline to get that six-pack (like I do with Day 365) and did you have a specific daily caloric deficit target to hit every single day.

Another question I have is did you use any advanced techniques like manipulating your water retention levels and sodium intake in the lead-up to your deadline (or contest)?

The reason I ask is in the aftermath of Mission 2 when I held a public vote on Day 136 (which I won!) I got a lot of comments from people giving me advice about those advanced techniques I discussed in the last paragraph.

According to some people I went about it the wrong way in that I didn't use of those advanced techniques and the fact that I hammered myself with double cardio sessions daily during the last four days of M2.

In hindsight I know I went very close to getting that six-pack for M2 and perhaps those extra 1% daily actions and techniques may help me get over the line for Mission 3.

So, I'm gonna open the floor now, do you have any advice for me during the next 50 days?

Until tomorrow...

Eat Clean,
Shred Hard,
Think BIG!

Cheers,
Adam Waters, NESTA-CPT

P.S. Below are Day 315 pics for September 19, 2007: Mission 3 Phase 2 - Day 21 of 70

Day 314: Back to The Future!

G'day,

A funny thing happened today, I did something I very rarely do...I actually went back and read portions of my blog!

Believe it or not I hardly ever go back to read what I wrote in the early days, especially Mission 1. It's kinda weird to tell you the truth, it's like I'm reading someone else's blog!

Anyway, there was one recent post in particular that caught my eye...my Day 230 Goals and Accountability Post for the start of M3.

In that post I stated that my goal was to achieve a six-pack by Day 290, which clearly didn't happen. My goal at the time was to finally get that "frontal six-pack" I just missed out on during M2.

However, when I started Phase 2 of Mission 3 I kinda let that six-pack goal slip into the corner of my subconscious and just proceeded with my pre-scheduled "muscle gain" program that I discussed on Day 300.

Here's The Dilemma!

In order to gain muscle you need a caloric surplus. The problem is that this is not conducive to getting a six-pack as I would need to go on a "cutting phase" which means I would have to operate on a caloric deficit to reduce my bodyfat to reveal a six-pack by Day 365.

Can you see the dilemma?

Should I honor the self-promise I originally made on Day 230 or should I just continue with my pre-planned "muscle gain" phase?

What About My "Muscle Gain" Program?

To complicate matters more I am currently making great progress on this "muscle gain" phase. My chest in particular has responded very well to the new style of training. All in all, I am currently lifting, benching and squatting more weight across the board than I ever have.

Time To Make A Decision!

However, it is time to make a decision. With only 50 days to go until the end of M3 every day is absolutely critical.

I have decided to honor my original goal. I believe that I would not be setting a good precedent for myself if I start a new goal when I haven't even achieved the goal I originally set for myself.

That's the "old Adam"! The "new Adam" will not quit until he has achieved the goals he has set for himself! (Sorry to refer to myself in the third person, I just need to get my point across).

So, starting today I will do everything within my power to make my "frontal six-pack" goal a reality by Day 365. This may cost me some muscle in the process but I am willing to accept that and just get on with hitting that visualization picture (minus the muscle) that I have dreamed about for years.

Ok, let's get this party started!

Until tomorrow...

Eat Clean,
Shred Hard,
Think BIG!

Cheers,
Adam Waters, NESTA-CPT

P.S. Once I get that six-pack I will most definitely start a fair dinkum muscle gain program, in fact I just got word from an author friend of mine that he will be releasing a new "muscle gain" book very soon. I will check it out and see how it stacks up against the program I had been following recently.

P.S.S. Below are Day 314 pics for September 18, 2007: Mission 3 Phase 2 - Day 20 of 70.

Adam Waters RTP Blog Daily Picture Transformation Gallery

G'day,

Well, I gotta say that this was a painstaking project stitching all these pictures together!

The pictures are quite small though if you look closely you can see each day numbered running left to right. You may also notice that I didn't take a picture every single day as I had some rest days.

On a final note, I often get asked the question, "Why do you take pictures daily?"

The answer is quite simple, I believe in holding myself accountable every single day and what better way than to keep myself honest and track my daily progress than to take a daily picture.

Because if you don't make progress every single day, when are you ever going to?

Cheers,
Adam Waters, NESTA-CPT

My 8 Year Journey:
Every Image On This Blog Was
Captured Within This 8 Year Time Frame

Prologue

BFL Pro Pics: June 2000

6 Years Of Failed Attempts (since BFL 2000)

Mission 1: 84 Days
November 8, 2006 to January 31, 2007

Below is what went on between these pics!

Mission 1: 84 Days
November 8, 2006 to January 31, 2007

Mission 2: 46 Days
February 7, 2007 to March 24, 2007

Mission 2: 46 Days
February 7, 2007 to March 24, 2007

Mission 3 : 135 Days
June 26, 2007 to November 8, 2007




Mission 3 : 135 Days
June 26, 2007 to November 8, 2007


Mission 4 : 125 Days
November 19, 2007 to March 22, 2008





Mission 4 : 125 Days
November 19, 2007 to March 22, 2008

NYC Stealth Mission:
Pro Photo Shoot
April 1, 2008

Day 312: Milestone - 400,000 Video Views For RTP Blog!

G'day,

Back on Day 283 I blogged about reaching 300,000 combined views of my accountability videos on YouTube. Well, today I passed 400,000 views! Never in my wildest dreams did I think my videos would be seen by that many people.

Below is a screenshot of my YouTube account that shows 400,278 views as of September 16, 2007.

If you like you can subscribe to my YouTube video channel (and help hold me accountable to my M3 goals!) by clicking AdamWaters RTP Video Channel

N.B. You can also watch these videos on my blog by clicking on the RTP Video Archive.

I would also like to say thank you to everyone that has watched and taken the time comment (over 600 comments in total) on my videos.

I know from the personal messages I have received from people that these videos have inspired people to start (or complete) their own fat loss journey. Quite honestly, that is the greatest thrill for me, just knowing that I may have inspired other people to take action on their goals.

Before I sign off today I'll leave you with my 3 Top Rated videos currently on YouTube.

1) 136 Days In 12 Seconds - Time Lapse Body Transformation

Exactly as the title says. I took a picture every day for 136 days between Nov 8, 2006 and March 24, 2007 and then put them back to back in high speed. Each 24 hour period is represented by a picture of 0.3 seconds in length.

I tried and failed for 6 years to get in shape. This time I decided to hold myself publicly accountable by posting these daily pictures on my blog. This strategy worked because it increased the "positive pressure" on myself to follow through on a daily basis...in real-time.

The journey continues in real time at my blog. I started Mission 3 - a new 136 day transformation mission - on Day 230 ( June 26, 2007) and will finish on Day 365 (November 8, 2007).

You can also subscribe to my YouTube Channel for video updates throughout Mission 3. Will I reach my goal? Tune in to find out!




2) 84 Days In 48 Seconds: Time Lapse Body Transformation

A picture a day for 84 days. I was inspired by the Timelapse Noah "guy takes picture of himself every day for 6 years video." I thought...why not apply that concept to my whole body rather than just my face. This video is the result.

The time period is between Nov 8, 2006 and Jan 31, 2007 across 3 countries, Japan, Australia and Hong Kong. My goal for this mission (No.1) was to eat a chocolate birthday cake while holding a six-pack of abs (NOT beer!) for my 33rd birthday on February 1, 2007.




Day 137: M2 Judgement Day - The Six-Pack Verdict

94 Responses from 22 Countries over 12 hours to my public vote on my blog as to whether my midsection qualifies as a six-pack. At stake is my $1500 pre-paid trip to Phuket. The following takes place on March 24, 2007. Events occur in real-time.




Peace,
Adam Waters, NESTA-CPT

Day 311: BlogRush Is Here! Increase Your Accountability Factor Big Time!

G'day,

Today's blog post is a little different than usual.

I'm gonna let my fellow RTP VIP Bloggers in on a cool new way to increase their accountability factor in a big way.

As you can see from this blog I firmly believe in daily accountability on my physique transformation journey. This is why I post daily and upload my progress pictures every day.

Why Daily Accountability Works

The reason I do this is because it creates "positive pressure" on me to follow through every single day.

The truth is, transforming your body is a 24 hour a day commitment. You must schedule your 8 hours sleep, you 16 hours of nutrition, your 1 hour of mind power and your 1 hour of exercise.

Then you must put it all together with absolute precision on a daily basis. Because if you don't make gains every single day when are ever going to?

RTP VIP Dedicated Bloggers

I am pleased to report that many of new online friends have embraced this approach by starting their own blogs and documenting their progress every day.

You can see their blogs in the RTP VIP BlogRoll on the right-hand nav bar further down the page. These people come from all corners of the globe and have their own amazing stories to tell.

In particular, I'd like to give a special mention to Suzette, Dede, Kristiina, Christy, Dougal and James who have all been very dedicated bloggers.

Take It To The Next Level!

How would you guys like to take it to the next level by increasing the exposure of your blog, thereby increasing the amount of "positive pressure" on you to follow through daily?

If you answered yes I have a cool widget that you can add to your blog that can generate a lot more exposure for you right across the blogosphere!

The widget is called BlogRush and it is a simple 5-minute process to install on your blog (you can see my BlogRush widget in the right hand nav bar).

Once you do that your blog will start appearing in the BlogRush widgets on other people's blogs.

And the best part of all, its totally free.

Click this BlogRush link to learn more and increase your accountability factor today!

Cheers,
Adam Waters, NESTA-CPT

P.S. Below are Day 311 pics for Spetember 15, 2007: Mission 3 Phase 2 - Day 17 of 70

Day 310: Brutal Hypertrophy Lower Body Workout - Let's Share Our "Squat" Stories!

G'day,

You ever get that feeling when you can barely walk up or down stairs after a tough leg workout? I had that today...and then some!

Hypertrophy Lower Body: By The Book

My Hypertrophy Lower Body session called for 8 sets of quadriceps, hamstrings and calves today.

The recommended strategy is to perform 2 "core" exercises for 3 sets each and one "targeted" exercise for the remaining 2 sets (totaling 8 sets).

I followed this pattern for hamstrings and calves using a variety of free weight exercises (straight leg deadlifts and dumbell calf raises) and machines (leg curls and standing calf raises).

Takin' It To The Max!

However, I decided to take it to the max with quadriceps by doing all 8 sets with the granddaddy of all exercises...front squats.

The reason why I did all 8 sets on squats is simple. This is because front squats are regarded by most experts as the best exercise to stimulate the most muscle fiber across the whole body, not just the quads.

Whether this is correct or not, anyone who regularly does multiple sets back-to-back of front squats can vouch for the fact that while they are tough to do, they also build the lower body like nothing else!

Anyway, like I said at the start of today's post, I could barely walk up the stairs to the locker room after my workout...that is all the proof I need!

Do You Have A "Squat Story" To Share?

Do you a brutal squat story to share? How do you know when you've had an awesome workout?

I'd love to hear from you, just leave a comment to this post and we'll share some squat "war stories"!

Until tomorrow...

Eat Clean,
Shred Hard,
Think BIG!

Cheers,
Adam Waters, NESTA-CPT

P.S. Did you notice something about my blog today? That's right, the links on the header graphic now work! I trust you'll now find it much easier to navigate this blog (gets kinda hard with over 280 posts!)

I also want to give a special shout-out to Garry Egan again, I don't know how he did it but I am very grateful. Thanks Garry! If you need a professional to help you with your website/blog I highly recommend Garry, he's an expert! Below is a link to his website.

P.S.S. Below are Day 310 pics for September 14, 2007: Mission 3 Phase 2 - Day 16 of 70

Day 309: Hypertrophy Upper Body - Increased Rep Counts!

G'day,

Another day...another "win"!

Today's training session was a carbon copy of last week's Hypertrophy Upper Body Workout with one exception...I increased my rep counts!

I averaged 1 extra rep across 26 sets of chest, back, shoulders, triceps and biceps.

The important thing to note is that both of these workouts were performed under the same conditions, i.e. same rest periods, same weight increments and the same exercises.

This is the principle of "progressive overload" in action which I have discussed before on Day 248: One More Rep!

This is a great result as it shows "real world" progress in the last 7 days. As you may know I place a greater meaning on real-world measurable indicators like strength gains and progress through pictures than I do with bodyfat tests, etc.

When I know I am making constant progress I begin to create a self-fulfilling prophecy of rapid-fire physique transformation! I just "know" I will achieve the goals I have set for myself.

However, just because this works for me doesn't mean it may be the best course of action for you. You have to decide how best to measure your progress, which may in fact be through weekly bodyfat testing, etc.

I have come to realize that I am a "right-brained" person. I am very visually orientated (bet you couldn't guess!).

I draw inspiration and motivation by documenting my progress with pictures, and also using visualization pictures for my goals.

My tip today is to give a lot of thought before you start your physique transformation program about how to measure your progress. Not only will this constant feedback give you important information about how fast you are progressing, but it will also "fuel your fire" to keep going!

Until tomorrow...

Eat Clean,
Shred Hard,
Think BIG!

Cheers,
Adam Waters, NESTA-CPT

P.S. I would like to personally thank Garry Egan, Paud O'Keeffe and James for their generous offers to help me with my header graphic (that I discussed yesterday). As you can see I have uploaded the new header but the links are not yet operational. I still have a few kinks to iron out with the boys.

P.S.S. Below are Day 309 pics for September 13, 2007: Mission 3 Phase 2 - Day 15 of 70

Urgent Request For A Photoshop Pro!

G'day,

I have an urgent request for anyone who is proficient in Adobe Photoshop! As I have mentioned before I create all the graphics on this blog myself, but the thing I want to do now is a little beyond my skill level!

I have created a new header (seen below) and I know how to upload it, but the problem I am having is trying to figure out a way to make each "header link" (like "Home", "About" etc.) clickable so that each link goes to a separate blog post. I know I have to use "slices" but I just can't get it to work!

If you (or someone you know) knows how to do this I would very much appreciate your help.

Below is the graphic I am talking about:

Cheers,
Adam

Day 308: Whole Body Hybrid HIIT: M1 Deja'vu

G'day,

I'm feeling a real sense of Mission 1 deja'vu today!

As I discussed on Day 61: Let The Shredding Begin I was about to embark on a "24 day ultra clean shred phase" as I counted down the days to the end of Mission 1, January 31, 2007.

Once I hit the "go button" on that shred phase I ended nearly every workout drenched in a pool of sweat. I needed to take 2 towels with me to every session just to wipe down the machines and cardio gear!

You can see from my Mission 1 final pics how that shred phase ended up! After six years of trying in failing to get in shape I got in the best shape of my life (at age 33!).

The reason why today's Whole Body Hybrid HIIT session was deja'vu for me is because I was drenched in sweat again, just like the early days.

Would you believe that my cardio capacity has improved markedly just in the last 6 days? It's true! I actually stepped up the intensity of today's session in comparison to last week's Hybrid HIIT.

I increased the duration of my HIIT phase, the rep count on my "circuit training" phase and the "cool-down" cardio phase.

Needless to say I am ecstatic with my results today and I have a new-found confidence that I will indeed achieve "my dream physique" by Day 365 (the end of Mission 3).

The coolest thing is that I still have 57 days to get there, as opposed to my 24 day shred phase in Mission 1. I can't wait!

Ok, time to get some "muscle building rest".

Until tomorrow...

Eat Clean,
Shred Hard,
Think BIG!

Cheers,
Adam Waters, NESTA-CPT

P.S. Below are Day 308 pics for September 12, 2007; Mission 3 Phase 2 - Day 14 of 70