Day 427: My Florida Vision Requires "Back To Basics" HIIT

G'day Shredders,

Thank you very much for your kind comments on yesterday's news. I am very grateful, and also very motivated to ramp-up this shred mission so I can be in top shape by late February (when I will go to Florida for the Live Conference).

P.S. There is so much action on the ShredderSphere right now that I'm currently working on a Special Video Edition of Shredder Breaking News that I'll upload tomorrow.

P.S.S. Sorry about your blog link Lilla! It is now fixed.

Day 16 of 84

Nutrition: I learned my lesson from yesterday and made sure I was prepared for my 10:30AM meal today. I got in every meal as scheduled and feeling confident about my meal plan.

Training: In order to make my "Florida Vision" a reality I decided to go back to basics today and pump out a "fair dinkum" HIIT cardio session over a 20 minute BFL format. This is an old favorite of mine that always gets results when I do it faithfully. It is also extremely taxing so I usually limit these "pure" HIIT sessions to 3 times a week.

I backed up this HIIT session with abdominal training by doing 3 sets each of Incline Crunches, Hanging Knee Raises and Machine Obliques. There is a lot of debate among fitness experts as to how often abs should be trained. The opinions run the full spectrum of only 3 times per week up to daily.

I personally believe that abs should be treated the same as any other bodypart. This means you should allow for 48 hours rest (minimum) before training the same bodypart again. If you train your abs with high intensity you will feel DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) set in like you would with any other bodypart.

M4 Shred:
Real-Time Accountability

Status:

Day 16 of 84

Click Here to learn more about the origin
and theory of RTP Real-Time Accountability.

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*Important:

Feel free to use this plan as a template that you can follow. However, this plan is is based on my own personal experience over 3 physique transformation missions. In other words, what works for me may not work for you in the same way.

Success in this game requires research, individual design, real-world testing, monitoring results and making adjustments when necessary. This is your responsibility, no one else can do it for you. However, if you'd like to research further the exact programs I have used (over my first 3 Missions) and will use for M4 Shred you can do so at the links below.

M4 Shred Components: Click each link to learn more.

1) Fat Burning: 16 Principles of BFFM: nutrition, mindset and cardio.

2) Weight Training: Metabolic Surge: 36 Day Rapid Fat Loss System.

3) Six-Pack Training: Flatten Your Abs: 7-Level Training System.

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Shredder Pact:

We will focus on the single daily actions that produce results.

We will "burn our bridges" and not look back.

We will never surrender.

Eat Clean,
Shred Hard,
Think BIG!

Cheers,
Adam Waters, NESTA-CPT

P.S. Below are Day 427 RTP Blog Daily Pictures for January 9, 2008: Mission 4 - Day 52 of 125 (M4 Shred: Day 16 of 84).

Day 137: Mission 2 - The Aftermath

G'day,

Well, that was quite an experience! I slept like a baby last night...I tossed and turned all night!

What started out as a crazy idea at 3.00 AM one morning to put my pre-paid Phuket trip on the line in a public vote I saw become reality in front of my eyes.

Thank you everyone who participated and for your kind words of support in the Inner Circle forums and comments on my blog.

The vote was quite close with a total of 94 responses, 61% voting Yes and 39% voting No as to whether my mid-section qualified as a six-pack.

To tell you the truth I am not too worried about the high No vote because deep down I know that the most important picture (front) didn't show a defined six-pack.

The side picture and the picture of me sitting down did show a six-pack I believe, so in the end it really came down to what picture people would decide to vote on.

Obviously, in the end a majority of people thought my mid-section was a six-pack.

At the end of the day I am still very happy because at the age of 33 I am in the best shape of my life and the healthiest I have ever been. This is a far cry from 3 years ago when I was obese and on my way to an early grave.

I have learnt a lot during the last 10 days since I decided to go through with the poll. Ten days out I knew it would go down to the wire, both the vote and getting a six-pack. This feeling of pressure is what pushed me to achieve the result I did so I'm glad I went through with it.

Even though I didn't take any supplements, use water retention or sodium intake techniques, I have a new-found respect for what professional bodybuilders go through to get in shape for a contest. Not just the training and diet discipline but the feeling of being judged on your physique and mind games that go along with it.

The only thing I would have changed would have been be to have the poll during the same time zone as me as I really value my sleep!

Anyway, as you can see I'm off to Phuket tomorrow and I really look forward to chilling out for a while. When I'm there I will think about Mission 3 and how I will structure my goals, diet, training and accountability.

One thing for sure is that I will finally go on a caloric surplus and focus on building muscle. Of course, I still have a dream of getting a shredded six-pack so I'll have to factor this into my plan.

This time tomorrow I'll be in Bangkok. Until then...

Eat Clean,
Shred Hard,
Think BIG!

Peace,
AJ

Day 136: Mission 2 - The Verdict

G'day,

What a night! By the time I finally got to sleep I was woken up by an earthquake (literally).

Thank you to everyone who voted and for the kind words of support I received on my blog and in the Inner Circle forums.

The verdict is YES I will be going to Phuket. Below is a screenshot of the survey results at 9PM US Central Time.








This was definitely the weirdest experience of my life and I'll have a lot to write about in the future, but right now I gotta go and pack.

Peace,
AJ

Day 136: Voting Is Open Now!

G'day,

Well, it all comes down to this!

For the next 12 hours between 9 AM and 9 PM (US Central Time) you can decide if my midsection qualifies as a six-pack or not.

On the line is my $1500 pre-booked holiday to Phuket. If the Yes votes are greater than the No votes I will be on my way to Phuket on March 26, 2007. If the No votes are greater I will be back at my Osaka gym on March 26, 2007.

As you can see I'm waiting for your vote!

Please vote only once so the votes are not skewed. I will not vote so the results will be totally independent.

The vote box is in the right-hand navigation bar.

Peace,
AJ

Day 136 Video: Is This A Six-Pack?

G'day,

This is a video I made today (March 24, 2007) just to amuse myself!

Day 136: M2 Judgement Day Final Pictures

G'day,

Well here are my final M2 pictures.

During the last 4 days I did everything I could to try and reveal a six-pack.

I ran 40 km's at 16 km/h intervals, did 40 laps of the pool, did 4 hours of Tae-Bo & ab training and 4 hours of high intensity cycling.

Needless to say I am completely hammered!

Before I show them I just want to say a big thank you to a few people.

First of all, my family. I love you guys, you are the driving force behind everything I am trying to accomplish.

I also want to thank Tom Venuto, Nick Nilsson and David Grisaffi for their awesome information and inspiration. I have used their books and resources exclusively for the last 136 days. Thanks guys.

I also would like to thank all the members of Burn The Fat Inner Circle for their kind words and encouragement, and my Myspace, FaceBook and BodySpace friends.

And last but definitely not least I want to thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and make comments. You'll never know how much I appreciate you for doing that.

Well, here are the pics.

Cheers,
Adam Waters

Day 134 Video: M2 Judgement Day - 48 Hour Countdown!

G'day,

Why has it been 54,000 hours since I last had a six-pack?

Why am I having a public vote on whether I go to Phuket or not?

Why am I doing any of this?

All the answers are in this movie.

Peace,
AJ

Day 132: 4 Is The Magic Number

G'day,

The last 42 days of Mission 2 has been about priming my body for the next 4 days of intense exercise. I always knew a six-pack by Day 46 would come down to the wire.

However, I also know what I'm capable of in a short period of time, as the last 24 days of Mission 1 was a successful shred phase. Having this experience under my belt I know what I can do and more importantly I know what I have to do, in order to reveal those last two abs in the next 4 days.

Before I discuss my training schedule for the last 4 days I want to put a disclaimer in here. I receive 10 to 20 emails a day from people wanting to know what I eat and how I exercise.

I always help as best I can but the reality is that you must learn sensory acuity in order to maximize your fat loss. This means using your own inate intelligence and intuition to understand the feedback your body gives you from the stimulii you provide it.

Broadly speaking there are 3 main stimulii: mind; nutrition and exercise. Each of these is a book unto itself and I believe each to be equally important. For now, I will focus on exercise in this post as my mind and nutrition are dialled right now.

The point I want to make is that just because I will follow this exercise regime for the next 4 days does not mean that you should follow this same plan, or believe you have to in order to get results. This plan is the culmination of 132 consecutive days of experience and listening to my body.

Ok, here is my 4-Day Shred Plan (and why 4 is the magic number).

1) 40 km's of running
2) 4 hours of cycling
3) 4 abdominal training sessions
4) 40 laps of the pool

These training sessions are divided into 2 workouts daily for the next 4 days.

The reason I devised this exact plan is because over the last 132 days I have built my cardio and endurance capacity to such an extent that my body now requires extreme stimulii to lose fat.

The key here is to know your capabilities AND your limits. I will follow this shred plan for the next 4 days only.

After Mission 2 is complete I will then incorporate completely new exercise and nutrition stimulii congruent with my muscle gain goals.

Ohhh man....it was so much easier to lose fat in the early days! If you are just starting your fat loss journey take advantage of the 'shock effect' by training hard early on. Trust me, those early weeks can produce big results.

Until tomorrow...

Eat Clean,
Shred Hard,
Think BIG!

Peace,
AJ

P.S. Here are the current M2 Pre-Judgement Survey results from admin.







Below are two videos which describe my Mission 2 goals and accountability.

Day 95: Mission 2 Goals & Power Of Visualiztion.



Day 128: M2 Judgement Day Video - Accountability.



Here are Day 132 pics - Mission 2 Day 42 of 46 - March 20, 2007

Day 128 Video: M2 Judgement Day - My $1500 Phuket Trip On The Line!

Day 128 Video: M2 Judgement Day

Here's the Deal. Your votes will decide whether my midsection qualifies as a six-pack on M2 Judgement Day: March 24, 2007. I will only go to Phuket if the YES votes are greater than the No votes. I am totally pumped to make this six-pack appear!

Day 127: M2 Judgement Day - You Decide If I Go To Phuket!

G'day,

This is it! There is no turning back now.

I am now laying US$1,500 in pre-booked air tickets and hotel accomodation to Phuket on the line.

There are only 2 possible outcomes:

1) If you determine that my midsection qualifies as a six-pack by voting YES on Judgement Day March 24, 2007 I will be off to Phuket on March 26, 2007.

OR

2) If you determine that my midsection does not qualify as a six-pack by voting NO on Judgement Day March 24, 2007 I will be at my Osaka gym on March 26, 2007 still shredding for my six-pack.

I have had this final 10 day (shred phase) accountability plan since Day 7 of Mission 2. The reason I am doing this is to hold myself 100% accountable to my goal of a six-pack by March 24, 2007.

On March 24, 2007 between 9:00 AM and 9:00 PM (US Central Time) I will reveal my midesction and place a survey box in the right hand navigation bar where you can vote YES or NO as to whether it qualifies as a six-pack.

IMPORTANT: I am doing this on the honour system. Please vote only once. I will NOT vote so the results will be totally independent.

Okay, time for me to get some sleep, I'm gonna need it. These next 9 days will be the most intense of my life.

Peace,
AJ

P.S. Thanks Diane for me giving me the spark to create this accountability plan!

P.S.S. In the meantime you can vote on whether you think I will get that six-pack by March 24, 2007 by placing a vote in the M2 Pre-Judgement survey box to your right.

Eat Clean,
Shred Hard,
Think BIG!

Day 121: A Six-Pack In 16 Days?

I have a sense of deja-vu. I have written about my desire for a totally shredded six-pack many times before. I wrote about this extensively in Mission 1 with posts like: A Six-Pack In 6 Weeks and A Six-Pack In 6 Days.

It is obvious from my pictures that I have still not achieved that shredded six-pack. Well, it is now time for me to get serious. That six-pack, the fitness holy grail, is gonna be revealed on my midsection in the next 16 days.

I now know what it takes. You can only get a six-pack when you combine strict dieting, intense abdominal training, hardcore cardio and superior mind power techniques. This whole package has to be delivered every single hour of every single day with expert precision.

One false move and you could set yourself back a day or two. There is no magic bullet, everything matters.

Let's get it on!

Peace,
AJ

Here are Day 121 M2 Day 31 pics for March 9, 2007.

Day 92: M2 Day 2 - The Vision, The Power, The Glory!

Day 92 (Total)
M2: Mission 2, Day 2
Status: Round 1, Phase 1, Day 2
Goal: 5% Bodyfat with increase in muscularity
Vision: Kickin' it in Phuket with a totally shredded six-pack. Check it to your left!
Time: 46 Days: Feb/7/07 to Mar/24/07
Tools: BFFM, Metabolic Surge, Flatten Your Abs, Hybrid Cardio (self-designed)

G'day,

This Vision propels my Power to acheive Glory. Click on the image to get a close-up view.

I have always believed that writing your goals down is an extremely powerful technique to manifest your dreams. Study after study has proven this to be a scientific fact.

I write my goals down every single day and as you can see it has worked! However, just writing your goals down does not harness the full power of your mind.

Check this. Your subconscious operates on images. For example when the see the word "dog" you don't read that word, you see it.

When you recall past events do you see a transcript of the conversation you had? No, you recall the images associated with that event.

Can you see what I'm getting at? Using the power of imagery to clarify your goals and dreams sets off a chain reaction of inevitablitiy in your subconscious mind. That's what I did with the picture above.

Now you have two choices. You can sit back for the next 44 days and watch me manifest my dream of sitting on that lounge with a six-pack OR you can use the power of imagery to make your dreams come true. Hint...choose the second option!

Peace, AJ

P.S. For today's pictures I decided to keep my shirt on! Two reasons, the first is because it is freezing cold in Osaka right now, and the second is because I haven't worn that singlet for 6 years! As we say in Japan...hisashiburi!

Day 85 Video: Time To Unwrap My Birthday Present!

Day 80 Pics: Does This Qualify?

Day 80 of 84

Status: Round 8: Phase 3: Day 1

G'day,

Well, what do you think? Does this qualify as a six-pack? Please say yes!

Ok, I'm feeling a little weird today. I have been so intensely focused on getting a six-pack at the expense of everything else in my life I felt like lightening up a little today.

The threshold for becoming "obsessive complusive" is a line I crossed a long time ago!

I have been drilling myself so hard recently that I feel I need to release the pressure valve outside of the gym...and this blog isn't helping my cause!

I originally started this blog as a way to hold myself accountable by forcing myself to post daily updates and pictures. Well, as you can see this blog has taken on a life of its own. I have virtually uploaded my life story onto this blog. I have revealed the skeletons in my closet for everyone to see.

Trust me, it is still not easy for me to look at my July 2003 pictures. I feel like I hardly know who that guy is anymore. In fact, I don't even know who the guy is in my Day 1 picture anymore. I really want to put the past behind me now and just move on to bigger and better things.

But, I feel that those pictures may help people who are struggling with fat loss or are in a rut. That's why I continue to post those "before" pictures, even though I would rather just erase them from my memory bank.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that this blog was originally intended as my "release" from the pummeling I was handing myself inside the gym. Well, this blog has become just as intense for me!

I sit here every night for hours on end revealing very personal stuff about the wierd and wonderful events of my life. Some of the stories I have revealed are feelings, thoughts and stories that even my closest friends don't know about me.

What's strange is that my "new friends" from all 4 corners of the globe now know these deeply personal stories. I looked at my stats last night and its true.

Would you believe I have now daily readers across Europe, America, Middle East, Australia and Asia? This totally spins me out!

This is an awesome feeling as I count down to my 84th day because I am now accountable to you and hundreds of other people around the world. This "fuels my fire" every day as I hit the gym to subject my body to those hardcore workouts you all know about.

In fact, if you are on a fat loss journey yourself I highly recommend that you start your own blog and document your own journey. There is no reason that I know of why you can't do the same.

When you do be sure to leave a comment on my blog notifying me of the web address. If you do that I will add you to my "Blog Roll" along with DD and Sarah. By the way, major props to DD, Sarah and John Bartlett for his shredded muscle. Check my Blog Roll to learn more.

Anyway, back to my original thought. Today I want to turn down the intensity a notch so I don't get all riled up inside recounting my "home invasion" story, like I promised yesterday. I need a break!

I will re-tell this story sometime in the future. But be warned, it doesn't make for light reading. It will be a harrowing account of real events that took place in my house 7 years ago.

My house was destroyed from the inside out, a knife was held to my throat and a rock the size of a soccer ball was hurtled through my front glass door. But believe it or not, there was one more thing even more shocking than all of this put together!

Ok I'm gonna stop now, or else I'll just keep continuing.

I'm gonna chill out now and go listen to some Rage Against The Machine!

Peace, AJ

P.S. Here are Day 80 pics for January 27, 2007

Day 78 Pics: A Six-Pack In Six Days?

Day 137 Update:

Six-Pack Video: M2 Judgment Day

Before I go into detail about how David Grisaffi's Flatten Your Abs System has helped me carve out a six-pack I will show you a time-lapse video that documents my journey over the first 136 days when I followed the Flatten Your Abs System.

This time period culminated in a public vote on whether my midsection qualified as a six-pack. To turn the pressure up even further I put my US$1,500 pre-paid Redemption Trip to Phuket on the line! On M2 Judgment Day I got 94 responses from 22 countries, that ultimately determined my fate.

Click Below to watch how the events unfolded, in real-time!



Day 78 of 84

Status: Round 8: Phase 2: Day 1

Here are Day 78 pics for January 25, 2007

G'day,

Back on Day 43 I wrote a post titled "A Six-Pack In Six Weeks?"

While I have definitely made progress since then its now crunch time.

I have six days left to fulfill my dream and carve out a defined six-pack within my 12-week self-imposed deadline.

The Washboard = "Holy Grail Of Fitness"

In my opinion the "washboard" is the holy grail. By now you may think I'm obsessed about getting a six-pack. You are right and I'm not the only one!

People have obsessed about the six-pack for centuries. Just take a look at Michelangelo's masterwork "David" which he sculpted way back in 1504!

So, What Am I Doing About This?

Well, I am happy to report that I am burning the fat and building my abs as hard as I can to achieve my dream. For example, today I did a tough "Lactic Acid" workout and an evening HIIT cardio session WITH abdominal training.

My evening HIIT cardio session also got me pumped! I hit 3 minutes at 16 km/h on the 4th cycle of my 20 minutes workout. This is a major milestone for me, especially since I struggled to get back to 16 km/h after Hong Kong. I actually blogged about "swallowing my pride" back on Day 62 when I could only reach a high of 15.5 km/h.

Well, now not only am I at 16 km/h, I can do it for 3 minutes straight! It was an incredible feeling, something I will never forget. Bodyfat measurements and scale weight indicators come a distant second for me compared to "real-world" feedback on my progess. This is why I celebrate every new milestone and appreciate how far I have come.

Progressive Overload Principle

However, there is still much to do. If you become content with where you are now you will not progress any further. You may actually go backwards!

This is because nothing stands still in this world. If you are not constantly moving forward you will stagnate and eventually go in reverse. As this is true for everything in nature it is also true for us.

Trust me, I know this to be true from personal experience.

Take a look at this picture slide and you'll see why I'm so obsessive about getting (and growing) a six-pack.

Step 1) Building Your Abs

For those of you out there desiring a six-pack remember this, BUILDING your abs and SEEING your abs are two different things. To build your abs you must work your core intensively.

The core includes not only the rectus abdominus (six-pack) but also your obliques and lumbar area. And let me tell you that conventional sit-ups are a joke, you need a variety of intensive exercises to get the job done for your core.

Step 2) Seeing Your Abs

Now, seeing your abs means quite simply losing bodyfat. You need to get under about 10% bodyfat before you can see them clearly. Losing bodyfat to most people means cardio, and to a point that is true. However, don't underestimate the power of weight training. When you start to replace bodyfat with muscle is when you will see results.

I personally use a combination of cardio and weight training, both done at high intensity. The staple of my cardio is running on the treadmill, but I also do swimming, boxing, cycling and skipping. My weight training is primarily is high rep/high intensity with short rest periods. This combo has gotten me to where I am now.

My Abdominal Training System

As I mentioned on my Day 43 blog post I followed David Grisaffi's awesome Firm and Flatten Your Abs abdominal training program for the first 6 weeks. I then got his bonus eBook Six-Pack In Six Weeks and have been following this advanced program the last 5 weeks.

So far I am ecstatic about the results I have gotten from following David's books. I intend to prove David right over the next 6 days!

For more information on Firm and Flatten Your Abs here is the direct link to David's site: FlattenYourAbs.net


RTP/FYA Bonus Pack Combo

If you purchase Flatten Your Abs from this link you will get access to a private members only online BFFM Support Zone to ask your most burning questions about how to integrate Flatten Your Abs in to your routine.

That's right, real-world advice from a guy (me) who has actually done it successfully. You'll also get access to the answer archive from previous questions asked by fellow Flatten Your Abs Support Members.

How To Get Your RTP/FYA Bonus

In order to qualify for Flatten Your Abs Support order Flatten Your Abs from this link and then enter your ClickBank Order Number after clicking on the "bonus delivery link" in the special box below.

To get your Flatten Your Abs Support Bonus immediately after ordering Flatten Your Abs, go right to my Bonus Delivery page. Enter your ClickBank Receipt number (from your order confirmation email) to verify your purchase, and you will get access to your bonus within 12 hours upon verification of your order.

This bonus offer comes directly from Adam Waters RTP, not from ClickBank or from the publisher of Flatten Your Abs. ClickBank will not honor any refund requests that are based on non-delivery, quality, or functionality of the bonus materials. If you have any questions or problems about the bonus, do not contact ClickBank or the product publisher. Click here for bonus contact information.

Important: I know David's book back to front as I have printed it out and constantly refer to it when I am fine-tuning my abdominal training program. I have used David's book successfully thus far by implementing his "7 Level System".

However, neither David nor I can guarantee you results if you decide to buy. The results you get will be directly proportional to the effort you put in.

Ok, time for me to wrap this up now. I must get my full 8 hours "recovery sleep" to prepare my body for another onslaught tomorrow.

I have a "double hit" of weight training and HIIT cardio to get ready for!

See you tomorrow,

Peace, AJ

Eat Clean,
Shred Hard,
Think Big!