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 136: M2 Pre-Judgment Day Final Survey Results

G'day,

Well, what a day! I am completely hammered!

I will soon upload my final Mission 2 pictures for a public vote on whether my mid-section qualifies as a six-pack thereby sending me to Phuket...or back to the gym.

But first, here are the final M2 Pre-Judgement Day Survey Results from admin (as of 5 minutes ago).

Thank you very much for your overwhelming support, I really appreciate you.







Peace,
AJ

Day 135: T-Minus 24 Hours

G'day,

Today has been like any other day during M2...I am eating clean, training hard and thinking BIG!

Now I gotta sleep!

See you tomorrow for Judgement Day.

Peace,
AJ

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 134: I Can See The Light...

...at the end of the tunnel.

Even though I hit the wall around 3.00pm today I am now on my second wind and feel pumped that I am only 48 hours away from the end of Mission 2.

This morning I did my regular 5 km run (16 km/h intervals), 15 minutes of recumbant bike (keeping heart rate at a minimum of 140 bpm) and core training (abs and lower back).

My day is not over yet, more to come this evening...

Peace,
AJ

P.S. Here are the March 22, 2007 M2 Pre-Judgement Survey results from admin.



M2 Judgement Day Video (YouTube)

Here are Day 134 pics - Mission 2 Day 44 of 46 - March 22, 2007

Day 133: Only 72 Hours Until Judgement Day!

G'day,

Ohhh man...I lost my original blog post for today! I worked on that for 30 minutes and now its gone!

I gotta go to bed now so I don't have time to try and recall what I originally said.

Anyway, today my gym closed early for some reason so I only got in 7.5 km's of running (instead of 10 km's) but I did get in my quota of swimming, ab training and cycling so I'm happy.

Only 72 more hours until M2 Judgement Day and the pressure is really on now...and I love it!

This WILL go down to the wire...

Peace,
AJ

P.S. Here are the March 21, 2007 M2 Pre-Judgement Survey results from admin.

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 131: Focus On The Positive

G'day,

Just a quick post today as I just about to head off to the gym for my second session today. I will do my standard 5 km run with the goal of beating my previous best of 26 minutes 10 seconds. I will then do 15 minutes on the recumbent bike and my abdominal workout.

Every single hour of every day is so crucial right now. I will do my absolute best to make every session session count like never before. Going by the numbers I need to burn 1000 calories a day through exercise to reach my dream of a six-pack by March 24, 2007.

Time has flown by the last few days I am really feeling the pressure now. To be honest I'm surprised at the total number of votes my M2 Pre-Judgement Day survey has gotten so far. As of 5 minutes ago there are now 51 responses!

Here are the lastest numbers.







Thank you to everyone who has participated so far. For all those people who voted Yes I will be thinking of you when I am on the treadmill this afternoon.

I will focus on the positive from here on in. Thanks Suzette for your comment yesterday, you really set my head straight.

Ever since my blog started getting visitors from Day 42 I have been living in a bubble surrounded by positive comments from my new online friends. Getting my first No votes yesterday totally shocked me!

In reality, I can't expect to put up a survey online and have every single person jump on board the Yes wagon. I simply have to practice what I preach and let you guys decide whether my midsection is worthy of being called a six-pack.

Until tomorrow...

Eat Clean,
Shred Hard,
Think BIG!

Peace,
AJ

Here is my video from Day 128 laying my Phuket trip on line.



Here are Day 131 pics for March 19, 2007. (I threw in my Day 1 pics to remind myself how far I have come and to be grateful that I have progressed since November 8, 2006).

Day 130: My First Non-Believer!

G'day,

Well it's official. I have a non-believer! For the first time since I put up my M2 Pre-Judgement Survey there is someone who doesn't think I will get a six-pack by March 24, 2007. Check it out below.







My initial reaction was, "I'm gonna show you." I've since calmed down a bit and have decided to channel this person's opinion into positive mental energy for the next 6 days during my six-pack shred mission.

Like I said yesterday there will always be doubters and skeptics. It is how you deal with negativity and challenges that defines your character.

Also, let's be real here, this is the Internet after all. It is the land of anonynimity where you are free to post and say just about anything. So, I'm not gonna worry too much. I just have to shred hard and let my mid-section do the talking.

Peace,
AJ

Day 129: Its A Landslide!

G'day,

How cool is this? My M2 Pre-Judgement Day Survey as of 5 minutes ago now shows 27 out of 27 people who believe I will get a six-pack by March 24, 2007. That's insane!


This has steeled my resolve as I enter the final 7 days of my 6-Pack shred mission.
As they say in the Biggest Loser it really is 'last chance training'. Trust me, I have long dreamed of this redemption trip to Phuket, but I will only go if the majority of people (you) feel I have earned it.

Before I sign off today I want to say a few words to you. Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog as I realize we all have busy lives. That you would take a few minutes out of your daily schedule to visit this blog and leave comments really means a lot to me.

In the near future I plan to give back as much as I can to the people who have shown faith in me. Once I finish this Mission I have some cool ideas about how I can give back.

I also realize that I may come across as completely obsessed about myself and my body! Trust me, I am not on an ego trip. I started this blog as a way of keeping myself accountable to my dreams and goals.

In fact no-one had read a word of this blog until Day 42, because I never told anyone about it. I did it that way because I was (and still am) surrounded by a lot of negative people where I live and I didn't want their negative energy to sap my confidence.

Funny thing is, a lot of those same people still don't know what I am doing, and the ones who do couldn't care less either way. Just goes to show that you can't live your life based on the fear of what other people think.

Because at the end of the day it is you that has to look yourself in the mirror.

You know the truth.

Peace,
AJ

Here are Day 129 pics - Mission 2 Day 39 of 46 - March 17, 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 128: You Got Me Pumped Up!

G'day,

I am blown away! Not by the record number of visitors to this blog today, but by your overwhelmingly positive response to my M2 Pre-Judgement Survey.

Check it out. This is a screen capture of the current result window that I accessed through admin.

As you can see 18 out of 18 people so far believe that I will be successful in carving out a six-pack by March 24, 2007.

This is so cool. These results supercharged my 2 cardio workouts today.

That's right! I was thinking of you guys (and the belief you have shown in me) as I was pounding out my skipping, boxing, running and cycling routines today.

I crossed the pain barrier multiple times and hit personal bests all over the place because of your faith in me.

I WILL do everything humanely possible to reveal a six-pack on M2 Judgement Day March 24, 2007.

If you ever desire a six-pack I recommend you start a blog and do the same thing.
Here are the steps:

1) State your goal.
2) State your timeframe for completion.
3) State a measurable success factor.
4) GO MASSIVE!

Alright, I gotta go do some hardcore visualization now...

Peace,
AJ

Eat Clean,
Shred Hard,
Think BIG!

Here are Day 128 pics - Mission 2 Day 38 of 46 - March 16, 2007

Clicking on any of these pictures takes you to Day 91: M2 Start.