M2 | CONTEST | Day 58

The Puzzle

My life is an 84 day jigsaw puzzle.

Day 1 to 7 I put a 7 pieces on the board. Reading the modules didn't make a whole lotta sense because I am ADD and battled to focus through it all.

Day 8 added an 8th piece...started training..The modules had made sense now and the training I can do.

Day 9 added a piece to the puzzle...having already started the eating program...made sure I had it down.

So far I've 9 pieces of the puzzle put together on the board...I'm into the program in a big way but the puzzle doesn't look like a whole heck of a lot at the moment.

Fast forward to day 20....Aha, starting to look like something now. I can see little bits of the puzzle that make sense to me...+ there are only 64 pieces left.

Fast forward again to day 63....WOW OK now I can really see what's going on....I can see the shape of my body and how it's changing and more than that I can see that the balance of pieces left as opposed to pieces on the board has REALLY shifted, now I' getting excited.

Each day now is a day closer to the end of the mission and each day there is more to see on the puzzle and less on left on the table.

And aso it goes until all 84 days form a complete jigsaw puzzle of an amazing transformation. We all have this puzzle in our heads, and if we are diligent, we all, will have an amazing transformation. How can you not.

Patience is something we can all do more of and unless you hang in... the puzzle is going to make no sense.

For some of us, 84 days is not quite enough...but then this is a lifestyle so it matters not, but in the beginning, we have to KNOW that the program WE have CHOSEN to take us sprinting into the beautiful fields of green like Saraaah, with arms outstretched, embracing whatever is thrown at us, is going to take us valiantly past the finish line day by day like the puzzle.

Hang in, run the race until, you get to that certain point, where you know for sure you are winning, when that balance shifts, in your favour, but until that happens, REMEMBER.....THE PUZZLE.

M2 | CONTEST | Day 56

Life is wonderful..

Why?

Because I have such a lot to be thankful for. There is an upside in everything...absolutely everything, all you have to do is look for it.

I am well on my way to being in the best shape of my life. I feel fantastic, I have made so many new friends, this is like being home...A huge community and.....my spirit is soaring.

I feel like an eagle high up in the clouds, sometimes floating on the thermals, sometimes having to work to find them...swooping down and then climbing high above this beautiful blue planet and I think " Thank you for everything that I have, thank you for guidance to do the right things, thanks for friends with smart minds, thank you for my body that I can change if I so choose, thank you for Tuna fish and broccoli, which I've learned to love.....I could go on all day.

I'm just in a euphorically grateful mood today....I've blasted training right off the richter, I've eaten three quality meals, I'm happy to be writing my post today, as I am every day...I'm just thankful.

I manifest that each and every one of you achieve your goals and dreams and that good things come to you all, I manifest that Adam Waters RTP-TS program brings in another 1000 shredders, with a will to change, just like us.

I pray that we all have the courage and strength to learn from and overcome any adversity that befalls us, and take hardship and run with it atop the highest mountain with strength and courage.

I urge each and every one of you to focus on your PRW's today and stretch yourself beyond that which you already have....to extend your arms and embrace the sunshine and the rain....and the storms for it is they....that forge our spirit in metal that cannot be bent nor buckled.

CHOOSE LIFE and let yours MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

M2 | CONTEST | Day 55

Sweet sweet sunday

After sweet sweet saturday afternoon at the rugby.

This is not gloating, it's just national pride for my beloved Springbok rugby team.

Sport is a very big deal in South Africa and I think that's a good thing...keeps people thinking about health and fitness....well maybe not, but at least they wear their Nike's to jump off the couch and run to the fridge for another beer between penalty kicks.

And so......yesterday afternoon my beloved Springboks gave the touring British and Irish Lions a lesson in snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

I say this all of course because I have big competition here in the sphere, and I mean RUGBY competition. There are my dear friend Saraaaah, and of course Brian Downes rooting for the British and Irish Lions and then over the pond we've got Adam Waters and Sharon watching with interest and Sharon's husband who is a kiwi, because we have the Tri Nations coming up which is a huge clash between the three best teams in the world, the best of which, of course is South Africa, the world champions.

Seriously though, what a game, I mean test rugby at it's finest...a complete war of attrition, where courage of the highest order was shown by the Boks in fighting back from what looked like certain defeat to snatch victory with a long range goal kick at the final whistle....Unbelievable stuff.

Saraaaaaah, Brian...sorry guys, thanks for coming.

Watching the game, obviously I was thinking about my friends over the water but I was also thinking about how the game is NEVER over until it's over. In other words NEVER give up.
All is never lost and we've all GOT to keep pushing and pushing until the very end.

For me personally...I am so hyped about my shred and the idea of being in absolutely peak physical condition, which I am, that I just can't sleep. I mean it's 3.15am and I'm blogging.

Now some might say....obsessed, I say, committed to my mission, and acting like a CHAMPION, because a champion does things daily what ordinary people do occasionally.

And at the end of the day the proof of the pudding is in the eating. At the end of it all, at the end of our mission and upon reflection, before we build a plan for the next mission, our thoughts will not turn to the things that we did that were out of the ordinary but how everything we did was a step towards our goal and not away from it. We thought like Champions, we acted like Champions and ultimately we are CHAMPIONS.

And right now as I sit here reflecting on that marvellous game....like the mighty Springboks, I, am also, a CHAMPION.

And.......so are YOU.

M2 | CONTEST | Day 54

Return to the FUTURE

I think yesterday's post may deserve a little clarification.

I have always worn my heart on my sleeve, as you may have noticed. The reason I do that is because I don't want to present myself as getting everything right all the time, clearly that's not the case and so when I hit an obstacle like I did yesterday I want to expose you to how I felt and what I plan to do about it.

It's only right and proper, if I am going to write about my personal journey, to expose myself warts and all, right...right.

So...yesterday was one of those cases.....I hit a snag, a minor one really when comparing it with all of my others.

First, what was my initial reaction...Disbelief, anger, frustration, sadness, and probably a few others, but as I have written before I DO NOT STAY DOWN for long and as I write this I am as hapopy as Larry....whoever the mythical Larry is.

The way I operate in any situation is

1. Allow my emotions to have sway
2. Allow myself time to grieve, without trying to sound too melodramatic
3. Give myself time to calm down
4. Assess the problem and create a battle plan

This situation was one of those and I have gone through that process as normal.

So for any of you that think it was a knee jerk reaction, it wasn't, it was simply me documenting a taxing situation in order to allow everyone to see how I deal with tough issue.

The reason for that is...hopefully, is that it may help someone understand a new way to deal with things but...

If you think I'm talking rubbish, put your feet up, grab a cup of coffee, carry on reading the paper and forget you ever saw this.

Now...for those that are still with me, let's clear up some misconceptions.

Firstly I do not recognise the word QUIT. It is NOT in my vocabulary.
Secondly, I suggested that I might withdraw from the competition. The reason for that is simple..If I can't make it to the NYC for the "Prizegiving" why should I deny someone else the opportunity of a lifetime, literally.
Thirdly...To clarify, I have said before "If you are ONLY in the sphere for the contest, leave now." I am most definately not GOING ANYWHERE. This is a very big part of my life It is my stated intention to help people find their way back through health and fitness....Where would I go. This is my home.
Fourth....I will continue posting and piccing daily as I have been doing as if nothing were different...why would I.
Fifth...I want to thank everyone for the magnificent support I've had. It just proves once again that we are a community of givers and I'me very grateful for that, and for you all.
Sixth...I am a very competitive individual and this is one of my PRW's and IT MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO ME for a number of reasons, so to be cut down...potentially before the end, was devastating to me, I admit...but it's not about a trip to New York... I have been to New York before, it's about meeting all my friends in person it's about meeting the Icons, Tom Venuto, Adam Waters and Carlos DeJesus, it's about winning, it's about "the whole thing" and....I believe in the concept of WINNING. You may not feel the same way, and that's cool, but..you are not me.

Now....having cleared that up what am I going to do about this...well I contacted a dear friend of mine who happens to live in the UK and knows how these things work and asked her if she would mind making a phone call for me to see what can be done. She very generously said that she would go one better and would drive to London in person and grab whoever makes these decisions by the scruff of the neck until a new passport was forthcoming.

The great thing about this is....that you all know her.... My dear friend Saraaaah, is off to London monday. Another great thing about the 'sphere' is that we have all made new friends and for me Sarah is one of them. She is very generous of spirit, to which her other sphere friends, of which she has many, will attest, and I am more than grateful to her for going waaaay beyond that which she was asked.

So here is a very public thank you to dear Sarah for doing this for me...I am in your debt.

So....another day, another pic, my training is going exceptionally well and I am loving this shred to bits.

Here's to a life of health and fitness....and CHALLENGES...adversity makes you SOOO much stronger and I embrace the challenges.

I raise my glass of 'fresh water' and salute you all, courageous shredders, you are all champions. NEVER QUIT, NEVER GIVE UP.

M2 | CONTEST | Day 53

I have just had the rug pulled out from under me.....in a big way

My blog is late today because I have spent the whole morning in Pretoria trying to sort out the renewal of my British Passport.

I was told in no uncertain terms that because of new regulations I needed to produce all original documentation of my grandparents who originate from Scotland and my birth certificate. I was born in Zambia. I DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THESE DOCUMENTS.

Plus a few more weeks to renew the passport. Now don't tell me I should have thought about this earlier.....I'll come to wherever you are and we'll have a lovely conversation about it.

I know that....but I did phone the embassy and they were quite happy to tell me on the phone that there would be no problem simply renewing my passport and yes there was plenty of time.

So....this is a big challenge to overcome. How did I feel driving back from Pretoria. Completely gutted. I actually felt physically ill.

I might as well say it now, part of my mission is the contest, I am a contest shredder and I didn't enter to come second. Now if I do not have travel documents I am going no where and will have to withdraw from the contest.

Obviously I will exhaust every avenue to try and get some sort of travel document, I don't know what it's like in your country but try phoning embassies on a friday afternoon here.

Yeah, right.

This is a biggy for me and I need to think clearly about how to deal with it.

I WILL NOT GIVE UP

M2 | CONTEST | Day 52

The day I had my butt kicked

My training partner....also a trainer in my business....and I, walked into the gym today super excited about the training session to come...Little did I know I was about to get my butt kicked.

If you want to know what you are made of, head off into the unknown unexpectedly.

This shouldn't be a factor but firstly the kid is 30 years younger than me and secondly he doesn't have a broken neck....

Now I didn't tell him that we were going to go harder than usual today, because I train with Maximum intensity anyway but he sure told me....all of a sudden the trainer became the trainee...Now I know what it's like to train with a sadistic monster.

First off no sets of ten were allowed, then he increased all the weights that I had set out. So we started, I went first with him following close enough to be able to shout...."LOWER ON THE DEADLIFT DUDE, C'MON ARE YOU A WOOSY OR WHAT."

After the first round of 15 of everything my engine was working at above normal revs and I was puffing a touch...Headed for the bike to rest...."I DON'T THINK SO." I get from behind me..."GET THOSE REVS UP TO OVER 100 AND KEEP THEM THERE, NOW, C'MON, YOU CAN DO THIS, GET THE INTENSITY UP."

And so it was....I got through it working harder than I have before on this part of the program...I nearly coughed up a lung, but I got through it.

While stretching when it was all over, and still breathing very heavily, I worked out that:

1. Conditioning is relative
2. Always be increasing your intensity
3. My old level 10 is now obsolete
4. I can't go back to what I thought was max
5. If I think about it too much I get scared about my new max, but you need courage
   
6. In a week or two my new max will be my old max
7. We can ALL, do more than we think we can in everything in life
   
8. Getting someone to push you is the BEST way to breakthrough
9. Just do it
10. Reflect afterward on WHY you are doing what you are doing

and that will give you the answer as to whether you should forward or stay where you are.

If you are a contest shredder, you need to be aware of the above and go with intensity without thinking about it. FOR NOW

When the contest is done you can re-avaluate your goals but FOR NOW

EAT CLEAN, DRINK LOTS OF WATER and GO LIKE HELL

M2 | CONTEST | Day 51

There is gold in them thar hills.

I'm thinking that we have unearthed stuff that goes way beyond health and fitness...well it is related and does factor into our thinking.

What I'm talking about is talent. We have some talented people in the 'sphere' Gems have been unearthed and there are some special people around.

We have all...and I mean all been given a magnificent gift. Some, are still searching, some have found it but don't believe, and some are just discovering what it is but are fearful that it's not real.

Before I around in too many circles and confuse even myself, I'm talking about writing.

Go to the blog post top 100 roll and take a look down the list. There are some incredible posts which in essence are thoughts set to paper.

When I talk about good writers, I'm talking, not about stuffy gramatically correct english, or the odd spelling error. I'm talking about great story tellers. You see we all have it inside...we all have stories to tell...we just think that no body will listen....or we are afraid that our beliefs will be ridiculed.

Fear...is what stops the best stories ever heard from never seeing the light of day on paper. Well writing is about story telling and in a conversational way...as if you were telling the story to your best friend.

I am lucky in that I love to write but beyond that...because I've been on this planet for a while now and I've had way more than my fair share of adversity, for which, by the way, I am very grateful, I believe I have amassed a modicum of wisdom, assuming of course than I can find it in my cranial hard drive when I need it...but that's by the by, which allows me to share that with others in a way that may help others to grow.

My children think they know everything and I don't know how often I've heard, when I explain how something works, "No it doesn't" being the standard reply, and it reminds me of the story of the two youngsters chatting. "When I was 16 my parents knew nothing about anything...now that I'm 21 I can't believe how much they've learned."

If you want to learn about yourself and how you work, start writing. Get a journal or a clean sheet of Microsoft word and start writing...every day.

You'll soon develop a style and before long you'll be writing things that people want to read.
And an added bonus is.....we get to have all this talent in the 'sphere'

I mean if you think about the talented people in here that are striving to change their lives...can you imagine what kind of corporation we could get going. WOW...the mind boggles.

NOW...how the heck, you are thinking, does this relate to health and fitness. C'mon Dougal let's see you tie this one together.

Well you know what.....for once it doesn't. I just thought I'd write for the joy of writing...and this is what came out.

So this is dedicated to all you wonderful people, my, friends, here....with a plea to let your spirits soar by finding out what your brilliant gift is...and then to use to it to help others in any way you can.

Oh BTW, for those of you who have asked what I eat every day...here it is

Wake up Protein shake, Oats, water
Post training Protein shake, Banana, water
Mid am 3 egg scrambled eggs + baked potato
Lunch Tuna salad with brown rice
Mid pm Low Fat Cottage cheese + garden salad + 2 spns olive oil
Dinner Venison (game) + steamed broccoli (2 to 3 cups) drizzled with Ol Oil 2x spns
Pre bed Protein shake + water
2 zinc tablets

and also those who have asked about my compliance, Your assumption was right
My total shred compliance for the last 14 weeks is 100%

M2 | CONTEST | Day 51

I was talking to a client of mine this morning. He has been through the same thing that we all go through. We manage to sustain fat loss for a prescribed period of time and then we let go. That is why diet is such a filthy word. It implies that there is an end in sight and that the old life of Big Macs and cheesecake is just around the corner....well it isn't.

If we are not prepared to make a "lifestyle" change..forget about it.

For me, I was lucky enough to find Adam Waters at the same time I hit rock bottom and because of that I KNOW that I will be spending xmas on the beach covered by a six pack and not a T shirt.

As a fitness professional it has got to be the most self defeating thing in the world to be out of shape. Firstly you are always feeling terrible about the way you look... knowing what you do... and secondly, how much credibility can you have if you, as a fitness coach, are...well....FAT.

We all need to find whatever solution works for us and my personal opinion is, that full scale accountability is what works best for most people.

I suggested to my client, who happens to be a very high level executive in a major organisation, that he go to the organisation's Chairman, lay out his plan and goals, and the date by which he will achieve them and ask that if he fails to live up to his daily action steps, he would forfeit his very considerable bonus. Hmmmm....puts a different perspective on how serious you are about getting into shape.

This blog for me is such a win. There are people from all over the planet reading...well hopefully, reading my words after having seen my contract...see early blog entry...and holding me accountable. Barring a real catastrophe there is no way I'm going to skip a meal, training session or cardio workout.

So all of you reading this...please post comments, I would love to know what you think, perhaps what information you would like to see that I'm not including etc.

I would really appreciate feedback to help motivate you to go for your own goals.

Talk to me.

M2 | CONTEST | Day 50

Complacency.....has no loyalty

On Saturday the British and Irish Lions played my beloved Springboks, current World Champions.

At the half we were crunching the opposition like there was no tomorrow...however there are 2 test matches left in a 3 match series and after the half with quite some time to play the coach in his infinite wisdom, knowing that we had the game sewn up, excuse me... took off a lot of key players including the captain and substituted them for players...good players, from the bench.

Outcome, we came close to losing the game, because of COMPLACENCY.

The game was won by a long way, so let's cruise for the balance of the game and rest the key players, he thought.

NO...NO....NO

COMPLACENCY will destroy you.

How does that relate to what we are doing here.

You cannot set up your nutrition plan, get your training organised, sort out your gym membership and just pitch up every day. That will not do it for you.

You need to THINK, every day about is what you are eating right, is your training intense enough, is there more that you could be doing and so on.

If you let complacency drift in you will find that over time you are doing things with less and less urgency as days go by until you are so far off the program as to wonder why you are not making progress.

Let me if you an example from your nutrition plan.

Let us assume that you are eating chicken breast for dinner and whole wheat bread for lunch.
You head for the market after work and you have had a rough day and you are tired. They have no skinless, boneless chicken breast so you look around and see hamburger patties, double extra lean....Ahh this'll do so you buy them. They have no wholewheat bread so you buy low GI seed loaf. The next time you buy lean patties and brown bread....and the next time you just buy bread and patties...how bad can it be, you think, it's only one meal.

By degrees you don't notice, but over time you are so far off track that no wonder you aren't making progress.

So...don't let complacency hurt your progress...be vigilant about everything you do in terms of your health and fitness and you WILL see regular encouraging signs of moving forward every day.

We were lucky on Saturday...we may not be so lucky second time around, but I bet you that the coach will be VERY alert come game day on saturday.

PEACE OUT

M2 | CONTEST | Day 49

I'm a NATURAL

My hand is poised above the paper. The pen within it quivers, a blob of bright blue ink gets ready to drip, unless I apply the pen to the paper and write something.

Got it, I'll write a poem. Inspired by Yeats, and Keats, Browning and Gehrig...oh no sorry he was a baseball player wasn't he, albeit with a tragic story.

Ah yes, Lou Gehrig and "The Babe", hero's of a bygone era, role models for thousands of american kids. There was no TIVO in those days, and what did we know from Gehrig and Ruth, or even baseball for that matter. Here in Africa we played rugby and cricket, which by the way has been called "baseball on valium".

The role models these days are Barry Bonds, the monsters from WWF, giant bodybuilders like multi Mr Olympia Ronnie Coleman, and those incredible athletes who spend three weeks at 100% riding 3500kms in the Tour de France.

Isn't it a shame though that that the kids of today revere some of those who have attained glory through illegal means, drugs if you will. Isn't it sad that some major athletes of today pay over a major part of their earnings to their chemist.

The Tour de France is around the corner and billions of people will be passionately watching their hero compete for glory only to have their adoration shattered when this or that superstar tests positive for Anabolic Steroids and is ordered to return his medal.

It's a shame to think that some of those kids themselves will succumb to the lure of the filthy "so called elixer of life", all in the name of narcissism.

Play your part and be a role model to your own children, for isn't it so much better to stand straight and tall, lean and strong one year from now, looking into the mirror, and be able to say. "I'm a natural."

M2 | CONTEST | Day 48

IMAGINATION....One of the greatest free gifts we have.

My girlfriends son looked up at me "Dougal do your realise that I will be seven tomorrow." I smiled at him knowing that tomorrow he would have his party at home..my girlfriends country residence, she has a big garden. Jumping castles, water slides....

It suddenly occurred to me that this precious little boy with exitement shining in his eyes would sleep fitfully and would wish tomorrow would come as soon as possible. The thing was..he was living in the moment. He was so focused on the fact that this was his time, nothing else mattered.

He could clearly visualise what was going to happen almost as if it was happening right before those shining eyes.

As we grow we tend to lose that skill. It gets knocked out of us at school. Write on the lines. Do not go outside the borders of the page.

What a shame since IMAGINATION is the greatest gift that we have been given and we need to learn how to get it back.

Visualisation is critical for you to get to where you want to go. Those of us on a tranformation journey need...no MUST be able to see ourselves as we want to be...as if it were today.

Once you can do that the subconscious starts it's work and finds ways to get us there.

The great fun though is in the journey.... The highs and lows, the triumphs and the tragedies...for once you get to your destination..... Then what.

That little boy has imagined this day for ages...he has sold his mother on the outline of what he wants to do with his friends on his birthday, for a long time. He has dreamed grand dreams of sailing down a water slide and bouncing off the jumping castle walls. Of eating cake and opening presents, of happy laughter and smiling faces.

And so it will be. He saw it long before it actually happened.

We can learn a lot from Children.

M2 | CONTEST | Day 47

Boy this brings back some memories

29.52 - A very significant number but before I tell you why.....the answer to your question is NO, I'm not out of my mind....I wish I was going skiing but I don't think it is on my "to do" list for a little while.

It is a beautiful cold winter morning on the Hiveld and I'm dressed for my walk.

This picture has just been taken and the thing that really struck me, is, that I'm smiling.

I suddenly realised that I havn't really smiled for quite a while. Well today I'm really, really happy.

WHY? When I woke up I got out of bed and gingerly walked the 30 or so paces to the kettle. ......One needs to have a cuppa tea when one awakens, does one not...very civilised.

What struck me was that my legs were very sore. My quads, my hammy's, my shins...No, couldn't be, could it....DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness. But I was only using body weight for yesterday's leg work. Wow what a realisation.

I then started smiling and got HAPPY. I have reached rock bottom. Isn't that great. I have no place to go but up....and I mean way up.

Rock bottom isn't always a bad place to be. yes it hurts, emotionally, yes our pride gets dented, yes we wonder what will people who know us think of us.

Well, when we cut through that pile of garbage we will find that it's a heck of a lot easier to start anything from rock bottom than it is from half way up.

Ever tried a diet and just sailed through to your goal...well that's because you started from....you guessed it..rock bottom.

So if any of you are at rock bottom....you are ready...hook up with a friend, or ask for help and support from a shredder, read Adam Water's blog, and get going.

Yes TODAY, would be good.

By the way, that number at the top....is my walk time today - down from 40minutes

Whoooooo hoooooooooo!

M2 | CONTEST | Day 46

The GIFT

It's 2.30am....I can't sleep, I'm so excited.

I'm so grateful for the gift I've been given. How could I not be. I've been on this planet for a while now and I've seen a few things...I've been through a few things....and I'm still here with the gift intact.

LIFE... in abundance is the gift I'm talking about...LIFE, given to me by my creator....to do with what I choose.

For the first time in my tenure on this planet it thrills me to know that I have a calling. It is so fullfilling to know that I know what I'm doing on planet earth and once I discovered what it was, I could stop searching.

It is so exhausting to question yourself continually....There must be more to life than this...what am I doing here....what is this all about, why is life so hard.

The minute I let go of all that and did two things all that changed forever.

1. Embraced adversity
2. Willingly became a servant

We are all going to have adversity in our lives....all of us without question and we can choose whether to embrace it and find the positive in it or reject it and see it as a curse and refuse to take responsibility for it. "It's not my fault."

We were not put on planet earth to 'take'. In general terms people who have spent their whole lives amassing great fortunes at the expense of others die very unhappy people.

Once I understood all that...some time ago, it changed the way I looked at life. I started looking for ways to help people...anywhere, people in distress, people who needed a friend, people who needed someone to listen, people who were hurting, people who needed a kind loving word. Not big things.

The more those actions changed those people the happier I became and have continued to become.

Don't get me wrong...I very much like the finer things in life but I have found that the better way to get those things is via the universal law of ' RECIPROCATION '. The unalterable law that says 'whatever you do to others will be returned to you.'

And I have found that the more I give, the more I get back. Generally speaking whatever you are giving out is what is coming back to you and so if you are grumpy and start speaking badly to people, don't be surprised if a few rude people start having a go at you. If you head into the gym saying to yourself "Aaagh, I really don't feel like this today" you are not going to have the greatest session.

Be nice, but be true to yourself. Know when to say no, get your priorities straight. There is a very simple line in the Word of God which says, "Let your no be no and your yes, yes."

Couldn't be more simple could it. Treat others as you would wish others to treat you and let your no be no and your yes yes.

Eureka, that's it. That's the answer. SIMPLICITY...Life only gets tough when we complicate it.

Find yourself by becoming a servant, and taking responsibility for the adversity in your life you'll be forever thankful when you do.

PEACE OUT.

M2 | CONTEST | Day 45

Yesterday was a holiday in South Africa and we were consequently invited to some friends for a big luncheon.

I knew it was going to be a big bash with lots of extravagant food and huge amounts of alcohol.

I planned for a free meal since I knew it was going to be difficult to eat clean and I do not want people running around me at a function or getting into a discussion about why I'm so boring because of the food I eat.

We arrived and stood around the bar for awhile, awaiting the arrival of the other guests.
Imagine my surprise when the hors d'oeuvres arrived.....crux de terres, lots of lovely crunchy raw veggies with black olives (good fats) and asparagus. Went very well with my ice cold sparkling water.

Later we adjourned to the table, beautifully appointed for twelve people...and the host disapeared down into the wine cellar returning with a few bottles of a dusty but fabulous local '95 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Now I love a glass of good wine so graciously said thank you as it was thrust into my outstretched hand.

Everbody else was drinking french Champagne. I stuck with my one glass of red interspersed with copious glasses of water the whole afternoon.

The first course arrived. Exquisite fresh norwegian salmon dressed with caper berries, fresh pomegranite and smooth fat free cottage cheese.

That went down very well with me and was followed by 'done to a turn' rare fillet steak with roasted vegetables.

My upturned eyebrows went unnoticed and I wondered why the meal so far was one hundred percent clean.

After a decent break between courses....desert. Delicious fresh fruit salad with fat free yoghurt.

Wow, what's going on here.

At the end of wonderful afternoon with a delicious espresso in hand everybody complimented the hostess on an exquisite meal.

The hostess replied " Well most of it was done for Dougal, you know he only eats healthy food." Aaagh OK, so that's what it's about.

What followed was a short discourse on clean eating and everybody agreed that it was not difficult at all to eat the way we had eaten today at all.

Upside....had a fabulous day with friends, ate perfectly healthy fare and made a few converts into the bargain.

WIN WIN, for everyone I'd say.

Proof that a healthy lifestyle does NOT have to be boring.

Mission Contest | Day 43

New day | New Beginnings

Everything is fresh and cool outside. It's 4.30am and it's a new day, a new start, a new body.

14 weeks ago I was fresh out of hospital and looking to recover from major surgery. I was fat unhealthy and full of infection.

Today, I'm heading, fast toward my self fullfilling prophecy of becoming the best me I've ever been and I'm pumped.

It must be like a collective consciousness thing from my very good friend 'downunder' Sharon, because I also feel like I'm bouncing off the walls.

84 done and I want to thank every single shredder on the 'Sphere' for all their support and comments during the last 84.

It's been wonderful getting to know all of you and making a whole bunch of new friends....genuine caring people with a common cause.

We are a community and everyone wants to belong to a community so I think we can reasonably expect the 'sphere' to grow exponentially going forward. It is our responsibility to help all those who come in and find difficulty getting to grips with a new way of life that we so blithely now take for granted.

We were all there once.

As my mission1 disapears into the distance mission 2 looms large on the horizon...well a half a mission actually since it finishes in 41 days from now.

My mission for the next 41 is to support every shredder as much as I can to get to their 84.
In line with my stated goal as a servant, my offer is to anyone who needs help to message me with any questions they may have, and I'll be thrilled to be able to help you complete your mission.

Isn't it amazing to think that in just a month and a half there will be hundreds of 'transformers' all over the 'sphere' and just 3 short months before that we were all just a bunch of tired overweight individuals desperately trying to reclaims our lives.

A big thank you to Adam Waters and RTP-TS and the brilliant concept of collective accountability.

History is being made here my friends and....WE ARE PART OF IT.

Could it get more exciting. NOT FOR ME.

M1 | Day 84and CONTEST | Day 43

What is the one GREAT FORCE that we ALL NEED?

I happened to be half watching MythBusters last night...they were doing James Bond secret devices.

Now Bond has had some pretty cool stuff over the years but what they were particularly talking about was an electro magnetic watch which could deflect a bullet.

The 'Busters', try as they might could not get the bullet to deviate by flying over a set of magnets until they put a number of humungous magnets down under the bullets flight path and even then....only a slight deviation.

What they said about this, hit me between the eyes like a speeding bullet and really made me sit up and listen.

There is no greater force than M O M E N T U M .

and so, what's that got to do with me.....I can hear you think, as you take another sip of your double thick malted milk to wash down the last of your third chocolate cream eclair leaving flecks of cream and chocolate crumbs all over your chin.......I'm kidding I know that would never be YOU...now would it.

Well it has everything to do with you...with US, as it happenes.

The program that we are on, Adam's RTP transformation system has a start up cost and I'm not talking shekels, spondulux, filthy lucre..MONEY...I mean, you actually have to do a lot of work to get to grips with everything. Now that's great....but, it mean there is quite a high barrier to entry, as there is with most programs worth their salt.

So, now think of the space shuttle.....It uses an unbelievable amount of energy just getting off the pad. Even more to get it up and through the earths atmosphere. Then what keeps it going. You got it...MOMENTUM.

Just like all of us. We burn a huge amount of effort to take us to the point where we can say...OK, I get it and when we do and we are a little way in.... is it that, that keeps us going... and actually....if we've done the homework properly, it's not all that hard. Well it isn't. If your PRW's are meaningful then MOMENTUM is what keeps you going. That's equivalent to the right fuel and thrust in the rocket.

Now what happens if....the 'VOICE' says...this is not for you..there's got to be an easier way...and you decide to look for something else. Like for the twenty third time.

You have to go through all that MOMENTUM again. Is it worth it.....That's a no brainer isn't it.

So as I hit day 84 of Mission 1...I want to look forward rather than reflecting..At least today anyway.

What will I do now. Well one thing I won't do is waste that momentum....I still have many goals to achieve...so, I will just keep right on trucking, at least until day 84 of the contest and by then, I assure you I will have a new exciting Mission in mind.

I am not ever going to allow the last 84 days be a waste. I think about people who say, "well let's see how the program goes for you and then we'll climb on board." Don't you think they are now saying, "Why the heck didn't we start with you, look where we'd be."

Once time is gone, it's gone. You can never get it back, and once you get the momentum going...Please don't waste it. You will regret it when you have to start again in 6 months and 20lbs from now.

To ADAM WATERS....
Mission One complete Captain....
and straight into Mission Two, with hardly a pause for breath...
THANK YOU FOR RTP-TS

That's the way I like it.

M1 | Day 83and CONTEST | Day 42

Self Fullfilling prophecies...... Do they really exist?


I wrote this last year when I was recuperating but if you read through you'll see how my 'prophecy' has become self fullfilling.


This is my last word on Woods, of the Tiger variety, I was astounded to read that TW played the US Open with an ACL injury - anterior cruciate ligament, AND multiple stress fractures. Now, I'm aware of the pain involved, I see these things in the gym and the physiotherapy practice, so I'm astounded that he played in the first place with those kind of injuries, much less won the darn thing.

I'm not saying it was a clever thing to do, because he's now had to take the rest of the year off, but man his drive, and level of commitment is unbelievable.

As for me....I did my 4+ km fartlek (speedplay) walk yesterday and had fun. I can feel myself getting stronger every time I go out. Lower body work today.

I had a post comment today asking me if "You are always so chipper" which made me think about it...

"am I"...honestly.

Well now let's see ...

Firstly, I'm exeedingly grateful that by God's grace I am alive, Miracles do happen.
Secondly, I'm exeedingly grateful to able to go walkabout.
Thirdly, I'm exeedingly grateful that I had comprehensive medical insurance since this thing so far has cost around R1,000 000, thats about $130 000 US.
Fourth I'm exeedingly grateful that I had a fantastic young trainer to step into my business seamlessly, and clients that were prepared to train with him, so my financial fallout for that business is minimal.
Fifth, I'm exeedingly grateful that my property investment business is running on it's own with minimal input from me.
Sixth, I'm exeedingly grateful that my girlfriend was prepared to change her whole life to nurse me back to health (we do not live together so it was a major adjustment for her and her children)
Seventh, I'm exeedingly grateful to discover that I have a heck of a lot more friends who care about me than I thought I did,
Eighth, I'm exeedingly grateful to all my shredder friends for wondering where I was when I disapeared off the planet and asking.
Ninth, I'm exeedingly grateful that I AM able to take recovery time at home.
Tenth, I'm exeedingly grateful that my Faith allows me to know in my know in my know that I will come back better than ever before and be able to encourage thousands of people to health and fitness WITH YOUR HELP.

I could go on all day but I know you've got things to do so.......

So...Am I always so chipper....well, yes, I guess I am.

SPREAD THE WORD HEALTH AND FITNESS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE....and it makes you look cool too.

Take a look at No 10 again and look where I am now. ( I wrote this post 1 year ago.) So I guess the answer to "Do self fullfilling prophecies, prayers, dreams, goals....work YOU BETCHA."

M1 | Day 82and CONTEST | Day 41

Who is Dara Torres?.....and why should you care


Dara Torres is an incredible Olympic athlete and she was mentioned the other day on the sphere.....I know the games are long gone but don't yawn and go back to sleep...read on, you may get something out of this.

I think she is more impressive than Phelps. Don't get me wrong, Phelps is no doubt the greatest Olympian ever but I'm not sure that he will be an Olympic medallist in 20 years time, like Dara Torres. Hey I might be wrong but it's probably unlikely.

" Don't let your age, get in the way of your dreams " I think is what she said.

I have been reading some comments from people who don't feel that she should have been there because of her age and experience. She should have made way for younger swimmers to have a chance since she has been an Olympian a few times before, they said.

EXCUSE ME....surely the team is picked from athletes with the fastest times at the trials. If that is true then she why should a slower swimmer get her spot...huh!

I love it that youngsters are intimidated by a 41 year old mother for a spot in the Olympic team...not withstanding the fact that she came "a click of a finger " close to winning a gold medal.

Youngsters whine too much, no of course I didn't mean YOU....set your goals, train harder than your coach says you should, create an unstoppable mindset, and be determined to win, but do not whine...rather get out of the pool and try your hand at the annual Poughkeepsie dung spitting contest.

Rumour has it that Phelps handed his goals for the Olympics to his coach some time before the Olympics....on the list " To win 8 gold medals at the 2008 Olympics". Now that's putting it on the line and going for it, and I doubt that stayed in bed when 'he did not feel like it" or missed a meal because he forgot to pack it, or didn't plan properly

Don't be a bad sport and whinge about losing a spot on the team to a 41 yr old mother who darn near won a gold medal, she absolutely deserves to be there.

All of us, me especially, can learn so much from this amazing woman. Dream big dreams, set massive goals, pick big targets to aim for don't let anything get in your way....especially that voice in your head that tells you you can't.

We can do anything we want want to, provided we are prepared to pay the price. There is always a price....but it's worth it. Look at it this way...it takes courage to get to where we want to go...if it didn't we would all be supermodels...well not me really.

and....in the (sort of) words of the incredible Dara Tores " Don't ever let your age get in the way of your dreams."

M1 | Day 82and CONTEST | Day 40

Sub Prime has really hurt the American economy...ask employees and management at Bear Stearns. If you think this is new you've forgotten 88-89 and junk bonds causing the demise of Drexel Burnham. This is a cycle, or if you prefer, a season.

This is part of life, part of nature, part of human greed and does this have anything to do with health and fitness. Well actually yes it does.

Everything in life operates in cycles, up and downs, seasons. Think about it. Weather patterns, winter, summer, geography, mountains and valleys, moods, cheerful and unhappy.

I don't mean to minimise what is happening right now but what I'm trying to say is your health is exactly the same and so is your training.

Do you know that the body adapts to a resistance routine in about 4 weeks. You then plateau, and you need to change your exercises and if you don't you are unlikely to make any more gains from the routine. Any halfway decent routine should factor this in. Your nutrition is pretty much the same and your body gets used to eating the same foods every single day.

Plateau's, up's and downs and seasons are a very normal part of every day life so guard your health very carefully...Choose a program and eating plan you trust and see it through. Finish what you start and remember plateau's are a temporary part of our life cycle and there will be downside's. Deal with them positively and with good humour and grace for 'they too will pass'

M1 | Day 80 and CONTEST | Day 40

When the chips are really down, what do YOU do?

I wrote this in November last year prior to my last operation to remove the hardware.
At this time where some spirits are flagging and some are uncertain and some need to lift themselves up.....I thought this may help.

I was saying to Carlos yesterday, I feel like I'm in round 20 of a 15 round fight.
I feel battered and bruised physically and emotionally and I have to admit that apart from my recognisable flu like systems which make me feel awful I've had a little self pity party today.

Hey, I'm allowed.

The thing with me is that when something like this happens I get introspective. I go inside myself and get very quiet. I analyse the situation decide on a course of action and then I come out of my shell and I'm fine again. Very seldom does my 'down' time last more than half a day or so.

But...

This is different. I have no frame of reference for what has happened to me over the last 7 months. I have been knocked over so many times I don't know which way is up any more.

I have been on roller coaster rides with my kids before but nothing as scary as this.

I am trying to assess the risks of what I'm about to go through but even the mighty Google is pretty sparse as far as ' risks associated with early removal of cervical hardware.' searches is concerned

I see my neurosurgeon monday morning to run through all the options, the risks, the positives, the percentages....doesn't stop me 'running the numbers' myself ahead of time though.

Phew....I'm tired....tired of getting up off the canvas, tired of heading into the middle of the ring for another round. Am I about to throw in the towel.....no chance, I'm a long way from that.

All I need....all we all need in situations like this is a little breather to regroup. refocus and hit the ground running again.

Right, that's off my chest, I feel better now.....LET'S GO FOR A SWIM, c'mon.

M1 | Day 81and CONTEST | Day 39

As a man thinketh

As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.

Is that statement important to us? I believe it's the most important fundamental we have in personal development.

Everything we have, do or are is, developed out of that statement.

What I am is because of what I think.

A man's self worth is developed out of what he THINKS it is.

Everyday statements contain the word....hmmm, 'I think I'll have fish for dinner' or 'I think we should go to the movies tonight, what do you think?

So how important is it in everyday life.

If we run into a problem such as the one I had yesterday....If I didn't think about a solution I would just sit around not knowing what to do.

If I don't feel like going to gym how do I get myself to a position where I not only end up there but have the best session ever. It's easy to say I don't feel like it and plonk down on the couch with a Bud and a packets of lays...fat free of course.

However, if I THINK about it I realise that

1. I have as responsibility to all my shredder friends
2. I am going to go backwards
3. I don't THINK this is the way I want to go.
4. My shred is going to suffer
5. My compliance is going to dive

etc, etc.

Everything I am is because of the way I think.

Check this out. ' I'm a man of integrity with a giving heart, wanting to do all I can to help others achieve their fitness goals.' The more I think that the more I believe it, the more it becomes real.

Starts in the mind, then goes to the heart, and when it comes out of your mouth it becomes a real living think.

Thinking is one of the most important skills we have, it allows us to be creative, it allows us to achieve, and it allows us to be whatever we want to be.

PRACTICE THINKING with AWARENESS all the time in any situation and as your skill improves so will your life and you will be able to instantly avoid situations that may drag you down or allow you to get away with things you know you actually shouldn't do.

Reminds me of an old story of a bank manager who phones a client and says " Mr Smith, I've been examining your account and ...umm, I think you are overdrawn....Mr Smith instantly shoots back " Well when you are sure call me back." and puts down the phone.

and me....I think I'll head of to the gym for the best session I've ever had...and now that I've thought about I KNOW it's going to be the best.

M1 | Day 80and CONTEST | Day 38

The day the lights went out......The curve ball was thrown.

At 8.30pm last night the lights went out in my town house....and a whole lot of others as well.
No information was available so.....I went to bed.

I awoke this a.m. and trundled off to do my thing...trained some clients and headed off to my gym to train. Had a super session and arrived at home to do my blog as normal.

Power still down. Phoned the complex manager who told me that the electrician could only come at lunchtime. He further very politely told me that the $100 worth of game meat (fat free source of protein) that I had sitting in the deep freeze would not be his responsibility if it went off.

Being a good Christain boy who does not let anything get under his skin I, with GREAT restraint thanked him for his time and told him that he was a wonderful chap and to please have a good day. I then smashed the phone on the floor and stomped on it for good measure....no I'm kidding I didn't do that at all.

What I did though was use this to my advantage. I phoned my girl and invited her for coffee.
Grabbed my lap top, active sync for my phone/camera downloads and headed for Nino's, a great little coffee shop close to where I live.

Grabbed all my stuff from the car, walked over to Nino's....closed for renovations. OK, phoned my girlfriend, change of plans Babe.

Crossed the road and went to Mimo's an italian restaurant.....closed.

Hmmm, blood pressure is definately rising by this point. Moved on to the "Wimpy Bar"...y now I'm getting desperate and time is marching on. Phoned 'Babe' back...Wimpy, are you serious, what a dump. C'mon Babe, work with me here....she could hear the edge in my voice and said....Ohhhh, Kaaaay. You know how girls do sometimes...C'mon girls you know what I'm talking about.

Got my gear, walked to the Wimpy, settled in and asked where the power point was. Uggh, sorry Sir, no point point.

Grrrrrrr! Phone 'Babe' back, change of plan....Oh thank goodness she said...well at least one of us was happy. I'm going to the next strip mall...I'll call you.

Into the car, drive for 10 minutes, to a great little coffee bar called Sugo's..ahh, they have a table inside..coz, it's freeeezing in Jozi today. Settle in, plug in the computer, order scrambled eggs on rye and an Americano. Phone 'Babe', who's, by now two minutes away. Get ready to work and 'Babe' arrives, bonus...havn't seen her since sunday.

Set the 'puter' aside, food arrives and we settle in to chat. One hour later 'babe' leaves and I pull the 'puter' over to start work .......NO CONNECTIVITY....DOUBLE GRRRRRRRRRR.

Now....this whole process has been going on for some considerable time and at the end of it all, I've actually achieved.....precisely....ZERO, exept for coffe with 'babe'.

Any self respecting individual by now would have said.....'The heck with it....the blog, ain't gonna happen today...I'm so far behind my schedule, I dont have time any more.

Now although I AM a self respecting individual...and although my blood pressure is through the roof....I AM ACCOUNTABLE TO MY FAMILY....IN THE SPHERE.

So, against all the odds...here is my post for today.

What did I learn from all of this.

1. ACCOUNTABILITY is KEY.
2. I can trust myself because I take accountability very seriously
3. I did not give up
   
4. I feel great about the fact that I got it done
   
5. I get to give everybody a good laugh about this comedy of unfortunate luck.
6. I made a plan. I just would not quit.
7. My self esteeem went up a notch, for perservering.

And as I said...at the very least, I hope you get a laugh out of this, because I have..and..so did 'babe'.

PEACE OUT.

M1 | Day 78and CONTEST | Day 36

7 Weeks out.....

In bodybuilding terms, that's where we are. 7 weeks out from contest day.

You've got 7 weeks to do everything you need to do to become a champion. As Carlos says, everything you do is taking you a step towards your goal or a step away from your goals.

For all those contest shredders out there....you obviously entered the contest because you believed you could win... DO YOU STILL BELIEVE THAT.

If you do..and I hope that's all of you....take time today to tighten everything up. Drink enough water every day...make sure your eating plan is spot on. Do every single training session with maximum intensity and visualise winning every day, every night.

When you get into bed each night run over the day and ask yourself whether you stepped up to the plate today and moved forward. Review your PRW's and make sure you are still passionate about the positives and sure that the negatives still drive you.

Champions do each day what ordinary people do occasionally

Do you still believe you are a champion.

Don't let yourself get to the finish line only to say...I could have done better.

I am personally thrilled with my progress on the strength phase of the RTP program.
I benched 100kgs/220lbs today and my strength has increased 20% across all exercises in just a few weeks. Remember only 14 weeks ago I had just had major surgery.

I attribute these phenominal gains to having a young training partner. We push each other into the beyond every time we train and are upping our weights each time.

My eating has been perfect and my compliance 100%....but I am still looking for ways to improve
every single day.

WILL YOU BE CONFIDENT COME GAME DAY.....at the very least, be able to say, I gave everything I have and I have nothing left. Leave everything on the line.

Remember this....THERE IS ONLY ONE WINNER.

Leg shot by special request

M1 | Day 77and CONTEST | Day 35

Run Forest Run

Remember Forest Gump.

How he ran all over America.

When I watch people in commercial gyms on the treadmill I often wonder if they have goals or if they just get on and run for an hour at the same pace every day without thinking about it.

Do they realise that doing the same thing every day doesn't help much. For a start the human body/mind is extremely sophisticated and adapts and becomes efficient very quickly, so once it understands the routine it doesn't have to adapt any more and then it is literally just routine.

You have to mix up your cardio training enough so as to make it inefficient for your body and difficult to adapt. Different forms of hi intensity cardio training over 20 minutes or so are best for accelerating metobolic rate over a period of time.

Forget about burning calories, heating up the metabolic furnace is what you want to do.

My own training is reaping rewards and I can feel that I'm burning fat every day.

I remember a client of mine who used to jump onto a recumbent bike in the gym and start her routine. I would be training another client on the other side of the gym and I would hear the machine stop. I would walkover to her and ask her why she had stopped....Oh there are dogs crossing the road, she would reply. Everybody in the gym would fall on the floor laughing.

Cardio should be about fun

My own affirmations - "I am getting leaner and stronger all the time and I love eating healthy nutritious food every day."

Enjoy your sunday.

M1 | Day 76and CONTEST | Day 34

Discipline .......and me!

My take on this enigmatic subject is this. The amount of discipline you require, to accomplish a difficult task is directly proportional to the level committment you are prepared to devote.

And, the level of committment you are prepared to devote is directly proportional to, how close you are to rock bottom.

My personal experience related to this subject is like this. As the years went by from the time I started training, I would make a committment on a friday evening to start a transformation on a monday morning, having thought about it for a few days. Come monday, go through the motions for a few days, or even weeks, and then completely lose the plot at a party over the weekend.

So, whilst I, in my confused mind, thought, Ahh it's OK, I'm an experienced trainer, Heck, I'm a fitness professional, I'll just bulk a bit more and start cutting for the summer season on the beach.

What...(self talk) after a few weeks of this, "You idiot, what are you doing, you are just getting fatter."

My committment to the "lean project" at that time was clearly not matched by my discipline. In other words, I had not yet reached rock bottom. It was more pleasurable for me to party than it was to feel the pain of failing yet again and staying FAT.

At the same time I would tell myself " Dude, you are fat, and getting fatter, you have lost control." The more I said this the more it happened. (I happen to believe that you attract what you think about most.)

At some stage this has to change, if you really desire change.

For me it was a case of "when the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear". How prophetic was it when I stumbled across Adam Waters amazing blog. I can't even remember how that happened.

What I do know, is that at that point 9 point nine weeks ago, I had reached rock bottom, but I needed support and a mechanism to help me climb back up that mountain that I had fallen off.

Adam suggested blogging for accountability. I saw the benefit but was cautious. I have an extremely busy life and this was just another THING to have to do.

At least I was smart enough to realise that "the teacher had appeared" and I committed. Guess what: It wasn't that hard. I found that I enjoyed being accountable to, well, pretty much whoever wanted to visit, on the planet. Which they have.

Then came the shred. Again, WOW, ANOTHER THING. But again as Adam has alluded to, as you get used to the disciplines you take on they become easier. And I now love it. I have made wonderful new friends, to whom I feel very close and I'm never even met them.

This has taught me so much about myself. I used to be a procrastinater. Now, I am forced out of that pattern because I have committed, and I honour that.

Now, I do what has to be done when it has to be done, and that is my lifetime affirmation.

This project has taken me wayyyy beyond, fat loss. It has changed my life.

For that Adam Waters, I thank and Salute you my friend. You are my teacher, and I thank you for appering, when I was ready.

M1 | Day 75and CONTEST | Day 33

I wonder where Hunter S Thomson is now. For those of you who are not familiar with the man he was an american author popular in the sixties for his book Hells Angels. He then wrote Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas which was semi autobiographical and about a drug crazed car trip over a weekend. This was turned into a movie.

The man had a huge following starting in the 60's. His first wife and friends say that from his early 20's and throughout his life he was a drug addict and a functional alcoholic.

He lived very large and died in 2005 after putting a bullet through his head with one of his collection of firearms for which he had a morbid fascination. He was 67.

CAN YOU IMAGINE THE POWER THIS MAN HAD TO INFLUENCE AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF PEOPLE, some of whom may have been your parents. I'm NOT saying they all bought into his lifestyle.

In the 21st Century I believe we are independant thinkers, by and large, with different role models, people like Tom Venuto, Adam Waters, Hugo Rivero, Alwyn Cosgrove....again I'm talking about a sampling of the population.

We have a thing called choice. Whether you believe that or not WE DO.

Which is yours, to make a difference the healthy way or to think that Hunter S Thomson was cool.

We need to wake up FAST....This planet is slowly being burned to death by us through greed and selfishness and we need to change that fast.

IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO A FIT AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, go and tell as many people as possible....or, maybe...just light up another joint and disapear to a perfect fictional planet somewhere far far from THE REAL WORLD.

M1 | Day 74 and CONTEST | Day 32

Earl Bloom and Frankie...AKA Frank Albert Sinatra

What do they have in common?

Well two things actually.

1. He is doing things "My Way"
2. He has an unshakeable belief that he is going to make 'New York, New York' his town.

Earl is an amazing guy. If you want to see how a champion operates then you need to check out his blog.

I am astounded by the amount of work he has put into this on a daily basis and the clarity of thought that is revealed in the content.

I also absolutely love the way he has involved his family....looks like a man of integrity to me and I am a HUGE lover of integrity.

What has any of this to do with us mere mortal shredders.

The reason we are here is because we seek change....personal change, not just for changes sake but lasting life affirming change, permanent change.

We are all sick and tired of the way we look....well I was but I'm quite liking the way I look right now...and we are at a point where we draw the line. This far and no further.

So we search and we search and we try this or that and we have short term success and each monday we start afresh with the hope and expectation and exitement of a kid with his first bicycle. Unfortunately each week we graze our knees when we fall off the bicycle and eventually say.....Agh, the heck with this, I'm not going to diet any more.

Then, one serinedipitous day we happen across one ADAM WATERS and we see in him a shining example of what we want to be. Eureka...that life changing day has finally arrived.

We start RTP with passion and embrace the culture of the 'Sphere' wholeheartedly because somewhere deep inside our Spirit we hear the gentle whisper..."this is what you've been looking for."

Only....Earl Bloom didn't hear that whisper.....he heard a roar like a tsunami coming at him that shouted so loud that he was galvanised into action...MASIVE,MASSIVE action.

And what you see in his blog today is the result of that shouting in his head.

Earl Bloom is a champion....he is a great example of how a 'Transformation' should be approached.

More than that like Frankie...he has done it his way....and...he sincerely believes that New York is imminently about to become....his town.

EARL BLOOM......I salute you Sir....you inspire me.

http://www.shreddersphere.com/member.php?u=500

M1 | Day 73 and CONTEST | Day 31

What have I learned recently?

A Comment on one of my posts a while back.

"dad, i have to tell you that you really are such a huge inspiration considering all you have been through I really have no excuse for being down, not following though, i too will start to analyse things like you do and relook at situations, your daily blog really keeps me going and i look forward to my "daily read" - thanks dad."


Well the most important thing I learned was that my daughter values me and believes I am an inspiration to her....and she cared enough to put it down on paper, so to speak, in public. That takes courage AND speaks volumes.

If I had to invent a radical new technology today I think I would be less excited than I am when I read my daughters post knowing that I am an inspiration to her.

That'll put me on a high for a few years.

What else did I learn. I've suddenly realised that slowly but surely the things that I do on a daily basis are more about helping others than they are about making money.....finally I'm getting the balance right and I'm certainly more at peace with myself than ever before.
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Physically I am feeling more and more confident every day. It's almost as if I have been like this forever...living with my neck fused to my shoulders. I actually have this fading idea of what I used to feel like.

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I am loving the gym and my belief in getting better than I was before, gets stronger all the time. So much so that friends say " aren't you going a bit hard, shouldn't you slow down" NO, I've got too much to do.

Emotionally...I have never laid blame for the accident at anyone's door other than my own and I believe a big part of my rapid healing has been my attitude... that I take responsibility for 100% of what happens in my life. That way I never look outward for answers...they are ALWAYS, only inside of me.

You can NEVER win the blame game.

So, all in all my life is wonderful....I am happy and grateful that I am alive, fit and strong and fully able to help others get to where they want to go, in the best way possible.

I hope YOU feel this way too.

M1 | Day 72 and CONTEST | Day 30

A story of VICTORY and a message of .......ENCOURAGEMENT

Most of us here are trying to shed fat after years of bad eating, however let's not forget the others...known as 'hardgainers' who are trying to do just the opposite. Build solid muscle...they are already very lean.

I just want to encourage "hardgainers" of which there are a few in the 'Sphere', I know how hard it is to train like crazy, eat clean and seem to grow at snail pace.

Mark walked into the gym in 2003 looking like a stick insect. He was withdrawn, introverted and extremely shy. He wanted to get bigger. What he was really saying was...I want to build my confidence.

I have been training and trained with Mark for about six years now and the way he looks now is as a result of 100% solid training and clean eating.

I have devised many different programes over the years and mostly periodised his training to solely focus on growth. I think I can safely say we achieved that in a big way.

He has changed beyond imagination. He now has a very important job with a large company and heads up a large team of people. He is very confident and has become a great leader. He walks with a swagger and looks the part of a 'big' guy.

I don't believe, and neither does he, that he would have made these changes had he not got fit,healthy and LARGE.

I do believe that anybody can get there using a consistent plan and the RTP-TS muscle plan I believe is the way.

So if you are one of 'those'.....a hardgainer....take heart because you CAN get to where you want to go. Might take a little while but you're not in it for just 84 days are you?

There is no secret here, just hard work and persitant consistency. NO DRUGS were used in the making of this body.

It's hard to see but the man is large. About 6ft 3in and around 220lbs of solid.

I sincerely hope this encourages those who may be feeling a bit down about their progress.