M1 | Day 16

What is the most important part of the Real Time Physique Transformation system?

Of course you have to take action steps daily...that's a given, but try taking them when you have no destination. It's a bit like loading the family into the SUV, loading up all the luggage, getting the kids play stations set up and working, making sure the egg sandwiches are properly sealed...oh yes, very important.....setting the alarm, locking the front door, jumping in the drivers side and announcing to the family " Isn't this so cool, christmas vacation and we are ready to go....ummm, where shall we go. You'd have a mutiny on your hands.

Yup the answer to the question is....the first 7 days. That's where you understand, day by day, the power of the RTP - TS system.

Getting inside your head and getting it straight is what's needed and Adam Waters has done a masterful job of explaining it in detail. Information overload...not even close....all the stuff that's in there is what's known in business as ' critical success factors ' and it's all necessary.

Don't think for one minute that you can skip read this part...you can't. And if you try to you'll very quickly realise you don't know what you are doing.

More importantly Adam is not some internet snake oil dude....Everything in the first seven days is born out of painful first hand experience. Painful is a good thing. If it's sore enough you learn from it and you will....

If you are struggling, go read it again...it can't hurt.....and if you don't know what I'm talking about and you are reading this on my external blog, then you need to look at this program.

http://www.rtp-transformation-system.com

TODAY

M1 | Day 15

It's a sad day for South Africa. Some years ago a massive arms deal was concluded between South Africa and some European companies. It was later discovered that there some very large bribes floating around were used to grease a few palms. Schabir Shaik is a South African businessman from the Berea, Durban, who rose to prominence due to his close association with former South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma. On 2 June 2005, he was found guilty of corruption and fraud, which also led to the dismissal of Zuma two weeks later from his position as Deputy President.

Now, the Judge concluded in his findings that Shaik had a generally corrupt relationship with Jacob Zuma and sentenced Shaik to considerable time inside one of our exclusive country clubs.

Correct me if I'm wrong or if my reasoning is suspect but if ' the two of them had a generally corrupt relationship' and one of them is off to jail, then surely the other one is also guilty....surely.

Well not only is Jacob Zuma not going anywhere since as I watch TV an anouncement has just been made that all charges have been dropped against him but he WILL become the next president of this country.

I am really, really upset about this and all I can do is shaik :-) my head, since there is zip I can do about it.

Now I bet you are thinking......OK let's see him use this one as a metaphor for health and fitness.
Well here it is.

In life we often get thrown curved balls and we have to find our own personal ways of dealing with them. Now this kind of announcement can seriously want to make me bury me head in the sand for the next 10 years or so.

My rationale is this. I live and and love Africa passionately...I was born in Africa and have lived here all my life and I don't intend to leave this continent...now this situation is way beyond my circle of influence therefore I will let it go.

My focus today will be on eating even better and training even harder and visualising even stronger images.

Therefore this situation is an advantage for me because it allows me to make the choice to have one of the best days I could have, by giving all my focus on what's important for me....you guessed it..my health and fitness.

and why....because there is nothing I can do about the decision and ladies and gentleman, girls and boys, trees and little animals...and so, that is that.

Oh and by the way, Shabir Shaik was recently released from prison way in advance of his sentence being completed, because of ill health. WOW, surprise, surprise....and it would not surprise me that after the elections when JZ is the new boss, Shabir Shaik becomes the new Minister of Finance.

M1 | Day 14

Sorry about the single pic. It was taken at a different location with a different camera and my source pics are on a different computer..at least it's done

Whaaaa, it's a rest day today...I don't wanna rest day whaaa, I wanna go train.

Actually I really do feel like that. I am loving being able to train so much I just want to hit the gym all the time...I guess that's why I do this for a living.

But...we all need to remember that your muscles DO NOT grow while you are in the gym hoisting slabs of steel over your head...they grow whilst you are at home resting. Muscle fibre is broken down in the gym and rebuilds during periods of rest which is why sleep is mui importante.

I am privileged today to be going to watch the two best cricket teams in the world (adam vs me...or Australia vs South Africa) do battle in a day game at Centurion stadium. Apt name because these guys are gladiators. They are superbly fit athletes who put their bodies on the line every time they face a ball coming at them, at 150kms per hour...or dive acrobatically to catch the ball.

Kinda reminds me about physique transformation....How so?....well the 22 guys on the park today or not necessarily there because they are the most talented. They are there, obviously because they have talent, but more so because they WANT IT MORE than anybody else.

For us to transform we have to want it more than we want our old life.

Reminds me of a story about a North American indian boy who was talking ernestly to an elder in the tribe. He said to the elder " I have wolves running around in my head. The good ones play with each other and have fun and share their food....the bad ones fight and growl and steal food, and sometimes both sets of wolves fight with each....which ones will win."

The wise old elder replied simply " The ones you feed the most"

Be aware at all times of what is going on in your head, it is the ONLY thing we can control ...it will make or break you....

M1 | Day 13

A shiver ran down my spine as I faced the monster...it growled at me and looked fierce as it's blinking red eyes burned into me like red hot coals through snow.

The monster challenged me as if to say I will defeat you... I didn't believe that he could but...I was nervous.

I approached with caution, from the side and when I was sure that he was still looking straight ahead I jumped on his back and held on for dear life. He thrashed around and I pulled and pushed fiercly fighting back and holding on with all my might.

I just kept going coz I knew if I stopped now, I would be defeated. I seemed to be controlling this, this fiendish entity, working like a trojan to subdue it. The sweat dripped off me, running in rivulets down the back of my shirt but I clung on for dear life...somehow I felt deep in my spirit that victory was near.

Suddenly the battle was over almost as quickly as it began. VICTORY was mine. The monster stood cowed in the corner, almost pathetic like in defeat.

I stepped away and moved back to observe this spent force, this, this gargoyle.

The monster at last had stopped moving.

I mentally checked my vital signs. My heart which had been racing was returning to normal.

Oh well, I thought with a sigh.....my 30 minutes of cardio was finished and the exercise bike stood still with puddles of sweat around it.

Adrenalin pumping, I thought..."That was FANTASTIC"

M1 | Day 12

I discovered something today of enormous importance.

We all know that intensity, focus and quality in your training sessions are going to give you the best results.

Well something just slipped into my mind this morning whilst training which made a huge difference to the quality of my session and I'm so excited about it that I wanted to share it with you.

I've gotten into the habit of continually talking myself up during my session and this morning was no different. So when I was benching, at the top of one of my reps I said " QUALITY"
to myself, and found that I got into a nice rhythm.

Bammmm....It added a dimension to my training that I havn't experienced before. It slowed me down, made me a good deal more focussed and made sure that every single rep I did was a quality rep.

Simple but super effective, give it a try it'll blow you away.

M1 | Day 11

President Obama visited with the Queen of England yesterday and as custom dictates gifts were exchanged. He gave her an Ipod with an album of her last visit to the US...she gave him a beautiful framed picture of .....herself.

How exciting that must have been for him....not.

It just shows you where people's heads are. Clearly thought went into Obama's gift and some planning and organisation and finally execution. Queenies gift was probably taken from one of a hundred stacked up in the storeroom.

The reason I'm telling you this is because the pleasure Obama got from giving, I imagine, was immeasurably more than Queenie got and the reason is, Queenie is bored since she has given that same gift out a thousand times.

Bit like transformaing yourself isn't it. Well think about it....You decided you want to transform and you make the commitment. You think about how you will achieve the transformation. You search for a workable plan. You create action steps to achieve the plan. You take the steps and you end up transformed. You feel great about what you've done and along with that comes a great sense of achievment.

However like Queenie, if you just do what you've always done with very little effort, there is minimal reward.

Not really an optimal way to live...is it.

If you always take the road less travelled you will ALWAYS get the most reward for the effort you are prepared to expend...and that makes things a lot more fun, doesn't it.

Extend that to your transformation. Give it your all...and it will give it back to you.

M1 | Day 10

What is it about health and fitness that scares people off. Is it because they think it's going to hurt, or be boring, or too time consuming, or they won't keep it up.

I don't know the answer to that question but what I do know is that once you've made a commitment to transform your body and your mind by the way everything changes.

So it ends up not being about a beach body but more about getting your life in order from the top down.

When you have a plan, and you are accountable, procrastination is no longer an issue in your life.
If you are accountable and you belong to a team neither is mediocrity an issue either.

Training in the gym this morning my thoughts were on the awesome 8 and how I owed them my very best. I gave my very best and guess what...I had a fantastic session which benefitted...ME.

If we applied these principles to everything in our lives, every day would be so much simpler.

M1 | Day 9

I am aware of changes....tiny, but changes nevertheless. I am not as tired as I used to be, my body is starting to tell me when to eat. Body physiology changing very subtly, attitude amping upward every day...

It's amazing how a change in exercise and a commitment to an eating plan can create a radical mental shift and change your life in such a short space of time.

I feel calmer, more organised and more together than I did pre day 1.

If anyone reading this hasn't already got one and is looking for a 'plan' to transform, this is the one.

Adam Waters RTP - TS is a methodology for success no question. It is so comprehensive that I'm not sure it's possible to go wrong, to not make a massive transformation in mind and body.

There is not going to be a better time to make a change in your life than RIGHT NOW.

C'mon, what are you waiting for.

M1 | Day 8

New week | added focus

Please excuse the picture quality, but the pic was taken at Karen's place and clearly her hand was a little unsteady. We only took one pic and in the interests of integrity I am using the pic as it was shot.

Into week two still shooting 100% and feeling fabulous.

M1 | Day 7

Sunday, traditionally a day of overindulgence 'food' wise in the past. Not any more. Woke up after going to bed at 3am - after doing my cardio...cleaning up the house after Karen's party, a LOT of work, LOL, and jumped straight into a protein/banana/skim milk smoothy and 2 glasses water.

Have a wonderful sunday.

end of week one - can't wait for week two

M1 | Day 6

Nearly the end of week one - unbelievable

RTP - TS MISSIONONE
"The way back" Day 4

Massive action Massive results

Saturday and I'm off to watch my boy play hockey...oh yes Under 14A team for his school at a big hockey festival. Oh and did I mention that he won a bronze medal in the South African Championships 2 weeks ago for rowing....oh and did I mention that my daughter is her school house captain....did I, oh did I mention all that already, oh did I....well if I did just in case you forgot.

Get a hold of yourself Dougal you are going a bit overboard here. Sorry guys, all you parents out there will understand my feelings, I just love them so much and I'm so proud of them.

Well have a wonderful weekend....Karens birthday, so it's a party at the big house tonight...looking forward to it, not at all fazed...will just schedule a 'free' meal and done deal.

See ya tomorrow.

SHREDDER PACT

I will achieve a minimum compliance rate of 90% on my pre-determined training and nutrition and plan.
I will complete the single daily actions that produce results.
I will burn my bridges and not look back.
I will never surrender

M1 | Day 5

Above and Beyond

I got my schedule a bit messed up and had to do some re arranging. Didn't affect up my compliance at all but as I stepped onto the treadmill I had a choice. Do I do the 18min program or the 24 min program..normally I would have been satisfied with the 18 min thingy but I stopped and thought...how badly do I want to achieve my goals..The answer was really badly so I opted for the 24 min number......yoo hoo, big time victory.

This program of Adam's is really teaching me to question the voice in my head and then make a conscious decision.

A fantastic by product of getting into shape.

I really am seeing things differently from the way I've viewed them before...perhaps because I've made a commitment to a new lifestyle...or perhaps because I left all my brains on the operating table ;-) Whatever..it is a positive thing and it is something I can take with me to all areas of my life.

I have always been aware of visualisation and affirmations but now I am really making them work for me. C'mon dougal you can go further, faster,higher than ever before, you can, C'mon..and before you know it you are actually exceeding your expections.

And...when your expections become your comfort zone, man have you got the game whipped. Big Time.

Day 5... total compliance since day 1 ........100%

RTP - TS MISSIONONE
"The way back" Day 4

Massive action | Massive results

SHREDDER PACT

I will achieve a minimum compliance rate of 90% on my pre-determined training and nutrition and plan.
I will complete the single daily actions that produce results.
I will burn my bridges and not look back.
I will never surrender

M1 | Day 4

RTP - TS MISSIONONE
"The way back" Day 4

Massive action Massive results

I am absolutely loving my weight training. Reason....my head is on right. I'm doing something I've never done before...I am AWARE. I didn't check out when I walked into the gym I checked in. Over the years I've been training of course I've worked hard but I don't remember the kind of focus that I have now.

What I mean is this. As I entered the gym I said to myself "this is going to be the best workout you've ever had." As I trained I said " Man this is the best ever, the best." and as soon as I said it I felt energy surging into my body, much more than all the steroids I've done....KIDDING, no really I'm KIDDING, just checking to see if you're awake. OK, I promise I have NEVER juiced. Seriously.

Anyway, what a great session....like I said, I am loving this.

SHREDDER PACT

I will achieve a minimum compliance rate of 90% on my pre-determined training and nutrition and plan.
I will complete the single daily actions that produce results.
I will burn my bridges and not look back.
I will never surrender

M1 | Day 3

RTP - TS MISSIONONE

"The way back" Day Two

Massive action Massive results

My apologies that the compliance register is so small....I'm fairly technically challenged so I'm learning how to do all this stuff as we go along. Suffice to say my compliance for day 2 was 100%

I am so enjoying the routine of training again...I feel like the pieces of my life are starting to fit together again like a perfect jigsaw puzzle.

I'm focussed in the gym, I'm thinking about my nutrition with great efficiency and my mental excersizing is working well.

Still buzzing, big time.

SHREDDER PACT
I will achieve a minimum compliance rate of 90% on my pre-determined training and nutrition and plan.

I will complete the single daily actions that produce results.

I will burn my bridges and not look back.

I will never surrender

M1 | Day 2

RTP - TS MISSIONONE
"The way back"
Day Two

Massive action Massive results

Day one successfully completed. It was not without it's challenges on day one however. It was Karen's birthday yesterday and I said I would cook dinner and give her a break from the kids etc. (actually it was so I could control what I ate...he he he ...evil laugh.)

So what did we have...a superb piece of fillet steak, fresh asparagus, baby potatoes and a delicious fresh garden salad. All cool.

She loved it, so did I, so, it was all good.

My weight training went exceptionally well and I left the gym feeling like I had given it 100%.

So day one down...roll on day two.

SHREDDER PACT

I will achieve a minimum compliance rate of 90% on my pre-determined training and nutrition and plan,I will complete the single daily actionsthat produce results,I will burn my bridges and not look back,I will never surrender

M1 | Day 1

RTP - TS MISSIONONE

"The way back"

DayOne

Massive action Massive results

Everything according to plan. 1st meal on time at 5.15am, weight training at 10.30am, all on schedule. Feeling super exited about M one.

I just need to clarify a few issues. I write my blog posts during the day which logically would mean that my accountability template would not be complete if I inserted it now so I've decided that I will insert the template with my daily picture...the day after they occur. That way I can keep writing my post during the day instead of waiting until 10pm or so to complete it and then blog which would cut my sleep time. Don't want to do that.

All that it means is that what you would be looking at today would be yesterday's information....no biggy.

Cool, that's outa the way.

Since I've been out of hospital I've really felt the need to get back into decent shape...as you'll see tomorrow, a year's forced inactivity has taken it's toll, but I never really got organised enough to know exactly what I wanted to do.

The result of a mindset " I know what to do" because I've done this before. Ugh ugh, don't work like that.

I've been rudely reminded that one swallow does not a summer make and I can't believe how ready and organised I am now that I have worked my way through all the modules and done my planning.

I know exactly where I'm going and how I'm going to get there.

Planning is not evrything, it's the only thing, to paraphrase the great Vince Lombardi.

Try and do a serious physical transformation without planning and see how far you get.

So day one is on it's way and I feel fantastic. 84 days from now I will be a completely different person and I will be renewed every mission thereafter.

SHREDDER PACT
I will achieve a minimum compliance rate of 90% on
my pre-determined training and nutrition and plan,
I will complete the single daily actions
that produce results,
I will burn my bridges and not look back,
I will never surrender

MISSIONONE has left the building.....whooooosh.

MASSIVE ACTION | MASSIVE RESULTS

Countdown to M1 - The road back to me.

D-day - Blast off minus 2

2 days to go...am I ready, you betcha, I am so hyped up for this and everything is in place.

The modules have beed studied, the nutrition plan done, the training program sorted, now it's just a matter of pressing the GO button.

I hit the ground running on monday with my first meal of the day at 5am and my first training session at 10.30am (weights)

See ya then sports fans.

MASSIVE ACTION | MASSIVE RESULTS

CAN I DO THIS AGAIN?

I BELIEVE I CAN DO BETTER

STARTING MONDAY SEE ME PROVE IT - DAY BY DAY

Module 4 complete

You do not wake up one morning deciding to transform your body, head for the gym do a few exercises and smash a protein shake into your face.

You do not.

If you want to know how serious you are about transforming your body and mind you have to read the nutrition module of Adam Waters fantastic RTP - TS.

Wow.....5 pages in, it's like....." well let me take an aspirin and go and have a lie down."

Man it is comprehensive.

I can tell you this after acquiring a bit of knowledge of nutrition and nutrition plans over the years....this is the real thing.

If you take the time to sit down and gain some insight into the workings of this plan I guarantee you, you are 80% home free.

Designing a correct scientific nutrition plan for yourself is not easy but it is foolproof and this program really helps you to do that in the most comprehensive way possible.

Well done Adam.

I am jumping off the walls waiting for monday to come for...........

MISSION 1 M1

MASSIVE ACTION - MASSIVE RESULTS

The road back to ME

DAY 1

I havn't been this excited since I was sucking morphine in the back of an ambulance at 180kms and hour with one leg over the cliff wondering if I needed to go quite this far to get the ultimate adrenalin rush.

Seriously....I am super thankful to be here an be able to take on this mighty challenge to be my best again.

Rock on monday

MASSIVE ACTION | MASSIVE RESULTS

module 3 - complete

I am doing this by the book. I have completed all the instructions as per the modules and am learning so much about myself that I didn't know. It's fascinating how we switch off to stuff that causes pain.

I am amazed at the depth of layering that Adam has included in the different modules. The complexity of the human mind/soul has been captured in great detail and this is so important since this is where it all starts...in the mind.

In completing the modules a whole lot of soul searching is necessary but at the end of it you just know that the feedback is going to help you achieve your wildest dreams.

The concept of missions is genius. The word DIET implies that there is an end. Well I've got news for you... there isn't.

If we don't grasp the concept of LIFESTYLE change at this point...either go back and understand it or....jump off the bus.

Looking forward to day 4 tomorrow.

You've done good Adam.

MASSIVE ACTION | MASSIVE RESULTS

Module 2 complete.

Introspection is a funny thing. Well, not really funny but it forces you to wake up to reality and if you are totally honest it will reveal stuff in your life that will change the way you are forever.

I've just completed the PRW module of RTP - TS and uncovered a whole lot of things that I had never thought of before that have held me back. The pleasure PRW's are also exciting enough to keep propelling me forward.

It's actually exiting to think that at any stage of your existence you can change the way you think about and action things in the blink of an aye. The past is gone, the future is your choice...from now.

I've got all my pain and pleasure PRW's on my PDA so that I can internalise them at any time as well as my visualisation picture which I think is very important. I will be looking at them very often.

Looking forward to module 3 tomorrow.

MASSIVE ACTION - MASSIVE RESULTS

TAKING CONTROL

For those of you that may not be aware I have been blogging for some time now and I am part of Adam Waters shreddersphere.

In April of last year I came very close to losing my life in a freak surfing accident. ( I broke my neck very badly after coming off my board head first into a very hard sandbank)

I have spent the last year in and out of hospital ( 5 operations to do a spinal fusion, put in titanium hardware to hold me all together, get rid of persistant infection, plastic surgery to fix a hole in the back of my head, take out the hardware etc etc.)

I came out of hospital after my last op about a month ago and two weeks ago felt that I was well enough to start a shred of my own. I announced goals and time frames etc....

.......and then Adam Waters RTP Physique Transformation program hit the streets.

I took some time to reflect on the parameters of the challenge I had set for myself and thought.
"What a woosie." Loosely translated that means " C'mon son, you can do better than that."

So....I reflected on what Adam always advocates AND DECIDED TO TAKE MASSIVE ACTION.

I am undertaking the biggest challenge of all.....to successfully complete
THE RTP - TRANSFORMATION SYSTEM.

I am going to undertake this program in it's entirety and without putting any limitations on myself. This program will get 100% from me over the next 90 days.

Furthermore, just to add a little pressure to my accountability I am dedicating my transformation to two guys in this industry I have immense respect for.

Adam Waters and Carlos DeJesus the next 90 days are for you.

I will use all the tools that are in Adam's program and have already completed module 1. Module 2 tomorrow.

I am super excited about this ' life changing journey ' since it's the first time for a year that I will be able to train and eat consistently and with purpose.

I hope that you will all enoy this journey with me and please pop in and leave a comment of encouragement every now and again to keep me motivated.

Come in and watch me grab my life back by the scruff of the neck ...day by day.

The road less travelled

Wow, what just happened here....who is this guy?

The RTP - transformation system by Adam Waters is what happened and who is he?

I can understand someone happening onto Adam's program via Google or youtube or one of the social networking sites or, or,or and asking the question, but for an awful lot of us we have seen this coming for some time.

For me it is real interesting to have been able to observe first hand the progress, the latter part anyway of this work in progress. As Adam himself says, he's not done yet.

Here is an ordinary guy, who has snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and become extraordinary.

What he has done is proof absolute how you become successful by giving to others.

Through his own efforts, initially with no thought of personal gain he has firstly ' taken ' back his life by force and secondly turned the methodology of that victory into a world class business.

Here is a guy that stood up and said ' enough is enough ' and refused to accept second best. He with huge courage made public his personal transformation and dragged hundreds of us kicking and screaming along with him.

I predict that the guy will become a leader in the health and fitness industry and will be travelling globally to address health and fitness conferences all over the planet very soon.

Having said all that, here is what I believe to be the interesting part. Listen up.
This planet is in tatters....and we have made it so.

Corporate obesity caused by individually overbloated executives.....greedy public servants with no regard for the public they serve and the encouragement of general anarchy on a global scale has taken us to a place from which a whole lot of people will never return.

I have been on this planet a long time and I have never seen mass ' shoulder drooping resignation ' for the situation we find ourselves in like this ever before. 1929, phaa....nothing compared to where we are now.

How do we re group....how do we find our way back, ploughing through the treacle of uncertainty, in the dark.

Health and fitness is how. It starts with US. How we think about ourselves. Health and fitness plays a huge part in the phsycological well being of the planet. Collective positiveness is a start.

There are thousands of 'guru's' on the net telling us how to get healthy.. for personal gain, but only a handful of people really dedicated to helping others through walking ' the road less travelled'.

Those that have REALLY struggled to find out who they are and how they get to where they are supposed to be.

Adam Waters is one of those...the real deal and I reckon that without laying it on too thick, he will single handedly play an enormous part in kick starting the global recovery

Before you splutter into your coffee and wonder if I've gone nuts think about what that would take.

Make no mistake the RTP transformation system is already a big hit and the power of networking on the internet is going to make it a giant. What does that mean. It means that hundreds of thousands of lost people, if not millions are going to be using this system to reclaim their own lives

Who would argue the possibility of a high percentage of those being major decision makers in business, industry, government etc etc.....c'mon, who's to say?

This is a 'complete' transformation system that WILL change your life and the world along the way... because the principals and values we all should live by are contained inside the box it comes in.

You don't just do what he has done over 8 years with an ' oh that looks cool, let's give it a shot'.

The way the program works is the way the world should work. Business, government, industry should all take heed of the principles he lives by and the commitment he believes in and we would not be in this mess....but we are so......let's ALL work one by one, together to make it right.

Adam started out just wanting to find himself. Committing to change by taking massive action and in the process he is changing the world.

Boy....bet he didn't see that coming.

The road less travelled

Week 1 - DONE

Still trying to figure out how to edit these pics so they sit side by side. I'll have it sorted by next week.

Had a good week training and eating wise. I've lost body fat so I feel good about my efforts.

I'm enjoying the exercise and feel better every day. I've been off antibiotics for 2 weeks now and have one little patch to heal at the back of my head and I'll be as good as new.

I work better with routine and I'm still trying to get into that and find a rhythm that I feel comfortable with.

Hope everybody else's training and shredding is going according to plan... be great if we go into the weekend with a collective positive attitude. I believe that the situation globally would be a whole lot better if we talked ourselves up instead of down.

If our health and fitness plans are going well it makes everything in life go a lot easier I think.

Let's all be very positive going forward....can't hurt can it.

The road less travelled

Driving to the gym this morning I decided to take a different route. I had to pay attention since I was largely driving into the unknown. I had to be aware of things like how long it would take me and whether there were any obstacles such as road works that may hinder my progress and make me late etc.

Made me think, as I was driving that our health and fitness is pretty much a parallel.
We are free to make choices. We are free to to set up our own program based on the available knowledge coupled with our own experience.

Fact is we are going to get bored at some stage and if the stimulation of a new routine is going to get us to the same destination, hey, go for it. Just make sure that it is going to get us to the same destination.

That's where the road obstruction thingy kicks in. Not much good doing a ' functional training' (mimicking body movement) session if you have been using a split routine to train specific body parts for a body building competition.

Mental stimulation is as important as the physical and make sure that before you head out to do the session that you are ready to give it everything. There should be a sign outside every gym that says " Park your ego and troubles at the door" and put on your 'training' head. The one that allows you to focus fully on what you are doing.

That way you get full value for your effort. Nothing worse than walking walking out of the gym and thinking " well that was a waste of time."

Go out of your way to " find a new route " if the old one is making you flat and you'll soon find your enthusiasm retuning.

The road less travelled

Watching the Australians give South Africa a hiding at cricket (to you Americans that's Baseball on valium) reminded me that you can't win em all.

What you can do is keep playing the game. That's what life is...a game. We are supposed to have fun. It is not supposed to be one long drag.

How do we do that...Like professional sportsman we must find something to do that will make us happy. Our passion...Our calling.

We won't win every game but when we lose, we sulk for a while...that's OK, but then we get up gather strength and courage and carry on. Get better at what we do, learn new skills, practice them, start winning again

Kinda like health and fitness...we are going to fall over from time to time...probably often actually but we don't have to stay down. We have only lost when we don't get up and for all of thus that is only as far as...the next healthy meal or...the next workout. That's all it is.

Just keep on moving forward and one day....wow, our goal is just around the next corner.

We are all winners until....we decide to lose.

Please don't let that happen to you.

The road less travelled

S U P E R SHRED day 1 week one PIC.

When you look at this pic you can appreciate that I felt more dread about publishing this than I did about deciding to have potentially life threatening surgery.

It is incredibly hard to expose yourself in the most naked way possible, literally. You can hide nothing.

However it is done... for the planet to see and I suppose I can retain a shred of self respect by convincing myself that I have been out of action for pretty much a year now without being able to improve as a result of any of the on, off training I was able to do since it was so sporadic.

Accountability allows for no secrets...Once exposed the journey has begun and soon enough I will be able to post comparitive pics that will show significant improvement week by week as I dance towards being my best ever.

One month after my original surfing accident having spent a month in hospital flat on my back I found I had lost 22lbs/10kgs of muscle mass. One year later I have added 33lbs/15kgs primarily of lard.

Comfort eating tends to become top of mind when one is recovering from a serious injury and cannot train.

I am feeling good now and believe that I'm on the road back. I really believe that I can get back into peak condition during this shred.

I can write all I like about the pitfalls of disregarding health and fitness and very smugly admonish those who disregard the obvious signs of neglect....but I have to face the fact that the prime target for my sometimes 'in your face' style of writing is.....ME.

I sit here with renewed energy, committment, persistance and resiliance....I have climbed many mountains, I have fallen many times, but I have got up, dusted myself off, wiped the tears from my muddy cheeks and told myself through clenched teeth determination...I WILL NOT BE BEATEN, I WILL PREVAIL, and I WILL COME THROUGH BETTER THAN EVER BEFORE.

Although I am starting a new journey, I am near the end of the old one and as I shrug off the cloak of despair I don a new one of brilliant colours and hues and I look upwards with hands raised and say " Thank you that you walk with me and help me up when I fall."

The road less travelled

As I walked up the steps of the gym this morning I was rudely reminded of my ' mickey mouse' workout yesterday. My quads felt tight and my hammies cramped a little, but it felt great. It served to remind me that a) I'm still alive and b) I'm able to exercise...well sort of.

Did 5 min walk on the T-mill and 15 mins of mild intervals on the stationary bike. Then some core work with the swiss ball and I was done.

I'm glad I have a record of this because I need to look back later this year and remember this as a starting point. Unless we record where we are, how will we know how far we've come.

Have eaten well today and even after a couple days of this I feel more organised and focussed. Funny how an exercise program tends to order things in your mind.

South Africa is playing Australia in a cricket test match in Johannesburg right now. Wonder if Adam is watching. Good luck mate.

The road less travelled

So...day 1

Boy I'm out of shape, but had a super day and got the endorphins going which made me feel great.

Eating was good and my training went like this:
Quad Blaster 1 x 10reps
Lunges 1 x 10 reps
Bulgarian split squats 1 x 10 reps
Leg ext 1 x 10 reps

5 mins steady state on the indoor bike.

Big deal right....well it was for me, my legs were fried.

Tomorrow I will do some non neck stressing core work and a 20min cycle including some moderate intervals.

I'm going to go very easy and build slowly... my gut feeling tells me that I will need to resist the urge to go hard and focus on really getting healthy and re building my immune system.

I was struck by President Obama's words " we WILL rebuild ". That really resonated with me and my affirmation is also "I will rebuild and be better than before."

I'm really excited and looking forward to dancing down "the road less travelled"

The road less travelled

DANCING INTO THE DARKNESS

My rehab has gone well, I'm starting to feel like I want to get back into shape but I have no point of reference. I feel like I'm dancing in the dark. Like, no one can see if I'm getting the moves right.

I'm ready to go but I have no idea what I can achieve with some indoor bike work, and swimming, with slow and gentle leg work in the gym. "Quad Blaster" obviously gets priority, but no upper body weight work.

Clean eating will clearly play a much bigger part than ever before since I will have to to take great care not to lose any more muscle along the way.

So in a round about way I'm getting to publicly designing a "shred" for myself with accountability to all of the you.

Let's start with a time frame:
How about 18 weeks, starting tomorrow wed Feb 25th 09 and running to July 01.
What can I hope to achieve?
Well that depends on what I believe. Do I believe I can get to 9% body fat, because that's what I'd like to be at. Can I get more muscular? Doubtful based on what I can and can't do. Probably end up looking more like an endurance athlete.
What is my start point
22olbs/100kgs
20% body fat
What are my goals
To attain a body fat % of 9
What action steps will I take to get me there
I will train 6 days a week using a mixture of walking, indoor cycling, swimming and lower body weight training as allowed by my neurosurgeon.
I will take one rest day per week.
I will train sensibly and cautiously
I will eat at least 5 balanced healthy nutrititious meals per day 6 days per week.
How will I be accountable to my fellow shredders
I will post pictures once a week (fridays) to gauge progress
I will post weight and body fat measurements on the same day

This is my contract with my fellow shredders

Please come along for the ride and let's see what I can do with what I have.

The road less travelled

The EAGLE has landed

Not your average Mechano set

This is what they pulled out of my head.
The infection was so bad that it has
lubricated some of the nuts, which had
come loose and were floating around
inside me.

























I'd be a shoe in for a part in an axe murder
movie don't you think?


Hey Mr Macdonald, great to see you back. Excuse me...The only time those words don't make you feel good, is when you are walking back into the 'orthopaedic' ward of your local hospital to have operation number...ummm, oh yes, number 5 in 9 months.

However, after being checked into a private room...one of the perks of everyone knowing you in the ward...all the nurses came in to say hi, I settled in and waited for wednesday morning.

6.00am, take this Mr.Macdonald. 10 minutes later the edges wern't so sharp and I was in a really relaxed frame of mind...happy, cheerful and not a care in the world.

Being wheeled into theatre didn't even bother me..I felt at ease and philosphical about the outcome. I had asked God to guide the hands of the surgeons....no more to be done.

I chatted to the anaesthetist about how the op was going to unfold and .....I was gone.

Next thing I knew I was in recovery and half asleep but feeling fine. 6 hours later.

I even amazed myself, for later that afternoon I was able to get out of bed, make sense of the myriad of pipes sticking out me and into a drip machine and together with the machine walk to the bathroom unaided. The nurses of course were horrified when they saw me out of bed.

I have got through the hospital recovery part of the op so much better than last time and within a day or two I was wandering around the hospital chatting to everyone.

Fast forward 10 days and I am recovering at Karen's gorgeous place out of town, which I plan to do for a week and then I'm back into it.

I have been told that I am only to swim for the next six months with bi-lateral breathing, to strengthen the neck which is now standing on it's own two feet, so to speak, and perhaps a little stationary bike. NO WEIGHTS for now.

Considering I was probably a little gung ho last time I'm going to take my time to get back to full health.

I want to do a 'shred' however and details of that will emerge during the course of this week.


I'm back. I'm feeling fabulous and looking forward to the fresh chance I've been given.

Wonderful to be back with all of you and I'm looking forward to catching up with you this week.

THE E A G L E has landed.

Hello everyone in the world,

This is Dougal's First lady reporting back to you because
I am sure you are all waiting with baited breath to hear about the infamous Dougal,the iron man who has survived the miraculous accident he had on the beach last year.Well .......here goes:

He had to have surgery last week to remove the hardware out of his head because his body was rejecting it.I arrived at the hospital after lunch on Wednesday to find him sleeping like a baby in his ward. I was told by the nursing staff that the op was a success,no complications and they managed to remove everything. In fact when they opened him up most of the hardware was floating around in his head,so it was not doing much good anyway!

I left him to sleep and therefore did not plan to go back to the hospital that eve,thinking he would be very drowsy. Well how wrong was I,he woke up,had some dinner and chatted to me on the phone as if he was at home after work. His pain was under control because of the wonderful morphine and he felt fantastic.He went through the pre- op process with me and he had a good feeling about what was going to happen to him which accounts for why he felt so good afterwards.

Its been 5 days since the surgery and because the infection was so bad,he is still in hospital and will be for at least this week. He has a pipe into his back dripping anti biotic onto his spine and only once his blood has tested negative for infection on 3 accounts,will he then be able to come home.

The surgeons have had lengthy discussions with us explaining that he has no support on his neck any longer and he has to be really carefully what exercises he can do,which at this point is just swimming.The cut on the back of his head should be used in a movie set,it is severely gruesome...wow,Vitamin E will come into play pretty soon.

He is recovering well and very bored,which is a good sign,so lets pray he comes home soon.Keep up your prayers and thoughts and I shall keep you posted if there are any changes.

Cheers
KAREN

The road less travelled

SU R G E R Y AGAIN

Before I went on vacation I had been taking two different types of antibiotic in a last ditch attempt at killing the infection in my body.

Well the bad news is that it hasn't worked.

The solution....I'm going in to hospital next week to have all the hardware out of my head and spine. It seems that the infection has found a home at the base of the hardware and clearly does not intend to leave.

OK let it stay there.... the hardware will end up in the trash and the infection along with it.

So I will be scarce for a while until I'm out of hospital and then I can start again with a vengance.

I'm not going to post until I'm out since I have a lot to organise and clearly won't be doing any training.

See you when I get back.

The road less travelled

The powerful motor throbbed, the rope bobbed around in the choppy water, stretched and became taught, the speed boat facing frontward looked like a monster, the pilot looked backward and shouted " are you sure you want to do this".

"Absolutely" I shouted.....the 25o hp motor growled, the front of the big boat lifted towards the sky and surged forward....the rope as taught as a bow string discarded water droplets like a WWF wrestler throwing aside apponents, and I, holding the grip surged out of the water like the loch ness monster.

I WAS WATER SKIING. Wow what a feeling. The water hard underfoot, very bumpy but supportive pulled me like a rocket up the river. Once I had my balance I started planing from side to side....the thrill and the adrenaline rush were something else.

I didn't fall, I didn't injure myself but I did conquer another mountain. Some might say foolish, I say "I'm not on this planet to hide in the closet."

My vacation was fantastic. I arrived at the beach which nearly ended my life. Stood, looked out at the point where I fell.......and felt.......NOTHING. Not a thing. It's only water I realised.

I have to admit though...every day I looked longily at the guys riding the break out past the point. Gliding silently along the face of the wave up and down, and felt envious...yes I did...but
it's one of those things I have to let go of. I havn't quite got to that point yet but I will.

To ALL my friends, hope you all had a fantastic time, I'm back and looking forward to my best year ever.

Carlos, congratulations my friend on your blog...I wish you all success.

The road less travelled

Since this will be my last post of the year, I figured I would make it one of gratitude.

TO YOU, AND YOU, AND ESPECIALLY TO YOU

I am so grateful to all of you who read my blog, those who have supported me through the toughest year of my life, and those who have encouraged me so much through your comments.

It is because of you that I write. Because of you, who have given me positive feedback, and who have articulated their appreciation for something that I have learned to love doing. Writing is very cathartic and is my friend

Those who have stood by me when I needed support through down times over the last eight months, those who have laughed with me, those who have cried with me,
those who have passed the word on.

It has been an honour for me to serve you, to....in some small way help you to take charge of your own lives....to make small changes which lead to big results, to give you the occasional " Aha " moment.

To have been able to bring you joy, and I hope I have, to have uplifted your spirits, to have made your heart soar high above where the eagles fly, to have strengthened your resolve, to have helped you kick start your journey.

In all of these things, if I have been in some small measure, a catalyst, I am grateful for in so doing, I have healed myself.

Below is a dedication to all you incredible shredders out there who with courage and true grit have chosen to follow the path of a man who is a magnificent example of what we are all striving to achieve Adam Waters.

As we shredders tramp this earth together
arms entwined, we carry those who stumble
and they us,
we band of brothers and sisters forever linked by one...
His leadership, resolute, unwavering,
Our eyes upward, our hearts beating
with mighty resolve, we hoist the steel
and run the road, fleet of foot
onward toward victory
with no thought of failure..
and, with a glance behind, we see
multitudes of those, our numbers growing
day by day,
as we, with him in front, encouraging us,
surging into our future
as we all choose ..
to take the road less travelled.

Have a wonderful holiday and look forward to spending 09 with all of you

The road less travelled

The Phone Call that made my day

Hi Dr Smit How are you? Dougal Macdonald here. Oh yes hang on a minute let me get your file.
Hmmm, this is very good news. You DO NOT have a " superbug " or M.R.S.A otherwise known as a Medicillan resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection. What you have is a basic Staphylococcus aureus infection. Since it is not very resistant we can neutralise it with blah blah antibiotic. You do not have any presence of it in your nasal cavity.

So...there it is folks....it seems that we can take this one out fairly simply and it is really good news that I don't have the very resistant strain.

Another 14 days of antibiotics and I will be right as rain.

Boy am I looking forward to my vacation.

I am going to post for another couple of days and then vacation time. I will be back on the 12th January 09 or maybe a bit sooner.

I am not going to have connectivity and so will not blog over this period.

I hope you won't abandon me. I will be back with lot's of ineteresting things to say on health and fitness in 09 and of course you can follow my own road back to complete health strength and fitness.

I am sure that you are all looking forward to a break as well and a well earned rest from the stresses and strains of daily living.

Keep looking forward, don't look backward unless you want to go in that direction.

The road less travelled

Speaking to the experts

So, at 9.30am this morning I was sitting with Dr Smit a microbiologist who was giving me a lecture on Infections 101. Even the 101 version is really hard to comprehend.

Swabs were taken and results will be forthcoming by tuesday.

At least then, according to her information I will know exactly who my adversaries are and what it will take to remove them from the planet.

There is no guarantee though, that the infection will not return and maybe in a different guise.

It seems that we all, or most of us have a staphylococckyyee infection living in our noses, but we have not broken the barrier which allows it into our systems, which is why it stays in our nose. I have broken that barrier unfortunately, by having a 'full metal jacket' in my head. ( yes I know that's not how you spell staphylawhatever)

No that I have broken the barrier it seems I have unwittingly invited a whole host of nasties into my house to play, should they so choose.

The best I can do is eat clean, train carefully, take vitamins and keep my immune system as strong as possible.

I believe however, that since I happened to be sitting with Dr Smit this morning by way of an extraordinary set of circumstances, this will be somewhat of a breakthrough. How could it not.

If anybody ever had above average motivation to keep and stay fit and healthy, this has to be it for me.

Now please excuse me.....son, pass me that 4oolb barbell and ' get outta my way '

The road less travelled

If you are one of those who believes that everything happens for a reason and nothing happens by accident then you are going to love this story.

This morning I was chatting to one of our clients in the gym about my continuous infections. Now this fellow knows a bit about infections since his sister, who was a quadraplegic suffered for a long time with them.

What you need, he said, is to speak to a pathologist. Pathologists are experts in identifying bacterial infectious strains and analysing what antibiotic works and which ones are ineffective because of resistance.

I don't suppose you know one, I said. As it happens I do and she just happens to be the head of the biggest laboratory in South Africa.

I don't suppose I could chat with her, after all I'm certain that she is very busy.

Two minutes later I was explaining my situation to her on the phone. She promised to help me get to the bottom of my quest for a killer antibiotic to destroy my infection.

Now it would help if she knew me don't you think..after all why should she help someone she had never met, after a two minute telephone conversation.

By the way, she said, on the way out of the conversation, what happened to you.

Broke my neck in a surfing accident at St Francis Bay (St Francis Bay is a 12 hour drive from where we both live in Johannesburg), in April of this year I said....silence on the other end....you've got to be kidding she said, I know who you are, I was actually on the beach at the time waiting for my son who was also surfing, I saw your accident happen. I was the one who went to find the emergency ambulance for you. I actually spoke to you while you were lying on the sand. How are you?

Well, now I think I have a good chance of getting the expert help I need.....don't you. Pure luck, I don't think so.

The road less travelled

As we head towards the holidays we are probably worrying about how to stay clean with all the fantastic food around. Making it, eating it, buying it, looking at it...how on earth do we stay on track.

Well, if you are working at a lifestyle and not a diet here's a revolutionary idea for you. The question is - How do I stay away from eating food I'm not supposed to eat. My answer is.......shhh!..... DON'T.

Excuse me.... before you have a coughing fit and swallow your dentures, my rationale is this.

If you have commited to sensible eating for the rest of your life, call that 100%. All the holidays for the rest of your life, which hopefully are a plenty, but if you stack them up against the days that you'll still be sucking air on this planet probably amount to 1%...OK call it 5%, let's be generous.

Eat well for 95% of the year and have a little fall down for the other 5% how much damage do you think you are doing. Right...not a lot.

Personally, I think that most of us have such a long ingrained history of improper eating habits that trying to stay clean is all the time is counter productive...I think you would binge much more if you think you can do the 100% rather than just backing off a little during holidays when family and friends are eating food that you love.

Now slow down there cowboy, I don't mean demolishing the cake trolley before anybody else gets there....I'm talking about eating moderate plates of the same food that everyone else is eating.

Much easier to stay with the program I think...especially for mothers preparing Christmas dinner. Gotta be tough if you are preparing a slap up dinner with all them fixins, and you are planning to eat tuna and green salad.

I mean there are some that CAN do this but your name is NOT Carlos DeJesus, so don't even try.

Take a load of guilt off, relax and enjoy the festive season like everyone else.

However, a word of caution....THE FESTIVE SEASON DOES NOT RUN TO EASTER.

A final word over this time. Let's remember the real reason for Christmas and be thankful.