Learn from my mistakes...

On August 9th 2013, my girlfriend looked at me with tears in her eyes and told me I’d put on weight and she wasn't attracted to me anymore.

I can still hear the tremble in her voice as she stuttered her words and feel the overwhelming sense of relief I got from hearing them. FINALLY, someone had the courage to tell me what I’d been trying desperately to ignore - I’d let myself go.

The next day I decided it was time to make a change so I took a picture of myself and started my journey to reclaim my health (and attractiveness)!

Attempt 1 - The Incorrect Way (Aug 13 - Jan 14)

I wasn't really sure where to start so I did what so many of us are told to do and...

  • Stayed away from "bad food"
  • Dropped my carbs
  • Trained 6 times a week
  • Didn't go out
  • Did lots of cardio
  • Took heaps of supplements

And I HATED every second of it.

I missed peanut butter and going out for dinner. I was tired from training so much and eating nowhere near enough carbs and I was poor from spending all my money on silly supplements.

The good news was I was happy with my results but the whole time I remember thinking, "shit this is hard work, not much fun AND I'm not even close to what I've set out to achieve" and then Christmas came along....

Where It all Went Wrong

In the space of 12 days over the Xmas break I undid all the hard work I had put in over the last 3 months.

I ate ANYTHING I could get my hands on. For the past three months I had been unnecessarily starving myself of foods that I thought were bad for me and to make things even worse, I stopped training.  I had become tired of doing the same old exercises, most of which I never enjoyed in the first place. Basically, reaching my goal had become a chore and I felt I deserved a holiday from it.

After Xmas I remember taking my picture and thinking "what the fuck have I done" . I was ashamed by what I saw and how quickly i'd let my hard work slip away. There was no way I could pick myself up and start again. I couldn't help but think..."There must be a better way..."

Attempt 2 - The Correct Way (Jan 14 - Aug 14)

I decided to learn.

I searched high and low for better ways to reach my goals and was lucky to find:

The more I learnt, the more I realised how silly I was for putting myself through those 3 months of torture. I discovered that achieving the body you desire doesn't take an insane amount of dedication or sacrifice - It takes intelligence, patience and most importantly, you have to enjoy it.

With my new found knowledge I started doing things differently...

  • I ate foods I like (by fitting them into this)
  • I ate lots of carbs (instead of none)
  • I trained 4 times a week (instead of 6)
  • I went out for dinner when I wanted
  • I stopped doing cardio
  • I stopped paying for supplements

My workouts consisted of;

  1. Squats (front and back)
  2. Deadlifts
  3. Bench press
  4. Bench row
  5. Military press
  6. Chin ups 

In my eyes these are the bare essentials for any plan, as they save you time and get results no matter what your goal.

Yes I am very proud of my result and love the ego boost I get from showing you, but what I love even more is being able to use my journey to help others who find themselves stuck, don't know where to start or even worse - are putting themselves through the same torture I was!

You don't have to follow the things I have done and you don't have to agree with any of it either. I just hope there is something in these 12 lessons that spark something inside of you or at least make you review your current training and question whether or not your really happy with what your doing.

So here's my 12 lessons that I want to share...

 

1. Do It For Yourself

My girlfriend opened my eyes to the fact I needed to change but she was never my main source of motivation - I was. 

Not once did I ever feel like I "had to" go to the gym - I WANTED TO. I never gave in to temptations because I knew what I wanted and I didn't have to rely on anyone else to motivate or guide me - I was doing it for myself.

Go look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself exactly what it is you want - it doesn't have to be a health and fitness goal, it can be anything! Just make sure its your own goal and nobody else's.

2. Pick Exercises You Enjoy

I didn't enjoy every single training session and I sometimes lacked motivation as well. This is why I made sure my plan consisted of exercises I enjoyed and you need to make sure yours does too!

If you prefer playing team sports, running, swimming, weightlifting or just walking around the block with your friends – do that!  Exercise should be something you enjoy, not a chore.

Personally I hate cardio so I NEVER did it (and never will). Maybe If I did some my results could have been a little better or come a little quicker but life's too short to not enjoy your training! 

Don't waste your precious time doing something you don't like.

 

3. Learn How To Reach Your Goal

Is your current training the best way for you to achieve your goals?

By investing time in learning as much as I could about my goals I was confident that my plan was going to work and that provided me with motivation to go complete it!  Don't waste your time wondering whether or not its working - have a plan than does. 

Read from the list of people I mentioned above and remember that knowledge is power...and a 6 pack and a sexy bum and huge chest or whatever else it is your after!

4. Pick One Goal & Reach It

“I’m trying to lean down while bulking up with a focus on getting stronger and increasing my mobility and flexibility while I get the numbers up on my bench press and also my squat and deadlift while I train for a marathon” - A soon to be frustrated gym rat

While focusing on getting lean I knew my ambitions to become stronger and have a little more muscle mass would have to take a back seat. This didn't mean I wasn't able to get stronger or build muscle - it just meant any gains in these areas were just a byproduct of the work I was doing to lean down!

Focus on one goal and stick to it. This will allow you to concentrate on results that are most important to you.

5. Get Results, No Matter How Small

Kate Moss was right, nothing tastes as good as (...wait....I'm changing this....) RESULTS.

There’s nothing more frustrating than restricting yourself from things you love and not seeing results. I don't care how disciplined you are - if you're not getting results from your efforts then you're going to give up sooner or later!

Because I was always progressing, my discipline was never tested and I didn't mind having less peanut butter than I wanted.

Make your sacrifices worth it, get results.

6. Track Your Results

Over the last 12 months I knew...

  • Exactly how much my appearance was changing because I took weekly pictures
  • Exactly how much  I was lifting because I logged my workouts
  • Exactly how much body fat I was losing because I did weekly measurements
  • Exactly how much food I was eating because I kept a food diary

By tracking all of these things I had a clear understanding of my progress,  and could review my plan if I needed to make changes.

Knowing what's working and what needs to be changed is vital for success. if you are not tracking your results this isn't possible. Keep proof of your progress.

 

7. Create A Plan You Can Commit To

My training was by no means perfect but I could commit to it, no matter how hectic my life became.

An average plan you can commit to will always trump a perfect plan you can't. Don't set yourself a schedule that you can't complete as soon as you become busy! Be realistic and devise a plan that works on your busiest weeks, you can always squeeze in extra work if you find the time! 

Commit to your training and build up some consistency - it adds up overtime!

8. Just Rock Up

There have been so many occasions where I’ve felt tired, weak or lazy before training but somehow managed to set a PB or smash out a great session.

No matter how you feel, rock up and see what happens! I bet you surprise yourself with some of your best sessions ever! 

9. Be Patient

Want to see what the progress looked like along the way? 

Heres every photo I ever took (all 210 of them) 

Almost not as impressive when you see it over time is it? In fact most my close friends and family didn't even noticed the change, I definitely didn't!

It's because of this I almost chose not to use the before and after pic because sometimes I feel all they do is create further disillusion as to how much time it actually takes to get these types of results.

The truth is, sustainable results take time and will probably happen without you noticing. Don't be frustrated they don't come tomorrow, be patient and enjoy the journey!

10. Stop Searching For The Finish Line

I look at my last picture as soon as I took it and immediately started planning the things I wanted to improve.

  1. Add more lean mass
  2. Hit 200kg Deadlift, 150kg Squat & 130kg Bench
  3. Get all 6 abs showing at some stage
  4. Build an Upper Chest
  5. Bigger Legs

Those are my new goals and by August 10, 2015 I expect every one of these to be ticked off.

Your health and fitness journey never ends. Yes you can be happy with reaching a certain milestone but I can tell you from experience you will still be hungry for more and there will always be something else to strive for.

Don't expect a party at the finish line - the good times happen during the race!

11. Find a Friend, Whatever The Cost (Literally)

I was very lucky that my best mate was also my training partner and he loved training just as much as I did, if not more!

A lot of extra sessions, reps, minutes and efforts were completed because he was there encouraging me and I know for a fact my result wouldn't of been anywhere near as good if I didn't have him to train with.

Convince a friend, pay for their first month's membership, force them to train, or make new friends in the gym - do whatever you have to do to find someone who can help encourage you to a much better result.

12. See The Bigger Picture

Im very proud of my achievements but they are nowhere near as impressive as becoming a better lover, friend, son or brother.

Make sure you enjoy your life, be kind to others and squat as heavy as you can - then you cant go wrong.

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