But rest assured, if said individual has a great physique, there’s almost certainly nothing magical about their program or peri-workout nutrition!
First, let’s be clear, a six pack isn’t for everyone. It’s not necessary, serves no practical purpose and is seen by many as an expression of extreme vanity. And if you’re reading this with a skeptical frown, thinking what the fuck is the obsession with abs in this industry, I totally understand.
However, having just got my coveted six-pack back again after a three-year hiatus, I can assure you that there’s a LOT it teaches you about yourself, the body and most importantly, the mind.
Throughout my life, I’ve been an incredibly goal-oriented person and especially so in the gym. And without doubt, setting physique goals has been instrumental in my progress, dragging me forward when motivation inevitably wanes.
Over time, I’ve also learned to how to refine my goals by making them increasingly specific and aligning them to my core values.
But first, let’s clear something up. When you eat that cookie or skip that workout, you are making a conscious choice. Like it or not, in that moment, you value the gratification more than you value progress.
It doesn’t matter what it is. An evening with friends. That second glass of wine. For whatever reason you made a choice and your workout or diet didn’t win.
Yes, you can say it’s just one cookie or just one workout. But often, it’s not. One cookie often becomes two, or ten. One skipped workout creates a mental model that says it’s ok if you miss a session.
Now I’m not a food nazi, nor so boring or disciplined that I haven’t missed a workout or three. But when I am zoned-in on a goal, pretty much nothing derails me.
I’ve practiced fasting and yet gone to lunch with the lads and watched them eat fried chicken and ice-cream (not together) while I sipped water or coffee. I’ve turned down cake at parties and taken my food to friends to make sure I hit my macros.
I’m sure it’s likely the same for everyone, but I really have a lot going on right now.
In addition to working full time, punctuated with international travel to see my kids and family, I have a whole host of projects in the melting pot, all vying for my attention.
Of those, the one project that’s been getting most of my attention right now is a collaboration I am working on with Scott Tousignant and Bryan Krahn.
I got an email from a good friend over the weekend who is struggling with lack of progress, and in particular with food cravings. Moreover, the psychological impact of both stalling on progress and giving in to cravings is starting to take it’s toll on his well being.
Now, anyone that’s been around the iron long enough will know that cravings and disappointment with progress are commonplace and effect all of us from time to time.
What’s important is that we learn to embrace these things as part of the life-style and not “label” ourselves as weak or failures.
Overall, it’s been a pretty good week. Sure, I’ve definitely had some ups and downs–this is real-life, after all–but on balance, I’ll take it.
In terms of progress in the gym, it’s been a real roller-coaster! I went from starting out the week with multiple, epic PRs, to fizzling out last night with a pretty lack-luster workout; at least as far as the numbers are concerned. But given I am trying hard to play-down everything negative in my life right now, let’s keep things positive and start with those PRs.
Oh, and I’ve got to keep this post to less than 1K words, or my good friend Bryan Krahn may unexpectedly hurt himself if he pushes through to the end.
Over the last six months, I’ve read more articles on diet and fitness than I can count. Unfortunately, most aren’t worth the pixels they’re painted on.
Why?
Because they are largely all written in such a way as to be absolute.
Do this in exactly this way to achieve this outcome. The one way, the specific thing, the exact protocol.
And it doesn’t seemingly matter if you want to be bigger, leaner, faster, smarter, better in bed, better at life… there’s always a secret, a shortcut, an easy path to whatever outcome you seek.
I’ve been away from home just two weeks today, but in all honesty, it feels like an eternity. Up until today, I’ve been on vacation with my wife in Spain and France; right now I am on a train to Zurich for work (traveling at 315kph!). I’ll return home to California via London later this week after enjoying my niece’s wedding with family.
On February 8th this year, I decided to set a new step-goal of seeing my abs. I can recall the date explicitly, as it’s the same day I signed-up for Adam Bornstein’s Getting Shredded event. Two months later… BOOM; abs!
Yup, that’s not stock imagery on on the right, that’s me sporting my new six-pack!
So what was different this time around?
My life seems full of them, of late. No, not visitations from a celestial spirit… just more of those gut-wrenching pangs that accompany a moment of sudden insight.
They’ve been happening more frequently too, something I’ve put down to both advancing age and the company I’ve been keeping. It’s also part of my genetic disposition; always moving forward, always looking for answers — even to questions that probably don’t matter.