I am 9 weeks into my 12 week challenge and oh boy it’s been intense and relentless…just how I like it. Training has been intense…balanced with light day training. I have shaved of 2kg…enough to save muscle mass and body fat is down 2%…that is a little disappointing but now adjusting my lifestyle to make this 3%. In addition I have had some amazing news from a few people that asked and followed my Relentless Plan and have reversed health conditions back to normal, gained mental strength and fitness and are just plain ‘n’ simple HAPPY…..I couldn’t be prouder of these guys. Now back to the subject…

What does it take…and is the vanity worth it? I have posted a couple of festive pics of my 6 pack bongo drums…am I an IG whore lol?! And yes that’s Cristiano Ronaldo with a shredded body (Image courtesy of Desertcart) but few realise what he actually does to get there which is hours and hours of good nutrition, training and mindset strength of the highest level.

The question usually fired my way the past few years is how do you get a washboard torso or at least flat if the so-called cheese grater abs can’t be achieved.

Once I tell them to relax, breathe and let their real gut flop out, I get serious and tell them it’s not a short term fad but a lifestyle to live otherwise a yoyo life presides. I throw a few questions to make sure they are serious, not chit chatting after watching Tik Tok models and wasting my time.

Passing my screener questions (which very few do), to be relentless I tell them to forget the 6 pack dream…this is an aesthetic trap.

Build and maintain 3 pillars in this particular order: Mindset, Nutrition and Fitness. And the incredible by-product of doing this is you start to apply it to the your whole life.

Pillar 1: The 6 pack mindset

Without doubt if you do not have control of your mind…you have lost before even starting. I have written and rewritten a relentless mindset blog because it’s so damn complexed.  But in short to be relentless in this goal you have to remove all the noise, negative, societal sheep, tripe that you hear and AND HAVE UNWAVERING focus. Talking, reading, social media or posting motivational quotes gets you nowhere. Can you be brutal with family, friends and workmates to achieve the goal? Because they are the ones…your peers that can make or break you. Removing all of the mindful fat will get you the 6 pack mindset. You are on your own to be mindfully and physically fit…no one else can truly help and make a lifestyle change…Not even a personal trainer.

Pillar 2: Nutrition is King

What you eat is what you are…I am so cheesy ooops pardon the bun…I mean pun. The gut is more and more becoming known as the 2nd brain. It has such a concentration of nerve cells and above all it is the facilitator of all the nutrients we need to live. Your brain is a computer….your gut is a soulful child tell you really how you feel and behave. The nutrients you eat have a direct impact on your day to day thinking and emotions.

So keep it simple. A balanced diet of protein good fats, and fibre with some carbs is all good. If you train heavy then carb intake can be adjusted to keep fuelled up. If you can intermittently fast (skip breakfast) and train in the fasting window then that’s a big bonus. Check my previous posts on Intermittent Fasting and high fat low carb nutrition. If you are training then up protein and carbs. Reduce them if you are less intense. If you train hard and eat well. Some treats are fine… if your gut is a furnace from training…anything bad will be flushed out pretty quick.

Pillar 3: Fitness

This part is the easiest…just move everyday. Dance, run, weights, HIIT or sports….anything that make you cardio intense. I do not include walking in this. You will not strengthen your heart or lungs with walking. Good if it’s a mindset walk…But for burning the bad fat inside of you it’s negligible. That’s it. We all have the same limbs, muscles and lungs…any can run swim or cycle…But if you do not conquer pillars 1 and 2…mindset and nutrition – you are just a hamster in a wheel.

Conquer pillars 1 and 2…and you will not only be physically fit but clarity in the rest of your life is gifted on a plate.

Always Relentless – Always Loving Life