So into the final leg of my Six Pack Revolution journey and the last 15 days of the program. For this phase there are two stages, the next 12 days with the diet dialled in slightly and then the final 3 days which to quote the SPR team “are when the magic happens”
Six Pack Revolution Days 60-72 Zoning In
For this period we are told to cut caffeine and strictly follow a new meal plan. The main changes are to eliminate starchy carbs
I have a confession to make here and that is that I could not deal with cutting coffee out. Travelling away from home for 3 days a week with 4 am starts and training for this program and my first-ever half marathon take their toll not to mention the fact that I have a demanding job in the City. So, I reduced my consumption down to 1 black coffee a day and will totally eliminate it for the final 3 days. I am fine with this!
Workouts
I am enjoying the workouts and certainly noticing an improvement in my overall strength and fitness. Most notably i feel my core is a lot stronger and the mobility and strength of my shoulders have improved. The daily pushups are now at 100 which is almost a workout in itself
Nutrition
I am managing to stick to the plan pretty well, being away for 3 nights a week presents an ongoing challenge but I’m generally able to source protein and veg for meals and where possible will prep 3-4 meals with me to carry on the flight as well as pre-pack enough protein powder to last until I get home
Occasionally i do need an extra snack or protein bar, on those 20 hours days where I am up early running, then into the office for the day and flying in the evening I do need to keep myself fuelled!
Days 72-75 – The Final Stages
So, this is where the final icing on the cake takes place! There is still no caffeine, which I have now adopted!!! and we refine further by cutting water intake and narrowing down the meals to a selection of lean protein options and greens, no snacks or shakes
Due to a combination of the highest temperatures on record and BA cancelling flights I have ended up working from home from days 71 onwards which helps massively with prepping 6 meals a day!
Final Challenges
A few days prior to day 72 we were given a choice of 6 workouts from the program and need to complete any combination of these 5 times before the penultimate day which is a designated rest day. As I am travelling the first two days, I plan to get do as many as possible
Hit a Wall on Day 72
I am not sure if it’s the dual training or the caffeine detox but day 72 is the first time I have very little energy, I mean I can barely muster the energy to get a workout done at all. I feel dehydrated and weary all day. I blame the lack of caffeine!
To my surprise, the meals are really simple to prepare and spices are still permitted so the taste is still there. I schedule my meals in advance using my own daily planner which makes a massive difference and I had to adjust to sipping water slowly through the day
Back in the Game
By the evening of day 73, i am feeling a lot more energised and must admit, i am finding the 6 meals (lean protein + veg) very enjoyable.
The SPR team advise getting a bit of a tan for the photoshoot. I must admit this is a little out of my comfort zone but I am determined to get the full experience so a few days ago I ordered some protan
My wife applies one coat and I must admit the colour is great and very consistent. I am very fair-skinned indeed and was more than a little apprehensive about this but very pleased with the subtle difference!
The group spirit in our Facebook group is lovely, so much positivity and mutual inspiration across the group as we near the end
Day 74
Feeling good and unbelievably I actually struggle to keep on top of my reduced water consumption and by mid-afternoon i had only consumed 0.75L which shows how quickly our bodies adapt!
Nutrition is on point, I perhaps overdid the green veg but discovering peas drizzled with fresh lemon juice is an absolute win!! During the final day, I see off Cod / Ostrich Fillet / 2 rounds of chicken and some fresh haddock plus more peas/broccoli and kale than I thought possible to consume in a 24-hour period! Every meal is seasoned and frankly tastes delicious
No workouts today and in the evening a celebratory glass of dry white wine to help just eke out the last bit of water retention
Day 75 – I did it! What a Feeling!
Wow, the final day is here, I wake up feeling proud and focused on one final process to get the best final photo possible
Guidance is to consume some carbs 30-60 mins before the shot and no water at all so I am keen to get this done asap! Feeling and looking good I eat some sweet potato and then set a time, 45 mins to go! It’s only 6 am and my family are all sleeping so I make coffee for my wife and supply it with my phone and off we go!
I am famously not photogenic so a little tentative that I might not get to do myself justice but after trying a few shots outside we go back to where I was standing when we took the day 45 pic and the lighting must be good the pics were great. So … here it is!
I AM DELIGHTED WITH THE FINAL RESULT!
EVEN MY EYES HAVE COME ALIVE!!
I send in my final photo, I am done! I have completed the Six Pack Revolution!
Leading up to the last day Scott repeatedly states that it will be emotional
As someone who to be honest was in pretty good shape and was not exactly expecting a life-changing impact I kind of dismissed this but I must admit
I felt all kinds of emotions on the day and I think the nice thing about this was it was personal to me.
My wife was hugely supportive and frankly with 3 young kids, to do this properly, it really does need to be a team effort it’s not often one feels a sense of personal fulfilment but I certainly felt this way on Day 75!
The team posts pics onto social media all day and I am lucky enough to make the hall of fame again and love seeing all the success stories get posted! There really are some incredible transformations going up on the Six Pack Revolution Instagram page
Did I achieve my Goals and Objectives?
In my opening post in this series (see here) , I set my objectives for the 75 days as follows:
- COMPLETE ALL WORKOUTS AND DO NOT MISS A MEAL
- IMPROVE MY STRENGTH & FITNESS
- GET INTO THE BEST PHYSICAL CONDITION OF MY LIFE
To be honest I am proud that i managed to hit each of these goals. The only workouts I missed were during the final week when I had a 6-mile to complete as part of my Great North Run Beginners training and had 2 days away travelling with work.
In terms of strength and fitness improvements, the notable areas of improvement I noted were –
- Pull Ups – Improved significantly and always been a weakness for me
- Shoulder Mobility / Strength – Clean and Press smoother and able to complete more reps/sets
- Abs strength – Evidenced by being able to go unbroken on 20 rep leg raises which I could not do in week 1
- Core – 1-minute planks became a lot easier
Outcomes I did not expect were – Sense of pride and achievement improved confidence and being part of a community
What Happens Next
As with any intense fitness program, one of the main challenges is longevity! Crash course diets do not work, so how is the Six Pack Revolution different?
Well, after 75 days, the diet plan kind of feels like a new normal for me. I am pretty sure my meal choices will be heavily influenced by the meals I have enjoyed throughout the program not only because they tasted good but also for the way they made me feel – no indigestion, no lethargy or general discomfort.
I will take some training habits forward with me, I like having dailies to do, the discipline and regularity appeal to me
From a training perspective, I will definitely maintain some of my preferred workouts during the program like Spartan and will enrich my next fitness challenge with a heavy influence of this style of training. I feel like I’ve put myself in a more athletic position to pursue Crossfit a bit more seriously!
Scott and the team recommend a 5+2 approach, which is essentially following the program Mon-Fri and taking the weekend off. I think that could work but for many, I expect that without the daily accountability and structure, this is quite hard to maintain and frankly, for £140 for 3 months, if you want to maintain at 5 days a week why not just sign up for another wave? That’s what I would do!
Conclusion
I thoroughly enjoyed the program from start to finish! Would I recommend The Six Pack Revolution – YES!
The structure, training and nutritional content were dynamic which kept the program not only interesting but an ongoing challenge as well.
The support and guidance from the coaching staff really are terrific, they are available pretty much 24/7 and bring constant positivity to the group.
If you follow the program to the letter, do what Scott says and make it to the end, it will be worth it!
See my other posts on the six pack revolution
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