by Jon Pinney on December 14, 2009
Okay, so this post is a little late, but not as late as you’re probably thinking. I have previously been taking my six pack abs photos on Wednesday mornings, but that was too stressful in the morning before I headed out to work. So instead, I switched my six pack abs photos day to Saturday. That’s when I’ll be taking them from now on.
Let’s review the 4 rules I set for myself for getting six pack abs:
1. Workout 5 days a week – Check! This one is probably the easiest of the four. I guess sometimes I only workout four days, but pretty consistently I do a five day a week workout schedule. It helps to have someone to work out with who will push me when we’re working out, who wants to work out as much or more than me.
2. Eat healthy 6 days a week – Check! When I started this, I thought this one would be the hardest. I loved to eat food, and especially bad food (like sugar, fast food, and simple carbohydrates like chips 
). I figured it would be hard to change eating habits I’d accumulated over many years. But, after a month or two of healthy eating, this one has become second nature. I can’t help question what I’m eating. And most of the sugary stuff and fast food makes me sick to my stomach, which makes it easy to avoid .
3. Sleep at least 7-8 hours every night – Hmmmmm… Well, this one is harder to do than I thought it would be-though I am relatively successful at it (at least 70%). I did recently learn that sleeping lowers your cortisol levels, which helps to get rid of extra fat in the abdominal area. I actually just read here about the effects of elevated cortisol levels… very interesting read. I have been trying to get more sleep so my body has time to rejuvenate, my muscles have time to rebuild, and my cortisol levels have time to lower.
4. Be in bed by midnight Sunday through Thursday – FAIL! This one is by far the hardest of all of my four rules. I probably have a 20% completion rate on this one. This rule was set up partly to insure the success of rule #3, but also because I think being in bed by midnight is healthy, and will help my body to reach it’s full potential. I haven’t read anywhere that says this same thing, it’s just something I feel. Also, in my Church they suggest “early to bed, early to rise”. Now I don’t feel like I do either of those very well, but being in bed by midnight to me is early. I will continue to work on this one…
Anyway, here are my current six pack abs photos. Because I take these every week, sometimes I feel like I look exactly the same. If you disagree and can see progress, I would love to know .
Six Pack Abs Photos Update 14 Photo 1
Six Pack Abs Photos Update 14 Photo 2
by Jon Pinney on December 3, 2009
Trying to lose fat to reveal six pack abs can be frustrating, especially if you aren’t keeping really good track of your progress. Since my focus is on developing six pack abs, that’s what I’ve been looking at. And because my focus has been mostly there, I’ve been getting pretty down since the six pack abs haven’t appeared yet.
However, I know I’ve lost fat and gained muscle. I don’t know how much of either, but I do know I’ve lost in total about 5 pounds. How many total fat pounds I’ve lost and how many muscle pounds I’ve gained isn’t something I’ve been able to track.
I have been measuring myself around my waist and hips, and I have seen slight changes. Also, I read something last night that reminded me to check how my clothes fit. So, I decided to try on some jeans that I hadn’t worn for a long time and was pleasantly surprised when they fit much better than they ever had before.
So, I am getting there… it is taking awhile, but my hope is that once I’m there I will be able to stay there.
Anyway, here are this week’s photos. I took them yesterday morning.
Six Pack Abs Photos Update 13 Photo 1
Six Pack Abs Photos Update 13 Photo 2
by Jon Pinney on November 26, 2009
Sorry I missed last week… lately I have been so busy with writing new music for my new album and working out for my six pack abs, that I have had little spare time.
Trying to get six pack abs is hard. I don’t come by them naturally. The last two weeks have really tried my patience. I want to get six pack abs but I can’t figure out how to do it…
What I mean by that is that I am doing what I think I should be doing, but I am not seeing the results I want to see. I definitely have made progress, but I want to see more progress and faster.
But I guess this is one of the main reasons I am doing this: teaching myself patience and perseverance to achieve a difficult task.
Last Monday I was just about ready to give up. I was at my friend’s house and we were working on legs (which I hate doing) and I was just not very into it. I started to get down emotionally and just stopped working out. I lay there for like half an hour just thinking about what I’m doing and why I’m doing this and whether or not it’s worth all the trouble.
After some self-evaluation I wrote the following: “I am the master of my own fate. Wallowing in self-pity will get me nowhere.” Then I started to think about my personal beliefs about the power of the individual and why I was doing this: “To prove to myself that just because something’s difficult doesn’t mean I can’t do it.” Then I looked at my situation… lying there while I could’ve been working on achieving my goal. Wanting to give up because it was hard. Looking at myself and seeing how weak I wanted to be… and wanting to give in… that’s when I wrote this: “I was here and didn’t want to do it. I figured that’s exactly the reason why I should.”
So, I got up and worked out. My friend had already finished his workout but I just kept going until I had completed mine.
It’s amazing how the choices we make determine the kind of person we will be. I could decide that I’m going to stop working on getting six pack abs. If I do that, I will never get them. Or I could decide to keep on struggling. If I keep on, there is a chance I will make it. And I will get stronger, healthier, and show myself how determined and dedicated I can be. And if I can do that when it comes to six pack abs, then I can do it for anything.
Anyway… I decided to include some of my personal struggles with this goal so that you can see more clearly why it is so important to me. It is so much more than just looking good (which will be a positive by-product lol).
Anyway, now on to the current six pack abs photos. The first two are from last week on Wednesday, and the second two are from today.
Six Pack Abs Photos: update 11 photo 1
Six Pack Abs Photos: update 11 photo 2
Six Pack Abs Photos: update 12 photo 1
Six Pack Abs Photos: update 12 photo 2
by Jon Pinney on November 15, 2009
This week was another good week, though I’m starting to get worried I’m not gonna make it. I’ve been working out like crazy and eating healthy all the time, but I still feel like I’m not seeing much progress when it comes to getting rid of fat. I did start the process weighing 189 and am now somewhere around 185, so I must have lost some fat. Plus, I’ve been working out a lot and people are starting to say I look bigger and more defined, so I must be gaining some muscle–which also means I must have lost some fat. Hopefully it will all work out and I’ll have my six pack abs by January 1.
I had sort of a crisis this week as I was reading some other sources on how to lose fat. Weight loss is almost as bad as religion when it comes to the number of people that have the right answer. Everyone seems to know the way that works, yet they all have different philosophies. Some of them are probably right, but some must be wrong. It’s just hard to sort them out and choose the right plan.
Oh well.
I’ve decided to do the things that logically make sense to me. We’ll see if it works.
Here are the current six pack abs photos. I took them while I was staying at the Las Vegas Hilton this week:
Six Pack Abs Photos update 10 photo 1... in my hotel room in Las Vegas
Six Pack Abs Photos update 10 photo 2... in the bathroom in the Las Vegas Hilton
by Jon Pinney on November 6, 2009
Another week has passed and six pack abs photos have been taken. This week was very hard; just yesterday I felt like giving up. Staying focused and motivated is very difficult for me. I tend to get bored with things quickly and want to move on to something new. Getting six pack abs is testing my resolve and dedication.
That’s exactly why I’m trying to get six pack abs… to teach myself how to be stronger and more dedicated. (Plus I’ll look good )
As a recap, I set a goal to get six pack abs by January 1st, 2010. It’s been a little over two months since I set the goal and the four rules I would keep to ensure I got the six pack. The four rules are (1) workout 5 days a week (2) eat healthy 6 days a week (3) sleep 7-8 hours every night (4) be in bed by midnight Sunday thru Thursday.
So far, I have been very good at rules number 1 and 2, and pretty bad at 3 and 4. I have been working out 5-6 days each week–at least four strength training workouts, and normally two to three aerobic workouts. I eat healthy six days a week and have one day where I can eat whatever I want (I normally get sick that day lol).
Sleeping, however, is very difficult. I like to be up, and I like to hang out with friends, read, and many other things that cannot be accomplished while sleeping. So, I tend to stay up later than I should. I am working on these rules and hopefully I will be able to recommit and follow through.
If you feel like you have a hard time following through on personal goals you set (like I do), I suggest you find something relatively simple and somewhat difficult. Then set your goal and completely dedicate yourself to it. It might be good for it to be a relatively short goal. It might help you realize that you really can do things you put your mind to.
And now for this weeks update on my six pack abs photos…
Six Pack Abs Photos 1 update 9
Six Pack Abs Photos 2 update 9
And here’s a bonus pic just for fun… It’s got slightly different lighting, which makes me look slightly bigger That’s how they do it in Hollywood…
Six Pack Abs Photos 3 update 9
by Jon Pinney on November 2, 2009
This update is a few days late… but the pictures were still taken last Wednesday on the right day. I’ve just been super busy with Halloween, work, working out, and the new Robert Jordan book (with Brandon Sanderson) that just came out. I wish I had more time for everything!
Anyway, the trend I’ve noticed is that I’m good with my diet, good with working out, and not so good with the sleep and bedtime… I will work on this more.
I know I’m getting in better shape, but I don’t feel like I’m losing the layers of fat that I want to lose. I am considering adding a run every morning to get some extra calorie burning each day. I will let you know if I actually implement the run.
And now for the current photos…
Six Pack Abs photo 1 update 8
Six Pack Abs Photo 2 Update 8
by Jon Pinney on October 22, 2009
It’s been 7 weeks since I took my first photos…
I wish I had taken photos when I first began to work toward the six pack abs. I know I was eating healthy at the beginning of August when my family went on vacation. I must’ve started right around that time. I know I weighed about 187-188 when I first changed my diet, and now I weigh about 184-185. It’s not a huge difference in weight, but I know I have gained muscle and lost fat.
As for my four goals, the two that continue to be the hardest for me are the sleeping for 7-8 hours a night and getting to bed by midnight Sunday-Thursday. If I could only get to bed on time, the 7-8 hours would be easy
For my photos this week I’m including a couple extras. I’ve been working out and playing volleyball a lot with my friend Ty, so I decided I’d show a picture of us in his room where we often work out. It does not have all of the equipment that I would normally use, but I do find extra motivation having someone to work out with. It is easier to get really good workouts with him at his house than it is by myself at the gym.
The other extra image is the one with the flash. I figured I’d show you where I set the camera when I take the pictures. Also, you should know that I angle it slightly down. I think it gets a better shot, plus I can get my whole torso that way. All of the pictures from my house are taken from the same height–I try to keep them as uniform as possible.
Six Pack Abs photo 1 update 7
Six Pack Abs photo 2 update 7
Six Pack Abs photo 3 update 7
Working Out at Ty's
by Jon Pinney on October 14, 2009
Okay, so you may have noticed that I have not been updating my six pack abs status on my blog. I’m just too busy working out! Seriously, getting six pack abs is hard work, and I have been working
My four goals have now become a part of my everyday routine (well mostly lol). The first one, working out 5 days a week, is the easiest to accomplish. I play volleyball two days a week (2 hours on Tuesday and 3-4 hours on Thursday). I also have a new workout partner (Ty) that pushes me beyond what I could do on my own. For example, on Sunday (a day I normally would never work out) he convinced me to do pullups with him. About 50 pullups later I bowed out… and my back is still sore. That’s okay though, since it’s the muscle building that burns calories. I pretty much work out everyday of the week except Sunday, and I normally get in at least four weight training workouts.
Eating healthy six days a week has become an obsession… It’s also the most important part of my plan. From what I’ve read (in multiple places from sources I trust), the only way to really burn off the fat is to change my diet. I have basically eliminated all simple carbohydrates from my diet and eat mostly lean meats, eggs, veggies, corn, and limited amounts of whole grain. I also make sure and take my protein drinks. I need to have at least a gram of protein per pound of body weight every day. That’s a lot of protein!
Sleeping still seems to be the hardest thing for me. I like to stay up late, even though I work in the morning. So, I’ve been working hard on getting to bed on time, and have been pretty successful this last week, though the few weeks before I wasn’t doing so good.
All in all I feel like I’m on track to meet my six pack abs target date of January 1st.
And now for the photos. These are my six pack abs update photos that I took this morning:
Six Pack Abs photo 1 update 456
Six Pack Abs photo 2 update 456
by Jon Pinney on September 23, 2009
So this week I was in Chicago when I took my six pack abs update photos. Unfortunately I couldn’t get exactly the same light as I had the two previous weeks. I will be back home next Wednesday, so I should have no problem getting the lighting the same as before.
This week has been good on the workout front, better on the sleeping front, and pretty good on the eating front.
It is definitely hard to stay eating the right foods when you are traveling, but I have been doing my best. I even brought a bunch of granola bars with me to snack on throughout the days, making sure I never get hungry (one of my diet goals).
As for sleeping… I was doing really good on getting to bed around midnight (still need some help on this one) so I could get my 7 hours of sleep. Though while in Chicago I failed miserably. Having early meetings and being engrossed in a novel are two good ways to make sure you don’t get to bed on time or get enough sleep.
For working out, I worked out both days I was in Chicago, plus last Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. On Thursday night I played volleyball with Ty for 4 hours… yes 4 hours. Plus I saw my good friend Bin at the first volleyball location. This will hopefully become a staple workout on Thursdays.
Anywho, here are this week’s update photos. I’ve included a third one just to show what different lighting can do. I’m not sure most models have great six pack abs… or even if they do, I’m sure all images we see are enhanced by the lighting, makeup, and photoshop editing after the images have been taken.
Six Pack Abs photo 1 from update 3
Six Pack Abs photo 2 from update 3
Six Pack Abs photo 3 from update 3
by Jon Pinney on September 20, 2009
It’s vain. It’s unimportant. It doesn’t matter. Who cares? You’ll never get one. Your body isn’t made for six pack abs. Some people just can’t get them… and the list goes on and on.
These are all things I’ve heard when talking about my desire to get six pack abs.
So you might be wondering why I care so much about getting six pack abs. Let me explain.
Throughout my life I’ve tended to focus on the things that come easy to me. That doesn’t mean that I don’t work hard to achieve, but it does mean that I generally work hard at things I’m already relatively good at. Singing, for example, is something I’ve always sorta had a nack for. I’ve worked very hard at getting better at it, but it was always something I was already pretty good at.
But when it comes to six pack abs, I’ve never had them. I don’t know if I’ve ever been close to having them. I am not naturally very skinny, and you might even say I have more of a likelihood to be overweight than underweight, based on my genetics. Either way, six pack abs and Jon Pinney are two things that have never coexisted in the same being.
I’ve always wanted six pack abs. I care a lot about how I look and like to present myself well. Plus, I care about being healthy. This body is not perfect, but I feel like it’s my responsibility to take care of it the best I can. It is after all where my spirit resides.
To me, the pinnacle of physical fitness and health is a six pack. Plus, having six pack abs also means that I will have a very low amount of body fat. In my mind, this will equate to me looking better.
I am not unhappy with how I look now. But I know I can look better. I want to look better. For me.
So… Six pack abs. They are difficult to get for someone that isn’t naturally super skinny. I believe I can get them. And I also believe that if I don’t, it’s because of me and me alone. In this matter, like most others, I decide my success or failure. And it will be entirely based on my planning, execution, studying, dedication, motivation, and hard work.
In short, I want to get six pack abs because it will mean I will be healthy and look good. But more importantly, I will prove to myself that I am capable of pushing myself to achieve difficult tasks.
I am forcing myself to learn discipline and hard work. Unfortunately in my life, those are two things I have often been able to skimp on and still get by.
But if I want six pack abs, my old habits must be improved upon, or I will not succeed.
