Wow, it's New Years. See ya 2006, let's get ready to hit 2007.
I'll be ringing in the New Year at a good friend's wedding. A fitting time to tie the knot, isn't it? It should be a blast...I hope you have a great one as well, and I'll be checking in with you tomorrow to get 2007 off to a great start.
Here's your 7-day guide to improving your body...
Monday
Have a great TT workout today, incorporating the Exercise of the Week: The Romanian Deadlift. This exercise puts turbulence on the glutes and hamstrings, helping those large muscle groups burn more calories, get stronger, and look better.
Check it out here.
And don't forget to check out all 32 exercises in the new January 4-week TT Fat Loss workout.
On January 4th, the price jumps up to $19.99.
get it ==> January Fat Loss Workout
Tuesday
30 minutes (at least) of enjoyable recreational activity. Doing something you like will help reduce stress and inflammation in your body. Avoid chaining yourself to a machine in the gym.
Wednesday
Take on another TT workout. Don't stress if you only give yourself 20 minutes for a workout. Simply do 1 set of each exercise rather than 3 sets, and you'll still get the majority of the benefits. No need to skip workouts...but you can shorten them.
Thursday
After your 30 minutes of activity, review your fluid intake. Say yes to bottled water and Green Tea. Say no to juices, sodas, and alcoholic beverages. Say yes to milk and protein shakes when needed.
Friday
A TT workout to end the week. Finish with bodyweight circuits instead of traditional interval training. Pick 2 upper and 2 lower body bodyweight exercises and perform them in alternate fashion.
Here's another example:
a) Prisoner Squat (keep your elbows back!)
b) Inverted Row (use the beginner position if needed)
c) Step-ups (do all reps on one side first)
d) Decline Pushup (feet on bench or ball)
Do 12 reps per exercise. Go through the circuit 3 times. Rest 30 seconds at the end of each circuit.
Saturday
This should be your favorite workout of the week...30 minutes (at least) of recreational activity with your social support group. Get moving. Have fun. Live life!
Remember, recent research shows that if your workout partner loses weight then you to have a better chance of losing weight. Keep each other motivated.
SundayPlan, shop, and prepare.
Please read this article from my friend Brad Pilon, the Nutrition Help Expert:
Brad's "Rules to Shop By"
Fight off the holiday fat,
CB
P.S. Don't miss out on this cheap, fat-blasting January workout...
It includes 2 TT strength exercises, 2 TT ab circuits, a TT bodyweight circuit, and 2 interval workouts.
All for only $14.99. BUT...on January 4th, the price jumps up to $19.99.
get it ==> January Fat Loss
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Saturday workout
Went in for one more workout at my "high school" gym, the local YMCA before I go back tot the big city.
Funny to see the regulars ten years later...and the groups of high school guys just getting into lifting.
And this the second time in there this week where I've been more impressed with the exercises and exercise form of 16 year old boys than grown men and women.
Now ssure the boys were doing curls andf presses but at least the were using good form
On the other hand, I watched men do db rows with backs rounded like rainbows and pulldowns brought down to their belt line.
And this one guy, clearly not a trainer but thought of himself as one was showing a female friend some classics - toe touches done while standing on two balkance discs and then smith machine squats - but her heels came up 2-inches with each rep.
Sad, sad stuff. And people wonder why they don't get results...
For me, I slipped into a total body low volume workout in prep for next week's return to relatively serious training.
Bench
Db rear delt raise
Front squat
Db press
Bodyweight rows
Big workout this tuesday,
CB
32 Fat Loss Workout Exercises for You
Alligators, Grasshoppers, Pushup Burpees, Stability Ball X-Body Mountain Climbers...
...these are just 4 of the 32 exercises that will work your abs, boost your metabolism, and help you burn calories this month...
The January 2007 TT for Fat Loss monthly workout is now available for the public, and of course, it's available for the pre-release price of $14.99 for 72 hours.
On January 4th, the price jumps up to $19.99.
get it ==> January Fat Loss Workout
This month I've built 2 TT Strength Workouts, 2 TT Ab Circuits, 1 Bodyweight Circuit, and 2 Interval Training Sessions into a plan that can be adapted for 3-day training programs or even 6-day per week programs.
There are several new exercises (including the Grasshopper Pushup that you'll just have to see to understand).
The workouts are fast and fun. After all, just because the holidays are over doesn't mean you have 2 hours (or even more than 45 minutes) to spend in the gym.
get it ==> January Fat Loss Workout
2007 - The year you lost fat without slow, boring cardio,
CB
P.S. Don't miss this opportunity...
Your motivation is high, the environment is right, and you probably have plenty of social support to succeed at this time of year.
So get started losing fat today with the monthly Turbulence Training program.
get it ==> January Fat Loss Workout
PPS - Or upgrade to the TT Membership.
It only makes sense to get all 15 previous monthly workouts (total value of almost $300).
And I hope you'll take advantage of the Pre-Launch offer. Just a reminder, here's the deal...
a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
...these are just 4 of the 32 exercises that will work your abs, boost your metabolism, and help you burn calories this month...
The January 2007 TT for Fat Loss monthly workout is now available for the public, and of course, it's available for the pre-release price of $14.99 for 72 hours.
On January 4th, the price jumps up to $19.99.
get it ==> January Fat Loss Workout
This month I've built 2 TT Strength Workouts, 2 TT Ab Circuits, 1 Bodyweight Circuit, and 2 Interval Training Sessions into a plan that can be adapted for 3-day training programs or even 6-day per week programs.
There are several new exercises (including the Grasshopper Pushup that you'll just have to see to understand).
The workouts are fast and fun. After all, just because the holidays are over doesn't mean you have 2 hours (or even more than 45 minutes) to spend in the gym.
get it ==> January Fat Loss Workout
2007 - The year you lost fat without slow, boring cardio,
CB
P.S. Don't miss this opportunity...
Your motivation is high, the environment is right, and you probably have plenty of social support to succeed at this time of year.
So get started losing fat today with the monthly Turbulence Training program.
get it ==> January Fat Loss Workout
PPS - Or upgrade to the TT Membership.
It only makes sense to get all 15 previous monthly workouts (total value of almost $300).
And I hope you'll take advantage of the Pre-Launch offer. Just a reminder, here's the deal...
a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
Friday, December 29, 2006
Weight Loss & Muscle Building Interview with Tom Venuto
Tom Venuto did an extensive interview with me for one of his websites...
He asks me a lot of questions that I don't regularly get asked.
Check it out here:
Tom Questions Craig About Training
CB
He asks me a lot of questions that I don't regularly get asked.
Check it out here:
Tom Questions Craig About Training
CB
Morning Cardio - Necessary for Weight Loss?
The TT New Year's kick-off promo ends tonight at midnight over at www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Don't miss out on your chance to get an extra 16-weeks of bonus workouts AND exclusive exercise reports from two of the most respected fitness authorities, Tom Venuto and Nick Nilsson.
Visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com immediately to claim your bonuses!
Q: I read that it is best to do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, so that you burn more fat. Is this true?
Answer:
Thanks for the email. I touched on this in the last Q'n'A, but it is always worth going over again.
Here's the deal.
9 times out of 10, exercising first thing in the morning wont' help you lose fat faster. On the other hand, it probably won't make you lose muscle (which has always been one of the knocks against early morning cardio).
You might burn a little bit more fat proportionally, but in the big picture, that probably doesn't mean much.
But there's only one way for you to find out. Give it a try for 3-4 weeks. That will be enough time for you to make a solid judgement about this training method and how it works for YOU.
I've found that simply following the TT for Fat Loss program of strength training followed by interval training has worked as well or better (and always faster) than the slow cardio approach.
"Craig, I have finished my first official month of Turbulence Training yesterday and can't tell you how impressed I am with the results. I am down 7 pounds and 6.5"!!! I am wearing a shirt for the first time that I got for Christmas last year, it never fit before. I can't beleive I feel this good and I am just getting started, can't imagine what I am gonna feel like at 300, 250, 200, wow can't even fathom."
Josh Manley
Q: You mention the importance of a social support group for fat loss. What is this and why is it important?
Answer:
Research shows that when women have a social support group, they tend to stick with their exercise program longer.
Makes total sense, right? If all you have around you are negative nancy's trying to tempt you into skipping workouts and eating crap, then it will be hard to succeed.
But if you surround yourself with a good trainer, a supportive doctor, and encouraging friends and family, then you will have a greater chance of losing fat fast and forever.
The research from Stanford U. shows that the professionals (i.e. trainer, doctor, nutritionist) are the most important part of your support group. So choose them wisely. Feel free to include me in your group and email me your questions.
Then get your family, friends, and co-workers on board with your goals.
Q: I have new clients that get sore knees after squatting. I don't think they are doing anything wrong. Any suggestions?
Answer:
We should be able to take some of the stress off the knees by having them squat like they are sitting back into a chair. That means starting the squat by pushing the hips back and then bending the knees second. Sit back. This loads the hips more and the knees less.
If the problem still exists, then they probably simply need to lose fat (so there is less pressure on the knees overall), build the muscles around the knee joint with floor bodyweight exercises, reduced Range-of-Motion standing bodyweight exercises, and maybe even some hamstring curls.
Also, we need to look at their nutrition and lifestyle to make sure that they are eliminating all sources of inflammation and increasing anti-inflammatory nutrients. Nutrition and living the Turbulence Training lifestyle can play a big part in helping to reduce knee pain.
The countdown to New Year's is on,
CB
P.S. I can't hold your bonuses...
Due to the overwhelming number of orders we are dealing with, we can't make any exceptions for late orders on the TT bonuses. If you can't order by midnight, EST, tonight, I'm afraid I can't hook you up with the bonuses.
So go there now and get all 4 bonus products plus all of the great TT info that comes in the regular package.
The TT New Year's kick-off promo ends tonight at midnight over at www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Don't miss out on your chance to get an extra 16-weeks of bonus workouts AND exclusive exercise reports from two of the most respected fitness authorities, Tom Venuto and Nick Nilsson.
Visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com immediately to claim your bonuses!
Don't miss out on your chance to get an extra 16-weeks of bonus workouts AND exclusive exercise reports from two of the most respected fitness authorities, Tom Venuto and Nick Nilsson.
Visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com immediately to claim your bonuses!
Q: I read that it is best to do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, so that you burn more fat. Is this true?
Answer:
Thanks for the email. I touched on this in the last Q'n'A, but it is always worth going over again.
Here's the deal.
9 times out of 10, exercising first thing in the morning wont' help you lose fat faster. On the other hand, it probably won't make you lose muscle (which has always been one of the knocks against early morning cardio).
You might burn a little bit more fat proportionally, but in the big picture, that probably doesn't mean much.
But there's only one way for you to find out. Give it a try for 3-4 weeks. That will be enough time for you to make a solid judgement about this training method and how it works for YOU.
I've found that simply following the TT for Fat Loss program of strength training followed by interval training has worked as well or better (and always faster) than the slow cardio approach.
"Craig, I have finished my first official month of Turbulence Training yesterday and can't tell you how impressed I am with the results. I am down 7 pounds and 6.5"!!! I am wearing a shirt for the first time that I got for Christmas last year, it never fit before. I can't beleive I feel this good and I am just getting started, can't imagine what I am gonna feel like at 300, 250, 200, wow can't even fathom."
Josh Manley
Q: You mention the importance of a social support group for fat loss. What is this and why is it important?
Answer:
Research shows that when women have a social support group, they tend to stick with their exercise program longer.
Makes total sense, right? If all you have around you are negative nancy's trying to tempt you into skipping workouts and eating crap, then it will be hard to succeed.
But if you surround yourself with a good trainer, a supportive doctor, and encouraging friends and family, then you will have a greater chance of losing fat fast and forever.
The research from Stanford U. shows that the professionals (i.e. trainer, doctor, nutritionist) are the most important part of your support group. So choose them wisely. Feel free to include me in your group and email me your questions.
Then get your family, friends, and co-workers on board with your goals.
Q: I have new clients that get sore knees after squatting. I don't think they are doing anything wrong. Any suggestions?
Answer:
We should be able to take some of the stress off the knees by having them squat like they are sitting back into a chair. That means starting the squat by pushing the hips back and then bending the knees second. Sit back. This loads the hips more and the knees less.
If the problem still exists, then they probably simply need to lose fat (so there is less pressure on the knees overall), build the muscles around the knee joint with floor bodyweight exercises, reduced Range-of-Motion standing bodyweight exercises, and maybe even some hamstring curls.
Also, we need to look at their nutrition and lifestyle to make sure that they are eliminating all sources of inflammation and increasing anti-inflammatory nutrients. Nutrition and living the Turbulence Training lifestyle can play a big part in helping to reduce knee pain.
The countdown to New Year's is on,
CB
P.S. I can't hold your bonuses...
Due to the overwhelming number of orders we are dealing with, we can't make any exceptions for late orders on the TT bonuses. If you can't order by midnight, EST, tonight, I'm afraid I can't hook you up with the bonuses.
So go there now and get all 4 bonus products plus all of the great TT info that comes in the regular package.
The TT New Year's kick-off promo ends tonight at midnight over at www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Don't miss out on your chance to get an extra 16-weeks of bonus workouts AND exclusive exercise reports from two of the most respected fitness authorities, Tom Venuto and Nick Nilsson.
Visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com immediately to claim your bonuses!
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Another Weight Loss TT Audio
Here's another weight loss audio interview I did with Kyle Battis...he asked some great questions...enjoy!
Here's Kyle's message...
************
"Fusion Of Bodyweight Exercises and Dumbbell Exercises Creates A Killer Turbulence Training Fat Loss Workout That Can Be Done Anywhere - Anytime...
==> http://audiopostcard-004.com/Y.asp?8408722X1413
"Craig Ballantyne Reveals New 'Fusion' Workout In This 5-Minute Audio...
"Fitness Expert Craig Ballantyne told me about a new workout program that he just created that will:--Help accelerate fat loss...--Improve flexibility!--Eliminate back pain... --And help improve athletic performance All at the same time!
Come listen to Craig talk about this workout:
==> http://audiopostcard-004.com/Y.asp?8408722X1413
The awesome thing about this workout is that it can be done Anywhere! Even in the most crowded gyms or in the most poorly equipped home gym. A leaner physique is close at hand with this 'Fusion' workout.
Check it out: http://audiopostcard-004.com/Y.asp?8408722X1413
Talk to you soon,
--Kyle Battis CSCS, NSCA-CPTPS-
2007 is right around the corner.
If you arenot psyched about the current state of your body I can assure you that Craig's TurbulenceTraining e-book can help you create your bestbody ever:
http://audiopostcard-004.com/Y.asp?8408722X1413
Here's Kyle's message...
************
"Fusion Of Bodyweight Exercises and Dumbbell Exercises Creates A Killer Turbulence Training Fat Loss Workout That Can Be Done Anywhere - Anytime...
==> http://audiopostcard-004.com/Y.asp?8408722X1413
"Craig Ballantyne Reveals New 'Fusion' Workout In This 5-Minute Audio...
"Fitness Expert Craig Ballantyne told me about a new workout program that he just created that will:--Help accelerate fat loss...--Improve flexibility!--Eliminate back pain... --And help improve athletic performance All at the same time!
Come listen to Craig talk about this workout:
==> http://audiopostcard-004.com/Y.asp?8408722X1413
The awesome thing about this workout is that it can be done Anywhere! Even in the most crowded gyms or in the most poorly equipped home gym. A leaner physique is close at hand with this 'Fusion' workout.
Check it out: http://audiopostcard-004.com/Y.asp?8408722X1413
Talk to you soon,
--Kyle Battis CSCS, NSCA-CPTPS-
2007 is right around the corner.
If you arenot psyched about the current state of your body I can assure you that Craig's TurbulenceTraining e-book can help you create your bestbody ever:
http://audiopostcard-004.com/Y.asp?8408722X1413
Thursday Workout
I remember the first time I bench pressed way back in the early 90's. It was at the same YMCA that I trained at today.
And after that virgin bench press session I remembered barely being able to lift my arms up to the steering wheel, thats how fatigued and pumped up my chest was. Good times.
I was thinking about that session today while I trained and watched some young 15-year old punks gathered round the bench press. To their credit, they stuck with the bar and didn't add weight - they were actually working on controlling the bar before they tried to lift heavier. Someone has taught them well.
I also recognized a few guys in the weight room from back in the day when I first started...and to be honest, they haven't aged well. I'm talking about some of the old-school bodybuilders that amused me 15 years ago with their "straight outta M&F magazine lifestyles".
The sad thing was, it looked like they continued to eat like hardcore bodybuilders but failed to do the training that went along with it. It was kind of sad, and worse to watch them do behind the neck pulldowns and other old-school bodybuilding moves.
Oh well. Hopefully they find a better source of training info someday soon.
And then there were the rows and rows of cardio equipment, with lots of people on them, no doubt with the mindset of "burning off holiday calories" by doing endless amounts of cardio.
I hate that mindset. Its just a slippery slope away from exercise bulemia - where people do endless, unhealthy amounts of exercise to justify every calorie they eat.
I'm worried about one of the girls that was there...she looked awfully thin and spent my entire 40 minute workout on the elliptical machine, and she sure didn't look like she was going anywhere anytime soon.
Again, all I can do is hope they find something better to rely on than endless cardio. But I'm not going to shove my info down their throats.
So back to my workout, I supersetted...
1A) Barbell Reverse Lunges
1B) DB rows
2A) More reverse lunges
2B) Barbell Rows
With my methods, you build your body up. With endless cardio, you break your body down.
I'm sure my methods are winning now and are going to win in the end,
CB
And after that virgin bench press session I remembered barely being able to lift my arms up to the steering wheel, thats how fatigued and pumped up my chest was. Good times.
I was thinking about that session today while I trained and watched some young 15-year old punks gathered round the bench press. To their credit, they stuck with the bar and didn't add weight - they were actually working on controlling the bar before they tried to lift heavier. Someone has taught them well.
I also recognized a few guys in the weight room from back in the day when I first started...and to be honest, they haven't aged well. I'm talking about some of the old-school bodybuilders that amused me 15 years ago with their "straight outta M&F magazine lifestyles".
The sad thing was, it looked like they continued to eat like hardcore bodybuilders but failed to do the training that went along with it. It was kind of sad, and worse to watch them do behind the neck pulldowns and other old-school bodybuilding moves.
Oh well. Hopefully they find a better source of training info someday soon.
And then there were the rows and rows of cardio equipment, with lots of people on them, no doubt with the mindset of "burning off holiday calories" by doing endless amounts of cardio.
I hate that mindset. Its just a slippery slope away from exercise bulemia - where people do endless, unhealthy amounts of exercise to justify every calorie they eat.
I'm worried about one of the girls that was there...she looked awfully thin and spent my entire 40 minute workout on the elliptical machine, and she sure didn't look like she was going anywhere anytime soon.
Again, all I can do is hope they find something better to rely on than endless cardio. But I'm not going to shove my info down their throats.
So back to my workout, I supersetted...
1A) Barbell Reverse Lunges
1B) DB rows
2A) More reverse lunges
2B) Barbell Rows
With my methods, you build your body up. With endless cardio, you break your body down.
I'm sure my methods are winning now and are going to win in the end,
CB
TT Fat Loss Interview with Keith Scott
I did a bunch of interviews for other websites this week...heres a link to one that ran on Keith Scott's site...he's a trainer and Athletic Therapist in New Jersey...
Click HERE to read the in-depth fat loss interview
CB
Click HERE to read the in-depth fat loss interview
CB
Bodybuilding for Abs is Dead
I grew up in the prime of the Muscle Mag industry. Flex, M&F, MD...I bought them all. In the late-80's and early-90's I learned that if I wanted 6-pack abs that I needed to do hundreds of crunches every day of the week.
Fortunately, I was too lazy for that and built my abs with squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, and a variety of other non-bodybuilding ab movements.
Now I know that for today's message, I could take the easy way out and say that doing a laundry list of ab exercises will make for great abs...but will they really?
If someone on this list has had great success from doing abs 30 minutes a day I'd be interested to hear from you. Are you sure that you really got your abs that way?
Everyone wants to get great abs and most people have been brainwashed into thinking that the only way to get abs is by doing 30 minutes of crunches per day. After all, that's what all the fitness models do, right?
To be honest, the best set of abs I've come across were on athletes that did little, if any direct abdominal training. They had low body fat, and they had abs from training for sport and in the weight room with basic lifts.
Oh, and one guy was a farmer too, so you know the basic movements he did for work purposes helped out as well. That's why we are seeing a resurgence of non-bodybuilder type ab training like sledgehammer training and med-ball throws.
Checklist for abs:
a) Low body fat (Use TT for this and get in on the 3-day promo giving you a ton of bonuses...including Tom Venuto's Mission Abdominals here, www.TurbulenceTraining.com)
b) Ab muscle (Use a couple of exercises twice per week, aiming for 8-12 reps per set - so use resistance where applicable)
That's it. No hundred rep sets are necessary. No hour long ab marathon classes are needed. No 6-days of abs approaches are helpful.
Take the non-traditional approach to abs. Use all your "non-ab" exercises to help develop your abs. Brace your abs in every lift, and use exercises like the Plank and Side Plank to build a safe base of abdominal endurance to work from. Then move on to more advanced total body ab exercises like Mountain Climbers and Jackknives.
Ab exercises should be among the least of your fitness concerns,
CB
P.S. Did you hear about the bonuses you can get at www.TurbulenceTraining.com?
Until Friday, Dec. 29th at midnight, you can get the following 4 additional bonuses when you order Turbulence Training...
1) Tom Venuto's "Mission Abdominals"
2) Nick Nilsson's "Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of"
3) The TT for Women 8-Week Workout
4) The TT DB-BW Fusion Fat Loss 8-Week Workout
But only till Friday at midnight, EST.
get it today ==> www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Fortunately, I was too lazy for that and built my abs with squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, and a variety of other non-bodybuilding ab movements.
Now I know that for today's message, I could take the easy way out and say that doing a laundry list of ab exercises will make for great abs...but will they really?
If someone on this list has had great success from doing abs 30 minutes a day I'd be interested to hear from you. Are you sure that you really got your abs that way?
Everyone wants to get great abs and most people have been brainwashed into thinking that the only way to get abs is by doing 30 minutes of crunches per day. After all, that's what all the fitness models do, right?
To be honest, the best set of abs I've come across were on athletes that did little, if any direct abdominal training. They had low body fat, and they had abs from training for sport and in the weight room with basic lifts.
Oh, and one guy was a farmer too, so you know the basic movements he did for work purposes helped out as well. That's why we are seeing a resurgence of non-bodybuilder type ab training like sledgehammer training and med-ball throws.
Checklist for abs:
a) Low body fat (Use TT for this and get in on the 3-day promo giving you a ton of bonuses...including Tom Venuto's Mission Abdominals here, www.TurbulenceTraining.com)
b) Ab muscle (Use a couple of exercises twice per week, aiming for 8-12 reps per set - so use resistance where applicable)
That's it. No hundred rep sets are necessary. No hour long ab marathon classes are needed. No 6-days of abs approaches are helpful.
Take the non-traditional approach to abs. Use all your "non-ab" exercises to help develop your abs. Brace your abs in every lift, and use exercises like the Plank and Side Plank to build a safe base of abdominal endurance to work from. Then move on to more advanced total body ab exercises like Mountain Climbers and Jackknives.
Ab exercises should be among the least of your fitness concerns,
CB
P.S. Did you hear about the bonuses you can get at www.TurbulenceTraining.com?
Until Friday, Dec. 29th at midnight, you can get the following 4 additional bonuses when you order Turbulence Training...
1) Tom Venuto's "Mission Abdominals"
2) Nick Nilsson's "Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of"
3) The TT for Women 8-Week Workout
4) The TT DB-BW Fusion Fat Loss 8-Week Workout
But only till Friday at midnight, EST.
get it today ==> www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Wednesday Bodyweight Workout
My nutrition is still a little off and despite taking the dog for 3 30-minute walks/play sessions, I still felt like I was lacking energy today...and I've been busy with the promo I am running at www.TurbulenceTraining.com
So I did a 15-minute bodyweight circuit, completing about 2 sets of 10 different exercises including grasshopper pushups, pushups plus, X-body mountain climbers, y-squats, stickups, and more.
I felt much, much better after. Energized, and with less stress in my upper back.
So if you are stuck inside today away from the gym, just do as many bodyweight exercises as you can remember and get moving, the blood flowing, and the brain thinking.
CB
So I did a 15-minute bodyweight circuit, completing about 2 sets of 10 different exercises including grasshopper pushups, pushups plus, X-body mountain climbers, y-squats, stickups, and more.
I felt much, much better after. Energized, and with less stress in my upper back.
So if you are stuck inside today away from the gym, just do as many bodyweight exercises as you can remember and get moving, the blood flowing, and the brain thinking.
CB
Pushup Video on YouTube.com
Okay, 2nd try at this...we posted a pushup video yesterday but took it down and changed it...so here it is again:
8 different pushups here - including the Grasshopper
CB
8 different pushups here - including the Grasshopper
CB
Fat Loss Audio Interview - Weight Loss/Turbulence Training for Women
Here's a message from my friend Kyle Battis about an interview that he and I did - that you can listen to for free.
But first, a TT female testimonial...
"Hi Craig, I purchased Turbelence Training in November 2006 and have been using it for about 6 weeks now. Along with the workouts and all the nutritional information I am finding at your site and grrl athlete I have reached my lowest weight yet and more importantly I didn't starve or over work myself. Working opposing muscle groups is what my body needed and it is responding well. I can now do 10 pushups on my toes for each set and I have noticed muscle development in my chest which I could not get before TT. At 46 years old I feel that I can reach a level of fitness that I didn't think was possible and I don't have to be a slave to working out. It is true that your workouts can be done in 45 minutes which leaves a lot more time for enjoying life. thanks."
Cindy Casella
Check out Kyle's message and the audio below...
*******
Want a Figure Model physiqe? If so, I have an audio that you'll want to listen to you (that is, if you do want a lean, sexy body).
There is just so much 'BAD' informationout there for women when it comes togetting fit My friend Craig Ballantyne has a workout that he wants to share withyou This is the same workout that models,actresses, and high-profile celebritiesused to transform their physiques (and they paid him a lot of money for it!)
==> http://members.instantaudio.com/postcards/?8406804X1413
For a limited time you can get yourhot little hands on this same workoutbecause Craig is giving it away to anyone that picks up a copy of hiskiller "Turbulence Training" bookIf you don't have this book then youneed to get a copy - it's that good! This is one of the best fat loss workouts out there and I am a hugefan of this type of trainingCome on over and listen to Coach B.share his fat loss wisdom:
==> http://members.instantaudio.com/postcards/?8406804X1413
Kick off the New Year in style andcreate your Best Body ever!
Train with purpose,
--Kyle Battis CSCS, NSCA-CPTPS-
Only for the next three days can you get your hands on thisspecial Turbulence Training forWomen workout so come on over and get it all right:
==> http://members.instantaudio.com/postcards/?8406804X1413
But first, a TT female testimonial...
"Hi Craig, I purchased Turbelence Training in November 2006 and have been using it for about 6 weeks now. Along with the workouts and all the nutritional information I am finding at your site and grrl athlete I have reached my lowest weight yet and more importantly I didn't starve or over work myself. Working opposing muscle groups is what my body needed and it is responding well. I can now do 10 pushups on my toes for each set and I have noticed muscle development in my chest which I could not get before TT. At 46 years old I feel that I can reach a level of fitness that I didn't think was possible and I don't have to be a slave to working out. It is true that your workouts can be done in 45 minutes which leaves a lot more time for enjoying life. thanks."
Cindy Casella
Check out Kyle's message and the audio below...
*******
Want a Figure Model physiqe? If so, I have an audio that you'll want to listen to you (that is, if you do want a lean, sexy body).
There is just so much 'BAD' informationout there for women when it comes togetting fit My friend Craig Ballantyne has a workout that he wants to share withyou This is the same workout that models,actresses, and high-profile celebritiesused to transform their physiques (and they paid him a lot of money for it!)
==> http://members.instantaudio.com/postcards/?8406804X1413
For a limited time you can get yourhot little hands on this same workoutbecause Craig is giving it away to anyone that picks up a copy of hiskiller "Turbulence Training" bookIf you don't have this book then youneed to get a copy - it's that good! This is one of the best fat loss workouts out there and I am a hugefan of this type of trainingCome on over and listen to Coach B.share his fat loss wisdom:
==> http://members.instantaudio.com/postcards/?8406804X1413
Kick off the New Year in style andcreate your Best Body ever!
Train with purpose,
--Kyle Battis CSCS, NSCA-CPTPS-
Only for the next three days can you get your hands on thisspecial Turbulence Training forWomen workout so come on over and get it all right:
==> http://members.instantaudio.com/postcards/?8406804X1413
Cellulite, Love Handles, Lower Abs, & Cardio for Fat Loss
What happens when you combine Turbulence Training with Tom Venuto'sMission: Abdominals and one of Nick Nilsson's innovative reports on"The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of?"
You get the single most effective killer of cellulite, lovehandles, and lower ab fat. It's that simple.
If you are interested in losing fat as quickly as possible in thecomfort of your own home, using simple workouts that can easily bedone first thing in the morning or after your children go to bed,without endless hours of cardio, fancy equipment or expensivesupplements, then this will be the most important email you readthis year.
If you haven't picked up Turbulence Training for Fat Loss yet, I'moffering a big incentive in this email for you to get started ASAP.(But hurry, this offer ends at midnight, on Friday, Dec. 29th!).
Here's why I'm writing to you today...
I've put together the ultimate Turbulence Training package thatcontains not only 16-weeks of advanced fat loss workouts, fourweeks of starter-bodyweight only workouts, and a 60-minute audiointerview on how to maximize your results in minimum time withTurbulence Training.
But more importantly, I want to give you even more top-notchfitness and fat loss information. So I've hounded two of theInternet's top fitness gurus, Tom Venuto & Nick Nilsson to helpme out and make the already incredible Turbulence Training packageeven more effective.
When putting together this additional package of info, I wanted toget the absolute best bonus material I could find. I scoured all ofthe Internet fitness sites, reading plenty of fat loss articles,and time and time again I was led back to two names: Tom Venuto &Nick Nilsson.
Tom and Nick agreed to reveal their most in-demand,full-to-the-brim of fat loss information, one-of-a-kind reports -but only for the next 3 days. They want them back after Friday, soyou have to get in on this offer immediately.
(By the way, Nick has never allowed his report to be used as abonus ever before!)
First, let's take a look at what the legendary Tom Venuto agreed to tell you:
Bonus #1) Mission: Abdominals by Tom Venuto
If you don't know who Tom Venuto is, then you are missing out onthe most honest, from the trenches, scientifically supportedfat-burning and ab sculpting information ever revealed in thefitness world. He goes behind the scenes to teach you everythingabout finally getting a set of 6-pack abs. He'll tell whichsupplements are downright rip-offs, as well as give you theexperience-proven, time-tested approach to training your abs forboth men and women.
And here's what Nick provided:
Bonus #2) The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of
Nick Nilsson is known all around the world for his innovativeexercises and practical information in his newsletters and on hiswebsite.
His report shows you how to break boredom in your workouts whilegetting more results in less time. Nick's exercises will help youbuild muscle and lose fat, but with fun total body exercises thatcan be done with a home gym. As such, it's an incredible bonus toadd to this package.
So thanks to these fat loss gurus, you'll get both reports to helpcrank up your fat loss. But wait, that's not all. You'll also getmy 2 latest monthly workouts:
Bonus #3) 8-Week Turbulence Training for Women Program
With both beginner and advanced versions, this program serves as agreat add-on to the regular Turbulence Training program thathundreds of women have already used to lose fat and sculpt theirbodies. All of these workouts can be done at home with a bench, aball, dumbbells, and your own bodyweight.
Bonus #4) 8-week Turbulence Training Dumbbell-Bodyweight Fusion FatLoss Bonus
Men and women everywhere need to get more results in less time. Andin some cases, these men and women don't even have time to get tothe gym! That is just one reason why bodyweight workouts are soimportant to busy, on-the-go people that are looking to lose fat.
This workout bonus combines dumbbell and bodyweight exercises tohelp you finish your workouts faster. By going directly fromdumbbell to bodyweight exercises means that you spend less timesetting up and more time burning fat.
You'll be amazed what these simple combination exercises can do foryour metabolism.
So those are the four TIME-LIMITED bonuses that I'm offering foronly 72 hours, starting today, Wednesday, Dec. 27th.
ALL of these, PLUS the regular TT for Fat Loss goodies, includingthe 1-hour audio interview, if you order Turbulence Training beforeFriday, Dec. 29th at midnight.
"It amazes me that I'll be 45 with 3 kids and I'm 5'4" weighing 114lbs now (lean). Thanks again for an amazing result. I love it."
Annabelle Logan
"Recently I have used his TT for Fat Loss program and lost 20lbs offat while increasing my lean body mass and getting much stronger. Not only does Craig guide you through his work outs, he offersnutritional advice, lifting tempos and exercise descriptions withvisuals to help with form. With the amount of information in thisprogram it would be almost impossible not to succeed."
Rick Dunseith
Head over to http://www.turbulencetraining.com/ and get started today.
"I lost 14 pounds this month and the weight is just falling off me. My wife says I now look like when we first met and I still havemore to go. I can fit into my old jeans again which is a big dealfor me. I just cut back on starches and bread and do your routine2-3 times a week. I never thought in a million years that just10-20 minutes of weight training followed by some cardio would getme such steady results. I even cheat a bit on the weekends."
Billy Williams
The clock is ticking,
CB
P.S. This offer ends at midnight on Friday - no exceptions.
So visit http://www.turbulencetraining.com/ immediately.
And remember,you get everything in the Turbulence Training package (including a60-minute audio interview, 4-week Basic Bodyweight Workout, theTurbulence Training Nutrition Guidelines, and the TurbulenceTraining Fusion Fat Loss Workout), PLUS the four additional bonusreports mentioned above at: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
Turbulence Training is...
"The single most effective fat loss training system in the world today. I've used it. I've studied it. It works faster and more effectively than any other method."
Alwyn Cosgrove, CSCS, Men's Health Training Adviser
You get the single most effective killer of cellulite, lovehandles, and lower ab fat. It's that simple.
If you are interested in losing fat as quickly as possible in thecomfort of your own home, using simple workouts that can easily bedone first thing in the morning or after your children go to bed,without endless hours of cardio, fancy equipment or expensivesupplements, then this will be the most important email you readthis year.
If you haven't picked up Turbulence Training for Fat Loss yet, I'moffering a big incentive in this email for you to get started ASAP.(But hurry, this offer ends at midnight, on Friday, Dec. 29th!).
Here's why I'm writing to you today...
I've put together the ultimate Turbulence Training package thatcontains not only 16-weeks of advanced fat loss workouts, fourweeks of starter-bodyweight only workouts, and a 60-minute audiointerview on how to maximize your results in minimum time withTurbulence Training.
But more importantly, I want to give you even more top-notchfitness and fat loss information. So I've hounded two of theInternet's top fitness gurus, Tom Venuto & Nick Nilsson to helpme out and make the already incredible Turbulence Training packageeven more effective.
When putting together this additional package of info, I wanted toget the absolute best bonus material I could find. I scoured all ofthe Internet fitness sites, reading plenty of fat loss articles,and time and time again I was led back to two names: Tom Venuto &Nick Nilsson.
Tom and Nick agreed to reveal their most in-demand,full-to-the-brim of fat loss information, one-of-a-kind reports -but only for the next 3 days. They want them back after Friday, soyou have to get in on this offer immediately.
(By the way, Nick has never allowed his report to be used as abonus ever before!)
First, let's take a look at what the legendary Tom Venuto agreed to tell you:
Bonus #1) Mission: Abdominals by Tom Venuto
If you don't know who Tom Venuto is, then you are missing out onthe most honest, from the trenches, scientifically supportedfat-burning and ab sculpting information ever revealed in thefitness world. He goes behind the scenes to teach you everythingabout finally getting a set of 6-pack abs. He'll tell whichsupplements are downright rip-offs, as well as give you theexperience-proven, time-tested approach to training your abs forboth men and women.
And here's what Nick provided:
Bonus #2) The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of
Nick Nilsson is known all around the world for his innovativeexercises and practical information in his newsletters and on hiswebsite.
His report shows you how to break boredom in your workouts whilegetting more results in less time. Nick's exercises will help youbuild muscle and lose fat, but with fun total body exercises thatcan be done with a home gym. As such, it's an incredible bonus toadd to this package.
So thanks to these fat loss gurus, you'll get both reports to helpcrank up your fat loss. But wait, that's not all. You'll also getmy 2 latest monthly workouts:
Bonus #3) 8-Week Turbulence Training for Women Program
With both beginner and advanced versions, this program serves as agreat add-on to the regular Turbulence Training program thathundreds of women have already used to lose fat and sculpt theirbodies. All of these workouts can be done at home with a bench, aball, dumbbells, and your own bodyweight.
Bonus #4) 8-week Turbulence Training Dumbbell-Bodyweight Fusion FatLoss Bonus
Men and women everywhere need to get more results in less time. Andin some cases, these men and women don't even have time to get tothe gym! That is just one reason why bodyweight workouts are soimportant to busy, on-the-go people that are looking to lose fat.
This workout bonus combines dumbbell and bodyweight exercises tohelp you finish your workouts faster. By going directly fromdumbbell to bodyweight exercises means that you spend less timesetting up and more time burning fat.
You'll be amazed what these simple combination exercises can do foryour metabolism.
So those are the four TIME-LIMITED bonuses that I'm offering foronly 72 hours, starting today, Wednesday, Dec. 27th.
ALL of these, PLUS the regular TT for Fat Loss goodies, includingthe 1-hour audio interview, if you order Turbulence Training beforeFriday, Dec. 29th at midnight.
"It amazes me that I'll be 45 with 3 kids and I'm 5'4" weighing 114lbs now (lean). Thanks again for an amazing result. I love it."
Annabelle Logan
"Recently I have used his TT for Fat Loss program and lost 20lbs offat while increasing my lean body mass and getting much stronger. Not only does Craig guide you through his work outs, he offersnutritional advice, lifting tempos and exercise descriptions withvisuals to help with form. With the amount of information in thisprogram it would be almost impossible not to succeed."
Rick Dunseith
Head over to http://www.turbulencetraining.com/ and get started today.
"I lost 14 pounds this month and the weight is just falling off me. My wife says I now look like when we first met and I still havemore to go. I can fit into my old jeans again which is a big dealfor me. I just cut back on starches and bread and do your routine2-3 times a week. I never thought in a million years that just10-20 minutes of weight training followed by some cardio would getme such steady results. I even cheat a bit on the weekends."
Billy Williams
The clock is ticking,
CB
P.S. This offer ends at midnight on Friday - no exceptions.
So visit http://www.turbulencetraining.com/ immediately.
And remember,you get everything in the Turbulence Training package (including a60-minute audio interview, 4-week Basic Bodyweight Workout, theTurbulence Training Nutrition Guidelines, and the TurbulenceTraining Fusion Fat Loss Workout), PLUS the four additional bonusreports mentioned above at: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
Turbulence Training is...
"The single most effective fat loss training system in the world today. I've used it. I've studied it. It works faster and more effectively than any other method."
Alwyn Cosgrove, CSCS, Men's Health Training Adviser
72 Hours for Weight Loss Special
New Year's is almost here and I want to help you get your fat loss program off to a perfect start with the right program and nutrition guidelines. Plus, if this year is going to be THE year you finally see your abs, you're going to need all the expert ab advice you can get...
For the next 3 days I'm holding a big special offer at www.TurbulenceTraining.com. If you haven't picked up the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss package yet, then here's a little incentive.
I've hounded two of the Internet's top fitness gurus, Tom Venuto & Nick Nilsson to help me out and make the already incredible Turbulence Training package even more helpful.
After a little arm-twisting, both Tom and Nick agreed to reveal their most in-demand, full-to-the-brim of fat loss information, one-of-a-kind reports.
Bonus #1) Mission Abdominals, by Tom Venuto
If you don't know who Tom Venuto is, then you are missing out on the most honest, from the trenches, scientifically supported fat-burning and ab sculpting information ever revealed in the fitness world. And in his special report, you'll go behind the scenes with the honest fat loss guru to learn everything you can about finally getting a set of 6-pack abs.
Tom will also tell which supplements are downright rip-offs, as well as give you the experience-proven, time-tested approach to training your abs for both men and women.
Bonus #2) The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of
Nick Nilsson is known all around the world for his innovative exercises and practical information in his newsletters and on his website.
His report shows you how to break boredom in your workouts while getting more results in less time. Nick's exercises will help you build muscle and lose fat, but with fun total body exercises that can be done with a home gym. As such, it's an incredible bonus to add to this package.
So thanks to these fat loss gurus, you'll get both reports to help crank up your fat loss. But wait, that's not all.
You'll also get 2 more bonus TT workouts:
Bonus #3) The 8-Week TT for Women Program
With both beginner and advanced versions, this program serves as a great add-on to the regular Turbulence Training program that hundreds of women have already used to lose fat and sculpt their bodies. All of these workouts can be done at home with a bench, a ball, dumbbells, and your own bodyweight.
Bonus #4) 8-week Turbulence Training Dumbbell-Bodyweight Fusion Fat Loss Bonus
Men and women everywhere need to get more results in less time. And in some cases, these men and women don't even have time to get to the gym! That is just one reason why bodyweight workouts are so important to busy, on-the-go people that are looking to lose fat.
This workout bonus combines dumbbell and bodyweight exercises to help you finish your workouts faster. By going directly from dumbbell to bodyweight exercises means that you spend less time setting up and more time burning fat.
So those are the four TIME-LIMITED bonuses that I'm offering for only 72 hours, starting today, Wednesday, Dec. 27th...
ALL of these, PLUS the regular TT for Fat Loss goodies, including the 1-hour audio interview, if you order Turbulence Training before Friday, Dec. 29th, at midnight.
"I went from 227lbs to 209lbs in 8 weeks using the TT program. I figure fat loss was even higher because as I definitely gained muscle in the process. The program simply put...WORKS"
Dion Guerin
"I love your workout routines. The best part is, for me, is that I can do them at home using what I have in my home gym. What impresses me most about what I've learned is just how much I "thought" I knew about exercise and nutrition. My whole mode of thinking has changed and I'm finally breaking through that brick wall, slowly but surely. You have been a tremendous inspiration for me. Thank you for all the great routines you've created to keep people like me from getting bored and stuck in the same old patterns of working out."
Dawn Carter
Head over to http://www.turbulencetraining.com/ and get started today.
The clock is ticking,
CB
P.S. This offer ends at midnight on Friday, Dec. 29th, - no exceptions. So visit http://www.turbulencetraining.com/ and get started immediately.
For the next 3 days I'm holding a big special offer at www.TurbulenceTraining.com. If you haven't picked up the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss package yet, then here's a little incentive.
I've hounded two of the Internet's top fitness gurus, Tom Venuto & Nick Nilsson to help me out and make the already incredible Turbulence Training package even more helpful.
After a little arm-twisting, both Tom and Nick agreed to reveal their most in-demand, full-to-the-brim of fat loss information, one-of-a-kind reports.
Bonus #1) Mission Abdominals, by Tom Venuto
If you don't know who Tom Venuto is, then you are missing out on the most honest, from the trenches, scientifically supported fat-burning and ab sculpting information ever revealed in the fitness world. And in his special report, you'll go behind the scenes with the honest fat loss guru to learn everything you can about finally getting a set of 6-pack abs.
Tom will also tell which supplements are downright rip-offs, as well as give you the experience-proven, time-tested approach to training your abs for both men and women.
Bonus #2) The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of
Nick Nilsson is known all around the world for his innovative exercises and practical information in his newsletters and on his website.
His report shows you how to break boredom in your workouts while getting more results in less time. Nick's exercises will help you build muscle and lose fat, but with fun total body exercises that can be done with a home gym. As such, it's an incredible bonus to add to this package.
So thanks to these fat loss gurus, you'll get both reports to help crank up your fat loss. But wait, that's not all.
You'll also get 2 more bonus TT workouts:
Bonus #3) The 8-Week TT for Women Program
With both beginner and advanced versions, this program serves as a great add-on to the regular Turbulence Training program that hundreds of women have already used to lose fat and sculpt their bodies. All of these workouts can be done at home with a bench, a ball, dumbbells, and your own bodyweight.
Bonus #4) 8-week Turbulence Training Dumbbell-Bodyweight Fusion Fat Loss Bonus
Men and women everywhere need to get more results in less time. And in some cases, these men and women don't even have time to get to the gym! That is just one reason why bodyweight workouts are so important to busy, on-the-go people that are looking to lose fat.
This workout bonus combines dumbbell and bodyweight exercises to help you finish your workouts faster. By going directly from dumbbell to bodyweight exercises means that you spend less time setting up and more time burning fat.
So those are the four TIME-LIMITED bonuses that I'm offering for only 72 hours, starting today, Wednesday, Dec. 27th...
ALL of these, PLUS the regular TT for Fat Loss goodies, including the 1-hour audio interview, if you order Turbulence Training before Friday, Dec. 29th, at midnight.
"I went from 227lbs to 209lbs in 8 weeks using the TT program. I figure fat loss was even higher because as I definitely gained muscle in the process. The program simply put...WORKS"
Dion Guerin
"I love your workout routines. The best part is, for me, is that I can do them at home using what I have in my home gym. What impresses me most about what I've learned is just how much I "thought" I knew about exercise and nutrition. My whole mode of thinking has changed and I'm finally breaking through that brick wall, slowly but surely. You have been a tremendous inspiration for me. Thank you for all the great routines you've created to keep people like me from getting bored and stuck in the same old patterns of working out."
Dawn Carter
Head over to http://www.turbulencetraining.com/ and get started today.
The clock is ticking,
CB
P.S. This offer ends at midnight on Friday, Dec. 29th, - no exceptions. So visit http://www.turbulencetraining.com/ and get started immediately.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Fat Loss Q'n'A for Weight Loss
Big news. I've had a professional artist update the TT for Fat Loss manual. The workouts remain the same but the e-book is easier to navigate.
Members received access to this update several weeks ago. All other TT for Fat Loss customers should have received an email late last week with a link to the new download.
Thanks again for supporting TT! Now onto the q'n'a...
Q: Really enjoying your newsletters! Between you and Tom Venuto I'm learning heaps of new info. So I've just started getting a sore lower back after 3-4 months of regular spin classes (2-4 per wk). Of course I'm off to the Dr etc but from a trainer's point of view what should I be aiming to do exercise wise for the next few weeks while I get better? Happy to do the ellptical machine and treadmill - no worries.
Answer:
Cycling puts your torso into spinal flexion, and that can be hard on the low back muscles and the intervertebral discs. Some people just aren't built for cycling, while this position does not bother others.
Start with the elliptical for a while, until the back pain goes away. You can also try some treadmill. Whatever you choose, make sure it does not aggravate your back.
Let me know what the doctor says. You might also need to spend more time on the basics spinal stability exercises such as bird dogs, planks, and side planks.
Q: At 6 feet, ~ 185 pounds, I've falled into the skinny fat syndrome. I look really thin, in fact too much so, but I still don't have that definition I'm looking (I still got the stomach roll!). I've tried continuing to cut, and while I do get more definition, I also lose some muscle and overall, I just look skinnier. I've tried bulking at this point, but then I inevitably put on some flab with the muscle. Anyway out of this conundrum? Should I go for the TT for mass program or continue with the TT for Fat Loss?
Answer:
First, you should have your body composition measured, go for the most accurate method you can find. An experienced personal trainer is often the best option.
Honestly, I can eyeball a person's bodyfat to the exact same percentage that I get with a 7-site caliper test. So just find a trainer that's been around the block and have them do skinfold tests now and after 8 weeks of training...that way you can determine if you really are losing muscle when you try to lose fat.That way you can track your results, rather than just relying on your self-perception, which given our personal biases can be way off. Once we know where you are really "at", we can move forward with a plan.
But overall, you can still try to lose some fat and get down to 180. But once you hit 180 at 6'feet, you should not be trying to lose anymore weight...that will just make you look too skinny. At that point, you'd need TT for Mass.
Start your resolutions this week,
CB
P.S. I better get back to work on building the membership site...
And I hope you'll take advantage of the Pre-Launch offer. Just a reminder, here's the deal...a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
Members received access to this update several weeks ago. All other TT for Fat Loss customers should have received an email late last week with a link to the new download.
Thanks again for supporting TT! Now onto the q'n'a...
Q: Really enjoying your newsletters! Between you and Tom Venuto I'm learning heaps of new info. So I've just started getting a sore lower back after 3-4 months of regular spin classes (2-4 per wk). Of course I'm off to the Dr etc but from a trainer's point of view what should I be aiming to do exercise wise for the next few weeks while I get better? Happy to do the ellptical machine and treadmill - no worries.
Answer:
Cycling puts your torso into spinal flexion, and that can be hard on the low back muscles and the intervertebral discs. Some people just aren't built for cycling, while this position does not bother others.
Start with the elliptical for a while, until the back pain goes away. You can also try some treadmill. Whatever you choose, make sure it does not aggravate your back.
Let me know what the doctor says. You might also need to spend more time on the basics spinal stability exercises such as bird dogs, planks, and side planks.
Q: At 6 feet, ~ 185 pounds, I've falled into the skinny fat syndrome. I look really thin, in fact too much so, but I still don't have that definition I'm looking (I still got the stomach roll!). I've tried continuing to cut, and while I do get more definition, I also lose some muscle and overall, I just look skinnier. I've tried bulking at this point, but then I inevitably put on some flab with the muscle. Anyway out of this conundrum? Should I go for the TT for mass program or continue with the TT for Fat Loss?
Answer:
First, you should have your body composition measured, go for the most accurate method you can find. An experienced personal trainer is often the best option.
Honestly, I can eyeball a person's bodyfat to the exact same percentage that I get with a 7-site caliper test. So just find a trainer that's been around the block and have them do skinfold tests now and after 8 weeks of training...that way you can determine if you really are losing muscle when you try to lose fat.That way you can track your results, rather than just relying on your self-perception, which given our personal biases can be way off. Once we know where you are really "at", we can move forward with a plan.
But overall, you can still try to lose some fat and get down to 180. But once you hit 180 at 6'feet, you should not be trying to lose anymore weight...that will just make you look too skinny. At that point, you'd need TT for Mass.
Start your resolutions this week,
CB
P.S. I better get back to work on building the membership site...
And I hope you'll take advantage of the Pre-Launch offer. Just a reminder, here's the deal...a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
Tuesday Total-Body Workout
First workout since last Thursday (although I have been very active with long, long dog walks/runs), so I slipped into the YMCA here in Stratford for a total body workout.
1a) DB Press (worked up to 100x6)
1B) Squat (worked up to 315x6)
2A) Barbell RDL
2B) Barbell Row
Did a quick one because I only had 30 minutes.
Not bad.
Might go back tomorrow,
CB
1a) DB Press (worked up to 100x6)
1B) Squat (worked up to 315x6)
2A) Barbell RDL
2B) Barbell Row
Did a quick one because I only had 30 minutes.
Not bad.
Might go back tomorrow,
CB
Friday, December 22, 2006
Simple, Effective Fat Loss Workout Schedule
Here's a great plan from a smart guy...I read this today over at www.arthurdevany.com
He always has some good articles.
"Do 2 high intensity work outs a week, on random days. High intensity is relative to your fitness and abilities. You have to work that out with your trainer or doctor. But, you want some burn to stimulate lactic acid and GH. You also raise your post exercise excess oxygen consumption dramatically and for at least 24 hours, so you are burning excess energy that whole time. You can expend far more energy this way than you can doing hours of walking. One other work out should be on form, posture and grace. It can be a dance class or a tennis lesson. Add some walks with excellent posture and some play and you have it."
Don't make it too complex,
CB
He always has some good articles.
"Do 2 high intensity work outs a week, on random days. High intensity is relative to your fitness and abilities. You have to work that out with your trainer or doctor. But, you want some burn to stimulate lactic acid and GH. You also raise your post exercise excess oxygen consumption dramatically and for at least 24 hours, so you are burning excess energy that whole time. You can expend far more energy this way than you can doing hours of walking. One other work out should be on form, posture and grace. It can be a dance class or a tennis lesson. Add some walks with excellent posture and some play and you have it."
Don't make it too complex,
CB
Friday Bodyweight Circuit
Just finished up the details on the January Fat Loss Workout bodyweight circuit.
It will be in the Members section this weekend.
Good stuff,
CB
It will be in the Members section this weekend.
Good stuff,
CB
Workout Pass from Ryan Lee - Become a VIP
If I were you, I'd sign up for the VIP guestlist for Ryan's new workout pass...
Its' worth it for the bonuses I gave him alone...let alone what dozens of other trainers are giving...
Here's what Ryan wrote on his blog...
As of midnight last night, our VIP list is now open.We're giving away over $1,000 worth of free bonuses and our VIP list will have the first chance to grab them before anyone else.Oh yeah, you can see the official countdown clock too!
Here's the URL:
http://workoutpass.com
Start your resolutions the day after Christmas,
CB
Its' worth it for the bonuses I gave him alone...let alone what dozens of other trainers are giving...
Here's what Ryan wrote on his blog...
As of midnight last night, our VIP list is now open.We're giving away over $1,000 worth of free bonuses and our VIP list will have the first chance to grab them before anyone else.Oh yeah, you can see the official countdown clock too!
Here's the URL:
http://workoutpass.com
Start your resolutions the day after Christmas,
CB
Thursday, December 21, 2006
My Transformation - Part 2
On Thursday, Dan B. (my affiliate manager) and I filmed a video version of my famous (or is it infamous) "Transformation".
If you have not checked out the pics on my record-setting body transformation, go HERE.
We'll soon have the video version up on YouTube.
And while you are counting down the hours till Christmas, here's a real transformation contest that you can check out.
Can you believe some of these success stories?
I heard that TWO of these guys were even offered fitness modeling contracts after agents saw their photos on the 'net.
Who would you have voted for? ==> See the contestants
Here's hoping you have a successful transformation of your own in 2007,
CB
P.S. We also filmed more exercises for the TT Member's site...
And I finished the January Monthly Workout. Member's will get this BEFORE Christmas...as another gift from me to them...
Look for several new exercises and ab circuits in January's workout...
I would love for you to become a TT Member today...
"Yours is truly the best product and service support on the market today.
Unbelievably excellent!"
Fred Soto, TT Member
"Craig, the TT membership is amazing. I'm still surprised at how quickly I get a response to any question. It's incredible that for one very reasonable price TT members get access to all of your previous workouts and all of your new ones for an entire year. Talk about overdelivering! No wonder all the other fitness gurus give you a hard time about your prices. I've purchased a fair amount of fitness informational products, including some excellent books, DVDs, and eBooks. However, dollar for dollar, none of them came close to delivering the enormous amount of information available with the TT membership. Thanks."
Mickey Glick, TT Member
And there's still time to take advantage of this offer...
a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
If you have not checked out the pics on my record-setting body transformation, go HERE.
We'll soon have the video version up on YouTube.
And while you are counting down the hours till Christmas, here's a real transformation contest that you can check out.
Can you believe some of these success stories?
I heard that TWO of these guys were even offered fitness modeling contracts after agents saw their photos on the 'net.
Who would you have voted for? ==> See the contestants
Here's hoping you have a successful transformation of your own in 2007,
CB
P.S. We also filmed more exercises for the TT Member's site...
And I finished the January Monthly Workout. Member's will get this BEFORE Christmas...as another gift from me to them...
Look for several new exercises and ab circuits in January's workout...
I would love for you to become a TT Member today...
"Yours is truly the best product and service support on the market today.
Unbelievably excellent!"
Fred Soto, TT Member
"Craig, the TT membership is amazing. I'm still surprised at how quickly I get a response to any question. It's incredible that for one very reasonable price TT members get access to all of your previous workouts and all of your new ones for an entire year. Talk about overdelivering! No wonder all the other fitness gurus give you a hard time about your prices. I've purchased a fair amount of fitness informational products, including some excellent books, DVDs, and eBooks. However, dollar for dollar, none of them came close to delivering the enormous amount of information available with the TT membership. Thanks."
Mickey Glick, TT Member
And there's still time to take advantage of this offer...
a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
Thursday Turbulence Training Fat Loss Workout 2007
Finished up Workout B from January's TT for 2007 fat loss workout. It was good. It was tough. It had a new exercise in it...and then I did one of the abdominal circuits that I'm also including in the program. It too had a new exercise in it...thanks to Matt Furey for that one.
This program will do everything a workout could possibly do to get you closer to 6-pack abs...the rest of the deal is up to you and the food you eat.
CB
This program will do everything a workout could possibly do to get you closer to 6-pack abs...the rest of the deal is up to you and the food you eat.
CB
Workout Articles for You to Read
2 good articles from other trainers today...
1) A beautiful Christmas story from Jason Ferruggia that ties in a detailed lesson on how to squat: Pro Advice on How to Squat
and
2) Why Personal Trainers Are Failing Fat Loss Clients by Alwyn Cosgrove
By the way, if anyone sees Jason this holiday season, ask him for the 8 bucks he owes me for that Dave Chappelle movie...
Nothing like a little peer pressure to make a guy pay up,
CB
1) A beautiful Christmas story from Jason Ferruggia that ties in a detailed lesson on how to squat: Pro Advice on How to Squat
and
2) Why Personal Trainers Are Failing Fat Loss Clients by Alwyn Cosgrove
By the way, if anyone sees Jason this holiday season, ask him for the 8 bucks he owes me for that Dave Chappelle movie...
Nothing like a little peer pressure to make a guy pay up,
CB
Positive Fat Loss
When most people think about their fat loss efforts, they tend to focus on the negative. And it's pretty easy to do that.
You know, they worry that they didn't lose more than a pound this week. Or they focus on the meals where they slipped up. Or they stress about the upcoming Christmas dinners that are going to put them off track. All this stress and negative thinking can hurt your fat loss program.
You just can't focus on the negative if you are going to get positive results out of your Turbulence Training lifestyle.
You need to stay focused on doing things right the best that you can...and don't stress about the mistakes that you make.
This is very important over the holidays, where you could easily lose yourself in a downward spiral of negativity and situations that are not conducive to fat loss.
Focus on the meals that you can control, and the workouts that you can make.
Think about the progress you can make over the holidays, not the average holiday fat gain suffered by most people living the Western Lifestyle.
So even if you have 3 bad meals in a week, you still have almost 40 meals that you can control this week. Stick to lean proteins, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, appetite-controlling almonds, health promoting fish oils, and healthy beverages like Green Tea and water.
Now I'd like to say that a TT workout will allow you to eat everything you want but I can't...you have to do your best to avoid junk. And don't feel guilty for tossing junk food - that's better than leaving it lying around and stressing about giving in to it.
If you get some holiday chocolates...eat one, if you want, and then give the rest away or trash them.
Don't turn your body into a trash compactor because of holiday guilt (and if any readers have a better idea with what to do with all of the holiday candy, chocolate, and cookies we tend to receive, let me know).
And remember, short workouts, when done consistently, can still have an amazing muscle-building, fat-loss power.I put together the 4-Week 10-Minute Workout Fat Loss Program for this very reason - so that you don't despair about missed workout time.
And with December half over, and the real busy holiday season about to hit, you need these workout guidelines more than ever.In the 10-Minute Fat Loss workout, I'll show you how to use only a couple of exercises, done at a high-intensity to train your entire upper body. And the short interval workouts and bodyweight circuits will increase your energy, boost metabolism and keep you fit and healthy during this stressful time of year.
So stay positive...and realize that you don't have to start from square 1 on January 1st if you stay consistent throughout December. Stay committed to your long term goals and you'll have your beach body ready earlier this year.
We're going to make it your best year ever in the gym,
CB
PS. Have you picked up your Christmas bonuses from me yet?
If not, get them before Christmas Day.
Click HERE for your presents from CB
PPS. Each month I write a 4-week workout...
And you'll get each monthly workout as part of the TT Membership. Some of the past monthly workouts include...
TT for Muscle
TT for Women
TT for Female Strength
TT Bodyweight
TT for Athletes
and the list goes on. Plus you'll get every monthly workout for the next 12 months as part of your year long membership.
And I hope you'll take advantage of the Pre-Launch offer. Just a reminder, here's the deal...
a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
You know, they worry that they didn't lose more than a pound this week. Or they focus on the meals where they slipped up. Or they stress about the upcoming Christmas dinners that are going to put them off track. All this stress and negative thinking can hurt your fat loss program.
You just can't focus on the negative if you are going to get positive results out of your Turbulence Training lifestyle.
You need to stay focused on doing things right the best that you can...and don't stress about the mistakes that you make.
This is very important over the holidays, where you could easily lose yourself in a downward spiral of negativity and situations that are not conducive to fat loss.
Focus on the meals that you can control, and the workouts that you can make.
Think about the progress you can make over the holidays, not the average holiday fat gain suffered by most people living the Western Lifestyle.
So even if you have 3 bad meals in a week, you still have almost 40 meals that you can control this week. Stick to lean proteins, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, appetite-controlling almonds, health promoting fish oils, and healthy beverages like Green Tea and water.
Now I'd like to say that a TT workout will allow you to eat everything you want but I can't...you have to do your best to avoid junk. And don't feel guilty for tossing junk food - that's better than leaving it lying around and stressing about giving in to it.
If you get some holiday chocolates...eat one, if you want, and then give the rest away or trash them.
Don't turn your body into a trash compactor because of holiday guilt (and if any readers have a better idea with what to do with all of the holiday candy, chocolate, and cookies we tend to receive, let me know).
And remember, short workouts, when done consistently, can still have an amazing muscle-building, fat-loss power.I put together the 4-Week 10-Minute Workout Fat Loss Program for this very reason - so that you don't despair about missed workout time.
And with December half over, and the real busy holiday season about to hit, you need these workout guidelines more than ever.In the 10-Minute Fat Loss workout, I'll show you how to use only a couple of exercises, done at a high-intensity to train your entire upper body. And the short interval workouts and bodyweight circuits will increase your energy, boost metabolism and keep you fit and healthy during this stressful time of year.
So stay positive...and realize that you don't have to start from square 1 on January 1st if you stay consistent throughout December. Stay committed to your long term goals and you'll have your beach body ready earlier this year.
We're going to make it your best year ever in the gym,
CB
PS. Have you picked up your Christmas bonuses from me yet?
If not, get them before Christmas Day.
Click HERE for your presents from CB
PPS. Each month I write a 4-week workout...
And you'll get each monthly workout as part of the TT Membership. Some of the past monthly workouts include...
TT for Muscle
TT for Women
TT for Female Strength
TT Bodyweight
TT for Athletes
and the list goes on. Plus you'll get every monthly workout for the next 12 months as part of your year long membership.
And I hope you'll take advantage of the Pre-Launch offer. Just a reminder, here's the deal...
a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Big Announcement on Another Project
I sometimes think I'm working on some big projects, but this, THIS is big.
Click HERE To Check It Out
It's the future of fitness, and he's the only man that can bring it to ya,
CB
Click HERE To Check It Out
It's the future of fitness, and he's the only man that can bring it to ya,
CB
Top Secret Fat Loss Workout
Today I did Workout A of the upcoming January Monthly fat loss Workout. It will be a straightforward workout, and I'll call it something like, "TT for Fat Loss at Home in 07".
A mouthful, I know, but that doesn't matter. its all about the workouts, or more specifically, your results from the workouts.
I hope to have this thing done BEFORE Christmas for TT Members, and then it will of course be available for non-members on Dec. 31.
We've got some new exercises for the workout, and I'll be shooting some of those today as well as some "video intros" for my site.
I don't really like the photo that is currently up on www.turbulencetraining.com or www.workoutmanuals.com
I dont really look like that...and that is what people say when they meet me for the first time after having only visually known me through that photo.
Regardless...
I also want to mention I did some major work on www.TTMembers.com this week...and we are getting closer and closer to letting current members in...but we probably won't officially launch until February 1, 2007.
You can still become a full member at a discount price until I cut that offer off...sometime before the official launch.
And seriously, if you like the TT workouts, you'd be silly not to get the Discount membership...after all, each monthly workout goes for at least $10...that's $120 over the course of the year...but you can become a member now for only $97, and you get access to everything!
And to finish, I want to share these emails I received earlier today...it defines what my work and TT is all about...
"Yours is truly the best product and service support on the market today.
Unbelievably excellent!"
Fred Soto
"First off, I have to let you know that I love your programming! As you can see from my signature, I own and operate my own fitness business. I spend such a large amount of my time developing programs and coaching others that I end up being burnt out on my program and it is an undesirable effort to build and maintain my own programs!
I joined your TT membership group a couple months ago after having the chance to look into your TT Bonus package. And WOW! I am loving your programs! Very close to my own beliefs and programming style, and so much more! I am experiencing so much fun doing your programs and there are so many options and twists from the many and various programs that I feel I will never run out of choices. I am excited to find out what I do the next cycle these days… and I am getting the results I expect and want at the same time!
You have also influenced my programming in our Boot Camp Classes and our clients always remark how phenomenal the program is. Thank you."
Rob Yontz cAPT, cFN
Web: www.truenorthfitness.net
Web: www.VenturaCountyBootCamp.com
Train hard, train safe,
CB
PS - Go to this page for your TT Discount and possible free treats if you are new!!!
Go here ==> Treats & Discounts for You
A mouthful, I know, but that doesn't matter. its all about the workouts, or more specifically, your results from the workouts.
I hope to have this thing done BEFORE Christmas for TT Members, and then it will of course be available for non-members on Dec. 31.
We've got some new exercises for the workout, and I'll be shooting some of those today as well as some "video intros" for my site.
I don't really like the photo that is currently up on www.turbulencetraining.com or www.workoutmanuals.com
I dont really look like that...and that is what people say when they meet me for the first time after having only visually known me through that photo.
Regardless...
I also want to mention I did some major work on www.TTMembers.com this week...and we are getting closer and closer to letting current members in...but we probably won't officially launch until February 1, 2007.
You can still become a full member at a discount price until I cut that offer off...sometime before the official launch.
And seriously, if you like the TT workouts, you'd be silly not to get the Discount membership...after all, each monthly workout goes for at least $10...that's $120 over the course of the year...but you can become a member now for only $97, and you get access to everything!
And to finish, I want to share these emails I received earlier today...it defines what my work and TT is all about...
"Yours is truly the best product and service support on the market today.
Unbelievably excellent!"
Fred Soto
"First off, I have to let you know that I love your programming! As you can see from my signature, I own and operate my own fitness business. I spend such a large amount of my time developing programs and coaching others that I end up being burnt out on my program and it is an undesirable effort to build and maintain my own programs!
I joined your TT membership group a couple months ago after having the chance to look into your TT Bonus package. And WOW! I am loving your programs! Very close to my own beliefs and programming style, and so much more! I am experiencing so much fun doing your programs and there are so many options and twists from the many and various programs that I feel I will never run out of choices. I am excited to find out what I do the next cycle these days… and I am getting the results I expect and want at the same time!
You have also influenced my programming in our Boot Camp Classes and our clients always remark how phenomenal the program is. Thank you."
Rob Yontz cAPT, cFN
Web: www.truenorthfitness.net
Web: www.VenturaCountyBootCamp.com
Train hard, train safe,
CB
PS - Go to this page for your TT Discount and possible free treats if you are new!!!
Go here ==> Treats & Discounts for You
No Abs? Bad Back? Here's why...
Do you have the abs you want?
Or do you have back pain from a bad ab training program?.
Don't be surprised if you do...I recently read in Maximum Fitness magazine, that the #1 exercise that causes injury in US Army recruits is the sit-up...and yet what does everyone do for their abs? Sit-ups.
If its bad for a fit young person's back, imagine how bad it can be for yours.
I followed up with David Grisaffi, ab training expert, and author of "Flatten Your Abs" and asked him about better ab training.
CB: David, how do you convince clients to train "like athletes" to get cover model abs? Aren't most people hung up on doing endless repetitions of crunches?
DG:
Yes they are, as that is the learned response from years of school tests.
Heck, our High School Football team still tests for sit -ups after I have informed them it does no good. That is how strong the belief is in this attitude toward one way only.
But I get the athletes and my clients to do some athletic ab moves from my program because life is athletic.
I feel that people should treat everyday life like a sport. Have fun with it and be prepared. No matter who you are or what you do.
Think about this: Imagine chasing your kids down the street while a car is approaching. I do not know about you but that takes a little athleticism - and your abs better be ready for it.
CB: Can people actually hurt themselves with some of those infomercial ab gizmos and certain ab exercises? What types of injuries have you seen and how can people build 6-pack abs and avoid hurting themselves?
DG:
Yes and no.
I think most of these gizmos can work for a while. Then where do they end up....under the bed, in the back of the garage.
They are good for the people who sell them. Remember repetitive motions in the same plane can lead to muscle imbalances.
Simple as that. What does the ab lounge do for your back? NOTHING! I have seen mostly back problems from bad ab training. From simple "over use" to serious, "hey I can not stand up" cases. Most of the time it subsides in a few days. But the damage is there. Your body remembers it. Train properly and avoid this damage in the first place.
CB: Excellent, thanks David.
Listen, ab training is a big paradox.
On one hand, you have to train them hard to be able to see them.
But on the other hand, training your abs too aggressively can lead to back pain.
So...what are you to do?
When in doubt, turn to the expert's expert.
Take a step towards a flat stomach, better abs, AND a safe back by picking up David's abdominal program today. But hurry...after midnight tonight, you won't
get his 6-week Ab circuit training bonus as part of his comprehensive program.
Ab training and fat loss info ==> Read David's report
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
P.S. David has a special, limited-time offer for you...
In addition to David's regular report, he's now offering a new
6 week advanced abdominal circuit course as a bonus.
The compound exercises in the ab circuit crank up your calorie burning metabolic furnace, so for once, someone finally created an ab routine that really does burn fat!
6 Weeks to 6-Pack Abs ==> Get David's Circuit Workout Today
PPS. This offer is almost off the table...
It's only available for the next 24 hours. At midnight tonight,
the bonus is gone. So you have to act now.
Build a 6-pack, safely, in 2007 ==> Get Flatter Abs Today
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Tuesday workout
Last workout of this phase...and I wanted to really see where the bench is at....
1a) Snatch technique (3x3)
1b) Bench - worked up to...300
Then 3 more reps at 275
- aiming for 5 reps over 90 percent 1RM
2a) floor press (3x5)
2b) bb row (3x10)
3a) plank on ball (1 set)
3b) sled (2 trips backward)
Then I even pulled some sled...I will be getting back into this hard in the new year
Men's Health Weight Loss News...
Lose weight & transform your life
MensHealth.com is going to transform you in 2007!
Five lucky guys have been selected from the Men's Health wide-ranging audience to get a personalized fitness and nutrition plan from Men's Health trainer Craig Ballantyne.
The soon-to-be "Fit 5" will take us along on their struggle through their blogs, video diaries, and weekly question and answer sessions with the trainer.For the first 5 weeks of the plan, our millions of online users will not only follow their progress, but they'll be able to join them.
You will be encouraged to select a guy most like you—whether you need to lose a lot of weight, want to go from scrawny to brawny, have no time to work out, or need to banish the belly fat you're just noticing—and try the plan.
Starting January 8th, Transform Yourself 2007 will be featured every day on the home page of MensHealth.com. Monday through Friday for 5 weeks, one of the Fit 5's ongoing stories will be highlighted, including his "homework" assignment for the upcoming week. This program will be featured in our Men's Health newsletters at least twice a week.
Rob Gerth
Online Editor
Men's Health
**************
That's right, I've added another project to my list for January...that makes about 6 major projects I have on the go for the start of 07. I plan on helping a lot of people achieve their fitness goals, and I hope you are one of them.
I think you will all enjoy this transformation series running over at MH. See you there in January.
CB
MensHealth.com is going to transform you in 2007!
Five lucky guys have been selected from the Men's Health wide-ranging audience to get a personalized fitness and nutrition plan from Men's Health trainer Craig Ballantyne.
The soon-to-be "Fit 5" will take us along on their struggle through their blogs, video diaries, and weekly question and answer sessions with the trainer.For the first 5 weeks of the plan, our millions of online users will not only follow their progress, but they'll be able to join them.
You will be encouraged to select a guy most like you—whether you need to lose a lot of weight, want to go from scrawny to brawny, have no time to work out, or need to banish the belly fat you're just noticing—and try the plan.
Starting January 8th, Transform Yourself 2007 will be featured every day on the home page of MensHealth.com. Monday through Friday for 5 weeks, one of the Fit 5's ongoing stories will be highlighted, including his "homework" assignment for the upcoming week. This program will be featured in our Men's Health newsletters at least twice a week.
Rob Gerth
Online Editor
Men's Health
**************
That's right, I've added another project to my list for January...that makes about 6 major projects I have on the go for the start of 07. I plan on helping a lot of people achieve their fitness goals, and I hope you are one of them.
I think you will all enjoy this transformation series running over at MH. See you there in January.
CB
Start Weight Loss Programs Now!
A great weight loss motivation post from Jon Herring over at www.earlytorise.com
The Brand-New You Starts TODAY!
By Jon Herring
If you are not already eating healthfully and exercising regularly, you might be saying to yourself, “Come January, I’m gonna ...”
Well enough of the “I’m gonnas.” Why not start today?
Instead of rolling (literally!) into January overweight and depressed about your appearance, why not give yourself the gift of a fit, trim body? If you even suspect that you will resolve to “lose weight” or “get in shape” in 2007, don’t wait.
When I made my own health transformation, I started about this time of year. I knew there would be distractions and temptations and times when I would go overboard. And I realized that a few overindulgences here and there were not going to make or break my efforts. But I did my best to avoid the “all-or-nothing” trap.
During the holiday season, too many people think, “Well, I already blew it... I’ll just binge my way through the rest of the year and get serious on January first.” But all that will do is ensure that you will have a tougher time come January.
You have to begin making small changes and developing the habits you know are necessary to achieve your health goals. What’s the most important habit you can develop? I believe it is to exercise consistently. If you intend to “start” exercising in January, you will be far more likely to continue if you start today.
[Note: Need a little help keeping your fitness goals in check - and meeting all your other goals for next year? ETR's 2007 Total Success Achievement Program could be just what you’re looking for.]
CB
The Brand-New You Starts TODAY!
By Jon Herring
If you are not already eating healthfully and exercising regularly, you might be saying to yourself, “Come January, I’m gonna ...”
Well enough of the “I’m gonnas.” Why not start today?
Instead of rolling (literally!) into January overweight and depressed about your appearance, why not give yourself the gift of a fit, trim body? If you even suspect that you will resolve to “lose weight” or “get in shape” in 2007, don’t wait.
When I made my own health transformation, I started about this time of year. I knew there would be distractions and temptations and times when I would go overboard. And I realized that a few overindulgences here and there were not going to make or break my efforts. But I did my best to avoid the “all-or-nothing” trap.
During the holiday season, too many people think, “Well, I already blew it... I’ll just binge my way through the rest of the year and get serious on January first.” But all that will do is ensure that you will have a tougher time come January.
You have to begin making small changes and developing the habits you know are necessary to achieve your health goals. What’s the most important habit you can develop? I believe it is to exercise consistently. If you intend to “start” exercising in January, you will be far more likely to continue if you start today.
[Note: Need a little help keeping your fitness goals in check - and meeting all your other goals for next year? ETR's 2007 Total Success Achievement Program could be just what you’re looking for.]
CB
Abs, Nutrition, Fat Loss, & Weight Loss QnA
Thanks for your emails this week...here are some of your most pressing fat loss, nutrition, abs, and weight loss questions...
Q: For an 8-week intensive fat loss plan, with no time restrictions, would a 3x week full body routine w/3 days of intervals on off days be optimal rather than a 4 day upper-lower split?
Answer:
Yes, I think the 3+3 schedule would be best. Alwyn Cosgrove has hypothesized this might be more effective than doing weights and intervals on the same day.
Q: On the 3x a week strength days, would using bb/db complexes or bw circuits at the end of the workout be too much (coupled w/intervals on the non-strength days)...over training?
Answer:
It could be...depending on past level of fitness and intensity of the complexes. If you use a very light load, you'll prevent muscle soreness.Design the complexes with that in mind and you should get the positives without the negatives. That is a good program - 3 weights plus complexes and 3 intervals.
Q: I'm a 35 year old woman with a bit of a belly pooch left behind after having kids. I've tried some light machine circuits and I do some walking for cardio, but nothing is changing. Do you have any suggestions?
Answer:
If you really want abs, or to get down to under 20% bodyfat, you need a real workout. You need to step outside of your comfort zone with your workouts, and say goodbye to long, slow cardio and light and easy strength training.
Doing one set of pushups is better than doing one set of every triceps kickback exercise and pecdec machine you can find.
Why? Because it trains your entire body. Have you ever seen a woman with flabby arms that can do 15 pushups? I tell ya, they are rare. What about a woman that can do a real chinup?
Aren't those the girls with killer arms and visible abs?
You bet.
So stick with a program of basic total-body strength exercises done in a total body workout 3 times per week. And step up your cardio to include interval training. The change in your program will cause your body to burn a lot more calories after the workout, and that's when you'll start to melt fat and sculpt your body.
Q: What are your maximum duration recommendations for holding planks -- side and reguar both for beginners and then for elite athletes or advanced exercisers
It seems to me that the next step would be a more difficult progression such as loading, or a more difficult exercise altoetgher, like the arms out in front of you "plank" (rather than elbows bent), or something along those lines, rather than continuing to hold for more time.
Some of the authorities like stuart mcgill like the planks as a low back stabilization tool, and Im curious if he or others have done any research on optimal durations for holding these isometric core/stabilization type exercises and if so, is that where you developed your own recommendations?
Answer:
According to McGill, a good plank duration is about 2 minutes. That duration seems to be related to fewer back problems.
For most beginners, 15 seconds is tough (overweight, sedentary individuals), but they will progress quickly. Keep working on this and the side plank exercise. Losing weight will also make this easier.
There's also set times for side planks (90 seconds) and a back extension hold. McGill also ratios between these exercises as guidelines for back health.
But I don't know how much extra protection is offered by the ability to do a plank for more than 3 minutes. I'm not sure if there would be any benefit to the "6-pack" development either.
I haven't trained too many people with an interest in doing a plank for longer than 2 minutes, so I agree with you, that there are other safe, yet more 'interesting' ab exercises to move onto.
In fact, most people would likely benefit from other exercises that force them to maintain spinal stability while incorporating motion at the hip or thoracic spine.
For example: starting in a side plank, slowly rotating to the plank position (without movement in the lumbar spine region), then moving into a side plank on the other side. All while keeping spinal stability.
You can do "fun" exercises for that goal, such as spiderman pushups.
Q: I still need more nutrition help. I'm not sure what to eat for breakfast for fiber (I have the protein part no problem) and I'm doing 2100 calories per day (male, 5'8, 195, high body fat percentage).
Answer:
For breakfast, other good fiber sources are: Grapefruit, an apple, almonds, alternative whole-grains, or an actual fiber supplement
Your calorie intake at 2100 looks pretty good. I would hold that steady for now and improve the quality of your calories. You need to do the old Sunday preparation: purchase, prepare, and pack the vegetables for the rest of the week.
If you truly want to succeed, it will simply take consistent small steps such as cutting up broccoli florets for lunch, preparing spinach salads and chicken breasts to take to work in tupperware, and preparing vegetable-filled omelets in the AM.
I have always recommended, and continue to recommend John Berardi's nutrition information packages...sometimes I find that in this case, me giving nutrition info is like you speaking to your teenage child. In one, out the other. People do what I say in their workouts, and succeed with that, but don't take nutrition seriously until they hear it from John.
It's no matter to me where you take your advice (whether its Dr. B or me), I just want you to follow good advice because it is so important for your success.
Get Precision Nutrition HERE to help you eat better in 2007
Keep up the great work everyone, you are changing your lives for the better,
CB
P.S. New bodyweight program on the way...
It might take another 8 weeks or so, but I plan on putting together another bodyweight program of at least 3 months. hopefully more. Stay tuned. Just another reason to get the TT Membership...
If you haven't already tried it, give the TT Bodyweight Athlete program a go.
Great program ==> 8-week Bodyweight Athlete Program
Q: For an 8-week intensive fat loss plan, with no time restrictions, would a 3x week full body routine w/3 days of intervals on off days be optimal rather than a 4 day upper-lower split?
Answer:
Yes, I think the 3+3 schedule would be best. Alwyn Cosgrove has hypothesized this might be more effective than doing weights and intervals on the same day.
Q: On the 3x a week strength days, would using bb/db complexes or bw circuits at the end of the workout be too much (coupled w/intervals on the non-strength days)...over training?
Answer:
It could be...depending on past level of fitness and intensity of the complexes. If you use a very light load, you'll prevent muscle soreness.Design the complexes with that in mind and you should get the positives without the negatives. That is a good program - 3 weights plus complexes and 3 intervals.
Q: I'm a 35 year old woman with a bit of a belly pooch left behind after having kids. I've tried some light machine circuits and I do some walking for cardio, but nothing is changing. Do you have any suggestions?
Answer:
If you really want abs, or to get down to under 20% bodyfat, you need a real workout. You need to step outside of your comfort zone with your workouts, and say goodbye to long, slow cardio and light and easy strength training.
Doing one set of pushups is better than doing one set of every triceps kickback exercise and pecdec machine you can find.
Why? Because it trains your entire body. Have you ever seen a woman with flabby arms that can do 15 pushups? I tell ya, they are rare. What about a woman that can do a real chinup?
Aren't those the girls with killer arms and visible abs?
You bet.
So stick with a program of basic total-body strength exercises done in a total body workout 3 times per week. And step up your cardio to include interval training. The change in your program will cause your body to burn a lot more calories after the workout, and that's when you'll start to melt fat and sculpt your body.
Q: What are your maximum duration recommendations for holding planks -- side and reguar both for beginners and then for elite athletes or advanced exercisers
It seems to me that the next step would be a more difficult progression such as loading, or a more difficult exercise altoetgher, like the arms out in front of you "plank" (rather than elbows bent), or something along those lines, rather than continuing to hold for more time.
Some of the authorities like stuart mcgill like the planks as a low back stabilization tool, and Im curious if he or others have done any research on optimal durations for holding these isometric core/stabilization type exercises and if so, is that where you developed your own recommendations?
Answer:
According to McGill, a good plank duration is about 2 minutes. That duration seems to be related to fewer back problems.
For most beginners, 15 seconds is tough (overweight, sedentary individuals), but they will progress quickly. Keep working on this and the side plank exercise. Losing weight will also make this easier.
There's also set times for side planks (90 seconds) and a back extension hold. McGill also ratios between these exercises as guidelines for back health.
But I don't know how much extra protection is offered by the ability to do a plank for more than 3 minutes. I'm not sure if there would be any benefit to the "6-pack" development either.
I haven't trained too many people with an interest in doing a plank for longer than 2 minutes, so I agree with you, that there are other safe, yet more 'interesting' ab exercises to move onto.
In fact, most people would likely benefit from other exercises that force them to maintain spinal stability while incorporating motion at the hip or thoracic spine.
For example: starting in a side plank, slowly rotating to the plank position (without movement in the lumbar spine region), then moving into a side plank on the other side. All while keeping spinal stability.
You can do "fun" exercises for that goal, such as spiderman pushups.
Q: I still need more nutrition help. I'm not sure what to eat for breakfast for fiber (I have the protein part no problem) and I'm doing 2100 calories per day (male, 5'8, 195, high body fat percentage).
Answer:
For breakfast, other good fiber sources are: Grapefruit, an apple, almonds, alternative whole-grains, or an actual fiber supplement
Your calorie intake at 2100 looks pretty good. I would hold that steady for now and improve the quality of your calories. You need to do the old Sunday preparation: purchase, prepare, and pack the vegetables for the rest of the week.
If you truly want to succeed, it will simply take consistent small steps such as cutting up broccoli florets for lunch, preparing spinach salads and chicken breasts to take to work in tupperware, and preparing vegetable-filled omelets in the AM.
I have always recommended, and continue to recommend John Berardi's nutrition information packages...sometimes I find that in this case, me giving nutrition info is like you speaking to your teenage child. In one, out the other. People do what I say in their workouts, and succeed with that, but don't take nutrition seriously until they hear it from John.
It's no matter to me where you take your advice (whether its Dr. B or me), I just want you to follow good advice because it is so important for your success.
Get Precision Nutrition HERE to help you eat better in 2007
Keep up the great work everyone, you are changing your lives for the better,
CB
P.S. New bodyweight program on the way...
It might take another 8 weeks or so, but I plan on putting together another bodyweight program of at least 3 months. hopefully more. Stay tuned. Just another reason to get the TT Membership...
If you haven't already tried it, give the TT Bodyweight Athlete program a go.
Great program ==> 8-week Bodyweight Athlete Program
Monday, December 18, 2006
6 Weeks to 6 Pack Abs
Everyone wants to see their abs. If you are training, no doubt you are exercising with a flatter stomach in mind. You want to get rid of those love handles and finally be able to take off your shirt at the beach and see those sexy lines on your mid-section.
I recently cornered David Grisaffi, ab training expert, and author of "Flatten Your Abs" and grilled him on ab workouts that can be done at home. His book features over 40 gut-busting ab exercises and programs that show you how to train for your 6-pack.
Here are some of the secrets I was able to pull from David to
help you develop a stunning set of abs.
CB: David, you bust 14 myths in this book. Can you let us in on
one of your favorite myths and then suggest a better way to train?
DG:
I really like the first myth, "If you train abs everyday, you're guaranteed a six pack" Nothing could be farther from the truth. This misconception came via bodybuilding world and it has no place in the modern functional training world. Doing 200 roman chair sit-ups is a sure way to mess up your lower back.
Muscle is muscle and needs rest time. The last thing we need is a worn out core region when we slap a few hundred pounds on our back during squat day.
You train better by breaking up your training session. If you want to break it up there are a few ways to do it you can train...
Day 1: Lower abs Day 2: Side/rotational abs Day 3: Upper abs/back You can also put them all in one session. But always start with lower abdominal work.
CB: Can people do a good ab session in their own home gym?
DG:
Sure can. Get a swiss ball and you can do so many core exercises. It is the best investment you can make.
As a simple routine you could do:
Prone Ball Roll Lateral Ball Roll Prone Jackknife Side Flexion on Ball
Do in circuit fashion with 6-8 reps of each.
CB: What is the number one ab exercise that is over used?
DG:
The floor sit-up, of course. This leads to an over active hip flexor that according to leading studies is the primary cause of low back pain. When the area has too much tension all the time it pulls on the low back causing discomfort.
CB: How have exercises changed for the abs and why?
DG:
Some people actually studied the core and re-thought out the
"canned" way of doing it.
I have learned so much since I started in this business it would blow your mind. We have moved from the bodybuilding model to the functional / athletic model.
Hey when I pick up my suitcase....and it weighs 60 pounds my back does not care if I have ripped abs. My back cares if my abs can stabilize the load.
CB: I must say, I'm a huge fan of the under-rated "Straight Arm Pulldown" that you feature on page 83. If you could pick 2 exercises for an intermediate fitness enthusiast's abs, what would they be?
DG:
a) Woodchoppers with medicine balls, dumbbells, cables, bands.....what ever you can get a hold of b) Hanging leg raise and all of its variations
CB: When should people do abs? At the start of the workout, or the end? Or on other training days?
DG:
Whenever they want to, there is nothing set in stone.
I prefer to do it at the beginning on some days and at the end on other. It really depends on the other work I have and how much time I have.
CB: David, this one has been bugging me forever. I'm 5feet, 8.5 inches. I'm right at the cut-off for a specific height of Stability Ball. What size should I get?
DG:
I would suggest a 65 cm ball blown up. When you sit on the ball you thighs should be parallel to the floor. If you have low back pain I would inflate it a little extra so you thighs are a little higher then parallel to the floor.
CB: So David, just to finish up, what's the first step towards a 6-pack that most people need to make?
DG:
Gain control over your eating habits as bodyfat can and does cover up a great set of abs. Use a properly designed exercise program with variables in all areas. Drink plenty of water and get good night sleeps. Stay away from junk food and energy drinks.
CB: Excellent, thanks David. You are right about those energy drinks. They can stop your fat loss in its track, and can even be dangerous.
If you're unsatisfied with your waistline and you want a flat stomach, David is offering you the complete solution from his website: Flatten Your Abs
Take a step towards a flat stomach and better health and read David's free report today.
Ab training and fat loss info ==> Read David's report
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
P.S. David has a special, limited-time offer for you...
In addition to David's regular report, he's now offering a new
6 week advanced abdominal circuit course as a bonus.
The compound exercises in the ab circuit crank up your calorie burning metabolic furnace, so for once, someone finally created an ab routine that really does burn fat!
But it's only available for the next 3 days. Come Dec. 21st,
the bonus is gone. So you have to act now.
6 Weeks to 6-Pack Abs ==> Get Flatter Abs Today
P.P.S. The offer ends Wednesday December 20th at midnight, PST so you need to act quickly on this one. The 6 week course is going to sell separately after this special offer is over...only the doers and the early birds get it as a bonus
Another fitness photoshoot
Working with my favorite photographer, Cathy Chatterdon, out at MaxFit magazine - already working on an issue for summer 07
This workout I designed as a 3iday per week program - max results in minimum time.
Also, I was flipping through the first issue for 07 - I designed a fat loss workout for that issue.
Its got some great stuff in it, but man am I blown away by these supplement ads - and even moreso when I found out the actual ingredients - oh man.
The issue features a triceps routine from my colleague Brad Pilon - www.nutritionhelp.blogspot.com
And an ab workout from young Nate Green, www.thenategreenexperience.com
And a great workout from me as well.
CB
Those Magazine Fat Loss Success Stories
Why is that every issue of a magazine is full of success stories? You know, Bob from Houston, Texas that lost 150 pounds in 8 months...or Sylvia from Chattanooga that lost 21 pounds and 3 dress sizes in 8 weeks...
What is so special about these people? What do they have that you don't?
The answer of course, is practically nothing.
We can all change our bodies as dramatically as these success stories if we put our minds to it.
That's all they did. They got serious. They got a plan.
They had unwavering commitment to their final goal.
That's it. That's all they had that you and I might not have at this moment. So let's join them and become even more commited than ever before.
I wrote about commitment last week as well, and here's a great story from one of the TT readers...
"This one is just what I needed. I broke the 5th metarsal in my foot, while doing HIIT, on Nov 7. The thing is, I didnt do anything stupid, but I got a new pair of shoes a few weeks earlier and my outside left foot, was "bothering" some, when I ran, but not enough to cause any real problem. Well the doc told me, that that was probably the start of the fracture.. Anyway, wearing this big ol boot till Dec 19, isnt fun, but I learned to do HIIT on the recumbent bike. So, I dig out an old workout, ( that has a little less leg work), brush of the injury as much as possible and stay committed. Thanks for the newsletter."
How's that for commitment?
I love to share TT success stories because almost everyone faces the same obstacles to success (lack of time, lack of workout direction, and lack of motivation). So when someone succeeds with Turbulence Training as their fat loss program - and saves time while losing fat - it's really important to share their stories.
Here are the links to 2 TT success stories...
1) How a Football Lineman Regained His Athletic Physique
2) How a Cardio Fanatic Got Her Abs
Be a success story in 2007,
CB
P.S. Too busy to workout?
Get the monthly TT workout - the 10-Minute Fat Loss plans...to tide you through the rest of the holidays and into the New Year.
"I love this new 10 minute workout. It makes it so easy for me when I am too tight for time. Also the layout of the exercises plus pics together are great. It is so easy to follow now. So for no exercises can keep me following so faithfully. The combination of execises are really great and I am getting results all the time. The incredible part is my tummy is getting smaller without having to do all those crunches and situps. TT exercises are great."
Shelly
Click HERE to get the 10-Minute Fat Loss TT Workouts
What is so special about these people? What do they have that you don't?
The answer of course, is practically nothing.
We can all change our bodies as dramatically as these success stories if we put our minds to it.
That's all they did. They got serious. They got a plan.
They had unwavering commitment to their final goal.
That's it. That's all they had that you and I might not have at this moment. So let's join them and become even more commited than ever before.
I wrote about commitment last week as well, and here's a great story from one of the TT readers...
"This one is just what I needed. I broke the 5th metarsal in my foot, while doing HIIT, on Nov 7. The thing is, I didnt do anything stupid, but I got a new pair of shoes a few weeks earlier and my outside left foot, was "bothering" some, when I ran, but not enough to cause any real problem. Well the doc told me, that that was probably the start of the fracture.. Anyway, wearing this big ol boot till Dec 19, isnt fun, but I learned to do HIIT on the recumbent bike. So, I dig out an old workout, ( that has a little less leg work), brush of the injury as much as possible and stay committed. Thanks for the newsletter."
How's that for commitment?
I love to share TT success stories because almost everyone faces the same obstacles to success (lack of time, lack of workout direction, and lack of motivation). So when someone succeeds with Turbulence Training as their fat loss program - and saves time while losing fat - it's really important to share their stories.
Here are the links to 2 TT success stories...
1) How a Football Lineman Regained His Athletic Physique
2) How a Cardio Fanatic Got Her Abs
Be a success story in 2007,
CB
P.S. Too busy to workout?
Get the monthly TT workout - the 10-Minute Fat Loss plans...to tide you through the rest of the holidays and into the New Year.
"I love this new 10 minute workout. It makes it so easy for me when I am too tight for time. Also the layout of the exercises plus pics together are great. It is so easy to follow now. So for no exercises can keep me following so faithfully. The combination of execises are really great and I am getting results all the time. The incredible part is my tummy is getting smaller without having to do all those crunches and situps. TT exercises are great."
Shelly
Click HERE to get the 10-Minute Fat Loss TT Workouts
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Sunday Squat Session
Have to head out to another photoshoot at Maximum Fitness magazine...so to keep on track before the christmas break I slipped ointo the gym today....
1) wide squat (3x3) - 355
Back recovered rom last week and I was more careful. Still held back a bit
2a) db squat (3x12)
2b) oh squat (3x5)
3a) plank (3xMax)
3b) db curls (3x8)
1) wide squat (3x3) - 355
Back recovered rom last week and I was more careful. Still held back a bit
2a) db squat (3x12)
2b) oh squat (3x5)
3a) plank (3xMax)
3b) db curls (3x8)
7-Day Guide for Fat Loss Busy People
This is going to be a crazy busy week for me, and I'll have to use the Turbulence Training principles (supersets, efficient exercises, and intervals) to get the most results in the least amount of time.
Check out my workouts on my blog: www.turbulencetraining.blogspot.com
I suggest you use Turbulence Training do the same!
Here's your 7-day guide to success...
Monday
TT workout. Switch it up a bit by using unilateral exercises (i.e. exercises that train the limbs independent from one another) in place of bilateral exercises. So for example, replace squat with stepups, and bench presses with dumbbell presses, and seated rows with 1-arm DB rows, etc.
Tuesday
30 minutes of activity. Looking for fitness Christmas presents? Here are 3 that I recommend:
Fit Over 40
Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle
Flatten Your Abs
Wednesday
TT workout. Get back to basics. If you have strayed from the plan and are starting to use more machines or isolation exercises, re-start your TT program and use only multi-muscle exercises that get you more bang-for-your-buck.
Pressed for time? Find out how to do multi-muscle workouts in only 10 minutes HERE
Thursday
30 minutes of activity followed by a review of your sleep schedule. Make sure that you are not sacrificing sleep for the pursuit of frivolous activities (such as watching TV or playing video games).
One of my guilty pleasures is CSI. I should know better than to turn on the TV and flip over to Spike TVs' nightly CSI marathon, but I do once every 2 weeks. And then I'm hooked for at least the rest of the episode...
And keep a good sleep pattern over the weekend. Don't ruin next week with bad sleep on the weekend.
Friday
TT workout. Let's take a lesson from Nick Nilsson and use a rotational ab exercise, such as the Cable Chop to finish the workout. See it here.
Saturday
30 minutes of activity, check in with your social support group, and then treat yourself to a massage or other similar treatment. You deserve it.
Sunday
Plan, shop, and prepare.
Look for alternative sources of lean protein, so that you are not eating chicken breasts everyday. In the past couple of months, I've eaten wild boar, emu, elk, and bison.
All organic meats, so you don't have to have any guilt about "factory farming". All purchased from the Healthy Butcher on Queen Street in Toronto. Another great source for organic meat in Toronto is Beretta Farms.
My friend Matt Nichol, strength coach of the Maple Leafs even had the Leafs and Marlies train "strongman" events out at the Berretta Farm this spring.
Hey Ladies, check out the Maple Leaf beef in some of the photos here: http://www.berettaorganics.com/events/?link=157
Enjoy the sunshine safely,
CB
P.S. This week we are editing video...
I have my right hand man Dan Brown editing over 100 (closer to 200) exercise videos for the Member's site...this stuff looks pro!
And I hope you'll take advantage of the Pre-Launch offer. Just a reminder, here's the deal...a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
Check out my workouts on my blog: www.turbulencetraining.blogspot.com
I suggest you use Turbulence Training do the same!
Here's your 7-day guide to success...
Monday
TT workout. Switch it up a bit by using unilateral exercises (i.e. exercises that train the limbs independent from one another) in place of bilateral exercises. So for example, replace squat with stepups, and bench presses with dumbbell presses, and seated rows with 1-arm DB rows, etc.
Tuesday
30 minutes of activity. Looking for fitness Christmas presents? Here are 3 that I recommend:
Fit Over 40
Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle
Flatten Your Abs
Wednesday
TT workout. Get back to basics. If you have strayed from the plan and are starting to use more machines or isolation exercises, re-start your TT program and use only multi-muscle exercises that get you more bang-for-your-buck.
Pressed for time? Find out how to do multi-muscle workouts in only 10 minutes HERE
Thursday
30 minutes of activity followed by a review of your sleep schedule. Make sure that you are not sacrificing sleep for the pursuit of frivolous activities (such as watching TV or playing video games).
One of my guilty pleasures is CSI. I should know better than to turn on the TV and flip over to Spike TVs' nightly CSI marathon, but I do once every 2 weeks. And then I'm hooked for at least the rest of the episode...
And keep a good sleep pattern over the weekend. Don't ruin next week with bad sleep on the weekend.
Friday
TT workout. Let's take a lesson from Nick Nilsson and use a rotational ab exercise, such as the Cable Chop to finish the workout. See it here.
Saturday
30 minutes of activity, check in with your social support group, and then treat yourself to a massage or other similar treatment. You deserve it.
Sunday
Plan, shop, and prepare.
Look for alternative sources of lean protein, so that you are not eating chicken breasts everyday. In the past couple of months, I've eaten wild boar, emu, elk, and bison.
All organic meats, so you don't have to have any guilt about "factory farming". All purchased from the Healthy Butcher on Queen Street in Toronto. Another great source for organic meat in Toronto is Beretta Farms.
My friend Matt Nichol, strength coach of the Maple Leafs even had the Leafs and Marlies train "strongman" events out at the Berretta Farm this spring.
Hey Ladies, check out the Maple Leaf beef in some of the photos here: http://www.berettaorganics.com/events/?link=157
Enjoy the sunshine safely,
CB
P.S. This week we are editing video...
I have my right hand man Dan Brown editing over 100 (closer to 200) exercise videos for the Member's site...this stuff looks pro!
And I hope you'll take advantage of the Pre-Launch offer. Just a reminder, here's the deal...a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
Saturday, December 16, 2006
New Bodyweight Training Info
On the advice of a colleague, I just ordered some new bodyweight DVD's and a bodyweight exercise book for women...you always have to keep on learning!
I ordered from Eddie Baran.
Check out his site HERE
I highly recommend signing up for his newsletter and checking out his blog. More daily motivation to stay fit and lose fat without the need for fancy gym equipment.
CB
Saturday Workout
On non-weight training days I've been doing a lot of basic ab stuff - planks, side planks, etc.
Today I added pushups and stick-ups. On thursday, I ran with the dog for about 20 minutes - we've found a new adventure route and it tires him out.
He's out for the day, and I'm hard at work on project that I'm helping Ryan Lee with.
CB
Today I added pushups and stick-ups. On thursday, I ran with the dog for about 20 minutes - we've found a new adventure route and it tires him out.
He's out for the day, and I'm hard at work on project that I'm helping Ryan Lee with.
CB
TT Bodyweight vs. Furey Bodyweight
A reader named Ed writes in to ask, "How does your bodyweight program compare to Matt Furey's Combat Conditioning?"
Ed, that's a good question.
I'll say this, they are both very similar and very different. There are quite a few similar exercises, but there are no back bridges or hindu pushups or hindu squats in mine.
On the other hand, my 6-month Bodyweight Manual I have a lot of different variations of squats, ab bridges, and pushups, along with pulls and rows. Matt's program is certainly worth the price of admission, but I think where mine excels is the 6-month workout plan. It takes you workout by workout through 6 different phases, each containing 3 different workouts that you do for 4 weeks before moving to the next phase.
Matt and I have comparable philosophies, both aiming to challenge the body as hard as possible without external resistance. I think my program has a few more exercises in total, so there is more variation along the 6-month program. You can get a look at some of the TT exercises here.
I think you will find both Matt's program and my program to help you lose fat and master your bodyweight, while increasing your functional fitness and athletic ability (if those interest you). Both programs give you the greatest results you can get without picking up a weight.
(I really enjoy Matt's books and his fitness newsletter as well - in fact, I'm a member of his monthly membership newsletter.)
The programs are both very different though, so if you own one, its not like you don't need the other one - if you want to get the most out of your bodyweight training.
Click here to order the 6-month bodyweight manual
Give your bodyweight a try,
CB
P.S. We've got another video up on You Tube:
Click HERE for the Inchworm
P.P.S. Did you hear about the secret bonus that comes with the 6-month BW manual?
Well, of course you didn't - it was a secret until today...but I just added the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss manual as a bonus to every 6-month BW manual order. The TT for Fat Loss also has almost 6-months worth of workouts...
And I've added it to the download page...so get started with your full year fat loss plan today.
Click HERE to order.
"Turbulence Training is phenomenol, Craig's system has taught me more about bodyweight exercises than I knew was possible. Also with a busy life style he offers exercises that you can do anywhere, anytime with little to no equipment. It is affordable and worthwhile. Thanks Craig."
Darren Motuz, Winnipeg Manitoba
"My very favorite program is the 6-month bodyweight manual. Being a petite 41-year-old, it's pretty cool and empowering when clients call you 'freakishly strong' while demonstrating a chin-up or close-grip pull-up. The bodyweight exercises are deceptively hard and have gotten me the strongest I've been in my life. I can't thank you enough for all your great programs, exercise and health tips."
Lisa Grivers
Friday, December 15, 2006
Friday workout
1a) Snatch (5x3) subbed in for high pulls and also did some squat cleans
1b) Floor press (3x8)
2) bb ss (3x12) 135
3a) pushups (3xMax)
3b) bw rows (3xMax)
3c) bw squats (3x30)
Today was more technique and recovery and volume than strength
Cb
Abs Are Made in The Kitchen
Abs are made in the kitchen. That's a popular phrase going around the fitness world these days.
Well, it sounds nice, but it really isn't true (unless you have some really weird home gym set-up).
The truth is, your abs are still made in the gym from the exercises you do. But your abs certainly can be defined by what you do in the kitchen in terms of nutrition.
After all, you can do all the ab-building exercises you want, but if you aren't eating for fat loss, then you are never going to see your abs.
So is your nutrition good enough to get the job done?
If not, what's your excuse? Not enough time, right? Or on the go too much, and your options are a greasy cheeseburger or a slice of pizza?
Well let me tell you, nutrition planning is one of the keys to fat loss. If you don't plan ahead, don't expect to burst through any fat loss plateaus any time soon.
And that's why Saturday or Sunday is the answer to the problem. Because today, assuming you work a M-F job, you have the time to plan your meals, go to the grocery store, and prepare your meal plan for the week.
And don't tell me this is too much work. You can easily accomplish this in 2 hours. One hour to get to the grocery store and back, and the other hour to prepare your meat and vegetables for the rest of the week. For more information on how to prepare your weekly nutrition, and for a copy of my shopping list, click here.
Unfortunately, I'm not an expert is making healthy food taste amazing, but my friend, Dr. John Berardi, is...so I encourage you to pick up his e-cookbook Gourmet Nutrition.
Click here to learn how to eat great, healthy food
Abs can be yours if you are consistent,
CB
P.S. Have you read Berardi's latest free report...
It's called Gourmet Nutrition Desserts and it's free for your immediate download here:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/desserts.html
P.P.S.Planning your nutrition ahead of time is one key to fat loss, and another is planning your workouts.
If you don't have the first clue to start on your exercise program, don't worry. I've mapped out the best approach to fat loss in a full step-by-step 16-week guideline in my TT for Fat Loss manual.
"I am a 44 year old mother of 2. I have been struggling for the last 8 years (since my youngest child was born) to return to my toned shape. Nothing has worked for me until giving TT a try. After spending hours upon hours in a gym and spending way too much time running and doing other things that will eventually wear out my joints, I gave in and decided to accept that I should age gracefully. NO WAY! I decided to try TT and cannot believe the results. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. It can truly change your attitude and life."
Lisa DiDonato
"The workouts are going good and I am enjoying them and they are challenging. I really like the circuit style and alternating a lower and upper body exercises and the variety of exercises in each workout. I was bored with the style of weight training one muscle group at a time with not much results or changes happening. You have a great variety of workouts, I started with the body fusion intermediate work out and in 3 more weeks, I'll switch to another."
Cindy Casella
"I think your program is amazing. I have recently set up a new business and the luxury of 1 1/2 hours at the gym are no more. Therefore your workouts came at the perfect time. I am really starting to notice a huge difference. I am trying for a baby at the moment and my biggest fear of having a child is not having time to get to the gym and get back in shape. I love that I can do your workout at home."
Alexa Simms
"Hey Craig, I really dig the TT workouts since they allow me to get in and get out with a quality workout in tow. I have started using variations of your programs with some of my clients after I test drove it myself for a month."
Cory Lignell
Well, it sounds nice, but it really isn't true (unless you have some really weird home gym set-up).
The truth is, your abs are still made in the gym from the exercises you do. But your abs certainly can be defined by what you do in the kitchen in terms of nutrition.
After all, you can do all the ab-building exercises you want, but if you aren't eating for fat loss, then you are never going to see your abs.
So is your nutrition good enough to get the job done?
If not, what's your excuse? Not enough time, right? Or on the go too much, and your options are a greasy cheeseburger or a slice of pizza?
Well let me tell you, nutrition planning is one of the keys to fat loss. If you don't plan ahead, don't expect to burst through any fat loss plateaus any time soon.
And that's why Saturday or Sunday is the answer to the problem. Because today, assuming you work a M-F job, you have the time to plan your meals, go to the grocery store, and prepare your meal plan for the week.
And don't tell me this is too much work. You can easily accomplish this in 2 hours. One hour to get to the grocery store and back, and the other hour to prepare your meat and vegetables for the rest of the week. For more information on how to prepare your weekly nutrition, and for a copy of my shopping list, click here.
Unfortunately, I'm not an expert is making healthy food taste amazing, but my friend, Dr. John Berardi, is...so I encourage you to pick up his e-cookbook Gourmet Nutrition.
Click here to learn how to eat great, healthy food
Abs can be yours if you are consistent,
CB
P.S. Have you read Berardi's latest free report...
It's called Gourmet Nutrition Desserts and it's free for your immediate download here:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/desserts.html
P.P.S.Planning your nutrition ahead of time is one key to fat loss, and another is planning your workouts.
If you don't have the first clue to start on your exercise program, don't worry. I've mapped out the best approach to fat loss in a full step-by-step 16-week guideline in my TT for Fat Loss manual.
"I am a 44 year old mother of 2. I have been struggling for the last 8 years (since my youngest child was born) to return to my toned shape. Nothing has worked for me until giving TT a try. After spending hours upon hours in a gym and spending way too much time running and doing other things that will eventually wear out my joints, I gave in and decided to accept that I should age gracefully. NO WAY! I decided to try TT and cannot believe the results. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. It can truly change your attitude and life."
Lisa DiDonato
"The workouts are going good and I am enjoying them and they are challenging. I really like the circuit style and alternating a lower and upper body exercises and the variety of exercises in each workout. I was bored with the style of weight training one muscle group at a time with not much results or changes happening. You have a great variety of workouts, I started with the body fusion intermediate work out and in 3 more weeks, I'll switch to another."
Cindy Casella
"I think your program is amazing. I have recently set up a new business and the luxury of 1 1/2 hours at the gym are no more. Therefore your workouts came at the perfect time. I am really starting to notice a huge difference. I am trying for a baby at the moment and my biggest fear of having a child is not having time to get to the gym and get back in shape. I love that I can do your workout at home."
Alexa Simms
"Hey Craig, I really dig the TT workouts since they allow me to get in and get out with a quality workout in tow. I have started using variations of your programs with some of my clients after I test drove it myself for a month."
Cory Lignell
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Another Youtube Exercise Video
Here's another sample exercise video we are posting on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFJG4GW5JJk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFJG4GW5JJk
Toning Exercises: Do Cutting Exercises Work for Fat Loss
I don't believe in cutting exercises. In fact, I don't believe in long, slow cardio either. But I do believe in hard work that gets the fat loss job done right.
And so does my colleague, McMaster Kinesiology graduate, champion Natural Bodybuilder, and registered massage therapist Mike Zappetelli. Mike has a few words to add to the "cutting exercise" debate.
Mike is a personal trainer, massage therapist, and nutrition and wellness specialist (R.M.T. C.P.T., N.W.S.) and brings excellent practical and academic knowledge to apply to his client's training programs.
Here is what Mike had to say:
I'm glad that you have dispelled the awful myth of "cutting up". As a bodybuilder, I know what it takes to get "ripped" and show muscle definition. As a personal trainer, I have to teach this to my clients, day in and day out. It is really quite simple.
Diet has to do with 70-80% of training and what you look like. The actual training and stimuli that you place on your body will make up the remaining 20-30%. The only thing that happens in the gym is energy expenditure and muscle damage.
Rest and proper nutrition will help to replenish this lost energy and at the same time repair those damaged muscle tissues. If you rest and are fed properly, you are more likely bound for greater repair, hence muscle adaptation and growth.
If this occurs, the recently attained muscle mass will burn more calories at rest. Greater lean mass will result in greater energy expenditure.
It's important to realize that although proper rest and nutrition is essential for muscle growth, this change will not happen overnight, nor will someone getting cut up. This is how supplement companies market their products, by telling the public that they can achieve these results sooner than they think.
Changing reps and sets and amounts of weight lifted does not necessarily get you ripped. It's the amount of intensity that you lift with that may determine and help you to achieve your desired results.
Bodybuilders writing programs in magazines have found something that they use to cut down. It's different for everybody. Theoretically, the more energy you can expend per workout is the key.
As I already mentioned, I am a natural, drug-free competitive bodybuilder. When it comes time to diet for a show, I do not do any cardio. I step up my training schedule a little and really watch what I eat. I do this year-round anywise to prevent dropping too much weight.
The key to dieting is to cut out any refined foods. The final product is a change from 5-6% body-fat off-season, to a ~2% ripped physique on contest day...with no cardio.
The best analogy that I like to use is the Parka and the Armani suit. The parka is the fat and the Armani is the muscle. No matter what suit you have underneath that Parka, you'll never see it until you take off the Parka.
So those who think that specific exercises will rid certain areas of fat and get ripped, must think again. Sit-ups will not get you that 'six-pack' to show off at the beach. They will develop the abdominal muscles, but without proper nutrition and constant exercise, you'll never remove that 'Parka' to show off that suit.
Moderate and heavy weight training is effective for most goals. Muscle is the result and muscle will help burn more calories.
Starving yourself, doing excessive aerobic activity, and using too low of an intensity in your resistance training will not bring anyone the body they desire! You will get better results within significantly shorter and less frequent workouts, provided they are intense!
Great advice from a man who lives the lifestyle,
CB
And so does my colleague, McMaster Kinesiology graduate, champion Natural Bodybuilder, and registered massage therapist Mike Zappetelli. Mike has a few words to add to the "cutting exercise" debate.
Mike is a personal trainer, massage therapist, and nutrition and wellness specialist (R.M.T. C.P.T., N.W.S.) and brings excellent practical and academic knowledge to apply to his client's training programs.
Here is what Mike had to say:
I'm glad that you have dispelled the awful myth of "cutting up". As a bodybuilder, I know what it takes to get "ripped" and show muscle definition. As a personal trainer, I have to teach this to my clients, day in and day out. It is really quite simple.
Diet has to do with 70-80% of training and what you look like. The actual training and stimuli that you place on your body will make up the remaining 20-30%. The only thing that happens in the gym is energy expenditure and muscle damage.
Rest and proper nutrition will help to replenish this lost energy and at the same time repair those damaged muscle tissues. If you rest and are fed properly, you are more likely bound for greater repair, hence muscle adaptation and growth.
If this occurs, the recently attained muscle mass will burn more calories at rest. Greater lean mass will result in greater energy expenditure.
It's important to realize that although proper rest and nutrition is essential for muscle growth, this change will not happen overnight, nor will someone getting cut up. This is how supplement companies market their products, by telling the public that they can achieve these results sooner than they think.
Changing reps and sets and amounts of weight lifted does not necessarily get you ripped. It's the amount of intensity that you lift with that may determine and help you to achieve your desired results.
Bodybuilders writing programs in magazines have found something that they use to cut down. It's different for everybody. Theoretically, the more energy you can expend per workout is the key.
As I already mentioned, I am a natural, drug-free competitive bodybuilder. When it comes time to diet for a show, I do not do any cardio. I step up my training schedule a little and really watch what I eat. I do this year-round anywise to prevent dropping too much weight.
The key to dieting is to cut out any refined foods. The final product is a change from 5-6% body-fat off-season, to a ~2% ripped physique on contest day...with no cardio.
The best analogy that I like to use is the Parka and the Armani suit. The parka is the fat and the Armani is the muscle. No matter what suit you have underneath that Parka, you'll never see it until you take off the Parka.
So those who think that specific exercises will rid certain areas of fat and get ripped, must think again. Sit-ups will not get you that 'six-pack' to show off at the beach. They will develop the abdominal muscles, but without proper nutrition and constant exercise, you'll never remove that 'Parka' to show off that suit.
Moderate and heavy weight training is effective for most goals. Muscle is the result and muscle will help burn more calories.
Starving yourself, doing excessive aerobic activity, and using too low of an intensity in your resistance training will not bring anyone the body they desire! You will get better results within significantly shorter and less frequent workouts, provided they are intense!
Great advice from a man who lives the lifestyle,
CB
P.S. Michael Zappetelli is just one of the many experts I'm going to have on my Membership site advisory team...
I also will have other top name experts such as Brad Pilon, Dr. Chris Mohr, and Alwyn Cosgrove. And I'm lining up dozens of exclusive expert interviews...
So I hope you'll take advantage of my pre-launch offer...a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Wednesdsay workout
I tweaked my back during my squat workout the other day - not due to bad form but due to an awkward rack set-up...and while trying to place the bar back in the rack I had to get into an awkward position...
Still feels a little weird but it was fine for this workout...
1a) Snatch technique (3x3) - feeling good on these
1b) Bench (5x3) - 275
2a) Shrugs (3x6) - 245
2b) plank (3xMax)
3a) db row (3x12)
3b) triceps (3x8)
Back felt almost normal and bench is finally coming back,
Cb
Don't Use These Exercises
As I wrote in my workout blog last Monday, I experienced a crazy scene at the gym last week.
A scene that supports my contention that we should stick to the simplest training methods possible, as getting "too fancy" can come back to bite you in the butt, bigtime.
Now squatting, pushing and pulling might not be the most exciting exercises to use, what with all the balancing acts that people see in the gym these days, but they get the job done.
Allright, so I just finished my second set of squats. And I was leaning on the bar watching a trainer train 2 girls. The gym has some neat toys in my opinion, including a sled for pulling and tire for flipping.
But for some reason the trainer decided to have one girl climb on the other's back for some strange combination bodyweight-squat/wrestling exercise.
I can't even explain it properly, as I was trying to keep my focus on my own lifting, plus it was just ridiculous, given the other training options.
But just as I was about to set-up for my final, and hardest set, one of the girls fell off the other during the exercise and started screaming like she had been shot.
This went on for a few minutes, pretty much zapping my mental focus on my squats. Eventually the wounded girl calmed down and managed to hobble over to a therapist's bench for treatment.
I hope she is okay, but it looks like a relatively serious knee injury.
Sounds crazy, doesn't it? Why do trainers insist on coming up with silly exercises to get the job done?
Do you think construction managers sit around and think, "what's the most exciting way I can get a 10-ton beam up four stories off the ground? I could use a crane, but that's not cool enough..."
No, of course not. They use the tried and true methods that get the job done efficiently and effectively.
While we're on the subject of bad exercises, why don't you have a laugh at "The 4 Worst Exercises" I've watched trainers have clients do in a gym.
I see a lot of "fitness junk" come and go, but guys and gals like Alwyn Cosgrove, Tom Venuto, and myself just keep rolling along using the basics in a scientific manner.
And our clients are doing just fine,
CB
P.S. How's your workout?
If you want more workouts, need more simple, yet effective exercises (via video clips!), or social support to keep your progressing going, you're going to love the new TT Members site.
Check out a sample TT Member's exercise clip that we posted on good ol' Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNM84-UO8Yg
We're going to have over 100 (if not 200+) bodyweight and dumbbell exercises up on the new TT Member's section when it launches by February...
But in the meantime, you can get started with over $3000 worth of Turbulence Training manuals now, and be one of the first to join the membership forum when it is available to current members in January...AND you can get it all for a discount by ordering at the pre-launch price...
a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127.
Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
A scene that supports my contention that we should stick to the simplest training methods possible, as getting "too fancy" can come back to bite you in the butt, bigtime.
Now squatting, pushing and pulling might not be the most exciting exercises to use, what with all the balancing acts that people see in the gym these days, but they get the job done.
Allright, so I just finished my second set of squats. And I was leaning on the bar watching a trainer train 2 girls. The gym has some neat toys in my opinion, including a sled for pulling and tire for flipping.
But for some reason the trainer decided to have one girl climb on the other's back for some strange combination bodyweight-squat/wrestling exercise.
I can't even explain it properly, as I was trying to keep my focus on my own lifting, plus it was just ridiculous, given the other training options.
But just as I was about to set-up for my final, and hardest set, one of the girls fell off the other during the exercise and started screaming like she had been shot.
This went on for a few minutes, pretty much zapping my mental focus on my squats. Eventually the wounded girl calmed down and managed to hobble over to a therapist's bench for treatment.
I hope she is okay, but it looks like a relatively serious knee injury.
Sounds crazy, doesn't it? Why do trainers insist on coming up with silly exercises to get the job done?
Do you think construction managers sit around and think, "what's the most exciting way I can get a 10-ton beam up four stories off the ground? I could use a crane, but that's not cool enough..."
No, of course not. They use the tried and true methods that get the job done efficiently and effectively.
While we're on the subject of bad exercises, why don't you have a laugh at "The 4 Worst Exercises" I've watched trainers have clients do in a gym.
I see a lot of "fitness junk" come and go, but guys and gals like Alwyn Cosgrove, Tom Venuto, and myself just keep rolling along using the basics in a scientific manner.
And our clients are doing just fine,
CB
P.S. How's your workout?
If you want more workouts, need more simple, yet effective exercises (via video clips!), or social support to keep your progressing going, you're going to love the new TT Members site.
Check out a sample TT Member's exercise clip that we posted on good ol' Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNM84-UO8Yg
We're going to have over 100 (if not 200+) bodyweight and dumbbell exercises up on the new TT Member's section when it launches by February...
But in the meantime, you can get started with over $3000 worth of Turbulence Training manuals now, and be one of the first to join the membership forum when it is available to current members in January...AND you can get it all for a discount by ordering at the pre-launch price...
a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127.
Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Another YouTube.com Video
This is a great vid, basic exercise, and solid audio.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNM84-UO8Yg
2-Leg Hip Extension
Hundreds more of these will be found in the upcoming TT Members site.
CB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNM84-UO8Yg
2-Leg Hip Extension
Hundreds more of these will be found in the upcoming TT Members site.
CB
Good Workout Related Reading for You
2 good blog posts worth passing on...
Keep it simple, by Stupid Jason Ferruggia
Intensity & Passion by Keith Scott
CB
Keep it simple, by Stupid Jason Ferruggia
Intensity & Passion by Keith Scott
CB
Tuesday Workout
On my alternate day workouts, I've been doing some basic mobility and ab endurance exercises. That's it. Basic planks, side planks, lunges, spiderman climbs, etc.
In addition, I've been doing a bit of interval workout with bodyweight squats only. That's it. Sets of 50 bodyweight squats, with another exercise done in between, and then more squats.
Such a basic, effective exercise.
if you can, give this a try in place of sprinting for intervals. A nice break, a funny jello feeling in your legs after, and a good workout.
CB
In addition, I've been doing a bit of interval workout with bodyweight squats only. That's it. Sets of 50 bodyweight squats, with another exercise done in between, and then more squats.
Such a basic, effective exercise.
if you can, give this a try in place of sprinting for intervals. A nice break, a funny jello feeling in your legs after, and a good workout.
CB
Turbulence Training YouTube.com video
Hey,
Dan Brown, the TT affiliate manager and A/V expert, has posted a sample exercise video on youtube.com...
This is what our TT member exercise clips will look like.
Please note: There is no audio for this clip BUT there will be audio for all clips in the TT Members section...
Here you go...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxYx-PY4ymg
CB
Dan Brown, the TT affiliate manager and A/V expert, has posted a sample exercise video on youtube.com...
This is what our TT member exercise clips will look like.
Please note: There is no audio for this clip BUT there will be audio for all clips in the TT Members section...
Here you go...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxYx-PY4ymg
CB
Weight Loss Q'n'A
Let's hit the reader mail and go over your fat loss questions - let's get your fat loss workout plan straightened out in time for the New Year so that you are riding a wave of motivation into "fat loss season".
Q: You and Alwyn are always quoting this famous interval training study from Laval...what interval program did they use?
Answer:
I actually had to ask Alwyn Cosgrove directly, because I'd misplaced my copy of the study...
The interval program used in this study that gave greater results than the slow cardio program was...
Workout A) 10 to 15 rounds of 15 - 30 seconds work
Workout B) 4 to 5 rounds of 60 - 90 seconds.
Recovery was until the HR = 120-130 bpm (which would have been about 60% of maximum heart rate for the subjects).
Again, if you read my interval article last week, I've stated there currently is no "best" interval method and that it can be used by beginners. It's all relative. Key word, relative.
Q: I've been doing the Original TT program for about 2 weeks already and WOW? it works! I've lost 3lb's so far.
On to my concern, would I be overdoing it if I did the Core Exercises and intervals in between my strength days? Or would I benefit by resting all together and giving it my all on my strength days? I ask only because that's what I've been doing but I don't want my body to adapt too quickly to the intense intervals.
If you can clear i up for that I'd really appreciate it. Thank you in advance.
Answer:
That alternating training method should be fine. Let me know how it goes, and back off a bit if you get too tired. In fact, the more feedback I get from everyone on their "Split-training" experiments, the better. That could help me formulate an even more effective fat loss program.
Thanks!
Q: Just a quick question.....I'm 5'0 and 123 pounds...I want to loose 10 - 14 pounds but want to get lean and not build (get big). Is this program good for me?
Answer:
Hi! Yes Turbulence Training is still for you - or your money back. You will like the combination of dumbbell and bodyweight exercises to help you get lean without any fear of adding bulk. Our nutrition guidelines will also help you stay on track. It's that simple.
You could start with this month's 10-minute workout for starters...
Q: I am really enjoying your workouts, I just have a couple of questions. DB squats and front squats - I find these exercises really awkward. Should I use less weight and work on my form? Or switch to regular barbell squats?
Answer:
Yes, both those squats can be awkward. Use those for warmups and then back squats for regular workouts, until you feel comfortable with the form on the others. Glad to hear you are fine doing back squats.
So for any exercise that is hard for you, just practice on it during your warm-up. With enough practice you'll have good form and can start increasing the load in the exercise.
Remember: Strength training is a skill. It's kind of like juggling in that both require neuromuscular co-ordination. Don't get frustrated if you can't do the exercise the first time you try.Just practice.
Q: My only real experience with weights before this was Bodypump classes... For the weights I am picking my muscles can handle the load with correct form for all the reps but my lungs don't cope with the continuous pace. One more thing, is it "against the rules" to drop the weight as you progress? I notice that most people increase as they go along
Answer:
No worries, no stress. It's just a trial and error experience...that's why I can never write-in specific weights to be used. Just play around with things and make note of the weight you use each time and your body's response.
Correct, we aren't focused too much on muscle "burn" from weights. Rather a strength approach to fatigue, which means not being able to use perfect form after 8 or 9 reps. These lower reps won't give you the same "burn" you are used to from the pump classes. It is fine to drop the weight between sets. If you fall from 8 reps in set 1, to 6 reps in set 2, you can drop the weight and try to get 8 reps in set 3.
If you increase the weights from sets 1 to set 2, that is okay, because you could use the first set as a half-warm-up, half-workset. But you should not be able to do more weight in set 3. If you can, that means set 2 was not done at the right intensity.
Done right, it fights fat fast,
CB
P.S. I better get back to work on building the membership site...
And I hope you'll take advantage of the Pre-Launch offer. Just a reminder, here's the deal...a)
For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
But remember, this is a LIMITED TIME OFFER, and could expire at any time.
Q: You and Alwyn are always quoting this famous interval training study from Laval...what interval program did they use?
Answer:
I actually had to ask Alwyn Cosgrove directly, because I'd misplaced my copy of the study...
The interval program used in this study that gave greater results than the slow cardio program was...
Workout A) 10 to 15 rounds of 15 - 30 seconds work
Workout B) 4 to 5 rounds of 60 - 90 seconds.
Recovery was until the HR = 120-130 bpm (which would have been about 60% of maximum heart rate for the subjects).
Again, if you read my interval article last week, I've stated there currently is no "best" interval method and that it can be used by beginners. It's all relative. Key word, relative.
Q: I've been doing the Original TT program for about 2 weeks already and WOW? it works! I've lost 3lb's so far.
On to my concern, would I be overdoing it if I did the Core Exercises and intervals in between my strength days? Or would I benefit by resting all together and giving it my all on my strength days? I ask only because that's what I've been doing but I don't want my body to adapt too quickly to the intense intervals.
If you can clear i up for that I'd really appreciate it. Thank you in advance.
Answer:
That alternating training method should be fine. Let me know how it goes, and back off a bit if you get too tired. In fact, the more feedback I get from everyone on their "Split-training" experiments, the better. That could help me formulate an even more effective fat loss program.
Thanks!
Q: Just a quick question.....I'm 5'0 and 123 pounds...I want to loose 10 - 14 pounds but want to get lean and not build (get big). Is this program good for me?
Answer:
Hi! Yes Turbulence Training is still for you - or your money back. You will like the combination of dumbbell and bodyweight exercises to help you get lean without any fear of adding bulk. Our nutrition guidelines will also help you stay on track. It's that simple.
You could start with this month's 10-minute workout for starters...
Q: I am really enjoying your workouts, I just have a couple of questions. DB squats and front squats - I find these exercises really awkward. Should I use less weight and work on my form? Or switch to regular barbell squats?
Answer:
Yes, both those squats can be awkward. Use those for warmups and then back squats for regular workouts, until you feel comfortable with the form on the others. Glad to hear you are fine doing back squats.
So for any exercise that is hard for you, just practice on it during your warm-up. With enough practice you'll have good form and can start increasing the load in the exercise.
Remember: Strength training is a skill. It's kind of like juggling in that both require neuromuscular co-ordination. Don't get frustrated if you can't do the exercise the first time you try.Just practice.
Q: My only real experience with weights before this was Bodypump classes... For the weights I am picking my muscles can handle the load with correct form for all the reps but my lungs don't cope with the continuous pace. One more thing, is it "against the rules" to drop the weight as you progress? I notice that most people increase as they go along
Answer:
No worries, no stress. It's just a trial and error experience...that's why I can never write-in specific weights to be used. Just play around with things and make note of the weight you use each time and your body's response.
Correct, we aren't focused too much on muscle "burn" from weights. Rather a strength approach to fatigue, which means not being able to use perfect form after 8 or 9 reps. These lower reps won't give you the same "burn" you are used to from the pump classes. It is fine to drop the weight between sets. If you fall from 8 reps in set 1, to 6 reps in set 2, you can drop the weight and try to get 8 reps in set 3.
If you increase the weights from sets 1 to set 2, that is okay, because you could use the first set as a half-warm-up, half-workset. But you should not be able to do more weight in set 3. If you can, that means set 2 was not done at the right intensity.
Done right, it fights fat fast,
CB
P.S. I better get back to work on building the membership site...
And I hope you'll take advantage of the Pre-Launch offer. Just a reminder, here's the deal...a)
For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
But remember, this is a LIMITED TIME OFFER, and could expire at any time.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Toning, Light Weights, & High Reps
I guess you could say it is my mission to show people thevalue of intense strength training for fat loss.
Every month more research comes out to support intense trainingover slow cardio, and light weights. And each week, in real-life,more and more men and women (yes, women too!) see the benefits ofpushing themselves with strength training.
The evidence from research and real-life continues to pile up thatyou need to put down those light weights and cut out those highreps.
Take really light weights, add in isolation exercises, and repeatfor a large number of reps. Do this for 3, 6, or 12 months, andyou're guaranteed to have the same physique you have today.
Thisapproach just does not work.
You need to step out of your comfort zone with strength training.
Research has shown using a weight that enables only 8 reps per setresults in a greater post-exercise metabolism than using a weightthat allows 12 reps per set. And this was in women! So liftingchallenging weights is not just for men, but also for the ladies.
Another research study showed that a 30-minute, hard total-bodystrength training session can boost metabolism about 36 hours.You just don't get that from slow cardio or light, "toning"isolation exericses, I'm sorry to say.
===>> http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
But what if you are worried about "bulking up"? Just do one or twosets of 8 reps per exercise, rather than three or four.
Bodybuilders know that high-volume training builds muscle. But ifyou don't want massive amounts of muscle, just don't do a lot ofvolume. That's just one of the reasons I don't use bodybuilderworkout programs for fat loss.
Another way to avoid "bulking up" while still boosting yourmetabolism is to use more bodyweight exercises.
As for exercise choice, say goodbye to biceps curls, hamstringcurls, and triceps kickbacks.
Seriously, I couldn't think of a moreuseless exercise for a fat loss program than triceps kickbacks. Stick to full body movements. Use squats, lunges, split squats,pushups, chinups, rows, etc.
Remember, you don't have a lot of time to workout. So you can't bedoing bodybuilding splits from the 80's that call for threeexercises for the long head of the triceps, and two exercises foreach of the anterior, medial, and posterior deltoid.
That's just not possible in the real-world. A pushup trains almostall those muscles, and more. It works your abs, chest, triceps, andshoulders. That's the type of exercise that is going to help youget more fat loss results in less workout time.
I train in the concept of a short time frame. That is, anyone thatwants to use my programs has less than 3 hours per week to devoteto structured exercise. So there just isn't much room for isolationtraining in that time frame.
But training should be fun too, and adding some curls as a rewardfor completing a hard workout is fine, but only if you want to. Youdon't need those types of exercises to get results.
But remember, isolation exercises are not actually going toburn fat, but they can build muscle and help you sculpt your body.Here's the list of methods that lead to fat loss, in order ofimportance:
i) Nutrition
ii) Burning calories with interval training
iii) Burning calories due to an increased metabolism from intervaltraining and strength training (with multi-muscle movements)
As long as you understand that nutrition is the most importantfactor in fat loss, and that strength training is essential forsculpting your body, than you will have realistic expectations ofsuccess - based on how well you commit to each process.
Get your very own copy of Turbulence Training & the Nutrition Guide here:
http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
P.S. Wait, there's more!
Listen to what these success stories have to say about Turbulence Training. Get twice the results in half thetime!
"I am a 44 year old mother of 2. I have been struggling for thelast 8 years (since my youngest child was born) to return to mytoned shape. Nothing has worked for me until giving TT a try. After spending hours upon hours in a gym and spending way too muchtime running and doing other things that will eventually wear outmy joints, I gave in and decided to accept that I should agegracefully. NO WAY! I decided to try TT and cannot believe theresults. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. It cantruly change your attitude and life."
Lisa DiDonato
Get your very own copy of Turbulence Training & the Nutrition Guide here: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
"I purchased the TT training manual about a month ago and have beenfollowing it ever since. It makes so much sense and i really enjoythe different workouts so never get bored the body weight workoutsare cardio in disguise as i find i burn just as many calories ifnot more from a BW session as i do with the TT cardio session. Iam sore in places i have never been sore and find i push myselfjust to prove i can do the moves and love it. From an aussie thatwas looking for something other than just another weight workoutwith the same old moves this has been a real eye opener for me andi have been telling my friends just how great the TT method is."
Kelli Tomkins, Australia
"I am actually getting twice the results in half the time. As aserious gym junkie with little imagination finding your workoutshas been a welcome breath of fresh air. I no longer feel bound tothe gym struggling for the smallest result. My body and I are inthis together now. Your workouts are interesting and make me feelstrong in practical ways. It's more like a game of testing mycapabilities, not another boring workout. On top of that I can'tpraise your customer service highly enough, you have been amazing!I never expected such quick personal responses to my emails. Forthe price I paid, I have received so much more than I anticipated. Many thanks and all the best."
Heidi Sinclair
Get your very own copy of Turbulence Training & the Nutrition Guide here: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
"Craig, got my 6-week bodyfat test lost 10lbs of fat and gained 6lbof muscle, im proving you can lose fat and gain muscle at the sametime with your TT workout system,and nutrition plan."
Desmond Hardison, NV
"Hi Craig, I am enjoying Turbulence Training. I am a personaltrainer, so I've incorporated much of it into my sessions. ThoughI used some philosophies from TT, your program has added a world ofnew ideas, methods, and techniques to my client sessions. And forthat, I thank you so very much. Even my wife loves it, ha! Somuch more to read and implement, so TT reading will keep me busyfor many months to come. Make it a great day!"
Loren Salas
Get your very own copy of Turbulence Training & the Nutrition Guide here: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
Every month more research comes out to support intense trainingover slow cardio, and light weights. And each week, in real-life,more and more men and women (yes, women too!) see the benefits ofpushing themselves with strength training.
The evidence from research and real-life continues to pile up thatyou need to put down those light weights and cut out those highreps.
Take really light weights, add in isolation exercises, and repeatfor a large number of reps. Do this for 3, 6, or 12 months, andyou're guaranteed to have the same physique you have today.
Thisapproach just does not work.
You need to step out of your comfort zone with strength training.
Research has shown using a weight that enables only 8 reps per setresults in a greater post-exercise metabolism than using a weightthat allows 12 reps per set. And this was in women! So liftingchallenging weights is not just for men, but also for the ladies.
Another research study showed that a 30-minute, hard total-bodystrength training session can boost metabolism about 36 hours.You just don't get that from slow cardio or light, "toning"isolation exericses, I'm sorry to say.
===>> http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
But what if you are worried about "bulking up"? Just do one or twosets of 8 reps per exercise, rather than three or four.
Bodybuilders know that high-volume training builds muscle. But ifyou don't want massive amounts of muscle, just don't do a lot ofvolume. That's just one of the reasons I don't use bodybuilderworkout programs for fat loss.
Another way to avoid "bulking up" while still boosting yourmetabolism is to use more bodyweight exercises.
As for exercise choice, say goodbye to biceps curls, hamstringcurls, and triceps kickbacks.
Seriously, I couldn't think of a moreuseless exercise for a fat loss program than triceps kickbacks. Stick to full body movements. Use squats, lunges, split squats,pushups, chinups, rows, etc.
Remember, you don't have a lot of time to workout. So you can't bedoing bodybuilding splits from the 80's that call for threeexercises for the long head of the triceps, and two exercises foreach of the anterior, medial, and posterior deltoid.
That's just not possible in the real-world. A pushup trains almostall those muscles, and more. It works your abs, chest, triceps, andshoulders. That's the type of exercise that is going to help youget more fat loss results in less workout time.
I train in the concept of a short time frame. That is, anyone thatwants to use my programs has less than 3 hours per week to devoteto structured exercise. So there just isn't much room for isolationtraining in that time frame.
But training should be fun too, and adding some curls as a rewardfor completing a hard workout is fine, but only if you want to. Youdon't need those types of exercises to get results.
But remember, isolation exercises are not actually going toburn fat, but they can build muscle and help you sculpt your body.Here's the list of methods that lead to fat loss, in order ofimportance:
i) Nutrition
ii) Burning calories with interval training
iii) Burning calories due to an increased metabolism from intervaltraining and strength training (with multi-muscle movements)
As long as you understand that nutrition is the most importantfactor in fat loss, and that strength training is essential forsculpting your body, than you will have realistic expectations ofsuccess - based on how well you commit to each process.
Get your very own copy of Turbulence Training & the Nutrition Guide here:
http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
P.S. Wait, there's more!
Listen to what these success stories have to say about Turbulence Training. Get twice the results in half thetime!
"I am a 44 year old mother of 2. I have been struggling for thelast 8 years (since my youngest child was born) to return to mytoned shape. Nothing has worked for me until giving TT a try. After spending hours upon hours in a gym and spending way too muchtime running and doing other things that will eventually wear outmy joints, I gave in and decided to accept that I should agegracefully. NO WAY! I decided to try TT and cannot believe theresults. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. It cantruly change your attitude and life."
Lisa DiDonato
Get your very own copy of Turbulence Training & the Nutrition Guide here: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
"I purchased the TT training manual about a month ago and have beenfollowing it ever since. It makes so much sense and i really enjoythe different workouts so never get bored the body weight workoutsare cardio in disguise as i find i burn just as many calories ifnot more from a BW session as i do with the TT cardio session. Iam sore in places i have never been sore and find i push myselfjust to prove i can do the moves and love it. From an aussie thatwas looking for something other than just another weight workoutwith the same old moves this has been a real eye opener for me andi have been telling my friends just how great the TT method is."
Kelli Tomkins, Australia
"I am actually getting twice the results in half the time. As aserious gym junkie with little imagination finding your workoutshas been a welcome breath of fresh air. I no longer feel bound tothe gym struggling for the smallest result. My body and I are inthis together now. Your workouts are interesting and make me feelstrong in practical ways. It's more like a game of testing mycapabilities, not another boring workout. On top of that I can'tpraise your customer service highly enough, you have been amazing!I never expected such quick personal responses to my emails. Forthe price I paid, I have received so much more than I anticipated. Many thanks and all the best."
Heidi Sinclair
Get your very own copy of Turbulence Training & the Nutrition Guide here: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
"Craig, got my 6-week bodyfat test lost 10lbs of fat and gained 6lbof muscle, im proving you can lose fat and gain muscle at the sametime with your TT workout system,and nutrition plan."
Desmond Hardison, NV
"Hi Craig, I am enjoying Turbulence Training. I am a personaltrainer, so I've incorporated much of it into my sessions. ThoughI used some philosophies from TT, your program has added a world ofnew ideas, methods, and techniques to my client sessions. And forthat, I thank you so very much. Even my wife loves it, ha! Somuch more to read and implement, so TT reading will keep me busyfor many months to come. Make it a great day!"
Loren Salas
Get your very own copy of Turbulence Training & the Nutrition Guide here: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
Monday Workout
Looking forward to this one...the trap bar DL is a favorite of mine...it was the only good thing aboot this workout
1a) wide squat (bailed)
- something didn't feel right so I passed before my first work set
1b) neutral chins (5x7)
2a) trap bar DL (3x8) - 275
2b) oh squat (3x4) -115
3) plank (3xMax)
Better one on wednesday,
CB
2 for 1 Sale
Today is my annual "Danny King" 2-for-1 special.
Who's Danny King? Just a guy I know...who on Dec. 11th, 2004 asked me if I'd give him 2 programs (The TT for Fat Loss AND The TT for Mass program) for the price of one.
I said yes.
So here we grow again...
If you order the TT for Mass program today, and today only, I'll send you a link to download the TT for Fat Loss program and bonuses as well.
So if you're not sure what to do this Jan 1, whether to gain muscle or lose fat, at least you'll have both programs ready and waiting for you.
Of course, I don't want you to wait until January 1 to get serious about your health, muscle, fitness, and fat loss. So get them today and get started today.
You can thank Danny King.
Click HERE to get TT for Mass
I'll follow up with an email to you giving you access to my best-selling TT for Fat Loss program.
Get started, quick, quick, quick,
CB
P.S. This offer ends when I wake up on Tuesday, Dec 12th. And that will probably be at 6am EST.
So don't wait, take advantage of the 2-for-1 offer today.
Order here
Who's Danny King? Just a guy I know...who on Dec. 11th, 2004 asked me if I'd give him 2 programs (The TT for Fat Loss AND The TT for Mass program) for the price of one.
I said yes.
So here we grow again...
If you order the TT for Mass program today, and today only, I'll send you a link to download the TT for Fat Loss program and bonuses as well.
So if you're not sure what to do this Jan 1, whether to gain muscle or lose fat, at least you'll have both programs ready and waiting for you.
Of course, I don't want you to wait until January 1 to get serious about your health, muscle, fitness, and fat loss. So get them today and get started today.
You can thank Danny King.
Click HERE to get TT for Mass
I'll follow up with an email to you giving you access to my best-selling TT for Fat Loss program.
Get started, quick, quick, quick,
CB
P.S. This offer ends when I wake up on Tuesday, Dec 12th. And that will probably be at 6am EST.
So don't wait, take advantage of the 2-for-1 offer today.
Order here
Sunday, December 10, 2006
7-Day Fat Loss Guide for Busy People
Key point to remember for December...the 10% rule...
Eat healthy 90% of the time, and allow yourself some room to relax on the other 10%.
BUT...
Don't set yourself back an entire week by eating 2000 calorie meals around the egg nog bowl and chocolates. Stay consistent and you'll stay lean during the toughest part of the year.
Here's this week's 7-day guide to improving your body...
Monday
Let's try a new total body workout to start the week. Warm-up with three bodyweight exercises:
Reverse Lunge (12 per side)
Close-grip Pushup (10)
Stick-up (10)
Follow that up with these two strength supersets...
1A) Squat (3x8) 2-0-1 *any squat will do!
1B) Row (3x8) 2-0-1 *Dumbbell, barbell, bodyweight, or cable row
2A) RDL (3x8) 3-0-1 *single-leg bodyweight, dumbbell, or barbell
2B) Chest Press (3x8) 2-0-1 **Dumbbell, barbell, or pushup
Then one ab superset...
3A) Mountain Climber (3x20 per side) 1-0-1
3B) Back Extension on Ball (3x15) 2-0-1
And then finish with interval training.
45 minutes maximum for this workout.
Click HERE if you want something that takes only 10 minutes
Tuesday
30 minutes (at least) of enjoyable recreational activity. Or do power shopping. Contact power shopping, if the mall is busy.
Wednesday
TT workout. You can stick with Monday's pattern (using different exercises of course) or you can switch to an Upper body, Lower body split for the rest of the week. Do upper body exercises today, and lower body on Friday.
Mmmmmm, upper body.
Thursday
After your 30 minutes of activity, review your sugar intake. If you want to lose fat, there should be NO added sugar in your diet. Nothing from foods, snacks, or drinks. Stick to whole, natural foods. Be sugar free! Tough at this time of year, but you know what, retrain your taste buds to enjoy the shrimp ring and fresh vegetables on the platter. And if you avoid the sugar, you can treat yourself to a bit of cheese...
Friday
A TT workout. Add a little bodyweight to your interval section. You might use burpees, or jumping jacks, or lunges instead of the bike, treadmill, or stairmaster. For all the bodyweight, dumbbell, and home workouts you can use this year, pick up the TT Membership.
See below for more details.
Saturday
This should be your favorite workout of the week...30 minutes (at least) of recreational activity with your social support group. Then more power shopping or other holiday fun with the family. Go cut down a tree - make it a family thing.
Sunday
Plan, shop, and prepare.
Your grocery cart should look like a garden, with some nuts, protein, eggs, and dairy products mixed in. Keep it simple!
Keep track of what works for you,
CB
P.S. The new Member's site isn't ready yet...But...
I'm working everyday on adding content to the new membership area, which will also include a forum for TT users.
"The TT Membership is a freakin' steal. Craig charges virtually nothing and you get access to dozens of workouts, articles, and information, including different ones for different goals (athletes, pre-season, fat-loss, muscle gains). Plus (and this is a BIG plus), the dude is extremely prompt about answering e-mails. Not to mention very much no-BS and to the point."
Qaiser Wairich
I hope you'll take advantage of the Pre-Launch offer. Just a reminder, here's the deal...
a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
But remember, this is a LIMITED TIME OFFER, and could expire at any time.
Eat healthy 90% of the time, and allow yourself some room to relax on the other 10%.
BUT...
Don't set yourself back an entire week by eating 2000 calorie meals around the egg nog bowl and chocolates. Stay consistent and you'll stay lean during the toughest part of the year.
Here's this week's 7-day guide to improving your body...
Monday
Let's try a new total body workout to start the week. Warm-up with three bodyweight exercises:
Reverse Lunge (12 per side)
Close-grip Pushup (10)
Stick-up (10)
Follow that up with these two strength supersets...
1A) Squat (3x8) 2-0-1 *any squat will do!
1B) Row (3x8) 2-0-1 *Dumbbell, barbell, bodyweight, or cable row
2A) RDL (3x8) 3-0-1 *single-leg bodyweight, dumbbell, or barbell
2B) Chest Press (3x8) 2-0-1 **Dumbbell, barbell, or pushup
Then one ab superset...
3A) Mountain Climber (3x20 per side) 1-0-1
3B) Back Extension on Ball (3x15) 2-0-1
And then finish with interval training.
45 minutes maximum for this workout.
Click HERE if you want something that takes only 10 minutes
Tuesday
30 minutes (at least) of enjoyable recreational activity. Or do power shopping. Contact power shopping, if the mall is busy.
Wednesday
TT workout. You can stick with Monday's pattern (using different exercises of course) or you can switch to an Upper body, Lower body split for the rest of the week. Do upper body exercises today, and lower body on Friday.
Mmmmmm, upper body.
Thursday
After your 30 minutes of activity, review your sugar intake. If you want to lose fat, there should be NO added sugar in your diet. Nothing from foods, snacks, or drinks. Stick to whole, natural foods. Be sugar free! Tough at this time of year, but you know what, retrain your taste buds to enjoy the shrimp ring and fresh vegetables on the platter. And if you avoid the sugar, you can treat yourself to a bit of cheese...
Friday
A TT workout. Add a little bodyweight to your interval section. You might use burpees, or jumping jacks, or lunges instead of the bike, treadmill, or stairmaster. For all the bodyweight, dumbbell, and home workouts you can use this year, pick up the TT Membership.
See below for more details.
Saturday
This should be your favorite workout of the week...30 minutes (at least) of recreational activity with your social support group. Then more power shopping or other holiday fun with the family. Go cut down a tree - make it a family thing.
Sunday
Plan, shop, and prepare.
Your grocery cart should look like a garden, with some nuts, protein, eggs, and dairy products mixed in. Keep it simple!
Keep track of what works for you,
CB
P.S. The new Member's site isn't ready yet...But...
I'm working everyday on adding content to the new membership area, which will also include a forum for TT users.
"The TT Membership is a freakin' steal. Craig charges virtually nothing and you get access to dozens of workouts, articles, and information, including different ones for different goals (athletes, pre-season, fat-loss, muscle gains). Plus (and this is a BIG plus), the dude is extremely prompt about answering e-mails. Not to mention very much no-BS and to the point."
Qaiser Wairich
I hope you'll take advantage of the Pre-Launch offer. Just a reminder, here's the deal...
a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
But remember, this is a LIMITED TIME OFFER, and could expire at any time.
Mad Scientist Muscle Building Secrets
Nick Nilsson is a mad scientist, inventing new exercises for his devious muscle building programs. He just launched a new website filled with video clips of unique exercises...where he comes up with these, man I don't know...let's talk to Nick about building muscle...
CB: What kind of split routine do you follow?
NN:
Right now, for mass building, it varies quite a lot.
I have a program that I've created that basically breaks most of the rules that you'll read in bodybuilding magazines and books.
I switch my splits from upper body/lower body, to total body training, to mixed bodyparts, to specialization, all in the course of a few weeks. There are times when I'll train a bodypart 3 days in a row. I'll be publishing this program later this year but the fundamental idea is that you don't need to overload your body with excess calories to gain muscle and strength. With the right combination of training and nutrition, you can actually gain muscle and strength while eating below maintenance calorie levels.
My first round through it, I gained 8 pounds in 8 weeks without eating over maintenance calorie levels. For an experienced lifter, that's a pretty substantial gain. Keep your eyes open for it!
Click HERE to see innovative exercise site: Powerful Training Secrets
CB: Indeed I will. What type of exercises do you use? Do you use a lot of your own exercise inventions here as well?
NN:
When going for mass, I generally stick to the basic exercise patterns.
I say "patterns" because I don't always do the same standard form each time. I add in my own variations of the basic exercises when I feel it's necessary.
Quite often, I will just stick with the basics, though. They work! One thing I do want to make clear is that training specificity is extremely important when trying to build mass and strength. While I do change exercises and use variations, it's extremely important to also do some of the same exercises regularly before switching them up. If you don't give your body the same training stimulus for at least a little while, it won't know what it needs to adapt to and nothing will happen. So basically, I don't change exercises every day but I try to rotate new ones in.
CB: Very good point. What rep range do you use in your mass programs?
NN:
It depends on the specific training techniques I'm using but it ranges from 3 - 4 reps (for strength and connective tissue training) to 100 reps or more (for increasing blood volume and capillarization of the muscles).
CB: Have you tried all of the "mass building philosophies" out there, like HIT, Superslow, Power Factor, Max-OT, etc.? Any comments on what works and what is overhyped?
NN:
I've used a lot of different training techniques that are out there and actually have incorporated a few of their principles into my own programs. HIT I've found to be not effective for me at all.
I do better on a volume-based approach. It can work for some but I haven't gotten good results with it.
Superslow basically goes against the basic physiology of how a muscle produces force. To really build strength and muscle, you need to move the weight at a faster pace and use a heavier weight.
Superslow is very dangerous for athletes as well - it will teach the muscles to move slowly and they won't respond well on the field. Who wants to train to be slow?!When a "superslow" athletes goes out on the field and loads the muscles with explosive bursts (like what happens in almost all sports), injuries are inevitable.
Power Factor - very good technique. I use some of the principles in my own training (especially the heavy partials and the volume approach).
Max-OT is a good program with more in common with HIT training. I've seen better results with greater bodypart training frequency and lower individual bodypart volume myself (this means instead of working the biceps once a week with a lot of sets in a workout, I work the biceps 3 times a week with fewer sets).
Leo Costas programs (Serious Growth, Bulgarian Burst, etc.) are excellent. I've always gotten great results with those. There are plenty of good, effective programs out there. There is also some real garbage, too.
CB: What's in your typical post-workout shake? Have you found any other supplements to be effective for mass building and strength workouts?
NN:
My typical post-workout shake is protein, glutamine, greens powder, vitamin C, and a simple sugar source (like Tang drink mix).
Sometimes, creatine will be there as well.
I also take a multi-vitamin, calcium/magnesium, anti-oxidant, and joint nutrients like glucosamine and MSM.
I've been testing a lot of different supplements recently but other than the basics like creatine, protein and glutamine, I haven't found any that really lived up to the hype. I've even tried some with research behind them and haven't seen a big difference over and above the basics (and I'm training hard enough where I should notice a difference).
In a nutshell, get your nutrition in order first. You'll get better results by spending your money on good food than on most of the supplements you see in the magazines.
CB: Thanks Nick.
Click HERE to see innovative exercise site: Powerful Training Secrets
Try out some of these exerciss and watch yourself grow,
CB
P.S. Nick's site is dirt cheap...
I can't believe the price...
Go on, give it a look ==>
Click HERE to see innovative exercise site: Powerful Training Secrets
CB: What kind of split routine do you follow?
NN:
Right now, for mass building, it varies quite a lot.
I have a program that I've created that basically breaks most of the rules that you'll read in bodybuilding magazines and books.
I switch my splits from upper body/lower body, to total body training, to mixed bodyparts, to specialization, all in the course of a few weeks. There are times when I'll train a bodypart 3 days in a row. I'll be publishing this program later this year but the fundamental idea is that you don't need to overload your body with excess calories to gain muscle and strength. With the right combination of training and nutrition, you can actually gain muscle and strength while eating below maintenance calorie levels.
My first round through it, I gained 8 pounds in 8 weeks without eating over maintenance calorie levels. For an experienced lifter, that's a pretty substantial gain. Keep your eyes open for it!
Click HERE to see innovative exercise site: Powerful Training Secrets
CB: Indeed I will. What type of exercises do you use? Do you use a lot of your own exercise inventions here as well?
NN:
When going for mass, I generally stick to the basic exercise patterns.
I say "patterns" because I don't always do the same standard form each time. I add in my own variations of the basic exercises when I feel it's necessary.
Quite often, I will just stick with the basics, though. They work! One thing I do want to make clear is that training specificity is extremely important when trying to build mass and strength. While I do change exercises and use variations, it's extremely important to also do some of the same exercises regularly before switching them up. If you don't give your body the same training stimulus for at least a little while, it won't know what it needs to adapt to and nothing will happen. So basically, I don't change exercises every day but I try to rotate new ones in.
CB: Very good point. What rep range do you use in your mass programs?
NN:
It depends on the specific training techniques I'm using but it ranges from 3 - 4 reps (for strength and connective tissue training) to 100 reps or more (for increasing blood volume and capillarization of the muscles).
CB: Have you tried all of the "mass building philosophies" out there, like HIT, Superslow, Power Factor, Max-OT, etc.? Any comments on what works and what is overhyped?
NN:
I've used a lot of different training techniques that are out there and actually have incorporated a few of their principles into my own programs. HIT I've found to be not effective for me at all.
I do better on a volume-based approach. It can work for some but I haven't gotten good results with it.
Superslow basically goes against the basic physiology of how a muscle produces force. To really build strength and muscle, you need to move the weight at a faster pace and use a heavier weight.
Superslow is very dangerous for athletes as well - it will teach the muscles to move slowly and they won't respond well on the field. Who wants to train to be slow?!When a "superslow" athletes goes out on the field and loads the muscles with explosive bursts (like what happens in almost all sports), injuries are inevitable.
Power Factor - very good technique. I use some of the principles in my own training (especially the heavy partials and the volume approach).
Max-OT is a good program with more in common with HIT training. I've seen better results with greater bodypart training frequency and lower individual bodypart volume myself (this means instead of working the biceps once a week with a lot of sets in a workout, I work the biceps 3 times a week with fewer sets).
Leo Costas programs (Serious Growth, Bulgarian Burst, etc.) are excellent. I've always gotten great results with those. There are plenty of good, effective programs out there. There is also some real garbage, too.
CB: What's in your typical post-workout shake? Have you found any other supplements to be effective for mass building and strength workouts?
NN:
My typical post-workout shake is protein, glutamine, greens powder, vitamin C, and a simple sugar source (like Tang drink mix).
Sometimes, creatine will be there as well.
I also take a multi-vitamin, calcium/magnesium, anti-oxidant, and joint nutrients like glucosamine and MSM.
I've been testing a lot of different supplements recently but other than the basics like creatine, protein and glutamine, I haven't found any that really lived up to the hype. I've even tried some with research behind them and haven't seen a big difference over and above the basics (and I'm training hard enough where I should notice a difference).
In a nutshell, get your nutrition in order first. You'll get better results by spending your money on good food than on most of the supplements you see in the magazines.
CB: Thanks Nick.
Click HERE to see innovative exercise site: Powerful Training Secrets
Try out some of these exerciss and watch yourself grow,
CB
P.S. Nick's site is dirt cheap...
I can't believe the price...
Go on, give it a look ==>
Click HERE to see innovative exercise site: Powerful Training Secrets
Friday, December 08, 2006
15-Minute Rule
From Bill Hartman...
The 15 Minute Rule
"If you keep making that face it'll stay that way."
Maybe Mom was more correct than she knew.
From a health standpoint, I think posture may be the most ignored component of them all (okay, maybe diet ranks up there too).
Poor posture limits your ability to breathe, promotes overuse injuries, muscle imbalances, and back pain just to name a few.
Without an ongoing awareness of your posture on a daily basis, you can expect it progressively adapt to whatever shape you spend most of your time in. For instance, if you sit all day at a computer, you can expect to be shaped like the chair you sit in with a rounded back, rounded shoulders, and a forward head position.
Pretty, huh?
The processes that cause this progressive and undesirable adaptation in our posture are called stress-relaxation and creep.
Stress-relaxation is a progressive decline in the natural tension that tissues produce when placed under tension. When the tissues are held under constant tension for a long enough time, they begin to deform and elongate. This called creep. This becomes a relatively permanent elongation unless the tension is removed from the tissues before creep occurs.
You see gravity works.
It pulls down on you all day and as you relax your muscles and the tissues are exposed to that pull of gravity, stress-relaxation and creep will occur within about 10-20 minutes if you don't change position.
Your strategy to overcome this is the 15 Minute Rule.
Every 15 minutes to need to make an active postural correction and even better, change positions entirely. For instance, if you've been sitting, stand. If you've been slouching, sit as tall as possible. You may also want to perform some corrective stretching for about 15 seconds on key muscle groups that are prone to shortening.
Most common are the muscles that internally rotate the shoulders (pecs, lats, subscapularis), downwardly rotate your shoulder blades (levator scapulae, rhomboids), and flex the knee and the hip (TFL, psoas, iliacus, rectus femoris, and hamstrings).
The 15 Minute Rule is so important that when we designed our upper body performance training video Inside Out we felt it imperative to include daily postural correction strategies that lead to upper extremity injuries and declines in performance.
So I guess Mom was right in a sense...and, uh, eat your vegetables.
Later
Bill Hartman
P.S. My good buddy Mike Robertson gave me the following little tidbit of information. In Microsoft Outlook you can set an alarm to go off every 15 minutes to remind you to correct your posture. If you don't use outlook, go to Wal-Mart and buy a $20 watch with a count down timer on it and set it for 15 minutes.
Holiday Gift Idea: Get Inside-Out to maximize upper body performance
Just like you do preventative care on your car to maximize performance and prevent break-downs, Inside-Out: Ultimate Upper Body Warm-up does the same for you upper back, shoulders, and arms.
Inside-Out even addresses issues outside the gym to help correct postural issues that limit shoulder range of motion and upper back mobility that reduce shoulder turn and cause annoying upper back pain.
Click HERE for the amazing Inside Out DVD
The 15 Minute Rule
"If you keep making that face it'll stay that way."
Maybe Mom was more correct than she knew.
From a health standpoint, I think posture may be the most ignored component of them all (okay, maybe diet ranks up there too).
Poor posture limits your ability to breathe, promotes overuse injuries, muscle imbalances, and back pain just to name a few.
Without an ongoing awareness of your posture on a daily basis, you can expect it progressively adapt to whatever shape you spend most of your time in. For instance, if you sit all day at a computer, you can expect to be shaped like the chair you sit in with a rounded back, rounded shoulders, and a forward head position.
Pretty, huh?
The processes that cause this progressive and undesirable adaptation in our posture are called stress-relaxation and creep.
Stress-relaxation is a progressive decline in the natural tension that tissues produce when placed under tension. When the tissues are held under constant tension for a long enough time, they begin to deform and elongate. This called creep. This becomes a relatively permanent elongation unless the tension is removed from the tissues before creep occurs.
You see gravity works.
It pulls down on you all day and as you relax your muscles and the tissues are exposed to that pull of gravity, stress-relaxation and creep will occur within about 10-20 minutes if you don't change position.
Your strategy to overcome this is the 15 Minute Rule.
Every 15 minutes to need to make an active postural correction and even better, change positions entirely. For instance, if you've been sitting, stand. If you've been slouching, sit as tall as possible. You may also want to perform some corrective stretching for about 15 seconds on key muscle groups that are prone to shortening.
Most common are the muscles that internally rotate the shoulders (pecs, lats, subscapularis), downwardly rotate your shoulder blades (levator scapulae, rhomboids), and flex the knee and the hip (TFL, psoas, iliacus, rectus femoris, and hamstrings).
The 15 Minute Rule is so important that when we designed our upper body performance training video Inside Out we felt it imperative to include daily postural correction strategies that lead to upper extremity injuries and declines in performance.
So I guess Mom was right in a sense...and, uh, eat your vegetables.
Later
Bill Hartman
P.S. My good buddy Mike Robertson gave me the following little tidbit of information. In Microsoft Outlook you can set an alarm to go off every 15 minutes to remind you to correct your posture. If you don't use outlook, go to Wal-Mart and buy a $20 watch with a count down timer on it and set it for 15 minutes.
Holiday Gift Idea: Get Inside-Out to maximize upper body performance
Just like you do preventative care on your car to maximize performance and prevent break-downs, Inside-Out: Ultimate Upper Body Warm-up does the same for you upper back, shoulders, and arms.
Inside-Out even addresses issues outside the gym to help correct postural issues that limit shoulder range of motion and upper back mobility that reduce shoulder turn and cause annoying upper back pain.
Click HERE for the amazing Inside Out DVD
Friday workout
1a) high pull (3x3) - 205
1b) floor press (3x8) 210
2a) bb ss (3x12) - 135
2b) pullup (3x12)
That's all I had time for today
Here's Part 1 of a 4 Part interview with Nick Nilsson on how to flatten your abs, lose fat, and gain muscle. Nick is a personal trainer that brings unique exercises to the mix to freshen up your workouts while increasing your results.
Take it from me, Nick knows what he is talking about...just check out the secrets below on flattening your abs.
CB: Nick, your unique abdominal exercise e-book, "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" is excellent. I look forward to using some of those in my workouts. How do you come up with this stuff?
NN:
Glad you like the book!
There are definitely some exercises in there that have never been seen before. I come up with exercises in a variety of ways. Sometimes, I take an exercise I already know (like the crunch, for instance) and I try and think of other variations and unique ways of doing it either through angles, body position or adding resistance.
Sometimes, I will actually be doing a completely unrelated exercise for another bodypart and notice that I feel it in my abs a little. Then I'll take that feeling and run with it, trying to maximize the effect on the abs.
I've come with quite a few like that - the bench press crunch and curl squat are two prime examples. These use almost the same form and setup as their counterpart exercises but with unique modifications to throw the majority of tension on the abs. I don't think I've found an overall tougher ab exercise than the curl squat, let me tell you, but it builds incredible core strength faster than any other exercise I've ever used.
And still other times, the inspiration just comes out of nowhere and I have to check to make sure I've taken my medication
CB: Yeah, we all need our meds. So what are your top 3 keys to getting abs?
NN:
The top 3 keys are:
1. Fat loss - this is an easy one. You can develop the abs all you want and you may notice your midsection to be somewhat tighter but without losing the fat that covers the abs, you'll never know what great shape they're in!
2. Don't be afraid of low reps, tough exercises and using resistance - doing hundreds of crunches every day won't get you fast results. Usually, it won't get you ANY results! The abs respond best to lower reps and resistance. They thrive on it because they're designed for it! High reps don't build true core strength and definitely don't maximize ab development - that's done with resistance and tough exercises.
One of the most frequent comments I get when I mention that type of training is "won't the heavy resistance thicken your waist?" The answer is "no." Using myself as an example, I train my abs with very heavy resistance and with low reps and, at a bodyweight of 200 lbs, I have a 31" waist. Use resistance!
3. Rotational movement will flatten your abs, not hundreds of crunches - one of the biggest secrets that I've found with flattening the abs is that you need to work the deep muscles of the abs that wrap AROUND the midsection. The frontal, six-pack abs (the rectus abdominus) look great but they don't flatten anything.
Think of it this way...if you had an elastic tenser bandage (a.k.a. ACE bandage) and you wanted to wrap it so that your waist was smaller, you wouldn't throw it over your shoulders and in between your legs...you'd cinch it up AROUND your waist. THAT is what the deep muscles like the transversus and obliques do, not the six-pack area.
CB: Thanks Nick.
That's all for today, but Nick and I covered a huge range of fat loss and muscle-building topics, and I'll bring you more of that interview later this week.
In the meantime, click here to pick up your copy of Nick's e-book and start using some new ab-chiseling exercises today.
Here's to flatter abs,
CB
P.S. Nick has 77 ab exercises in his e-book...
That should keep your ab training fresh for a long, long time.
Click here to pick up your copy of Nick's e-book, "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of"
PPS - Here's a link to part 2 of the interview...
Click HERE for Nick's thoughts on intervals & home gyms
Take it from me, Nick knows what he is talking about...just check out the secrets below on flattening your abs.
CB: Nick, your unique abdominal exercise e-book, "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" is excellent. I look forward to using some of those in my workouts. How do you come up with this stuff?
NN:
Glad you like the book!
There are definitely some exercises in there that have never been seen before. I come up with exercises in a variety of ways. Sometimes, I take an exercise I already know (like the crunch, for instance) and I try and think of other variations and unique ways of doing it either through angles, body position or adding resistance.
Sometimes, I will actually be doing a completely unrelated exercise for another bodypart and notice that I feel it in my abs a little. Then I'll take that feeling and run with it, trying to maximize the effect on the abs.
I've come with quite a few like that - the bench press crunch and curl squat are two prime examples. These use almost the same form and setup as their counterpart exercises but with unique modifications to throw the majority of tension on the abs. I don't think I've found an overall tougher ab exercise than the curl squat, let me tell you, but it builds incredible core strength faster than any other exercise I've ever used.
And still other times, the inspiration just comes out of nowhere and I have to check to make sure I've taken my medication
CB: Yeah, we all need our meds. So what are your top 3 keys to getting abs?
NN:
The top 3 keys are:
1. Fat loss - this is an easy one. You can develop the abs all you want and you may notice your midsection to be somewhat tighter but without losing the fat that covers the abs, you'll never know what great shape they're in!
2. Don't be afraid of low reps, tough exercises and using resistance - doing hundreds of crunches every day won't get you fast results. Usually, it won't get you ANY results! The abs respond best to lower reps and resistance. They thrive on it because they're designed for it! High reps don't build true core strength and definitely don't maximize ab development - that's done with resistance and tough exercises.
One of the most frequent comments I get when I mention that type of training is "won't the heavy resistance thicken your waist?" The answer is "no." Using myself as an example, I train my abs with very heavy resistance and with low reps and, at a bodyweight of 200 lbs, I have a 31" waist. Use resistance!
3. Rotational movement will flatten your abs, not hundreds of crunches - one of the biggest secrets that I've found with flattening the abs is that you need to work the deep muscles of the abs that wrap AROUND the midsection. The frontal, six-pack abs (the rectus abdominus) look great but they don't flatten anything.
Think of it this way...if you had an elastic tenser bandage (a.k.a. ACE bandage) and you wanted to wrap it so that your waist was smaller, you wouldn't throw it over your shoulders and in between your legs...you'd cinch it up AROUND your waist. THAT is what the deep muscles like the transversus and obliques do, not the six-pack area.
CB: Thanks Nick.
That's all for today, but Nick and I covered a huge range of fat loss and muscle-building topics, and I'll bring you more of that interview later this week.
In the meantime, click here to pick up your copy of Nick's e-book and start using some new ab-chiseling exercises today.
Here's to flatter abs,
CB
P.S. Nick has 77 ab exercises in his e-book...
That should keep your ab training fresh for a long, long time.
Click here to pick up your copy of Nick's e-book, "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of"
PPS - Here's a link to part 2 of the interview...
Click HERE for Nick's thoughts on intervals & home gyms
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Bench Workout
1) Snatch (3x3) to practice technique only - this was good - and I appreciate mike boyle's comments in his book about the snatch being easier to teach than the clean
2a) Bench (3x5) - 255
2b) Rack Pulls (3x10) - 245
3a) mixed grip pullups or muscle ups (3xwhatever)
3b) EZ bar triceps (3x8)
Fun workout. My legs, adductors, are still sore from mondays squat workout. Very sore.
CB
2a) Bench (3x5) - 255
2b) Rack Pulls (3x10) - 245
3a) mixed grip pullups or muscle ups (3xwhatever)
3b) EZ bar triceps (3x8)
Fun workout. My legs, adductors, are still sore from mondays squat workout. Very sore.
CB
31 Exercises You Can Do At Home
Okay, how you doing with the holiday rush? Hope you are holding up well...
Now if you haven't checked out my 10-minute Holiday Workout, I recommend you get it HERE
In addition, here's a list of many dumbbell and bodyweight exercises you can do at home over the holidays - just in case you can't get to the gym.
After all, many people don't have time to consistently go to the gym and want to workout at home. But how many exercises can you do in your workouts at home with dumbbells?
I have put together some training options you can do at home. The options include dumbbell workouts and exercises that need no external resistance. I have provided many options so that even a home workout can have variety.
(DB = dumbbell)
Leg Exercises
DB squat
DB lunge
DB step-up (onto bench)
DB split squat
Chest Exercises
DB Flat Chest Press
DB Incline Chest Press
DB Decline Chest Press
DB Flat Chest Fl
yDB Incline Chest Fly
DB Decline Chest Fly
DB Pullover
Back Exercises
DB Row
DB Shrug
DB Row-Shrug Hybrid
Shoulder Exercises
DB Shoulder Press
DB -1arm Shoulder Press
DB Lateral Raise
DB Rear Delt Raise
Next is a bunch of leg exercises that will not require external resistance. They challenge you for leg strength, endurance, balance, and agility.
1-leg squat
1-leg deadlift
1-leg romanian deadlift
Push-up Options
Finally, the push-up is an upper-body exercise that is effective at building upper-body endurance and moderate levels of strength.
Pushups (kneeling for beginners)
Decline Pushups
Elevated Pushup (one hand elevated 4-6 inches on a riser)
Spiderman Pushups (bring your knee to your elbow as you lower your body to the floor)
Close-grip Pushups
Ab Exercises
In our ab training, we try to avoid spinal flexion (i.e. rounding the back in crunches). So we stick with...
Plank
Side Plank
Bird Dog (these three are the most basic exercises to start with, and are great for people that need to improve abdominal endurance)
Then into more advanced ab exercises that still avoid spinal flexion:
Spiderman Climber
Mountain Climber
Whew, that's it, and should keep you busy with your workouts at home.
Train safe, train hard, train fast,
CB
PS - Get your 10-minute workout plan to get you through the last bit of holidays...
...and to help you deal with the holiday rush at the gym. This workout will allow you to avoid the crowds, and get out of there fast!
This 10 min holiday workout was amazing. When you sent it to me it couldn?t have come at a better time. I missed my training session for the day and didn?t have much time to get a workout in so I tried your new TT 10 min holiday workout. It was awesome. Not only did it hit every major muscle group, but my heart rate was sky high?two big components in fat burning! I develop workouts all of the time for myself and my own clients. Your ten minute TT workout was easy to follow, quick and still kicked my butt. Great job and thanks for the program!!?
Keith Scott, CSCS, ATC
I love this new 10 minute workout from the Member?s section. It makes it so easy for me when I am too tight for time. Also the layout of the exercises plus pics together are great. It is so easy to follow now. The combination of execises are really great and I am getting results all the time. The incredible part is my tummy is getting smaller without having to do all those crunches and situps. TT exercises are great.
Shelly Wong Oi Hou
go here ===> 10-minute Holiday Workout
Now if you haven't checked out my 10-minute Holiday Workout, I recommend you get it HERE
In addition, here's a list of many dumbbell and bodyweight exercises you can do at home over the holidays - just in case you can't get to the gym.
After all, many people don't have time to consistently go to the gym and want to workout at home. But how many exercises can you do in your workouts at home with dumbbells?
I have put together some training options you can do at home. The options include dumbbell workouts and exercises that need no external resistance. I have provided many options so that even a home workout can have variety.
(DB = dumbbell)
Leg Exercises
DB squat
DB lunge
DB step-up (onto bench)
DB split squat
Chest Exercises
DB Flat Chest Press
DB Incline Chest Press
DB Decline Chest Press
DB Flat Chest Fl
yDB Incline Chest Fly
DB Decline Chest Fly
DB Pullover
Back Exercises
DB Row
DB Shrug
DB Row-Shrug Hybrid
Shoulder Exercises
DB Shoulder Press
DB -1arm Shoulder Press
DB Lateral Raise
DB Rear Delt Raise
Next is a bunch of leg exercises that will not require external resistance. They challenge you for leg strength, endurance, balance, and agility.
1-leg squat
1-leg deadlift
1-leg romanian deadlift
Push-up Options
Finally, the push-up is an upper-body exercise that is effective at building upper-body endurance and moderate levels of strength.
Pushups (kneeling for beginners)
Decline Pushups
Elevated Pushup (one hand elevated 4-6 inches on a riser)
Spiderman Pushups (bring your knee to your elbow as you lower your body to the floor)
Close-grip Pushups
Ab Exercises
In our ab training, we try to avoid spinal flexion (i.e. rounding the back in crunches). So we stick with...
Plank
Side Plank
Bird Dog (these three are the most basic exercises to start with, and are great for people that need to improve abdominal endurance)
Then into more advanced ab exercises that still avoid spinal flexion:
Spiderman Climber
Mountain Climber
Whew, that's it, and should keep you busy with your workouts at home.
Train safe, train hard, train fast,
CB
PS - Get your 10-minute workout plan to get you through the last bit of holidays...
...and to help you deal with the holiday rush at the gym. This workout will allow you to avoid the crowds, and get out of there fast!
This 10 min holiday workout was amazing. When you sent it to me it couldn?t have come at a better time. I missed my training session for the day and didn?t have much time to get a workout in so I tried your new TT 10 min holiday workout. It was awesome. Not only did it hit every major muscle group, but my heart rate was sky high?two big components in fat burning! I develop workouts all of the time for myself and my own clients. Your ten minute TT workout was easy to follow, quick and still kicked my butt. Great job and thanks for the program!!?
Keith Scott, CSCS, ATC
I love this new 10 minute workout from the Member?s section. It makes it so easy for me when I am too tight for time. Also the layout of the exercises plus pics together are great. It is so easy to follow now. The combination of execises are really great and I am getting results all the time. The incredible part is my tummy is getting smaller without having to do all those crunches and situps. TT exercises are great.
Shelly Wong Oi Hou
go here ===> 10-minute Holiday Workout
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
12 Days of Fitness
The Fitness Consulting Group presents...
The 12 Days of Fitness!
“We’re Spreading the Holiday Spirit With 12 Straight Days of Gifts That Will Help You Grow
Your Business, Make More Money, and Turn Your Clients Into ‘Raving Fans!’”
Dear Fellow Fitness Professional,
A few days ago we were trying to come up with a way to celebrate the holiday season with you, our colleagues and friends, and share our gratitude for helping to make 2006 the best year we’ve ever had.
During a conversation with superstar trainer Dax Moy, he suggested that we model something he did last year called “The 12 Days of Christmas.” After Dax explained the way it worked, we were certain that this was the perfect way to celebrate the season and offer you some great resources to help you make the upcoming year your best ever!We’ve called in favors from some of the industry’s most successful pros, and they've agreed to join in the holiday gift giving spirit.
A number of fitness professionals have offered free gifts while others have deeply discounted some of their best selling products- all in an effort to make this a very special holiday season for you.
Sign up for free stuff here:
http://www.12daysoffitness.com/
What could be better or easier?
CB
The 12 Days of Fitness!
“We’re Spreading the Holiday Spirit With 12 Straight Days of Gifts That Will Help You Grow
Your Business, Make More Money, and Turn Your Clients Into ‘Raving Fans!’”
Dear Fellow Fitness Professional,
A few days ago we were trying to come up with a way to celebrate the holiday season with you, our colleagues and friends, and share our gratitude for helping to make 2006 the best year we’ve ever had.
During a conversation with superstar trainer Dax Moy, he suggested that we model something he did last year called “The 12 Days of Christmas.” After Dax explained the way it worked, we were certain that this was the perfect way to celebrate the season and offer you some great resources to help you make the upcoming year your best ever!We’ve called in favors from some of the industry’s most successful pros, and they've agreed to join in the holiday gift giving spirit.
A number of fitness professionals have offered free gifts while others have deeply discounted some of their best selling products- all in an effort to make this a very special holiday season for you.
Sign up for free stuff here:
http://www.12daysoffitness.com/
What could be better or easier?
CB
Stuck at the photoshoot again...
...Reading magazines. Gone through 2 issues of Oxygen and now I'm reading the Dec 2006 issue of Men's Health. I have a tip on page 28.
MH also suggests using www.coromega.com as the best source of fish oil (p. 48).
It also has "14 ways to eat your veggies" and a good article by both adam campbell and alwyn cosgrove.
New Female Training Blog
Another colleague of mine has set up a training blog dedicated to female fitness. He specializes in training female athletes and females for fat loss, but with different exercises than I use...he has access to some additional creative toys such as sleds. Take a look at his thoughts on training, including some of the fun workouts he'll soon be posting.
I really like his thoughts on overtraining - what an overused, misunderstood phrase.
go here ==>> Women's Workouts Blog
CB
Sore Knees & Fat Loss Workouts
I've received a lot of emails from readers and trainers about how to do certain exercises if you have sore knees.
Now having "bad knees" seems to be more and more common these days. Whether it's from too much running in the past, a previous sports injury, general muscle weakness, or too much wear and tear from being overweight, sore knees can prevent people from doing many popular workout programs.
First off, always consult with your doctor and get referred to the appropriate specialist if you have knee pain.
And in general, avoid anything that causes more pain...pretty simple, right? Also, avoid anything that causes any type of inflammation.
So if the joint hurts during the workout, or feels hot and bothered in the hours and days after the session, you need to eliminate the offending exercises. (And that goes for any joint - elbows, shoulders, wrists, etc.).
So what can you do for weight loss if you have sore knees? Nothing, right? All is lost...
I'm kidding, you know that! Of course there is hope.
Find the best therapist in your area and have them take a look at you...get professional help and follow their instructions to the letter.
There are some effective lower body exercises (of varying difficulty) that can be done lying down. These exercises strengthen the muscles of the lower body and maybe even prepare you for more traditional lower body exercises in the future (like squats and lunges). You also need to learn which muscles need extra stretching.
I've seen big-time improvements happen with professional help.
Now you won't improve overnight, but with consistency, you can build up your hamstrings, glutes and quadriceps muscles to work more effectively, and relieve the knee joint of it's pain and suffering.
And not surprisingly, proper nutrition can also help out.
How can good nutrition improve your knees?
Well, first you must know that eating according to the "Western Lifestyle" (sugars, bad fats, and too much food in general) can lead to inflammation in the body.
On the other hand, the TT lifestyle, characterized by low-sugar intakes, healthy fats (especially fish oils), and Green Tea, will reduce the inflammation in your body. Not only will this improve your cardiovascular health, but it should reduce the inflammation in your joints.
So eat well and talk to a nutritionist to remove inflammatory foods from your diet and increase inflammation-reducing foods.
In addition, see a trainer and have them assess where you need to work on flexibility and how you can include some "knee-friendly" exercises in your workout program. These exercises include:
- Lying Hip Extensions (also known as Lying Hip Bridges)
- Single-leg Hip Extensions (Used in the TT Bodyweight 4-week program)
- Lying Hip Extensions with your feet on the ball (Click here to see these - scroll waaaay down)
- Lying Stability Ball Leg Curls (Used in the TT for Fat Loss program)
And remember, always talk to your doctor about the best possible exercise selection to help reduce your knee pain.
Train safe, train smart, and train better,
CB
P.S. Improve your knees, improve your health, and vice-versa...
Losing fat will help reduce your knee pain, your blood pressure, your cholesterol levels, and the list goes on. And the best way to do so is with a structured exercise plan, that takes you from the beginner level right through to more advanced fast-blasting workouts.
I guarantee that my TT for Fat Loss report will help you do all of the above or I will refund your money, no questions asked.
"I will not forget what you have done for me, my blood pressure is getting better, I am eating better and looking better."
Joe Hallman, Pennsylvania
Click here to order the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss program and start improving your health and fitness today
Now having "bad knees" seems to be more and more common these days. Whether it's from too much running in the past, a previous sports injury, general muscle weakness, or too much wear and tear from being overweight, sore knees can prevent people from doing many popular workout programs.
First off, always consult with your doctor and get referred to the appropriate specialist if you have knee pain.
And in general, avoid anything that causes more pain...pretty simple, right? Also, avoid anything that causes any type of inflammation.
So if the joint hurts during the workout, or feels hot and bothered in the hours and days after the session, you need to eliminate the offending exercises. (And that goes for any joint - elbows, shoulders, wrists, etc.).
So what can you do for weight loss if you have sore knees? Nothing, right? All is lost...
I'm kidding, you know that! Of course there is hope.
Find the best therapist in your area and have them take a look at you...get professional help and follow their instructions to the letter.
There are some effective lower body exercises (of varying difficulty) that can be done lying down. These exercises strengthen the muscles of the lower body and maybe even prepare you for more traditional lower body exercises in the future (like squats and lunges). You also need to learn which muscles need extra stretching.
I've seen big-time improvements happen with professional help.
Now you won't improve overnight, but with consistency, you can build up your hamstrings, glutes and quadriceps muscles to work more effectively, and relieve the knee joint of it's pain and suffering.
And not surprisingly, proper nutrition can also help out.
How can good nutrition improve your knees?
Well, first you must know that eating according to the "Western Lifestyle" (sugars, bad fats, and too much food in general) can lead to inflammation in the body.
On the other hand, the TT lifestyle, characterized by low-sugar intakes, healthy fats (especially fish oils), and Green Tea, will reduce the inflammation in your body. Not only will this improve your cardiovascular health, but it should reduce the inflammation in your joints.
So eat well and talk to a nutritionist to remove inflammatory foods from your diet and increase inflammation-reducing foods.
In addition, see a trainer and have them assess where you need to work on flexibility and how you can include some "knee-friendly" exercises in your workout program. These exercises include:
- Lying Hip Extensions (also known as Lying Hip Bridges)
- Single-leg Hip Extensions (Used in the TT Bodyweight 4-week program)
- Lying Hip Extensions with your feet on the ball (Click here to see these - scroll waaaay down)
- Lying Stability Ball Leg Curls (Used in the TT for Fat Loss program)
And remember, always talk to your doctor about the best possible exercise selection to help reduce your knee pain.
Train safe, train smart, and train better,
CB
P.S. Improve your knees, improve your health, and vice-versa...
Losing fat will help reduce your knee pain, your blood pressure, your cholesterol levels, and the list goes on. And the best way to do so is with a structured exercise plan, that takes you from the beginner level right through to more advanced fast-blasting workouts.
I guarantee that my TT for Fat Loss report will help you do all of the above or I will refund your money, no questions asked.
"I will not forget what you have done for me, my blood pressure is getting better, I am eating better and looking better."
Joe Hallman, Pennsylvania
Click here to order the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss program and start improving your health and fitness today
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Mike Boyles book...
Lots of time on my hands today, so I'm reading mike boyle's "designing strength training programs and facilities"
Lots of good progressions for 1-leg exercises as well as abdominal work.
Here are some other good points:
1) "If you can't teach a lift, don't use it in your programs"
I recently watched a trainer, who I know can't do a proper barbell squat, try and teach a client to do a barbell squat. How does that make sense?
It doesn't, of course.
2) Tight abs can contribute to kyphosis (the rounded shoulders). A lot of direct ab work can tighten the abs, so do only as much as needed, and do some stretching for the abs.
3) Mike provides an excellent calculation for determining the optimal weight for an athlete's jump squat. I had not seen this before - it's good stuff.
4) Mike has an excellent debate on the use of front squats vs back squats, the importance of the bencj press, the need for deadlifts and rdl's, and the substitution of single leg exercises to help reduce spine loading.
5) Mike includes a very unique table that takes your 1RM bench press and predicts your 5RM bench, 10 RM db press, and a few other exercises. Very useful - not entirely accurate for some of my numbers but useful.
A must read for all strength coaches - get it HERE
Get reading,
CB
Magazine photoshoot
I'm at another magazibe photoshoot today. The model is able to do all the exercises very well, however, he has the classic limited mobility in his shoulder joint and rounded shoulders. This could definitely be putting hoimn at rsik to rotator cuff injury.
My recommendation for him and anyone that suffers fronm a lack of shoulder mobility would be Bill Hartman and Mike Robertswon's DVD - The Inside Out Upper Body Warm-up.
Get the DVD here - I strongly recommend it
Stay mobile,
CB
Cardio Intervals for Fat Loss
I get a lot of questions about intervals...
What's the best way to do them?
How long should they be?
How many should I do?
Should I do them after weights or on rest days?
Why do you recommend intervals for beginners? Isn't that dangerous.
First, a little background...
Intervals are the single most results producing exercise that I've ever found for boosting your metabolism, helping you burn inches off your body, and giving you a tight, lean, strong shape.
Just to clarify...
An interval is a short period of exercise performed at a given intensity for a specific length of time. Each interval is separated from the next interval by a short rest or lighter activity. There are no strict rules on how long or how intense the interval must be, however, changing the interval length or intensity changes the way your body works and responds to exercise.
That's why beginners can do interval training. An interval doesn't have to be a sprint for your life. An interval just needs to be more intense than normal cardio. So a beginner that regularly walks at 3.3mph on the treadmill for 20 minutes can do an interval at 3.6mph for 1-2 minutes.
It's as simple as that. They don't have to put their track spikes on and run repeated 100-meter dashes.
As for the best length of interval?
It's unknown. The recent Australian interval study had subjects work for 8 seconds and recover for 12 seconds. The Tabata interval program uses 20 second intervals with 10 seconds rest. Other research uses 30 second intervals to increase fitness. And you can even do aerobic intervals of 2-3 minutes in length.
That is why my programs use a variety of interval durations. If I ever hear of the best interval length, you better believe you'll be the first to know!
Moving on to rest intervals...Never sacrifice the quality of rest between intervals because this will only reduce the benefits. To succeed with intervals, you must first shake the mindset of traditional continuous cardio training. Do not use a regular cardio pace for your interval rest period. That just sucks the intensity from your real interval. Take it real easy during the recovery period.
Intervals continue to burn calories and fat after the training session, and that's something you won't get from slower, longer sessions of cardio. Afterburn, Turbulence, whatever (c'mon, someone think of a cool new name), you'll get it if you do intervals.
Use this workout 3 times per week to blast fat. You can do the intervals after strength training, but not before. You can also do intervals on rest days. That might be a way to increase your results. I'm not sure.
BEGINNERS: Start with this beginner protocol:
Warm-up for 5-minutes.
Work for 30 seconds at an 8/10 level of intensity.
Follow that with "active rest" for 90 seconds at a 3/10 level of intensity.
Repeat for 3-6 intervals.
Finish with 5 minutes at 3/10 for a cool-down.
ADVANCED: As you become accustomed to intervals, progress to the experienced protocol:
Warm-up for 5-10 minutes.
Work at a 9/10 level of intensity for 30 seconds.
Follow that with active rest for 60 seconds at a 3/10 level of intensity.
Repeat for 4-8 intervals.
Finish with 5 minutes of low intensity exercise for a cool-down.
That's it, that's all.
I'll keep you posted on all the latest interval research,
CB
PS. For the most variety in interval training...
Get the 6-Month Bodyweight Manual. With progressively increasing interval programs, you'll kickstart your fat loss every 4-weeks as the training phases shift. Not too mention, you'll have fun working out.
The bodyweight workouts are tough, but exhilarating.
"I have been going to the gym for a number of years and am always looking for newer and more efficient ways to work out. I started doing the TT program about 8 weeks ago and already (to my surprise) I am leaner than I have been in about 3 years. I am also finding that I am actually less tired than what I was doing other programs that I have tried, most of which involved longer cardio, rather than the short hard intervals recommended in TT. Given the variety of workouts within the program I hope that I will never be bored or have an inefficient workout in the gym again. I highly recommended it for anyone especially those who feel like they have plateaued."
Rebecca Organo
Click HERE to get the 6-Month manual
Monday, December 04, 2006
Monday workout
Day 2 of the new workout phase. Schedule is a bit messed up b/c I did one workout last week already.
This will be the last phase for this year - I didn't hit all of my training goals but here's expecting 2007 to be even better
1a) Wide Squat (3x5) 345
1b) neutral grip chinups (5x6)
2a) trap bar DL (3x8)
2b) OH KB press (3x12)
3a) cable abs (3x12)
3b) EZ Bar curl (3x6)
Something crazy happened while I was working out. More on this in a future newsletter
Back to work. Today is the first day on the job for my new affiliate manager Dan Brown. He's going to help me kick turbulence training into an even higher gear.
CB
He's back
The nutrition expert is back, tackling nutrition myths and helping you simplify the always confusing, far-too-complex world of nutrition.
Put this nutrition blog into your favorites
CB
Put this nutrition blog into your favorites
CB
Overweight Cop Stories
In the news this weekend...
a study finds that 2/3 of Toronto cops are overweight and 20% are obese.
That's not good.
More info..."Almost 90 percent of respondents admitted they had poor nutrition habits and 65 percent said they were overweight - 20 percent said they'd been diagnosed as obese. Just under half reported an unhealthy fitness level."
So we probably can't hope they are just too muscular and that made them "seem overweight"...
For the full story: http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_5812.aspx
Now, I've helped a cop lose weight before, but he had a very difficult schedule. If I remember correctly it was 4 12 hour shifts in a row and then 5 days off. During his shifts he only had one break to eat, so it was difficult to stick to great nutrition.
So I will cut them a little slack. However, considering the other days off, the numbers above are unacceptable. I hope that each officer will take it upon themselves to improve.
It's common sense that this profession should have high levels of fitness and nutrition habits. There really is no excuse otherwise.
We all know there is a program or two out there that shows men and women how to get results in only 3 workouts of 45 minutes each week. I think one is called "turbo training".
All of this reminds me of a story from my graduate studies at McMaster. I was asked to do a couple of VO2 max tests for injured police officer cadets "hopefuls" that could not perform the aerobic beep test. (They needed to pass an aerobic fitness test to get into police college).
Each of the female cadets that came to the physiology lab at Mac had to score around 40ml/kg/min in the VO2max test done on a cycle ergometer.
Unfortunately for one woman, she didn't succeed. I felt bad, but what could I do?
Two nights later, the phone rings. It's the police cadet, half-sobbing, half-talking, offering a bribe if I would change her test results.
Quickest 50 bucks I ever earned.
Just kidding.
Of course I said no. And later I found out she ran the beep test anyways, despite her shin splints, and she passed. So she got into police college...but I always wonder what happened to this lady...and what type of cop she turned out to be...
CB
a study finds that 2/3 of Toronto cops are overweight and 20% are obese.
That's not good.
More info..."Almost 90 percent of respondents admitted they had poor nutrition habits and 65 percent said they were overweight - 20 percent said they'd been diagnosed as obese. Just under half reported an unhealthy fitness level."
So we probably can't hope they are just too muscular and that made them "seem overweight"...
For the full story: http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_5812.aspx
Now, I've helped a cop lose weight before, but he had a very difficult schedule. If I remember correctly it was 4 12 hour shifts in a row and then 5 days off. During his shifts he only had one break to eat, so it was difficult to stick to great nutrition.
So I will cut them a little slack. However, considering the other days off, the numbers above are unacceptable. I hope that each officer will take it upon themselves to improve.
It's common sense that this profession should have high levels of fitness and nutrition habits. There really is no excuse otherwise.
We all know there is a program or two out there that shows men and women how to get results in only 3 workouts of 45 minutes each week. I think one is called "turbo training".
All of this reminds me of a story from my graduate studies at McMaster. I was asked to do a couple of VO2 max tests for injured police officer cadets "hopefuls" that could not perform the aerobic beep test. (They needed to pass an aerobic fitness test to get into police college).
Each of the female cadets that came to the physiology lab at Mac had to score around 40ml/kg/min in the VO2max test done on a cycle ergometer.
Unfortunately for one woman, she didn't succeed. I felt bad, but what could I do?
Two nights later, the phone rings. It's the police cadet, half-sobbing, half-talking, offering a bribe if I would change her test results.
Quickest 50 bucks I ever earned.
Just kidding.
Of course I said no. And later I found out she ran the beep test anyways, despite her shin splints, and she passed. So she got into police college...but I always wonder what happened to this lady...and what type of cop she turned out to be...
CB
Fat Loss Workout & Nutrition QnA
Here's a summary of your workout and nutrition questions from last week...hopefully this helps you on your way to more fat loss...
Q: Hi, I'm an overweight woman (180 pounds) and I was wondering if I should still eat 1oz of protein per pound?
Answer:
Hi, first, just to clarify its grams per pounds, not ounces. Second, here are the limits from Dr. Chris Mohr found in the TT Nutrition Guidelines...
"Since women have less overall lean body mass than men, they won't require as high an amount of protein each day (0.8g of protein/lb of body weight will suffice). This value is still in line with the recommendations for strength trained athletes. For obese individuals, just as with the calorie estimations, the protein calculations will also be over-estimated.
Therefore, in my opinion, I would put women at a maximum of 150g of protein per day and men at a maximum of 200g of protein per day. Because being obese does put them at risk for diabetes, this would also impact kidney health, so obese individuals don't need the additional urea being filtered through if in fact they do have diabetes."
Q: Hi, can you give me some quickstart tips for morning nutrition? I find that if I mess it up in the morning, my nutrition goes downhill from there. Thanks!
Answer:
Here are 3 simple Nutrition Tips to help you get off to a good start...
1. Set the tone with the first meal of the day by consuming a lean protein source and high-fiber, low-glycemic carbohydrates. Fiber at this meal will help control blood sugar over the morning and can help modify appetite at subsequent meals.
2. Consume mini-meals to prevent starvation-induced meal binges and energy slumps.
3. Choose snacks that contain protein and fiber, such as almonds.
Q: I read your article on Bodybuilding.com. I am looking to get a new workout program to help me lose fat, but I only have time to train 3 days per week.
Answer:
Sorry, I'm not taking any new personal clients. However, I guarantee that you'll find what you need in the TT for Fat Loss manual. Three workouts per week, all can be done at home, and less than 45 minutes per session.
Q: Just wanted to let you know I really enjoy the tt workouts. However I was wondering if they could be adjusted with lower reps 5 or below.It seems as if my muscle density is improved with lower reps.I need to lose fat and improve conditioning but need to be stronger also. Don't seem to getting any stronger with the 6-8 reps. Realize this question a bit off the norm for tt.
Answer:
Yes, that is fine. I do that in my workouts. You can read them if you scroll through my blog at http://www.turbulencetraining.blogspot.com/ Stick with lower reps in the first superset, then back up to 6-8 for the second superset, then 8-12 for the third superset.
Q: I just started doing my TT workout in the AM. (5:30AM) to be exact. I know how to get my postworkout meal in after my workout, but what do I do for my preworkout meal. If I am just waking up at 5:30 I know I can't get a preworkout meal in ( not enough time). Anything eaten right after waking up will leave me too bloated to workout and will interfere with the workout , what's a fellow to do????? (5:30 AM ) Committment will make you do a lot of things you thought were impossible.
Answer:
Thanks for the email. If everything is going fine in terms of energy and fat loss, and your workouts are going fine, then don't worry too much about eating before training. Let me know if there are any problems.
If it were me, I'd try and have 10g of protein mixed with a bit of juice. You can even drink that during training...just make sure to dilute it a little more than a regular protein drink.
Q: How many days per week are the Turbulence Training fat loss workouts?
Answer:
The intense Turbulence Training workouts are 3 full body strength workouts per week. The intervals can be done on the same day, or alternatively, the intervals can be done on non-strength days.
So you could alternate strength training on one day, and intervals the next. Then take the 7th day off for light activity and rest.Or for another alternative, bodyweight circuits can be done on non-strength days in place of traditional interval training. I have 2 tough bodyweight circuits in this month's 10-minute workout. Get Turbulence Training HERE.
"I love the new 10 minute workouts - this is a great idea to print & take with me over the holidays."
Liz Wilson
"This 10 min holiday workout was amazing. When you sent it to me it couldn?t have come at a better time. I missed my training session for the day and didn?t have much time to get a workout in so I tried your new TT 10 min holiday workout. It was awesome. Not only did it hit every major muscle group, but my heart rate was sky high?two big components in fat burning! I develop workouts all of the time for myself and my own clients. Your ten minute TT workout was easy to follow, quick and still kicked my butt. Great job and thanks for the program!!"
Keith Scott, CSCS, ATC
Click HERE for the 10-minute workout
Okay everyone, have a great day,
CB
P.S. I better get back to work on building the membership site...
And I hope you'll take advantage of the Pre-Launch offer. Just a reminder, here's the deal...a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
Sunday, December 03, 2006
7-Day Fat Loss Workout Guide: Leg Workout of the Week
Hopefully you've made it through weekend 1 of 5 for the December holiday season. Did you get your workouts in? Did you stay on track? Get your fat loss group together (on-line or off-line) and keep supporting one another.
Now, here's your 7-day guide.
Monday
In today's TT workout, you should be full of energy and ready to go all out. So add 1 interval to your session and do 1 extra set of the 3rd superset in the lifting portion of your TT workout.
Here's a post for you if you are doing too much ab work and crunching away...
An example of an ab exercise that is hard on your spine
Tuesday
30 minute of activity. It can be intervals left over from the day before, an easier exercise session, or a bodyweight circuit. Have fun!
Want to learn more about my training ideas? Read an interview with CB here
Wednesday
Build a beautiful butt and a nice set of legs with this exercise...bulgarian split squat.
Check it out here (scroll down to the exercises).
Bodyweight exercises rule for women (and men) looking to build a lean, sexy, athletic body.
Thursday
30 minutes of activity followed by stretching for tight muscles only. Don't neglect to take care of your body.
Friday
After your TT workout, stick to your nutrition plan! Don't blow it over the weekend. This is one of the most common weaknesses. So make sure that you have your food planned for the weekend, not just the week. That will help you avoid food temptation.
Saturday
30 minutes of exercise with your Social Support Group. Start planning next week's workouts, and trade nutrition and motivation tips with your group.
Listen, I could also use some social support. If you own a fitness, health, or nutrition website, I would love for you to be a Turbulence Training affiliate.
This December I am running a big promo on http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
If you'd like to learn more, and help me out, please sign-up for the affiliate newsletter.
Click HERE to sign-up for my affiliate newsletter
I'll be sending out a couple of emails this week to that list about the promo...Thanks!
Sunday
Plan, shop, and prepare.
I recently cut back on oatmeal and bread because I felt that it was contributing to making me tired. And since I've done that, I've felt that I've had more mental alertness.
In their place, I've started eating more apples, grapefruits, nuts, and bananas. So far, so good. Getting more done in the day, and feeling less sleepy (so long as the dog doesn't get up at 4am everyday!).
Stay strong,
CB
P.S. Feedback on the 10-Minute Workouts...
"Craig, These 10 minute TT workouts are right up my alley and they work! I've been following these workouts ever since we've had our first daughter and they allow me to balance out my life between work, family time and taking care of my health! For any busy man or for the man who is in a rush on a regular basis, there are NO excuses about skipping workouts when you can follow these 10 minute TT workouts! Thanks for the awesome workouts Craig!"
Zach Even - Esh
http://REALmanFitness.com
Click HERE to get the 10-minute workouts cheap
(The price goes up Monday at 9pm)
Now, here's your 7-day guide.
Monday
In today's TT workout, you should be full of energy and ready to go all out. So add 1 interval to your session and do 1 extra set of the 3rd superset in the lifting portion of your TT workout.
Here's a post for you if you are doing too much ab work and crunching away...
An example of an ab exercise that is hard on your spine
Tuesday
30 minute of activity. It can be intervals left over from the day before, an easier exercise session, or a bodyweight circuit. Have fun!
Want to learn more about my training ideas? Read an interview with CB here
Wednesday
Build a beautiful butt and a nice set of legs with this exercise...bulgarian split squat.
Check it out here (scroll down to the exercises).
Bodyweight exercises rule for women (and men) looking to build a lean, sexy, athletic body.
Thursday
30 minutes of activity followed by stretching for tight muscles only. Don't neglect to take care of your body.
Friday
After your TT workout, stick to your nutrition plan! Don't blow it over the weekend. This is one of the most common weaknesses. So make sure that you have your food planned for the weekend, not just the week. That will help you avoid food temptation.
Saturday
30 minutes of exercise with your Social Support Group. Start planning next week's workouts, and trade nutrition and motivation tips with your group.
Listen, I could also use some social support. If you own a fitness, health, or nutrition website, I would love for you to be a Turbulence Training affiliate.
This December I am running a big promo on http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
If you'd like to learn more, and help me out, please sign-up for the affiliate newsletter.
Click HERE to sign-up for my affiliate newsletter
I'll be sending out a couple of emails this week to that list about the promo...Thanks!
Sunday
Plan, shop, and prepare.
I recently cut back on oatmeal and bread because I felt that it was contributing to making me tired. And since I've done that, I've felt that I've had more mental alertness.
In their place, I've started eating more apples, grapefruits, nuts, and bananas. So far, so good. Getting more done in the day, and feeling less sleepy (so long as the dog doesn't get up at 4am everyday!).
Stay strong,
CB
P.S. Feedback on the 10-Minute Workouts...
"Craig, These 10 minute TT workouts are right up my alley and they work! I've been following these workouts ever since we've had our first daughter and they allow me to balance out my life between work, family time and taking care of my health! For any busy man or for the man who is in a rush on a regular basis, there are NO excuses about skipping workouts when you can follow these 10 minute TT workouts! Thanks for the awesome workouts Craig!"
Zach Even - Esh
http://REALmanFitness.com
Click HERE to get the 10-minute workouts cheap
(The price goes up Monday at 9pm)
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Articles for You
First, an article from Bill Hartman explaining what Turbulence Training is...very nice. Always good to hear another description of it...
Check it out HERE
An article from the NY Times with some scary obesity numbers, including the astronomical costs of the complications of obesity...plus, find out how much it costs to have a toe amputated (you could buy a small car for less!). And did you know that it can cost up to $7000 per year for medical treatment beyond health care insurance to deal with obesity, high cholesterol, and back pain?
And this was my favorite part of the article...
"This year, two nutritional scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rachel N. Close and Dale A. Schoeller, took a unique twist on the calculations to determine what “supersizing” a fast-food meal costs society. Paying 67 cents to supersize an order — 73 percent more calories for 17 percent more money — adds an average of 36 grams of adipose tissue. The future medical costs for that bargain would be $6.64 for an obese man and $3.46 for an obese woman. “The hidden financial costs associated with weight gain from upsizing a value meal may help convince people it is not a bargain,” Mr. Schoeller said."
Go to the NY Times for the full article
2 quick, worthwhile reads.
CB
Check it out HERE
An article from the NY Times with some scary obesity numbers, including the astronomical costs of the complications of obesity...plus, find out how much it costs to have a toe amputated (you could buy a small car for less!). And did you know that it can cost up to $7000 per year for medical treatment beyond health care insurance to deal with obesity, high cholesterol, and back pain?
And this was my favorite part of the article...
"This year, two nutritional scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rachel N. Close and Dale A. Schoeller, took a unique twist on the calculations to determine what “supersizing” a fast-food meal costs society. Paying 67 cents to supersize an order — 73 percent more calories for 17 percent more money — adds an average of 36 grams of adipose tissue. The future medical costs for that bargain would be $6.64 for an obese man and $3.46 for an obese woman. “The hidden financial costs associated with weight gain from upsizing a value meal may help convince people it is not a bargain,” Mr. Schoeller said."
Go to the NY Times for the full article
2 quick, worthwhile reads.
CB
6 Ways to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain
Almost 2/3 of Americans need to lose weight. And yes, this CAN be done over the holiday season. Don't wait for New Year's day to start your weight loss resolutions.
There are a number of workout and nutrition tips that can counter the effects of each bad nutrition and exercise habit that we have:
* It has been estimated that for every high-sugar drink you consume, you increase your risk of obesity by 60%! Soft drinks provide 33% of all added sugars in American diets.
Tip #1: Avoid drinking calories! No more soda, no more fruit juice (unless you've blended up an appropriate post-workout juice & protein concoction)
* In the USA, sugar consumption has increased from 26 to 32 teaspoons (between the 1970's and 1998).
* Americans eat an extra 150 kcal per day now in comparison to 1980. In theory, this could lead to 15 lbs. of weight gain per year!
Tip #2: Avoid over-eating treats at parties. If you can't have just one, don't have any at all!
Stick to your daily meal plan. If there is food served at the party and it's time for you to eat, then try to eat as normally as possible. Camp out at the veggie tray and eat shrimp for protein.
Generally, avoid anything that comes "in a blanket". Especially pigs.
* Your obesity risk increases 6-fold if you watch more than 2 hours of television each day.
Tip #3: Stay active. Walk around the mall a couple extra times if it means you'll avoid the couch and overeating at home. Stay busy, stay active, stay lean.
Hey, I didn't create the 10-minute Workout Plan for my health. I did it for you. Get your quick fix workout here.
* Only 25% of individuals exercise moderately for 30 minutes each day, whereas 25% of the population does no exercise at all.
Tip #4: It's not all or nothing. If you can only do 10 minutes of exercise, that is still better than nothing. Don't stop all exercise just because you can't do 30 minutes that day.
Heck, you'll amaze 95% of the other people in the gym with what you can accomplish in 10 minutes if you put your mind to it and train with a plan.
* Obesity continues to increase in the USA despite a continued decrease in the consumption of dietary fat. In 1994-96, fat accounted for 33% of total calories compared with 40% in the late 1970's.
* In 1994-96, just over half of the population reported eating fruit each day while the consumption of processed carbohydrates (such as bread, snack foods, and cereals) has increased 110% since the late 1970's.
Tip #5: Avoid contributing to other's weight problems. Buy something besides chocolate trays, Christmas cookies, and candy. Be "social support" for others by not putting them into "the eating danger zone" with your gifts.
* Milk consumption has decreased in children by 16% since the late 1970's, while consumption of soft drinks increased by 16%.
Tip #6: Don't keep soda in the house. If you don't buy it, neither you nor the kids will drink it.
Stick to these 6 simple tips and you'll stay lean over the holidays. Add in a little more exercise and you could do the impossible - lose fat over the holidays!
Whatever you do, don't stress!
Stay calm,
CB
P.S. Use the 10-min workout to get you through the holidays.
But on Monday, the price is going up to $14.99.
So get your Ten Dollar 10-Minute Fat Loss Solution here
'Craig, I have really enjoyed your TT workouts for the pure time I am saving on my workouts. It is stopping me stressing over finding time to exercise. I can fit a workout in anytime now it is great."
David Virgo
Friday, December 01, 2006
Top 20 Superfoods
If you want to lose fat, gain muscle, and improve performance, then it makes sense to go to the experts that have achieved this with themselves and with thousands of clients.
For nutrition, Dr. John Berardi is one of the experts worth listening to. Dr. Berardi is an experienced bodybuilder and University professor, and has provided us with his top 20 superfoods that we need to eat.
I ask John about nutrition every chance that I get because he knows a lot about what is arguably the most important part of the fat loss equation - nutrition.
Click HERE for more Berardi
CB: Do you suggest any superfoods that you think absolutely must be in everyone's diet for health and wellness purposes?
JB:
Here are 20 superfoods that I think are essential in every nutrition plan.
1) Lean Red Meat (93% lean, top round, or sirloin)
2) Salmon
3) Omega 3 Eggs
4) Low-fat, plain yogurt (lactose free if you can find it)
5) Supplemental protein (milk protein isolates or rice protein concentrate if you have a milk protein intolerance/allergy)
6) Spinach
7) Tomatoes
8) Cruciferous Vegetables
9) Mixed Berries
10) Oranges
11) Mixed Beans
12) Quinoa
13) Whole Oats
14) Mixed Nuts
15) Avocados
16) Olive Oil
17) Fish Oil
18) Flax Seeds (ground)
19) Green Tea
20) Liquid Recovery drinks
If you get a few servings of each of these foods every week, you'll be pretty close to that healthy eating intersection I keep talking about.
CB: That's great John. I want all my readers to go through this superfoods checklist and then get these foods on their shopping lists ASAP. Now, speaking of metabolism: what ratio of carbohydrates, fat and protein is best for fat loss or is this something that must be approached individually?
JB:
It really must be approached individually. You see, after working with thousands of clients, I've discovered that there is no 'one size fits all' approach to muscle gain or fat loss. There are different body types and each type requires a different prescription. For the sake of simplicity here, I'll break individuals up into 3 types:
*Body Type #1 - The Skinny Bastard - The skinny bastard is often characterized as having a 'fast metabolism.'
*Body Type #2 - The Fat Bastard - The fat bastard is often characterized as having a 'slow metabolism.'
*Body Type #3 - The Plain Ol’ Bastard - The envy of all. He's the guy that puts on muscle easily while staying lean. He grows and shrinks in proportion.
Okay, so these definitions maybe won't find their way into Webster's but they create a nice distinction between individuals. Now, you might be thinking that these distinctions aren't always evident. And you'd be right. In most trainees these distinctions are quite clear. However, with proper training and nutrition, drug use, or surgery, the line can sometimes be blurred.
Drug use and surgery aside, if you don't know which type an individual is you've got to find out what that person would look like with the removal of the training stimulus.
If the person would end up really thin, not appearing as if they even bothered to work out, then they're a skinny bastard. If the would end up really fat, appearing thick but very chubby/chunky, then they're a fat bastard. And if the person would still look like they work out, albeit a little worse than presently, then they're a plain ol' bastard.
You see it's not how you look today that's most important - it's how you'd look if you didn't train.
CB: So what does each type require?
JB:
I usually hesitate to prescribe macronutrient percentages and grams to clients - after all, isn't it my job to make it easy on them?
So rather than put them in the middle of a macronutrient minefield, I make it simple by translating all that calorie and macronutrient stuff into food that they can eat. As an old prof of mine used to say: "We don't eat calories, we don't eat protein, we don't eat carbs, and we don't eat fat. People eat food; apples and chicken breasts!"
So my nutrition prescriptions involve recommending different food choices at different times of the day. It makes it really simple for the client. No calculator or advanced math skills required.
CB: What about for the nutritionists reading this? How would you recommend they coach their clients with the 3 different body types?
JB:
Body Type #1 - The Skinny Bastard - usually requires a higher calorie, higher carbohydrate diet (vs. the other types) when trying to lose fat. Crash diets, in this group, lead to lots of lean mass lost.
These individuals can get lean by simply increasing their energy expenditure (usually through lower intensity cardio work - so as not to stress their already hyperactive sympathetic nervous systems) and by cleaning up their diets. Usually these body types can get lean from a diet that's 50% carbohydrate, 20% protein, and 30% fat. That's around what a self-selected nutrition intake would be anyway. That's why it's pretty easy for these individuals to get lean.
Body Type #2 - The Fat Bastard - usually requires a lower calorie diet that prioritizes protein and fat intake while keeping carbohydrate relatively low. When combined with more high intensity exercise (perhaps 5 weight training, 3 interval, and 2 low intensity cardio) sessions per week, a 30% carbohydrate, 35% protein, 35% fat diet works pretty well in this group - as long as they pay attention to nutrient timing.
Body Type #3 - The Plain Ol' Bastard - usually doesn’t have to lose fat - bastards! However, when they do, they usually can do so with a combination of the two approaches above - the exercise prescription of the fat bastard and the nutritional prescription of the skinny bastard.
CB: What about this nutrient timing concept you mentioned?
JB:
Good nutrient timing strategies are based on the fact that the body best handles different types of food at different times of the day. One of the most important nutrient timing strategies dictates that you should eat most of your non-fruit and veggie carbohydrates during and after exercise. This rule is especially important to our fat bastards above. If you haven't just exercised, put down the pasta, the breads, the rice, etc and step away from the table.
For more John Berardi, click HERE
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com
For nutrition, Dr. John Berardi is one of the experts worth listening to. Dr. Berardi is an experienced bodybuilder and University professor, and has provided us with his top 20 superfoods that we need to eat.
I ask John about nutrition every chance that I get because he knows a lot about what is arguably the most important part of the fat loss equation - nutrition.
Click HERE for more Berardi
CB: Do you suggest any superfoods that you think absolutely must be in everyone's diet for health and wellness purposes?
JB:
Here are 20 superfoods that I think are essential in every nutrition plan.
1) Lean Red Meat (93% lean, top round, or sirloin)
2) Salmon
3) Omega 3 Eggs
4) Low-fat, plain yogurt (lactose free if you can find it)
5) Supplemental protein (milk protein isolates or rice protein concentrate if you have a milk protein intolerance/allergy)
6) Spinach
7) Tomatoes
8) Cruciferous Vegetables
9) Mixed Berries
10) Oranges
11) Mixed Beans
12) Quinoa
13) Whole Oats
14) Mixed Nuts
15) Avocados
16) Olive Oil
17) Fish Oil
18) Flax Seeds (ground)
19) Green Tea
20) Liquid Recovery drinks
If you get a few servings of each of these foods every week, you'll be pretty close to that healthy eating intersection I keep talking about.
CB: That's great John. I want all my readers to go through this superfoods checklist and then get these foods on their shopping lists ASAP. Now, speaking of metabolism: what ratio of carbohydrates, fat and protein is best for fat loss or is this something that must be approached individually?
JB:
It really must be approached individually. You see, after working with thousands of clients, I've discovered that there is no 'one size fits all' approach to muscle gain or fat loss. There are different body types and each type requires a different prescription. For the sake of simplicity here, I'll break individuals up into 3 types:
*Body Type #1 - The Skinny Bastard - The skinny bastard is often characterized as having a 'fast metabolism.'
*Body Type #2 - The Fat Bastard - The fat bastard is often characterized as having a 'slow metabolism.'
*Body Type #3 - The Plain Ol’ Bastard - The envy of all. He's the guy that puts on muscle easily while staying lean. He grows and shrinks in proportion.
Okay, so these definitions maybe won't find their way into Webster's but they create a nice distinction between individuals. Now, you might be thinking that these distinctions aren't always evident. And you'd be right. In most trainees these distinctions are quite clear. However, with proper training and nutrition, drug use, or surgery, the line can sometimes be blurred.
Drug use and surgery aside, if you don't know which type an individual is you've got to find out what that person would look like with the removal of the training stimulus.
If the person would end up really thin, not appearing as if they even bothered to work out, then they're a skinny bastard. If the would end up really fat, appearing thick but very chubby/chunky, then they're a fat bastard. And if the person would still look like they work out, albeit a little worse than presently, then they're a plain ol' bastard.
You see it's not how you look today that's most important - it's how you'd look if you didn't train.
CB: So what does each type require?
JB:
I usually hesitate to prescribe macronutrient percentages and grams to clients - after all, isn't it my job to make it easy on them?
So rather than put them in the middle of a macronutrient minefield, I make it simple by translating all that calorie and macronutrient stuff into food that they can eat. As an old prof of mine used to say: "We don't eat calories, we don't eat protein, we don't eat carbs, and we don't eat fat. People eat food; apples and chicken breasts!"
So my nutrition prescriptions involve recommending different food choices at different times of the day. It makes it really simple for the client. No calculator or advanced math skills required.
CB: What about for the nutritionists reading this? How would you recommend they coach their clients with the 3 different body types?
JB:
Body Type #1 - The Skinny Bastard - usually requires a higher calorie, higher carbohydrate diet (vs. the other types) when trying to lose fat. Crash diets, in this group, lead to lots of lean mass lost.
These individuals can get lean by simply increasing their energy expenditure (usually through lower intensity cardio work - so as not to stress their already hyperactive sympathetic nervous systems) and by cleaning up their diets. Usually these body types can get lean from a diet that's 50% carbohydrate, 20% protein, and 30% fat. That's around what a self-selected nutrition intake would be anyway. That's why it's pretty easy for these individuals to get lean.
Body Type #2 - The Fat Bastard - usually requires a lower calorie diet that prioritizes protein and fat intake while keeping carbohydrate relatively low. When combined with more high intensity exercise (perhaps 5 weight training, 3 interval, and 2 low intensity cardio) sessions per week, a 30% carbohydrate, 35% protein, 35% fat diet works pretty well in this group - as long as they pay attention to nutrient timing.
Body Type #3 - The Plain Ol' Bastard - usually doesn’t have to lose fat - bastards! However, when they do, they usually can do so with a combination of the two approaches above - the exercise prescription of the fat bastard and the nutritional prescription of the skinny bastard.
CB: What about this nutrient timing concept you mentioned?
JB:
Good nutrient timing strategies are based on the fact that the body best handles different types of food at different times of the day. One of the most important nutrient timing strategies dictates that you should eat most of your non-fruit and veggie carbohydrates during and after exercise. This rule is especially important to our fat bastards above. If you haven't just exercised, put down the pasta, the breads, the rice, etc and step away from the table.
For more John Berardi, click HERE
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com
The Picnic Table Workout
My buddy Zach Even-Esh put together a workout that might interest you...
Here's what Zach says about the new workout e-book...
I'm all about keeping it simple yet having a blast while training.
You can find this tool anywhere near by at the local park or playground.
Just take a quick jog to the playground, find a table and go to work using any of the 30 + workouts tailor made for your goals:
- workouts for strength and muscle building
- workouts for fat loss and improved conditioning
- workouts for when you are Ultra busy and need to get done in less than 5 minutes!
Plus, you'll have an awesome bonus....an audio interview all about fitness for the busy man!
Busy men are guys like you and I, who need these super fast, yet super effective workouts!
The results in fat loss and muscle gains will come quickly, and you're going to have a blast exercising in this manner!
Plus, REAL Men need to be tough, so getting outdoors and training in the fresh air will set you apart from the sissy boys training in that posh health club with crappy music playing in the background!
Be ready, your weekend is going to be infinitely more fun once you put this e book to use!
The sale price ends next Friday, December 8th!
See you at the playground!
Dedicated to your success,
Zach Even - Esh
Get The Picnic Table Workout E-book HERE
The Dental Floss Diet
Want to buy my book?
It's called the Dental Floss Diet. Comes with 2 packs of bonus dental floss, too.
Okay, so I don't have a book. And it's a silly name anyway...
But you know what, "The Dental Floss Diet" works.
Let me explain. As I write this, it's 11:45am and I'm eating my first lunch of salmon, a sweet potato, asparagus, and broccoli. Before this, I've had:
- 2oz pecans
- 1 apple
- 3 eggs
- 1 grapefruit
- 2oz beef jerkey
- 2oz almonds
Now, save for the eggs, what does everything else have in common?
They all hang around in your teeth...eww, gross, I know...but all of these foods require dental floss after you eat them. (And yes, I do use it, frequently.)
Fruits, vegetables, meat, and nuts - the 4 cornerstones of a nutrition plan based on whole, natural foods all get stuck in your teeth.
Compare that to muffins, breads, mashed potatoes, juice, soda, pasta, vending machine snacks, pastries, and other processed carbs. These get stuck ON your teeth (and your hips?), but not IN your teeth. Each one of those foods is only a step or two above pure sugar in the carbohydrate food chain. So eliminate these from your diet and stick to whole, natural foods.
Yes, I know, this is the same message I teach week in and week out, but I hope a little humor might be an alternative way to get the message through.
So remember, if you won't need to floss it out, then throw it out from your food plan.
CB
P.S. We just finalized the awesome new look of the TTMembers.com website...
And I'm working everyday on adding content to the new membership area, which will also include a forum for TT users.
I hope you'll take advantage of the Pre-Launch offer. Just a reminder, here's the deal...
a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
But remember, this is a LIMITED TIME OFFER, and could expire at any time.
It's called the Dental Floss Diet. Comes with 2 packs of bonus dental floss, too.
Okay, so I don't have a book. And it's a silly name anyway...
But you know what, "The Dental Floss Diet" works.
Let me explain. As I write this, it's 11:45am and I'm eating my first lunch of salmon, a sweet potato, asparagus, and broccoli. Before this, I've had:
- 2oz pecans
- 1 apple
- 3 eggs
- 1 grapefruit
- 2oz beef jerkey
- 2oz almonds
Now, save for the eggs, what does everything else have in common?
They all hang around in your teeth...eww, gross, I know...but all of these foods require dental floss after you eat them. (And yes, I do use it, frequently.)
Fruits, vegetables, meat, and nuts - the 4 cornerstones of a nutrition plan based on whole, natural foods all get stuck in your teeth.
Compare that to muffins, breads, mashed potatoes, juice, soda, pasta, vending machine snacks, pastries, and other processed carbs. These get stuck ON your teeth (and your hips?), but not IN your teeth. Each one of those foods is only a step or two above pure sugar in the carbohydrate food chain. So eliminate these from your diet and stick to whole, natural foods.
Yes, I know, this is the same message I teach week in and week out, but I hope a little humor might be an alternative way to get the message through.
So remember, if you won't need to floss it out, then throw it out from your food plan.
CB
P.S. We just finalized the awesome new look of the TTMembers.com website...
And I'm working everyday on adding content to the new membership area, which will also include a forum for TT users.
I hope you'll take advantage of the Pre-Launch offer. Just a reminder, here's the deal...
a) For new clients, I'm knocking the price down BIG TIME. You can become a TT Member for only $127. Click HERE to become a NEW TT Member
b) For previous clients, but non-members, you can get your membership now for only $97. That's $50 off the launch price. Click HERE to become a TT Member
c) For current members...you can add another 12 months onto your current membership for only $77. Click HERE to renew
But remember, this is a LIMITED TIME OFFER, and could expire at any time.
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