5 Ab Myths

Ab exercises aren't the only thing you have to do in order to get your 6-pack. You also have to work hard on your diet as well, sticking to a fat-burning, muscle-building diet all year round.

Here's a list of 5 common myths about abs.

Myth 1) You don't need to watch what you eat

Diet is first and foremost the key factor when trying to get 6-pack abs. Plan your nutrition in advance, to avoid dietary downfalls.

Myth 2) As long as you do a lot of ab exercises and repetitions, it doesn't matter how well you do them

It is important to do all repetitions with good form. Focus on quality, not quantity. Avoid sit-ups and an excessive number of crunches. Both exercises can damage the lumbar spine in your low back, and crunches are rarely effective anyways.

Myth 3) You can "Spot reduce" the fat on your abs with crunches

No matter how many crunches you do, you won't be able to get rid of your ab fat with crunches alone. You need a good diet and an increase in your calorie burning from strength training and interval training.

Myth 4) Infomercial products will help you get a 6-pack

You've probably seen dozens of ab gadgets on TV, but none are magic bullets. You can't expect anything you order from TV to help you get a 6-pack. You have to do the hard work with nutrition and training to get results.

Myth 5) You must do abs every day

You don't need to do abs every day. Instead, train them twice per week and use non-conventional exercises such as Mountain Climbers and Stability Ball Jackknives to reduce the stress on your low back.

Train safe, get results,

CB

PS. You wanna know how I have most people work their abs?

By never lying on their back. I use jackknives, mountain climbers, spiderman climbs, cable crunches, and Planks with Arms on the Ball.

Those are tough exercises, and avoid spinal flexion.

Bodyweight exercises for abs works great.

"Craig's Bodyweight Turbulence Training program lets you use your body as the most comprehensive home gym available. In turn the results are like nothing else out there. If going to the gym ever feels stale, I immediately switch to CB's Bodyweight TT program to get and stay in shape."
Anthony Belza, one of Toronto?s top Strength & Conditioning Coaches

"

I want to thank you for kicking my ass.  Seriously.  I tried the one-legged deadlifts and the one-legged squats and literally cursed you.  I was shocked at how little I knew about bodyweight training (i had Matt Furey's course but it didn't go into detail as yours did) and being in the military, I've had experience with calisthenics but WOW...it was incredible!"

Lee Smith 

Get new bodyweight ab exercises here

Friday squat and deadlift workout

Went in today for an unorganized workout. Just doing a few exercises in prep for next week's new program.

Started with some back squats, which I haven't done in a while.

Then some trap bar deadlifts (couple sets of 8 at 300-ish

In between both I did a bunch of pushups - different types - pushup plus, t-pushups, spiderman pushups, and grasshopper pushups.

Also some stickups - upper back was a little sore.

Then some overhead squats and good mornings - light.

Finished with curls, after all, its friday,

C

Muscle-Building Workout & Fat Loss Nutrition Tip

I've been a mad exercise scientist for 15 years now, experimenting with workouts and nutrition on myself and with some of the mass monsters I created in weight rooms around the world (and now guys can get huge at home with this month's TT workout - see below for my latest workout).

But deep down in the depths of my dark underground lab, we've also done some fat loss experiments as well. (Okay, it's not dark, or even underground, and okay, there's not even a lab...but still, I have some tips to share!).

Let's go back all the way to last Christmas...

While all the Western world was gorging on holiday treats in December, we were experimenting with a way to beat stubborn fat. And I think we came up with a basic, simple to follow nutrition tip that can help.

Want to know what it is?

I found that replacing grains with fruits and vegetables will make a big difference in advanced fat loss. So carbohydrate intake should come from only fruits and vegetables. No breads, oatmeal, pastas. That's it. (With the exception of the post-workout drink when it seems okay to get quickly absorbed carbohydrate).

All of our subjects that used this small nutrition tweak made improvements. Even our most advanced subjects, who were already in the single-digits for body fat.

And its not that hard of a program to follow. For me, it was tough at night not to give into a Peanut butter & blueberry sandwich (yes, PB&BB), but it was worth it for the results.

So there's your insider tip of the day.

I guess I should also explain why I think it works.

First, more vegetables and fruit will fill you up faster with fewer calories. That's not rocket science. So you'll be less hungry and you'll have eaten less. That's a recipe for success.

Obviously you should focus on fiber rich fruits and vegetables for maximum benefits.

Now to completely change subjects, let's switch over to massive muscle building workouts. Like our nutrition tip, this too is coming straight from the lab...its a dumbbell muscle-building workout that you can do at home, in your dark, underground home gyms (which I know you have!).

The 3-day workout uses variations in rep speed, and some tips and tricks like drop sets to get the most muscle building results from the least amount of time and equipment. All you need are dumbbells and a bench. If you have a pullup bar, perfect. If not, I give alternative exercises.

So whether you want to turn into a mass monster or just put on a few pounds of muscle, give the April 2007 TT workout a go.

And don't forget, if you become a TTMember before the end of March, you'll get access to all of the monthly workouts from 2007. But come Sunday, only the April workout will be left for Basic Level Members.

Sign-up here

Build muscle, burn fat,

CB

PS - Here's everything you get if you order before midnight on Saturday, March 31st, 2007...

April 07 Mass at Home Workout - Value $19.99
March 07 Ten Minute Workout Program - Value $19.99
February 07 Unilateral Fat Loss Workout - Value $19.99
January 07 TT Fat Loss Workout - Value $19.99

Plus: Interviews & discussion forums - hard to put a value on this...as one tip alone in the forum could save you $30 on your next supplement purchase.

So a total value of at least $80 worth of programs for only $9.95 for a month's membership. But you have to act quick...

Sign-up here


PPS - TTMembers has a NEW Alwyn Cosgrove exclusive interview coming out on Monday

He talks about his exercise methods to combat stubborn fat.

PPPS - What's up with Splenda, protein, teflon, fats, and carbs?

Find out what's going to kill you, what's surprisingly good for you, and what's one of the most overblown nutrition tips today.

Click HERE for a nutrition expert's opinion on common food myths

Recovery exercise day

Needed a break ater three hard workouts this week. So all I did for exercise was demonstrate all of the exercises for our workout of the month videos.

The April workout is now available at www.ttmembers.com

We'll have the video up by monday I think, but you can download the workout today.

CB

How to do Bodyweight Interval Cardio for Weight Loss

Gotta start today's newsletter with a little clarification...as I received a lot of email yesterday about why I don't eat cottage cheese - after all, so many other experts recommend it.

I sincerely apologize for the confusion.

I don't eat cottage cheese simply due to personal taste preference. Same with canned tuna.

The message I was trying to get across was that you can get all the protein you need without having to eat foods you dislike. I grew up reading about bodybuilders eating endless cans of tuna, and I knew back then I never wanted to live like that. 

So again, sorry about the confusion. I wrote that email on the plane to Washington last Friday, and I must have been thinking too fast for my thumbs to keep up while typing on my Blackberry.

I'll be sure to clarify those "fun facts" in the future!

And as for the coffee, my little brain just can't handle the caffeine, so again, it's just a personal preference that I don't drink coffee. But as I've mentioned before, coffee is fine in moderation.

Okay, now onto the regularly scheduled training tip...

I received another great question yesterday as well...

Q: How do I set up bodyweight cardio circuits?

Answer:

When putting together a BW circuit, I like to go in this order:

Some type of squat (total body warmup) - Like the Y-squat seen here

Some type of lunge (pause at bottom to stretch psoas and rectus femoris)

Some type of pushup (upper body warmup)

Then moving into the "work" portion of the circuit, I will choose to alternate upper and lower body exercises for up to 6 exercises.

Then finish with a couple of ab exercises (I prefer to use total-body ab movements, like the mountain climbers or for the more advanced, the Pike exercise)

You can do all of the above as 1 giant circuit, or split it up into three components like this:

A - warmup exercises

B - 3 pairs of upper-lower exercises for main interval effect

(1 great pairing is Diagonal Lunges and Spiderman pushups - all depends on the relative strength of the individual, but sometimes it's great to test your limits and set a personal best)

C - finish with ab work

(or split it into two components, doing the warmup circuit first, and then B & C together)

You can use a specific tempo for each exercise, or simply use a 1-0-1 tempo for each exercise to achieve a continuous flow with each exercise for a heart-pumping cardio effect - and this allows you to do higher reps per set.

Coming soon: More info on the bodyweight cardio-abs programs that are kicking my butt and my client's butts,

CB

P.S. You don't think bodyweight is tough enough?

Everyone will benefit from bodyweight workouts...even the most advanced lifters and real-life athletes...

"As a professional firefighter, personal fitness is very important to me.  I found the Turbulence Training bodyweight program to be an excellent way to keep my workouts fresh and high paced while achieving my desired results.  I would recommend this program to anyone who is serious about losing weight and  reaching their fitness goals."

Chris Gaylor

 

"CB has done it again!  The bodyweight manual has some of the toughest workouts out there today.  After just 4 weeks of bodyweight training (I skipped the initial phases an went right to "advanced"), I went from plateauing at 15 chin-ups to maxing out at 22!  Who needs to go to a gym?  With this manual, you're using the best conditioning tool known to man - the human body!"

Chris Lopez, Personal Trainer, Toronto

Click HERE to burn fat with bodyweight workouts

Wednesday Upper body workout for muscle building

Went through one more round of the dumbbell muscle building program that I am putting together for the April TT workout of the month.

Mostly upper body exercises with some lower exercises.

My legs, particularly my glutes, are already sore from yesterday.

(Note: the actual workout program will call for a day of rest between each workout. Not done 3 days in a row! But don't worry, I know what I'm doing.)

I'm very happy with the 3-day proigram that is based on thousands of workouts I've done and coached, plus some tips I got from top strength coach Jason Ferruggia (the coach that wrote How to Get Jacked).

I'm going try and have this up first thing Thursday morning.

Added a couple exercises I haven't done in years,

CB

Fish Oils, Low-Carbs, and Female Fitness

Just returned from beautiful Arlington, Virginia, where I spent the week with a few fitness experts, including Jon Benson, the author of the incredibly motivating Fit Over 40 book. 

But all was not positive. In one of the presentations, I was shocked to find out how many women are buying "diet patches" off the Internet. And I was disgusted to find out how much money these scamsters were making.

Disgusted.

Do you know the target market for these ads?

Women aged 26-54.

It's really frustrating for me to know that. To know that deceptive ads are tricking women into going "10 lbs in 7 days" claims.

Fortunately, I know that if you read this newsletter, you aren't the type to be scammed. You know what it takes to succeed. And buying a magic bullet online isn't the answer.

If you want to, and I'm sure you do, be able to step out in your swimsuit with confidence, you have to forget about miracle cures and start using the simple steps to lifestyle change that I talk about everyday.

Goodbye patches, pills, potions and pitiful excuses for workouts.

Let me show you the way. Let's take a look at some of the valuable info from the April '07 issue of Women's Health...and yes, the tips are for men as well. (PS. Look for my energy boosting exercise tips in the May '07 edition).

1) Eat slow.

Put your fork down between bites while you chew your food. Eating slow will help you feel full

Other tips for feeling full...broccoli, protein, etc

2) Summertime Green Tea

Women's Health recommended Crystal Light Green Tea on the Go, and promised that it contains the active components of Green Tea that make it so healthy. Enjoy. 

3) Suggested Reading for Marathon Training

If for some reason you want to run a marathon, the magazine recommends a couple of starter marathon books

4) The best article in the magazine...

...was actually aboot reducing your carbon footprint. Since most recommendations are always focused on the negative (cut back this, cut back that) it was refreshing to learn the incredible value of a positive action we can take...and that's simply to plant more trees. I'll be doing that in May or June for sure.

Check out the rest of the article in the mag or online at their website. 

5) Fish Oil Info!

Research shows that as little as one 3oz serving of fish per week decreases risk of heart attack by 36 percent. That corresponds to only 250mg of omega-3's daily (about the amount in one fish oil capsule).  

But we've all heard about the concerns of mercury in fish. Fortunately, the consensus among experts is that the benefits to fish consumption outweigh the risks of mercury intake.

Women's Health went one step further and provided a chart of the best fish sources for Omega-3's and provided mercury content as well...

The best option?

A 3oz serving of wild Atlantic salmon gives you 1.6g of Omega-3's and 0.01 ppm of mercury - that's low, btw.

Other high-omega seafoods are:
Rainbow trout
Oysters
Striped bass
Alaskan king crab

And what about good old canned tuna? Canned tuna has .12ppm merc and gives only .eg omegas. The art reconmmended eating this only 8 times per month.

Fun fact: What do coffee, canned tuna, and cottage cheese have in common?

Answer: Three foods that I've never, ever had, and never, ever will!

6) The Perfect Women's Ab Exercise

This isn't from the magazine, but a reader wrote in to say that the Spiderman Climb is the perfect woman's exercise - it trains your abs (and who doesn't like that) while increasing your static pressing strength - so it can help with building strength for pushups.

Spiderman Climbs are a great ab exercise - see them here.

I would much rather see Kirsten Dunst doing this exercise than Tobey McGuire,

CB

P.S. Check out this workout...

Posted by UConn Julie in the TT Workout Journal Discussion Forum

*DB weights are per side
*minimal rest between exercises in superset
*one minute rest between supersets

Warm-Up: Y-squat x 10, Push-ups x 8, Bulgarian Split Squat x 8 each side, Spiderman Climb x 10 each side ... entire circuit twice

1A: DB Flat Bench Press - 20#x6, 25#x6, 25#x6
1B: DB Row - 30# 3x6 ea

2A: DB Incline Press - 20# 3x6
*sub for Triple Press as my bench doesn't have multiple incline settings
2B: BB Bent-over Row - 45# 3x10

3: Deadlift - 75#x17, x16, x16

Interval Workout A: using Burpees

Warm-Up: 30 bodyweight squats
30 seconds of Burpees
30 seconds of walking
x6 cycles
3 minutes of walking to cool-down

This workout is from the June 2006 TT Hardcore Fat Loss Program...

 

Tuesday Workout

Final run-through of the lower body workout for the new TT mass-building program.

This workout uses only dumbbell and bodyweight exercises to build muscle, so you can do it at home with minimnal equipment.

The lower body workout was serious...you'll love it,

CB

My 19:07 Workout Challenge and a "300" Workout for You

Last week I did the 300 movie workout - this workout was featured in March 07 issue of Mens Health.

The 300 workout is a challenging 300 repetition workout put together by a trainer for actors in the 300 movie. But this isn't how they did all of their workouts...it was just a challenge put together - a "rite of passage" for the crew.

Now I'm usually doing my TT for Mass programs or a variation, but I tried the 300 last Wednesday, and it was a heck of a workout challenge. Check below for modified men's and women's exercise challenges.

Here's the workout...all exercises are done without scheduled rest. Eventually, you are taking rest breaks between reps in the later stages of the challenge.

a) Pullups - 25 reps
b) Deadlifts with 135lbs - 50 reps
c) Pushups - 50 reps
d) 24-inch Box jumps - 50 reps
e) Floor wipers - 50 reps (Watch the Video HERE)
f) 1-arm Clean n Press with 36lbs Kettlebell - 50 reps
g) Pullups - 25 reps

One actor, Andrew Pleavin, completed the workout in 18:11.

Remember, he didn't practice this workout...and neither did I.

My time: 19:07

My butt was kicked by a hollywood actor. It was a brutal workout, starting out strong and slowing down, finishing at a crawl. And I don't plan on doing that any time soon, or really, ever again.

Obviously this is an advanced workout...you shouldn't do it unless you are as fit as a college athlete.

Fortunately, this can easily be changed. Appropriate exercises should be subbed in, and you should drop down to 100 total reps - or as .: recommends - 4-6 exercises of 15-25 reps each.

For example, you might do a 150-repetition workout - this is great for a man with moderate fitness:

15 bodyweight rows
25 bodyweight squats
15 pushups
50 jumping jacks
20 mountain climbers
10 close grip pushups
15 bodyweight rows

An intermediate woman could do a 100 rep workout:

5 bodyweight rows
15 bodyweight squats
5 pushups
50 jumping jacks
10 mountain climbers
10 lunges
5 bodyweight rows

Those are some challenging workouts. Work with a trainer to come up with other ideas. And always, train safe.

I'll never do that again,

CB

P.S. Want another 10-minute challenge?

I've put together ten 10-minute workouts, including a 10-exercise bodyweight workout, for the March 2007 TT workout. All TTMembers have access to this program...but for only 4 more days. It's gone on April 1st.

Click HERE to get this workout

Monday workout

Back to Toronto after a nice weekend working in Arlington, VA.

Today's workout is top secret. I'm going to bench and then do some of the April 2007 tt monthly workout.

3-board Bench (worked up to 3RM of 295)

Bench 225 for reps (1 set, getting 1 more rep than last week)

Secret april workout exercises, tempo, sets and reps.

New workout to come later this week,

CB

Big Cardio Mistakes

A lot of people are doing intervals wrong.

Here are two ways that people do intervals wrong and that end up reducing the effectiveness of their workouts.

1) Don't do them at the start of the workout.

Unless you want to wipe yourself out and make your strength training less than optimal, don't start your workouts with the intervals.

You'll get more results by doing your intervals at the end of the workout.

2) Don't alternate between a strength training exercise and an interval.

If you do this, your strength work will suffer. Want to get 10-20% weaker in your lifts? Then just try to lift something after you have sprinted for 30-60 seconds. I guarantee you'll be a lot weaker if you do that...but that's the exact opposite effect of what you are trying to achieve with TT.

We want to be fresh and strong for our strength training exercises, and then finish the workout with energy-depleting, turbulence-promoting interval training.

Again, the bottom line: You'll get more results by doing your intervals at the end of the workout.

"Just wanted to let you know my clients and I think the supersets and circuits in the TT Fat Loss and Bodyweight manuals are awesome.  I must say it was somewhat of an experiment for me, as a new trainer, because I've been taught "cardio" for fat loss comes first, then strength training, and vise versa for mass building.  Now I've got my clients sweating before any "cardio" begins, and they are truly performing better doing the strength-work first."  
Lisa Grivers, Personal Trainer

I strongly believe it is best to separate the two methods...otherwise, the intervals knock the strength out of
your "sails" so to speak, so that the results are not optimal.

Focus on the quality of training, not just on sweating up a storm. 

So use Turbulence Training exactly as it is outlined for the ultimate quality fat loss workout. I guarantee that it will help you achieve more results in less time.

And here at TT, I'm committed to giving you "Dollars for dimes".

In the TT for Fat Loss package, you pay less than $1 per week for your fat loss workouts.

Here's a complete list of the workout packages you get with TT for Fat Loss.

• The Introductory TT Training Phase - 2 weeks
• The Beginner TT Training Phase - 4 weeks
• The Intermediate TT Training Phase - 4 weeks
• The Original, Incredible, Often-imitated, Never-duplicated TT Workout - 4 weeks
• TT2K3 (CB's personal favorite workout for gaining mass and lose fat at the same time) - 4 weeks
• Advanced TT2K4 - 4 weeks
• Advanced TT2K5 - 4 weeks
• BONUS #1: 30-days to Maximum Fat Loss
• BONUS #2: TT 4-week Original Bodyweight Workout
• BONUS #3: TT Fusion Fat Loss
• BONUS #4: TT for Muscle - new bonus!
• BONUS #5: TT for Women - new bonus
• BONUS #6: TT DB-BW Fusion - new bonus!
• BONUS #7: Dr. Mohr's Fat Loss Nutrition Guidelines

Whew. That's a year of workouts...

Click HERE to start losing fat for the next 52 weeks

(just think of how much fat you'll lose, and how different you'll look in feel in 52 weeks...heck, people will start noticing the changes in less than 10 days!)

"I use the Turbulence Training Workouts for both my clients and myself. My clients enjoy Turbulence Training because of the varied routines and the high intensity workouts that they are guaranteed. For me personally, I've noticed a significant reduction in body fat and an increase in energy levels over 4 weeks from this program than any other program template that I have tried (coupled with the proper diet of course). I've tried other methods, but TT is best fastest and best way to reduce body fat and maintain lean mass. It's a must if leaning down is your goal."
Chris Lopez, one of Toronto's top Personal Trainers

Consistency is king, but you also have to follow a perfectly-structured plan,

CB

By the way...

When you purchase Turbulence Training, you can add yourself to the customer list to receive ALL future program updates. You never have to buy again. So when I add new reports, I'll make all customers aware of the updates, and you'll be able to download the new material.

Click HERE to start burning fat fast, today!

7-Day Guide to Simple Fat Loss

With all of the confusing, complex, and contradictory information we receive these days, it's tough to decide what's the best approach for you and your goals.

So first, let's wipe away the stress that comes with confusion and frustration.

Breathe through your belly.
Breathing is the ultimate portable stress buster if you do it right.

On the other hand, holding your breath or taking quick, shallow gasps of air can increase your heart rate and anxiety.

Fortunately, all it takes to lower your heart rate and calm you down is slow, rhythmic belly breathing. To shift from anxiety breathing to relaxation breathing, blow out all the breath in your lungs (like a big sigh).

Then focus on breathing from your belly - feeling your entire belly expand. Then breathe out slowly from that same place. You'll feel your belly flatten. Breathe with control through your belly. Don't make each breath really, really long. Just try to breath at a relaxed pace.

Now, onto 7 tips to help you lose more fat in less time over each upcoming week. Here are this week's guidelines. 

Monday
As I've mentioned before, I believe it is very important to always try to improve your performance. Improving your physical performance will improve your physical appearance.

So keep a record book for each of your main exercises - how many pushups you can do, your cardio interval settings, how much weight you use for wide-grip seated rows, etc, etc.

If you are a beginner, setting a record might simply mean using a higher level on the cardio machine for 1-2 minutes, or doing 2-3 extra pushups per set.

For the advanced fat loss program, it might mean using 2.5 more pounds per dumbbell in your split squats, or extending your intervals by 5 seconds per sprint.

Tuesday
Plan to get 30 minutes of activity. For beginners, walking is acceptable. It helps you recover from Monday's workout and simply improves your overall health. Advanced fat loss programs might use a bodyweight circuit on this day. 

Wednesday
Perform your regularly schedule TT workout. And if you haven't already, purchase a new cooking appliance, such as a grill or steamer to help you prepare healthy, nutritious, low-fat protein sources or high-fiber, nutrient rich vegetables in a convenient manner.

Healthy food preparation is a SMALL effort for a LARGE reward.

Thursday
30 minutes of activity, anyway that you can get it. And then at dinner, try a new source of lean protein, such as salmon, bison, or ostrich (or switch back to lean, red meat if you've only been chowing down on chicken).

Friday
Another great TT workout. And at some point during the day, recruit a new member into your social support group (remember when I spoke about how important this is?), such as a new workout partner or healthy-eating nutrition buddy. This will add strength to your commitment.

Saturday
30 minutes of activity. It's the weekend, find something fun to do with a friend. I like to start the weekend with a circuit of 6-8 bodyweight exercises from my 6-month bodyweight manual. You can even take it outside, now that the weather is starting to warm-up.

And make sure to check in with your social support group, and then spend some time re-reading your TT manual to make sure you are eating and training according to the TT guidelines.

Sunday
Get another 30 minutes of exercise nice and early to start your day. Then plan your shopping list, head on to the grocery store or even better a fresh, open market and get your weekly produce and lean protein sources.

If you haven't already gone organic, then try and include as many organic food sources as possible this week - and that includes meat.

Consistency and simplicity,

CB

PS. Here's the best source of Online Social Support...

Join our community today and visit the discussion forums where world-class nutrition and training experts are helping members tweak their diet and workout programs to get more results in less time.

With the help of everyone at TTmembers.com, you can start losing fat fast, right now!

Click HERE to become a TT Member today  

"Craig, the TT membership is amazing. I'm still surprised at how quickly I get a response to any question. Its 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!"

Mickey Glick

Chin-ups in 3 Easy Steps

I've never met a person that wouldn't benefit from being stronger.

The athletes I've worked with would be faster and more agile from being stronger. The fitness competitors would be able to do their routines with less effort, or challenge themselves to even more daring moves. Moms and dads would be able to lift the groceries and children with greater ease and less risk of injury from lifting in awkward positions.

And people looking to lose fat would have better results if they were stronger. That's right, strength training will only help your fat loss, and never hinder it.

We could talk about strength training all day long, but let's focus on Chin-ups.

So here's a 3-step progression for chin-ups.

i) Kneeling Reverse-grip Pulldowns
Yes, start with pulldowns. Keep your body upright. Abs braced. Use an underhand grip and pull the bar to your chest.

ii) Assisted Smith Machine Chin-ups
Set the smith machine bar at the top height. Grab it with an underhand grip. Keep your feet on the ground and bend your knees so that you squat down until your arms are at full extension (essentially you'll be crouching).

At this point, you'll pull with all your strength to pull your chest to the bar. Use your legs to push up as needed. Try not to use them too much. But it gives you all the force you need to do these "assisted chinups".

iii) Eccentric Chinups
Whatever set up you use, be careful, okay? Get a boost up to the top position of a chinup. Slowly lower yourself to the full extension position, taking 5 seconds to do so. Do 3 repetitions. Do 1 set in the first workout. In the next 2 workouts, add 1 set so you work up to 3 sets of 3 reps.

In addition, in each workout, add 1 more second to each repetition until you are finally lowering your body under control for 10 seconds.

By this point, you should be able to complete a full chinup, from a dead hang, pulling your body up to the bar.

(you can use the same progression for overhand grip pullups as well - but they are a harder exercise)

Want to see a picture of the assisted chin-up? I've put one in the January 2007 TT Fat Loss workout, which all TT Members can download HERE

Good luck with your chin-ups.

You can do it!

CB
www.TTmembers.com
www.TurbulenceTraining.com 

300 workout - Part 2

After the 300 workout yesterday, started feeling soreness about 3 hours
after the workout. Today, the upper back is sore, and a little in the
legs...and a little in the front of the torso.

Glad I went through the ordeal. I wanted to quit by the time I got into the
jumps...as I was moving pretty slow. But, grin and bear it. You know.

I've had a lot of questions about the "Floor Wipers"...so I encouraged Josh
Hillis, a trainer that is writing about 300 workouts, to put a video online.

Check it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcNGCG2L0OA

Good video. Its really, really hard to hold that bar there. Especially after
all you've done before it.

Good times.

Today, I'm now in Washington (Crystal City, to be precise), preparing for a
3-day seminar. I'm going to do some bodyweight exercises soon...

Until then, I'm listening to an interview with Alwyn Cosgrove - everyone
will benefit from this one...and its not about fat loss.

Listen to Alwyn HERE

Spring is here in Virginia,

CB

Alternative Interval Method

I've posted Issue #3 of the TTMembers newsletter here:
http://www.ttmembers.com/public/department46.cfm

Inside this issue...

1) An Interview with Nick Nilsson About New Intervals for Fat Loss

2) Exercise Video Clip of the Week for Platinum Members

3) Forum Topic of the Week: The 300 Workout

4) Workout of the Month: Urgent Notice!

5) Coming Soon! - Alwyn Cosgrove Announcement

Click HERE to read this week's free newsletter

Or click HERE to become a TTMember today

See you on the forums!

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TTmembers.com

P.S. Do you need a source of social support?

The best online source of social support is our discussion forum at www.ttmembers.com - the camaraderie and encouragement there is helping keep hundreds of our members on track.

Its like having a training partner, personal trainer, nutritionist, and close friend all at once, all encouraging you, and more importantly, making sure you succeed.

Become a member today, and get the support you need:
http://www.ttmembers.com/public/10.cfm

"DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY on any other exercise programmes or e-books! I have spent a fortune in the last twelve months on exercise material, only to discover that once you have a TT Membership Pass, you do not need to look anywhere else."
Danette Nel, South Africa

"Craig, I want to thank you for the continuing education I am
receiving by being a TT member. I get the best workouts of my life all in a small area of my basement using the Turbulance Training manuals."
Gary Schenkelburg, Ohio

Fast Workouts & Off-Day Workouts

I spent last weekend in Chicago learning from Dr. Chris Mohr, Dr. Hector Lopez, Dr. Kara Gallagher, and others. I learned some valuable nutrition tips and ways to help improve my program design.

You always need to be learning.

And asking questions.

So here's this week's Q'n'A. You can thank your fellow readers for asking these common questions over at www.TTmembers.com

If you're not a member, and want almost immediate answers to your fat loss questions, join today for only $9.95 per month and get access to the best fat loss forum on the Net.

Q: On off TT days, what do suggest for getting in 30 minutes of activity? I do my strength training and intervals on the same day and use the treadmill for my intervals.

So should I hop on the stationary bike for 30 minutes and get some activity in that way? If so do I just spin or put the resistance up? or what would you recommend?

Answer:
Don't "Spin". You can bike at a normal pace, go for a walk. Do easy bodyweight exercises.

It should be anything that doesn't interfere with your recovery from yesterday's workout and your preparation for tomorrows workout.


Q: My boyfriend really likes your turb training plan and I want to do it too. I used to do some pers. training back in college, and wanted to know if the intervals can be done with good, hard calesthenics like running-in-place, jumping jacks or even plyometric jump squats, squat thrusts, etc. I realize sprinting is better, but sometimes we have to do it in our apartment or when I travel, I want to be able to workout in my hotel room. What are some alternative intervals that you'd suggest when there is no equipment and not much room?

Answer:
Yes, those are all great. I also have some Youtube videos with ideas. See them here:

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=cbathletics

Thanks! You will also be interested in the TT members site: http://www.ttmembers.com/

It contains more youtube videos available to members only!

Thanks!

Q: Lately I have experienced several life changing events and I am completely lost. First off, I really want to loose about thirty pounds, but need to loose at least twenty. I am 5'11 weigh just under 220lbs and feel like crap. Motivation has never been an issue for me, I like going to the gym and the rewards it brings but with me it truly is a matter of time. I get up at 5:30, drive to work and get home at 5:30. Then I spend time with family till 9, then go to sleep - but the baby gets up 2x's each night, interrupting my sleep.

Craig, I am really at a loss here, my day is maxed out and I don't see where I can fit in a workout.

Answer: The solution is simple.
Workout on Saturday and Sunday only, and improve your nutrition to 95% compliance. You will lose fat this way. If you can do 10-20 minutes of bodyweight circuits at 9pm or 5am each day, you'll get even closer to success.
Sacrifice a little more, and you'll succeed a lot.

Q: I know I need to make my meals better after reading your notes. I do take 3 1,000mg of Omega-3 fatty acids supplements a day. Should I be taking more?

Answer:
For fish oils, you need to take a look at how each capsule breaks down. You need 3.5g of EPA and DHA combined.

Out of 1000mg, you'll probably have 300-500 of EPA and DHA combined...so you'll likely need to double your fish oil intake.

Q: I have been received your newsletter (which I enjoy immensely) but have not yet subscribed. The only reason that I haven?t subscribed is that I am confused by your different product offerings. I see that I could purchase an E-book for a one-time cost of $39.95 or I could do a monthly membership of $9.95 or even an annual membership for $147. How do these all differ?

Answer:
Thanks for the email.

First, what are your goals?

If it is fat loss, then I'd direct you to the 39.95 ebook - get it here.

If you need specific help with your diet and program analyzed, you should join the membership site.

For 9.95 per month, you get access to the forums, fat loss interviews, and the workout of the month.

And for $147, you get 1-years access plus ALL the manuals.

So the $147 is the best deal. If you were a basic member for 12 months, you'd spend $120 for the year. But as a Platinum member, not only do you get everything that a basic member gets, but you also get access to over $3000 worth of TT manuals AND the video clip library.

So basically, you get all of the workouts for an extra $27.

Get started at www.TTmembers.com

Hopefully that cleared things up. if not, let me know more about your goals and training history and needs.

We all need more education to succeed in life,

CB

PS. Got a problem? Do you need fat loss help ASAP?

If you're not a TTmember, and want almost immediate answers to your fat loss questions, join today for only $9.95 and get access to the best fat loss forum on the Net.

Click HERE To join TT Members today!

"Craig, I have contacted many professional trainers over the years and your quick response time and feeback is unparalleled in comparison. At TTmembers.com you can expect the same type of treatment. The programs you design are the most superior fat loss workouts out there! What I like, however, is how easily adaptable the workouts are to any personal goal. I also wanted to say a little something about the video resources at TTmembers.com. The youtube videos are great quality. Its also refreshing to know that the guy writing your program can also perform all the exercises he recommends, which is not always the case. The fact that TTmembers.com offers every workout you have every published, video resources, interviews with the industry's finest coaches, and a discussion forum for one price is amazing! Simply the best resource out there for anyone who wants to look great, feel great, and perform great. Awesome job!"
Brian Yureskes, Salt Lake City, UT

Click HERE To join TT Members today!

CB does the Mens Health 300 movie workout

Today I did the 300 movie workout from the March issue of Mens Health.

(<- does this look like a Spartan? More like a cheeseball - for a laugh, check the original source of this photo: www.workoutmanuals.com/The-transformation)

Its a challenging 300 repetition workout put together by a trainer for the lead actor in the 300 movie. Actors name was gerard butler I think.



This isn't how they did their workouts...it was just a test of his strength-endurance.



Here's the workout...all exercises are done without rest. Just go, go, go.



Pullups - 25

Deadlifts with 135lbs - 50

Pushups - 50

24-inch Box jumps - 50

Floor wipers - 50

1-arm 36lbs Kettlebell Clean n Press - 50 reps

Pullups - 25



Butler's time was 18:11.



Remember, he didn't practice this workout...and neither did I.



My time: 19:07



My butt was kicked by a hollywood actor.



And I don't plan on doing that any time soon, or really, ever again.



Fortunately, my gym has all the equipment needed. Yours might not.



(Although we only had 44 and 30 pound kb's - so I did 20 reps with the 44's and 30 reps with the 30 pound kb's)



Also, this obviously an advanced workout...you shouldn't do it unless you are as fit as a college athlete.



Fortunately, this can easily be changed. Appropriate exercises should be subbed in, and you should drop down to 100 total reps - or as .: recommends - 4-6 exercises of 15-25 reps each.



For some other ideas on how to do it, go here: http://joshsgarage.typepad.com

EDIT: Also check out what master trainer Alwyn Cosgrove has to say about the 300 workout here...
http://alwyncosgrove.blogspot.com/2007/03/300-workout-transformation.html

I'm thankful there wasn't more leg stuff in this workout,

CB

Mens Health 300 Workout - March 2007

You can find the very popular "300" workout in this month's issue (March 2007) of Mens Health magazine. Check out the 300 workout challenge.

And here's my favorite quote from the April '07 MH, from an actor asked about when he works out...

"I go to the gym early in the morning. I don't even think about it. I just go."

That's what you have to do sometimes. Just go. Don't think. Don't let your mind play tricks on you, arguing you out of a great training session.

I'm helping out Men's Health with another on-line transformation series this spring. To apply, or read about our New Year's transformations, visit www.menshealth.com/transform

Back to the best tips from the magazine...

The top 3 fruits you should buy organic whenever possible:
peaches, apples, strawberries. I'll make you track down the magazine to find out the 3 fruits that are fine to buy without choosing organic.

I'm sure by now you don't need to be told that fast food is bad for you (do you?). But can you guess how many calories are in a meal of 10 chicken nuggets, large fries, and a large soda?

1340.

Ouch.

And MH also quotes research stating that since soda pop doesn't fill you up, you'll end up eating more calories at any meal when you choose that as your beverage. Again, not groundbreaking info, but something you might want to pass on to a friend.

MH also reports that chewing gum can help curb food cravings. In addition, brushing your teeth after dinner is another way to help prevent eating un-necessary calories.

And now some tips from Women's Health (caught these in their online newsletter in an article about Eating for Life Extension):

"By eating right, you maximize the probability that you won't develop conditions like diabetes or Alzheimer's," says James Joseph, Ph.D., a neuroscientist at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.

Natural foods contain "thousands of compounds that interact in complex ways, and if you take one out, there's no predicting how it will function on its own," says Frank Hu, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. He points out that large-scale trials of individual antioxidant supplements have been largely disappointing.

A recent study in the Journal of Food Science found that, of all 77 U.S. brands tested, Stash Darjeeling Organic Green Tea delivers the greatest number of catechins (catechins are the compounds associated with the health benefits of Green Tea).

And a mug a day of Green Tea will decrease your chance of developing high blood pressure by 46 percent. Drink more and reduce your risk by 65 percent.

Don't forget to check out my 15-minute workout in the April 07 Men's Health magazine,

CB

PS - You are running out of time...

...to get the March 10-minute workouts. I'll show you ten different ways to workout in only 10 minutes. You can follow the 30-day plan or fit one of these in whenever time constraints prevent a longer workout.

Click HERE to get the March Workout & Bonuses

And don't forget to watch the 10-minute workout videos...

"Craig, I have contacted many professional trainers over the years and your quick response time and feeback is unparalleled in comparison. I also wanted to say a little something about the video resources at TTmembers.com. The youtube videos are great quality!"
Brian Yureskes, Salt Lake City, UT

PPS - What is "Near maximal interval training"?

Find out from expert exercise inventor, Nick Nilsson, how to use this interval method for burning fat.

Click HERE to read about this new technique

6 Diet Secrets to Success

Over the weekend I had a chance to talk with 2 close friends, who are also clients using TT workouts.

Both of these guys have made amazing progress, but do you know what is holding them back from losing that last 10 pounds and building their best body ever?

Nutrition.

It might even be the same problem that you have. Whether it's not enough time to prepare all your meals each day, or whether its just something you know you need to improve, nutrition can be the biggest obstacle to your fat loss goals.

But all is not lost.

While some clients struggle with diet, there are some success stories. And here are their secrets.

One of my top success stories used to drink 2 liters (that's 8 cups) of soda per day. Plus, he lived in a frat house where they once had a month long hot dog eating contest. It was no wonder he gained a little body fat during college.

But after reading John Berardi's Gourmet Nutrition e-book (Click here to get this highly recommended resource), something clicked. He realized the secret was to take a little time each night to prepare tomorrow's meals, and he'd be set (in addition to eliminating the soda).

So here's what he does:

1) He buys a lot of fresh produce from the grocery store. And takes the time to go at least twice per week to the grocery store to get the fresh produce.

You have to make the effort to go out and get good produce, and then while you are on a roll, cut up a week's worth of vegetables and store them in your fridge.

2) Then he grills, bakes, or BBQ's chicken, salmon, and other lean protein sources that he then adds the protein to the gourmet salads that he prepares from his fresh vegetables and spinach leaves.

That makes his meals very nutritionally dense, low in total calories, high in appetite suppressing fiber, and full of lean protein sources to support muscle growth, a fast metabolism and a controlled appetite.

3) He snacks on almonds. Raw almonds, not the ones that are roasted in hydrogenated oils and smothered in salt. Research shows that almonds help in weight loss, help to control cholesterol, and contain healthy fats, fiber and protein.

4) He starts his day with protein (a special omellette recipe from Berardi's cookbook) and oatmeal.

5) He replaced soda with Green Tea and water.

6) He follows Dr. John Berardi's 90-10 rule. If you are nutritionally perfect 90% of the time, then you won't have to worry about the 10% of the time when you have some pizza, or other foods that otherwise would get in the way of your fat loss efforts.

So take some time at the beginning of this week to do a major grocery shopping trip and then spend 30 minutes preparing some fresh produce and fat loss meals for the rest of your week.

Helping you avoid nutritional roadblocks,

CB

P.S. Want more info on avoiding nutritional landmines?

Then plan ahead, with Dr. Chris Mohr's Meal Plans 101 program

For the past year, I've trusted Dr. Chris Mohr with handling the Nutrition Guidelines for my best-selling fat loss program because when it comes to getting results, I have no choice but to go with the best. That's why I chose Chris.

And now that he and Jayson have put together MealPlans101, I now have another top-notch resource to use with clients. This ensures that my fat loss program will stay at the top of the fitness game, because it is powered by research-backed, experience-proven nutrition help.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
Men's Health Contributor

Click HERE to get the Meal Plans 101 program delivered to you by download or directly to your door as a CD

Monday Bench Workout

Didn't sleep particularly well this weekend, due to sleeping in a hotel near the chicago airport, and getting home late sunday night, but I feel pretty good for today's bench workout. I'm sticking with this workout for one more week - this will be week 5 on this plan...but will be dropping the intensity a littlew this week (qs we set some records last week). This weekend I have to go to washington and next week I need to finish the finals details for the april monthly workout - that will be a mass building workout to be done at home (using db's only). 1) Snatch (3x3) 2) 3-board bench (3x5) - 285 3) 225 for reps bench 4a) Front squat (3x8) - 165 4b) db chest press (2x90lbsx14) 4c) pullups (13, 9) Everything is a little stronger, CB

Politically Incorrect Programs Work for Weight Loss

You know who is your worst enemy in the fight against fat?

Well-meaning fitness professionals that don't want to make you feel
bad for being lazy and eating crap. That's who.

They write articles about how "diets are bad", how you can lift
soup cans and get fitness model arms, and how you should exercise
in the nice and easy "fat burning zone" to get results. Basically,
they give you what want to hear - plenty of excuses for avoiding
hard exercise and strict nutrition (the real keys to fat loss).

But I don't. You'll get no such excuses from me.

Here's the real deal on fat loss. You have to work hard in your
workouts and even harder on your nutrition if you want results. Or
you can take the politically-correct easy way out and have the same
body in 3, 6, and even 12 months from now.

Love me or hate me, I promise you results. Let's take a look at why
the PC-solutions don't work...

Q: I've been told to exercise in my "fat burning zone". What's the
best cardio method for weight los.

Answer:
Cardio is not the only solution.

Clearly it adds to the energy deficit and overall calorie balance
that favors fat loss.

BUT it's not the "be all & end all" of fat loss success - and that
is anecdotally supported by the number of overweight distance
runners.

I almost never recommend long, slow cardio...simply because no one
I train or consult with has the time for this, and it doesn't work
any better than shorter, less frequent, more intense interval
training sessions.

Five or six days of 45-minute cardio sessions in my fat-burning
zone? Yeah right, like anyone has time for that.

If I told you that you could get the same results (or better, as
recent research suggests) in three 20-minute interval sessions
each week as you could from three or five 45-minute slower cardio
sessions each week, which would you choose?

Yes, intervals feel about 10x's harder than regular, slow, boring
cardio. And yes, you won't be able to read your people magazine
when doing intervals. And you might breath a little heavy. So if
you're worried about sweating, than maybe fat loss isn't for you.

But if you don't mind going against the crowd, intervals are worth
every second for the superior results.

Q: Should men and women train differently for fat loss?

Answer:
Nope. Next question.

Seriously, the answer is no, but just to add to that, men and women
don't have that many differences when it comes to fat loss, so they
both do well with the Turbulence Training style workouts.

Now here's one reason why TT may actually work better for women
than men...

More women tend to start Turbulence Training after having spent
months or years using slow cardio and light (if any) weights. And
selfishly, I could not be any happier - because when these
dedicated women start using the shorter, more intense strength and
interval sessions they make rapid progress and make me look like a
genius.

The accolades come pouring in...I have dozens of testimonials from
women thanking me for saving them TIME while helping them finally
breakthrough stubborn fat loss plateaus (and eliminating the pain
from their overuse injuries that occurred due to high volumes of
cardio). Their words make me feel like a million bucks because the
TT workouts are making these women feel like a million bucks.

That being said, I sometimes make small changes in TT workouts to
adapt to a woman's pre-conceived notions about strength training.
Some women are very hesitant to lift weights. But you and I know
that is necessary for bodysculpting, fat loss, and health benefits
such as building bones.

So what I do is sub a few (not all!) of the weight exercises out
and replace them with equal intensity bodyweight exercises. Some
bodyweight exercises can be classified as traditional strength
exercises (i.e. for a woman that can only do 5 full pushups, the
pushup exercise is almost a max strength exercise). But women
"mentally" deal with this type of strength training better than
putting a dumbbell in their hands.

On the other hand, some bodyweight exercises provide more of an
interval training effect (i.e. bodyweight squats). Either way,
bodyweight exercises can put turbulence (i.e. "stress") on the
muscle and boost metabolism and help female clients get the results
they want and deserve.

Q: What differentiates Turbulence Training from other programs?

Answer:
That's a tough question to answer, as there are other systems out
there that give impressive results in an acceptable time frame.

I will say this however, I am extremely dedicated to Turbulence
Training and the entire "fat loss" cause.

One of the factors behind my dedication is that I find the general
concept of fat loss to be so simple, and yet millions and millions
of people around the world have an incredibly difficult time
achieving their goals.

I want to give them every possible resource available to them to
help them succeed.

So I am constantly tinkering with new workouts, exercises, and
interval methods, and interviewing other trainers and nutritional
experts for every single little fat burning advantage I can find.
And that comes through in what I offer to the readers of my
newsletters and clients that use my programs.

I said in a past newsletter that "Fat loss is easy, once you
realize how hard it is." You have to respect that it's not
something you put on "auto-pilot". Taking the stairs at work
instead of the elevator, parking 100 extra feet away from the door,
and subbing 1% milk for 2% milk is not going to help you lose 13
pounds of fat in a year like the politically correct articles
suggest.

You need a politically-incorrect plan to eat right 90% of the time
(i.e. saying "no" when an office-mate brings in doughnuts) and you
have to have the best workout plan available to you if you want to
get the most results in the least amount of time.

And then you still have to have a plan to help you stick to those
plans - and that should involve a social support group. There are
many tricks and tips to success, so you always have to keep
learning and trying to improve. And that's what I help with in my
programs and newsletters.

Get your very own copy of Turbulence Training & the Nutrition Guide
here: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS. You get SEVEN bonuses with the new Turbulence Training package.

Including my previously un-released "Turbulence Training for
Muscle" and the revolutionary "Turbulence Training for Women"
program used as a follow-up to the original TT manual.

Use short workouts and enjoy your life!

"I purchased Turbelence Training in November 2006 and have been
using it for about 6 weeks now. I have reached my lowest weight yet
and more importantly I didn't starve or over work myself. 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."
Cindy Casella

"I went from 15.6% down to 11.7% and MAINTAINED my lean mass (and
strength actually increased a little). The TT for Muscle workouts
are awesome. I have worked muscles I didn't know I had and I
didn't expect to get stronger, but I have! To date, I am 5 lbs
more muscular than I was 5 weeks ago - that's not bad for a guy
who'll turn 38 next week!"
Stu Phillips, Ph.D.

Get your very own copy of Turbulence Training & the Nutrition Guide
here: http://www.turbulencetraining.com/

Lose 5 pounds in 10 days

I'm working with a client on one of those advanced transformations...you know, the one where the client takes it right down to the full-on 6-pack and figure model physique.

So we've been working on our plan to lose that last 5 pounds of fat in the last 10 days of the transformation.

Here are the guidelines we've come up with.

NOTE: He's only going to follow these guidelines for 10-14 days. So if you choose to use this plan, don't follow it for more than 2 weeks. That's the maximum time for this advanced plan. After that, ease up on the restrictions a bit - and enjoy your advanced fat loss physique you've attained.

Advanced Nutrition Tips

1) Start your day immediately with 2 cups of water, 1.5 grams of Omega-3 fatty acids, and 20g of lean protein. Then either do your workout, or have your regular breakfast.

2) Eat an extra 1 cup of broccoli at lunch and dinner - in addition to your planned meals.

3) Eat only protein, almonds, and raw vegetables between meals.

4) Eliminate whole-grain products for the 10-day period. Get all of your carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, dairy, and your pre- and post-workout drinks.

5) Don't go to bed full. Eat only a small protein snack in the evening to keep hunger at bay and to provide the body with protein before sleep.

6) Drink 6 cups of green tea per day (3 in AM, 3 after lunch)


Advanced Exercise Tips

1) Add 10 seconds to each interval in your workouts

2) Add in some bodyweight circuits (10-20 minutes per day) done in the morning or evening (if you do your regular workout in the AM, do your bodyweight circuits after dinner; otherwise, do the bw circuits first thing in the AM, and then do your regular workout at lunch or later in the afternoon or evening)

3) Add one set to the first superset you do in each workout.

Use these strict tips for no more than 2 weeks before returning to normal exercise guidelines and carbohydrate intake.

"At the end of week one, I lost 3.5 pounds and I was feeling great. Yesterday was the end of week two and I lost 3 more pounds! Six and a half pounds in two weeks and I feel outstanding. Not the least bit tired or weak. I've never been so enthusiastic about each workout. I didn't bother to take a 'before' photo, but I may still do that. I would have touched base with you sooner, but with work, school, training, etc., I'm always pressed for time. And of course, that's what makes Turbulence Training such a convenient program."

Chuck Fager

Train hard but safe,

CB

More TT feedback...

"As a professional firefighter, personal fitness is very important to me. I found the Turbulence Training program to be an excellent way to keep my workouts fresh and high paced while achieving my desired results. I would recommend this program to anyone who is serious about losing weight and reaching their fitness goals."

Chris Gaylor

For maximum fat loss:

If you have dumbbells and free weights at home, go here.

No weights? No problem. Go here.

7-Day Guide: 12-Week Challenge

So we're now entering the 12th week of 2007. If you started TT on New Year's Day and stuck to consistent eating and exercising, you will have made some incredible changes.

If you joined us a little later, no worries. You can still make impressive changes in the 10+ weeks we have till the first long weekend of the summer.

Get serious for the next 10 weeks. What's 10 weeks over the course of a lifetime? Not much. Get committed, say "no" to foods you don't need, drinks you shouldn't have, and lose the fat you've always wanted.

In the next 10 weeks, not only can you change your body, but you can also pick up life-long healthy habits.

Let's get started with this week's 7-day guideline to maximum fat loss.

Monday
Do your TT Workout. Not sure which one to use? If you are advanced, most people simply love the TT2K3 and TT2K4 programs. If you are really advanced, you can even train 4 days per week with those programs.

Get them in the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss manual

Tuesday
30 minutes activity. Compare how far you have come against your fitness levels from the beginning of the year. And if you haven't already, start a training log to track your progress.

Wednesday
Do another TT workout. Follow up with the trainer you consulted at the start of the year. If you didn't use a trainer then, consider scheduling a visit to have your exercise form checked out, and then add the trainer to your social support group - another expert to be accountable to will help you improve your consistency and commitment.

Thursday
30 minutes activity. Review your new healthy habits - highlighting what has helped over the 12 weeks. Keep up those healthy habits, but at the same time identify the remaining obstacles to your success, and then figure out two ways you can overcome each obstacle.

Friday
TT Workout. The last workout in the first 12-weeks of TT 2007! Congrats. Treat yourself to something nice - perhaps something new to wear to show off your new and improved physique.

Saturday
30 minutes of activity. Meet up with your social support group and thank them all for their help. Grab a good fitness magazine, such as Men's Health or Women's Health. Also, keep an eye out for the June '07 issue of Shape magazine. I was interviewed for it and talk about TT.

Sunday
30 minutes of activity. Hopefully by now you have the "plan, shop, and prepare" routine down by now. Get a nice piece of salmon, some asparagus, and sweet potatoes and treat yourself to an amazing healthy, rewarding dinner.

It's a lifestyle now,

CB

PS. Can you use kettlebells for fat loss?

I asked kettlebell expert David Whitley...

CB: How do you use Kettlebells and bodyweight training in your bootcamps?
I get people of differing fitness levels all showing up in the same class, so it is important for me to be able to do a workout that works for everyone.

DW:

There are lots of ways to do that. The most obvious is using kettlebells of different weights, but even that presents problems, so what I do is we go for time instead of reps.

For example, I might name an exercise and have them do as many as they can in 1:00. That way if I have a very fit person and a new person in the same group doing the same exercise, the veteran might do 40 reps of an exercise and the newbie might do 8, but they are each working as hard as they can on that exercise.

Click HERE for the rest of David's interview & his fat loss kettlebell workouts

"Craig, I have contacted many professional trainers over the years and your quick response time and feeback is unparalleled in comparison. At TTmembers.com you can expect the same type of treatment. The programs you design are the most superior fat loss workouts out there! What I like, however, is how easily adaptable the workouts are to any personal goal. I also wanted to say a little something about the video resources at TTmembers.com. The youtube videos are great quality. Its also refreshing to know that the guy writing your program can also perform all the exercises he recommends, which is not always the case. The fact that TTmembers.com offers every workout you have every published, video resources, interviews with the industry's finest coaches, and a discussion forum for one price is amazing! Simply the best resource out there for anyone who wants to look great, feel great, and perform great. Awesome job!"
Brian Yureskes, Salt Lake City, UT

Bodyweight Workout & Seminar

I'm kind of fatigued from my presentation this morning, showing my
bodyweight workouts to about 50 trainers from the Chicago area. Lots of fun,
and sweat actually dripping off my head towards the end of the presentation
as we went through bodyweight circuit training to finish off the workout.

I also taught my lower body and upper body progressions and when and where
to use specific bodyweight exercises. This will be available on DVD...just
not sure when.

I think we finished with a circuit of:

Prisoner squats
offset pushups
Y-squats
close-grip pushups
prisoner reverse lunges
spiderman climbs
waiters bow
grasshopper pushup
stickups

It was good.

Then I had lunch with Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., author of the TT Nutrition
Guidelines: www.TurbulenceTraining.com

This afternoon I'll watch him speak about his meal planning software and
nutrition guidelines, while his fiancee Kara Gallagher speaks about
behavioral strategies for nutrition compliance.

Get mobile,

CB

PS. I interviewed Kara at www.TTmembers.com and have a new article from her
coming out ASAP on www.TTmembers.com

Mobile Cardio Workout

Each day that you are chained to your desk at work, you lose strength and flexibility. Your shoulders get stiffer, your hips get tighter, and your hip flexors and hamstrings lose their flexibility. (And this goes for both men and women).

Unless of course, you train properly.

So what's the average office worker to do?

Take the weekend off. Get away from the desk (and this computer!) and take time away from traditional bodybuilding workouts if you are still doing them. Instead, use bodyweight exercises for mobility and an interval workout as well.

To keep your shoulders mobile and to reduce tension in that area, you should work on the Stick-up exercise daily, as well as typical chest stretches. You can also help the situation by using a foam roller for self-massage of your upper back. Learn more from Mike Robertson's "Inside Out Upper Body Warm-up HERE"

For the lower body, here's a hip-mobility circuit that you can try out this afternoon in the gym. You can go through this once as a great warm-up for the gym or as a break in your office at work.

Alternatively, you can go through the circuit up to 5 times for a Mobile Cardio Workout. Take 1 minute between circuits (it's also great for the glutes which are feeling a little fatigued as I write this).

Overhead Squat (holding a broomstick or tubing) - 15 reps
Sumo Squat - 15 reps
Diagonal Lunge - 12 reps per side
Spiderman Climb - 8 reps per side
Prisoner Forward Lunge with 2 second stretch at bottom - 8 reps per side
Spiderman Pushup - 8 reps per side

Your hips will feel like a million bucks after these exercises.

On a related note, a reader asks...

"I have doen the first week of the bodyweight workout that i just purchased, which by the way is the first time I have ever stuck to a program. The third workout of the prep phase has these things you call spiderman climb in it. I can't seem to get my foot anywhere near my hand. Also, I was wondering how long the three circuits should take, I think I am at about eight minutes per circuit (so 24 minutes total), and then the cardio, but I think I might be counting the tempo wrong.

Answer:
Great to hear from you. 8 minutes per circuit is EXACTLY how long it took me to do each of those when I first developed the workouts. Perfect.

As for the spiderman climb, the exercise is a combination of athleticism, mobility, and strength. Do not worry if you can't get your foot up there. With each workout, you should improve your mobility in that movement. Until then, slow and steady progress is advised. As part and parcel of the entire program, it will improve.

Keep up the great work, stay positive and be consistent. You will succeed,

CB

P.S. Can you quit your job?

I doubt it. So you have to work on your posture and your training so you don't end up with a hunchback. Bodyweight training is a darn good way of improving mobility and helping you correct your lousy posture. And it relieves stress too, big time.

The TT Bodyweight manual not only gives you 6 months of pre-planned workouts, but it also gives over 70 bodyweight exercises that will allow you to create an endless number of bodyweight circuits, strength workouts, and fat blasting sessions that don't require any fancy, expensive equipment.

You can do these workouts at home or in the park - far away from the hassles of most commercial gyms.

"CB has done it again! The bodyweight manual has some of the toughest workouts out there today. After just 4 weeks of bodyweight training (I skipped the initial phases an went right to "advanced"), I went from plateauing at 15 chin-ups to maxing out at 22! Who needs to go to a gym? With this manual, you're using the best conditioning tool known to man - the human body!"

Chris Lopez, Personal Trainer, Toronto

"I think your BW routines are great! I've tried a couple and find them to be a perfect alternative for a trip to the gym or for some interval-level intensity when I can't run or am bored of the stationary bike. And the best part is, I never have to worry about not getting a workout in when traveling. Keep making more of these routines."

Christine Johnson, Little Rock, AK

To get your bodyweight manual, climb over here today.

Friday workout

Hit the Bally's fitness in Schaumberg, IL today with youth fitness expert Brain Grasso.

Nice big facility.

1) RDL's (3x6) - worked up to 265, which is more than usual but my grip was fresh, therefore the better performance.

2) Close grip decline bench press - worked up to 235 for 6 reps

Also did some arms and inverted rows.

That's it, will do lots of bodyweight stuff tomorrow,

CB

Keys to a Success Story

Last year I started working with 2 online clients, JM & GB, both over 350 pounds. Each needed my help badly. But it was quickly apparent which guy would succeed and which would fail.

Can you pick the success story?

JM filled out his feedback form immediately.

I had to ask GB twice to send his back.

JM started providing daily feedback on his workouts and nutrition, just as I asked. And he continued to fill in his fitday.com eating plan everyday for the last month.

The last time I heard from GB was 7 days after we started emailing...and he still had not started the workout plan yet.

It's not surprising that JM lost 7 pounds in one month, and GB, well, who knows how much more weight he gained last month. I don't hear from him anymore...

As frustrating as GB's failure was, JM's success highlights the importance of one often forgotten aspect of a successful program.

Accountability.

Research from Stanford University has shown that being accountable to a health professional increases the success rate in a fat loss program.

And I see this all the time with online clients and TT manual users. I encourage people to keep me up to date on the progress. And who succeeds? The people I hear from on a consistent basis.

The people I don't hear from? Well, they come back a couple months later and tell me how they fell off the wagon, stopped working out, started eating poorly, etc. Why does this happen? Because they are not accountable to anyone. They set their standards too low.

So I know that if I don't hear form you, then most oftentimes you are in fat loss trouble.

Now in a perfect world, we'd all have an expert trainer to report to in person. If you can't do that, you can at least get your Turbulence Training workouts and report back to me. Heck, you can even do what the good folks at www.TTMembers.com have done and start posting your workouts for me to review.

That's why the TT discussion forums are so valuable. You'll get almost immediate feedback and encouragement from me, as well as other TTmembers. It's the ultimate source of on-line social support.

And then there is the next best thing. Get a workout partner, or group of friends and have them hold you accountable - commit to them that you will train and eat according to your goals.

Why not take time over the March (during the school break, the March Madness, or the early spring weather) to connect with a family member or friend that has the same goals...and you can be accountable to each other.

Imagine that, sitting around watching college basketball and discussing fitness and fat loss. It can be done! Find someone that wants to get fit and spend time with them. Encourage one another.

You don't have to go it alone,

CB  

PS - Are you being sabotaged by friends, family, and workmates?

 

It can be hard to find support for your fat loss goals. People are either jealous of your results, or just not interested in feeling better and more energetic (although it's hard to understand why). And that is what makes Internet Fat Loss Communities so effective...we are all here for the same reason.

"I look forward to the interviews with fitness experts. I am self employed and work from home, I also have a fairly extensive home gym and workout at home. As a result I don't have a big "social" group for fitness. Pretty much my social group for fitness is my wife and I. In that relationship, I am by far the more active in researching and trying new ideas. I look forward to reading your interviews with fitness professionals as well as the discussions in the discussion forums. I find this a convenient way to supplement my "social" group and keep my long term focus. That's what I love about TT. It's not just a book, it's a community."

Bob Palermo, www.TTmembers.com

"Just got the TT Membership today and it's just what I needed, inspirational and
educational as well. Literally tonnes of info. Anyhow many many thanks for the assistance it is much appreciated"
Mike Varrell, Toronto, Ontario

"I've been doing Craig's workouts for the past four years, and they've helped me make some of the biggest gains in my 35+ years of lifting. TT Members is an incredible deal, giving you some of the best strength, hypertrophy, and fat-loss programs you'll find anywhere. I know they work because I've tried them."
Lou Schuler, author or co-author of The New Rules of Lifting, The Book of Muscle, and The Testosterone Advantage Plan, and former fitness director of Men's Health magazine.

 

Click HERE to become a TT Member today

Are You Over the Hill?

What's "old" to you? Are you old? Have you given up thoughts of improving your health and fitness?

I hope not.

I debated this recently with a friend, who is only 28. He felt like his best physical years had past.

I disagreed. Strongly. I mean c'mon, "over the hill at 28?". Please. (And I've even had guys as young as 23 (!) email me and wonder if their best days are gone.)

Every month I get an email from a male reader, usually under 35 years of age, that wonders if he can still gain muscle and lose fat.

I just can't believe it when I get these emails. 

Fortunately, the female Turbulence Trainers are too sensible to ask that kind of crap. Instead, they just want to know how they can get more fit, not "if" they can get more fit. That's the only attitude you can take.

Personally, I feel as strong, fit, and athletic as I did 10 years ago. And I owe it all to better nutrition, smarter workouts, getting stronger, and living better with a simpler lifestyle.

Paul Chek, a leader and inspiration in the fitness world, recently said, "I'm a 44 year old who can run as fast as he did in high school football. I can lift more weight than I ever have in my life. I can outperform almost every single professional athlete in the gym that I've ever conditioned - and that's a lot of them."

How good can you be?

Tom Venuto, another leader in the fitness world helped develop Fit Over 40, a website showcasing some of the most amazing transformations I've ever seen, and all are of men and women over the age of 40. They've got men and women that still compete in bodybuilding at the age of 70 or 80, to go along with dozens of incredible fat loss success stories.

Whether or not you think the physical prime of your life has past, it doesn't matter. There's only one thing you should do...and that's try to get healthier and fitter everyday.

For beginners, take small baby steps everyday and develop healthy, lifelong habits. As a 30 year old male, I expect to live at least another 70 years. And I plan on being as active, as strong, and as sharp as I can be.

I hope that you'll join me in living the Turbulence Training Lifestyle. The TT lifestyle is grounded in the basics of human health:

• Smart, intense exercise done several times per week, while allowing for 4 days per week of unstructured activity - so that you can spend time in other activities that you love & reduce stress (yoga, family play time, dog walking, etc.)
• Eating whole, natural, organic foods - lean protein sources, nuts, fruits, & vegetables
• Paying attention to rest & recovery
• And keeping a positive, low-stress attitude at all times.

To your health, and to being as fit as you can be at any age,

CB

P.S. TT is the fountain of youth...

If you want to boost your energy, burn some fat, get lean, and get a wonderfully invigorating workout, start with the 10-Minute March Workout program.

These ten, 10-Minute workouts will awaken your mind and muscles to real, functional movement - not some machine-guided artificial movement that most gyms provide. Machines are the "Office cubicle" of the workout world - free your body with bodyweight exercises.

Click HERE for the March Workout of the Month

"Craig, I just wanted to let you know that the bodyweight programs you have incorporated into our program has had remarkable results. As you know, I had fallen off our regular program due to a family illness. At 44 years of age, I was worried about regaining my strength and burning off the bodyfat I gained during a period of inactivity. It was discouraging at first until you included a bodyweight workout. It has been the perfect solution. The bodyweight circuit burns more fat than any prior cardio workout I have ever done.It has also helped me to regain my strength in a very short period of time. The execises are very difficult and challenging but worth the effort. The results I have seen after 3 weeks is the kind I was expecting to see after 8 weeks. I would highly recommend your program for anyone looking to burn off bodyfat while gaining strength."

Bobby Logan

Click HERE to become a TT Member & get access to the March Workout

(And don't forget the video HERE)