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)

greens plus & spinach

2007 has been a breakout year for me. I've started eating spinach regulary, and finally added a "greens plus" beverage to my diet.

I know Kevin Larrabee at www.thefitcast.com has some Greens Plus recipes on his shows, so check that out. I'll see if he can share some.

Why Greens Plus? Well, when I asked this to John Berardi...

CB: What other general supplement advice do you have for men and women that want to lose fat? From multi-vitamin use to post-workout drinks, etc.

JB:
In Precision Nutrition, I list the "big 5" - Protein supplements, Greens supplements, Fish Oil, Creatine, and Workout Drinks. And further, when metabolic decline is a big concern, I recommend Acetyl-L-Carnitine and rAlpha Lipoic Acid. I think most people will do great with a good nutrition plan, smart training plan, and these basic supplements - if needed.

Wednesday deadlift workout

Leaving for chicago thursday AM...but still hoping to do a normal workout on friday. If I can't get access to a real gym for heavy lifting, I'll do bodyweight both days.

I should also be able to film some video clips of me interviewing fat loss and sports training experts

If you are interested in this weekends seminar, the info can be found at www.fesvip.com

That's saturday and sunday.

On thursday night I will be in schaumberg, attending the James Ray seminar with youth sports training expert, brian grasso.

And then back to toronto on sunday night.

Back to today's workout:

1) OH squat (worked up to 145 x1)

2a) trap bar dl (worked up to 406)
2b) db incline (3x12) - aboot 60

3a) wide stance gm (3x8) - 185
3b) standing cable abs (3x12)

Then I did 1 set of squat-curls. What are these? Read Nick Nillsons interview at www.ttmembers.com

Bodyweight presentation on saturday,

CB

Women in the Gym

Last week I was visiting my hometown of Stratford, Ontario, and I popped into the gym for a workout. Now I used to workout at the YMCA in Stratford as a teen, and I spent hours there each week (learning valuable lessons, including why you shouldn't do bodybuilding workouts 6 days per week).

And everytime I return to the "Y", it's like stepping into a time machine. Half of the gym members are still doing the same workouts they used in the 80's and 90's. The form was just dreadful in so many exercises, with the worst being the deadlift form.

I watched two women round their backs like a rainbow as they lowered the bar. So sad to see a great exercise ruined because someone didn't properly teach this exercise. (And magazines are to blame sometimes as well, I've written articles where we've had to toss some of the accompanying photos because the fitness model was doing the exercise with brutal form).

Whatever you are doing in the gym, never round your back. So when you squat, deadlift, or do dumbbell rows, maintain a slight arch in your low back.

And don't stop using good form once the exercise is over. If you're picking up dumbbells off the floor (or picking up toys at home), squat down and avoid rounding your back.

I also recommend avoiding sit-ups and an excessive amount of crunches. The benefits aren't worth the risks.

Back to my gym visit...about 20 minutes through my workout, a young woman of about 45 came in and started doing a superset of split squats and dumbbell chest presses.

I was very impressed. AND she had a training journal to record her sets, reps, and weights.

You know what, I bet this woman succeeds and meets her goals. As we've said many times before, recording your workouts is a key to success so that you can refer back to what works and what doesn't. Plus, it keeps you on track.

Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed when she started doing dumbbell triceps kickbacks. I think these are one of the most useless dumbbell arm exercises in the world. You'd be far better off doing some version of the pushup - that would give you more total body results.

Next week, I'll give you 3 tips on how to improve your push-ups and chin-ups,

CB

PS - So today's 3 lessons were...

i) Don't round your back when lifting.

ii) Keep a training journal for motivation and direction.

iii) Avoid isolation exercises, and choose total body movements to get more results in less time.

The Turbulence Training programs follow all of these principles, and more, to help you get strong, sculpt your body, and burn fat in only 3 workouts of 45 minutes per week.

www.grrlAthlete.com
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
www.TTmembers.com

Burn the fat, feed the muscle

How many times have you asked this question:

"Why can't all the experts just agree on the best approach for fat loss? Why does there have to be so much controversy?"

Well, way back I did an interview with fat loss expert Tom Venuto. And while he and I may not agree on everything, the great thing about Tom is that he can back-up his arguments with both science and experience.

Here's one of the controversial topics we covered...

CB: You rank "fasted cardio in the morning" as a high risk (i.e. risk loss of muscle), high benefit activity for fat loss. Is this something that you use yourself or with clients?

TV:

Because it's high risk, it's not necessarily a fat loss technique I recommend for everyone all the time. But I'm not afraid to use it and I believe it has benefits that can outweigh the risks, depending on the circumstances.

 

I usually do fasted cardio in the morning about 8-12 weeks before a competition. But it depends on my weekly results. If I'm losing fat quickly and easily, I don't need to use any high-risk techniques.

 

Sometimes I'll still do cardio in the morning, because I like doing it then, but I'll have a whey protein drink or even a whole meal shortly beforehand.

 

I like to have an enormous amount of flexibility in my approach. If there's a plateau in fat loss, I want to be able to dig into my bag of tricks and have a lot of stuff in there to pull out when I need it. If you only have one way and you get stuck, you have a problem. I don't like rigid formulas. I like freedom to choose my approach according to how things are going.

 

Click here for the rest of Tom's interview.

Burn fat, build muscle,

 

CB

 

P.S. Tom reveals more cardio secrets...

In his 2-part interview at www.TTmembers.com

Find out what Tom said when I asked him...

 

1) Tom, as you've done bodybuilding shows at different stages of your life, tell us, what's changed? Has it gotten more difficult - and if so, what has been harder: The training or the nutrition? The muscle building or the fat loss?

 

2) So what were your solutions to these new problems? Train harder? Train smarter? Tighten the nutrition?

 

3) Looking back over your training career, how has your diet changed in response to the research? What about your training?

 

4) When did slow cardio work better for you? When you were doing your first show or now doing your 29th

 

 

Click HERE for Tom's answers

Real Deal on the Atkins Diet

My colleague Brad Pilon, CSCS, and nutrition expert, spend the weekend decoding and analysing the latest Atkins study.

While a lot of websites were quick to jump on the bandwagon and report the "miraculous" results of this study (did they even read the FULL study?), Brad was able to take the weekend and really dig through this research and all of the commentary and bickering that accompanied it.

Brad's posted his review in on his Blog, and trust me, the results will surprise you!

Click HERE to find out what the Atkin's diet REALLY says...

CB

Bodyweight Workout & Nutrition Expert Help

John Barban, CSCS, from www.grrlAthlete.com recently wrote about a creative bodyweight workout that is known as the 52 Card Workout. Here's how it goes down...

Take a regular deck of playing cards.

We alternate between upper and lower body exercises.

1st person chooses an upper body exercise (ex: push-ups) then you flip the top card and complete the number of reps that corresponds to the number on the card (ex: 8 reps for the 8 of hearts...)

Next set your partner chooses a lower body exercise and flip the next card for the reps...and so on...

Face cards are 10 reps each

Aces are 11 reps.

2,3,4's are low for reps...so we designated them as only for calves and abs...and the numbers corresponds to seconds...so for example. a 2 means 20 seconds of calf raises or 20 seconds of bridging for abs...alternate between calves and abs with each 2,3, or 4 that you flip.

This workout takes about 1 hour and its a great way to do conditioning, keep things fresh and get a whole body workout!

John Barban, CSCS
www.grrlAthlete.com

His colleague from grrlAthlete, nutrition expert Brad Pilon, CSCS, had a great post on his blog that I want to pass along as well...

Click HERE to learn Brad's single best tool for getting in shape

Stick with CB for links to the best training and nutrition info,

CB

P.S. What do Brad Pilon, John Barban, Dr. Berardi, and Tom Venuto have in common? 

They have all been interviewed over at http://www.ttmembers.com/

Monday Bench Workout

Sticking with this training phase for a 4th week. I am off to chicago later this week for a seminar, so I might only get 2 normal workouts this week.

So today was...

1) Snatch (3x3) - working on technique and speed.

2) 3-board bench (worked up to max) - 330

And then I did one set of 225 for reps. Not so good, but not surprising considering I just did a 1 Rm. My best at the 225 for reps is 14. And in honor of the combines that occured last month, I'm going to build that back up. I know it will help my bech...it did in the past.

3a) full squat (2x8)
3b) db chest press (2xMax reps)
3c) pullups (2x.Max)

Good start to the week,
CB

3 Ways to Get More Energy

Last summer I trained a Hollywood starlet who was in Toronto to
film a movie. She was a model Turbulence Training client, doing
everything I asked in each session including her first-ever
chin-up, except for the Sugar-free Red Bull she insisted on having
before each workout.

She said she needed the energy.

Everywhere you go people are looking for 'energy'. Have you been
seduced by the ads promising "such and such" beverage will "give
you wings", or by stores offering sky-high cups of coffee. Where do
you go for your fix? And is it really a fix at all? Or just a patch
that leads to an inevitable crash and burn?

In reality, the "energy" we're chasing is simply mental alertness.

And it's no secret that coffee and cigarettes contain drugs that
stimulate your brain, giving you the mental alertness we mistakenly
call 'energy'.

If you are searching a better way of living, a life that doesn't
depend on chemicals - literally, drugs! - to keep you awake and
motivated, if you are tired of being tired, then being wired, and
then being tired again, then set the coffee cup down, step away
from the supersized Diet Cokes, and turn to holistic living.

There are better, healthier ways to achieve higher levels of
physical and mental energy.

Here are 3 ways to get more energy, naturally.

1) Exercise

It doesn't matter what time you exercise, just be consistent. Fit
it in based on your schedule and personality. If you have to do it
first thing when you wake up, just do it. Don't even let yourself
think about it. Just get started.

A lot of people think too much about their plan. That's why
Turbulence Training works for so many people...they don't have to
think, they just follow the workouts and get done fast.

Focus on intense strength training for 20 minutes followed by a
brief interval training session to boost your metabolism all day
long.

Exercise is a drug. Like caffeine and nicotine, exercise causes the
release of many chemicals into your blood, resulting in mental
stimulation and an improved sense of overall well-being. Exercise
just makes you feel good.

2) Eat smaller, more frequent meals.

Skip the cycle of starving and feasting characterized by no
breakfast, a high-carbohydrate lunch, and a huge dinner. Instead,
eat breakfast and then continue to eat every 3 hours for the rest
of the day.

Research shows that a high-fiber breakfast helps control appetite
and increases mental alertness all morning, and improves your
ability to process information.

Do not skip breakfast and rely on a coffee to get you through the
day. Got no time? C'mon! You're an adult, you can get up 10 minutes
earlier to have a protein shake, some almonds, and an apple. You're
not in high school anymore. No excuses!

3) Eat only whole, natural foods, such as fruits, vegetables,
organic proteins, raw nuts (not roasted in oil), Green Tea, water.

Trying to run on processed foods is a recipe for an energetic
disaster. Stick to whole, natural foods during the day, snacking
rather than binging on big meals, and you'll never feel like dozing
off.

If a food is from a bag or a box, it doesn't deserve a place in your
nutrition plan. Avoid all added sugars. Surely, you're already
sweet enough!

Bonus Tip!)
Take mini-breaks during the day to work on your mobility.

Work environments zap our 'energy'. From poor posture, to
eye-strain from computer screens, your office, cubicle, and car
seat will suck the life out of you.

According to Men's Health magazine...

"British researchers recently found that when people exercised
during their workday -- regardless of the duration or intensity of
the movement -- they were less likely to feel fatigued, and that
translated into a 15 percent improvement in job performance."

Daily exercise breaks are essential to not only boost energy, but
mobility. Each day, as your computer sucks you into its visual
vortex, your upper body becomes rounded forward and tense. You need
to reverse that movement. Here's how...

Stickup
Stand with your back to the wall and feet about 4 inches from the
wall. Place the back of your arms against the wall with upper arms
parallel to floor and forearms at 90 degrees. Stick up your arms
over head while keeping your arm against the wall at all times.
Slowly return to below the starting position tucking your elbows
into your sides and bringing shoulder blades together. Repeat for
12 reps. Do this every 60-90 minutes.

In addition, get outside into natural light whenever possible.

For a complete exercise and nutrition plan to help you burn fat,
sculpt your body, and give you all-day energy, get started with
Turbulence Training today!

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

I guarantee you that Turbulence Training will successfully
guide you to the fat loss you deserve and desire.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
www.TTmembers.com
www.workoutmanuals.com

Only 22 hours left for this workout bonus

I received an email last week from C.R. asking if I would make the popular, "DB-BW TT Fusion Workout" available for individual sale. If you remember, that was 2006's most popular monthly workout, and sold for $24.99.

Currently, you can only get this workout if you are a Platinum Level TT member.

But for the next 24 hours - until 6am EST, Tuesday, March 13th, I'm going to make it available for all TT members to download.

That will cost you only $9.95 for this workout, plus you still have access to the March Monthly workout, and a few other workout bonuses (did I mention I now show the new monthly workouts in video format?).

Click HERE to become a Basic Level TT Member & download this workout before 6am, Tuesday, March 13th

Once you are a member...
- Click on "All TT Manual Downloads" under "Departments"
- Choose Monthly Workouts
- Click on October, 2006 DB-BW Fusion Workout
- Download!

Remember, you must download it before Tuesday at 6am! After that, it goes back to restricted Platinum Level Member access.

Once my dog gets me out of bed on Tuesday, this offer is over...and that workout will only be available to Platinum members.

In addition, you also get access to the exclusive fat loss interviews and the discussion forums, where you'll be able to post your questions and read answers to dozens of fitness and fat loss problems. We'll even critique your workouts!

For example...

Q: I am just starting the intermediate fat loss programme - trying to figure out an alternative for the Stability Ball back extension - would you believe there is no spare wall space -well hardly in the gym -that isn't covered by a machine - hmmm am thinking SB jacknife or mountain climbers ??? any ideas ? - Alex

Answer:
Because it is a hamstring and low back exercise, suitable replacements would be:

- Waiters Bow
- Good morning
- RDL
- 1-leg RDL
- Stability Ball Leg Curl
- 1-leg Stability ball curl
- 2-leg hip extension with feet on stability ball

Thanks!

And don't forget the interviews with the fat loss pro's,

CB

PS - You'll also get Members-only Youtube videos...

...showing you all of the exercises from the March Monthly workout.

Less than 24 hours left to grab your bonus - Click HERE to get started as a Basic Level TT Member  

Once you are a member...
- Click on "All TT Manual Downloads" under "Departments"
- Choose Monthly Workouts
- Click on October, 2006 DB-BW Fusion Workout
- Download!

7-Day Guide: Answer this...

How would you describe your workouts? 

Are you exercising or training?

What's the difference?

Exercise is what we should get every day of the week. Training, on the other hand, is what you should do 3 days per week. Those are the tough workouts directed at achieving a goal. If you have the right program design, you should only be able to "train" 3-4 days per week.

That's why it is called Turbulence Training.

On the other days of the week, you should stay active and get at least 30 minutes of activity.

So if you are stuck at a plateau, review your workouts to see if you are training with focus 3 days per week. Going through the motions won't help you change your body. 

Now back to the guidelines...

Big week coming up for you this week, right? Going to lose another pound of fat, gain a little more muscle, and be more consistent with your nutrition? All that good stuff, right? Remember, take baby steps each day to healthier, lifelong habits.

Here's your guideline to stick to those goals...

Monday
TT Workout. Hit a personal best in a strength exercise. It could be lifting 5 more pounds in a pressing exercise, or doing one more chinup than usual.

Tuesday
30 minutes of activity. It's almost spring - at least on the calendar. So take it outside if you can. You'll feel so much better exercising in the outdoors than you will stuck inside on a treadmill. If work permits, take a big walk on your lunch hour.

Wednesday
TT Workout. Jump your intervals up to 40 seconds from 30, or up to 75 seconds from 60. This should be your toughest interval training workout of this 4-week phase - so give yourself an extra 30 seconds of recovery between intervals.

Thursday
30 minutes of activity. After, review your liquid calorie intake. Take note of how much alcohol, juice, soda, and other sweetened beverages you drink each week. Then make plans to reduce your liquid calorie intake. Substitute no-calorie beverages such as Green Tea or filtered water.

Friday
TT Workout. Try a new low-glycemic vegetable today such as squash, a yam, green beans, or spinach. The more vegetables you eat, the leaner you will get.

Saturday
30 minutes of activity. Re-read your TT manual to identify what has worked best for your fat loss results. Share your manual with a family member and help get them on track to better health as well.

Sunday
30 minutes of activity followed by your planning, shopping and preparing. Pick up extra vegetables at the grocery store and commit to trying a new lean protein source.

Less than 12 weeks to the first long weekend of the summer,

CB

P.S. Does spot reduction really work?

I was asked this on the TT Members forum. Seems there is some magazine articles suggesting this is true. So is this the big breakthrough we've been waiting for?

Take a look at my answer HERE 

This week's Weight Loss Q'n'A

Hopefully this q'n'a is not too late to help you out...

Q: I've got a cold. Should I be working out when I'm sick?

Answer:
The general consensus that you'll read in online articles is...

a) If the symptoms are above the neck (i.e. a cold), you can exercise.

b) If its a flu, don't exercise.

I've read that many times.

And when I was in University, I would always workout no matter how bad my cold was...

Now, I look at it this way:

What will I gain by working out? What will I gain by resting?

It's only one workout - it's not going to make or break your fat loss program.

Last week, I forced myself to add a day of rest while I had a cold. And when I returned to the gym, I broke 2 strength records, even though I was still a little under the weather. Extra rest is good - it allows for quality training.

In most cases, just take a rest, get some extra sleep, and avoid spreading the virus on to someone else. That one workout is not going to make or break your success. On the other hand, there's no guarantee that the extra rest will make the illness go away quicker.

Sometimes these things will run the same course no matter what. But at least by staying home, you don't make your cold (or flu) someone else's problem.

By exercising when sick, we are demonstrating an old-school bodysculpting approach...that its all about the volume of work, rather than the quality of work. I'll let you make an adult decision about whether or not the benefits outweigh the negatives. 

Q: I like to add extra shoulder work to my TT workouts. So recently I've been doing seated Smith Machine presses and upright rows, like old-school bodybuilder workouts. Do you have any other suggestions?

Answer:
I didn't like the sounds of that, so I asked Bill Hartman, CSCS, PT, the smartest man in fitness and co-author of The Best Upper Body Warm-up DVD, what he thought...

Seated pressing and worse, pressing on a Smith Machine, provide external stability to the exercise. While it may appear "safer" to use the Smith Machine, the reality is that given enough time, the larger muscles (the deltoid in this case) become stronger than the stabilizers (rotator cuff).

When this happens the rotator cuff can't overcome the pull of the deltoid and impingement results. This occurs even if you don't have pain as it is a progressive situation.

Upright rows for most folks are not even worth the risk to perform. The exercise itself is actually an impingement mechanism (internal rotation with elevation). The same arm position is used in clinic to confirm impingement.

If you must perform overhead pressing, do it standing and with dumbbells to prevent the arm from getting "locked" into a bad position that will eventually compromise joint stability.

Q: Do you have any resources on teaching squat form?

Answers:
Yes, I have a couple of bodyweight squat videos available to Platinum TT Members. By showing you the side view of the exercise, you get a better understanding of what I'm looking for when I say "push your hips back first".

Compare these two videos:

Normal Stance Squat Side View:
http://www.ttmembers.com/members/158.cfm

Sumo Squat Side View:
http://www.ttmembers.com/members/159.cfm

Notice how the model is able to sit deeper and easier with the wider foot stance position.

If you are having trouble with squat depth, slightly increase your stance width, but be conservative and don't make your stance too wide. Just go 1-2 inches wider than normal to start.
 

Q: I try and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, but I'm not sure if I'm getting as many as Dr. Berardi recommends. What exactly is a "serving"?

Answer:
I googled this question and found a site that described 1 serving as...

• 1 cup raw leafy greens
• 1/2 cup any other chopped vegetable
• 3/4 cup vegetable juice

So that's what you need, it's not as intimidating as you might have originally thought.

I answer a lot of nutrition questions on the TT forum, including others such as "Is there a danger of eating too much whey?". Become a Basic Level TT member for only $9.95 and get access to the forums for a month.

Q: Does it matter what order I do my workout? Should I do intervals first and then cardio?

Answer:
If you care at all about getting stronger, do weight training before intervals.

A total body workout would not fatigue the legs enough to impact interval training, whereas interval training would impact both upper and lower body strength training. The "systemic" fatigue would lower your upper body lifting performance, and the local fatigue from intervals would lessen your lower body performance.

If you want to run a 4-minute mile, then your endurance training would take precedence, and you would schedule your lifting on off-days or only before easier running sessions.

However, if all you are doing is beginner slow-steady cardio and beginner weight training, then it probably doesn't matter what order you use.

When it comes to fat loss, there really is nothing magical about doing cardio before weights, or vice-versa. But every TT program recommends strength training before interval training.

It just makes more sense to do weights first if you want to be strong and build muscle,

CB

PS - The April TT Monthly workout is...

...going to be a TT For Mass program that can be done at home with only dumbbells and bodyweight exercises.

Become a TT Member today and you'll get the March ten 10-minute workout program and you'll be among the first to get April's program when I release it on March 31st.

Friday Workout

Back at the Y in stratford. Good workout. Lots of hiking in the snow woth the dog as well.

1a) db chest press (3xMax with 100 pounds)
1b) rdl (3x6) - 100lbs dbs

2a) close grip bench (3x6)
2b) bw row (3xMax)

3a) db curls (3x8)
3b) db triceps (3x8)

4) cable abs

A little like high school with the arm training, but hey, its friday, have some fun in your workout,

CB

Bodyweight Bodybuilding Q'n'A

First, I just want to let you know that we have posted workout video demonstrations for most of the 10-minute workouts at www.TTmembers.com

These videos, including the 10-exercise bodyweight circuit, are available to ALL members, and can be watched on a secret youtube channel.

Click HERE to get the video links

Now back to today's bodyweight message...

Bodyweight training - so much potential, but does it deliver? I'll be honest with you...and then we'll let you have your say.

Here's today's question...

Q: I am thinking about purchasing your TT bodyweight training manual. I work 11-12 hours per day, 5-6 days per week, and I have 4 month old twin girls at home. So, my time is very limited. I really don't have time to mess around with adjustable dumbbells and barbells, it just adds to my work out time.

My main goal is to improve my body composition (less fat more muscle). I'm currently 6'1", 200lbs, and approx 24% body fat. Do you think the bodyweight manual is the best choice for me? Also, I've heard that you can't add muscle with bodyweight exercises. Is that just a myth? Thanks for your time Craig. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Answer:
It sounds like as time limits go, the TT bodyweight manual is your best bet. It is for men and women like you that I wrote the bodyweight workouts.

With today's hectic lifestyles, parents of young families have almost no time to workout. Heck, any parent that can find time to exercise is doing a great job in my opinion. And that's why I'm dedicated to making your short workouts efficient and effective.

I'll be honest with you, my bodyweight routines are not going to make you look like a bodybuilder. However, they can and will help you look better by building some muscle and burning lots of fat. You'll look better on the beach, at your wedding, or simply every day in your backyard. 

Plus, you'll be healthier, and have more energy. Two of the biggest needs of your family right now - a happy, healthy, energetic parent. 

There are quite a few exercises in the bodyweight manual that can actually help you gain muscle (chins, dips, some of the advanced pushups, and all the single leg exercises). But you will not put on muscle like you would with a dumbbell routine.

The amount of muscle you put on with the bodyweight exercises depend on how intense they are for you. A person that can do 25 chinups will not gain as much muscle from chinups as a person that struggles with 5 reps on the chins. The second lifter will gain more size in the arms and lats - but that actually describes a lot of TT readers.

The real benefit to bodyweight training is the ability to get lean, not huge. You'll lose fat and achieve extraordinary muscle definition with a bodyweight program.

Because of the interval-like nature of the bodyweight training, you will blast through your fat stores quickly, provided your diet is in place. After all, running and sprinting are nothing more than very fast bodyweight exercises - and they sure help to burn the fat, don't they? Given your stature, you would be looking at becoming a lean 180-185 pounds in less than 16 weeks or so on the program.

The exercises are enough to keep your muscle mass, and more than enough to burn off fat, but again you need to eat properly.

Bodyweight workouts + good eating = A great body,

CB

PS - Who can bodyweight training help?

You, me, and these three, that's for sure. 

"Had my first bodyweight work out from your program last night, which I started at phase two, and I was totally caught off guard at the high level of energy and strength that is needed to complete these circuits.  Im used to regular bodybuilding exercises and I assumed my strength there would compliment me in these circuits, but it turns out I was wrong, for the most part.  By the second circuit I was already lowering my reps, as I wasn't strong enough nor did I have the necessary endurance to complete the circuit at the recommended reps.  My body felt like it went through a 2 hour workout, when in fact I was done with in about 30 minutes.  I particularly enjoy the fact that these can mostly all be done at home." 
Brad Wittig

"Craig, I have, for the most part, had an attitude that BW training must be for the weak and untrained. Recently, the two leaders in the field in my mind (yourself and Cosgrove) have had much to say about BW training. Needing a change, and stuck not making any progress in improved leanness, I decided to give it a try. What a surprise. The workouts are tough. I'm enjoying them more than weights and intervals (still do a bit of intervals). And ... guess what, suddenly I'm seeing major changes in my leanness. Considerably more than I was getting conventionally! With the ways you have to make it tougher, even very strong athletes can experience great challenge.  Functional fitness training it is. You are terrific. Keep up the great work."
David Odell

"Stunning! After only 4 weeks of the Bodyweight program I already gained more muscles than in any other program ever. The beauty of the program is that you do exercises that no machine in the world can give you (Planks, 1-leg squats etc.), don't waste any time and no more excuses for not working out when you are traveling.?
Michael Okada, Berlin/Germany

Click HERE for your no-equipment, fat burning workout

Weight Loss Tips from Personal Trainer Alwyn Cosgrove

Every once in a while you come across a person in their field that is so well-respected, so "on-target" with their work, and so engaging that you can't help but consider them the best in their business.

Andin the fitness industry, that person is none other than Alwyn Cosgrove. He is on top of his game.

In comparison to other personal trainers, Alwyn is at the level of 8th degree black belt, while most of the trainers you'd find in large commercial gyms barely deserve a yellow belt.

Alwyn has an endless list of certifications, but more importantly, he has boiled down complex fitness information into only what is necessary for you to know to succeed.

The Transformation King has written an excellent fat loss program ('Afterburn' and 'Afterburn 2'), and perhaps more importantly, has shared his training methods and know-how in his Professional Program Design Manual and his bodyweight exercise DVD (where I learned some nifty tricks for my bodyweight manual workouts).

Check out Alwyn's books here

And in the meantime, let's hear what the top dog has to say...

CB: So, what's new Alwyn?

AC:
Nothing much Craig. As you know I spent some time in hospital last year. So I didn't do a whole lot of work in 06. 2007 has been a little busier but I'm taking it pretty easy :)

I'm currently working with a BJJ fighter to prepare for the Abu Dhabi Combat Championships and a professional MMA fighter so I've been back coaching. I thought I'd retired but they sucked me back in :)

CB: Hey, tell us more about your project, Lifting for Lymphoma.

AC:
Basically Craig I decided that it was time for the strength training community to step up and give something back. The endurance training community has been raising money for charity for years. Collectively the strength training community has fallen short by comparison.

So I contacted a bunch of writers and trainers and asked them to contribute a short article or training program to a book project that we could sell -- with all the net proceeds going to the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. The original idea was that it would be a 100 page manual that I could print out and sell.

Currently we're at 900 pages!! So it's going to have to be a CD rom (to keep production and shipping costs down). I hope to launch it very soon. If everyone who read elitefts.com, bodybuilding.com or t-nation.com this week bought ONE copy each -- we'd sell 500,000 copies.

The information in itself is going to be GREAT. But aside from that -- it's a chance for us to give something back to the cancer research community.

Stay tuned to Alwyn's newsletter to learn when this will be ready.

Click HERE for Alwyn's site & newsletter

CB: Your program design manual is getting rave reviews. Why do personal trainers need something like this?

AC:
My program design manual I believe is the first product on the market to actually establish a SYSTEM for trainers to use to design programs. Most of the time trainers write essentially exercise "menus".

It also covers the similarities between great programs and how to extract them - instead of focusing on the differences as most people do.

CB: What is the most practical tip you've come across in recent weeks?

AC:
JB's compliance grid (which I saw last year) is still the best tool that I've seen.

Overall though -- getting the idea across that if you do something every day that causes metabolic "turbulence" and creates "afterburn" - regardless of what that activity is -- then you're going to get lean.

Maybe it's a ten minute interval session or a 20 min bodyweight circuit - it almost doesn't matter what the session is -- then you elevate metabolism when you're resting.

To oversimplify it -- increase metabolism by 1/4 of a calorie per minute -- that's 15 cals per hour -- 360 per hour -- 2520 per week -- before dieting or adding in caloric burn from training. The EPOC - the increase in metabolism - is where to focus your efforts.

CB: What's the biggest mistake trainers are making in their fat loss program design?

AC:

It's STILL an overemphasis on aerobic training for fat loss. I feel like I keep saying this but no one seems to be hearing it. There's an overwhelming belief that aerobic exercise = fat loss. It doesn't.

It simply means that your energy needs are being met by the aerobic energy system. It doesn't guarantee fat loss - in fact I think it's possibly the least effective fat loss modality there is.

In terms of ROI - aerobic training is like putting money under the mattress - you put it away - and you don't make anything "extra" from it. Metabolic Turbulence or Afterburn is like putting that money in a high interest money market account -- with compound interest.

I strongly recommending Alwyn Cosgrove as your fitness mentor,

CB

Click here for more Cosgrove

Wednesday Workout

Warmup superset in addition to regular bw warmup

1a) OH squat (3x3) - 125
1b) OH Lunge (3x5)

2a) trap bar DL (3x5) - 375
2b) db close grip incline (3x10)

3a) wide stance good morning (3x8) 3b) side plank (2x60seconds)

4) Barbell curls (3x8)

That was an honest workout,
CB

Cardio for Weight Loss

Lately i've been reading some outlandish claims about cardio (aka aerobic exercise).

Now I was one of the first mainstream fitness experts to shout about replacing cardio with intervals, and I maintain that to this day you will get more results in less time from intervals than you will from slow cardio.

I also believe that too much cardio will lead to an overuse injury in most cases, and that cardio is an inefficient way to lose body fat. It can work in some (mostly young men), but in my experience it doesn't work as well as most people think.

That said, I've recently read medical experts state...

1) cardio can decrease your health

2) cardio causes your body to store more fat (huh?!)

And other trainers are spouting these claims as though Moses himself brought down an 11th commandment stating, "Thou shalt not do cardio unless you want to store fat".

Puh-leeze.

Here's the bottom line about cardio:

1) It can and will improve your health.

2) You might be able to lose fat with it, but it will take you twice as long per session as interval training - and intervals have, in my experience, a much greater success rate.

3) Too much cardio can quickly cause injury.

4) The fat burning zone is the biggest cardio myth of them all.

5) You don't have to do at least 20 minutes of cardio before your body starts burning fat (again, huh?!)

6) Research is starting to show marathon running puts an awful lot of stress on the heart, resulting in an extreme inflammatory state (Am J Clin Pathol. 126:888-893, 2006). There is a risk (albeit a very a small one) of having a cardiac problem during a marathon.

(Personally, I think the benefits and prestige of marathon training and participation are highly over-rated - but that's just one man's opinion - and I cringe when an overweight person makes that their main goal - that's just a recipe for a visit to the physiotherapist.)

So that's what science and experience show about cardio. The day that a study shows cardio causes you to store more fat, believe me, you'll be the first to hear about it.

But until then, hopefully trainers will lay off the "sky is falling" claims about cardio, and stick to what the latest research is showing us. There are just too many merits about interval training, that we don't need to go around making up B.S. claims about cardio to prove our point.

Intervals are great, plain and simple, and cardio leaves a lot to be desired.

I don't make up the rules of physiology, I just follow them,

CB

P.S. What are the other experts saying about cardio and intervals?

At www.TTmembers.com, I've interviewed two trainers who are among the best at combining practical experience with scientific research to come up with the correct way of using cardio for fat loss and health.

Here's a sneak peak of Tom Venuto's thoughts...

"TV: Slow cardio has never worked very well for me. But we shouldn't take that out of context and I don't think we should completely knock low intensity cardio. We have to..."

And from Christian Finn, MS, his thoughts on the biggest fat loss cardio myth...

"CF: Probably the main one is that cardio in the so-called "fat-burning" zone is the best way to lose fat.

I had one guy e-mail me the other day asking if he should exercise at 30% of his maximum heart rate in order "to mobilise MCTs." At 33 years of age, 30% of my maximum heart rate is around 56 beats per minute, which isn't too far away from what it is at rest! Crazy!

There's also the idea that..."

To read everything that Tom & Christian have to say about cardio, intervals, fat loss, and health, become a TTMember today.

Click HERE to get the inside scoop from the biggest names and brightest minds in the fat loss field  

Tuesday Exercise Session

Just got some exercise...a bunch of mobility exercises, some foam rolling
for trouble spots, and some time on the bike re-reading "Primal Branding" by
Patrick Hanlon (I also nearly froze my fingers off - through my gloves -
walking the dog this morning).

I've had a few questions about and suggestions for my reading list.

So I'll go over what I've read in the last 2 years (which isn't as much as
it should have been - although I tend to read books twice and I read a lot
of online newsletters), and then finish with all the books on my "to read"
list...warning: Its long.

Feel free to make suggestions or recommend omissions.

Training/Coaching/Health Books - Have Been Read

1. Positive Coaching Alliance Textbook

2. Coach Effectiveness Training

3. Natural Hormone Enhancement – Rob Faigen

4.Under the Bar – Dave Tate

5. Basketball Manual – Lee Taft

6. Coach's Strength Training Playbook – Joe Kenn

7. Combat Conditioning – Matt Furey

8. Let Every Breath – Systema

9. Tap Out – Ferruggia

10. Designing programs – Boyle

11. Program Design – Cosgrove

12. New Rules of Lifting – Cosgrove

13. Supertraining

Business & Fiction Books - Have Been Read

14. Purple Cow – Seth Godin

15. "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

16. Free Prize Inside – Godin

17. 22 Laws of Marketing – Ries & Trout

18. Fooled by Randomness – Nicholas Taleb

19. Info Millions – Bob Serling

20. How to Personal Trainer – Eric Ruth

21. Freakonomics – Levitt & Dubnar

22. Real Dream Teams: Seven Practices That Enable Ordinary People to
Achieve Extraordinary Results As Team Leaders by Bob Fisher, Bo Thomas

23. The Old Man & the Sea – Hemingway

24. Selling Information Products – Gleek

25. Automatic Wealth – Masterson

26. Farewell to Arms – Hemmingway

27. For Whom the Bell Tolls – Hemmingway

28. The Sun Also Rises – Hemmingway

29. Blink – Gladwell

30. Idea Virus

31. The E-Myth – Gerber

32. Words that Sell – Nicholas

33. Maradonna's autobiography (maradonna, not MA-donna)

34. Zero to One million – Ryan Allis

35. Magic Hundred – Dax Moy

36. Big Red Fez – Godin

37. Lucrative List Building – Glen Hopkins

38. Purpose Driven Life – Rick Warren (not fiction or business)

39. Marley and Me – John Grogan

40. Never Eat Alone – Ferrazzi

41. Multiple Streams of Internet Income – Robert Allen

42. Primal Branding – Create Zealots for Your Brand – Patrick Hanlon

43. Listbuilding – Mark Hendricks

44. Google Cash – Chris Carpenter

45. Blue Ocean Strategy – W. Chan Kim

Random List of Books TO READ (non-training only)

1. The Psychology of Influence & Persuasion – Robert Caldini

2. E-book secrets exposed (Magic Autoresponder bonus)

3. How to Make $1 million or more selling how to information – Jeffrey
Lantz

4. How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie

5. Thick Face, Black Heart – Chin-Ning Chu

6. The Long Tail – Chris Anderson

7. Psycho-Cybernetics – Maxwell Maltz

8. No B.S. Marketing – Kennedy

9. No B.S. Sales Letter – Kennedy

10. No B.S. Wealth Attraction for Entrepreneurs

11. No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses

12. No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs

13. No B.S. Sales Success

14. No B.S. Business Success

15. Permission Marketing – Godin

16. The Guerrilla Marketing Handbook – Godin & Levinson

17. eMarketing – Godin

18. Unleashing the Idea Virus – Godin

19. Making Successful Presentations – Terry Smith

20. Re-imagine – Tom Peters

21. The Brand Called You – Peter Montoya

22. Up Your Business – Dave Anderson

23. How to Win Clients – Nick

24. Immutable Laws of Branding – Ries

25. The Psychology of Winning – Nick

26. Cash copy – Jeffrey Lant

27. Focus – Al Ries

28. Good to Great by Jim Collins

29. Consumer Behavior

30. International Business

31. Conversations with Millionaires

32. The 7 Habits of highly effective people: Covey

33. First things First: Covey

34. 8th Habit – Covey

35. Jonathan Livingston Seagull: Bach

36. Mans search for meaning: Frankil

37. Goals: Tracy

38. Eat that Frog: Tracy

39. Unlimited Power: Robbins

40. The Intelligent Investor – Ben Graham (1949)

41. How I turned $1000 into $1 million in my spare time

42. Al Lowry – "How to become financially independent by investing in Real
Estate"

43. Raving Fans

44. Fish!

45. Gung Ho!

46. Who Moved my cheese

47. High Five

48. The one minute manager

49. The Worldly Philosophers

50. The Sovereign Individual

51. The Crest of the Wave

52. The Great Boom Ahead

53. Boom Bust Echo

54. Corporate Lifecycles

55. "Words that sell" novel - richard bayen (also has "Phrases that sell")

56. Psychology of Persuasion - Kevin Hogan

57. Becoming a category of one

58. "Marketing to women: How to Understand, Reach, and Increase Your Share
of the World's Largest Market Segment' - Martha Barletta

59. AutoWebLaw - Bruce Safran's ebook

60. The Student Success Manifesto: How to Create a Life of Passion,
Purpose, and Prosperity - Michael Simmons

61. How to Become CEO" by Jeffrey J. Fox

62. "How to Become a Great Boss" by Jeffrey J. Fox

63. How to Become a Rainmaker – J Fox

64. "Selling the Invisible" by Harry Beckwith

65. "Never Wrestle With a Pig" by Mark McCormack

66. "The Deviant's Advantage" by Ryan Mathews and Watts Wacker

67. "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success" by Deepak Chopra

68. "Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In" by Roger
Fisher, Bill Ury, and Bruce Patton

69. Scientific Advertising – Claude Hopkins (www.claudehopkins)

70. Ads that Sell – Bob Bly (Amazon only)

71. Technique for Producing Ideas – James Webb-Young

72. Other book by Claude Hopkins

73. How to Read a Financial Report – John Tracy

74. Ogilvy on Advertising" by David Ogilvy

75. Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples

76. The Copywriter's Handbook by Bob Bly

77. On Writing - Stephen King

78. Susan Bordo - Unbearable Weight

79. The Elements of Style" by William Strunk and E.B. White

80. Brand Warfare – D'Allesendro

81. Career Warfare – D'Allesendro

82. Developing the Leader Within You – John Maxwell

83. Business By Referral by Ivan Misner and Robert Davis

84. Word of Mouth Marketing by Jerry R. Wilson

85. High Visibility

86. Ready, Aim, Specialize – K James-Enger

87. Success Is Not an Accident: Change Your Choices, Change Your Life –
Tommy Newberry

88. Just Enough – Harvard

89. Ground Rules for Winners by Joe Torre

90. The Winner within by Pat Riley

91. Winning Everyday by Lou Holtz

92. Software Project Survival Guide

93. Direct from Dell

94. Hardball – George Stalk

95. Atlas Shrugged – Rand

96. Persuasive Online Copywriting

97. Call to Action – Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg

98. A study in Tyranny

99. A history of Warfare by Keenan

100. A culture of contentment by Galbraith

101. The gray dawn – Pete Peterson

102. Lexus & The Olive Tree – Friedman

103. World is Flat – Friedman

104. In Search of Excellence

105. Passion for Excellence

106. Online Profits @ Speed of Light

107. How to Argue and Win Every Time – Gerry Spence

108. Russell Conwell – Acres of Diamonds

109. Overachievement

110. Copywriting program (http://www.awaionline.com/bib/tw89)

111. Slaughterhouse 5 – Vonnegut

112. Selfish Gene – Richard Dawkins

113. Fashionable Nonsense – Alan Sokel

114. The Guns of August – Barbara Tuchman

115. Crossing the Chasm - Geoffrey Miller

116. The Wisdom of Crowds

117. Trade Up

118. Winning Through Intimidation – Ringer

119. Action: Nothing Happens Until Something Moves – Ringer

120. Power & Persuasion – Masterson

121. How to Write A Book in 14 Days

122. The Great Formula – Joyner

123. The Irresistible Offer – Joyner

124. 7 Years to 7 Figures – Masterson

125. The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life – Steve Leveen

126. The Millionaire Mind – (getthemoneyebook.com – tpauley?)

127. The E-Code: 47 Secrets to Making Money Online – Vitale

128. Born Rich – Bob Proctor

129. Customer Born Every Minute – Vitale

130. Duct Tape Marketing

131. Pay Attention Please

132. Made to Stick – Heath

133. Anatomy of a Buzz – Emmanuel Rosen

Meal Plans, Diet Sodas, & Flavored Water

From the man who told you how much coffee you can drink (see last Saturday's newsletter), comes a new system to help you outline your nutrition. It's called Meal Plans 101.

Dr. Christopher Mohr, PhD RD is a consultant to a number of media outlets and corporations including Discovery Health Channel, Clif Bar, and Fit Fuel. Through his company Mohr Results, Inc., he works with all types of individuals from soccer moms to collegiate and professional athletes. 

He's even been on the Montel Williams Show and helped LL Cool J with his new workout book!

Chris, along with Jayson Hunter, a registered dietician, recently created Meal Plans 101, an easy-to-use software program that allows anyone to create simple, yet effective meal plans with the most up to date formulas.

No matter how you plan your meals, Chris is giving us some helpful nutrition tips today... 

CB: Chris, there are a few major hurdles that busy men and women have in terms of sticking to a meal plan. First, the biggest problem is getting protein on the run. What are your best recommendations for portable, high-protein snacks?

CM:  
I've looked into this myself, Craig, as I travel a lot. I love mixed walnuts and almonds, the tuna and salmon pouches that don't need a can opener or to be drained, jerky, and, my newest favorite product---salmon jerky (www.wildrivergrilling.com).  

I gotta' be honest, I was a bit hesitant thinking about what salmon jerky would taste like, but it's great and it packs a nice dose of healthy fats and protein to boot. Then you always have to have your standard meal replacement powders where you just add water and you're all set.


CB: I bet that salmon jerky tastes better than it sounds. Chris, how many servings of fruits and vegetables do you recommend per day? And how can the 2-hour commuting, 10 hour working, parent of young children get these servings in each day?

CM:
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines suggest 5-13 servings/day, depending on your calorie intake.  

There is a ton of data supporting their intake too--the more you eat, the better you'll be and data show decreases in body weight, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimers, diabetes--you name it.  

On average, though, we're way below the recommendation eating around 3 servings each day. The key is to plan ahead. If you're flying by the seat of your pants trying to "find" fruits and vegetables, it's not going to happen. 

Throw some veggies in an omelet, blend fruit into your protein shakes, mix some with your yogurt, pack fruit or vegetable sticks with meals instead of chips, crackers, cookies, etc.  

A piece of fruit isn't any more difficult to eat than a junky snack, it just takes a little more planning---you need to buy it first, so you have access, then you need to do what it takes to make it a regular part of your day. Every single meal should be colorful, meaning offering different fruits and vegetables.


CB: Personally, my daily F&V intake is

• 2-3 apples
• 1 pepper
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 2 cups broccoli (often more)
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/4 cup mushrooms
• 1/2 tomato
• 2 oranges
• 1 grapefruit
• 1 bunch of asparagus

I've probably forgotten something, but the point is, there are a lot of fruits and vegetables out there - so get them into your diet.

Now we know that soda and juice are out, as far as fat loss goes. But water is too plain for many, so what are some solutions to getting adequate fluids each day? Are flavored waters okay, or are they filled with evil chemicals? 

What about Crystal Light? And are diet sodas going to give us brain cancer? (Oh, and by the way, how much fluid should we get anyways?)

CM:
I'm OK with flavored waters. There are folks at opposite ends of the spectrum with artificial sweeteners--they'll either kill you, or you can live off them. A little bit is fine.  

You can also flavor water naturally by squeezing in some lemon, lime, or orange, or even slicing in some cucumber (visit most spas and this is common).  

Rather than Crystal Light, I would suggest Lipton to Go packets--same idea, but at least you're getting some nutrients here.  

A simple rule of thumb is consuming 1 L of fluid for every 1000 calories you eat...even more simple, if your urine looks like apple juice, drink more and if it's like pale lemonade, you're good to go.

CB: Thanks Chris. How important is it to plan your meals when you are trying to lose fat?

CM:
Do you balance your checkbook or at least look at the internet to see what's in your account?  I hope so, or you're going to be in the red zone all too often because you're GUESSING and not planning.  

Guessing your way to success is like driving to an unknown location and guessing your way there. Sure, you might arrive at your destination (e.g., reach your goal), but if you had directions along the way, the process would be much quicker.  

Meal Plans 101 is the direction you need to lose more fat.  If you want to lose fat, do you have a plan to get there aside from "eat less"?  It's crazy not to plan your nutrition because otherwise you have no idea what's working or what's not.  

I often hear that people know what to do to lose fat---then my question, why do you need to lose weight if you know what to do and don't need direction. Meal Plans 101 takes all the guesswork out of it--Meal Plans 101 provide the directions for you.

You have to have your own motivation to lose weight. We can't give you that. But Meal Plans 101 does all the annoying calculations and tedious "stuff" that takes time, but helps you reach your goals much more quickly.

CB: Thanks Chris, for clearing up so much nutrition confusion regarding water, coffee, and meal planning.

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  

5 Common Ab Myths

>From the newsletter at www.grrlathlete.com

It's hard enough to get 6-pack abs, let alone after you've had six children.
But Francisca Dennis, a 37-year old mother of six isn't letting that stop
her.

grrlAthlete's Training Director, Craig Ballantyne, recently spoke with
fitness competitor Fran Dennis for her tips and secrets on how to help you
lose fat and define your abs.

"It wasn't until I committed myself to weight training that I began to see
changes in my physique," she explains. Francisca evolved from simple
workouts into fitness and figure competitions, constantly honing her
physique. And she's been quite successful, even though she didn't start
competing until her mid-thirties.

Clearly, Francisca has a strong competitive spirit and powerful inner drive
for success. "I guess what motivates me most is my desire and drive to
attain my goals. I am motivated when I see others overcome obstacles and
fight through their own challenges too. When I hear from people, telling me
that I have inspired, motivated or touched them with my story, that also
motivates me," Francisca says.

Most women would expect that with six kids to take care of, Francisca would
have no time to train. But she makes time through careful scheduling -
splitting her lifting and cardio between morning and evening if she has to.

Francisca also works hard on her diet, of course. Even with all the kids in
the house, she sticks to a fat-burning, muscle-building diet all year round.
That helps her out in the training department as well, because it doesn't
require her to make drastic increases in the amount of training to help her
get competition fit. Francisca believes her diet is the key to her success.

"I follow a great diet all year round, so when competition time comes
around, I only have to make slight modifications. Lean meats, complex
carbohydrates and lots of green veggies and water," she says.

And Fran's final words for you...

"Just training abs won't give you the very sought after "six pack". It's a
lifestyle change that involves training your whole body, being consistent
and clean with your diet, as well as driven and motivated to be your best.
Work hard, and be happy with what you see in the mirror. Don't cut yourself
down. Revel in your accomplishments and believe in yourself."

Here's Fran's 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. "No
matter how much you exercise, you can't just eat what you want and expect to
get optimal results," Fran says. So be like Fran and 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

Fran says, "It is important to do all repetitions with good form. Focus on
quality, not quantity. Bad form will give you less results, and you could
hurt your back if you are not careful."

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 total body exercises.

Myth 4) Infomercial products work!

Belt-saunas, and electrical stimulators are not magic bullets. You can't
expect anything you order from TV to help you get a 6-pack.

Myth 5) You must do abs every day

"You don't need to do abs every day. Instead, train them hard three times
per week like I do," says Fran

17-Minute Fat Burning Workout

So what do you do on the weekend when you know you need a workout, but its cold outside, and the gyms a 10-15 minute drive away?

You become a weekend bodyweight warrior, that's what.

Here's a recent fast and effective bodyweight workout that I did at home...all with no equipment. No need to go out in the cold and drive to the gym (heck, it would have taken me almost 15 minutes just to get there!).

So here's what I did...3 separate circuits...6 exercises per circuit...no rest between exercises or between circuits.

In all, I did 379 repetitions over 17-minutes, doing each exercise at a 1-0-1 tempo (in most cases).

This was moderate intensity, although you'll see the last circuit was the hardest...and the first circuit served as a bit of a warm-up, although it was no joke either.

If you want to add an extra bit of "oooomph" to the workout, you can add in the Advanced Burpees at the end of each circuit.

Click HERE to see a short clip of the Advanced Burpee exercise

Allright, on to the workout...

Circuit #1 (120 reps)
- Y-squat (15 reps)
- Pushup (15)
- Diagonal Lunge (15 per side) - see this exercise clip HERE
- Spiderman Climb (15 per side)
- Waiter's Bow (15)
- Stick-up (15)

Circuit #2 (115 reps)
- V-Squat (15)
- Decline Pushup (15)
- Reverse Lunge (15 per side)
- X-body Mountain Climber (10 per side)
- 1-Leg RDL (10 per side)
- Pushup Plus (15)

Circuit #3 (144 reps)
- Pistol (5 per side)
- T-Pushup (10 per side)
- Bulgarian Split Squat (12 per side)
- Mountain Climber with Feet Elevated (15 per side)
- 1-leg Hip Extension (15 per side)
- Close-grip Pushups (30)

Great workout.

Let's aim for 500 reps in 3 circuits next time,

CB

P.S. Confused by these exercises?

You can see the photo or video demonstration of these exercises in the manuals and video clips section at www.TTmembers.com

"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

Become a Member today!

Monday Bench Press Workout

This is week 3 of this training phase. Time was limited today, and the bench was the main priority.

1) Snatch (3x3) - 125

2) Bench (5x2) - 315

Foam rolling for quads and stretching as well was inserted here.

3a) front squat (1x8)
3b) powerblock chest press (1x10)
3c) pullups (1x10)
3d) lying tri ext (1x8)

Good progress,

CB

7-Day Weight Loss Guideline

Nutrition expert, Mike Roussel, in his interview on www.TTmembers.com says this, "Stay around perimeter of a supermarket and do not venture into the aisles is an easy way to avoid processed foods." So remember that when you hit the G.S. this week.

Now I want to make a couple of seminar announcements...

First, if you live near Little Rock, Arkansas, there is going to be a great weekend of fitness education on April 12th weekend. Alwyn Cosgrove, Bill Hartman, nutrition expert Mike Roussell, and Charles Staley are just some of the presenters this weekend. Click HERE for more info.

Believe me, it will be worth it just to meet Alwyn.

Second, I will be doing a bodyweight training demonstration in Chicago on March 17th at a seminar for Personal Trainers. It's actually at the Holiday Inn in Elk Grove, IL. The weekend seminar is only $199. Dr. Chris Mohr and Brian Grasso (expert in training Young Athletes) will be there as well, among other experts.

Click HERE to signup for this Personal Trainer Education Seminar in Chicago

See you there.

And now here are your guidelines for the next 7 days.

Monday
TT Workout. It never hurts to have a trainer check your form, and make sure that you are pushing yourself hard enough.

Alternatively, a workout partner can make all the difference in helping you bust through a plateau. The quote most often heard in the gym, "I'd never work this hard on my own." Is this true for you?

Tuesday
30 minutes of activity. In addition, use fitday.com to check your diet for excess calories. By now, you should have developed many healthy eating habits...however, sometimes things start slipping. So give yourself a little review. It's never too late to start eating properly.

Even I'm always improving my nutrition, having recently added Avocado to my diet, as well as tripling my spinach intake each week.

Wednesday
TT Workout. Add 5% more weight to your main exercise, and reduce the number of reps per set by 1. Keep perfect form of course, but increase the intensity. You might even find that you can do all of the reps with this new, increased weight.

That will lead to more Turbulence, and more calories burned. If you want to increase your interval intensity instead, do the same - increase your speed or resistance by 5% on the treadmill or bike.

Thursday
30 minutes of activity. Try something new. If you haven't done any bodyweight circuits yet, give those a try. For more bodyweight ideas, watch this Video of me doing bodyweight exercises in New Zealand

Friday
TT Workout. Try to eat 8 small meals today which should give you even better results than eating 6 small meals. The 8 small meals/snacks: Breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, pre-workout, post-workout, dinner, and evening snack.

Saturday
30 minutes of activity. Check in with your social support group and trade fat loss secrets. If you need more people in your social support group, join the discussion forums at www.TTmembers.com

Sunday
30 minutes of activity. Plan, shop, and prepare. Make it your goal to purchase the most healthy grocery order of your entire life. You get extra bonus points if the clerk says, "Wow, what a healthy order".

Here are some of the items on my list:

 

Vegetables

• Peppers (red, yellow, green, & orange),

• Spinach

• Asparagus

• Broccoli

• Snow Peas

• Mushrooms

• Frozen mixed vegetables

• Tomato sauce

Protein Sources

• Chicken breasts

• Turkey breasts

• Salmon fillets

• Lean beef

• Skim milk & low-fat, low-sugar yogurt
• whey protein

Carbohydrates

• Spelt bread

• Yams 

Other

• Green tea

• Unsalted, not roasted, Almonds & Walnuts & Pecans

Nutrition has a huge impact on your success,

CB

P.S. Want more nutrition advice from nutrition expert Mike Roussell?

Here's what I asked Mike in his interview available to all members at www.TTmembers.com...

CB: Mike, what nutrition changes work best for sedentary, overweight individuals?

CB: And on the other hand, what are the more advanced fat loss nutrition methods you've used?

CB: And what about for those that aren't ready to step on stage, but are doing pretty well only to have come across a fat loss plateau?

CB: What are your personal experiences with client compliance? Are most people "lying to themselves" about how well they eat?

CB: What supplements do you use, and do you use any supplements with clients for fat loss?

CB: Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share?

CB: A lot of clients think that eating healthy means eating bland foods over and over again. What are some healthy, alternative, tasty foods that most people neglect?

CB: What is your opinion on when a client should focus on building muscle versus losing fat? Let's say a guy is 5'8", 160pounds, and 15% bodyfat. What should he focus on first, if his goal is 10% fat and ripped abs?

CB: How do your protein and calorie recommendations change for obese individuals?

CB: What about how they differ between men and women?

CB: What are your post-workout recommendations for people on a fat loss workout plan of strength training and intervals (i.e. the Turbulence Training workouts)?

Read his answers at www.TTmembers.com

Fruits

• Apples

• Oranges

• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Peaches

• Grapefruit

• Raspberries

Saturday Workout & Books I'm Reading

Today was an exercise day, not a training day. I'm going to talk about that a bit more in the future, but you might understand what i mean just by reading those 2 words.

You should exercise every day.

You should train 3 days per week.

Exercise if for health.

Training is for changing your body, getting stronger, burning fat, and building muscle.

More on that later.

So today, I did an exercise session. I did a bunch of curls, chinups, pushups, spiderman exercises, and some intervals. Just to get moving, mobile, and sweaty.

I even re-read part of a book on a bike twice this week. Haven't done that in a long time, but I might read on the bike more often - since I'm already reading a lot anyway, I could do it on the couch or the bike.

Earlier this week I re-read "Lucrative List Building" by Glen Hopkins. Its for internet entrepreneurs.

Today I re-read half of "Never Eat Alone" by Kevin Ferrazzi. Every business person could benefit from this networking book. It's a simple read, shows you some good steps on making contacts. It's a little self-indulgent at times, and longer than it needed to be, but still worth the price of admission.

I also recently read "Primal Branding" by Patrick Hanlon. Good for marketers and advertisers, and anyone interested in the brand-building stories of major companies. You'll understand Starbucks and Nike and Dell better with this book. It's far too long, and really could have made a better 4-page essay in a magazine, but again, its worth the price of admission.

The last book I'm reading is Robert Allen's "Multiple Streams of Internet Income". This is helping me create a presentation for personal trainers that Im giving in Chicago on Sunday, March 18th. In Elk Grove, to be specific. Clearly, its a book best suited for internet entrepreneurs.

And hopefully I'll start reading "Blue Ocean Strategy" this weekend.

Finally, I'm ordering 3 books from Amazon today:

Anatomy of a Buzz – Emmanuel Rosen

Jeffrey Lant – How to make money selling info

Caldini - The Power of Persuasion

Good books if you are in the marketing industry or if you are an entrepreneur,

CB

Is Coffee Good or Bad?

Whoa! The mailbag is overflowing with requests for fat loss help and questions about everyone's favorite morning drug delivery systems, coffee & tea... 

Q: Before I started Turbulence Training, my HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) was as low as 27. 5 weeks later I see that it's up to 40 now which is at the bottom of the "normal" range.  Does that mean it'll continue to go up as I continue to work out or does it plateau at some point?

Answer:
Yes, it will go up some more with a continued emphasis on intense training and proper eating (get healthy fats & avoid trans-fats like the plague)...you'll want to keep your HDL in the 40's for sure.

My HDL is 54, thanks to the good ol' TT lifestyle. 

Click HERE to see the rest of my blood work tests & find out what you should be measuring

To anyone that hasn't had their blood work done in 5 years, get to your doctor ASAP and find out your blood measurements.

Q: With regard to the stationary bike intervals you mention, what resistance do you use i.e. low for recovery and higher resistance and speed for the interval? Or low intensity and just increase the speed? 

Answer:
I've written many times that I believe the fast "spinning" methods used in spinning classes are ineffective and are, anecdotally at least, associated with more injuries from spin class.

Look at the hips of someone that is cycling at maniac speed...the hips are up and down and rotating in all directions...and I believe that this will lead to hip and low back pain with enough repetition.

Furthermore, the amount of mechanical work performed in moderate-RPM (80-100) with an increased resistance is probably much greater than the mechanical work performed with low resistance, high RPM pedaling.

You are putting a greater and more beneficial stress on the muscles and metabolism when you pedal against resistance...in the opposite case, there is a lot of momentum - and since we know that using momentum is not appropriate for body-sculpting strength training (while it might be for sport training, but that is a different story), than why would using a lot of momentum be good for interval cycling?

This goes for those dreaded elliptical machines as well...  

Q: I know you really like to encourage drinking Green Tea.   At the grocery store, there's literally a dozen or more types, many with added flavours and whatnot.  Do you have any preference of type and where to buy here in Ontario stores?

Answer:
Ideally, some loose leaf Green Tea - the real stuff - otherwise, any of the Green Tea's on the shelves should be fine. I know Celestial Seasonings came out as one of the top brands in an independent test (the test measured "polyphenol" content - that's what some of the healthy compounds are called in Green Tea).

The only exception is any brand of decaffeinated Green Tea that uses Ethyl Acetylation as the decaffeination method. Naturally decaffeinated Green Tea is acceptable.

I've never had a coffee in my life,

CB

PS - But what is the deal with coffee?

Well, I asked Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., Author of the Turbulence Training Fat Loss Nutrition Guidelines...

CB: What is the latest research on coffee? Is it safe, is it healthy?

Dr. Mohr:
Black coffee does appear to actually have some powerful antioxidants.

In fact, a recent study from the University of Scranton showed that coffee is the #1 source of antioxidants in the American diet--likely because we drink so much, but still, there are antioxidants in there.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Beverage Guidelines suggest up to 400 mg (about 4 cups of coffee) or 8 cups of tea per day.

The problem is when black coffee becomes a Venti latte or something similar, which is made with about 2 cups of whole milk, loads of whip cream, and a lot of syrup and sweeteners. So the once fairly healthy coffee becomes nearly a 1000 calorie beverage.

I personally am a bigger fan of tea--black, green, or white, all have a million benefits.

CB: Thanks Chris! Please note: When he says 4 cups per day, he means actual cup sizes, NOT 4 supersized Starbucks coffees (or 4 Thermos'!).

I also asked Chris a bunch of other nutrition questions in the same interview on my Fat Loss Member's Site...

CB: Chris, what nutrition changes work best for sedentary, overweight individuals?

CB: What are your personal experiences with client compliance? Are most people "lying to themselves" about how well they eat?

CB: What is your opinion on when a client should focus on building muscle versus losing fat? Let's say a guy is 5'8", 160pounds, and 15% bodyfat. What should he focus on first, if his goal is 10% fat and ripped abs?

CB: Are there any negatives to consuming dairy products?

CB: What is the latest research on coffee? Is it safe, is it healthy?

CB: Is it unhealthy to eat nuts roasted in oil?

CB: And is it possible to eat too much fiber?

Read Dr. Mohr's answers here: TT Members.com
 

Friday - return to the gym

Started the day with an extra workout, rolling up a 350 pound snowball at the park. By the end it was almost impossible to roll, and it was 3.5 feet high. Trying to move it was just like flipping a tire if you've ever done that...

But on to today's real workout. I condensed wednesday and friday's exercises into one workout of the best moves.

As I mentioned yesterday, its important to examine your program and identify "fluff" exercises that you might be doing just for the sake of doing more work.

1a) OH Squat (1x5)
1b) OH Lunge (1x5)

As a warmup set

2a) power clean (3x3) - 185
2b) dynamic bench (8x3)

3a) trap bar deadlift (3x6) - 330
3b) rack lockout (3x6)

Stronger than last weekend - so the extra rest was well-taken.

Was good,

CB

Too busy for exercise?

...I've solved your problem.

How much time do you really need?

How much space do you really need?

How much equipment do you really need?

In a fitness world where people insist on jumping right to the machines before they can control their own bodyweight, the answers to these questions are:

a) 10 minutes

b) not much

c) very little

Think about the most basic bodyweight workout you could do right on the spot: Bodyweight squats and pushups.

Just go back and forth on those exercise for 10 minutes. That's no a bad workout. 

Now we could even make it better. Add the "prisoner-style hand position" to the squat to work our upper back, and modify the pushup either by putting our hands closer together or by elevating our feet.

Then go back to back on those two exercises for 10 minutes. Now we have an even better workout.

Or say you have a set of dumbbells, now you can do dumbbell split squats and dumbbell chest presses. You don't even need a bench. Just lie on the floor to do your presses.

Again, back to back with those two exercises for ten minutes. Make sure you do 2 warm-up sets. Don't worry, you'll still get in 3 hard sets of each.

Those are ALL great 10-minute workouts.

There just aren't enough excuses to overcome the variety of workouts you can do in 10-minutes with simple home gym equipment. Heck, you can even do the 10-minute bodyweight versions in your office. Or your hotel room. Or a park.

If you want more creative 10-minute workouts, including the TT 10-minute Torso Training that will fry your abs, or the 10-minute TT Arm Workout that will fill out your sleeves and define your triceps, grab the March 2007 Monthly TT Workout from www.TTmembers.com

Say goodbye to excuses and hello to results,

CB

P.S. Don't let Berardi's Law ruin your efforts in the gym...

1) The Basic TT Membership ($9.95 per month), gives you...

- The Workout Of the Month Download
- The TT Fat Loss Nutrition Guidelines Download
- Exclusive Fat Loss Interviews with experts like Berardi, Cosgrove, Venuto, etc.
- Access to the Discussion Forums & personal advice from CB

2) The Platinum TT Membership ($147 per year), gives you...

- 12-Months Access to All of the Above
- Access to ALL $3000-worth of the TT Manuals I have written in the past 
- Exercise Video Clip Downloads

So technically, you get ALL of the TT manuals for only $27 more than you would pay for being a Basic Member for 12 months.

Let's see, $3000 worth of programs for $27? Sounds like a deal to me. (Plus, you get the exercise video clips!)

Click HERE to become a TT Member today!  

Berardi's Law
by Dr. John Berardi

If a food is in your possession or located in your residence, you'll eventually eat it. If you wish to be healthy and lean, you must remove all foods not conducive to those goals from said residence and replace them with a variety of better, healthier choices. If you know someone whose house is stocked only with optimal food choices and yet who is not healthy and lean, look under his bed.

****
CB says, this is so true. If you don't have kids, you have NO excuse to have junk in the house. Don't tempt yourself!

Go to Precision Nutrition & download your free copy of Berardi Approved Gourmet Desserts

precisionnutrition.com/desserts.html

PPS - What's the difference between the Basic & Platinum Level TTmembers options?

Thursday Recovery Workout

Same workout as yesterday, on the bike with foam rolling after. I also did
some side planks and planks with arms on the ball.

Tomorrow I will do a lifting session, combining wednesday's and friday's
workouts together. Cut the fluff - as most people's programs could benefit
from - and you'll find you don't have to lift weights that much each week to
build muscle, get stronger, and sculpt your body.

CB

Carbs, Fish Oil, & Fat Loss Q'n'A

Here's a roundup of some of the most interesting tidbits in the March 2007 issue of Men's Health magazine...

Q: Green Tea and fish oils are two of the most disgusting things on earth...how much of each do I really need?

Answer:
Glad you like them!

Seriously, there are ways around the taste...for Green Tea, it is fine to chill the tea and sweeten with Stevia. For fish oils, you can try some of the tasteless gels, I believe Coromega makes a good product.

Another coach gave me a tip for fish oil capsules, and said that keeping them in the freezer helps reduce "fish burps". I'm not really sure how that possibly works, but I've been doing it and have very little incidence of fish burps.

For Green Tea, a recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association showed a 22% reduction in the risk of heart disease in people that drink 5 cups per day. That's a lot of tea, but it clearly does a lot of good.

For fish oils, MH reports that the National Institute of Health suggests 3.5g of omega-3 fatty acids per day to reduce heart disease risk (that's 3.5g of combined EPA and DHA). A single capsule from Nordic Naturals (a high-quality brand) gives you 1.1g of omega-3's.

Personally, right now I'm using a fish oil product that gives 340mg of Omega-3's per capsule. So I need to take about 10 capsules per day (10x340 = ~3.5g of omega-3's), if I don't eat fish (but I eat salmon at least 4 days per week).

I also eat 3 Omega-3 eggs per day, with each egg providing 400mg of Omega-3 fatty acids, so I can cut down my capsule intake based on that as well.

I have also asked hardcore nutrition expert Mike Roussell about omega-3 requirements in an upcoming interview for www.TTmembers.com. Check out his previous interview and his recipes HERE


Q: I hate whole-grain products. If I'm not overweight, is there anything wrong with eating my sandwiches on good ol' wonder bread? (I've been eating PB&J on WB since I was a kid.)

Answer:
When I was a teen, I worked in a factory for a couple of summers. I was already well into my nutrition and fitness lifestyle, and I was always amazed at these 2 health habits of the full-time men and women at the plant...

First, the "breakfast of champions" (a coffee and a cigarette) never failed to shock me. I can't understand how you can start your day like this...my stomach would be in 8 kinds of knots.

And second, the classic "white-bread, deli meat and cheese sandwiches and a can of Coke Classic" lunches. How did these people not fall asleep right after lunch? Oh yeah, another round of coffee and cigarettes - that probably helped.

But what are the longterm effects of eating these foods?

Not good.

This month's MH quotes researching showing white bread intake is associated with kidney cancer, and sodas are associated with pancreatic cancer. 

So look out for yourself long-term, okay? And cut out the white-bread. It will do your body and your body fat a lot of good. 

Here are a 2 other tips from the MH magazine this month...

1) Pecans and walnuts contain the most antioxidants per serving, but all raw nuts are good.

2) Planks done with your arms on the ball work your abs 2x's as hard as a regular plank. Just make sure you do the exercise properly, and keep your body in a straight line.

I use this exercise in my own workouts all the time. And in the March 2007 TT Workout, I've included two of my other favorite torso exercises, The "Cross-Body Mountain Climber" and the "Stability Ball Mountain Climber". Just wait till you try the 10-Minute TT Torso Training workout. 

Click HERE to download the March Fat Loss Workout 

Only 10 minutes per workout,

CB

P.S. Can you use Kettlebells to do Turbulence Training?

I get this question all the time. Fortunately, Nashville's kettlebell expert David Whitley dropped by the forum and posted this TT Kettlebell Workout