Thursday, January 31, 2008

Butt, Hip and Thigh Makeover

Learn from Joey Atlas how he trains women for their butt, hip and thigh makeover. He also has an interesting take on eating breakfast for fat loss.

Click HERE for your butt, hip, and thigh makeover from Joey Atlas

Nutrition Mistakes & Carb Recommendations from Alwyn Cosgrove

This week, Part 2 of my interview with one of the most famous fat loss trainers in North America, Alwyn Cosgrove. Back in 2006, I saw Alwyn speak at a personal trainer's seminar, and Alwyn showed study after study supporting his fat loss programs.
 
Today he will focus on the nutrition and the psychology of weight loss.
 
Alwyn Cosgrove is a superstar in the world of physique transformation for men and women. He's trained champions in multiple sports and winners of multiple 12-week body transformation contests. Alwyn owns and operates a training facility in Santa Clarita, California and he's also written his own fat loss book called "Afterburn".
 
 
CB: Where do people go wrong with meal frequency when trying to lose fat?
 
AC:
Two primary mistakes.
 
One is trying to eat very little all day in a bid to keep calories low (and then blowing it every single night when they get home).
 
Two is actually the opposite -- putting too much faith in the "6-8 meals per day" theory.
 
As usual the truth is somewhere in between.
 
For a 200lb male eating 2400 cals per day - 6 meals is 400 calories per meal. If a couple of these meals are 200 calorie shakes - he can actually eat some decent size portions.
 
But for a 135lb female trying to drop a little more fat, who is eating closer to 1350 calories per day - 6 meals per day ends up being 250 cals each. It's hard to get in decent sized meals. They'd do better on 4 meals per day.
 
So it's a sliding scale.
 
Almost every new client that walks into our facility usually skips breakfast, maybe has a coffee mid-morning, eats lunch, eats nothing all afternoon and eats a big dinner. They ARE only eating two meals per day. By switching their macronutrients around a wee bit, cleaning up their diet and getting them on 4-5 feedings per day - we really do notice a difference.

CB: You have an impressive list of low-carb studies cited in your arguments. What's the take home message about this issue?
 
AC:
At this point - a reduced carb, higher protein diet is superior for fat loss. Period. And probably superior for health.
 
There are several studies comparing the SAME caloric intake of higher and lower carb diets and a) the low carb groups lost more fat and more importantly b) there was a significantly greater client compliance with the low carb groups. Greater client compliance is huge. This is real world value again.
 
I don't know the threshold that a diet becomes "low carb" at, and I'm not convinced that a diet that was 70% carbohydrate with all carbohydrate sources coming from vegetables would hurt fat loss at
all. Adam Campbell of Mens Health shared a study with me that showed individuals on low carbohydrate diets tended to eat more vegetables than prior to beginning their program.
 
I guess a very low REFINED carbohydrate diet is what I recommend.

CB: In my opinion, the role of hormones in fat loss has been ignored. Do you do anything to manipulate hormone levels to get greater fat loss in your clients?
 
AC:
Insulin is the only hormone we really have control over. The main thing is keeping insulin in check. Here's how I explain it to beginners - insulin is a fat storing hormone - if we can keep our insulin levels reduced around the clock (reduced carb diet) then we can effectively increase total fat oxidation.
 
Obviously that's an oversimplification and elevating insulin is useful around workouts - but that's the only thing I've been concerned about.

CB: In addition to the "three keys to fat loss" that you covered in your presentation, how important are motivation and social support to success? How do you address these attributes with your clients?
 
AC:
Yeah - the three keys I presented are all physiological. But psychology trumps physiology every single time. There's a reason why Weight Watchers and Curves are making more money than the
majority of personal trainers: Social support. And social support drives motivation.
 
In our center we tend to get motivated people anyway - so that's less of an issue - but one of the things we always ask is "does your family/significant other support you on this journey?"
It makes a huge difference. That's the difference between a successful trainer and an unsuccessful one.
 
But I'll tell you one thing without going into too much detail - switching to semi-private training increased results across the board. Probably because of group dynamics and social support.

CB: Most relatively good trainers can handle the physical components of fat loss, but how does a trainer succeed at the mental game? Any resources you can recommend? And is the "mental
component/mental drive" something you can immediately tell that a client has or is missing?
 
AC
Well I'd question that most trainers can handle the physical components of fat loss but I won't get into that right now.
 
As far as the mental component goes - my resources came from being exposed to a great coach at a young age.
 
We all remember the coach in our youth, who left us on the bench, or had us running laps in the rain. We also remember the coach who inspired us, picked us up and made our young lives a little better.
 
Which type of coach are you? That's the secret.
 
I instill in my clients that we are a team. I work for them. I deliver the best service I can in the position of their fitness coach. Once they put their faith in you - never betray that. But their results will increase when they realize this is a coaching relationship - not just a trainer - client.
 
Some very general psychological tricks: most females will only respond to positive reinforcement and don't respond at all being compared to others or to 'norms'.
 
Occasionally they want comparisons but generally they respond better to comparisons to themselves.
 
Males in general will respond better to having to "prove" themselves and always need to know "what's good? Is this a good number for me to be lifting?" etc.
 
Girls just don't want to be intimidated. Guys just want to be "one of the guys".
 
A poor coach uses the same personality when working with all his or her clients.
 
A good coach recognizes that his or her personality only works with certain clients.
 
A great coach can change his or her personality TO the client.

CB: Bottom line: How do you help someone be more disciplined - especially with their eating and their habits outside the gym?
 
AC:
It's an understanding of the entire picture. It's not the workout.
 
It's not the diet. It's not the intervals - it's the synergy between all of these things.
 
At any one time a client is either getting fatter or leaner. If they get fatter this week - they haven't failed - they have just found and executed the perfect system for increasing fat! All we have to do is to change that system (which we know doesn't work now) and we can't fail.
 
Clients have to make the mindshift that it's not about "will this piece of cake really hurt me that much?" to "is what I'm doing getting me closer to my goals or not?" Just a little shift in thinking can reap huge rewards.
 
Yeah it's true - if you dieted and trained all week, a glass of beer and a few chicken wings won't hurt you that much - but it damn sure isn't getting you closer to six pack abs.
 
One thing I really liked was John Berardi's compliance grid - where we see overall compliance to the plan, as opposed to details. It helps clients see the big picture. A 90% goal is what we shoot for.
 
So let's say the plan is 5 meals per day, and 3 workouts with post-workout nutrition per week. So we're looking at 38 meal opportunities.
 
If a client misses a meal, or doesn't eat a meal that's part of the program, then they lose a "point". Our goal is a minimum of 34-35.
 
It lets a client see that if they eat perfectly on Sun-Fri, but miss a couple meals on Sat, and eat a couple of cheat meals that day - in their head they were "on" the whole time.
 
But when we do the compliance grid we see that Sat alone cost them 5 points. So despite what they think or perceive to be happening - they are NOT compliant - just an important distinction to teach them.

CB: And finally, can you leave us with some of your best results or case studies?
 
AC:
I prefer to talk about average results - we all have star clients and testimonials that we can talk about. Generally across the board with a client who is doing everything right we see a consistent
loss of 24 to 32 lbs of fat in our initial 16 week program. Some people out perform that, or lose more over a longer period of time.
 
Some do less than that - but that's a fair average that I don't mind quoting.
 
But I'd be remiss if I didn't mention one girl who I worked with.
 
This girl's brother paid for her training sessions before being shipped to Iraq. Unfortunately he never made it back.
 
But he'd be proud of his wee sister. She trained her ass off, gained a ton of muscle, cut 20lbs of fat in about 12 weeks and now holds the record for kills as a freshman in D1 Volleyball at Idaho.
Haley Larson - an amazing athlete - watch for her name.

CB: Alwyn, Thanks so much for your expertise and motivation.
 
 
Sincerely,
 
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
 
P.S. Don't miss Alwyn's unique blend of fat loss info and humor.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

My 5 Simple Nutrition Rules

I truly believe that nutrition is the biggest, by far, component of a good fat loss program.

There's a saying in the fitness industry, "you can't out-train a bad diet", and that hold's true almost 100% of the time (and especially as you get older).

Fortunately, I also believe that good nutrition for fat loss is very simple. And here are my 5 steps to building a fast fat burning diet.

1) Find out how much you are eating now. Use fitday.com.

2) If you are not losing weight, eat less.

3) Eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, and good protein sources. Don't eat junk from a bag or a box.

4) Give yourself one treat meal per week to look forward to - not a treat day, just a treat meal.

5) Plan ahead. Prepare your meals (spend 1-2 hours on the weekend getting your meals and meal plan ready for the week). Identify obstacles and come up with solutions to avoid them.

That is it.

Very simple. Most people do pretty well on 1-3 and even 5, but mess up on number 4. I often hear how well someone did all day long, but then while making dinner they snack on upwards of 500 calories of
their kid's treats, or other processed carbohydrates they have lying around the house.

The little things can add up to big time problems. So take a good long look at everything you eat.

And all of this can be avoided if you follow rule #5.

Combine my five simple nutrition rules with three short workouts per week of resistance training and interval training, and you have a very manageable fat loss plan that can fit any busy lifestyle.

Click HERE to get started with Turbulence Training for fat loss

There are NO negative calorie foods,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS - Lose Over 5 Pounds Per Month & Change Your Body With Only 3 Short TT Workouts Per Week...

"I'm 25 and was seriously overweight at the start of this year. I've been doing the TT for Fat Loss Workouts and after 5 months of training. I've lost nearly 28lbs. I want to take this opportunity
to thank Craig for making your knowledge so accessible and your articles and blogs that not only make us think about our lifestyles, but encourage us to change them for better health."
Kevin Thow, Sydney, Australia

"Turbulence Training makes so much sense and i really enjoy the different workouts so never get bored. From an aussie that was looking for something other than just another weight workout
with the same old moves this has been a real eye opener for me and i have been telling my friends just how great the TT method is."
Kelli Tomkins, Australia

"I lost 14 pounds this month and the weight is just falling off me. My wife says I now look like when we first met and I still have more to go. I can fit into my old jeans again which is a big deal
for me. I just cut back on starches and bread and do your routine 2-3 times a week. I never thought in a million years that just 10-20 minutes of weight training followed by some cardio would get
me such steady results. I even cheat a bit on the weekends."
Billy Williams

Click HERE to get started with Turbulence Training for fat loss

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Top 21 Books

I just received a book bonanza in the mail today, as 6 books I recently
ordered were delivered.

They are...

1 - Screw It, Let's Do it - Richard Branson
2 - Prime Time Women - Marti Barletta
3 - Action - Robert Ringer
4 - Smart Startups - David Silver
5 - Make it Big - Frank McKinney
6 - Richard Branson's Autobiography

I've also read 7 books this year...(only #'s 1, 6, and 7 are really that
good).

1. Eat that Frog – Brian Tracy
2. Advertising Secrets of the Written Word – Sugarman
3. The Official Get Rich Guide to Information Marketing – Kennedy
4. Small Giants – Bo Burlingham
5. Smart Mobs – Howard Rheingold
6. Vagabonding – Rolf Potts
7. How to Make Millions with Your Ideas – Dan Kennedy

And here's a list of the top 21 books I've read in the last 5 years...these
are the books that have had the greatest impact on me in terms of business
and training - but are in no particular order.

in no particular order, here are 21 you should try and read this year.

1. Info Millions – Bob Serling (bought from Eric Ruth)
2. Never Eat Alone – Ferrazzi
3. Primal Branding – Create Zealots for Your Brand – Patrick Hanlon
4. The Psychology of Influence & Persuasion – Robert Caldini
5. The 4-Hour Work Week – Tim Ferriss
6. Instant Income – Janet Switzer
7. The New Psycho-Cybernetics – Maxwell Maltz
8. Made to Stick – C&D Heath
9. Fooled by Randomness – Nicholas Taleb
10. My Unfinished Business – Kennedy
11. Attractor Factor – Joe Vitale
12. No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs – Kennedy
13. No B.S. Wealth Attraction for Entrepreneurs – Kennedy
14. Grow Rich With Peace of Mind – Napolean Hill
15. No B.S. Direct Marketing for Non-Direct Marketing Businesses –
Kennedy
16. Magic Hundred – Dax Moy
17. Purple Cow – Godin
18. Free Prize Inside – Godin
19. Idea Virus – Godin
20. The E-Myth – Gerber
21. Farewell to Arms – Hemmingway

Oh yeah, and someone told me Turbulence Training was good as well,

CB
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Workout of the Month

Here's a TT Members update on the latest workouts and videos from www.TTMembers.com

I've combined classic circuit training with Turbulence Training in the new February TT Workout of the Month.

You can now download it and start burning fat with TT circuits...

Click HERE for the February TT Circuit Workout

Let me know what you think. And oh yes, there is a tough new "Bodyweight 200" circuit in there for all bodyweight enthusiasts.

==================================
Transformation Secrets Bonus For You
==================================

I am making this very special bonus report available to all TT Members.

Transformation Secrets

Please read it...there is loads of valuable info in there for your own personal fat loss transformations. It contains fat burning
secrets from three very high priced fat loss coaches...

======================================
All the Workout Videos from 2007
======================================

If you are a Platinum Level Member, you can go through a new set of archives to watch all of the Workout Videos from 2007. This was the first year I started doing video and it was a huge hit. Check them out for all of your favorite moves and supersets.

The full 2007 collection is here:
http://www.ttmembers.com/members/department57.cfm


======================================

Keep your New Year's resolutions going strong,

CB

PS - You can also watch the 6-Month Bodyweight Manual workouts at www.TTmembers.com

Go here to watch fun & challenging bodyweight workouts:

http://www.ttmembers.com/members/department54.cfm

You must be a Platinum Level Member to watch these videos.

"Turbulence Training is absolutely incredible. I've worked out for years and spent many dollars on personal trainers with very minimal results. TT is the only way to go. There really isn't even a close second!! I'm telling everybody who will listen about TT. There's so much junk out there that I love telling people when I find something that is really great. One of the things I say about you on my website is that you over-deliver. You over-deliver like nobody I've ever seen. Keep up the GREAT WORK."
Steve Tuggle, CPT

See you on the forums!

Monday, January 28, 2008

The Healthy Overeater

A great nutrition article today from Holly Rigsby. Are you a healthy over-eater?

Click HERE for the shocking truth on how healthy eating can sabotage your weight loss

Alwyn Cosgrove Fat Loss Q'n'A

Here's a very thorough review of how to lose fat...from Alwyn Cosgrove.

Click HERE to read Alwyn's Recommendations

Intense Fat Burning Workout

I'm always amazed by people who tell me that Turbulence Training is too easy for them.

Actually, shocked is a better word.

Each Turbulence Training workout has left me sweating and feeling tired (but a "good" tired), and I've never finished any TT workout and thought it was too easy or ineffective.

So if you think it's too easy, or if you've done this Intermediate TT workout and said, "no problem", take a look at how I would do it, and then ask yourself if you are training hard enough.

Now you might not be able to use the same weights as I do, but maybe you could be using more intensity in your own workouts. And that's all that is necessary to make your workouts better for fat burning.

So let's examine Workout A, from the Intermediate Phase of the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss manual...

Warm-up: I'd use this to get mobile and warmup my muscles. I'd even be starting to sweat a bit. Now onto the supersets...

1A) DB Split Squat (8 reps) - I would use at least 60 if not 70 pound dumbells for this. It would be really hard - there's no other way to put it.

1B) DB Incline Press (8 reps) - I'd use 80-90 pound dumbells for this. Combined, this superset would soak my shirt on its own.

2A) Stability Ball Leg Curl (15 reps) - Granted, I could do this exercise without a problem, so I'd either increase the number of reps per set to 25, or I would do the 1-Leg Stability Ball Leg Curl.

2B) Pushup (15 reps) - I would increase the reps to 35 pushups per set, or I would use a more difficult version such as close-grip pushups, or even decline close-grip pushups.

3A) Stability Ball Jackknife (10 reps) - I'd increase the reps to 20 per set or I'd do 1-Leg Stability Ball Jackknives.

3B) DB Rear-Delt Raise (10 reps) - This would be tough, and I'd use 15 or 20 pound dumbells.

After this intense strength training session, I'd rest 1-2 minutes and then get on the treadmill for intervals.

Interval Workout A

Intervals can't be easy for anyone. For me, I'd run at top speed on the treadmill (12mph), or I'd run the intervals outside.

A beginner might use 3.8mph for walking intervals. Either way, we'd both make it as tough as possible for our own personal fitness levels.

Overall, this workout would be tough. And someone who is fitter than I am would just increase the intensity up to his or her level so they would boost their metabolism to the max and burn fat fast.

Turbulence Training isn't easy, but it works.

Get started on a fat burning workout today from:
==>
http://www.turbulencetraining.com

It all comes down to you,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS - Lose over 10 pounds in 3 weeks!

"The sticking point for me has always been time. There was never enough to cover all muscle groups, find time for cardio and incorporate In 6 weeks I have lost 6.5kg (14.3lbs). I am now in my ideal weight range (with abs) without dropping off existing musculature. As far as internal health goes my cholesterol has dropped from 6.4mmol/L to 3.7 mmol/L (247mg/dL to 142mg/dL). Guess what! my life insurance premiums will reduce accordingly if i keep it this way. Did I mention I feel great. This stuff works."
Alan Rogers, Australia

"I am a 48 year old woman who has been on some sort of diet plan since 1987 (that's when my son was born) I've tried all sorts of exercise programs; Curves, The Firm, 6 weeks, Numerous Beach Body programs, not to mention Atkins, Slim Fast, Nutrisystem, low fat, low carb, low calorie etc. You name it I've tried it and probably bought it! 3 weeks ago I stumbled across Craig's Dark Side of Cardio. Here it is 3 weeks later and I've lost 10 pounds! My clothes are looser! A program that actually delivers! A program without false promises! A program that doesn't make you workout 5-7 days a week but only 3X for 45 minutes! I've got to tell you, I was certainly skeptical because of past history, but WOW, I can't believe this. I tried on a skirt that I couldn't get past my hips last winter and I wore it today!!! I love this program; it's fast, fun and complete. Thank you Craig for helping me on my dream."
Kelley Howard

Get started on a fat burning workout today from:
==>
http://www.turbulencetraining.com

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Tiger Woods & Phil Mickelson Training For Golf

I don't play golf, but for some reason I enjoy watching it on TV. Each tournament, - if Tiger is playing - I always try and catch the final 3-4 holes.

Today was Tiger's first tourney of the year, and it wasn't even close. He already had a record lead after Saturday's round, and he made some great shots today to win easily. Tiger is fit and looks focused for a lot of wins this year. Should be good times.

And no, I still don't think Tiger Woods uses steroids. He's just young and fit, that's all.

Now apparently Phil Mickelson also spend the off-season working out, and I think I noticed he was significantly slimmer than in the past few years, but I'm just guessing based on how he looks. If anyone knows his fitness routine, let me know, I'd be interested to see it. Phil looks like the kind of guy who has a hard time with nutrition, so hopefully he improved that as well.

Good luck to all the TT golfers out there this year,

CB
Lose fat for the summer

Friday, January 25, 2008

Turbulence Training Circuit Training

I've combined classic circuit training with the TT approach in an experimental fat loss program for you.

Click HERE to get the TT Member's Circuit Workout

Let me know what you think. Oh yeah, and there is a tough new "Bodyweight 200" circuit in there for you bodyweight enthusiasts.

One other thing...

I no longer publish daily tips on this email list due to email problems.

If you want more frequent fat loss tips, Click HERE to signup for the Turbulence Training fat loss newsletter

Thanks!

Stay strong,

CB

PS - Get the New TT Circuit Training...

...in the TT Member's area.

Not a TT member?

Sign up today and you'll get...

  • The January TT Fat Loss Workout of the Month
  • The February TT Fat Loss Workout of the Month
  • All the fat loss interviews & teleseminars
  • A chance to ask me your fat loss questions on the forums

See you there!

Click HERE to become a TT Member today

Thursday, January 24, 2008

A Turkish Turbulence Coincidence

There's a tool from Google called "Google Alerts", that lets you type in any phrase and then Google will alert you whenever it pops up on the Internet. For example, just type in your name, and you'll be emailed whenever a website is created that has your name on it.

A handy little tracking device. One of my Google Alerts is, not surprisingly, Turbulence Training.

But now here's the surprise - it seems great minds think alike, even if they are halfway around the world.

According to this story in UK Guardian, a Turkish football coach has named his training system, "Turbulence"...

"...A rookie coach, Uygun credits his managerial success to the influence of Carlos Alberto Parreira, the manager who schemed Brazil's unBrazil-like 1994 World Cup triumph and was responsible for Fener's mid-90s revival.

But equally key to Sivasspor's success is Uygun's own training system (nicknamed "TURBULENCE") in which players alternate between performance-enhancing fitness binges and prolonged rests, the idea being that form-sapping fatigue can be meticulously scheduled against breaks in the fixture calender.

Sivasspor also go heavy on bonding sessions. As their president Mecnun Odyakmaz put it: "Money is not a major concern. We are a brotherhood."

*****

Granted, his system is a little different from mine, but very interesting to see how 2 men, worlds apart, could come up with the same phrase for a nearly identical philosophy.

The only thing is, I actually have the term Trademarked. Yep, just received official confirmation from the US Government the other day for US registered trademark # 3,355,431 - "Turbulence Training" for use in exercise videos and books.

Turbulence = a winning system everywhere in the world,

CB
Turbulence Training for Fat Loss


Top 10 Things You Can Do In 2008

The World's Busiest Dad, Chris Lopez, put together a great list of the 10 things he thinks you should do in 2008 to make it your best year ever.

Here's just one of the things on his list...

3. Build your own HOME GYM.

No, don't drop 10G's on a complete renovation, a customized lifting platform and sauna (although if I had the $$$, the time
and the space that's what I'd do). But for a fraction of the price you can have a half decent set-up. My "home gym" will never take place of where I train. But for days when I'm stuck, this set-up will do. Go out and get a door gym, a stability ball, a kettlebell of a relatively challenging weight and yoga mat. That's it. I'll drop some good workouts over the next few
weeks on how to use just those 4 pieces of equipment.

See what the "World's Busiest Dad" thinks of fasting for weight loss and goal setting.

Read Part 1 HERE

Read Part 2 HERE


California Fitness Expert Reveals Fat Burning Secrets

This week, I'm interviewing one of the most famous fat loss trainers in North America, Alwyn Cosgrove. I recently saw Alwyn speak at a personal trainer's seminar, and Alwyn showed study after study supporting his fat loss programs.
 
Today Alwyn will his approach to fat loss in greater detail. This is Part 1 of a 3-part series. Parts 2 and 3 will deal with nutrition and the psychology of weight loss.
 
First, a little more about Alwyn (pronounced "Allan")...
 
Alwyn Cosgrove is a superstar in the world of physique transformation for men and women. He's trained champions in multiple sports and winners of multiple 12-week body transformation contests. Alwyn owns and operates a training facility in Santa Clarita, California and he's also written his own fat loss book called "Afterburn".
 
CB: What is the significance of adding circuits as you sometimes do? Are you always using total body sessions or do you sometimes use upper-lower splits?
 
AC:
I tend to use split routines from the get-go, however I split the work based on movement patterns not on muscle group.
 
If the goal is fat loss I don't use upper and lower body splits - although regardless of goal I tend to favor the non-competing supersets system that we both use.
 
As the client progresses I feel that they start to increase their loads in their exercise and need more rest between sets of the same exercise.
 
e.g. originally:

1a: Squat: one minute of work (e.g. 10 reps) with one minute of rest
1b: Push ups: one minute of work (e.g. 10 reps) with one minute of rest.
 
Between sets of squats I have 3 mins of rest (rest + push up time +rest) but if I'm doing three sets of each I'm still getting all the work done in 12 mins - one set every two minutes. My ACTUAL rest time is short - but my practical rest time is 3 mins, and my work density is one set every two minutes.
 
Eventually though we use heavier loads and need more rest - but here's how we do it:
 
1a: Squat: one minute of work (e.g. 10 reps) with 45s of rest
1b: Push ups: one minute of work (e.g. 10 reps) with 45s of rest.
1c: Seated Row: one minute of work (e.g. 10 reps) with 45s of rest
 
So now I have 4 min 15s of rest between squats (45s rest + push ups + 45s rest + row +45s of rest). I can definitely go heavier with my legs having that much longer of a rest.
 
If I do three sets of each it takes me 15 mins and 45s. But I'm now getting NINE sets done in that time or one set in 1 min 45s. I've increased my practical rest time but I've also increased my work
density. So I can go heavier AND get more work done in the same time when compared to the original program.
 
And just a reminder - we're talking about fat loss training here - I'm not talking about optimal hypertrophy or strength routines.
 
CB: You talk about the "Afterburn" being a massive metabolic disturbance (aka - what I call "Turbulence") being applied to the muscle. Can you explain why this metabolic disturbance matters and simply, what it is?
 
AC:
Quite simply if you work out every day for an hour - you'll do seven hours of work.
 
But there are 168 hours in a week. 7 hours (a significant commitment that few people have time for) is actually only 4% of your week. Do you really think that you'll make a difference with fat loss based on a 4% investment? No way.
 
So we have to focus on the OTHER 23 hours of each day - the entire 168 hours in the week.
 
The bulk of the calories your body burns comes from your resting metabolic rate (RMR). If we can turn that number up slightly - then we can make a big difference in total fat lost.
 
Now if we took that hour of exercise that we spend every day and could create a disturbance in RMR that would last (and as I mentioned earlier - studies have shown increased EPOC from a single
workout 38 hours later) - then we are affecting the bigger picture.
 
Just by doing the math - forget about the workouts and the diet for now - if I could increase RMR only 25 calories per hour, every hour - that would end up being 600 additional calories per day - or 4200 calories burned per week. That should result in over a pound of fat loss per week before we even talk about the calories burned during the workout, the caloric deficit from the diet, the thermic effect of feeding, etc etc.
 
For fat loss - what you do in the workout is irrelevant - we are looking solely at a stimulus to drive EPOC up. Interval training and resistance training do that very well.
 
Steady state aerobic work, particularly at low intensities doesn't do that as well - so it's not the first tool we turn to.
 
Look at this study...
 
"Fat loss following 15 weeks of high intensity, intermittent cycle ergometer training"

Authors:
Trapp EG and Boutcher SH
University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia

The study found 3 x 20 mins of intervals for 15 weeks resulted in more fat loss than 3 x 30-40 min of aerobics at 60% V02 max.

The interval training group lost about 3 times as much fat.
 
CB: Without spending too much time going over your thoughts on aerobic training for fat loss, is there a time you would ever use aerobic training?
 
AC:
Of course. I use it with deconditioned people - I've used it heavily myself since my transplant, and I use it with athletes needing to develop their aerobic system.
 
Aerobic exercise is very beneficial  - please don't misinterpret my thoughts on the matter - it's just been overemphasized for fat loss. Does it work? Of course. Is it the BEST program (which is what people pay me for)? No.
 
For fat loss - I don't use it too much. It doesn't burn very many calories when compared to interval training and does little to increase EPOC - which is the biggest key in fat loss programming.
 
I do use aerobic training as part of a "stubborn fat" protocol that Lyle McDonald introduced me too, but realistically that type of training only applies to a small percentage of people. I don't believe most people have stubborn body fat as much as they need a longer period of fat loss training and dieting.
 
Additionally - very occasionally you can have a client eating well, doing metabolic resistance work 3-4 days per week and intervals 3-4 times per week, and because of time constraints (e.g. a show/photo shoot/ movie is coming up) - you need to burn some more calories.
 
Under circumstances like that, it's impractical to add another weight training session or another interval session - so we add 1-2 steady state aerobic sessions.

 
CB: What's your favorite interval method and duration - has anything stood out in your experience as being more effective than other methods? And do you have any uniquely effective interval methods?
 
AC:
I think the Tabata Protocol holds some merit (20s on 10s off for 8 rounds) to just crank metabolism - but it is better for conditioning and athletic performance than for fat loss. But as with most things - it's a useful tool in your arsenal.
 
Last year I experimented with a bunch of different work to rest intervals. Basically what I found is that the best fat loss results seem to come with 30 to 60s of work and 60-120s of rest. As much as
I played around with it - I couldn't really come up with anything that stood out as being superior.
 
As far as uniquely effective intervals - I think the future of fat loss training is going to move away from traditional cardiovascular based intervals and move towards, tabata stuff, bodyweight circuits, complexes, and strongman type medley's with the same loading parameters.

 
CB: What's more important - exercise fat oxidation or 24-hour energy expenditure? Why?
 
AC:
24 hour energy expenditure.
 
If I take a workout and burn 300 calories from fat (ie very low intensity work), that's 300 calories burned.
 
If I take a 30 min workout and create enough metabolic disruption so that you burn even ½ a calorie extra per minute, (and studies are showing an elevated EPOC for 38 hours), - then I'm looking at another 720 calories for the next 24 hours PLUS the calories burned in the original workout.
 
Focusing on what is burned DURING the exercise session is massively short sighted. That type of thinking has its roots in the mythical fat burning zone. I hope we don't have to go into that.


CB: We don't, no worries. Alwyn has a lot of great information on his website.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Get What You Really Want

In case you missed it at New Year's, I've put the incredible goal-setting, motivational, inspiration interview with Dax Moy back up on www.TTMembers.com

It's called "Mastering the Fat Loss Mindset" and shows you how to achieve your fat loss goals for good!

Click HERE to read it or listen to the interview

Here's a little bit from Dax's interview about goal-setting:

"What is it that you actually want? What is it that you actually want? Not, what will you settle for, what seems realistic.  

What is it that you actually truly want if I were to wave a magic wand in front of you right now and say okay, in 2008 all of your dreams are going to come true and given you already, in relation to your body, how it's going to look, how it's going to perform, how it's going feel, then what would you ask for right now with magic wand in hand?

And that is really the goal that people should be setting for themselves. That's really the goal that people should be attacking when the new year comes in certainly.

And that's really the only type of goal that's going to hold enough power to keep you on the straight and narrow for long enough. Because when you feel really passionate about something, things don't feel like an effort. We all know that. We've all read books that we absolutely love, and we get lost in the time and we can't believe it's, we can't believe that four hours have been gone by while you've been reading.

It's no different with any form of a passion. When you are truly moving toward a passion, when you are truly enjoying what you doing and you can really see where the potential benefits of pursuing that passion lie you'll stay on track.

If, on the other hand you set a goal that's smaller because someone has told you what you've, what you're asking for is unrealistic, the chances are in that moment where they've told you that you are being unrealistic, what they also did was, was beat a huge chunk of your passion around the head with a rubber mallet and actually told you to stop being silly. Don't invest so much passion into this and hey, just focus on the smaller goal.

That's the best way to fail, and I think that's one of the biggest reasons why a lot of people do fail."  

Click HERE for the entire interview

Stay strong,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

TT Transformation Update

So we have over 100 men and women from all over the world registered in the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest. We have young men, couples, moms, men and women in their 50's and even 60's, folks from Russia, down-under, LA, Spain, you name it.

And for all TT Members, I am making the "Secrets of The Transformation Experts" bonus report available again for everyone. But you have to be a TT Member.

Click HERE to download the bonus report

Please read it...there is some valuable info in there for your programs. It covers...

Where to start your transformation

The most important measurements to take

How often to have a cheat meal

Success stories of women who have lost 50+ pounds, as well as a woman who entered her first Figure Competition within 16 weeks of starting working out

Inspiring and educational,

CB

PS - Don't forget...

If you become a TT Member today, you can download the January workout and you'll get the February Workout early next week.

www.TTMembers.com
Click HERE to download the bonus report

Best Time to Workout

Last week I was in Las Vegas (where it was just as cold asToronto!), and I decided to get in a morning workout in the MGM hotel gym prior to my coaching meeting. Now usually I don't workout before 11am, but on that day, I was in the gym at 8am.

But back to my workout. I did dumbell chest presses supersetted with cable ab crunches, and DB RDL's supersetted with various pushups. In and out in under 30 minutes.

Now for me, this isn't the best time of day to workout because I just don't feel as strong as I do around lunchtime. However, all that matters is that I did my workout.

For fat loss & muscle building, it doesn't matter what time of day you exercise. Too many people spend too much time worrying whether or not they are working out at the right time. And others even use the time of day as an excuse not to exercise.

So let's get things straight here.

For fat burning, it doesn't matter if you exercise at 6am or 6pm, at 12 noon or 12 midnight. All that matters is that you exercise consistently and intensely for fat loss.

If anyone tells you that you have to workout in the morning to lose fat, they are full of it. They are just spreading myths. So forget about them, and focus on what you can do to get results.

Just do what Alan and Kelley did (see below) and workout whenever you can fit it in your schedule.

Get started on a fat burning workout today from:
==>
http://www.turbulencetraining.com

Don't let anyone give you an easy way out,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS - Lose over 10 pounds in 3 weeks!

"The sticking point for me has always been time. There was never enough to cover all muscle groups, find time for cardio and incorporate In 6 weeks I have lost 6.5kg (14.3lbs). I am now in my ideal weight range (with abs) without dropping off existing musculature. As far as internal health goes my cholesterol has dropped from 6.4mmol/L to 3.7 mmol/L (247mg/dL to 142mg/dL). Guess what! my life insurance premiums will reduce accordingly if i keep it this way. Did I mention I feel great. This stuff works."
Alan Rogers, Australia

"I am a 48 year old woman who has been on some sort of diet plan since 1987 (that's when my son was born) I've tried all sorts of exercise programs; Curves, The Firm, 6 weeks, Numerous Beach Body programs, not to mention Atkins, Slim Fast, Nutrisystem, low fat, low carb, low calorie etc. You name it I've tried it and probably bought it! 3 weeks ago I stumbled across Craig's Dark Side of Cardio. Here it is 3 weeks later and I've lost 10 pounds! My clothes are looser! A program that actually delivers! A program without false promises! A program that doesn't make you workout 5-7 days a week but only 3X for 45 minutes! I've got to tell you, I was certainly skeptical because of past history, but WOW, I can't believe this. I tried on a skirt that I couldn't get past my hips last winter and I wore it today!!! I love this program; it's fast, fun and complete. Thank you Craig for helping me on my dream."
Kelley Howard

Click here to get started...
==>
http://www.turbulencetraining.com

Monday, January 21, 2008

This Week's Pep Talk

Week 3's pep talk for the Men's Health Belly Off Program.

I'm actually doing all of this "ad lib"...in 1 take.

Watch the Pep Talk here

How to Start Your Fat Loss Transformation

Today is the last day for you to enter the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest. You can win up to $2000 in this 12-week fat loss body changing challenge.

All you need to do is click HERE to order Turbulence Training and then post your photos in the Transformation Forum in the Member's area.

Now here's a little help from transformation expert, Erik Ledin. He'll show you how to start your transformation off right.

From Erik Ledin:

One of the first things someone has to do is get prepared mentally for some changes. There are a lot of people that set out to try to get in shape and lose fat and with the New Year coming and whatnot but there's a reason why more people aren't walking around with enviable physiques.

It's not easy.  

So I think the first and foremost thing is people have to realize why they're doing things. Have a reason for trying to get in shape. I mean we all do but they have to remember what their source of motivation is.

Being prepared to pass on some bad habits. Putting your goals on paper. Carrying it around with you if you have to. But making sure that you remember why you're doing it. There's obviously got to be a reason.

I also think that telling somebody that you're doing it or documenting it or having some kind of accountability makes a big difference with people. That's one of the reasons why I think that people do so well with – whether it be me or some kind of trainer is they have someone to report into so it could be a friend.  It could be a trainer.  It could be you could be blogging. Putting it on the Internet.

(Craig's note: Post your transformation in the Turbulence Training Membership Forums and get support from all around the world. I'll be happy to hold you accountable!)

In terms of planning, though, food wise, if you're the type of person whose willpower is not strong enough to say no to foods that are in your house then you basically have to get rid of them in your house.  If you have kids it's kind of a lot more difficult to do it that way but you can still do it! 

The biggest thing is to make sure you don't ever get too hungry. Which comes back to the whole plan, plan, plan. If you end up going far too long between meals, I'm sure you've been there too where at that point it's pretty hard to say no to something. You're just starving and you grab whatever's there.  

So I think the biggest thing is actually sticking to your plan and actually not allowing yourself to get overly hungry so that comes back to not missing meals and there's gotta be some kind of self-control exercised regardless.  

There's a cost to getting in shape. You gotta pay some kind of price.  

Whether that be with the sacrifice of time or extra self-control or discipline when it comes to eating but I probably say that the biggest thing is actually not getting too hungry.  Or overly hungry which comes back to missing meals. Let's say you're supposed to eat at 2:00 and next thing you know you miss it and it's like 7:00 at night - you're going to raid your fridge.

So always plan!
*******************

Thanks Erik. You can learn more from Erik at www.LeanBodiesConsulting.com

Stay strong and get lean,

CB

PS - Don't forget!

Today is the last day for you to enter the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest. You can win up to $2000 in this 12-week fat loss body changing challenge.

All you need to do is click HERE to order Turbulence Training and then post your photos in the Transformation Forum in the Member's area. 

 

Friday, January 18, 2008

Transformation Deadline!

An amazing thing happened last Monday. Our first Turbulence Training Transformation client from Russia entered the contest. Now how cool is that?

The Internet sure let's us do some neat stuff. Who would have thought 10 years ago that in 2008 we'd be getting help in our fat loss workouts from guys in Russia who are going through the same trials and tribulations as we are?

Or that girls from all corners of New Zealand would be sharing recipes, giving workout tips, and support to others from all over the world on an internet fat loss message board?

It truly is amazing the amount of support that all the TT clients in the TT Transformation program are giving one another.

We've also got these folks in our Transformation Contest helping others...

Maggie, our advanced TT expert from Florida

Juan, who has already lost 75 pounds in 6 months with TT

Lisa, a new client from New Zealand who has some powerful motivation

Donna, our resident TT expert from Australia

KSmall, who has lost 11 pounds over the Holiday Season

Craig, a Pastor from Wisconsin who has some amazing goals

Andy, from San Diego, who must be loving the Chargers win

Emily, who just joined this week

Kali, who is kicking butt

Chris, from the Netherlands, who is one of a few TT'ers focused on gaining some muscle over the challenge

Plus dozens more...

And you can be part of it too, if you get Turbulence Training and enter the contest before Monday, January 21st.

Click HERE to get started

By entering the 12-week contest, I truly believe you will have a much greater chance of success in your fat loss program. After all, how many times have I preached the necessity of social support for fat loss?

How many times have I said you need to have people on your side, encouraging you through the tough days, inspiring you when you're   tired and ready to cave into temptation?

Listen, no matter how many people in your daily life try to sabotage your efforts, you'll always have dozens, if not hundreds of kindred spirits on the Turbulence Training forum rooting for you, sharing new fat loss nutrition tips, and helping you make life-long healthy changes that will give you more energy and fat loss.

With the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest, you'll...

Get the social support you need.
Become accountable to others.
Accept the motivation and encouragement of others.

Don't let others in the "real world" hold you down. It's your body, and if you want to change it for the better, then its your right, and no one should guilt you into anything less.

I look forward to meeting you on the Turbulence Training Transformation forum, and hearing about your fat loss journey.

Click here to get started with Turbulence Training for Fat Loss:
==>
http://www.turbulencetraining.com

Get started before another excuse gets in your way,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS - The last day to enter the Transformation is Monday, January 21, 2008...

But you can always stop by the forum for fat loss motivation and success stories like these...

"I have been in love with Turbulence Training ever since I started. I am 6'3", 28/M and my starting weight/body fat% was 208 pounds and 18.4% body fat. After 22 weeks of TT, I am now down to 190 lbs and 10.8% body fat."
Nick Walters, New York, NY

"I've done just about everything from Turbo Jam, P90X, to trying to piece together my own workout, but didn't get the results I've seen with Turbulence Training."
Andrea Dunham

"Been using TT 4 years, love the newsletters. I use the 2K3 all the time, started off with the original ages ago. I lost 35 pounds in around 2 years & i'm 38 years old!"
Michael Walker

Click here to get started...
==>
http://www.turbulencetraining.com

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Turbulence Training Transformation Details

The $2000 Turbulence Training Transformation

First came Body for Life. Then every other supplement company started their own Transformation Contest. But this is the first time a scientifically proven fat burning workout program has held a transformation contest.

Men's Health expert trainer Craig Ballantye, the originator of the fat burning workout routine, Turbulence Training, is offering $2000 cash to the top prize winner in his 12-week Transformation program.

Already, dozens of men and women have entered the Turbulence Training 12-Week, $2000 Transformation Contest. There are young men from Holland, young women from the West Coast of Canada, a 64-year old woman from Belfast, Maine, plenty of folks from down under in Australia and New Zealand, and dozens more from North America and the UK.

Here are the prizes for the Transformation Contest:

Grand Prize - $2000 & a 3-year Platinum TT Membership

Second Place - $1000 & a 2-year Platinum TT Membership

Third Place - $500 & a 1-Year Platinum TT Membership

And here are the Turbulence Training Transformation rules:

1) You must have purchased Turbulence Training and used the TT programs to achieve your results.

2) You must keep a training journal in the Turbulence Training Membership Forum (don't forget, you get 3 months free access to the Turbulence Training Membership site when you order Turbulence Training).

3) You must post before and after photos in your training journal in the TT Membership section. Your photo must include a newspaper from that day to validate your start and end date. In addition, your photo must include a headshot in order to qualify for the prizes.

4) The TT Transformation Contest runs from Nov. 26th to April 15th. All transformations must start and finish during this time period. Therefore, you could start as late as January 21st.

5) Each client has 12 weeks to complete their transformation. Photos must be taken on Day 1 and Day 84.

6) The Transformation Contest will be judged by a panel of experts, including but not restricted to: Craig Ballantyne, diet expert Brad Pilon, and female fat loss expert, Holly Rigsby.

7) In addition to providing Before & After Photos, each contestant must write a 300 word essay on their before and after success story.

What is Turbulence Training? So many people want to know!

The Turbulence Training fat burning workout system can be adapted for any goal and any experience level. It starts with a bodyweight circuit to warm-up, rather than a slow, boring 5-minute walk on the treadmill. The bodyweight circuit prepares the entire body for exercise, whereas the treadmill walk obviously neglects the upper body.

Next, it is onto the strength training, using the Turbulence Training principle of picking the most efficient and effective exercises. By using non-competing supersets, we allow one muscle group to work and one muscle group to recover. This increases the total amount of work done in the workout - also known as increasing exercise "density". Experts believe
increasing exercise density helps burn more calories and helps you lose fat faster.

Finish with 20 minutes of interval training for a complete fat burning workout in only 45 minutes. Interval training has been shown in Australian research to burn off more belly fat than normal cardio. In fact, interval training is one of the Turbulence Training secret weapons.

Don't forget, the last day to start your Turbulence Training Transformation is January 21st, 2008.

Start here: www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Brad Pilon's Predictions for 2008

My little buddy Brad Pilon just sent out this email today to the insiders at www.grrlathlete.com. I thought he had some great insights...especially his 2nd prediction. Here's Brad stirring it up a bit...

*****

Brad Pilon's Predictions for the Health and Fitness Industry in 2008.

1) Eat Stop Eat will be the next Atkins Diet.

This prediction may sound a little conceited (aim big right?), but the idea of using short periods of fasting for weight loss is definitely catching on. And it shares a number of similarities with the Atkins Diet - it is incredibly effective and it is controversial because it flies in the face of some of our current nutrition fads, just as the Atkins Diet did.

The only difference is, Eat Stop Eat is flexible and easy, so for this reason it may become quite as popular as Atkins (for some weird reason, people love complexity).

2) People you trust are going to start pushing supplements on you.

e-Trainers and other on-line fitness experts who used to "rage against the supplement industry" will soon start pushing you on supplements as they begin to realize what the supplement industry has known for a longtime - the reoccurring income these products can generate is a quick and easy way to make a lot of money

3) We will start to realize that our obsessive compulsive relationship with food is slowly ruining our lives.

Eat six times a day. Only eat protein with fat. Eat low glycemic. Eat to "fuel the machine". I think this year people will finally start to realize that the obsession with trying to figure out what and how to eat to lose weight has left us as a group of neurotic eaters who are more confused and
frightened of food than we ever were before. Hopefully 2008 is the year we stop commending people who bring food scales to restaurants to weigh their food.

4) Everyone will be taking pictures of their food and blogging it.

I think it may have been either Art Devany or Dr. Eades who started this trend, and they both did it with good intentions. It started off as a way of showing people that eating lower carb foods can still involve very appealing looking foods. 

In  2008 this idea will be bastardized and turned into a competition of "look how much 'cleaner' I eat than you "between health and fitness bloggers.

5) More Female Athletes will be in the News in 2008.

With the summer Olympics fast approaching  (They're in August) my guess is that we will see more female Olympic athletes getting media coverage. This is great news for women's sports, and it is too bad that it takes the Olympics to get these athletes the attention they deserve.

Here's hoping that we don't see anymore drug scandals in the Olympics this summer!

Brad and the team at www.grrlAthlete.com 

The Race Car Workout - 158.9 miles per hour

So on Wednesday, my friend arranged for a group of us to hit the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and attend the Mario Andretti Racing School. This meant we got to drive Formula 1 Race Cars for 20 laps around a real Nascar track.

Of course, there was a wager on who could go the fastest...unfortunately, I was last in line to get my chance on the track, and after waiting around for 4 hours, it was finally my turn to get behind the wheel.

And so i hit 158.9 miles per hour in my 18th lap...good enough for 3rd best top speed in our group. That's 254km/h for folks back home.

But of course, now I'm just pissed because:

a) I didn't win the fastest lap time.

b) I left 1.1 mph out on the track. I just KNOW that I could have hit 160mph. I know it.

But overall it was definitely something I don't get to do everyday.

And my last couple of laps were something to remember...driving along, the only 2 cars left on the track, with US Air Force Planes flying overhead (its near a military base), and the sun setting a bright orange over the track, and me trying to get as close to the wall without hitting it...all made for a good time.

After driving, I hit the well-stocked hotel gym for a fast hotel workout:

1) 1-Arm Standing DB Shoulder Press (3x6 @ 70lbs)

2) Weighted Pullups (4x6)

3) DB Lunges (3x6 @ 80lbs)

Missed a milestone by one stupid mile per hour,

CB
Best Fat Loss Workouts

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

More on Heavy Weights and High Reps

It never hurts to learn as much as possible from other fitness experts. As a trainer, I buy at least 4 books a month, and after I read Vince's program, I knew I had to share his workout with you...
 
Vince DelMonte, today's muscle building expert, is a guy who's beaten bad genetics and after years of running himself thin he was able to build muscle and burn fat with his workout and diet plan.
 
If Vince can do it, anyone can.
 
CB: Vince, tell us your muscle gaining story. From the sounds of it, you made it really hard on yourself to put on muscle in the first place.
 
VD:
I guess I'm unique considering that I went from being a national level triathlete and long distance runner to a bodybuilder and muscle building author. 
 
I competed in endurance sports (quite successfully and at a national level) for 9 years until the age of 22. After university I ventured into the fitness world and decided to look the part! I was sick of being called "Skinny Vinny."
 
The rest is history. My transformation went on to be featured on Bodybuilding.com and the international magazine Maximum Fitness. I got so many questions from readers that I decided to just put my ntire program and course online for others to follow so they could do the same as me. 
 
CB: Yes, I remember the article from MF. Hilarious "before" photo on your website as well. Tell us about the workout program you used.
 
VD:
My program can be used by anybody - male or female, young and old, skinny or chubby.
 
The program is based on high intensity and lower volume - the perfect formula for busy people.
 
Training with a high intensity (give your muscles a reason to grow philosophy) and lower volume system will produce the best muscle building and fat loss results. 
 
I train my female clients the same as male clients. I train my older clients the same as my younger ones. They all get their butts kicked, go home, refuel, rest and do it again. The only consideration for certain age groups and sexes is recovery time. 
 
CB: As you know, I'm a fan of keeping things to the basics, so how do you keep your workouts simple?
 
VD:
The workout is 'simple' in the sense that you have only one mission and goal with each workout:
 
To fully exhaust the muscle by recruiting the greatest amount of muscle fibers possible with the least amount of sets.
 
In other words, your goal is to "out do" your previous workout with load, not fatigue.  Once you do that, you are ready to move onto the next muscle group. 
 
There is zero need to continue hammering the same muscle group for over an hour - that only results in muscular fatigue not muscular overload (which is the foundation of muscle growth). 
 
CB: What set and rep scheme do you like and why? Does it change for fat loss?
 
VD:
For hypertrophy, whatever it takes to "out do" your previous workout.
 
You might need two or three warm up sets however once your body is ready to go, it is your goal to load the bar with the maximal amount of weight and perform the maximal amount of reps.
 
My advanced program teaches you how lift high reps and high weight at the same time!
 
CB: Do things change for fat loss?
 
VD:
For fat loss, I use cardio and nutrition to create the caloric deficit. Not weights. My clients weight training programs do not change whether their goals are fat loss or muscle building. That is why my program is perfect for fat loss too.
 
I don't use high metabolic energy circuits for fat loss. If you gained muscle while training heavy, why would you change that?
 
The heavy lifting sends the signal to your brain to 'keep the muscle.' As soon as you start lifting lighter weights during a fat loss program your body starts to strip off muscle which slows
metabolism and results in a 'soft' look. 
 
CB: That is a kick-butt, and fast way, to build muscle and burn fat. Now tell us about the bonus offer you are making to readers...
 
VD:
For the next 72 hours only I'm giving away DVD's and copies of my upcoming muscle-building interview series.
Visit Vince's website to see everything described in more detail, but here's everything in his workout program:

* 201 page e-book (literally EVERYTHING you need to know about muscle)
* 29 week Beginner-Intermediate Workout Plan
* 29 week Advanced Workout Plan
* Upside Down Training (specialized workouts)
* Five 84 Day Healthy Calorie Meal Plans
* Three 84 Day Veggie Mass Meal Plans
* Three 84 Day Cheap Mass Meal Plans
* A Virtual Trainer (exercise database)
* The Supplement Files
* 24-7 Email Coach
* MP3's of entire course
* 8 Week Guarantee
Plus, he's giving away these extra bonuses:

Bonus #1 - The brand new No Nonsense Muscle Building DVD
Bonus #2 - Three Months FREE to his No Nonsense Muscle Building Zone.
Bonus #3 - Digital Audios and transcripts to his 2008 Bodybuilding
Teleseminar Series: Uncensored Interrogations Of The World's Biggest
Experts On Building Muscle.

But you have to get the program before Wednesday, January 16th, at midnight if you want these time-sensitive bonses.
 
Build muscle, burn fat with Vince's Program & Bonuses
 
CB: Thanks Vince.
 
PS - The bonuses are only around until Wednesday at midnight...
 

501 to Vegas

Today I flew down to Vegas...my first time here since 2002. Quite a few new buildings have gone up...man oh man, are there ever a lot of hotel rooms down here. Over 138,000 according to my taxi driver.

But before I left home, I tried out a new bodyweight workout called the Bodyweight 501. (I made it out to be 501 reps to differentiate it from my earlier Bodyweight 500 workout). And yesterday, I did a Bodyweight 250. So here's where I'm going with all of this -> I'm trying to put together a good program to build up to a Bodyweight 1000 workout.

That's right, 1000 bodyweight repetitions done in a single workout.

Now I actually did this 2 Fridays ago...but I think it might have been a little too much...after all, there were at least 250 pushups in my original version...and that left me just too sore. So now I'm working on something a little more manageable.

Anyways, I did that workout, rushed off to the airplane and headed down to Vegas (and I watched the movie, "3:10 to Yuma" on the plane - good stuff if you get a chance to watch it, I'd say it is worth your time).

Tomorrow I'll hit the hotel gym, but first, I have another very interesting adventure planned here in Vegas tomorrow...but I'll tell you about that later,

CB
Bodyweight 500 Workout

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

$1 Workout Offer

This is a heartfelt request to get you to take advantage of your TT Membership and join the TT Transformation Contest.

(If you aren't a member, check out the $1 Workout offer below...)

The transformation could be the spark-plug to help you make a life-long change in your nutrition and exercise mindset. We are seeing powerful, POWERFUL stories on the forum about men and women who are finally losing pounds after years of struggle.

These men and women are getting more social support from strangers halfway around the world then they get at home, work, or their gym.

Everyone is coming together to produce a positive atmosphere, where others are checking in to offer encouragement, support, and sometimes a good swift Internet kick to the butt to get back on
track.

I'm very proud of what everyone is doing on the site...and I'd like to have you check it out...

So that's why I'm making you this sweet offer...

You can get a 7-day trial Basic Level TT Membership for only ONE DOLLAR...

Click HERE to get started

You'll get access to the TT Workout of the Month, the fat loss interviews, and the discussion forums - All for only $1 for 7 days.

So at the very least, you get the January TT 2K8 Fat Loss Workout for only $1. You have nothing to lose!

But this offer is only good for a limited time...and ends on Monday, January 21st.

That's also the very last day you have to enter the TT Transformation Contest. So it's perfect timing.

You get to see if you like the membership site, and if you do, you can stay on and be a member while you do your transformation.

If you don't, just make sure to cancel before the 7-day trial is up.

Click HERE to get started

CB

PS - You can win 2000 in the TT Transformation Contest...

So don't waste any more New Year's motivation, get started today on
burning fat with the Turbulence Training workouts.

Click HERE to get started

Monday, January 14, 2008

Moms: Lose Fat From Your Tummy


Great success story for you today about why you should give short burst exercise workouts a chance.

Find out how Allison Liddic, a mom from Kettering, Ohio, lost almost 2 inches from her tummy in only 2 weeks with the Fit Yummy Mummy program.

Here's Allison's story...

How Allision Lost Inches

For more from America's #1 Fat Loss Expert for Moms, Holly Rigsby, visit http://www.FitYummyMummy.com

Boost your workout intensity and get more fat burning benefits,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS - Holly has some amazing bonuses for Moms on fashion, booty workouts, and nutrition available at http://www.FitYummyMummy.com

Don't miss out!

Bodybuilding is for Wimps

I've written so much about fat loss this year, that a bunch of readers have emailed me to say, "Hey, what if I just want to gain some muscle?".
 
Ooops, I forgot to deal with that issue.
 
Fortunately, I was able to make a phone call to muscle-building expert Vince DelMonte last week. He's just down the road from me in Hamilton (an hour from my place in Toronto), and he had some very controversial things to say.
 
And don't miss his meal preparation tips below...he had a couple that I had never heard of before...Plus, when Vince said "bodybuilding programs are for wimps", I sat straight up in my chair and asked to hear more.
 
I respect Vince because not only is he bigger and stronger than me, but also because he is just as busy. Which means that his workouts are also "no fluff", and perfect for the busy guy and gal that want to build muscle with Vince's workout program.
 
CB: Vince, how do you convince guys that the high-volume, 5-day per week programs aren't as good as the bodybuilding magazines make them out to be? What's a better way to train for muscle building?

VD
I will even go as far as to say that bodybuilding workouts tailor to wimps...but first, there are 3 reasons I believe bodybuilding programs are ridiculous...
 
1. Bodybuilding has no transfer to reality.
 
Legs one day, back one day, chest one day, arms one day...why don't we have another day allocated to face muscles and another day for just finger muscles?!
 
You've probably heard the saying, "Form follows function." The way you train will determine the way you look but it will also determine the way you perform and live life. 
 
2. Total body workouts have a better hormonal response for muscle.
 
Science has shown that the more muscle one use during a training session, the greater the amount of testosterone and g.rowth hormone that is released into your body.
 
These are the two MAJOR hormones responsible for building muscle mass. Doing exercises like squats, presses, and rows is like shooting testosterone and hGH through a powerful fire hose into
your body - burning fat while building muscle.
 
Bodypart training just doesn't do the same. So you get more bang for your buck with my type of training
 
3. Bodybuilding workouts are too long and boring.
 
Bodybuilding programs usually prescribe 12-24 sets for ONE muscle group. That's insane! Bodybuilding programs are like saying, "Go sprint a marathon!" It's impossible. 
 
If I'm doing 12-24 sets on one muscle group then I can only train at 60-70% of my one rep max. Do you think that's actually intense? No! Where are the gains coming from?
 
That's why people can do these marathon body part workouts for up to 2 hours. And when you train longer then (about) 60 minutes, hGH and testosterone hormones drop and cortisol, a hormone that
destroys muscle, begins to rise.
 
I will even go as far as to say that bodybuilding workouts tailor to wimps because the workouts are easy. How can a 60-90 minute workout be "intense" if you're only working out at 70% of your one rep max?
For me, bodybuilding workouts are the equivalent of a walk in the park.
 
CB: What are the best exercises for building muscle?
 
VD
Multi-joint exercises that use the maximal amount of muscle to create the greatest hormonal response and that recruit the greatest amount of muscle fiber and that allow you to make consistent strength gains. This includes...
 
Deadlifts, squats, snatches, clean and presses, bent over rows, pull ups, and dips.
 
CB: How would you structure a day of eating to gain muscle mass?
 
VD
A number of things:
 
1. Any meals that would require me to eat on the road would already be in tupperware containers from preparation the night before.
 
2. My first meal would be consumed within 15 minutes of waking up.
 
3. My stop watch will beep every 3 or 4 hours (by setting the countdown timer) to remind me that it's time to eat again.
 
4. I would reach into my (big) lunch bag and eat the meal assigned on my "Healthy Mass Meal Plan" that day.
 
5. Before leaving for the day, I would note if I am low on any food so that I can stop at the market or grocery store to keep my fridge and cupboards stocked.
 
6. I would prepare all my food for the day before while making phone calls to friends with my head set on so I kill two birds with one stone and actually look forward to my meal prep.
 
Developing and executing these habits consistently took me about half a year before they actually became lifestyle. 
 
CB: Very interesting tips. Do you have a female version of your program?
 
VD:
I do and it IS different that the male version. It was co-authored by Shannon Clark, one the top bodybuilding authors on the net.
 
We've called the program No Nonsense Female Bodyshaping and she had a huge role in representing a few sections of a muscle building program that should be tailored for females.
 
 
Build muscle & burn fat,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
 
PS - Vince has put together 3 bonuses to help you kick off the New Year with maximum muscle building...
 
But these gifts are only available till Wednesday.
 
Bonus #1 - The brand new No Nonsense Muscle Building DVD shipped right to your door step - 60 minutes of Vince - super ripped, huge and strong teaching you his entire program in person. This will be sold for $47 (plus shipping and handling) after the promo. Go to his website to check out the 60 second trailer!
 
Bonus #2 - Three Months FREE to his No Nonsense Muscle Building Zone. A brand new private members site that will be launched in March. Membership will be $197 a year if you don't reserve your seat before the promo ends.
 
Bonus #3 - Audios and transcripts to his 2008 Bodybuilding Teleseminar Series: Uncensored Interrogations Of The World's Biggest Experts On Building Muscle.
 
This product will be $97 after it's recorded in February but you can reserve your own copy at no extra cost until Wednesday at midnight.
 
Total Value of these extra bonuses is $341.
 
So if building *lean muscle mass* is your goal for 2008 then don't miss out on this opportunity Vince has offered you..

Sunday, January 13, 2008

$1 TT Membership Offer

I want everyone to check out the TT Transformation Contestants...so until Monday, Jan. 21st, you can become a Basic Level TT Member for only ONE DOLLAR for 7 days...

Click HERE to become a member for $1

You'll get access to the TT Workout of the Month, the fat loss interviews, and the discussion forums.

But this is only for a limited time and the offer ends Monday, January 21st.

So sign-up today and see what you are missing in the TT membership site,

CB

PS - 7 days for only $1...

That's less than 20 CENTS per day.

Click HERE to become a member for $1

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Setting Goals

Kekich Credo #21 on goals...

"Always have lofty explicit goals and visualize them intensely. Assume the attitude that if you don't reach your goals, you will literally die. This type of gun-to-your-head forced focus...survival pressure mindset, no matter how briefly used, stimulates your mind, forces you to use your time effectively...and illuminates new ways of getting things done."

Don't sell yourself short,

CB
Fat Loss Workouts

Friday, January 11, 2008

3 Tips to Burn Fat

Just a quick one today...giving you three of the most important things you need to be doing to burn fat.

1) Use www.fitday.com to figure out your food intake.

You can't just "wing it". You can't "eyeball" your food intake, as research shows that even nutritionists underestimate how much food they are eating.

So find out exactly how many calories you are eating each day. If you aren't losing fat, it's a simple numbers game. You are eating too much. And if you know your numbers, its easy to make the necessary changes.

As one TT client said on the message boards...

"Ok, I input all my meals on Fitday yesterday, including 2 cheats that I didn't think were a big deal. One was a handful of trail mix and the other was a handful of goldfish crackers. (yes, I have kids :-) ) I can't believe how just those two seemingly harmless snacks added up!! No wonder I have a muffin top! Yikes! So thanks for the tip about Fitday because that's going to keep me accountable."

Use it and lose it!

2) Use the right recovery pace in your interval training

The biggest mistake people make in interval training is working too hard during the recovery period.

But if you work too hard in the recovery period, you end up turning your interval training back into a normal cardio session.

So lose the cardio mentality and be sure to alternate between periods of harder than normal exercise, and very easy exercise.

Use the recovery period to recover!

3) Plan your food intake on the weekend

Set aside time to plan, shop, and prepare several days worth of meals. Use a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to cook some chicken breasts, prepare some raw vegetables, wash your fruit, and pack up your nuts.

Plan ahead and you won't succumb to vending machine follies, or gas station sabotage on your diet.

Click here to get started with Turbulence Training for Fat Loss:
==>
http://www.turbulencetraining.com

Boost your intensity and benefits,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS - You have until January 21st to start your TT Transformation!

When you order Turbulence Training, you get a 3-month TT membership, and the chance to enter the 12-week TT Transformation Contest, where the grand prize winner will win $2000.

Change your body and win!

Click here to get started with Turbulence Training for Fat Loss:
==>
http://www.turbulencetraining.com

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Kekich Credo #18

From Dave Kekich...

"Find out what works, and then do more of it. Focus first on doing the right things, and then on doing things right by mastering details. A few basic moves produce most results and income."

NOTE: Apply the last sentence to your fat burning workouts.

A few basic moves produce most results.

So don't waste your time doing single-arm movements if you have 30 pounds of spare tire to lose. Focus on total body exercises and interval training...oh yeah, and what you are eating.

To lose weight, you don't need to "workout" for 6 hours per week. You need about 2.5 hours of hard exercise, and then you need to reduce your stress and stay active by living well and taking care of yourself.

Click HERE to read all 100 Kekich Credos

Apply them to your life and fat loss program,

CB
12-week Transformation Program

Bodyweight 100 Workout



The Bodyweight 100 challenge was featured in Men's Health magazine in January 2008. This workout is the initial stage in a much longer and more challenging program called the Bodyweight 500. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.

First, let's take a look at the Bodyweight 100 workout. Do your regular workouts on Monday and Wednesday, and then try the 100 workout on a Friday or Saturday.

Do all repetitions of each exercise before moving to the next exercise. Take as few breaks as possible.

20 Prisoner Squats
20 Pushups
10 Jumps
10 Inverted Rows
20 Forward Lunges (10 reps per side)
15 Close-grip Pushups
5 Chin-ups or Inverted Rows

Prisoner squats require you to put your hands behind your head, like a prisoner would. Keep your elbows back, and shoulder blades together. From there, do regular bodyweight squats. Squat all the way to parallel.

Follow that up with regular pushups, keeping your body in a straight line at all times. Keep your abs braced and contracted. Push with your chest and triceps to return to the start position.

For the jumps, drop your hips and bend your knees and then jump up nice and high. Bend your knees upon landing, and in one motion drop your hips and jump up again.

Follow that up with inverted rows, also known as reverse pushups. In this exercise, you'll lie under a bar set at hip height (in a squat rack or smith machine) and you will row your body up to the bar. Try to touch your chest at the top of the movement. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.

Next up is forward lunges. Take a slight larger than normal step forward, plant your foot, and drop your hips straight down while bending your front and back knees. Lower until your front thigh is parallel to the floor, and keep your back knee 1 inch off the ground. Drive back up to the start position through your front leg.

Close-grip pushups follow that up. Keep your hands shoulder width apart, and this will use your triceps more.

Finally, you'll finish the workout with chinups or inverted rows (again). Chinups are the underhand grip version of pullups, and of course, are an advanced exercise.

This bodyweight workout will put turbulence on your muscles and help you burn fat and boost your metabolism without slow boring cardio.

This is a revolutionary new way of burning bodyfat using bodyweight exercises. The challenge of the 100 workout combined with the multi-muscle exercises will burn a lot of fat and calories, and will keep your metabolism increased for hours after exercise.

Take your time going through the Bodyweight 100 workout. Split the reps up into chunks if you need to, but complete all repetitions for an exercise before moving on to the next. And you won't need any cardio to finish up this workout. This workout is enought to burn the fat and feed the muscle.

Here are links to the Youtube videos of all of the bodyweight challenges...


Bodyweight 100


Bodyweight 200


Bodyweight 350


Bodyweight 500


Work your way up,


CB
Click HERE for more fat burning workouts