3A) DB Split Squats (adductors were still darn sore from Wednesday barbell squats) 3B) DB curls
Breakfast: oatmaeal, raisins, almonds, 1 apple.
Yesterday I did some convict conditioning. Tomorrow I will sleep in till 7am and not train. Sunday I'll do Convict Conditioning again.
I'm actually at a seminar with Dragon Door owner, John Du Cane, the guy who is publishing Convict Conditioning. He says it will be out in 2 months. Hold tight...
Cute lil' mini-bodyweight circuit workouts. If these workouts were an animal, they'd be a bunny. Or a baby Bally. Think you can't get results in just 15 minutes using only 3 exercises? Well, take the mini-bodyweight circuit workout challenge.
And yes, for all those folks that want more exercise, there's some additional circuit training planned out for you if you just can't stick to 3 exercises.
From my friend and old college chum, Brad Cunningham, a marathoner from out in BC...
"Dear Craig,
Last summer, when I broke my foot during an ultramarathon, I knew my running was done for at least 3 months and all the fitness I had built up during the previous 3 years would be lost.
So rather than sit on my butt, I decided to get strong because running on its own isn't enough. I used Turbulence Trainingto improve my overal strength, but specifically core and lower body strength for the trails that I race on.
My foot healed and I started training again only to re-break my foot almost excatly 6 months later! Again, back to Turbulence Training.
Now, 8 months since the second break and after two rounds of Turbulence Training, I am running faster times in workout than I have ever have before!
I have won my first 10k race and came 2nd overall a month later. I am stronger and faster and looking forward to running personal best times this fall.
So I want to say "thank you" to you and your program for saving my sanity during my injury and helping me to come back better than I was before. I will definitely be using Turbulence Training to help me prepare for next season!" Brad Cunningham
Alright, got up and trained early today because I am off to Cleveland this afternoon.
Does Cleveland "rock" like Drew Carey says? I guess we'll find out. I know Columbus is a pretty good party town, but what about Cleveland?
Before training I had a blender drink:
1c almond milk
1 banana
strawberries
blueberries
almond butter
almonds
spinach
I also had another oz of almonds and an apple. Good stuff. Now here's something you probably didn't know...If you are worried about getting enough calcium on a vegetarian diet, you need to know that a cup of almond milk contains 20% of your daily requirement (about 200 mg).
PLUS...a cup of almond milk only has 40 calories.
In comparison, a cup of milk has at least 86 calories and 300mg of calcium. So almond milk is a good deal. The only knock against it is that almond milk has only 1g of protein, but there are plenty of ways to get protein on a veggie diet.
Alright, so then the workout...
1) Jumps - 3x6
2A) Squat - 3x6 2B) Pullups - 3x10
3A) Bench - 1x8 3B) BB Lunge - 2x8
Then home for another blender drink (to use up all the produce before I head out of town for a few day)...and I tried broccoli in the blender in place of spinach - and you do NOT notice it. Great way to add veggies to your diet or kid's diet if needed.
2c almond milk
mango
1 banana
blueberries
1 small bunch of broccoli
almonds
oatmeal
flax meal
And then 1 peach and a cashew butter sandwich on whole-grain bread.
Now getting enough iron is another concern of vegetarians, but each slice of whole-grain bread had 25% of my daily needs...so I'm at 50% for the day right there...plus, all the vitamin C from my food helps increase iron absorption.
So what did we learn here...
1) You can add broccoli and spinach to blender drinks and you won't notice either
2) You can get easily get calcium and iron on a veggie diet.
3) Everytime I go outside today it starts to rain. Forgot to mention that.
Another blender drink gone bad to follow up another workout done right.
I started a new 4-week program, and despite getting only 5 hours of sleep last night I had a great workout.
1) Hang Clean
2A) Chins 2B) DB incline press
3A) Pistol 3B) Bodyweight Row 3B) Dips.
4) Overhead Squat
Good workout.
Then another after workout blender drink (gone bad, again)...
Today I didn't have the blender screwed on properly...almond milk started leaking out all over...but eventually I got that fixed up. Classic kitchen clutz.
Good little workout this morning, and I did my first set of handstand pushups. Good times. (Still using the wall for support, of course. Hopefully free style in the next few weeks.)
After a round of Convict Conditioning – and doing my first 2 handstand pushups – I made a "Shamrock Shake".
Seriously, it looked like the McDonalds St. Patrick's day shakes, and consisted of...
a lot of pineapple
spinach and kale
almond milk
sunflower seeds.
It tasted and looked a little weird, but not too bad - I'm not going to call this a "blender drink gone bad".
Along with that, I had an almond butter and blueberry sandwich on whole grain bread. Later in the morning I had oat groats with peanut butter, blueberries, and a peach.
Then I had an apple, some vegetables and hummus.
Then lunch:
Big boy salad: spinach, black beans, 1/2 avocado, onion, black olives, broccoli, 1 piece of bread, 1c almond milk. Followed up with an apple.
Earlier today I stumbled across an article that talks about the "1 hotdog every 45 days rule".
It was from an article in the NY Times about how processed meats increase our risk of cancer. Here's what the lead researcher said...
"To prevent premature deaths related to red and processed meats, Dr. Popkin suggested in an interview that people should eat a hamburger only once or twice a week instead of every day, a small steak once a week instead of every other day, and a hot dog every month and a half instead of once a week."
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below...
Todays' short burst workout was... 1) Power Clean 2A) Squat 2B) Chinup 3A) Good Morning 3B) Close-Grip Bench Press
And then I went home and made... • Almond butter sandwich on 2 slices whole grain bread • Blender drink (this one looked bad AND tasted bad – nice work Craig - that's Blender Drinks Gone Bad V) o 1 banana, 1 peach, spinach, almond milk, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, carob powder (never again!)
But dinner turned out awesome...I even tried my hand at veggie diet cooking and was pleasantly surprised by the grilled eggplant and portobella mushroom. They both exceeded my expectations.
5pm – Dinner • Grilled eggplant (marinate in olive oil, sea salt, and garlic powder then place on bbq grill) • Grilled portobella mushroom burger (marinate in olive oil and sea salt then place on bbq grill and put between two pieces of whole grain bread – it was really good, better than expected) • Sauteed sweet potato slices in olive oil • 1c almond milk
That dinner was great. I don't go "all out" on cooking like that too often, but I'm glad I did. I was pleasantly surprised by how good both the eggplant and mushroom turned out.
The burger wins in today's battle of "hot dogs vs. burgers",
Do you ever feel like you want to change your workouts up and add a "challenge workout" to really see where your level of fitness is at? If so, then this is the perfect workout for you!
Keep reading and you will discover a challenge workout I designed where you attempt to complete a 10-exercise bodyweight circuit as many times as you can in just 20 minutes.
The Challenge has 2 levels; one for beginner and one for advanced.If you are a beginner, then you will perform 10 repetitions for each exercise, whereas an advanced individual will perform double that at 20 repetitions per exercise.
So, you'll start out by placing your hands up behind you head and complete a series of prisoner squats.Get your elbows back, squeeze your shoulder blades together, feet slightly wider than hip width apart, and then push your hips out as you squat down and then back up.Repeat.
After the prisoner squats you'll go down to the ground for close-grip push-ups.So, for this exercise place your hands shoulder width apart and elbows tucked into the side.
Next up are stability ball leg curls.Be sure to bridge those hips up and then curl in and out.
Once you are finished doing that exercise, keep the stability ball with you as you are now going to do 1-legged jackknives.If you are doing 10 repetitions, that means 10 in total, so 5 for one leg and then 5 with the other.
If you are a beginner or you can't do the 1-legged jackknives, then just do regular stability ball jackknives.Also, these can be done with either your hands on the bench or on the floor.
Now you'll stand back up and do diagonal lunges.Proper form for this exercise is stepping out to the side, while keeping your foot pointing forward.This will give you a great stretch through the groin, and then go straight down, and drive back up.Again, if you are just doing 10, then you are only doing 5 for each side.
Starting out the final 5 exercises, you'll do the underhand inverted row.This means your palms are up and facing you, with your hands a little narrower than shoulder width apart.
If you are unable to complete 20 repetitions straight, then do as many as you can, take a rest, and then finish them off.If you are a beginner and can't do the straight-legged inverted rows, then bridge your hips up and bend your knees to complete the reps.
After the rows, you'll do an interesting exercise called the grasshopper push-up. For this exercise you will start by getting into a regular push-up position and then swing one leg underneath your body, drop down, and then swing it back out.Alternate sides.If you can't do the grasshoppers then just do regular push-ups.
Next up is the side plank with a leg raise.Start in the regular side plank position and then perform a leg raise.This will either be 5 and 5 repetitions for the beginner or 10 and 10 for each side for the advanced.
Immediately after finishing all the repetitions for the side plank with leg raise, you are going to move into the spiderman climbs.Your starting position for this exercise is the push-up position.Next, you will bring your foot up outside your hand and then back down, alternating sides.Only bring your foot as far up as your body feels comfortable and then slowly work to improve your mobility.
To finish of the circuit challenge you will do running in place for 10 strides if you are a beginner or 20 strides if you are advanced.
Once you finish the last exercise, take a quick breather and then head back to the beginning to continue working your way through the circuit as many times as you can in 20 minutes.
Do you ever feel like you want to push your body a little more on those off-days?
Well, if you're looking for a little extra boost during your off-days, then here is a 10-exercise circuit that will help to rebuild and reconstruct your body, while doing so at an off-day intensity.
This particular workout will ensure that you get that metabolism boost to burn more calories, but in a way that won't impede your performance in the following day's workout.
To start out you'll do a simple bodyweight squat.Place your hands out in front and feet a bit wider than hip-width apart.Now, push your hips back and get nice and low, while keeping your back flat and your chest out.Then, drive up and repeat.
Next you will go down to the floor and do whatever rolling you feel is necessary.Whether it's the tennis ball for your calves or the foam roller for your upper back or IT band along your legs – do whichever exercises you feel are necessary to get that soreness out.
Once you've finished with those exercises, grab your stability ball and go through the WYLIT exercises.With the "W" exercise, your arms are straight out in front of you and then tuck your elbows into your sides.
Right after, move into the "Y" exercise position.Keep your thumbs pointing up and use the muscles between your shoulder blades to lift your arms in this small movement exercise.
For the "L" exercise you will be performing an external rotation.Then into the "I" exercise where your arms are straight ahead and raise them upwards, getting that extension.
Finish off the WYLIT with the "T" exercise by bringing your shoulder blades together, again in another small movement exercise.
After the WYLIT you'll go to the ground for the stability ball hip extension and follow that up with the side plank.For the side plank, be sure to keep your body in a straight line and abs braced.Focus on getting back in tune with your body so that you can do all of these movements properly.
Follow the side plank with the regular plank exercise.This ab exercise will be a bit more difficult, having just completed the side plank.
After the plank, you'll go right into a single leg hip-extension.So, with one leg up in the air, bridge your hips up, and then slowly lower back down.Squeeze your glutes and hamstring to come up.Be sure to really drive through the hip, and one way to do this is to push through the heel of the leg that is planted.Do all reps for one side and then switch over to the other.
Next, you'll do some calf stretching for 30 seconds per side.By combining this calf stretch with the tennis ball rolling you will reduce the pain and stiffness in the calf area.
After calf stretches, you'll grab a stability ball for a round of mountain climbers.To get in position, place your hands on the ball and your body in a straight line.Next, drive your knee up to your chest and then back down, alternating sides.
The last exercise is the stability ball jackknife.So, place your feet on the ball and your hands on either the ground or the bench and then tuck your knees into your chest.
So there's another off-day workout that will restore and reconstruct your body to start performing at peak levels. You can rest a little bit after cycling through those exercises one time and then go through the circuit a couple more times.
If you need to do a little extra activity to go along with this workout then go for it!
- The best vegetarian meal plan for energy - Intervals and bodyweight training for fat loss - How to get enough protein on a veggie meal plan - What to do if you are allergic to wheat gluten - The best antioxidant-rich fruits - How to create amazing smoothies - How to sneak in more fruits and vegetables into a regular meal plan
"The call was very informative Scott & Craig. I am close to becoming vegetarian myself, mostly because meat is so expensive, and I prefer fruits and vegetables. I love beans and nuts, so it was great to find out they are good for you." Debbie L.
Another day, another blender drink gone bad. I guess that's what happens when you just randomly throw ingredients into a blender.
Here's how it went down...
It was a wacky witch's brew blender drink this morning:
1/4 of a watermelon
1 peach
1 banana
frozen spinach
almond milk
1oz almonds...
then realized it looked weird so I added
some blueberries
1 tbspn almond butter
2 tablespoons oats
In the end it turned out okay, but wasn't a lot of flavor to it.
After the blender drink, I went to the gym...on the way there I walked by a little girl selling lemonade for 50 cents, so I bought a cup, gave her $1 and told her to keep the change. I had a sip, but it wasn't very good.
The best lemonade stand I ever visited was in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina, where a little girl practically had a professional lemonade stand. She even had a visitor's guest book signed by people from all around the world. It was very cute.
Do you feel like you've fallen into a rut with your workouts? Sometimes the most effective and often overlooked way to get back on track is to re-introduce workouts that focus on reconstructing and restoring your body.
Below you will discover the third installment in a 5-part series of workouts that aim to rebuild your body in such a way that allows you to break out of your workout funk and start seeing results.
Now in this workout you won't be performing supersets, but instead trisets (3 sets of exercises with no rest in between). So, you will do 2 trisets for a total of 6 exercises.
For your first exercise you have the option between deadlifts or dumbbell squats. With the deadlift, you will squat down in front of the bar and bring the bar right up to your shins, keeping your chest and head up, and then pull the bar up as you stand in an upright position. Next, slowly lower down, keeping the bar nice and close to your body.
A common problem for many people, however, is getting down into that low position. This tends to be the result of one's body being too tight and not mobile enough, hence the need for these rebuilding workouts. If you are unable to do this exercise, then an alternative exercise for you would be the DB squat.
With the dumbbell squat you aren't required to go as low, but it is still a very similar movement to the deadlift. So for this exercise, as you squat down, place your hips back, chest up, and squat down and then back up.
After completing all the repetitions for this exercise, you will then move into the chest press, however, it will be with a slight variation. This time, you will do the press 1 arm at a time, making sure there isn't a huge difference in strength between the two sides.
So, place one hand on your abdominals while the other arm does the chest presses. Be sure your movements are controlled and then switch to the other side. The amount of weight you can lift may decrease by around 20% when doing this exercise, but I recommend starting 50% lighter and then working your way up.
The third exercise is a very challenging 1-legged stability ball leg curl. So, get on your back, place one foot on the ball, bridge your hips up, and curl in then out. Switch sides after completing all the reps for one side.
You've just completed the first triset. Now, rest up to 1 minute, and then go through it again for up to 2 more times.
For the next triset, we will begin with an exercise that happens to be an underused exercise that really focuses on your upper back – the chest supported dumbbell row.
To get in position for this exercise, lean against an inclined bench with your DBs at arms length facing one another in front of you, then row the DBs up. Since the chest is supporting you, you can really focus on the back of the body by getting those DBs up high.
After this exercise you will either do the military press with the barbell or 1-armed DB shoulder press.
For the military press, you will want to get a nice bend in the knees, put your hips back, brace your abs, and then drive the BB up and overhead. When you extend overhead, your chest is forward, and the bar is overhead so your shoulder blades will come together, providing that extension in your upper spine. Be sure that when you drive up, the bar is not held up in front, but instead overhead.
If you do not have a barbell, then you can do the DB shoulder press. With this exercise you have two alternatives. One way is with palms facing out, while the other option is with palms facing in.
To finish off the second triset, you will do a reverse lunge. Start out in a nice proud posture and step back with one leg and then go down and pull yourself back to the starting position with your lead leg. Perform all repetitions for one leg and then switch.
Again, you can repeat this triset up to 2 more times, and then add in a short amount of interval training followed by some static stretching.
That's it for the third phase of the rebuilding workouts. Give these workouts a try and watch as your body reconstructs itself to perform at peak efficiency!
Last week on FacebookI heard from over 53 awesome guys and gals who quit smoking.
How cool is that?
And there was one common element to their success stories.
They all hit a BREAKING POINT.
That got me thinking - especially after my blog post yesterday about how my Dad would be celebrating his 70th birthday today if he had lived a better life.
But he isn't, because he never hit his breaking point for change.
So have you? Or are you still waiting to reach yours?
What is your breaking point to finally change your bad habits to healthy habits?
I want to hear about your breaking point that will make you change your life and finally stick to healthy habits and transform your body.
And so to get you to TAKE ACTION, I have two amazing PRIZES for the best answers to two questions I have on my blog.
In fact, I'm going to give away a copy of my MEGA fat loss package (TT Bodyweight DVD's plus TT for Fat Loss DVD's) to the people who give me the best answer to each question.
Visit my blog here to write your comments about your breaking point and help others out with your experiences:
There's no better way to rebuild and strengthen your body, than to take a couple days a week outside of your regular workout schedule to focus on the weak areas of your body.
By doing this you will discover that you are much more mobile and therefore stronger in your workouts, providing you with better results from the work and effort that you do put forth.
This workout is less intense than one of your regular workouts and you only need to perform it twice a week on an off-day.
So, 3 of the exercises I'm going to start with involve a tennis ball and a foam roller and in total I'm going to cover 11 exercises along with an abs circuit.
Now, if you have a tender area in your calf, it's going to get worse before it gets better, but this is what you can do.
First sit down and put your calf on top of the tennis ball.Next, find the sore spots on your calf and roll your leg over the tennis ball in each area 10 times, several times per day if need be.
If you don't have the foam roller, then you can always skip this component of it.There are a number of exercises you can do, but there are two main ones that office workers should focus on.
First, place your upper back onto the roller, pointing your elbows to the ceiling.This will help expose the muscle as you roll back and forth over the foam roller 10 times.
Another hot spot for people is the IT band.This area starts just below your knee and extends all the way to the hip. So, position your body on its side on top of the roller, using your hands and opposite foot to support your body.Roll back and forth for 10 times and then switch over to the other side.
After completing those exercises you'll jump into an overhead squat.Although you did this exercise in your warm-up, it's a very good exercise for finding your weak points.
If you find that it's difficult for you to even get in this position, then you know your chest is tight.As you come down, if you find that you are leaning forward, then that indicates that your calves or hip flexors are tight.So make sure that you spend some time to stretch the areas that are preventing you from doing a good overhead squat.
After doing 10-12 repetitions of that exercise, you will then do a chest stretch, holding for 30 seconds.Many people have a tendency to be tight through the chest area due to bad posture, so this exercise will help relieve some of that tension.You can also place your other arm behind your back to really open up your chest.
Once you completed the chest stretch, find a wall to do stick-ups.With your butt, shoulder blades, head, elbows, wrists, and head against the wall, slide everything up and then tuck your elbows back in.Sounds a lot easier than it is and if you're a desk worker, then you're going to have a difficult time with this exercise.
The remaining 5 exercises are all going to be done on the ground.You'll start out with the hip extension where you will hold the top position for 15-30 seconds.Focus on squeezing your butt with a little bit of emphasis on the hamstrings and lower back.
Immediately after the hip extension, move into the stability ball leg curl.Place your heels on the ball, bridge your hips up and curl the ball in and back out.Be sure not to drop your hips during this exercise.
Now, I'll have you do some basic abdominal exercises.For the plank, get on your elbows and place your body in a straight line.Bring your shoulder blades together a little bit, brace your abs, head straight and just on your toes.
Once you're done the regular plank, switch over and do the side plank for each side.Nothing fancy here, but we all need to re-master the basics sometimes.
The last exercise actually has 5 components to it.The WYLIT or the "W" exercise, the "Y" exercise, the "L" exercise, the "I" exercise, and the "T" exercise.Each of the WYLIT exercises is great for improving shoulder mobility.
Here you will start with the "W" movement, which is similar to the Stick-up.Place your chest on the ball and body in a straight line.Tuck you elbows into your sides so it looks like a "W" at the bottom and then push them out.
Next is the "Y" exercise.Place your arms in the "Y" position with your thumbs pointing towards the ceiling.This is a small movement done by the muscles between the shoulder blades.Be sure to really focus on starting this movement between your shoulder blades, so try to limit the work your shoulders do.
After the "Ys", you will do the "L" movement.This is an external rotation type of exercise.Then move into the "I" exercise by extending your arms straight out in front of you and raising your arms upwards.
The last exercise of the WYLIT is also the easiest, but your body will be fatigued at this point.So, position your arms in a "T" to your body, with thumbs pointing up, and lift your arms up.For the WYLIT, perform each of the exercises for 10-12 repetitions.
Now that you've done all the above exercises, you're ready for a 3-exercise abs circuit.
To start, I'll have you do one of my favourites, the stability ball ab rollout.So, place your knees on a mat, extend your arms in front and rollout, using your abs to roll back in.As you go out, you'll stretch your abdominals, and as you come in you will contract your abdominals.This is a very powerful exercise that can put soreness on your abs like any round of crunches.
Next up, you have your choice of X-body mountain climbers.One way is with your feet on the ball and hands down on the ground, bringing your right knee to your left elbow, alternating sides.If that exercise is too difficult, then you can always do the regular one on the ground.
The final exercise in the off-day workout is the classic plank with elbows on the ball.So place your body in a straight line and brace your abs.The further your elbows are out in front of you, the harder this exercise becomes.
So for the 11 exercise circuit you can go through it 2-3 times, taking 15-20 minutes and then you're good to go for the 30 minute activity on your off-day.
Did another good bodyweight workout today from the "not yet released book" Convict Conditioning...can almost do a handstand now. fun stuff. The guys at DragonDoor.com say it will be out in 2 months. Thanks to them for the advanced copy.
Is your body feeling broken down or beat up?If so, then you're about to discover a workout that is designed to rebuild the perfect body, while burning fat and sculpting muscle.
We'll start with a couple of bodyweight exercises, the first one being pull-ups.Start from a dead hang position, taking an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width apart.Now, pull yourself up and then slowly lower yourself down in a nicely controlled fashion.
If you can't do pull-ups, then an alternative exercise would be the dumbbell row.
So, for a regular DB Row, place your leading hand flat on a bench with your back knee bent and the DB held at arm's length.Now, row the DB up while keeping your back flat.After doing all reps for one side, switch over and do the same for the other.
The next exercise is NEW to Turbulence Training and goes by SHELC, otherwise known as the Supine Hip Extension Leg Curl exercise.
For this you will lie on your back and place your feet on the ball hips extended.Now, push the ball out and then curl it in, and then drop down.Repeat the process – extend the hips, push the ball out, curl in, drop down.Be sure not to drop your hips when doing the leg curl as that is the biggest mistake people often make during the leg curl exercise.
For the second superset of Workout A you will start on the ground with a regular push-up coupled with the DB split squat.In this program you will see "Max-2" in place of the repetitions.This means you will perform 2 repetitions less than failure.For example, if you can normally do 30 push-ups, then you will only do 28.This ensures you aren't compromising your form.
For the regular push-up position, your hands are slightly wider than shoulder width apart, body in a straight line, abs braced, and then lower your chest down, pause for 1 second, and then back up.The pause down at the bottom will most likely cut a couple reps off your maximum.
Next, immediately move on to the split squat exercise where if you are a beginner, then using just your bodyweight is fine.Start by taking a slightly larger than normal step, drop your hips straight down, and then drive back up.Do all repetitions for one side and then switch to the other side.
For the final superset of Workout A you will pair inverted rows with mountain climbers. If you don’t have access to a bar for the inverted rows, then you will do DB Rear Deltoid Raises.
With the inverted rows you will take an overhand grip on the bar and proceed to row your chest up, focusing on driving the elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.By focusing on these areas as opposed to using your arms to pull your body up to the bar, you will help to ensure that most of the stress is in the upper back.
For the DB rear deltoid raise you will only need a light weight to really feel it in your shoulders.Start out by getting your hips back, keeping your lower back flat, and your dumbbells at arm's length. Next, bring your arms up, squeezing at the top, and then back down.
With the mountain climber, you will need to get into the push-up position, placing your hands just under your shoulders, and your body in a straight line with your abs braced.Next, bring your knee in and then out, alternating sides.
That's it for the first rebuilding workout of the Reconstruction program!But, feel free to add in some interval training along with some stretching following your workout to really ramp up the fat loss.
Got into Arlington, Texas on Thursday morning, had my "3rd breakfast" and then did a round of Convict Conditioning in my hotel room. This book isn't available, but it will be soon from www.DragonDoor.com.
It's got a cool story, and an addicting program. Yesterday's program involved regular pushups, squats, half back bridges, headstands, and some ab stuff.
It's kind of like the Bodyweight 500 Program, and the "challenge" aspect of a workout is what will keep you motivated to stick to the program.
You'll be hearing a lot more about it here, and it is giving me a lot of ideas for future programs. Anything to keep you guys motivated and sticking to your workouts.
Anyways, after some meetings we went out for dinner at a Texas Steakhouse where I preceded to commit blasphemy by not eating meat and instead having a big salad, a football sized baked potato, and a bowl of baked beans.
Then some mini-putt. Funny stuff. I suck at mini-putt.
This morning I got up and did some pulldowns and rows in the smallest hotel gym I ever used. It was teeny tiny. But still a good workout to start the day, followed by 1 apple, some oatmeal, 3 bananas, some almonds, and some raisins.
Last month I flew all the way to California just to have a nutrition expert yell at me!
But I asked for it.
I went out to Cali to meet with America's top vegetarian nutrition expert, Kardena Pauza, and she read me the riot act after looking at the vegetarian meal plan I had made for myself.
So now I'm eating according to her veggie meal plans, and things are going better.
And that's why you need to get the easy veggie meal plans that she's made for men and women.
I guarantee you'll feel so much better on her vegetarian diet than on any diet you could design for yourself.
So if you are struggling to change your body or have more energy or even to stop being hungry all the time, then isn't it time you got meal planning advice from a professional?
Don't try and do this yourself...get help now!
Let me know how you like the Vegetarian Lifestyle,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
PS - When you get your copy of the Meal Plans...
...you'll also be added to the VIP List where you'll get access to an extra 25% off the full Easy Veggie Meal Plans System when it is released on Monday, July 27th.
Kardena is practically giving away her full Meal Plans System for 72 hours, and as a VIP you'll get the lowest introductory price possible.
So don't wait any longer, get your 7-day sample veggie meal plans here and become a VIP on the Vegetarian Lifestyle:
"It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases." American Dietetic Association
If you want to stop eating meat and start transforming your body with an easy and simple to follow vegetarian meal plans, then I have great news for you!
My friend and personal nutrition coach, Kardena Pauza, is giving away a 7-day vegetarian meal plan for men and women.
This is one of the most important nutrition programs ever designed - not only will you change your body but following the Easy Veggie Meal Plans will give you more energy and could help extend your life.
Craig, I have read that excess protein can cause Kidney Stones. Evidently, this has occured in some people when they drink Protein Powders. Is there any truth to that?
I know that you don't endorse the use of protein supplements. Is this one of the reasons?
Answer: Good question!
I'm not a doctor, but the best site I've found with info on kidney stones is here:
Of the two people I know who have had kidney stones, neither was a big protein shake type of person.
I actually worked with this one guy who was passing a kidney stone in the office bathroom. He was banging the sides of the stall as hard as he could.
I can only imagine how much that must hurt...
On the other hand, I know of dozens of bodybuilders who take protein shakes like crack, and they don't have stones. And on top of that, a lot of those guys use steroids, diuretics, caffeine, and even binge drink, so to be honest I have no idea what you have to do to get kidney stones.
So no, the risk of getting kidney stones wasn't a factor in why I stopped drinking protein shakes.
The reasons I stopped drinking protein shakes are because...
a) They aren't needed b) They taste gross
Again, that site (linked above) should have the best info on stones, how to avoid them, and how to deal with them.
One of the many thing i never hope to experience in life is kidney stones!
But I do have a funny story about the other guy I know who had kidney stones...
This guy I know (a famous American internet marketer) had kidney stones and went to emergency room in extreme pain, but the nurse was being a jerk and she wouldn't admit him.
She told him wait.
But the pain was so excruciating, he called 911 while lying on the floor of the emergency waiting room!
The 911 people thought it was a joke, but they sent someone anyways, and forced the nurse to admit my friend for treatment.
I was almost in tears the way he told this story.
I think the doctor told him to cut back on coffee and diet coke, because my friend was drinking a lot of it.
So that's all I know about protein shakes and kidney stones,
Craig Ballantyne
PS - I am not a doctor and I did NOT stay at a Holiday Inn so do NOT take any of this information as medical advice.
If you think you have kidney stones, see a doctor!
Running late today so I only had 30 minutes to train.
1) Power Clean - 185x2x5
2A) Squats - 325x3x6 2B) Chinups - 3x10
My squats suck. I feel really weak in my low back...went to the chiropractor after for treatment on my calves, pec, traps, and low back.
He scolded me on my sitting posture which I admit is really bad sometimes.
So his treatment plus better posture should lead to less low back tightness and I should be able to improve my squat.
After my workout I had a banana and two slices of vegetarian pizza leftover from last nite. I went about 4 weeks on the vegan diet, but in the last two Sundays I've had cheese.
Stay strong,
Craig
PS - Check out the "magic secret to workout motivation" here:
I almost had a chocolate milk after training. I even walked into the store but turned around because the line-up was too long.
So I went somewhere else after my workout for a hippie smoothie, but more on that in a second...
First, the workout.
The gym was full of fools today, including the guy who was doing 7 plates aside on leg presses and lunges with 15 pound dumbbells.
Whatever buddy.
And then there the trainer who was letting his young client do barbell rows with a rounded back. Terrible. I don't even want to know how much that kid pays the guy for his bad advice.
Today's workout:
1) Deadlift - 385x3
2A) Military Press - 3x6 2B) Front Squat - 2x6
3A) Bodyweight Row - 3x25 3B) Back Extension - 2x12
I was thirsty after this workout, which is why I almost went for the chocolate milk...but I decided to hold off and try a cafe near home instead.
The place is called "Alternative Grounds" and I'd always dismissed it as a little hippie joint and when I went in I wasn't disappointed. It felt like that scene in Star Wars where they're in the bar with all those strange characters.
I felt like I landed on another planet. There were pictures of Che Guevara on the wall, and in the windows hung banners that said, "Fairness" and "Community".
But they made up for all the socialism with their capitalist prices. I spent $11 on a small vegetarian calzone and a smoothie (orange, mango, banana). And the smoothie was worth it.
Oh yeah, and one of the Korean powerlifters gave me a thumbs up today at the gym after my last set of deadlifts. He doesn't speak English, so that was pretty funny.
These tips won't make you the life of the party, but they will help you get more done and get more energy all day long this weekend. Perfect for busy folks with lots on the go...
If you find yourself tired on the weekends when you should have even more energy to do the things you love, here are my best tips to make sure you don't have a crash in your energy levels.
1) Go to bed and get up at the same time.
This sounds boring, but I guarantee you won't be tired during the day and you won't have trouble falling asleep on Sunday night.
2) Start your day with 30 minutes of fun activity.
It doesn't have to be a structured workout (you can save those for during the week), but getting up and getting moving will get you off to a high energy start to the say.
3) Avoid high-calorie, high-sugar brunch buffets.
If you want a surefire way to make you sleepy, then go load up on orange juice and pancakes. But if you have things to do all day long, then skip those foods and stick to an omelet filled with vegetables and drink Green Tea with your meal. Get the right fat loss meal plan for your lifestyle.
And when you finally meet up with your friends on the weekend, keep that energy going and stay active by going for a hike or bike ride, rather than sitting down in a pub or movie theater with high calorie foods.
You'll have more energy and lose fat with those tips!
Myth #1 - You Have to Do Hundreds of Crunches and Sit ups To Burn Fat and Get Flat Abs
If you rely on boring, back-breaking abdominal crunches and sit-ups to burn belly fat, you'll never lose the ugly belly fat covering your abs.
TIP: To work your abs hard, use total-body abdominal exercisesinstead, such as stability ball rollouts and stability ball jackknives.
Myth #2 - In Just Four Easy Payments of $29.99, You Can Buy a Miracle-Working Six Pack Ab Machine From a Late-Night informercial
Ha! I wish one of those abdominal exercise contraptions worked half as good as the so-called "experts" say, but infomercial gadgets don't burn belly fat or flatten your abs (they only burn your money and flatten your wallet!).
TIP: To get more fat burning results in less workout time, use fat burning interval training three times per week for 20 minutes.
Myth #3 - You Have to do Ab Workouts Everyday to Get Six Pack Abs Not true! In fact, one of the secrets of top fat loss trainers is to drop boring, repetitive ab exercises and replace them with total-body abdominal exercises you only need to do for a few minutes three times per week.
TIP: Use resistance in your ab exercises, such as cable crunches, using a weight that allows you to do 10-15 reps per set, and train your abs only twice per week.
2 bowls of oats with blueberries, almond milk and cashew butter
And last night we had a blast filming August TT workouts...there's a line in the Mini-Bodyweight Circuits program that I can't deliver without laughing. its our first TT bloopers real.
Also, we filmed the "TT Meatheads IV - Get Jacked and Lean" - an awesome program...coming August 1st!
Until then, you'll have to go with TT Reconstruction from www.TTmembers.com
I brought in the original strength training Renegade for a classic rant against protein - if you've ever wondered how much protein you need to gain muscle, here's the truth...
He's often imitated but never duplicated, let's hear from Jay Ferruggia about how much protein we really need to build muscle:
***************************** People always ask me how the heck they could possibly gain or even maintain muscle on a vegan diet.
That's because they have been brainwashed to believe that without eating a billion grams of protein per day their muscles will shrink faster than their wang in a cold pool.
This simply isn't true. Not even close.
The body can only assimilate so much protein on a daily basis and you can only build muscle so fast.
If protein were really the key to building muscle you would see tons of 250 pound behemoths every where you went.
They would be sitting next to you at the movies, serving you in restaurants and rubbing elbows with you in the waiting room of the dentists' office.
Because, let's face it, everyone and their mother drinks protein shakes these days. And if that's all it took to build muscle there would be a lot more huge dudes walking around.
I'm sure plenty of you have tried this before.
You decided to start drinking an extra protein shake or two per day in the hopes of packing on new size.
Or you decided to really jack up your protein intake by adding an extra three eggs to your morning omelet and another two chicken breasts to both lunch and dinner.
And what happened after a month or two of this?
Absolutely nothing.
But why would it?
After all, it's just protein.
It's not like you were taking steroids.
I only wish it were that easy.
But as we have all found out the hard (and expensive) way; it isn't.
Total calories are more important than grams of protein when it comes to packing on muscle.
Having said that I will point out that some protein is necessary for those that want to build lean muscle.
But this is far less than what the muscle mags and supplement companies would have you believe.
Most people will need about .7 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day to build muscle.
More than that doesn't seem to offer much benefit.
So a 180 pound guy looking to gain size would need about 126 grams of protein per day.
Now, you're telling me you can't get that on a vegan diet?
Lentils, beans and peas are loaded with protein.
Almonds and pistachios have 7 grams of protein per serving and both pumpkin and hemp seeds have 11 grams per serving.
People usually only count protein grams from animal sources but this is a huge mistake.
Vegetables have protein, brown rice has protein and even your morning bowl of oatmeal has about 10 grams per cup.
If you eat a decent amount of legumes, nuts, seeds and veggies on a regular basis you should be able to hit your protein mark, no problem.
If you can't, you can always add in a scoop or two of pea, hemp or brown rice protein powder.
After a recent shoulder surgery incapacitated me for a few months I had lost a ton of weight.
I gained almost thirty pounds back so far eating nothing but the foods I just mentioned.
This week at the gym I deadlifted 455 for 5.
Last night I did heavy military presses, chins, shrugs, face pulls and finished up with 20 Prowler sprints.
Some of the meat eating college kids were on the floor after 10 sprints, but at almost 35 years old, I just kept on sprinting away long after they had all fallen out.
I've had no trouble regaining size or strength on a vegan diet and have never felt better in my life.
Trust me; you don't need meat to succeed and you won't lose an ounce of size or strength if you decide to go vegetarian or even Vegan.
Are you on a vegan diet or vegetarian meal plan and looking to pack on some muscle? Have you been told that it's next to impossible on that type of diet? If so, then keep reading as you are about to discover 10 high protein vegan foods that you can easily incorporate into your diet that will help in your quest to gain muscle.
1) Ezekial cereal
This Almond flavoured cereal packs a lot of punch for a breakfast meal, coming in at 8 grams of protein per ½ cup of cereal. And we all know how easy it is to have more than a ½ cup. So rest assured that you are getting at least 8 grams of protein from the cereal alone.
2) Hemp Bliss
This drink might take some getting used to, but it goes well with the Ezekial cereal and tops up your protein consumption with 5 grams/cup on its own. With the two combined you are looking at 13 grams of protein for one meal.
3) Nature's Path organic unsweetened oatmeal
This packs a surprising 7 grams of protein per packet. Now, if you're looking to pack on muscle, then you are most likely consuming more than one of these packets at a time.
4) Nut Butters
Cashew butter, almond butter, macademia butter, you name it - these nut butters are all excellent sources of protein. Mix in a tablespoon of one of these butters into your oatmeal and you're looking at a high protein snack right there. The cashew butter alone weighs in at 5 grams of protein per 30 gram serving.
5) Multigrain Bread
This goes nicely with the nut butters with each slice offering 3 grams of protein. And if you're looking to gain muscle, then 2 slices just won't be enough for you, so you could potentially be looking at 12 grams or protein just from the bread. Factor in the 10 grams from the nut butter and you've got yourself a healthy dose of protein.
6) Quinoa and Quinoa Flakes
Quinoa has a nutty flavour to it and is also very easy and super quick to make, making it an ideal side dish for many meals. Add in the fact that the flakes have a whopping 15 grams of protein per 100 gram serving and you're not only getting a delicious meal, but one with a lot of protein as well.
7) Pasta
If you're going to eat pasta, then look for Spelt or Kamut noodles in particular. Spelt clocks in around 11 grams per 85 gram serving. It's always difficult to tell just how much pasta is on your plate, so you can bet that you're eating more than that 85 gram serving.
8) Beans
Black beans and kidney beans especially, are probably one of the biggest protein sources of everything I've mentioned thus far. Men's Health recently declared black beans to be the cheapest protein source per 10 grams at 13 cents. So go ahead and make a bean salad, or stew up a pot of chilli full of kidney beans.
9) Nuts
Almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, and pistachios in their raw form, are all excellent high protein snacks.
10) Wild Rice
At 4 grams of protein per ½ cup of dry rice, wild rice isn't only just a very healthy side dish, but one full of protein as well.
So there you have 10 delicious and vegan friendly foods that are sure to help pack on the muscle.
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
PS - Just say no to protein shakes. You do NOT need them!
People do a lot of stupid things at gyms. Today's transgressions were...
1) Wearing a winter hat (a toque) while training in a hot muggy gym. No one needs a winter hat while working out. You look like a fool. Take it off.
2) Rounding your back like "C" while deadlifting. Learn how to do it right or dont do it. And thanks for the leaving the plates on the bar when you were done. Classy.
3) Filling your 2 liter water bottle from the fountain while 8 people stand behind you at the only water fountain in the gym.
Questionable behavior.
Anyways, my workout...
1) Deadlift - 375x3
2A) Deadlift for reps - 315x8, 225x12 2B) Military Press - 3x6
3A) Front Squat - 2x6 3B) Back Extension 3C) Hanging Knee Raise
That's it.
I also started reading an interesting book called "Convict Conditioning".
Should learn a few new bodyweight tricks with this one,
Here's a picture of my dog going crazy and trying to save me from the foam roller. I have no idea why he gets so excited about that thing, but he's terrified of it and trys to save me from it every time I use it. And by saving me, I mean jumping on me and licking my face. What a little stinker.
No workout today. Slept an extra half-hour. Feeling 90% recoverd from the sore throat. Barely notice it anymore.
Deadlifting tomorrow.
I did have a big boy salad today though...because it was eaten out of a big boy bowl.
Spinach, broccoli, red onion, mushrooms, avocado, cooked black beans, salsa
And now a little TT q'n'a for you:
Common question #1: I can't do single-leg squats. What exercises can I replace them with?
Answer: Great question.
You can use any single-leg exercise in place, such as (listed in order of least difficult to most):
a) Lying 1-leg hip extensions b) Step-ups c) Split Squats d) Reverse Lunges e) Forward Lunges f) Bulgarian Split Squats
Common Question #2: Why do you have interval training after resistance training? Is it okay to do them before lifting?
Answer: Another great question.
If you want to do intervals first, you can, but just be conservative and don't expect to lift the same amount of weight or do the same number of reps as you would do if you left intervals till the end. Most people I train are weak, so we focus on strength first.
Let me know if you have any questions,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
PS - Did you watch the free Turbulence Training Seminar Videos yet?
Still not convinced? Take a look at these 5 reasons you need to get these meal plans today:
1) They are only available at the 50% off price until Friday night. If you wait till next Monday, you'll have to pay $97, not $47.
2) The meal plans are DONE for YOU. You don't have to think or stress. All you need to do is shop and eat. And hey, even I can do that!
3) They will save you time. The grocery list is done for you. The planning is done for you. It will save you at least 2 hours per week, and you can't put a price on that.
4) The meal plans are full of variety. Don't be silly like me and Bally the Dog who are always eating the same foods for every meal. If you want to lose fat on a diet that is delicious with loads of variety, these meal plans are perfect.
5) The results are guaranteed and backed by a 60-day money back plan. If you don't agree these are the best fat burning meal plans, just let them know and they'll give you your money back within 60 days.
BONUS REASON No offense, but you're not a nutrition professional. And even if you are, a good professional knows that even they need professional help too!
After all, that's why I'm getting nutrition consulting from a coach on my new vegetarian diet. So everyone needs help. And when the meal plans are done for you like this, you can't go wrong.
I look forward to hearing about your success,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
PS - Did I mention they are only on sale at 50% off until Friday?
So get these today before you take off for the holiday weekend, and get set to lose fat with the perfect meal plan next week.
Go here to get started with your fat loss meal plans:
"Hey Craig! Just wanted to let you know that I'm almost done the 1600 cal 7-day eating plan and have lost 5 lbs! I'm thrilled that I've finally managed to get going on my 20lb weight loss program, and it's also given me ideas on how to proceed without feeling like I'm 'on a diet'. Of course your training and daily emails and messages have helped tremendously too." Rosanne Foy
