Vegan Diet and Abs Workout Update

This week I have a TT for Abs workout program and vegan diet update for you, plus...

 

- A radical tip to eat less chocolate
- 3 Turbulence Training for Abs workouts
- How I'm celebrating a crazy new "nutrition" month
- Research review: Cardio vs Soccer - Surprising results!

- Ronaldo's abs

- A link to my 200+ videos on Youtube
- The Pumpkin Workout video - I promise it will surprise you
- My simple meal plan tips to transform your body
- The truth about how often to check the scale

 

Click here to get the workout and ab nutrition tips

 

To your success,

 

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS 
 

PS - Have you checked out the complete TT for Abs home workouts?

 

You'll be amazed at what you can do without crunches or situps.

 

Click here for TT for Abs

 

PPS - And don't miss my crazy new nutrition plans for November!

New Diet and Workout Update

Tomorrow, November 1st, I'm going to be switching up the diet...more info about today's workout report.

Usually I like to do this workout on Friday, but yesterday was a travel day, so I went in at 10am today.

1) Deadlift - 3x6

2A) Bench Press - 3x10
2B) Deadlift - 2x10 (crash sets, as recommended by Vince Del Monte)

3A) 1 and 1/2 rep pushups - 2x10
3B) BB Row - 2x12

4A) Plank
4B) Barbell Curl

Pretty good. Short workout, about 40 minutes.

Also did 2 big dog walks through High Park.

Now for the diet...this is a bit ridiculous - in my opinion - but apparently November 1st is World Vegan Day and November is World Vegan Month.

Why is this ridiculous?

Because October was World Vegetarian Month.

Personally, I think they should have spread it out a bit.

Anyways, I'm going to go for it and stick to a Vegan diet for November. Vegetarian is easy, as long as you have eggs, chocolate milk, and cheese in your diet, it's fairly easy to get enough calories and to avoid boredom

A vegan diet is tougher...I tried for about 2 weeks this summer and found it hard to eat enough. Of course, that just means I have to work harder and make more preparations.

And I might also do something radical - I might start drinking vegan protein shakes. We'll see. There are plenty of options, with Sun Warrior protein being the top recommended product by Jay Ferruggia - a vegan muscle building expert.

So, should be an interesting month...and hey, if you want one trick to help you avoid eating Halloween chocolate, going vegan will solve that problem pretty quick.

I'll be sure to keep you up to date on all the meals, trials and tribulations, and successes,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, The Lazy Man's Guide to Vegetarian Eating   

Fat loss, diet, and workout tips from the road

Just finishing up my trip to Florida...and I learned a few nutrition and exercise tips along the way.

For workouts, my friends Vince Del Monte - muscle building expert and John Romaniello - fat loss expert suggested a killer single-leg bodyweight "bodybuilding" exercise

=> 1 1/2 rep bulgarian split squats - this exercise gives pistol squats a challenge. Anyone have anything better?

And for nutrition, to see all my vegetarian eating on the road - even at steakhouses - check out this guest blog post:

=> Vegetarian Diet on the Road

When getting started on a nutrition program, monitor everything you eat for 3-5 days.

Find out what works best for you. Find out how you respond to specific foods. Find out what makes you sleepy and gives you energy. Find out what fills you up and makes you hungry.

Then do more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

To your success,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

4 Fat Burning Exercises

Not all exercises are created equal and in this workout you will discover just which 4 exercises must be included in any workout in which you want to burn fat fast.

 

 

Below are 4 simple exercises to follow along with one additional superset that you may choose to include if you want a little more burn in your workout.

The first superset will start with a dumbbell split squat. Get into your split squat stance and drop your hips straight down and drive off your lead leg to come back up. This is really going to work your glute, hamstring and quadricep of your lead leg. This will work your lower body hot zone and a little bit of your upper back as well. Do all reps on one side and immediately switch to the other side.

Move immediately into a pushup with your hands on a stability ball. This will work your pressing muscles in your chest, but also your abdominals to keep you in a straight line.

Rest 1 minute and repeat that superset 2 more times.

In this second superset, you're going to work your upper back and your abdominals directly. The first exercise is a dumbbell chest supported row on the bench. Put the bench in an incline position and lean with your chest on the bench. Grab your dumbbells and row them up, making sure you are squeezing your shoulder blades together. This will really isolate your upper back.

The next exercise is a cross body mountain climber. Get into a pushup position and pull your knee up into your opposite elbow while keeping your abs braced, alternating sides. These are very similar to a regular mountain climber, but you will get some diagonal movements which will really target your obliques.

Rest 1 minute and repeat this superset 2 more times.

In this particular workout, the 2 previous supersets are the only mandatory ones. Seems rather easy, yet this is all you need for the strength training portion of the workout because you have hit your 4 hot zones. It's a really efficient program.

If you have time, however, you can move onto the optional superset.

We're going to go a little outside the hot zone muscle groups for the first exercise. This is a 1-arm dumbbell standing shoulder press. This really works your abdominals and your shoulders as well. Place your hand at your side to brace your abs and press up with your other arm. Finish all reps and repeat on the other side.

Move immediately into a stability ball jackknife plank on the bench. You aren't going to be doing any movement here; you will just hold the plank position with your elbows on the bench and your feet on the ball.

 

If you want to make this harder, position your feet so only your toes are on the ball. If you need to make it easier, position your feet so the laces of your shoes are on the ball. Brace your abs and hold this for 1 minute. If you can't hold for the full minute, just go as long as you comfortably and safely can.

Rest 1 minute and repeat this superset 2 more times if you have enough time.

You can now finish your fat loss workouts off with an interval training session and that's it for a powerfully, highly efficient fat burning workout.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

Hittin' the pool in Tampa

Started the day with an hour walk around Tampa...hot and muggy down here. Bally the Dog would need a lot of water breaks...this doesn't seem like a good place for him.

After lunch I did a modified No-Nonsense Meatheads workout in a condominium gym equipped with a double cable stack and dumbbells up to 50 pounds.

1A) Pullups
1B) DB Bulgarian Split Squat

2A) 1-Arm Cable Row
2B) 1-Arm Standing DB Shoulder Press

3A) DB Curls 
3B) Lying DB Triceps Extension
3C) DB Rear Deltoid Raise
3D) Cable Abs

Then I hit the pool. Perfect weather for that...maybe B the D would like it down here,

craig

Hot Zone Workout

You can download the Turbulence Training Hot Zone workout here . It's one of my favorite fast workouts, using only four exercises per session to hit the 4 fat burning "hot zones" of the body.

Recommendations

Hey, in a meeting all day today, but I want to give you a few recommendations I've posted on my facebook page...

1) The AAA Abs Program

Abs workout to start your week...if you need a program for 4-weeks, try this one
=> AAA Abs Workout

2) The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises

I recommend grabbing this book...full of workouts, including some from me...
=> The MH Big Book of Exercises

3) Crush It

Just finished Gary Vaynerchuks book, "Crush It". get it. Big lesson, "Passion is contagious." Buy it for anyone you care about who is looking for a better job/way to make a living.

4) FREE Meal Plans

I'm hanging out with Isabel De Los Rios today...she's the nutrition expert who put together these free meal plans for you
=> Click here for Isabel's meal plans

5) Your recommendation?

And finally, for TT users, what's your favorite Turbulence Training workout? And what type of workout would you like to see next?

Just post in the comments below, please and thank you.

Thanks!

Craig

Benihana, Fettuccine Alfredo, and Cheat Your Way Thin

Wow, I just had an amazing workout at a Powerhouse Gym down here in Tampa, Florida, and I wanted to let you know that I'm sticking to the Vegetarian Lifestyle and my new "No Nonsense" Meathead workouts while traveling.

Last week I did 3 workouts in 4 days so that I could have the weekend off for my seminar. On Saturday night, when everything
finished, a big group of us went out for dinner at Benihana's.

If you know this restaurant, it's the one where you sit around a big metal slab that the chef cooks on in front of you.

I ordered the "Garden Delight" with a side of brown rice. And yes, it came with tofu. Normally I don't eat tofu, but it was a pretty good meal - everyone else around me ordered steak and lobster.

On Sunday, I did some light exercise, stretching, and some swimming, and then at night went out to dinner at a Carrabba's restaurant for a big reward meal.

I feasted on fettuccine alfredo and a chocolate brownie dessert, plus a glass of wine. I was very full as I watched the Yankees' game until midnight.
 

Now I know that doesn't sound like proper TT behavior, and it's not, but here's my excuse...

 

I was dining out with "Cheat Your Way Thin" author, Joel Marion, and we were discussing his program and working on our presentations for his seminar in January.

 

So let's just say I was "doing research"!

 

But that meal powered my great workout at the Powerhouse gym. I did power cleans, squats, db presses, and pullups.

You can follow my complete workouts and nutrition program in my workout journal in the TT Member's area.

And you'll get 3 months free in the TT Member's area when you try Turbulence Training for 21 days for less than 5 bucks.

 

Click here to try Turbulence Training

 

You'll also be able to track my muscle building progress on this new "No Nonsense Meatheads" program that I put together with the help of my friend, Vince Del Monte.

Plus, you'll also get ONE NEW BONUS that I just added..."The Lazy Man's Guide to Vegetarian Eating".

If you've ever wondered what it is like getting started on a vegetarian diet, you'll get my 55-day journal of every meal and snack that I ate while trying to go meatless.

In fact, I also gave up all processed foods and added sugar for the first 30 days, so you can see how I overcame diet boredom while even eating a vegan diet for 2-3 weeks.

Pretty interesting stuff.

That's another bonus you get in the TT Member's area.

And once you enter the member's area, please make sure to visit the workout journal forum and start recording your own training sessions and nutrition program so that we can watch your success.

 

Click here to try Turbulence Training and to get the benefits of being a TT Member

See you on the forums,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training Review 
Author, Lazy Man's Guide to Vegetarian Eating

No Nonsense Powerhouse Workout

On Sunday I drove from Orlando to Tampa...and went from all-nonsense Mickey Mouse to No Nonsense workouts.

Actually, last night's dinner was all nonsense too. Went to a Carrrabbas Italian restaurant and had bread, fettucini alfredo, a beer, a glass of wine, and a chocolate dessert. Then I stayed up and watched the Yankee's game while reading Gary Vaynerchuk's book, Crush It.

Then today I trained at Powerhouse Gym with Joel Marion from www.TransformationDomination.com/live. Joel's having a seminar in Tampa in January, so we are down here working on the details.

Today's workout went like this...

1) Power Clean

2A) Barbell Squat
2B) DB Incline Press

3A) Barbell Romanian Deadlift
3B) Plank with Elbows on the Ball

4A) Pullups
4B) TRX Pushups

Felt strong. Went well. Good times.

Now back to work on a few new TT programs,

Craig

PS - Don't miss...

The Truth About Doing Less and Losing More Fat  

1 surprising secret about body transformations

The other week a new TT member named "Kari" started on the TT forum, and like many folks, she was very skeptical that cutting back on her workout time would give her the results she wanted.

After all, she was stuck at a plateau for a long time - even though she was exercising hours and hours each week.

In fact, she was so skeptical that she "called me out" on the forum and told me she just didn't think it was possible.

Here's what she wrote after her first workout...

"so today i finally kick off my TT (buff dudes and hot chicks). I'm so used to doing traditional bodybuilding splits that this didn't feel like i did enough work per muscle group. I lifted as heavy as i could for the amount of reps specified but i'm so used to doing isolation exercises that this was hard. Did anyone else feel this way when they started. Other then that it was a great workout and the cardio intervals kicked my butt!"

After a few TT Members re-assured her that she was doing TT right, we then got these amazing new updates every week from Kari...

"ok, so for the past year i have been stuck at 120#. This was my first week on TT and i lost one pound! I know its not much but its past my plateau and this was after my carb loaded cheat meal!!!! I'm excited. Hopefully i will get to 115# without working out so much"

And then the next week...

"down another 1.5lbs this week!!!! I posted last week about doing steady state b/c i was getting the itch again that more cardio is better. Well i held to no steady state and have stuck with just
doing TT on mon,wed,fri and then on tues/thurs doing yoga. I can't believe that i'm losing weight by working out less! my diet is the same as it was before. thank you so much for developing this system!"

And finally, just yesterday she wrote...

"down another pound this week. I'm now at 116! One more pound and i've reached my goal and i've done this from doing LESS! Completely blows my mind!"

*****************************
How cool is that?!

I get so excited when I hear these success stories...because I now know that another TT member has discovered the one shocking secret to success that most "Cardio folks" at the gym never learn, and that is...

"The LESS you do, the MORE you LOSE!"

It goes against everything you were ever taught in running circles, at the gym, or in your favorite fitness rag, but it is the TRUTH!

Transforming your body is all about quality training and whole, natural food nutrition.

Plus, to keep your progress going, I want to make sure you have the same workouts and support as Kari.

=> Click here for the TT Workouts & 3 months access in the TT Member's area

Helping you get more results with less work,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

Free Workouts for Men and Women

I have a couple of bonus workouts for you today...

 

Click here for the free workouts for men and women

 

And you'll also discover...

 

- The Turbulence Training Theme Song

- The truth about training with a partner

- A new comparison of resistance training and cardio

- One ab exercise that is bad for your back that you must avoid

 

And much, much more!

 

To your success,

Craig 

 

PS - Hey, let's be friends...

 

And join me on Facebook here:

 

Click here to join the Turbulence Training Facebook Fanpage

 

I'll be adding lots of cool new fat loss workouts and tips to the fanpage.

Workout Warm-Up

Your workout warm-up...can be used for almost any workouts...nice total body preparation...

Hot Zone Fat Burning Workout

3rd No Nonsense Workout

Went out for dinner last night in Toronto at a restaurant called Splendido...we had 12 boisterous folks from all over (Kentucky, Turkey, Tunisia, Boston, Austin, Vancouver, and Toronto) all squished in around a table meant for 8. It was good times.

I had their Autumn salad to start followed by a pasta dish with two kinds of mushrooms.

I also finished up my 3rd No-Nonsense muscle building workout (designed with the help of Vince Del Monte) before heading down to Orlando...where I'm getting ready for a seminar followed by a few days consulting with nutrition expert Joel Marion over in Tampa. Should be interesting.

The 3rd workout was also good times and went like this...

1) Vertical Jumps - 4 sets

2A) Deadlifts - 3x6
2B) Military Press - 3x6

3A) Good Morning - 3x10
3B) DB curls - 3x10-12

I also finished a great book on the plane..."Emergency" by Neil Strauss. I highly recommend it.

Craig

 

Bodyweight!

30 Minute Lifting Workout

Surprisingly, this workout only needed about 30 minutes (maybe 33 at the most).

1A) BB Row - 3x10
1B) Bench - 3x10

2A) BB Lunge - 3x12
2B) DB 1-Arm Shoulder Press - 3x10

3) Pullup with Knee-up - 1 set

4A) DB Triceps Extension - 2x12
4B) Stability Ball Rollout - 2x15

Good times.

I'm off to Orlando tomorrow for a seminar, and then Tampa for a few days after that, so I'll be looking for a good gym for some serious workouts next week.

This new program is rocking so far,

Craig

Abdominal Exercises & Informercial Gadgets

Review of Ab Exercise Infomercial Gadgets

Believe it or not, one of my favorite ab exercises includes one of those cheap infomercial gadgets, "the ab wheel". You can pick oneup at Walmart for under 20 bucks, and it works your abs hard without crunches.

But do other ab gadgets hold up?

Researchers (from the Mayo Clinic, of all places) tested the"Ab-Slide" device and compared it to the ab crunch, the supine double leg thrust (seated knee tuck-in), and side plank.

Reference:
J Strength Cond Res. 2008 Nov;22(6):1939-46.

Ten young men and twelve young women did all the exercises.

Tests showed that the Ab-Slide, a contraption fairly similar to the Ab Wheel, worked the abs the hardest.

On the other hand, the seated knee tuck-in required a lot of hip flexion, and the doctors believed it could cause BACK PROBLEMS in people prone to low back injury.

Personally, I'm going to stick with the Ab Wheel, but as usual, I'm going to keep crunches out of my program, and add the Seated Knee Tuck-in to my list of ab exercises to avoid.

Not only are crunches and knee tuck-ins hard on your low back, they are also useless for helping you get a flat stomach. Instead, stick to interval training and research proven ab exercises if you want to transform your body.

To do the ab wheel exercise, kneel on a mat with your hands on the ab wheel. Keep your body in a straight line, brace your abs, and keep your low back
tensed. Slowly roll out as far as is comfortable. Keep your abs braced, and contract them maximally to come back up to the start. That's a great ab exercise.

If you don't have an ab wheel, you can use a stability ball for a similar exercise. Kneel on a mat and place your clasped hands on the top of a medium
sized ball.

Brace your abs and slowly lean forward and roll your hands over the ball while the ball moves away from your body. Keep your body in a straight line and go as far as you can with perfect form.

Contract your abs and reverse the motion to return to the upright position.

And to do the side plank, Lie on a mat on your right side. Support your bodyweight with your knees and on your right elbow. Raise your body in a straight line so that your body hovers over the mat.

Keep your back straight and your hips up. Hold your abs tight. Contract them as if someone was about to punch you in the stomach, but breath normally.

Hold this position for the recommended amount of time. Switch sides.

All of those exercises are powerful, non-traditional ab exercises that will help you get more results in less time, plus they are safe for your back. Avoid crunches and stick to those exercises to work your abs.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, M.Sc.
Author, TT for Abs

The Unbeatable Man

Well, it was a bit of an uneventful trip to Vegas on the weekend - with the exception of "The Unbeatable Man". 

After seeing a guy from Metallica at my hotel in Miami, and then seeing Chuck Lidell in the San Antonio airport last weekend, I
figured I would see someone famous in Las Vegas.

But nope, nothing doing.

Instead, it was low-key, and I was up early each morning doing bodyweight exercises in my hotel room.

Lots of mobility work for my hips and stretching, along with pushups and plank exercises for my upper body and abs. Great way to start the day, even when you're in Vegas.

But despite me not running into any celebrities along the way, I did "meet" the Unbeatable Man on the flight to Vegas.

The Unbeatable Man is a book written by my friend and bodyweight exercise innovator Matt Furey.

=> http://www.TheUnbeatableMan.com

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect from the book when I ordered, but being a reader of Matt's emails for years, I knew it would be good.

And it turned out the book was absolutely NOTHING like I expected (including the ending which wasn't one of those Disney storybook endings).

If you're struggling with anything in life these days, I highly recommend you get this book.

=> http://TheUnbeatableMan.com/

This book is a real "pump up" book and will get you fired up to train hard.

I'm using it for motivation as I start a new high-volume strength training program designed by my buddy, Vince Del Monte.

More on that workout soon,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training  
 

No Nonsense Muscle Building

Every coach needs a coach too, so I decided to stir things up in my latest workout program and get my cardio nemesis, Vince Del Monte to help me put together my latest program. In fact, it's a modified workout from his No Nonsense Muscle Building program.

Vince challenged me to use a little more volume in the workout and to move through my sets faster...overall this might lead to using a little less weight but I was surprised how much I got done at near normal weights...I did all of this in about 47 minutes, resting as little as possible between exercises.

Workout went like this...

1) Power Clean - 3x5

2A) Squat - 2x5, 2x8
2B) DB Incline Press - 3x10

3A) BB RDL - 3x8-12
3B) Plank & Side Plank - 3 sets each

4) Narrow Grip Seated Row - 3x12

5) Chin-ups - 2xMax

This program is 3x's per week.

My weight to start the program was a lowly 179, because unlike most people, I actually lose weight when I travel, and I've been traveling 3 weeks in a row (with 4 more weeks of travel coming up).

I'll be using Vince's programs until December.

I really should be training with a partner on this program, but I can't find anyone to train with on my schedule. After all, recent research (reported in "The Economist" of all places) shows, "...that if you train with others, you can endure more pain. Just one of the reasons the right training partners and training environment are crucial for success.'

Fortunately, I train in a dungeon at the same time as a lot of bodybuilder and hard training steroid freaks, so its a good environment (even though the music is super lame).

Today's workout was an 8/10. I needed to push harder on the power cleans, RDL's, and rowing.

Now to focus on eating.

No nonsense for 8 weeks,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

PS - I just posted a strong opinion on...

...basic "combo" type exercises on the TT Fan Page

=> Click here to see what I think of "combo" exercises

Stick to the basics for maximum results.

3rd TT Success Story of the Month

Recently we heard from Janine about her success with the TT for Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks, and today we here from Janene who is 3 weeks into Turbulence Training...and loving it.

So we give out another 1-Year Platinum TT Membership - this time to Janene. And you can win a 1-Year Platinum Membership too, just submit your success story to:

INFO (AT) TurbulenceTraining.com

***********************
"I decided to try TT because I've exhausted every possible option that has to do with diet and exercise in the world (probably).  

I'm 45, 5 4" and 140# and in ok shape. I've been a gym member since I was 24. Seems the older I get the harder it has been for me to get rid of the 10-
15 pounds that I've gained over the past oh 3 years or so.    

So I purchased the Turbulence Training for a few reasons to try something new (once again) for the fiftieth time, to try to loose the extra pounds, get much more toned and finally see if I could actually benefit from something new.  

Well as I said I'm only three weeks in and I wasn't really sure if things were changing, I mean my clothes still fit they're not baggy or anything, I have noticed that my butt is much firmer, my stomach is getting flatter and my arms are looking toned.  

The reality that it IS working for me happened yesterday after a sweaty wonderful quick 40 minute TT training workout at the Gym.  

First let me explain quickly that there is a woman at my gym who has been in many competitions, has been on the cover of a local paper for an add done on Women Body builders and is a personal trainer at my gym.  

Anyway while I was working out and almost at the end of my workout and doing push ups dripping sweat on the floor, I felt someone looking at me and maybe
watching me.  

Yep it what her as she was training a client.  

Anyway I left the gym and went to Nob Hill to get stuff for salad.  As I was standing in the check out line I heard a voice behind me say "well you look familiar" I turned around and it was you know who.  

We said hello's and introduced ourselves.  She asked how my workouts have been going, my response was that I've just started TT, and that I like it so far it's quick, and I get a really great workout.  

She continued on and asked about it more and wanted to know where I heard about it etc.  

In that whole conversation the thing that she said to me that made me feel so great, was " I can see that it's working for you" as she looked at my arms and my body.  

WOW!  

Now I'm pumped to finish the 12 weeks to see where I end up.  And I know she's going to be looking into Turbulence Training for sure. Until 12 weeks is up this is it for now."
Janene
***********************

Congrats Janene. Looking forward to your continued success with Turbulence Training!

Craig

Burning 1000 Calories & Voting for the TT Theme Song

Have you ever wondered how many calories you can burn in an hour?

 

Recently I've been reading a lot of "claims" from people who say they are burning 1000 calories per hour.

 

Well, I'm skeptical, so I went to my friend Dr. Stuart Phillips, and here's what he had to say...

 

=> Click here to read Dr. Stu's answer on burning 1000 calories

 

You'll also discover

 

- 3 advanced hotel room bodyweight circuits

- 5 nutrition rules to transform your body

- How to do interval training in a hotel room

- A 5 exercise bodyweight circuit

- A cool website to help you stickk to your goals

- A new contest - Vote for the Turbulence Training Theme Song!

 

NOTE: If your TT Theme Song suggestion is chosen, you'll win a 1-Year Platinum Turbulence Training Membership.

 

(Entries must be in by Monday, October 19th, 2009 at at 9pm, EST)

 

All that and more in this week's 7-day, 1000-calorie burning, coaching call!

 

=> Click here to suggest a TT Theme Song

 

Train hard but safe,

 

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

Deadlift Workout and Off to Vegas

I'm on a roll with seeing famous people on my little trips...

In Miami - I saw a guy from Metallica at the hotel pool
In San Antonio - Chuck "The Iceman" Lidell sat across from me in the airport
And this weekend in Vegas...What famous person will I run into?

Does Vince Del Monte count?

I'm heading out to Vegas tonight to meet up with Vince, Bedros Keuilian, and Chris McCombs among other people...only going till Saturday night though, since I want to be back to chill out on Sunday.

Got in a great workout before I left...

1) Deadlift

2A) Military Press
2B) Pullups

3A) Overhead Barbell Lunge
3B) Plank
3C) Side Plank

Back with a new workout on Monday,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

PS - I just posted a new TT Meathead workout program...

...on the TT Facebook Fan Page.

Click here to become a fan of Turbulence Training

Winners of the TT Complete Package

Wow, I'm overwhelmed, and want to thank everyone so much for sharing their entries to win a copy of the Turbulence Training Complete Package.

It was an emotional roller-coaster ride reading all of those entries, but after 2 hours I've narrowed it down to 5 winners and runner ups.

By the way, since I'm giving out 5 copies of the package, plus giving one copy to my Mom and one to an old friend, that means there are only 43 copies available. Sorry!

Our Grand Prize Winners of the 5 TT Complete Packages are:

Michael Pace
Jules
Dee
Melody
Jan Ishimine

And our Runner Up Winners of a 1-Year Platinum TT Membership are:
Brother Dave
Erika Smith
Joe Kirshner
Patricia Andrews
Wendy "grrrl"
Gabriella
Mark G.
"Reunion" Steve
Angel
Sheila  Walker
Cindy Michael
"Daisy" Joyce
Liz

Congrats to everyone…let's hear from our winners!

Click here to read the winning entries!

New Pushups to Add Variety to Your Program

I'm going to share with you what I call the evolution of pushups, giving you several different pushups starting with the easiest to the hardest.

You can add these to your workout program and build a great upper body and a flat stomach without having to use a lot of equipment or go the gym to get these done. You can do these with just a stability ball and a bench, and that's it!

An Easy Starter Pushup

We're going to start with the first pushup which is generally the easiest.

You will do a pushup on the stability ball. For the easiest version, you will bring the ball closer to your knees so you are just supporting a bit of your bodyweight.

If that is too easy, you can make it harder by positioning the ball back farther and balancing your toes on it. This will force you to hold the ball in place which will make it harder. This will make your abs work harder.

The classic pushup is next.

You will take a slightly wider than shoulder width position with your hands, keeping your body in a straight line. You can make this harder by holding it half way down or holding it at the bottom or on the way up. Your abdominals are going to work hard during pushups because you have to keep your body in a straight line.

Next up is a close grip pushup.

You want to position your hands shoulder width apart and tuck your elbows close into your sides. That way you will work your triceps. Keep your body in a straight line, making sure to keep your elbows tucked in. With any pushup, you can make it harder by simply going slower on the way down.

Pushups That Work Your Abs

Offset or staggered stance pushups are next.

That will help you to work your torso better than regular pushups. This will work your serratus anterior muscles which come down like fingers across your ribs. One hand is out slightly in front of the other. You can walk forward with each repetition which will also work your abdominals more.

With elevated pushups, you'll need something about 4-6 inches off of the floor. One hand will be elevated and the other on the floor. Again, like the
offset pushups, these will work your serratus anterior muscles.

T-pushups are also a great way to work your abdominal muscles.

You will do a classic pushup down and when you come back up, you will rotate up into the "T" position, alternating sides.

Hard Pushups

Decline pushups are going to work your upper chest and shoulders a little more. Put your feet up on the bench and lower down into a pushup. You can
control how difficult these are by slowing it down or by adding the close grip version by bringing your hands closer together and keeping your elbows
tucked into your sides.

Spiderman pushups are next. Slowly lower down and at the same time bring your knee out to the side and up to your elbow, alternating sides. These are
great for you abs. If you can do 12 on each side, you are doing great for your pushups.

You can combine some of these pushups by doing a decline and Spiderman pushup at the same time. Put your feet up on the bench and as you lower your
body down, keep your knee out to the side as you bring it down to your elbow.

Use Those Pushups For Variety In Your Workouts

That is the evolution of pushups from easy to hardest. There are many different types and variations to do and a lot of them are focusing on your
abdominals and obviously your chest, shoulders & triceps. Your lats will even feel these if you do a lot of pushups.

You will definitely get a total upper body workout just by choosing different pushup variations and will add variety to your fat loss workouts.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

Squat Workout & TT Complete Package

The response to the Turbulence Training Complete Package Fat Loss DVD blog contest has been overwhelming. In less than 16 hours we've had over 379 entries, and it's going to be tough to pick out the winners, but I'm really looking forward to going over them tomorrow night.

It's going to be very inspiring, and I want to thank you for sharing your entry.

In the meantime, today was another good workout.

1) Jumps 4x6

2) Overhead Squat - 3x5

3A) Squat - 3x5, 1x10
3B) Chin-up with Knee-up - 3x12

4A) DB Triceps Extension
4B) Cable Abs

I'll go back in the gym on Thursday and then I fly to Vegas for a quick 60 hour trip on Thursday night.

Craig

PS - Want some new "No crunch" ab exercises?

Then check out what you can do with a kettlebell...

=> Kettlebell Ab Exercises

Win Turbulence Training DVD's

Nothing beats training with me in person, but the next big thing is having your copy of the Turbulence Training Complete Package.

And great news...

...Today is your one and only chance to win one of 3 copies of the Turbulence Training Complete Package.

All you have to do is answer this one question on my blog:

"How would having the Turbulence Training Complete Package help you finally achieve your fitness and fat loss goals?"

=> Click here to win the big TT complete package

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Creator, The Turbulence Training Complete Package

PS - Hurry!

You only have until Wednesday at 6pm to enter.

=> Click here to win the big TT complete package

Good luck!

Thanksgiving Monday Workout

 I've been off from weights since last Wednesday so it was good to get back to the gym...today I went in a couple of hours early because of the holiday. Gym was packed, but here's what I did...

1) Hang Clean - 2x5

2A) Bench - 2x6
2B) Shrug - 3x8

3A) Seated Row - 4x12
3B) DB Incline - 2x6-8
3C) Plank - 90 seconds
3D) Side Plank - 45 seconds

Now time for a dog walk,

craig

PS - Each day I read one of the 100 Kekich Credo's and today's was...

Kekich Credo #81. The best way to get started is to get started. Life rewards action…not reaction. Wait for nothing. Attack life. Don't plan to death or ask for permission…but act now…and apologize later.

Bodyweight Workout & My "Arnold" Impression

Here's my Mini Bodyweight Workout A...great program.

And a bit of a blooper that makes me sound like Ahnold.

Cardio Fails - Find out what is 18x's better

One of the most common questions I get is, "Why do you say NO to cardio?"

 

The answer is in one of the research studies I cover in this week's body transformation coaching secrets.

 

Click here to discover the truth about cardio

 

You'll also discover...

 

- The #1 thing you must change to lose fat

- How to workout in a hotel room with NO equipment

- Why you need to avoid the "Cardio Confessional"

- A study about high-protein and high-carbohydrate meal plans

- Why nutrition might be 18 times better than exercise
- My favorite hotel room interval workouts

 

And much much more.

 

Helping you get more results in less time,

 

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

 

PS - My anti-cardio stance gets a lot of hate mail...

 

...and I understand why. 

 

So many people have dedicated hours, months, and even years to cardio hoping it will transform their body...only to be disappointed.

 

But there is a better way to exercise, and better ways to transform your body. Find out how on the blog here:

 

=> Click here for a plan that is better than cardio

Let me know about your success when you finally say NO to cardio.

Abdominal exercise research

On my other blog, I discuss a recent research study that compared abdominal exercises to determine which was best at working various parts of your abs.

You'll find a few of those exercises in this video of my favorite ab movements...

Evolution of Pullups

Time for the Evolution of Pullups video, since I did pull-ups in my workout today.

But first, "our stupid trainer trick of the day", I watched a female trainer have her client do triceps pressdowns and lat pulldowns and THEN had her try and do a chin-up.

Of course, the client was too fatigued to do it.

"Brilliant" programming. And then the trainer followed it up with the comment, "Chin-ups are impossible."

Uh, yeah.

Anyways, here's today's workout...

1) Deadlifts

2A) Military Press
2B) Pullups

3A) Overhead Lunge
3B) Plank
3C) Side Plank

Alright, if you need help doing pullups, here's the evolution...



Of course, if you have a lot of body fat then the most effective thing you can do to get better at pullups is simply to lose fat. And that of course is a job for diet and Turbulence Training.

Do the evolution,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

Evolution Of Pushups

Here's the evolution of pushups. Lots of different pushups and why they work the way they do.

Enjoy!



Watch for the evolution of pullups coming soon,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

Click this link for more bodyweight exercise programs

Metallica, South Beach, & Workouts

So I was in South Beach on the weekend with some friends and there was this guy there that looked like a cross between my buddy Jay Ferruggia and Dave Tate.

And people were asking him for autographs. We couldn't figure out who it was. Then we saw him with a guy from Metallica at our hotel pool (metallica was in town that weekend). Do you know who he is?

(In this photo, the skinny guy from Metalicca is Kirk Hammett and the mystery dude is in the back with the sunglasses and tats.)

If you can clear up this mystery, it would be appreciated.

Anyways, back to my workout for today...(I'm heading to San Antonio, TX this weekend so I had to move up my workout schedule).

1) Vertical Jumps - 4x4

2) Overhead Squats - 2x5

3A) Squats - 3x5-8

3B) Chinup + Kneeup - 3x10

That was it. Biked home and did some stretching.

Not a good day for cardio

Another study kicking sand in the face of long slow cardio for weight loss...and again its from Australia. The Aussie's are smart, they know cardio is a big waste of time for fat loss.

*********************************
Br J Sports Med. 2009 Sep 29.

Beneficial effects of exercise: shifting the focus from body weight to other markers of health.

King N, Hopkins M, Caudwell P, Stubbs J, Blundell J.

QUT, Australia;

BACKGROUND: Exercise is widely promoted as a method of weight management, whilst the other health benefits are often ignored. The purpose of this study was to examine whether exercise-induced improvements in health are influenced by changes in body weight. METHODS: Fifty-eight sedentary overweight/obese men and women (BMI 31.8 +/-4.5kg/m2) participated in a 12 week supervised aerobic exercise intervention (70% heart rate max, 5 times a week, 500kcal per session). Body composition, anthropometric parameters, aerobic capacity, blood pressure and acute psychological response to exercise were measured at weeks 0 and 12. RESULTS: Mean reduction in body weight was -3.3 +/-3.63kg (P<0.01). However, 26 of the 58 participants failed to attain the predicted weight loss estimated from individuals' exercise-induced energy expenditure. Their mean weight loss was only -0.9 +/-1.8kg (P<0.01). Despite attaining lower than predicted weight reduction, these individuals experienced significant increases in aerobic capacity (6.3 +/-6.0ml.kg-1.min-1; P<0.01), decreased systolic (-6.00 +/-11.5mmHg; P<0.05) and diastolic blood pressure (-3.9 +/-5.8mmHg; P<0.01), waist circumference (-3.7 +/-2.7cm; P<0.01) and resting heart rate (-4.8+/-8.9bpm, p<0.001). In addition, these individuals experienced an acute exercise-induced increase in positive mood. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that significant and meaningful health benefits can be achieved even in the presence of lower than expected exercise-induced weight loss. Less successful reduction in body weight does not undermine the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise.
From a public health perspective, exercise should be encouraged and the emphasis on weight loss reduced.

*************************
There you go, the researchers have said what I've been saying all along...

The emphasis of cardio on weight loss should be reduced.

Fat Loss Philosophy & Workout

I suppose I was feeling a little philosophical today because I posted some fat loss thoughts on Facebook that got a lot of replies. The first was something I've said many times on this blog...

Once you realize and accept how hard it is to lose fat, then you'll find the process to be quite simple. You'll understand that you need to plan your meals in advance, prepare for your workouts (so you don't just "wing it" at the gym), set up social support, and identify solutions for all of the obstacles in your life. Once you "get it", then you'll finally be ready to succeed.

The second was:

Saying that "diets don't work" is a politically-correct excuse that allows people to avoid diets in the first place. The politically-incorrect truth is that diets DO work...its the people that don't work. So what you need to do is continue looking for the diet that will work for you. Don't just give up. But remember, even the right diet will take hard work and consistency. Good luck, I know you can do it.

Then I followed that up with my workout...

1A) Shrugs
1B) Bench

2A) Seated Row
2B) Incline DB Press

3A) Plank
3B) Side Plank

Finished off with some lower body stretching.

Stay strong,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS - I also posted this one yesterday that includes one of my favorite quotes...

Write this down and live your life according to this...Kekich Credo #75 - "Persistence is a sure path to success with quality activities. Never, ever, ever, give up."

Chinup and 300 Workout

This week you get the story of my one and only brush with fame...

 

...and how I helped a Hollywood starlet do her first chin-up.

 

Plus, I give you more details on the 300 workout...

 

Click here for the chin-up & 300 workout programs

 

You'll also discover...

 

- The #1 thing you must do every Sunday to help you stick to your meal plan

- The truth about cardio confessional machines

- The best lower ab stability ball exercise

- The 300 workout video & workout routine

- The "how to do your first chin-up workout"

 

Let me know what you think of this program,

 

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

 

PS - There are less than 90 days left in 2009...

 

...what are you going to accomplish?

 

I promise that with Turbulence Training you can do the impossible and transform your body over the holidays.

 

Get started with the trial offer here for less than 5 bucks

 

=> Click here for the TT 21-day try-out offer

 

"Craig's workouts were fun and challenging - I didn't dread going to the gym and I wasn't overly sore after our sessions. Much like my trainer in LA, Craig's workouts were always different: the exercises, the supersets, the weights...the combination of elements always varied and, therefore, I never got bored or felt like I was in a workout rut. And my co-stars couldn't believe how great my arms looked, thanks to Craig helping me do my first chin-up. Thanks Craig!"
Rachel Nichols, Actress, Model