Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Transformation Tuesdays

On my TT Facebook page, I'm starting a new feature - Transformation Tuesdays. Every Tuesday I'll share a powerful Transformation Success Story with you.

Today, I want you to meet my friend Molly from South Carolina, who I met last January at Transformation Domination. Molly changed her life and because of her success is now a Personal Trainer helping others.

=> Click here to read Molly's powerful transformation story

Also on the TT Fanpage, we have a contest every Monday...and this week I was giving away a set of TT for Abs DVDS to the person who posted the best fat loss tip.

And so here's our Contest Winner!!! - Congratulations to Ruth Rochelle Moreno for her winning entry.

Ruth's winning tip: "Write down everything you eat so you can become aware of what's going in your body and can change your intake to suit your goals."

Thanks Ruth!

Now on to my workout...first time through this program so I held back a bit.

1A) Stickups
1B) Kneeling MB Chest Pass
1C) Cable Rotator Cuff

2A) Bench press (3x3)
2B) T-bar row (3x12)

3A) Ring dips
3B) Cable Rear Delts

4A) Chinups
4B) Decline pushups

And today's kick-butt mindset tip:

‎"The opposite of winning isn't losing, its quitting."
Scott Sonnen

You can't quit. You just can't. Doesn't matter how hard of a day yesterday was, or how hard today will be. Quitting is not an option.

Stay strong,

Craig 

PS - You are NOT too old.

Monday, August 30, 2010

New Workout Program Begins

I've started a new 4-week training program today. Here's the first squat workout. 

1) Overhead squat

2) Depth Jumps

3) box squats

4A) Good mornings
4B) Ball plank
4C) Prisoner lunges

Today's resource is a new Facebook Contest. I asked YOU for your favorite fat loss tip, and the winning entry will get a copy of the TT for Abs DVDS. You can enter here until midnight tonight:

=> Enter Your Best Fat Loss Tip for a Chance to Win TT DVDs

And finally, today's kick-butt mindset tip:

There will be days when you struggle to exercise and stick to your diet, and that is okay. EVERYONE has those days. Just make sure you never, ever, EVER
give up. Realize everyone else goes through this, and not quitting is what separates the success stories from the dreamers.

Stay STRONG,

Craig 

Sunday, August 29, 2010

The Rest of 2010

September 1st is this week....leaving you with 1/3 of 2010 remaining. LOTS of time to accomplish BIG things. Take time & plan for an amazing "last third of 2010" today.

And there are only 7-days till the 9th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest starts...if you don't already have this sample TT workout & "The Dark Side of Cardio" report, grab it here:

=> Sample Turbulence Training Workout

No training for me today...and a new 4-week training program starts tomorrow.

But I did take an intermediate fitness-level friend through a new Bodyweight 1000 program. To be honest, I didn't love it...I can - and will - improve it and test and retest it before bringing it out in October.

Stay strong,

Craig

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Outdoor Workout

Perhaps the nicest day of the year today, so I trained outside with the Blast Straps and TRX.

my training today:

1A) Blast strap chinups
1B) Handstand pushups
1C) Cossack squats/lunges

2A) Blast strap rows
2B) Blast strap dips
2C)
1-leg RDL

3A) TRX pushups
3B) TRX rear delt flies

4A) TRX bw triceps extensions
4B) TRX biceps curls
4C) TRX "rollouts"
4D) sprints

I hit a personal best in the ring dips.

Anyone else going to hit a personal record/best in their workout today? Setting a PR will improve your performance, and its tough to improve your performance without improving your physique.

Now for two great fat loss resources:

1) One of the most powerful entries from the recent TT Transformation Contest...he even proves me wrong about social support

=> Mark Loses Fat Without Social Support

2) Fat loss advice from Dave Tate:

"we want more bites per calories. So eat a bowl of broccoli with every meal. Increase your greens. It'll fill you up because there's more there. Eat more fish and more chicken. Take your time with your meals."

...more info here, but be warned there are F-bombs (and Nate Green is involved)

=> http://www.t-nation.com/testosterone-magazine-641?s=indexTitle#dave-tate-talks-bulking-cutting

Stay strong,

Craig 

Friday, August 27, 2010

If you are struggling...

If you are struggling, please read the contest winning entries at http://www.TransformationContest.com. You'll find that most of them did NOT succeed on their 1st, 2nd or even 3rd attempt...but they never, ever, ever gave up!

Some very powerful stories over there. Looking forward to hearing yours soon!

My training today:

1) Cleans

2) Sumo deadlifts

3A) barbell lunges
3B) Stability ball plank

4A) Glute ham raise
4B) Barbell shrugs

And finally it's Friday, and that means Free Fitness Friday. This week, the TT Travel Report - 10 tips to Get Lean and Stay Lean While Traveling

=> Travel Fat Loss Tips

Oh, and today's kickbutt mindset tip:

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: to choose one's attitudes in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." - Victor Frankl

Stay strong,

Craig 

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Turbulence Training Travel Report - Lose Fat While Traveling

Finally Free Fitness/Fat Loss Fridays: Installment #2

This week you get my BRAND NEW free report on "How to Get Lean and Stay Lean While Traveling". Download it here:

=> http://www.turbulencetraining.com/travelreport/

In addition to over a dozen super-cool photos of Joel Marion's wedding, my trip to Lithuania, and hiking in Poland, you'll also get:

1) My Top 10 Fat Loss Travel Secrets

2) Simple workout tricks you can use to burn fat in even the worst gyms

3) How to prepare properly so you can lose fat on the road

4) The #1 Factor for Success (even more important than diet or exercise)

5) The right meals to eat - even in AIRPORTS - to lose fat while traveling

6) A story about John Romaniello working out in his underwear with TT

7) Plus cool travel stories from Chicago, Florida, Lithuania, and Poland!

Just go to this website to download the travel report for free:

=> http://www.turbulencetraining.com/travelreport/

Enjoy this "Finally Free Friday" giveaway!

Now to go plan next week's Finally Free Friday giveaway...gotta think of something to make for you...

Have a great weekend,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS - Don't miss...

- The #1 Factor in Travel Fat Loss on page 12
- The "Ultimate Business Dinner Strategy" on page 8
- Or the best travel nutrition eating routine on pages 5 through 8

Just go to this website to download the travel report for free:

=> http://www.turbulencetraining.com/travelreport/

Enjoy!

8th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest Winners

8th TT Transformation Contest Winners (Includes under 40 women, over 40 women, under 40 men, and over 40 men)...

Congratulations to everyone!!!

=> http://transformationcontest.com/

I am very proud of everyone. Thank you so much for your efforts.

And I look forward to seeing you continue your journey in Contest #9!

Women Under 40
1st - Deena
2nd - Molly
3rd - Shanda

Women OVER 40
1st - Naomi
2nd - Melody
3rd - Sadie

Men Under 40
1st - Vegas Jay
2nd - Ion
3rd - Matty G

Men OVER 40
1st - Mark
2nd - Charles
3rd - Andrew Larmer

Thank you!

And here's a quick message I sent to everyone who has EVER transformed their body...

Hey, I just wanted to drop you a note to clarify something...

...something you probably didn't realize was true...

...and that is this:

You probably don't understand how powerful of an impact your transformation is having on people you've never met...on people in far off countries who have been telling themselves for months and years that "they can't do it".

But then they see your results.

They see you, a mom with 3 kids and a full-time job and they see the changes you have made...

Or they see you, a full time dad with no social support from friends or family, and they see your results...

Or they see you, a woman with every obstacle in her way - from genetics to lack of time to dietary struggles - and they see your changes...

Or they see you, a guy who had previously left himself go for 5, 10, 15, or even 20 years before finally saying that "Enough is enough"...and then they see your results...

AND THEN THEY REALIZE THAT THEY CAN DO IT TOO

So you don't understand...

You are helping THOUSANDS - literally thousands - of men and women just like you who are out there struggling with weight and you are helping them with
the motivation, courage, inspiration and knowledge that they need to help them change their lives.

But I'm worried that you didn't know this...

and so I just wanted to make sure you knew.

You are changing lives. Every day.

It's amazing.

From Catherine and Robyn, two of our legendary Transformation pioneers, to Naomi and Charles and Ion and Deena and EVERYONE who entered the most recent contest...

You are now ROCKSTAR SUPERSTARS in the eyes of people from Vancouver to Sydney, from New York to Dubai, from London to Buenes Aires, and from Toronto to Thailand.

And I want to thank you for that.

I mean I can't thank you enough. And that is no exaggeration.

So isn't it cool now that you know this now?

I hope you feel as good as I do, knowing that your stories of triumphs and tribulations are not just there to show the world how powerful YOU are, but to show the world and all TT readers how powerful THEY can be too.

Thank you.

You rock.

Craig

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Intervals Workout Sale

Got a big filming day tomorrow. Right now I'm working on a lot of new programs, including: Abs 1000, BW 1000 2K10, Clash of the Titans 2, Transformation 3, and "The CB Body" program. What else would you like to see?

In the meantime...

One day sale on TT 31 Interval Training Workouts program (ends tonight)

=> Click here for the 31 Intervals Workout Program - Half Price - Only available today

As for my own workout...

1) Box jumps
2) Low box squats
3) glute ham raise.

That was all. (Lots of stretching and mobility work in there too.)

And the kick-butt mindset tip for the day:

"He can who thinks he can, and he can't who thinks he can't. This is an inexorable, indisputable law."
Henry Ford

Stay STRONG,

Craig 

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

TT Abs 1000 and Addiction Workouts

Today I did the "Abs 1000" with a client...a new challenge program coming out in October. Awesomely awesome. But harder than I expected. Going to run a few more people through it...

Here's another workout for you...the TT Addiction Workout A

=> TT Addiction Challenge Workout Video 
 
And here is the winner of our Protein Powder Recipe Contest from yesterday:

Pre-bed snack 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 scoop micellar casein protein powder, splash of mint extract, little bit of cocoa powder, and just enough water to make it into a pudding consistency. Put in freezer for about 15 minuted and you have yourself chocolate mint soft serve. Max, our winning "chef", won a free bottle of Prograde Protein.

Now for today's kickbutt mindset tip:

"The first step you have to take in changing your life is to make the decision to change your life. All things that happen begin with a decision. If you decide that you really want to do better, you will take the necessary steps to do what it takes to do better."
Larry Winget

Stay STRONG,

Craig

PS - This is what it's all about...

Transformation Success Stories...please vote for our men and women (under and over 40 categories)...and give a little facebook "Like" love too if you can

=> 8th Turbulence Training Success Stories

8th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest

The finalists for the 8th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest have been announced!

You can vote for the winners. (Voting ends on Wednesday night at midnight.)

=>
Click here to vote for the Men & Women Under 40 and Over 40 Categories

Congratulations to everyone on their amazing results.

Please share this with your friends and family and Facebook and get them over to vote and be inspired by our success stories!

Thank you!

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Creator, Turbulence Training
 

Monday, August 23, 2010

Meathead Workout

Meathead Monday. Gotta love it. But no, that doesn't mean bench press. Although, yes, it did mean an awesome upper body workout. (And it means Monday Night Raw is on, and YES, I still watch a little wrestling. Gotta have some vices, you know.)

My training today:

1A) Military press
1B) Chinups

2A) Decline pushups
2B) DB row

3A) Ring dips
3B) Barbell curls

If you like Meathead training, then you need to grab all five of my Meathead Workouts here for less than the price of a big bucket of protein powder:

=> TT For Meatheads Deal

I love creating these workouts...enjoy!

Resource of the day:

On my Facebook page I ran a contest, with the winner getting one a bucket of Prograde Protein Powder...and folks had to give their favorite protein powder recipe...check out the entries here:

=> Protein Powder Recipe Contest

And today's kick-butt mindset tip:

"Everyone assumes that THEIR excuse (reason) is different and that 'OTHERS' have it easy...truth is - we all have challenges, all have obstacles, all have incredible REASONS to persevere. Do NOT Quit."
Carrie Wilkerson

Stay STRONG and thirsty my friends,

Craig  

Sunday, August 22, 2010

9th TT Transformation Contest

Here is the latest news on the 9th TT Transformation Contest.

The entry period runs from: Sept 5-18th

The 12-Week Contest Ends December 11th.

There will also be a 6 week contest ending Oct 30th – perfect for all North Americans celebrating Halloween and want to look sharp in some skimpy outfits (ifyou're into that)

You are eligible to enter both the 6-week and 12-week contests

And then 10th contest will start on dec 26th!!!

Had yesterday off but him the gym at noon today.

Workout:

1) Cleans

2) Deadlifts

3A) Lunges
3B) Glute ham raise
3C) Stability Ball Plank

And you?

Today's kick-butt motivation:

"Its not what happens to you that determines how far you will go in life; it is how you handle what happens to you."
Zig Ziglar

Stay STRONG,

Craig 

Saturday, August 21, 2010

1 diet mistake

Oh dear, I made a diet boo-boo recently. Twice.

Actually, I blame it on my friend who buys my groceries (I admit it, I'm too lazy to do my grocery shopping.)

Usually she's perfect and gets me exactly what I need...but recently she's made a mistake with my peanut butter.

I knew something was "up" when I tasted the peanut butter...because it was the BEST peanut butter I had ever had...and all natural peanut butter does not taste that amazing.

So I checked the ingredient list...

The jar said "all natural", and while you think that might be healthy, I quickly discovered it was loaded with added sugar. These days you must be very careful because labels are getting very sneaky.

Always check your labels to see if there are added sugars or hydrogenated oils. If there are, AVOID those foods.

I prefer to stick to ONE-ingredient foods, and blend them all up into my morning blender drink. Check out these 3 funky recipes from last week:

Recipe #1 "Peach-Strawberry-Banana":
1 peach, 1 banana, frozen strawberries, 2 cups almond milk (no sugar), spinach, Garden of Life raw protein powder (optional/use whatever brand you prefer), walnuts, cacao nibs

Recipe #2 "The Sweetest Thing" (best for after a workout)
1 banana, frozen strawberries, raspberries, blueberries (optional), 5 dates, spinach, almond milk, flax oil, protein powder (optional), almond butter.

Recipe #3 "Banana Bread"
1-2 large bananas, blueberries, spinach, almond milk, pecans, protein powder (optional), chia seeds.

The combination of the pecans and bananas make it taste like banana bread. Delicious.

Hope you enjoyed those blender drink recipes. I'll share more of those in the future.

In the meantime, if you want more vegetarian recipes and meal plans (and even a 21-day Veggie Detox program), check out my friend Kardena Pauza's 3-day sale on her program here:

=> http://www.EasyVeggieMealPlans.com

But her big sale and Detox bonus plan are only available until Wednesday night. So don't hesitate or you'll be too late.

And even if you aren't a vegetarian, it is great to have delicious meal options that don't revolve around meat.

To your health,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

Friday, August 20, 2010

Friday Workout & Euro Photos

I'm weak from those 10-14 days off regular training. It was frustrating in the gym today.

My training today:

1A) Stick up
1B) Med ball chest pass into ground

2A) Rack Lockout
2B) Seated row

3A) Ring pullups
3B)
db incline

4A) Rotator Cuff
4B) R
ing triceps.

And now for today's resources:

My photos from Europe:

=> TT in Europe 2K10

And don't miss this:

10 questions I asked Bill Phillips (includes link to replay of the call)

=> http://www.ttfatloss.com/transformation-contest/bill-phillips/

Finally, today's kick-butt mindset tip:

"You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight."
Jim Rohn...

...so take a few minutes this weekend and plan how you can take positive steps towards reaching your goals.

Stay strong,

Craig 

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Link to Bill Phillips interview

Finally! I just finished up a very cool interview with fitness legend, Bill Phillips, about his new book Transformation.

So that's Gift #1 for you.

Discover the 10 questions I asked Bill Phillips and get a link to the replay of the free interview here:

=> Bill Phillips Transformation Interview

By the way, I would love to hear from you about what question YOU would have asked Bill Phillips if you were on the phone with him.

Please post your question on my blog here:

=> http://www.ttfatloss.com/transformation-contest/bill-phillips/

Gift #2 is for the ladies:

It includes 5 tips for female fat loss and a sample bodyweight workout here:

=> http://www.turbulencetraining.com/freeworkoutforwomen

And Gift #3 is for the men:

This features a sample meal plan and muscle building, fat burning workout here:

=> http://www.turbulencetraining.com/freeworkoutformen

Enjoy this "free stuff Friday".

I'll do this again next week...by then I should have the Fat Loss Travel Report all finished up.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

Back on Track in Toronto

Okay, back on track here in Toronto. Got home yesterday afternoon around 5. Feeling good and enjoying the regular routine, but also really enjoyed my time in Europe. I kind of like that time zone...behind Asia, but ahead of EST, and almost flip-flopped from my west coast friends.

Anyways, the dog was super happy to see me, but he has an ear infection again. So we'll hit the vet tomorrow.

My training today was reduced in intensity and volume...I'm going to go one more week on this program (giving me 5 weeks instead of the regular 4):

1A) Box jumps
1B) Box squats

2A) good morning
2B) plank

3A) glute ham raise
3B) split squat.

Feel free to let me know what your training looks like today.

Also had a blender drink: strawberries, raspberries, spinach, almond milk, peanut butter, walnuts, and cacao nibs. And yes, I have no bananas.

Today's resources:

1) A good beginner workout here for new folks

=> Beginner Abs Workout

2) And advanced interview on bodyweight training

=> TACFIT interview with Scott Sonnon

Finally, 2 kick-butt mindset tips to get you fired up:

1) "Why do people do what they do? Because they can. For the most part, people will get away with whatever they can if there are no consequences. Consequences control behavior."
Larry Winget

2) "If you want to change yourself, you need to change the things you do." - Troy, a TT Member, posted this on the forum.

Powerful stuff,

Craig 

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Last Workout in Poland

Today was one of those workouts...where conditions and energy levels weren't the best, but I modified the session to get the most out of it. Workout was: warmup, pistols, planks, ball rollouts, ball hamstring curls.

Travel day tomorrow and I'll ease back into my real workouts on Thursday in Toronto.

After the workout I had lunch at Vega in Krakow. Big meal. Stuffed pepper with lentils and rice, a side of potatoes, and a side of falefel.

Last night I had another great meal at Vega. Mexican goulash and rice...which I'm pretty sure was chili, but Mexican goulash is 100x's a better name.

Here are today's resources:

1) Interval training explained:

=> Interval Training Report

2) Some female before and after contestants to review for major inspiration:

=> http://www.clubfym.com/public/786.cfm

And finally...today's kick-butt mindset tip:

‎"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."
Dale Carnegie

...so never, ever, ever give up on something that is important to you.

Stay STRONG,

Craig


Monday, August 16, 2010

Another Polish Meathead Workout

I just finished a meathead workout here in Krakow, Poland. It included shoulder presses, pullups, decline pushups, db rows, and some meathead arms. Plus stretching.

I also posted a link to this funny article on "Signs you are doing too much cardio" (feel free to add yours here)

=> Too much cardio?

And a great Facebook question came in...

Q: I'm struggling with motivation after returning from an injury. How do you get yourself going for workouts when you are weak?

Answer:

There's nothing more youcan do then get your butt in the gym and start training again consistently. Think of every pro athlete that ever had a serious injury. They start from scratch and build themselves back up. Just do it.

And let me leave you with today's kick-butt mindset tip:

The pain of discipline or the pain of regret. Which will you choose this week?

Stay STRONG,

Craig 

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Hiking in Poland

Just finished an EPIC hike in the mountains where we were caught in a hail storm...my head got pounded by ice marbles for about 15 minutes.

By the way, I'm putting my entire trip (Chicago, Tampa, Lithuania, Poland) in a new travel report coming soon. It will show you how to eat and train on the road.


No excuses!

Don't let anyone stop you from doing what you want in life. Its your life, not their life.

Stay STRONG, 

Craig

Friday, August 13, 2010

Polish Workout

Arrived in Krakow, Poland yesterday after a day of planes, trains, and automobiles. Krakow looks amazing. Going to hit a short workout at hotel (which is also awesome) and then explore the city. Nice little old-world european place.

Last night did a workout at M Gym in Krakow. Pullups, db incline press, seated row, arms, shrugs. Good times.

Today's kick-butt mindset tip:
Stop what you're doing right now. Is what you're doing moving you measurably closer to your meaningful goals? Ask yourself that every hour, every day.

And another one...

"Pay your grocer or pay your doctor" - one of the best tips mentioned in Michael Pollan's "Food Rules". This weekend is a great time to get out to a farmer's market and buy a lot of real food to get you through the week. Spend a little extra money on your health, you need it and deserve it.

And today's resource:

Tips for working out while traveling (and 5 health foods to avoid)

=> Travel Workout Tips

Stay STRONG,

Craig

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Lithuania Bodyweight Workout

Coming at you live from a hotel in Trakai, Lithuania. Today I did some bodyweight exercises, and towel/partner resistance exercises, then ran some sprints.

I did the workout with my friend Simon from www.SovereignMan.com and 30 university kids from Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, and Russia. Then we went swimming in a big lake - man, those kids can swim.

During the day I was teaching them about my business. And I also visited a famous castle in Trakai on Monday when I arrived.

On the flight over I re-read one of my favorite books, "Man's Search for Meaning" and I rediscovered this quote:

"Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual."
Victor Frankl

Resource:

KB Snatch video from Chris Lopez

=> How to do the kettlebell snatch

Stay STRONG,

Craig 

PS - Here's today's kick-butt mindset tip:

Never, ever, EVER give up!

Sunday, August 08, 2010

Sneak Peak of Joel Marion's Wedding

A great night. Joel married his girl Lisa, John Romaniello provided the most epic wedding toast ever, and then Vince Del Monte dominated the dance floor all night.

And since I know you are curious...for dinner I had:

A giant salad of greens, artichokes, tomato, and peppers, plus lots of steamed vegetables, 2 whole wheat rolls, a nice chunck of beef tenderloin, and a mac and cheese martini from the mac and cheese martini bar (google it, I know you want to), 1 beer, and 1 glass champagne.

Later in the evening I had a slice of cake and some Cold Stone Creamery ice cream (chocolate plus 1 peanut butter cup smashed in). Good times.

But now it's time to move on...starting with a flight to Miami this afternoon followed by another to Frankfurt and then finally Lithuania. Yes, Lithuania. A few days there and then jumping over to Poland.



To start the day right at airport I had a banana, vegetables/pita bread with hummus, and almonds and raw dates. Now to hunt down my daily apple.

And finally, good news for you.

I'm documenting EVERY meal, workout, and trip to put in a big FREE report coming out next month showing you how to lose fat while traveling.

In the meantime, here's a free report for women including a female workout report & fat burning tips

=> Free Workout for Women

And today's kick-butt mindset tip:

“For anything worth having one must pay the price; and the price is always work"
John Burroughs

Stay STRONG,

Craig

Meathead Fat Loss

Okay, I'm off on some crazy traveling for the next two weeks...

...and I'm leaving you with 3 bodybuilder-meathead-TT fat loss workouts, but they are not what you think.

This isn't old-school crunches and cardio.

Instead, you'll 3 of my TT for Meatheads Fat Loss Workouts. I've posted them on the blog here:

=> http://www.ttfatloss.com/burn-fat/meatheads/

In addition to those 3 workouts, you'll also discover:

- One activity NOT to do if you want to live a long, healthy life
- How to do "foam rolling" for injury prevention (I do it everyday)
- My favorite superset (check out superset #1 in Workout C)
- A new social support for fat loss secret
- And a new change in my diet (See the Sunday nutrition tip)

As for my travels, they started last Wednesday by taking the TT Customer Service Team to Chicago.

We've been corresponding by email for over 2 years but this was the first time that everyone - Erin, Lesa, Amy, Dan, & myself - were all in the same place at once.

(And we spent all Thursday morning working on a surprise project for you!)

After the Chicago leg of my trip I headed to Tampa Bay for Joel Marion's wedding, and this morning I'm on my way to Lithuania and Poland to teach business and fitness to University kids. LONG story.

In the meantime, check out the workouts and this week's 7-day fat loss guide here:

=> http://www.ttfatloss.com/burn-fat/meatheads/

Stay STRONG,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS - If you like this info can you please do me a quick favor?

Please click on the "Like" button on the article on my blog OR send this email and the blog link to your friends who are into fitness.

I guarantee it will help them lose fat and you'll look like a hero for recommending these great workouts and insider nutrition tips.

Thanks! Talk to you soon. Hopefully I'll be able to bring you something back from Poland.

Coming later this week...3 advanced fat loss tips from my friend John Romaniello - both he and I were groomsmen in Joel's wedding and spent hours this weekend talking about how we can help you lose more fat fast.

Saturday, August 07, 2010

The Big Day for Joel Marion

Started a morning walk on the beach...and then I did something I have not done in over 11 years...I swam laps in a pool. Only 10x15 meters, but it was fun. Didn't want to over-do it so I stopped there.

Finished up with stretching. Good stuff, but dang, the humidity in Tampa is intense even at 7am. Fogged up my glasses coming out of the hotel!

Went to Gold's Gym with John Romaniello. He deadlifted. I did some boring stuff:

Warmup
Stretching

1A) Planks
1B) Side Planks
1C) Ab Wheel

2A) Barbell Curls
2B) Triceps Extensions
2C) Hammer Curls.

Now it is almost time to put the tux on for Joel Marion's Big Wedding Day.

By the way, I really like training on the road and staying in hotels. AND I have NO problem staying lean. There are NO excuses, not with all the bodyweight info and nutrition tips out there - combined with your good judgement of course.

Recently, Canadian fitness expert Rob King recently asked me:

"Out of all the places you have traveled what have been some of the coolest places you have been or trained at?

Answer:
Great question.

1) Jason Ferruggia's Renegade Gym in Wachtung, New Jersey. Don't ask me where that is exactly, but the gym is great. It has heavy weights and more importantly, an awesome environment.

2) Any Gold's Gym in any city, USA. I've hit Gold's in such cities as Charleston, South Carolina, Orlando, Florida, and Los Angeles, California, and I always enjoy the environment there. Perfect for a meathead workout.

3) Powerhouse Gym in Tampa Bay. This gym is enormous, and full of jacked up meatheads. Good times will be had there, for sure.

Those are the best ones I can remember.

By the way, for folks who travel to Las Vegas, the two best "meathead" hotel gym are at the Luxor and the Monte Carlo, surprisingly. I'm not a fan of the MGM gym, because it only has a Smith machine and you are required to pay an extra $35 to train there. Not cool.

So those are the best that I can recall...hope to have many on-the-road workouts in the future.

Stay STRONG,

Craig

Friday, August 06, 2010

Pre-Wedding Workout

Just finished up the wedding rehearsal outside in the Florida heat, so I need to cool down before dinner.

Before the rehearsal I hit Gold's Gym for a workout:

1A) Military Press
1B) Chins

2) DB Rows

That's all I had time for. The workout was good, but I was disappointed to see a trainer have a client do 6-inch barbell squats standing on a BOSU. Enough already. We can do better.

But overall, I'm in a great mood. I also treated myself to a first class upgrade on the flight down and it was a darn good decision. Only the 3rd time I've done that, but my only other option was a middle seat on a packed plane.

Finally, today's kickbutt mindset tip:

‎"If things start to become complicated, stop, regroup, and start over. Success is always simple. Not easy, but simple."
- Larry Winget

That's it for today. Big wedding tomorrow!

Stay STRONG,

Craig 

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Chicago-Deadlift-Tampa

Got home from Chicago at 7pm, trained at 8pm tonight, and now time to get ready for 9am flight to Tampa Bay.

It's not normal for me to train so late...still, decent workout:

1) Hang Cleans

2) Deadlifts

3A) BB Lunges
3B)
Glute-ham raises.

That was all.

Now packing for 12 day trip starting with Tampa Bay tomorrow. going to try and make it to the awesome Powerhouse gym they have there.

Resources:

1) Meathead fat loss workout for you

=> Classic TT Gain Muscle-Fat Loss Workouts

2) Five unique interval training methods

=> The TT Interval Training Report

3) If you're struggling with nutrition, please read this recent interview I did that shows a simple system to get started eating better

=> Beginner Nutrition Tips

And finally, the kick-butt mindset tip of the day:

‎"The best way to break an old habit is to replace it with a new one...and reinforce it a lot." - Aubrey Daniels

Stay strong,

Craig 

Chicago Travel Update

No workout for me on Wednesday, but here's how the day went...

5am - Got up extra hour early to walk and stretch. Dreamt I was fighting a cat, so I was happy for the early wakeup.

7am - blender drink: almond milk, 1 frozen banana, blueberries, spinach, raw almond butter, pecans. 1 apple.

8am - airport and flight to chicago... water and almonds on plane

11am - Checked in at hotel and realized I forgot my acuball...better not forget it on 2nd leg of trip when I go to Europe.  

12 - Wrigley field...lunch at Harry Carey's...managed to have a big salad of greens and tomato plus a grass-fed burger plus one beer. Lunch wasn't perfect, but if you were traveling on a fat loss plan, that would be fine because the meal was still under 900 calories. Not perfect, but the grass fed burger would have passed the Isabel De Los Rios/Mike Geary nutrition
rules.

1- fell alseep at game for 5 minutes

3- Drank only water at game

4 - left cubs game.

5 - Afternoon snack of raw dates and almonds and water

7 - dinner at C-House restaurant... 

Summer vegetable soup, one slice bread, pasta with vegetables and ricotta cheese, one mashed potato donut hole and a serving of blueberries. No booze, drank lots of sparkling water. 

Fancy restaurants are good because youget small portions...much better than gorging at Morton's Steakhouse.  

11-bedtime

Deadlift workout tonight,

Craig

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Turbulence Training DB Depletion Workout



Okay, last workout before I head to Chicago for 2 days...



Workout was:

1A) Med ball throw
1B) stickups

2A) rack lockout (worked up to 275x3)
2B) seated rows

3A) db incline
3B) ring pullups

4A) cable external rotations
4B) bodyweight triceps extensions with rings



Now about that DB Depletion program...

One of the most common questions I get on Facebook is "What program should I use if I can only workout twice per week?"

So due to popular demand, I've created a NEW Turbulence TrainingDepletion program that gives you a complete fat burning workout in just TWO 20-minute sessions per week.

BUT...there are two cool twists to this program.

1) I've not only created two "total body workouts" (for people who want to train with a few rest days in between), but I've also created upper-body and lower-body versions for TT members who want to train on back-to-back days (such as Saturday and Sunday).

2) Plus, you can use the upper-lower workouts to train 3 times per week (alternating between upper and lower workouts on a classic Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule). It's the perfect system.

If you are a TT member, just log into the member's area to download this awesome new program.

But if you are NOT a member...

...don't worry, I still have good news for you...

=> Get the new TT DB Depletion Workout here <== plus you'll get extra goodies

By the way, the TT DB Depletion program is NOT available anywhere else at this time. It's only for all TT Members in the member's area.

Now in case you don't know what the "depletion" workouts are all about, let me explain. This program uses dumbbell exercises (with a few bodyweight options and one kettlebell exercise) to help you deplete the muscles of glycogen (muscle carbohydrate) in an advanced workout.

By doing this, you increase the post-workout storage ofcarbohydrate in the muscle AND you cause a lot of "turbulence" onthe body that should increase post-workout calorie burning overwhat you would get with normal cardio.

These workouts are extremely popular among the busiest ofTurbulence Training readers who only have two days per week for hard exercise.

Plus, the workouts are short, but still dramaticallyeffective - all thanks to the mini-circuit method used.

And the workouts have been designed for use in even the busiest of gyms.

You'll find that with a single set of dumbbells and abench, you'll be able to complete all four versions of the DB Depletion routine.

The end result is more fat loss and a body sculpted as if it was done by Michaelangelo himself. Enjoy the results of your depletion workouts!

=> Get the new DB Depletion Workout here <=== Special offer ends soon

Perfect for summer workouts so you can spend more time outside and enjoying your results.



Train hard but safe,

Craig Ballantyne



PS - To get more results...

Set goals with a deadline & a reward/punishment for your results. So sit down, look at your calendar, and circle the date that marks when you want to reach your goal. If you do, you get a reward. If you don't, set a punishment. That will inspire you to action.

PPS - Alright, I'll try to talk to you tomorrow!

Insane travel schedule starts at 8am, with flight to chicago...2 days there then back to toronto for 12 hours, then down to tampa, then to eastern europe for 10 days.

Sunday, August 01, 2010

August 1st is Good Enough

Okay, August 1st is a  good enough reason to look back at what you wanted to accomplish in 2010, and if you aren't there yet, to re-commit yourself to
success.

"Even the impossible can be broken down into possibilities."

Start with small goals. Achieve them and reward/reinforce your behavior. That will encourage you to continue with the right actions and will get you to keep
moving closer and closer to your bigger goals.

Workout:

1A) Box jumps
1B) B
ox squats

2A) Good mornings
2B) Plank

3A) Glute ham raise
3B) Split squat

Music included Green Day, Three Days Grace, Sum 41, and finished with Modest Mouse, which I thought was a nice touch.

Get strong,

Craig 


Sample TT workout & report on the "Dark Side of Cardio" for all folks NEW to
Turbulence Training =>
http://www.turbulencetraining.com/freereportandworkout