Halloween Bodyweight Workout

Happy Halloween!

I'll be dressing up today... by putting a shirt on as my costume. Haha.

But seriously...

It's a scary time of year for diet disasters... and so we need fun, fast, short workouts to help us burn off Halloween and holiday calories.

And it gets worse... in just a few weeks you're likely to be stranded...

...it might be at your in-laws, it might be at a hotel, or it might even be in your own home.

The holidays will have you prisoner, and you won't be able to get to the gym.

And then, for many of us (including me when I'm up on the farm in Canadia), we'll have to deal with winter weather.

But you'll still want to do a fat burning workout (to burn off holiday calories).

So what can you do?

A bodyweight cardio fat burning workout to the rescue.

The only “equipment” you have is your own body, but all they taught you in gym class was how to do crunches, pushups, and flexed arm hangs. And you aren’t doing that from the doorframe here in the doubletree.

Fortunately, I’ve spent my entire adult life researching wild workouts, exotic exercises, and bodyweight movements. My bodyweight exercise obsession all started back in college, when I came home for a Christmas break in my freshman year, and had no ride to the gym, or even the money to afford a day pass.

So instead, I went through all of my old issues of Men’s Health magazine and put together a list of every body weight exercise I could find. Eventually, I stumbled across a workout that wasn’t full of crunches, situps, and plain old pushups. I somehow managed, at the age of 19, to figure out a bodyweight circuit that was tough, worked the entire body, and didn’t require equipment.

Fast forward fifteen years later, and I’m still on the hunt for more bodyweight workouts. You’ve probably used one of my bodyweight challenges from Men’s Health magazine, or found one of my workout videos on youtube.

This fat burning workout video below is probably my most famous, the no-equipment 5 rounds of 5 minutes bodyweight workout program. You don’t need anything – other than your own bodyweight – to get an amazing full body workout, anytime, anywhere.



You don’t need to be outside to do this bodyweight cardio fat burning workout, but hey, it doesn’t hurt to be out in the sunshine, getting a glorious sweat on with this intense bodyweight workout.

A minute of bodyweight exercises doesn’t sound like much, but seriously, when you get down to the brass tacks, it sure is a heck of a challenge.

Over the next couple of weeks I'll be showing you dozens of bodyweight and interval workouts that don’t require exercise machines. You'll never have to suffer through the ‘dishonor’ of slow boring cardio ever again.

Stay tuned for more great workouts and videos.

Talk soon,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT
Certified Turbulence Trainer

PS -  Here's Bally and me out hunting for Halloween monsters...

 

Sunday Morning 4-Minute Filming for The Great Cardio Myth

Sunday morning was a rocket ride of caffeine-fueled creativity, training, filming, and coaching. I had about 6 great ideas, now it's time to implement.

After breakfast and a coaching call with some clients from New Zealand, I hit the gym for a modified meathead session:

1a) Bench Press

1b) DB RDR

2a) Chin-Up Knee-Up

2b) Mobility

It was modified because immediately after this workout I went back to ETR HQ to film 4 bodyweight workout videos. These 4 videos are going out to Platinum TT Members, but also to everyone that pre-orders my new book, The Great Cardio Myth. You can order it from Amazon or Barnes and Noble or other places, and then send your receipt to Support@EarlyToRise.com to get access to the videos.

NOTE: The videos won't be ready until after November 10th. Apparently there's no such thing as "4-minute editing" for my 4-minute workouts, LOL.

Stay tuned for more details...

Until then...

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
If you fall off the wagon, cut your losses, don’t worry about it. Get back on track. Immediately. It’s minor damage that can be dealt with.

Anytime you face defeat, try and end the battle with a victory, no matter how small. If you’ve eaten 2 candy bars too many, you can still win if you don’t eat a third. It’s a small win, but a victory nonetheless. Use this as momentum to get back on track ASAP. 1) Create little wins; 2) Remove future temptations; 3) Build stronger rituals; These make life easier and prevent you from making the same mistake again.

Make it a win,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

PS - From the Maximus Man...

"If you want to be something you've never been, you need to do something you've never done. How many of you are trapped in a cycle of unhappiness? How many of you go to bed every night feeling alone or wake up to go to a job every day that you hate? How many of you feel like you haven't accomplished everything you've wanted to? How many of you look in the mirror each day and don't like the reflection you see staring back at you? We have all had these feelings at one time or another. We have all wished we could change the circumstances we are in. You can change your circumstances and you can change your life. You have the power to do anything you want to do, you just need to be willing to do things differently than you've done before. You need to be willing to take risks. You need to be daring. If you're willing to step out of your safe zone, if you're willing to stand at the edge of the cliff and jump, if you're willing to do what you've never done, you'll give yourself the power to become what you've never been." - Bobby Maximus

Denver Deadlift to Start the Weekend

Alright, first a damaging admission and funny story.

You see, I had a few small deviations in the last week from my personal nutrition transformation plan...

While I did NOT drink any Coke Zero or eat any Quest bars, I did drink a lot of plastic-bottled water unfortunately due to travel. It's just too hard to travel with boxed water (since I don't check bags when I fly... and last week I went from Orlando to Charleston to San Francisco to Colorado Springs to Denver).

I also had a small amount of aspartame in some gum. (I'm trying to avoid all artificial sweeteners.)

But I really needed the gum.

Here's why...

I suffer from really painful ear pressure changes when my flights land... and sometimes chewing gum helps...

While other times absolutely nothing can relieve it...

The pressure in my right ear builds up and up and up as the airplane descend for landing. It's extremely painful...

There's nothing I can do about it. (At least nothing I've figured out...)

Suddenly, at about 3000 feet, my right ear "farts". (Sorry, but that's the best way to describe it! It's like a whoosh of air blown out of my ear. Haha!).

The relief is about as close to ecstasy as you can get with your clothes on. Hahaha!

Seriously.

And that's probably more than you need to know!

But I just wanted to explain why I sometimes cheat on my NO artificial sweeteners rule.

Alright, on to today's workout...

1a) Deadlift

1b) Jump

2a) BB RDL

2b) Overhead Shrug

3a) BB Split Squat

Pretty good times. Not perfect, but good enough.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
Life is not about money or “stuff.” It’s about people & experiences. Knowing this, make the right decisions for your right life – right now.

And finally...

I just made a list of people I want to meet in 2017.

Sheryl Sandberg, Brendan Burchard, Robin Robbins, Tony Robbins, Hal Elrod, Seth Godin, Neil Strauss, Michael Hyatt, Jeff Goins, Amy Porterfield, Ryan Levesque, Neil Stephenson, Jason Gaigner, David Cancel, Anand Sinwal, Jillian Michaels, Jocko Willink, and Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau

You should think about making your own list.

Then find a way to get to those people!

Talk soon,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

PS - Cool article...

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/29/sports/phil-heath-mr-olympia-bodybuilder.html

10-Minute Bodyweight Hotel Room Circuit

After an 8.5 hour sleep, I started the day with a 10-minute bodyweight circuit workout in my hotel room.

1A) TBX - 50 reps
1B) Pushups - 25 reps

As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes.

Now it's off to speak and follow that with a workshop.

Tomorrow is completely off, as I have an early flight, long car ride, full day seminar, and long car ride home.

Saturday is back over the bar with an AM deadlift session.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
"Most people's social anxieties are false and not protecting them but holding them back. Get out there and enjoy yourself. Create fun missions to distract you from your anxieties and doubts. Life is too short for regretting things you haven’t done. And remember... Always treat people with the respect that you’d want to be treated with." - Neil Strauss

Treat them well,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

PS - Whenever you feel like quitting...

...Remind yourself, “Someone with less than me is doing more than me.” Stop moping and start doing. If they can do it, you can do it. Your time is now. The path has been laid out for you. Commit, never quit, and do the work. Accept the difficult journey, and you will succeed.

Meathead San Fran Sunrise Session

Good morning from San Francisco. Tomorrow morning I’ll be teaching 250 financial advisors about The Perfect Day Formula, and 50 of them will attend an in-depth afternoon workshop where we’ll dig into more PDF tools to help them get more done, make more money, and still get home on time for dinner.

Our PDF program is evolving into something bigger and better than I ever dreamed about. Next month we have a small group coaching session in California, and my goal is to have two more private clients signed up in November.

But first, a quick workout (since I won't have time tomorrow or Friday)...

1a) Pullup

1b) Cable Abs

2a) Dips

2b) Face Pull

Even went for a walk after while the sun was rising in San Fran... and then the clouds moved in.

Question of the Day:

“Dear ETR U, I’m feeling recharged after a weekend with family! I've got momentum on my side and it was easier to get up at 6 am this morning than I thought it would be...

“Do you have any tips for "switching focus" and getting into the zone when you're switching from one project to another? I alternate between classwork, copywriting, and working on my ecommerce business; it's easy to get work done when I'm in that flow state but not always so easy to get into that state.” – ETR U student, Darryl Elvina

 

Answer:

Hi Darryl, great question. The answer is to have the next task "lubed up". Meaning, if you are moving over to a copywriting project, you should have an outline ready for you to start working on... You never want to start with a blank screen...that's tough. But a few bullet points are usually enough to get going. And if you still struggle, remember the tip to "write like you talk". Just start typing out your words as if you were talking to someone. Thanks!

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:

Control what you can (your behaviors and thoughts), cope with what you can't (the behaviors of others), and concentrate on what counts.

Push on,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

PS - Some great feedback...

Another fan of the PDF formula...

 

“Craig, it’s a pleasure to e-meet you. I first heard about your work after seeing you were a guest on an Ambtious.com Masterclass. I checked out your Perfect Day Formula and I was hooked. For years and years I had been crafting poor versions of my personal commandments (rules) but your book helped create a blueprint I can use long-term versus the new set of rules I used to create month after month. Also, your ritual of going to bed and waking up at the same time is something I'm working on but now when the alarm clock goes off I can tell my girlfriend she can't hit the snooze button! :) Thanks again for all that you do.” – Damone

 

And a funny PDF book review from Amazon...

 

“I purchased this book due to a negative review. It may sound odd, but the review complained about how rigid the plan is. The rigidity that the writer of that negative review complained about spurred me to buy. One of the best decisions I've made. It is a life changer for me. Risk the $12-$20 investment. It may be a priceless return on investment for you like it was for me and it keeps on giving!” – Anonymous review

 

Here’s another TT workout testimonial...

“It's been four months, and I train with you everyday. Can't thank you enough, it really is a four minute miracle. I mean it has to have done something because, I literally have done your punisher and new cardio almost everyday, along with some other exercises, but sometimes I just do the four-minute ones twice a day. Plus my other half, has been doing it with me and she has lost weight, she still wants to loose more, and I tell she can do it. So thanks again man!” – Jesse

Rushed

The Charleston Airport managed to be even worse than Orlando. TSA had one line open for 300 people. But again, patience, and knowing it would end got me through it.

Fortunately I had a great time in Charleston with Isabel Price from BeyondDiet.com and a few other friends.

The workouts were done at Eco fitness, and the hotel gave me free access to it each day. I also ran into an old friend at the gym, even though he didn't know I was going to be in town. Good times.

Workout 1 - Monday

1A) Bench - 3x6 @ 185
1B) DB RDR

2A) Ring Pushup
2B) Ring Row

Workout 2 - Tuesday

1A) Front Squat - new record of 135x18
1B) Mobility

2A) Good Morning
2B) Mobility

Today's Kickbutt Mindset:
Patience!

Ok, gotta run and catch a flight.

Talk soon,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

12-Minute Workouts

Let’s review some of my 12 Minute Fat Loss Workouts…

12 Minute Fat Loss Workout 1

In this workout you’ll do a superset upper body workout that includes the Incline Dumbbell Chest Press exercise paired with the Incline Dumbbell Row exercises.

So, for the chest presses, you will press the dumbbells up and in and then down and out. Immediately after this exercise move into the incline DB row. So, with your bench inclined at about 45-degrees, lean up against it, grab both dumbbells and then simply row up, while using the bench as chest support.

Rest and then repeat that superset as many times as you can in 12 minutes.

Powerful upper body workout.

12 Minute Fat Loss Workout 2

In this second workout of the 12-minute workout program, we will pair two lower body exercises together.

The first exercise is the Dumbbell Split Squat. So, grab a set of DBs and place one leg forward and one leg behind. Next you want to drop your hips straight down and then come back up. Do all repetitions for one side and then switch sides.

Immediately afterwards, you’ll move into an exercise that targets both your lower body and your abdominals, the Spiderman Climb.

So, in a push-up position, bring one foot up to just outside your hand and then back down, alternating sides. Be sure to keep your hips down nice and low. Also, don’t over stretch your groin and just do whatever feels comfortable.

As your flexibility increases so too will your ability to bring your foot up to your hand. Once you’ve finished all the repetitions there, go right back into the DB Split Squats and try to get as many reps into the 12 minute workout as you can.

12 Minute Fat Loss Workout 3

This workout is a conditioning circuit using Pushups and Dumbbell/Kettlebell Swings

The first type of pushup you will do is the Close-Grip Pushup. So for this exercise, do as many repetitions as you can in 30 seconds.

From there, move immediately into 1-Arm Dumbbell or Kettlebell Swings for 30 seconds. Once you’ve gone for 30 seconds, switch sides and do the other arm.

Next you will do regular Pushups for 30 seconds and finishing off the circuit with 2-Arm Dumbbell Swings. It’s important to note that throughout this circuit you will not take any rest. By then end of the circuit you’ll be pretty tired, so take one minute rest and then try to go through it again two or three times.

*************

Hope you enjoyed those fat burning 12-minute workouts.

Click here to see all of those workout videos on youtube

Your coach,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT
Certified Turbulence Trainer

PS - One reason I create short workouts...

Is because we are all running out of time.

So my advice to you...

Place a high value on your time. Don’t let others steal it away through insignificance. Remember… every moment wasted in meetings, traffic, surfing the web, gossip, etc. steals it from your children, your spouse, and your well-being. Be ruthless with your time and energy for the sake of your legacy.

Sunday Deadlifting in South Carolina

Here's a funny story. I totally screwed up on my travel plans from Orlando to Charleston.

As you might know, getting a direct flight to Charleston, South Carolina, is difficult. There just aren't a lot of options. I was surprised I couldn't get one from Orlando (that suited my departure time). I ended up booking a late afternoon flight to Charlotte and a connection to Charleston.

Total time spent in airports and airplanes worked out to over 7 hours.

But...

It's just a 4-hour drive.

Duh.

As you can imagine, I hate wasting time... so this bothered me. Plus, I HATE airports... and I hate really tight connections... and I hate crowded airport gates full of stressed out travelers...

...and then a really annoying alarm started going off in the waiting area (because a security door was open), and then all the kids leaving Disney World started screaming, and then two guys almost got in a fight because one A-hole started giving a stressed out father a hard time about the amount of carry-on luggage... and then some lady with really bad spicy-sausage breath started talking to me up-close and personal about my old Blackberry phone (it's SIX years old, LOL!)...

...but I managed to keep my calm through it all.

And everything worked out.

Because I remembered one of my RULES for Living is:

It will all be OVER soon.

The bad times will end and you'll survive them.

And the good times will be over before you know it.

So...

Embrace the moment. Love this minute. Learn from it. And improve yourself in every environment.

I was able to practice my patience and train my empathy muscle.

I knew that we all wanted to get home safely... we all wanted for the plane to leave on time. Everyone was doing the best they could, and no one was trying to hurt anyone.

We all just needed to breath, cope, relax, and be good to one another.

And it all worked out.

Our pilot made it up "in the air", as they often seem to do, and all connections were made.

Before I knew it I was in a comfortable taxi driving from the Charleston airport on a beautiful October evening.

We drove down King Street just as the sun was setting and hundreds of people were strolling the sidewalks and going into the bustling - and highly recommended - restaurants in this charming city.

Thirty minutes later I was in a local grocery store, getting prepped for the next few days of meetings and travel.

And eventually I was in a very comfortable bed in the lovely Restoration Hotel and having a great night's sleep.

That allowed me to wake-up Sunday morning, have a great writing session, and then a killer deadlift workout at ECO Fitness, where I even ran into my old friend, Adam Witty. It was totally random. He didn't know I was going to be in town, and I was just about to leave when he showed up... so we hung out for a bit, caught up, and then I went for a walk around the College of Charleston area.

The deadlift workout went like this:

1a) Deadlift

1b) Box Jump

2a) Barbell Split Squat

2b) Cable Abs

Good times.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:

You need to make the right decisions for your relationships. Spend time with people of the highest moral quality, with those you seek to emulate, and with those that provide only the best example for your children. Leverage their knowledge, support, commitment, and success.

Make it right,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

PS - No matter what happened on the weekend...

...don't beat yourself up about it.

 

I had to keep telling myself that in the airport security line-up on Saturday as I thought to myself...

"Argh, why didn't I think of driving. This sucks. I'm so stupid."

LOL.

Remember this...

Learn your lessons and move on from your past mistakes.

diet horror story

Let's talk about an embarrassing mistake we all make. This happened to me once a few years back, and because of that fateful day, I made a vow to never, ever let it happen again, and today I'll show you how to avoid it.

Picture yourself on a crisp fall weekend afternoon.

You’ve had your coffee, read the paper, made a light lunch, and now it’s time to do a short, burst exercise session and then go to the grocery store to prepare your meals for the week.

But first, why not sit down and “just see what’s on TV for a second.”

Two hours later, you’re watching the end of When Harry met Sally (for the 7^th time). While watching, you ate a banana. It was your “pre-exercise healthy snack.” During the next commercial break you went out for a cup of yogurt but returned with a bowl of ice cream, and now you’ve got your hand in the cookie jar.

Your missed workout and “healthy snack” has now turned into 1000 calories!

“It happens,” to paraphrase Forest Gump.

How do you avoid the 1000 Calorie Healthy Snack Mistake?

You need to have rituals and rules in place to avoid these mistakes and to help you make the right decisions for your life – without relying on willpower every moment of the day.

You must also truly change your belief in yourself… you must no longer think of yourself as someone “trying to eat healthy,” but as someone who ALWAYS does eat healthy, unless it is a planned reward meal.

And when it’s time for you to do your short, burst exercises, you never procrastinate because you have rituals in place that automatically set you up for success.

For example, if you want to exercise first thing in the morning, you either sleep in your (clean!) workout clothes, or you lay them out beside your bed so you can put them on first thing in the morning and get started with my workouts immediately.

(Side note… don’t miss tomorrow’s new Monday morning metabolic workout... watch for it first thing on Monday)

Once you've your short burst workout, then you can go watch your movie - guilt-free!

So let me sum up my Sunday Sermon to you…

You MUST take care of yourself before you can take care of others.

You must LOVE yourself first before you give the maximum love to others that your family needs from you.

You can't reach your full potential if you are not healthy.

If you've struggled with this in the past, and if you want to change but just haven't been able to make things stick, it's NOT your fault. Let me explain why.

You’ve never had the Perfect plan available before.

Sure you’ve read plenty of articles about “change.”

Maybe you’ve watched a few Dr. Phil episodes.

Perhaps Dr. Oz got you inspired… for a day or two.

And then life comes back to kick you in the butt.

You get busy. You lose motivation.

It happens to ALL of us. Even me. Even Bally the Dog. Especially Bally the Dog!

But you CAN change.

It can be different.

In fact, not only CAN you change, you WILL change…

…You just need the Perfect Plan.

And now it’s here.

The Perfect Plan gives you personal coaching from me to improve your entire life, from your health to your wealth to your family life… it even makes your days at work better and fixes your busy schedule.

You’ll get everything you need to change your life, get more done each day, and have more free time for your family, fitness, and faith.

Get your copy of The Perfect Plan here

Make sure you watch the video on that page right now.

Helping you create the success rituals you need for life,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT
Certified Turbulence Trainer

PS - Get your copy of The Perfect Plan here

Personal Trainer Product Launch

Dear Personal Trainer,

I'm writing to you from a hotel room in Orlando where I just spoke in front of 100 of the best personal trainers in Florida.

They were such an amazing group... and they all so badly want to help the people in their communities.

But the thing is, they can only help 20-50 people per week in their gym.

So they are a little frustrated...

Just like you...

After all, you are limited by the number of hours you have and training sessions you can do.

However, there is a BETTER way to help more people ... and build the business of your dreams.

Over 15 years ago, I stumbled across this new personal trainer business while I was writing for Men's Health magazine.

And so last week I made a video that teaches you all about it.

The video is free.

Click here to watch the free training video on how to launch a fitness product to the world

This is how you can help thousands of people, make more money, work from home, and have time for your family.

Enjoy!

To your success,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT
Certified Turbulence Trainer
Editor, Early to Rise
Founder, ETR University

PS - Please watch this video now.

If you miss it, then you won't get access to the next special set of videos on Monday.

Click here to watch your FREE training video

Talk soon

Orlando Bodyweight Blast

Fun, fast, bodyweight workout today in my hotel room in Orlando.

1A) Pushups - 4 rounds, max reps
1B) TBX - 4x50

Lots of yoga and mobility before the bodyweight circuit.

Now off to pump up the crowd and speak at the East Coast Fitness Summit.

It's going to be fun... and Daniel and Brittney are going to rock the mic right this weekend.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
Success is simple once you accept how hard it is. Only then will you dig deep and have the discipline to make the sacrifices required.

Get after it,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

Winter Park Florida Walk and Workout

Yesterday I flew from Denver to Orlando. Everything went smoothly. I even had time to walk to a local Whole Foods in the muggy, late afternoon Florida heat. Of course, because it's America, the hotel staff thought I was crazy for wanting to walk one whole mile.

"Are you sure you want to walk?"

Yes. It's daylight. It's a nice charming little town. It's safe. And my legs work just fine, thanks.

Unless there was an alligator pit along the way she was worried about me falling into...

Anyways, good walk, and got stocked up on snacks and boxed water for the weekend in Orlando and Charleston... and then off to San Fran on Tuesday.

Today's workout was done at a charming hotel, The Alfond Inn, located in a nice town called Winter Park, Florida.

1A) DB Reverse Lunges
1B) Overhead Press

2A) Cable Pull-Through (very similar to RDL)
2B) Seated Row

Glutes should be sore tomorrow when I'm speaking on stage at the Fitness Conference with Daniel and Nisan. It's going to be great. I'll do a bodyweight workout, focusing on pushups, in my room first.

Now it's off to the studios to film for...

=> www.Ambitious.com/perfectday

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
Identify what went wrong this week & what went right. What did you learn? Remove the wrong so that you make the right decisions easier.

Make it easy to do the right thing by eliminating temptations, triggers, and distractions, and building better habits and automatic routines.

Make it easy to be right,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

PS - “The 10 most dangerous words...

...'What will other people think? What will other people say?'” - @BobbyMaximus

FitBit Guy

No training today, just a long flight and a long walk to Whole Foods here in muggy Orlando. Got one of these little toys to track my sleep.

But now I'm turning into "that guy" that checks his step count every 2 minutes. haha. Oh well, good to see that I was "burning fat" in line at the grocery store. LOL.

__________________
Craig Ballantyne, CTT

3 ab exercises and arm workout to Orlando

Hey, it's Craig here, and I'm flying from Denver to Orlando today (and boy will my arms be tired, haha!).

On Friday morning I'll be speaking at a big fitness seminar... and tomorrow I'll be on live video creating YOUR Perfect Day. Watch for details on how to join me soon.

But for now, I have another video to share with you that features some of my favorite ab exercises.

Click here to watch the ab exercise video

So if you want to tighten your tummy and get rid of that last bit of lower belly pooch, then you'll love this circuit

1) We'll start with:

Stability Ball Rollouts or Modified Ball Rollouts for Beginners

That's one of the best moves for getting your abs to "pop" and show up when you get low body fat levels.)

2) Then it's on to the:

Side Plank

We'll do that for 15, 20, or even 30 seconds per side…

3) And then finish off with my favorite move that works your six pack abs and your obliques (this gives you those famous "ab lines" that run from your obliques into your waistband):

The Cross-Body Mountain Climber

You're going to have a blast with these new workouts that you can watch in your home gym, or in your living room, or in a hotel room, or while on vacation, or anywhere you choose to do your TT workouts.

Your coach,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT
Certified Turbulence Trainer

PS - Pick a poison to eliminate from your life today.

Kick cigarettes, alcohol, diet soda, gossip, scarcity, selfishness, and negativity to the curb.

Go the rest of the week, month, year, or life without.

Last month I gave up Coke Zero for life.

What can you do?

Make the right decisions for your right life.

And get accountability to get better every day.

Sol vs. CB vs. Bench Pressingz

Great workout today.

1A) Bench Press
1B) DB Rear Delt Raise

2A) Chin-Up Knee Up
2B) Pushups

So simple.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
Schedule your time ruthlessly and see things through. Don’t let great ideas sit around. Finish them. You only get paid for done.

And remember...

Everyone's looking for a leader. Be the one. Build others up. Share your success. Show them what you’ve overcome. Give them hope & opportunity.

You can do it,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

PS - You can change any habit.

That's my challenge to you!

And to my friend, Sol.

Sol's gotta give up the Coke Zero! I'm going to challenge him to do it next time I see him. I quit CZ's last month.

Check out http://mymorningroutine.com/sol-orwell/

Sol Orwell’s Morning Routine on My Morning Routine

mymorningroutine.comSol Orwell is the co-founder of @examinecom, an independent encyclopedia on supple…

Speaking and Squats and San Fran

On-stage yesterday morning at Underground in Denver. Next stop, the East Coast Fitness and Nutrition Conference in Orlando, then a coaching day in Charleston, and then over to San Francisco for the CEG Worldwide LLC Mastermind Group.

Today includes a lot more speaking as I'm filming a lot of videos for ETR.

But the day started with a great squat session.

1A) Power Clean
1B) Mobility

2A) Squat
2B) Jumps & Mobility

3A) Good Morning
3B) Lunges

Did a big old-man warm-up before and some rolling and stretching after.

Alright, time to fuel and film.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:

You are capable of greatness. Set the bar higher for yourself. Lean into life. Push your limits. Embrace the effort. Do something that matters. Concentrate on what counts. You CAN – and WILL – do it.

Go after great and always get better,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

Underground Seminar and Meathead Saturday Session

Had a fun day on Friday at the Underground Online seminar with my old friends Yanik Silver, Andy Drish, Sophia Urbanski, Mike Geary, and Jeff Siegel, along with many new friends I met at dinner.

We had a private reception with Kimbal Musk, Elon's brother. It was all talk about nutrition, partnerships, and overcoming obesity. No talk about Tesla.

Kimbal has a popular restaurant here in Denver called, The Kitchen.

This morning I got all fired up and did a bunch of coaching work early, then headed to the gym for a Meathead Saturday Session. It was great.

1A) Pushups
1B) Band Pull

2A) Bench Press (205x3x3)
2B) BB Row

3A) DB Incline
3B) Pullup

Lots of errands and some more thinking, writing, and creating today. On Sunday morning I speak at 9:45am at the Underground event. I'll be teaching my 5 Rules of Success.

Also, great wisdom here from Bedros:

=> https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-get-more-done-every-day-bedros-keuilian

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
Make plans, not excuses. Temptations are everywhere. You know what they are. Fortify yourself now with defenses against them. If you don’t have TWO solutions for every obstacle, you will feel guilty and shameful every time you give in to temptation. Plan ahead to win your days.

Plan it,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

PS - This test was fun...

Can you tell I love a good surprise Halloween party?

Deadlift Victory

Awesome deadlift workout today. I'm really glad I took a couple extra days off after my back and hips felt tight the other day.

Finished with a solid 320x7

1A) Deadlift
1B) 24-inch box jump

2A) Split Squat
2B) Overhead Shrug

Tomorrow we bench!

And Sunday I speak at a seminar.

Good times all round.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
The life we lead is due to the choices we make. If we want to change, we have to take responsibility for the world we create for ourselves.

Have a great weekend,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

PS - I really like this.

It is a mindset shift I needed.

"The German word Schadenfreude perfectly describes what envious people experience—they are happy when the other person suffers. The antonymn of schadenfreude is a Sanskrit word, mudita: feeling joy at another’s happiness. A critical aspect of Buddhism, achieving mudita is about finding your most generous self." - Tanya Menon


PPS - Do not look directly into the dog's eyes...

...he will make you do his bidding ... and you will have no control!

Haha

Sore Back So I Went Full Meathead

Had a slightly stiff low back today, so I skipped deadlifts and switched to an upper body workout. Tomorrow is off. I'll walk a lot at the airport, and then I'll deadlift on Friday. Should be good fun! I prefer deadlifting in Denver instead of at the YMCA anyways.

Today's Session:

1A) Pushups
1B) Band Pull

2A) DB Press - 90x4
2B) DB Row

3A) DB Rear Delt Raise
3B) DB Overhead Shrug (weird little movement)
3C) Close-Grip Pushup with Hands on KB Handles

Pretty good times.

Now off to Toronto to stay over for my early morning flight.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
“Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.” – #truth ... If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So... Identify and eliminate temptations. Create two solutions for every obstacle in your way. Plan, prepare, and make the right actions automatic so you stay on track.

Get back on track if you are off track now,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

PS - Coming soon!

Filming this course next week in Orlando => http://ambitious.com/perfectday 

Quick update on habit change

Today is an off-day. Probably go for a bike ride later, but no lifting. I'd take Bally the Dog for a long walk but he has a sore paw.

Yesterday was a good garage gym workout.

1A) Pushups
1B) Band Pull

2A) DB Press - 80 x 10
2B) DB Row

3A) Elevated Pushup
3B) DB Rear-Delt Raise

Good times.

Quick update on my 21-Day No Protein Supplements Habit Change: I've been staying on track. It's much easier when I'm at home and not on airplanes. That'll be tested again on Thursday with a flight to Denver followed with a day of filming.

Then I have an interesting weekend at a seminar, speaking on Sunday morning, and then flying to Orlando the week after for more filming and another seminar (this one is for fitness).

After that it's a couple of days of coaching with Isabel in Charleston, and then I fly over to San Francisco for another seminar. I'll finally get back to Denver on the 28th.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:

Fail forward. Learn your lessons. Move on. Keep growing. Never stop. Celebrate each victory and build on your momentum.

Do the work,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

Killer Thanksgiving Sunday Squat Workout

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving.

On Saturday I spent the day reading an advanced copy of a new book from Men's Health called "The Maximus Body", written by my colleague and fellow Canadian, Robert MacDonald (aka Bobby Maximus on Twitter and Instagram).

It was a fitting Canadian Thanksgiving gift to myself.

The book is packed with over 100 borderline insane workouts. Okay, make that 5 borderline insane workouts, and 95 fully, 100%, absolutely crazy, insane workouts.

These are next, Next, NEXT level.

It gave me some good ideas.

Plus, the first four chapters DESTROY every excuse possible for not working out harder and getting the results you desire.

It was an awakening for me, too.

Made me train harder and smarter on Sunday AM.

1a) Power Clean

1b) Mobility

2a) Squat

2b) Mobility

3a) Good Morning

3b) DB Lunge

This still wasn't even in the same zip code as a Maximus Body workout, however, it was a really great session for me.

Weight is up, strength is up, and I'm sticking to my 21-Day Habit Changes (no protein bars or powders, just real food) and my 12-Week TT Transformation Challenge commitments of no artificial sweeteners, no Coke Zero, and no Quest bars.

Hope you are too.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:

“If plan A doesn’t work, there are 25 other letters in the alphabet. Don’t quit. Ever.” – Bobby Maximus

No quit ever,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

PS - "If you want to accomplish anything, get out of your comfort zone." - Kekich Credo #1

Push and never quit.

PPS - Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Planning and Prep and Habits

The good news is that there were no temptations today. That's all thanks to better planning and preparation. Today's diet will be perfect.

The bad news is that I slept poorly, and I'm tired today. It's unseasonably warm, and the air conditioning was off. Today it won't be as bad.

Still managed a good workout though...

1A) Maximus Pushup
1B) DB RDR
1C) Ab Wheel Rollout

2A) 1-Arm KB Overhead Press
2B) Two-arm bentover kb row

Then a short bike ride.

Today's kickbutt mindset tip:
What's that one thing keeping you up at night? What did you do about it today? What are you going to do about it tomorrow? It's not going away on its own, you know. Identify the answer. Implement the solution. It won't be easy. But things can get better.

Alright. Let Canadian Thanksgiving begin.

There will be dog walks, a squat workout on Sunday, and nice after dinner lounging out on the back deck as we enjoy this Indian summer.

Enjoy yourself this weekend and stay dry,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

PS - Change those habits one day at a time...

"Each new habit will get easier each time that you take action. The more often you repeat a habit, the firmer it will be." – Don M. Green

Cool Breakthroughs and Accountability Power

Some big breakthroughs today.

First, a victory.

I avoided using plastic water bottles on my trip home from Phoenix.

And yesterday's flight was the first time I ever gave out a copy of my book to my seatmate.

He was a giant of man (he looked like Newman from Seinfeld, lol), but also very wealthy, having sold two gold mining companies. And he was very chatty, but we actually had a few connections in common and we had plenty to talk about.

By the time I got home to the farm it was 10pm, but I was still up at (almost) my regular time. It was so good to see the old pooch, Bally the Dog, again. Missed that lil sucker.

And then I hit a deadlift workout:

1A) Deadlift
1B) Depth Jumps

2A) Split Squat
2B) Overhead Shrug (trying these out)

Then I had to leave early to get home for a call.

Things are finally slowing down, and now I have a great 7-day stint on the farm, and the Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend weather is going to be awesome... high-60's and sunny.

But it wasn't always sunny days...

Back in 2006 I suffered through crippling anxiety attacks. But I never gave up on overcoming this obstacle.

I used this mindset to persevere: “Success is simple once you accept how hard it is. Only then will you dig deep in the discipline to make the sacrifices required for success.”

Eventually, I had a breakthrough and won the battle. Here’s a great discussion of how I used a powerful "mental model" to overcome the anxiety

=> http://www.becomingasuperhuman.com/craig-ballantyne-the-5-pillars-of-personal-transformation/

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
Failure isn't bad. Failure isn't final. If there is one thing I know after having observed this crazy world for 41 years, it's that you can SURVIVE almost anything and come back better and stronger than ever before. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from achieving the success you deserve. Failure only hurts when it means you’ve quit on something important to you. So don’t. Keep at it. The more you move in the right direction towards success, the better you’ll feel. Every day work on making new positive habits second nature automatic. Do your best to make little bets and mini-steps ahead each day.

Stay strong. Never quit. I believe in you. You can do it.

You can change,

Craig

PS - Whew!

I almost blew it again.

I looked for every excuse to have a Monster energy drink with aspartame today... I told myself I was tired, that i deserved a treat, that I wanted to get pumped for my workout...

BUT...

I held out because of YOU.

Thanks for the accountability!!!

Pressing and Overcoming Adversity

Had a great steak dinner with Bedros and Diana Keuilian last night at JG Steakhouse in Scottsdale.

That powered a great workout today... as I started a new 4-week program.

1A) DB Press
1B) DB Row

2A) DB Incline
2B) BW Row

However...

I had one small setback today - I gave in to a plastic water bottle.

Here's why I gave in... because my trip to Rio taught me that I'll never be able to fully give up plastic water bottles.

However, I'm doing my very best to minimize the use of plastic bottles.

On the bright side
- no artificial sweeteners
- no protein shakes
- and the big one... no protein bars... despite being surrounded with FREE quest bars and Bulletproof bars all day long yesterday at a Joe Polish seminar

They were being given out like tiny chocolate bars on Halloween.

Thank goodness for steak!

Good ol' rib eye dinners with Bedros and Diana Keuilian make it easy to avoid protein bars.

And we all supported one another in avoiding diet cokes.

#PowerOfThe3rdPillarOfPositiveSocialSupport


Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
"Learn to fly as you fall, my friend." - Bedros Keuilian... Face up to your struggles, tackle them head on, and overcome adversity today. Whatever is in your way, you're stronger than it, you're tougher than it, you're better than it, and you're going to beat it. Turn the bitter into better. Persist and never quit. Stay strong, get stronger, and finish strongest.



Push on,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

Squats and Social Support

Last night at dinner I harnessed our 3rd Pillar of Success, the Power of Positive People to stay strong and stay focused so I could overcome my obstacles and temptations.

I had dinner with friends (Bedros Keuilian and Diana Keuilian and Isabel Price) in Scottsdale, Arizona and being surrounded with good people making good decisions helped me stay on track.

So harness the power of the 3rd pillar of positive people to get your social support today, tomorrow, this week, and this month as you continue your progress in our 21-Day Habit Change.

I also harnessed the power of the 2nd pillar, accountability to you, to finish a sold bodyweight squat punisher session this morning.

Tomorrow - hopefully - starts a new 4-week phase. I'm going to do heavy dumbbell chest press workout (in place of a regular bench workout) at the hotel here in Scottsdale. The gym is good and has heavy dumbbells.

Wednesday I fly home... "arm day"... LOL.

On Thursday, it's back to the YMCA for deadlifts.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:

The people you associate with are more important than you could ever imagine. Do not accept anything less than the best – otherwise you are cheating yourself. Research shows that when you spend time with people who are succeeding that you too will succeed.

And make sure to read this:

http://www.earlytorise.com/10-point-habit-change-checklist/

Stay strong and get stronger,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT

PS - This one caught fire on Twitter today...

#1 thing to do every AM => Spend at least 15 minutes focused on your #1 priority in life. Solve that #1 problem or pursue the #1 opportunity.