Fat Loss Secrets of Fitness Models
Fat loss is easy once you understand how hard it is.
Once you realize that fat loss is hard work, and not just as easyas eating some celery, drinking really cold water, and slammingdown some "metabolism boosters", that's when you'll really start toget results.
When you accept sticking to your nutrition program will take effort,only then will you start planning and preparing your nutrition tomeet your fat loss goals.
Same with exercise. When you understand that harder workouts aremore effective, then you'll start to plan your workouts accordingly.
Over the past year I've interviewed over a dozen fitness models(men and women) for Oxygen and Maximum Fitness magazines, and theirsecrets to success are as plain as day.
They know it is going to be hard work to get ready for aphotoshoot, but what do they know that you don't know?
First, they've got their nutrition plans down perfectly. And when Isay planned out, I don't just mean they have a meal plan torn outof a magazine. Instead, they have their shopping lists prepared.They have time set aside for cooking, cutting, and chopping. Thesemen and women have more than enough tupperware to store and freezetheir food for the week.
Fitness models take their meals with them and aren't so naive as tobelieve that they will be able to find something "healthy" at workor on the road. They are not willing to sacrifice results forconvenience. They have accepted the hard work that comes witheating for fat loss. Have you?
Second, fitness models know what works - not only in the kitchen,but also in the gym. They've recorded their workouts, studied theeffects of various exercises, rep ranges, and workout frequencies.
They have accepted that their can be NO guesswork in a fat lossworkout program. That's why fitness models plan their workouts inadvance, and write down the results in a training log for analysis.If you aren't doing that, then you're doing nothing more thanplaying a workout "lottery" and hoping you'll come up lucky.
Third, and perhaps most importantly (because its hard to have thefirst two factors without this one), fitness models surroundthemselves with a supportive environment and social support groups.
How many fitness models do you think are married to sedentary,overweight smokers? How many fitness models do you think hangaround men and women that start drinking at 4pm every Friday?
Having the right social support group and supportive environmentcan make or break your fat loss program in less than a minute.
Research shows this. Experience proves this.
All it takes is a bunch of co-workers to surround you at your deskwith a box of doughnuts and pressure you into "having just one".The next thing you know its 3 days later and you haven't had adecent meal since.
According to the research on social support for fat loss, there areat least 2 proven ways to harness the powers of others for your fatloss goals.
First, include a health professional in your social support group.This could be your doctor, a nutritionist, or a trainer that yousee on a regular basis. But you need to be accountable to someone.This will work best for those of you that can't find support amongyour family, friends, or co-workers.
Second, if a member of your social support group also loses weight,you'll have a greater chance of succeeding. So try and get familymembers, friends, and co-workers directly involved. Get them fromcheerleaders to active participants in the fight against fat.
I hope these tips help you out. If you don't have any socialsupport right now, by all means, send me an email on your progressand at least hold yourself accountable to me.
If you need help planning a workout, please visit:
http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
I promise you Turbulence Training will give you to the fat loss youdeserve and desire.
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
P.S. 21 pounds in 21 days!
"Hi Craig, I wanted to send you a note regarding TT. The workoutsare great and if you incorporate the diet plan you can't help butlose FAT. I have been using the program for three weeks and havedropped twenty one pounds. I look forward to getting down to mygoal weight within a year. I am very happy to have purchased thisprogram and would recommend it to other with no hesitation. Thankyou very much."
Tim Jones
"I have been going to the gym for a number of years and am alwayslooking for newer and more efficient ways to work out. I starteddoing the TT program about 8 weeks ago and already (to my surprise)I am leaner than I have been in about 3 years. I am also findingthat I am actually less tired than what I was doing other programsthat I have tried, most of which involved longer cardio, ratherthan the short hard intervals recommended in TT. Given the varietyof workouts within the program I hope that I will never be bored orhave an inefficient workout in the gym again. I highly recommendedit for anyone especially those who feel like they have plateaued."
Rebecca Organo
"Dear Craig, for the last year or so, I've plateaued in the mid tohigh 170s, having come from the low 190's. I wasn't gettinganywhere with my old program, so I started the TT program just 5weeks ago. Since then, I have not only increased my strength,endurance and overall energy level, I've gone from 175 lbs to 166lbs. That's more than 9 lbs of fat since I've definitely gainedmuscle. I finally have a waist again, and I can actually begin tosee what abs look like! Thanks!"
John Sobraske
Get your very own copy of Turbulence Training & the Nutrition Guide here:
http://www.turbulencetraining.com/
fat loss, nutrition, weight loss, lose weight
Monday, October 23, 2006
Preventing Sports Injuries
How to Prevent Sports Injuries
CB Athletic Consulting, Inc. Training Report
Inside Issue #165:
- Training for Muscle Mass
- Preventing Sports Injuries
- Personal Trainer Tools…CB Recommends
1 – Turbulence Training for Muscle
Take Massive Action, Build Muscle Now!
My controversial new mass plan is available for only 7 more days. On November 1st, it’s gone for good and will not be offered at this price again.
“After completing CB's 8-week Turbulence Training for Muscle I was amazed with the results. In the past I have had trouble putting on lean mass, but now I have found the answer. This program is like nothing Craig has done before and my results prove it. Overall I added 65 lbs to my deadlift, 30 lbs to my bench press and 50 lbs to my squat. But to be honest the reflection in the mirror has to be the best result of them all. Thanks again!”
Kevin Larrabee, www.TheFitcast.com
NOTE: This program is also up in the TT Member's section. It's your best deal.
Click HERE to become a TT Member .
2 – How to Prevent Sports Injuries
Keith Scott is a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) through the National Athletic Trainer’s Association and also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association
Keith received his Master’s Degree in Exercise and Sports Science with a concentration in Sports Medicine from the University of Arizona. During his 13 years in Tucson, he had the pleasure and opportunity to work with hundreds of athletes each year in the youth, high school and college levels.
Keith focused on injury prevention, post surgical/injury rehabilitation, and Strength and Conditioning. He worked extensively with athletes of all levels and many different sports, with over 15 years working directly with athletes in the trenches. Keith currently resides in Southern New Jersey.
You can read more of Keith’s work at:
http://kescott45.wordpress.com/
In addition, Keith wrote an excellent report for Jason Ferrugia’s new combat training program available at www.combatconditioningsecrets.com
CB: Keith, how do you use your background of athletic therapy when designing programs for people and taking them through their workouts? How might they differ from someone like myself with only a minor background in the area of Rehabilitation?
KS:
I have a very strong background in assessment, so I take a lot more time evaluating range of motion in all major joints (some minor joints too), muscle and tendon strength, joint integrity, and basic movement patterns and mechanics.
I will take a whole session just doing an evaluation sometimes. I also take a pretty thorough history on each person, finding out about previous injuries, chronic problems, pain, etc… and not to forget…the person’s experience level in training.
Once I have a good understanding of the person’s situation I design my programs much like I would a rehab program for someone with an injury. After all, I have yet to meet anyone that does not have problems, imbalances or pain somewhere, so it’s really no different.
I create a “problem list” first and form the program around that. For example, if someone comes in with very tight hip flexors, tight dorsiflexors, and horrible scapular control (like a lot of people that we probably see) those go on my problem list. I create a program around those areas first and work on those things right away. I won’t introduce an exercise in those areas until we correct them or at the very least, are on the road to correcting them.
People that can’t control their hips, or ankles for example, have no business squatting any kind of weight until those things are handled, yet we see trainers, and coaches doing just that everyday.
What I have seen with a lot of trainers and coaches is that this “problem list”, if ever really generated in the first place, gets lost in the program and things never really get addressed that should. Ultimately, the athlete gets injured or never improves. Each program should be different because each athlete is different. Of course this takes more time and effort from the trainer/coach.
All of my programs utilize a lot of hands on work – myofascial work (releasing), teaching of self myofascial work, muscle activation, and hands on stretching (PNF patterns…contract/relax, etc…). I am a big proponent of closed chain proprioception too, for upper and lower extremities as well as joint mobilization techniques and exercises.
I also use a lot more recovery methods with my athletes especially after training sessions. Different types of cold and heat therapy as well as different types of treatment massages and stretching.
CB: what are the typical muscle groups, lifts, and physical abilities that you focus on when training young athletes for sports?
KS:
Assuming that we are talking about high school age athletes first, I use the same type of muscle group training that I would an older athlete. This assumes that there are no major problems that need attacking first.
I work a lot of posterior chain with all of my athletes. Every one of my programs has glute work –extension, abduction, stability, as well as adductor work (which I believe is missed in a lot of programs)
My programs will always have upper extremity pulling exercises included for the posterior chain, and rotator cuff work, especially the external rotators, but a good share of subscapularis work as well…that muscle is overshadowed a lot by the other internal rotators and is extremely important.
I like to train the rotator cuff as a stabilizer more than just as internal/external rotators. Its job is to stabilize first. Here is where I will throw in some closed chain proprioception, PNF patterns, etc..
Along with the pulling and rotator cuff work, I will address scapula stability and function a lot. Sometimes this is just teaching the athlete correct movement of that area. Young athletes are in a perfect place to start to develop correct scapular movement patterns, and stability of that shoulder complex.
This is not to say that I don’t put pushing exercises in programs, because I do, but I certainly don’t think benching needs to be the crux of every program.
CB: What do young athletes really need?KS:
Young athletes need movement training first…running mechanics, jumping mechanics, lifting mechanics, etc…
I focus a lot of moving correctly. Just by learning how to move correctly and with the correct muscles, will reduce injuries with out a doubt...not to mention make a better and stronger athlete. After that, they need to establish both stability work in all joints, and reactive work.
Common lifts – squats (front, back, split), lunges – (sag. Plane first, and no multi-plane until they master that movement), dead lifts, cleans, push press, rows (seated, bar, db), medicine ball work.
Of course this all will be altered slightly depending on the sport, experience level, and problem list/
CB: Okay, describe a typical session for a young athlete.
KS:
Typical session – address problems first if applicable at this point (ex: pain, tight areas, areas that need activating, releasing, etc.)
If time permits, I will do some releasing or the athlete will him or herself (foam rolling, etc.), followed by a really good active warm up. Mobility drills, and large muscle group warm up (lunges, jump rope, push ups, etc..) Active stretches, proprioception work (balance, coordination work)
Teaching and learning come next – younger athletes need to be taught how to do the lifts, or mechanics correctly, so I will spend some time there at the beginning. It’s essential with kids that you repeat things and get the movement patterns ingrained.
Depending on whether it’s a speed day, the athlete may do some speed, footwork, basic agility work first, and some reactive training. This will be followed with resistance training (major lifts first – dl’s, squats, cleans, presses, etc..) And then any additional work at the end. I will include a lot of core training within the session usually between sets for more advanced athletes.
Most sessions end with some static stretching (ex: hip flexors, calves, heel cord, hip rotators, shoulders), and then recovery modalities if possible. Depending on which season the athlete is in, some energy system work might follow.
CB: At a young athlete level, how much variation is there in the programs between sports?
KS:
As far as resistance training not too much. Almost all of my athletes will do squats of some sort, dead lifts, presses and pulls. I work large muscle groups with all of the younger athletes, and besides rep and set schemes, it is pretty much the same.
I find that most need work on the same areas and those areas are usually the important one’s for all sports. With that said, I will plug certain things into each program depending on the sport.
For example, a wrestler and basketball player will be trained much different when it comes to intensity, rep/set, especially as the competitive season nears. Off-season schemes look much more similar. Energy system training will be very specific to the sport however, as will reactive training and preventive exercises.
CB: What rehab, recovery, and prehab stuff would apply to young athlete training programs that most other trainers are missing?
KS:
As I already made mention to, most young athletes just need to learn how to move correctly first. This goes for all resistance training. Correct form will help to reduce both acute and chronic injuries.
Second, understanding muscle activation should be a standard in all programs, and especially when working with youth. Young athletes just don’t move very well these days and in so many instances I find muscle groups that are just “shut off”. Many trainers are so stuck on increasing flexibility whenever there is a problem, that they miss everything else.
When something hurts, “stretch more”, when you can’t do something “stretch more”. This is the answer to everything. It drives me insane.
In many cases these athletes don’t need more stretching, they need activation. Both primary and antagonist muscle groups. Activation doesn’t only need to be manual, meaning from the trainer/coach, but it can be taught to the athlete as well through simple exercises and drills.
It may sound like a strange form of “prehab”, but its so important in joint stability, and generating strength/power, and efficiency.
Proprioception!!! I don’t see many trainers/coaches dealing with this at all. I like to describe proprioception as how the brain and muscles/joints/body talk to each other…it controls your balance, coordination, and how much of an athlete you really are. Control is a must in all movements. Good trainers and coaches can work it in the program without anyone ever knowing, but in many cases, it needs to be addressed straight up.
Finally, recovery is huge in my world. I don’t see this even talked about much, but it is so important to overall progress and health. Just an ice bag over a sore joint, or a heating modality in the right place can make a huge difference in the athlete and how they respond to your program.
Pain will stop a training program in its tracks. Control pain, soreness, and stiffness and you will get ahead so much faster and safer.
How come some coaches/trainers never share recovery methods with their athletes or clients? It’s a must for me and makes a bigger difference than people think. If you are not using recovery methods with your athletes and clients, you are missing the boat on good progress. Of course, rest and good nutrition are the key for proper recovery. It all needs to be addressed.
CB: Any other general recommendations for young athletes?
KS:
Start eating well when you are young; it makes it so much easier to establish good life long habits when you do so at a young age. It will also pay off more than you think doing the training and completive seasons.
Even if you don’t have a trainer or a coach, make sure you train and condition before your season starts for at least a month, if you are not already playing another sport. The majority of the injuries I have seen over my 15 plus years are because athletes are not in proper condition when the first practice begins.
Get off of the computer and get your rest. Tired athletes usually become injured athletes. Besides, muscles grow and the body heals when you are sleeping and resting. Most teens ignore going to bed at an early enough time.
Play as many sports as you can while you are in high school. Specialization isn’t needed at a young age and may wind up hurting you. The majority of division I athletes that I have worked with were 2 or 3 sport participants.
CB: Excellent Keith. You can read more of Keith’s work at:
http://kescott45.wordpress.com/
3 – Personal Trainer Tools: CB Recommends…
a) Magnificent Mobility & Inside-Out DVD’s
Listen, if you have chronic muscle tension and pain, or poor mobility, I strongly recommend picking up Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman's DVD called "Inside Out - Upper Body Warmup". Obviously, that's for the upper body. If you have lower body tightness, I think you'll need to get the Magnificent Mobility DVD.
Click HERE to ease your pain
b) Fitness RichesPersonal trainers should get a copy of Pat Rigsby's e-book “Fitness Riches”. Fitness Riches is 17 of the Fitness Industry’s Most Successful Professionals Disclose Their Most Closely Guarded Business Building and Profit Producing Secrets.
It includes info from Alwyn Cosgrove, Stephen Holt, Kelli Calabrese, and many others, including myself. I contributed a chapter on building an Internet Fitness Site.Get the book
Click HERE to earn what you deserve
c) The Turbulence Training Blog
You can follow along with my latest workouts and all of my fat loss newsletters and training articles.
www.TurbulenceTraining.blogspot.com
The information on CBAthletics.com is for education purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice or attention of health-care professionals. Consult your physician before beginning or making changes in your diet or exercise program, for diagnosis and treatment of illness and injuries, and for advice regarding medications. Do not make use of any of the information in this newsletter unless you are in good health or you have first reviewed them with and received approval from your personal physician.
CB Athletic Consulting, Inc.
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
http://turbulencetraining.blogspot.com/
www.WorkoutManuals.com
www.cbathletics.com
www.grrlAthlete.com
CB Athletic Consulting, Inc. Training Report
Inside Issue #165:
- Training for Muscle Mass
- Preventing Sports Injuries
- Personal Trainer Tools…CB Recommends
1 – Turbulence Training for Muscle
Take Massive Action, Build Muscle Now!
My controversial new mass plan is available for only 7 more days. On November 1st, it’s gone for good and will not be offered at this price again.
“After completing CB's 8-week Turbulence Training for Muscle I was amazed with the results. In the past I have had trouble putting on lean mass, but now I have found the answer. This program is like nothing Craig has done before and my results prove it. Overall I added 65 lbs to my deadlift, 30 lbs to my bench press and 50 lbs to my squat. But to be honest the reflection in the mirror has to be the best result of them all. Thanks again!”
Kevin Larrabee, www.TheFitcast.com
NOTE: This program is also up in the TT Member's section. It's your best deal.
Click HERE to become a TT Member .
2 – How to Prevent Sports Injuries
Keith Scott is a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) through the National Athletic Trainer’s Association and also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association
Keith received his Master’s Degree in Exercise and Sports Science with a concentration in Sports Medicine from the University of Arizona. During his 13 years in Tucson, he had the pleasure and opportunity to work with hundreds of athletes each year in the youth, high school and college levels.
Keith focused on injury prevention, post surgical/injury rehabilitation, and Strength and Conditioning. He worked extensively with athletes of all levels and many different sports, with over 15 years working directly with athletes in the trenches. Keith currently resides in Southern New Jersey.
You can read more of Keith’s work at:
http://kescott45.wordpress.com/
In addition, Keith wrote an excellent report for Jason Ferrugia’s new combat training program available at www.combatconditioningsecrets.com
CB: Keith, how do you use your background of athletic therapy when designing programs for people and taking them through their workouts? How might they differ from someone like myself with only a minor background in the area of Rehabilitation?
KS:
I have a very strong background in assessment, so I take a lot more time evaluating range of motion in all major joints (some minor joints too), muscle and tendon strength, joint integrity, and basic movement patterns and mechanics.
I will take a whole session just doing an evaluation sometimes. I also take a pretty thorough history on each person, finding out about previous injuries, chronic problems, pain, etc… and not to forget…the person’s experience level in training.
Once I have a good understanding of the person’s situation I design my programs much like I would a rehab program for someone with an injury. After all, I have yet to meet anyone that does not have problems, imbalances or pain somewhere, so it’s really no different.
I create a “problem list” first and form the program around that. For example, if someone comes in with very tight hip flexors, tight dorsiflexors, and horrible scapular control (like a lot of people that we probably see) those go on my problem list. I create a program around those areas first and work on those things right away. I won’t introduce an exercise in those areas until we correct them or at the very least, are on the road to correcting them.
People that can’t control their hips, or ankles for example, have no business squatting any kind of weight until those things are handled, yet we see trainers, and coaches doing just that everyday.
What I have seen with a lot of trainers and coaches is that this “problem list”, if ever really generated in the first place, gets lost in the program and things never really get addressed that should. Ultimately, the athlete gets injured or never improves. Each program should be different because each athlete is different. Of course this takes more time and effort from the trainer/coach.
All of my programs utilize a lot of hands on work – myofascial work (releasing), teaching of self myofascial work, muscle activation, and hands on stretching (PNF patterns…contract/relax, etc…). I am a big proponent of closed chain proprioception too, for upper and lower extremities as well as joint mobilization techniques and exercises.
I also use a lot more recovery methods with my athletes especially after training sessions. Different types of cold and heat therapy as well as different types of treatment massages and stretching.
CB: what are the typical muscle groups, lifts, and physical abilities that you focus on when training young athletes for sports?
KS:
Assuming that we are talking about high school age athletes first, I use the same type of muscle group training that I would an older athlete. This assumes that there are no major problems that need attacking first.
I work a lot of posterior chain with all of my athletes. Every one of my programs has glute work –extension, abduction, stability, as well as adductor work (which I believe is missed in a lot of programs)
My programs will always have upper extremity pulling exercises included for the posterior chain, and rotator cuff work, especially the external rotators, but a good share of subscapularis work as well…that muscle is overshadowed a lot by the other internal rotators and is extremely important.
I like to train the rotator cuff as a stabilizer more than just as internal/external rotators. Its job is to stabilize first. Here is where I will throw in some closed chain proprioception, PNF patterns, etc..
Along with the pulling and rotator cuff work, I will address scapula stability and function a lot. Sometimes this is just teaching the athlete correct movement of that area. Young athletes are in a perfect place to start to develop correct scapular movement patterns, and stability of that shoulder complex.
This is not to say that I don’t put pushing exercises in programs, because I do, but I certainly don’t think benching needs to be the crux of every program.
CB: What do young athletes really need?KS:
Young athletes need movement training first…running mechanics, jumping mechanics, lifting mechanics, etc…
I focus a lot of moving correctly. Just by learning how to move correctly and with the correct muscles, will reduce injuries with out a doubt...not to mention make a better and stronger athlete. After that, they need to establish both stability work in all joints, and reactive work.
Common lifts – squats (front, back, split), lunges – (sag. Plane first, and no multi-plane until they master that movement), dead lifts, cleans, push press, rows (seated, bar, db), medicine ball work.
Of course this all will be altered slightly depending on the sport, experience level, and problem list/
CB: Okay, describe a typical session for a young athlete.
KS:
Typical session – address problems first if applicable at this point (ex: pain, tight areas, areas that need activating, releasing, etc.)
If time permits, I will do some releasing or the athlete will him or herself (foam rolling, etc.), followed by a really good active warm up. Mobility drills, and large muscle group warm up (lunges, jump rope, push ups, etc..) Active stretches, proprioception work (balance, coordination work)
Teaching and learning come next – younger athletes need to be taught how to do the lifts, or mechanics correctly, so I will spend some time there at the beginning. It’s essential with kids that you repeat things and get the movement patterns ingrained.
Depending on whether it’s a speed day, the athlete may do some speed, footwork, basic agility work first, and some reactive training. This will be followed with resistance training (major lifts first – dl’s, squats, cleans, presses, etc..) And then any additional work at the end. I will include a lot of core training within the session usually between sets for more advanced athletes.
Most sessions end with some static stretching (ex: hip flexors, calves, heel cord, hip rotators, shoulders), and then recovery modalities if possible. Depending on which season the athlete is in, some energy system work might follow.
CB: At a young athlete level, how much variation is there in the programs between sports?
KS:
As far as resistance training not too much. Almost all of my athletes will do squats of some sort, dead lifts, presses and pulls. I work large muscle groups with all of the younger athletes, and besides rep and set schemes, it is pretty much the same.
I find that most need work on the same areas and those areas are usually the important one’s for all sports. With that said, I will plug certain things into each program depending on the sport.
For example, a wrestler and basketball player will be trained much different when it comes to intensity, rep/set, especially as the competitive season nears. Off-season schemes look much more similar. Energy system training will be very specific to the sport however, as will reactive training and preventive exercises.
CB: What rehab, recovery, and prehab stuff would apply to young athlete training programs that most other trainers are missing?
KS:
As I already made mention to, most young athletes just need to learn how to move correctly first. This goes for all resistance training. Correct form will help to reduce both acute and chronic injuries.
Second, understanding muscle activation should be a standard in all programs, and especially when working with youth. Young athletes just don’t move very well these days and in so many instances I find muscle groups that are just “shut off”. Many trainers are so stuck on increasing flexibility whenever there is a problem, that they miss everything else.
When something hurts, “stretch more”, when you can’t do something “stretch more”. This is the answer to everything. It drives me insane.
In many cases these athletes don’t need more stretching, they need activation. Both primary and antagonist muscle groups. Activation doesn’t only need to be manual, meaning from the trainer/coach, but it can be taught to the athlete as well through simple exercises and drills.
It may sound like a strange form of “prehab”, but its so important in joint stability, and generating strength/power, and efficiency.
Proprioception!!! I don’t see many trainers/coaches dealing with this at all. I like to describe proprioception as how the brain and muscles/joints/body talk to each other…it controls your balance, coordination, and how much of an athlete you really are. Control is a must in all movements. Good trainers and coaches can work it in the program without anyone ever knowing, but in many cases, it needs to be addressed straight up.
Finally, recovery is huge in my world. I don’t see this even talked about much, but it is so important to overall progress and health. Just an ice bag over a sore joint, or a heating modality in the right place can make a huge difference in the athlete and how they respond to your program.
Pain will stop a training program in its tracks. Control pain, soreness, and stiffness and you will get ahead so much faster and safer.
How come some coaches/trainers never share recovery methods with their athletes or clients? It’s a must for me and makes a bigger difference than people think. If you are not using recovery methods with your athletes and clients, you are missing the boat on good progress. Of course, rest and good nutrition are the key for proper recovery. It all needs to be addressed.
CB: Any other general recommendations for young athletes?
KS:
Start eating well when you are young; it makes it so much easier to establish good life long habits when you do so at a young age. It will also pay off more than you think doing the training and completive seasons.
Even if you don’t have a trainer or a coach, make sure you train and condition before your season starts for at least a month, if you are not already playing another sport. The majority of the injuries I have seen over my 15 plus years are because athletes are not in proper condition when the first practice begins.
Get off of the computer and get your rest. Tired athletes usually become injured athletes. Besides, muscles grow and the body heals when you are sleeping and resting. Most teens ignore going to bed at an early enough time.
Play as many sports as you can while you are in high school. Specialization isn’t needed at a young age and may wind up hurting you. The majority of division I athletes that I have worked with were 2 or 3 sport participants.
CB: Excellent Keith. You can read more of Keith’s work at:
http://kescott45.wordpress.com/
3 – Personal Trainer Tools: CB Recommends…
a) Magnificent Mobility & Inside-Out DVD’s
Listen, if you have chronic muscle tension and pain, or poor mobility, I strongly recommend picking up Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman's DVD called "Inside Out - Upper Body Warmup". Obviously, that's for the upper body. If you have lower body tightness, I think you'll need to get the Magnificent Mobility DVD.
Click HERE to ease your pain
b) Fitness RichesPersonal trainers should get a copy of Pat Rigsby's e-book “Fitness Riches”. Fitness Riches is 17 of the Fitness Industry’s Most Successful Professionals Disclose Their Most Closely Guarded Business Building and Profit Producing Secrets.
It includes info from Alwyn Cosgrove, Stephen Holt, Kelli Calabrese, and many others, including myself. I contributed a chapter on building an Internet Fitness Site.Get the book
Click HERE to earn what you deserve
c) The Turbulence Training Blog
You can follow along with my latest workouts and all of my fat loss newsletters and training articles.
www.TurbulenceTraining.blogspot.com
The information on CBAthletics.com is for education purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice or attention of health-care professionals. Consult your physician before beginning or making changes in your diet or exercise program, for diagnosis and treatment of illness and injuries, and for advice regarding medications. Do not make use of any of the information in this newsletter unless you are in good health or you have first reviewed them with and received approval from your personal physician.
CB Athletic Consulting, Inc.
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
http://turbulencetraining.blogspot.com/
www.WorkoutManuals.com
www.cbathletics.com
www.grrlAthlete.com
Low Intensity Cardio for Fat Loss
Another reader's fat loss cardio question today...
Q: I know intervals are great, but is it ever beneficial to do longer workouts of moderate intensity cardio? Is this what beginners should do?
Answer:
Good question. I think that the more fat a person has, the more they will simply benefit from any type of exercise. Therefore, even low-intensity work will help.
However, two things to consider before we just send everyone out for 60 minute jogs and cardio sessions.
1) Is the individual physically prepared for high-volume exercise? Unfortunately, I've seen my share of clients that decided to jump back into fitness with long cardio workouts. Soon enough they were asking me to help rehab their injuries...whether they were small muscles strains or more serious overuse injuries.
So you always have to make sure that the individuals are physically prepared for the exercise program - which is why my training programs include introductory and beginner muscle strengthening phases in combination with exercise that focuses on calorie burning.
Many beginners will have weak muscles - somewhere along the line. So doing dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of repetitions (i.e. longer cardio stuff) can exacerbate small injuries into full-blown injuries. We must always be careful there...that's one of the reasons that people drop out of exercise programs so frequently.
And that's why fitness assessments are very important when you are able to work one-on-one with a trainer (or when you are a trainer - make sure you do these!).
2) Efficiency You can get the same benefits as long cardio in half the time by doing structured interval training instead. So if time is a factor, then intervals rule.
So remember these 4 simple rules for your fat loss program and it will be effective, efficient, balanced, and safe:
1) Strengthen the weak muscles
2) Stretch the tight muscles
3) Burn more calories (through exercise and by boosting your metabolism with resistance training)
4) Improve your nutrition so that you are taking in fewer calories to lose fat, but not dieting so hard that you are messing up your body's fat-burning hormones.
Train right for your type,
CB
P.S. Don't go from zero to hero...
Training thousands of men, women, athletes, beginners, and advanced fitness enthusiasts has shown me what each of these groups can handle in the gym.
That's why TT for Fat Loss comes with a beginner level and a bonus beginner level bodyweight program to get you ready for the advanced fat-burning, muscle-defining workouts that follow in each progressively more difficult stage.
"Craig, I just wanted to let you know that the bodyweight programs you have incorporated into our program has had remarkable results. AS you know, I had fallen off our regular program due to a family illness. At 44 years of age, I was worried about regaining my strength and burning off the bodyfat I gained during a period of inactivity. It was discouraging at first until you included a bodyweight workout. It has been the perfect solution. The bodyweight circuit burns more fat than any prior cardio workout I have ever done.It has also helped me to regain my strength in a very short period of time. The execises are very difficult and challenging but worth the effort. The results I have seen after 3 weeks is the kind I was expecting to see after 8 weeks. I would highly recommend your bodyweight program for anyone looking to burn off bodyfat while gaining strength."
Bobby Logan
Click here to get started with your TT workout today
"Hi Craig, I am enjoying Turbulence Training. I am a personal trainer, so I've incorporated much of it into my sessions. Though I used some philosophies from TT, your program has added a world of new ideas, methods, and techniques to my client sessions. And for that, I thank you so very much. Even my wife loves it, ha! So much more to read and implement, so TT reading will keep me busy for many months to come. Make it a great day!"
Loren Salas
"The things I like the most in the TT program: a) Large number of different exercises allowing for ever new combinations, which prevent boredom and routine. b) Different approaches to strength training (dumbbells, own body, simple implements). c) A lot of precise information about pacing, timing and choosing effort levels. d) Sound and solid information on kinesiology and physiology of training."
Peter Tancig
fat loss, workout, cardio, fat loss workout, lose weight, exercise routine
Q: I know intervals are great, but is it ever beneficial to do longer workouts of moderate intensity cardio? Is this what beginners should do?
Answer:
Good question. I think that the more fat a person has, the more they will simply benefit from any type of exercise. Therefore, even low-intensity work will help.
However, two things to consider before we just send everyone out for 60 minute jogs and cardio sessions.
1) Is the individual physically prepared for high-volume exercise? Unfortunately, I've seen my share of clients that decided to jump back into fitness with long cardio workouts. Soon enough they were asking me to help rehab their injuries...whether they were small muscles strains or more serious overuse injuries.
So you always have to make sure that the individuals are physically prepared for the exercise program - which is why my training programs include introductory and beginner muscle strengthening phases in combination with exercise that focuses on calorie burning.
Many beginners will have weak muscles - somewhere along the line. So doing dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of repetitions (i.e. longer cardio stuff) can exacerbate small injuries into full-blown injuries. We must always be careful there...that's one of the reasons that people drop out of exercise programs so frequently.
And that's why fitness assessments are very important when you are able to work one-on-one with a trainer (or when you are a trainer - make sure you do these!).
2) Efficiency You can get the same benefits as long cardio in half the time by doing structured interval training instead. So if time is a factor, then intervals rule.
So remember these 4 simple rules for your fat loss program and it will be effective, efficient, balanced, and safe:
1) Strengthen the weak muscles
2) Stretch the tight muscles
3) Burn more calories (through exercise and by boosting your metabolism with resistance training)
4) Improve your nutrition so that you are taking in fewer calories to lose fat, but not dieting so hard that you are messing up your body's fat-burning hormones.
Train right for your type,
CB
P.S. Don't go from zero to hero...
Training thousands of men, women, athletes, beginners, and advanced fitness enthusiasts has shown me what each of these groups can handle in the gym.
That's why TT for Fat Loss comes with a beginner level and a bonus beginner level bodyweight program to get you ready for the advanced fat-burning, muscle-defining workouts that follow in each progressively more difficult stage.
"Craig, I just wanted to let you know that the bodyweight programs you have incorporated into our program has had remarkable results. AS you know, I had fallen off our regular program due to a family illness. At 44 years of age, I was worried about regaining my strength and burning off the bodyfat I gained during a period of inactivity. It was discouraging at first until you included a bodyweight workout. It has been the perfect solution. The bodyweight circuit burns more fat than any prior cardio workout I have ever done.It has also helped me to regain my strength in a very short period of time. The execises are very difficult and challenging but worth the effort. The results I have seen after 3 weeks is the kind I was expecting to see after 8 weeks. I would highly recommend your bodyweight program for anyone looking to burn off bodyfat while gaining strength."
Bobby Logan
Click here to get started with your TT workout today
"Hi Craig, I am enjoying Turbulence Training. I am a personal trainer, so I've incorporated much of it into my sessions. Though I used some philosophies from TT, your program has added a world of new ideas, methods, and techniques to my client sessions. And for that, I thank you so very much. Even my wife loves it, ha! So much more to read and implement, so TT reading will keep me busy for many months to come. Make it a great day!"
Loren Salas
"The things I like the most in the TT program: a) Large number of different exercises allowing for ever new combinations, which prevent boredom and routine. b) Different approaches to strength training (dumbbells, own body, simple implements). c) A lot of precise information about pacing, timing and choosing effort levels. d) Sound and solid information on kinesiology and physiology of training."
Peter Tancig
fat loss, workout, cardio, fat loss workout, lose weight, exercise routine
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Mobility Workout
Today I did some more mobility exercises in my workout from the Inside-Out Upper Body Warm-up DVD. It included T-pushups, some Dynamic PNF movements for the upper back, some foam rolling (of course), and some wall slides (what I call stickups).
Later I will do some more foam rolling for my lower body.
Listen, if you have chronic muscle tension and pain, or poor mobility, I strongly recommend picking up Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman's DVD called "Inside Out - Upper Body Warmup". Obviously, that's for the upper body. If you have lower body tightness, I think you'll need to get the Magnificant Mobility DVD.
Click HERE to start getting rid of pain and tightness
CB
workout
Later I will do some more foam rolling for my lower body.
Listen, if you have chronic muscle tension and pain, or poor mobility, I strongly recommend picking up Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman's DVD called "Inside Out - Upper Body Warmup". Obviously, that's for the upper body. If you have lower body tightness, I think you'll need to get the Magnificant Mobility DVD.
Click HERE to start getting rid of pain and tightness
CB
workout
7-Day Guide: Fat Loss & Social Support
Fat Loss Workouts & Social Support
You must be your own fat loss experiment. You must learn what works for you for fat loss.
In order to do that, you have to realize you can only make one big change at a time. And you have to constantly measure your results.
Without specific testing and measuring, you can't know for sure whether the change in your program has caused any effect in your fat loss. You must be scientific about this in order to succeed.
(I'll be speaking about more successful traits in my TT newsletter tomorrow from www.TurbulenceTraining.com - signup today if you haven't already).
So that's why I continue to publish the 7-day guideline to the week ahead...to help you stay on track with your lifestyle changes and workouts.
I recommend you take a good look at Saturday's tip...it could be the missing piece in your fat loss puzzle. You must do this!
Here's what you need to do this week...
Monday
TT Workout - If you are not on one of the TT programs that changes all the time, make sure you adjust your workouts every 4 weeks. That way you'll continue to get results, and you won't hit a dreaded plateau.
Tuesday
30 minutes of activity. Do you have chronic muscle pain? If so, do yourself a favor and get the warm-up and mobility DVD's from Mike Robertson and crew HERE.
Get yourself a torture device, I mean foam roller, and get rid of the scars, knots, adhesions, trigger points, or whatever you call them in your muscle.
My performance has improved since doing this (see HERE) and the roller always allows for instant upper back pain relief.
Wednesday
TT Workout. Make sure that you are continuing to follow the warm-up rules. Never skip your TT warm-up...even if you pressed for time. Do the warm-up, and cut back on the number of sets in the workout if you must. But don't skip your warm-up, or your workout.
Thursday
30 minutes of activity. Take some time to evaluate your fitness levels now with those of last month. It's important to keep track of your progress.
Friday
TT Workout. When you train your upper body, don't neglect the muscles of your upper back, especially if you are doing a lot of chest pressing. Pairing a press with a row is a great non-competing superset.
Saturday
30 minutes activity. Then meet with your social support group online or offline. I can't emphasize how important this is. Here's what one TT user said about the benefits once she finally got serious about getting support...
"Signing up for the Dream Team (on a fitness message board) has helped me push through some barriers and get serious about this. I don't know why, but for years I have danced around and not fully committed (worked hard, eaten well and then sabotaged. Again & again).
I feel more focused and committed not than I ever have. I don't know why I have been such a hard case, I am just glad to feel that I am on track now. The mind is a really funny thing.
I guess the net of it is that your comments about social support being important are more true than I realized. You get in with a bunch of women, you commit to a challenge, you are contributing (or not) to the success of the team relative to other teams in the challenge and you don't want to let anyone down. And then, you realize you don't want to let yourself down! This is a go all the way group!"
Super Sunday
30 minutes of activity. Plan, shop, prepare.
Aim for more vegetables, more fruits, and less refined carbohydrates. Monitor your "reaction" to certain foods. Do they make you tired? Do you have long-lasting mental alertness after eating protein and vegetables?
Adapt your food intake based on your "research".
And leverage your teamwork and social support,
CB
P.S. More fat loss "experimentation"...
I've spent the last couple of months experimenting with client's workouts to come up with a fusion workout of dumbbell and bodyweight supersets to help maximize your time exercising, not looking for equipment.
Each superset in this fusion workout pairs a dumbbell exercise with a demanding bodyweight exercise - to give you more fat loss results in less workout time.
Click HERE to get started.
fat loss, workout, nutrition, social support, lose weight, support group, weight loss
You must be your own fat loss experiment. You must learn what works for you for fat loss.
In order to do that, you have to realize you can only make one big change at a time. And you have to constantly measure your results.
Without specific testing and measuring, you can't know for sure whether the change in your program has caused any effect in your fat loss. You must be scientific about this in order to succeed.
(I'll be speaking about more successful traits in my TT newsletter tomorrow from www.TurbulenceTraining.com - signup today if you haven't already).
So that's why I continue to publish the 7-day guideline to the week ahead...to help you stay on track with your lifestyle changes and workouts.
I recommend you take a good look at Saturday's tip...it could be the missing piece in your fat loss puzzle. You must do this!
Here's what you need to do this week...
Monday
TT Workout - If you are not on one of the TT programs that changes all the time, make sure you adjust your workouts every 4 weeks. That way you'll continue to get results, and you won't hit a dreaded plateau.
Tuesday
30 minutes of activity. Do you have chronic muscle pain? If so, do yourself a favor and get the warm-up and mobility DVD's from Mike Robertson and crew HERE.
Get yourself a torture device, I mean foam roller, and get rid of the scars, knots, adhesions, trigger points, or whatever you call them in your muscle.
My performance has improved since doing this (see HERE) and the roller always allows for instant upper back pain relief.
Wednesday
TT Workout. Make sure that you are continuing to follow the warm-up rules. Never skip your TT warm-up...even if you pressed for time. Do the warm-up, and cut back on the number of sets in the workout if you must. But don't skip your warm-up, or your workout.
Thursday
30 minutes of activity. Take some time to evaluate your fitness levels now with those of last month. It's important to keep track of your progress.
Friday
TT Workout. When you train your upper body, don't neglect the muscles of your upper back, especially if you are doing a lot of chest pressing. Pairing a press with a row is a great non-competing superset.
Saturday
30 minutes activity. Then meet with your social support group online or offline. I can't emphasize how important this is. Here's what one TT user said about the benefits once she finally got serious about getting support...
"Signing up for the Dream Team (on a fitness message board) has helped me push through some barriers and get serious about this. I don't know why, but for years I have danced around and not fully committed (worked hard, eaten well and then sabotaged. Again & again).
I feel more focused and committed not than I ever have. I don't know why I have been such a hard case, I am just glad to feel that I am on track now. The mind is a really funny thing.
I guess the net of it is that your comments about social support being important are more true than I realized. You get in with a bunch of women, you commit to a challenge, you are contributing (or not) to the success of the team relative to other teams in the challenge and you don't want to let anyone down. And then, you realize you don't want to let yourself down! This is a go all the way group!"
Super Sunday
30 minutes of activity. Plan, shop, prepare.
Aim for more vegetables, more fruits, and less refined carbohydrates. Monitor your "reaction" to certain foods. Do they make you tired? Do you have long-lasting mental alertness after eating protein and vegetables?
Adapt your food intake based on your "research".
And leverage your teamwork and social support,
CB
P.S. More fat loss "experimentation"...
I've spent the last couple of months experimenting with client's workouts to come up with a fusion workout of dumbbell and bodyweight supersets to help maximize your time exercising, not looking for equipment.
Each superset in this fusion workout pairs a dumbbell exercise with a demanding bodyweight exercise - to give you more fat loss results in less workout time.
Click HERE to get started.
fat loss, workout, nutrition, social support, lose weight, support group, weight loss
Saturday Workout
Workout
Did a quick 20-minute workout today...no not an aerobics 20-minute workout, but a quick visit to the gym in my condo where i did some biceps and triceps for fun. Overall, a fun workout, which was the entire point.
1A) Standing DB Curls (3x8)
1B) Triceps Pressdowns (3x10)
2A) Incline DB Curls (3x6)
2B) Triceps Pressdowns (3x8)
3A) Cable Lateral Raises (2x10)
3B) Hammer Curls (2x6)
Later in the afternoon I went to see "Flags of Our Fathers". It's no Saving Private Ryan, but its allright.
7/10
The beach landing in Saving Private Ryan is much better, although in this movie it's larger in turns of number of troops shown.
Overall, the movie drags on at the end. I was really only in it for the battle scenes, and didn't care much for the story back in the USA...although it was interesting to learn the story behind the flag raising and the war-bond drive back in the USA. I enjoy the history lessons provided by these types of films.
I recently also watched "Enemy at the Gates", a movie about the battle of Stalingrad (American movies about the Eastern Front are few and far between). And I also watched the old movie, "Battle of the Bulge" last weekend...another good history lesson.
Back to Flags of Our Fathers, I thought the musical score was sub-par - or at least bad enough for me to notice and mention it here. But blame that on Clint Eastwood who, according to the credits, wrote the music.
Did a quick 20-minute workout today...no not an aerobics 20-minute workout, but a quick visit to the gym in my condo where i did some biceps and triceps for fun. Overall, a fun workout, which was the entire point.
1A) Standing DB Curls (3x8)
1B) Triceps Pressdowns (3x10)
2A) Incline DB Curls (3x6)
2B) Triceps Pressdowns (3x8)
3A) Cable Lateral Raises (2x10)
3B) Hammer Curls (2x6)
Later in the afternoon I went to see "Flags of Our Fathers". It's no Saving Private Ryan, but its allright.
7/10
The beach landing in Saving Private Ryan is much better, although in this movie it's larger in turns of number of troops shown.
Overall, the movie drags on at the end. I was really only in it for the battle scenes, and didn't care much for the story back in the USA...although it was interesting to learn the story behind the flag raising and the war-bond drive back in the USA. I enjoy the history lessons provided by these types of films.
I recently also watched "Enemy at the Gates", a movie about the battle of Stalingrad (American movies about the Eastern Front are few and far between). And I also watched the old movie, "Battle of the Bulge" last weekend...another good history lesson.
Back to Flags of Our Fathers, I thought the musical score was sub-par - or at least bad enough for me to notice and mention it here. But blame that on Clint Eastwood who, according to the credits, wrote the music.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Workout Lessons From Bodybuilders
Bodybuilders often get a hard time in the media. Stereotyped as knuckle-scraping Neanderthals with horrible fashion-sense, these guys get no respect.
And these days, let's face it, bodybuilders are pretty gross (both male and female "professionals"). But there was a time when Arnold's physique was inspirational, and the era before that was even healthier.
That said, when it comes to building a beach body, we can learn a valuable lesson from them.
The lesson...
If you want to get lean and show off a 6-pack on the beach, your best bet is to gain the muscle first and then lose the fat.
Trying to go the other way (i.e. dieting down to a 6-pack when you have little muscle to begin with), you're bound to fail.
I've discussed this before, and I strongly encourage muscle-building as the first step on the path to a beach body.
And I recently had to take this approach with a client who wanted to gain muscle. This client was originally one of my top fat loss success stories (but unfortunately, a little too bashful for the before and after photo scene).
So "JD" as we'll call him, was ready to put some muscle on during his off-season from sports.
Down to a svelte 170 pounds with 10% body fat, I had him go directly to the TT for Muscle program. Within 4 weeks he was up to 178 pounds, with practically zero fat gain.
Four workouts of 45 minutes, that's a small investment for a lifetime of bigger muscles.
Get growing,
CB
P.S. Don't wait, start building muscle for next year today...
The TT for Muscle program offer was extended for a month...but it's gone on November 1st.
Now is the perfect time to get started building muscle - after all, the nutrition scene from here on in to New Year's is about as good as it gets for "getting big".
Click HERE to get started on this limited-time offer today
"I have been a Turbulence Training Fanatic since I saw great results with Turbulence Training for Fat Loss. And when I needed to put on some mass there was no other place I would rather turn then Craig Ballantyne and his TT workouts. With the new Turbulence Training for Muscle program I am seeing WEEKLY gains in the size and strength departments. Something I have never experienced in the past. Once again one of Craig's programs is blowing me away with great results and in doing so getting me out of the gym in under an hour. I can't thank him enough. By the way I saw 20 lb gain on my deadlift today, more gains!!! I am loving it!!!"
Kevin Larrabee
muscle, workout, bodybuilder, deadlift
And these days, let's face it, bodybuilders are pretty gross (both male and female "professionals"). But there was a time when Arnold's physique was inspirational, and the era before that was even healthier.
That said, when it comes to building a beach body, we can learn a valuable lesson from them.
The lesson...
If you want to get lean and show off a 6-pack on the beach, your best bet is to gain the muscle first and then lose the fat.
Trying to go the other way (i.e. dieting down to a 6-pack when you have little muscle to begin with), you're bound to fail.
I've discussed this before, and I strongly encourage muscle-building as the first step on the path to a beach body.
And I recently had to take this approach with a client who wanted to gain muscle. This client was originally one of my top fat loss success stories (but unfortunately, a little too bashful for the before and after photo scene).
So "JD" as we'll call him, was ready to put some muscle on during his off-season from sports.
Down to a svelte 170 pounds with 10% body fat, I had him go directly to the TT for Muscle program. Within 4 weeks he was up to 178 pounds, with practically zero fat gain.
Four workouts of 45 minutes, that's a small investment for a lifetime of bigger muscles.
Get growing,
CB
P.S. Don't wait, start building muscle for next year today...
The TT for Muscle program offer was extended for a month...but it's gone on November 1st.
Now is the perfect time to get started building muscle - after all, the nutrition scene from here on in to New Year's is about as good as it gets for "getting big".
Click HERE to get started on this limited-time offer today
"I have been a Turbulence Training Fanatic since I saw great results with Turbulence Training for Fat Loss. And when I needed to put on some mass there was no other place I would rather turn then Craig Ballantyne and his TT workouts. With the new Turbulence Training for Muscle program I am seeing WEEKLY gains in the size and strength departments. Something I have never experienced in the past. Once again one of Craig's programs is blowing me away with great results and in doing so getting me out of the gym in under an hour. I can't thank him enough. By the way I saw 20 lb gain on my deadlift today, more gains!!! I am loving it!!!"
Kevin Larrabee
muscle, workout, bodybuilder, deadlift
Friday, October 20, 2006
Friday total body workout
Workout
Some basics this workout. To be honest, I wasn't expecting any records today. - might have pushed too hard on the bench for the first workout back.
Huge surprise performance with the pistols. I find that unlike the deadlift, this is one exercise that you lose quickly if you don't keep up with it.
So from my best performance of 3 sets of 8 pistols last summer, I fell to 3 sets of 3 after a 9 mobth break.
In 3 weeks I was back to 3 sets of 5, but despite taking last week off, I did 3 sets of 6 today.
Not only that, but the form for both legs was great. Usually I have a harder time on my right side due to past broken bones and resultant immobility in my hip.
But this time it felt better thabn perhaps ever on that side.
The only thing I can possibly attribute todays perfornmane to is my increase in the use of the foam roller for my legs.
It must be working.
Click HERE to get your DVD's that show you how to eliminate pain and increase performance
1) Bench Press (3x5) - didn't feel strong
2) Deadlift (3x10) - weak grip
3) Chinup (1 set to max) - same as wednesday
4a) Pistol (3x6)
4b) db side bend (3x10)
That's it for this week.
Cb
Workout, bench press, deadlift
Ab Workouts Slow Fat Loss
Ab Workouts & Fat Loss
Not only are most traditional ab workouts a waste of time, but they also slow your fat loss efforts. Ab workouts are slowing down your fat loss.
Each workout you spend crunching takes time away from more effective fat loss methods - such as interval training.
That's right, the common man's (and woman's) ab workout taken from Shape magazine or Muscle'n'Fitness often hurts their fat loss program more than it helps it.
Remember - I'm in the business of getting you the most fat loss in the least amount of exercise time...so I have little room in myprogram for traditional ab crunches (with the exception of usingbasic ab exercises for beginners who need to learn to use their ab muscles after a lifetime of inactivity).
Instead, I focus on exercises that build a 6-pack AND burn a lot of calories at the same time. That's why I'm a big fan of making EVERY exercise an ab exercise (by bracing the abs in every movement), as well as using total body ab exercises (such as Mountain Climbers, the Spiderman Lunge/Climb, and the Stability Ball Jackknife).
These exercises use far more muscle mass than a traditional crunch. In fact, some of the total body ab exercises are "interval-like" in nature, helping to put more metabolic turbulence on the body, and as you know, that's what burns calories during AND after the workout.
Now of course you know that you can't spot reduce the fat on your body - so doing an endless number of crunches not only does little for you in terms of losing fat, it also wastes your time in your quest for a 6-pack.
Here are a couple of strategies to maximize your workout time when your goal is to get lean, and get down to a low-enough body fat percentage to see your abs in as little workout time as possible:
(If you've got 2 hours a day to workout, by all means, do whatever your heart desires...but I don't think many of us that live in the real world have that kind of time.)
A) First, simply cut back on your ab training - If your goal is tosimply lose fat, gain a little muscle, and just look as goodpossible, then you can't spend 30 minutes on abs everyday. You can build your 6-pack by doing less than 30 minutes of ab exercise per week.
I'm convinced that no one (not even a fitness model or probodybuilder) needs more than 30 minutes of ab training per week.
In fact, at the photoshoots I supervise for the fitness magazines,I get to talk to a lot of fitness models and what they tell meabout their training routines might shock you. Most of them don't train nearly as frequently as you or I might think.
Instead, they've worked hard over the years with the basic lifts to build their body, and now many of them simply use nutrition and maintenance workouts to keep their abs showing.
B) Second, replace your crunches with the total body ab exercises I mentioned earlier. Also, if you have access to a cable machine, you can do weighted ab exercises such as kneeling cable crunches.
C) And finally, if you are doing intervals for fat loss as Irecommend, you can use the following approach to increase thedifficulty of your ab and interval training. However, this is anadvanced method only. Beginners should stick to the TT guidelines in their manual.
During your interval workout, perform an ab exercise during your active recovery period. For example, if you are doing running intervals on a treadmill...
Run for 60 seconds at your work interval speed. Immediately stop the treadmill, get off, and go into a set of 20 Mountain Climbers. Climb back on the treadmill and start it up for your next interval. Repeat for 3-6 intervals.
You can also use basic spinal stabilization "ab exercises" such asthe plank, side plank, or advanced plank versions (i.e. plank with your arms on the ball) to train your spinal stabilization while under heavy breathing stress. I learned this technique from Dr. Stuart McGill.
Remember: Always train safe, with good form, and be conservative. Don't try to be a hero in the gym, but you should safely challenge yourself in each workout.
Stick to the Turbulence Training Guidelines if you don't know where to start.
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Not only are most traditional ab workouts a waste of time, but they also slow your fat loss efforts. Ab workouts are slowing down your fat loss.
Each workout you spend crunching takes time away from more effective fat loss methods - such as interval training.
That's right, the common man's (and woman's) ab workout taken from Shape magazine or Muscle'n'Fitness often hurts their fat loss program more than it helps it.
Remember - I'm in the business of getting you the most fat loss in the least amount of exercise time...so I have little room in myprogram for traditional ab crunches (with the exception of usingbasic ab exercises for beginners who need to learn to use their ab muscles after a lifetime of inactivity).
Instead, I focus on exercises that build a 6-pack AND burn a lot of calories at the same time. That's why I'm a big fan of making EVERY exercise an ab exercise (by bracing the abs in every movement), as well as using total body ab exercises (such as Mountain Climbers, the Spiderman Lunge/Climb, and the Stability Ball Jackknife).
These exercises use far more muscle mass than a traditional crunch. In fact, some of the total body ab exercises are "interval-like" in nature, helping to put more metabolic turbulence on the body, and as you know, that's what burns calories during AND after the workout.
Now of course you know that you can't spot reduce the fat on your body - so doing an endless number of crunches not only does little for you in terms of losing fat, it also wastes your time in your quest for a 6-pack.
Here are a couple of strategies to maximize your workout time when your goal is to get lean, and get down to a low-enough body fat percentage to see your abs in as little workout time as possible:
(If you've got 2 hours a day to workout, by all means, do whatever your heart desires...but I don't think many of us that live in the real world have that kind of time.)
A) First, simply cut back on your ab training - If your goal is tosimply lose fat, gain a little muscle, and just look as goodpossible, then you can't spend 30 minutes on abs everyday. You can build your 6-pack by doing less than 30 minutes of ab exercise per week.
I'm convinced that no one (not even a fitness model or probodybuilder) needs more than 30 minutes of ab training per week.
In fact, at the photoshoots I supervise for the fitness magazines,I get to talk to a lot of fitness models and what they tell meabout their training routines might shock you. Most of them don't train nearly as frequently as you or I might think.
Instead, they've worked hard over the years with the basic lifts to build their body, and now many of them simply use nutrition and maintenance workouts to keep their abs showing.
B) Second, replace your crunches with the total body ab exercises I mentioned earlier. Also, if you have access to a cable machine, you can do weighted ab exercises such as kneeling cable crunches.
C) And finally, if you are doing intervals for fat loss as Irecommend, you can use the following approach to increase thedifficulty of your ab and interval training. However, this is anadvanced method only. Beginners should stick to the TT guidelines in their manual.
During your interval workout, perform an ab exercise during your active recovery period. For example, if you are doing running intervals on a treadmill...
Run for 60 seconds at your work interval speed. Immediately stop the treadmill, get off, and go into a set of 20 Mountain Climbers. Climb back on the treadmill and start it up for your next interval. Repeat for 3-6 intervals.
You can also use basic spinal stabilization "ab exercises" such asthe plank, side plank, or advanced plank versions (i.e. plank with your arms on the ball) to train your spinal stabilization while under heavy breathing stress. I learned this technique from Dr. Stuart McGill.
Remember: Always train safe, with good form, and be conservative. Don't try to be a hero in the gym, but you should safely challenge yourself in each workout.
Stick to the Turbulence Training Guidelines if you don't know where to start.
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Positive Fat Loss
Fat Loss
When most people think about their fat loss efforts, they tend to focus on the negative. And it's pretty easy to do that.
You know what I mean?
They worry that they didn't lose more than a pound this week. Or they focus on the meals where they slipped up. Or they stress about the upcoming special events that are going to put them off track. All this stress and negative thinking can hurt your fat loss program.
You shouldn't focus on the negative if you are going to get positive results out of your Turbulence Training lifestyle.
You need to stay focused on doing things right the best that you can...and don't stress about the mistakes that you make.
This is very important as we get closer to the holidays and the events that come with it, where you could easily lose yourself in a downward spiral of negativity and situations that are not conducive to fat loss.
Focus on the meals that you can control, and the workouts that you can make. Think about the progress you can make over the next month.
Even if you have 3 bad meals in a week, you should still have almost 40 meals that you can control. Stick to lean proteins, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, appetite-controlling almonds, health promoting fish oils, and healthy beverages like Green Tea and water.
Now I'd like to say that a TT workout will allow you to eat everything you want - but I can't...you have to do your best to avoid junk. And don't feel guilty for tossing junk food into the trash - that's better than leaving it lying around and stressing about giving in to it.
Don't turn your body into a trash compactor because you might feel guilty throwing a "perfectly good" Halloween-sized bag of chips into the trash. Chips are garbage. Like French Fries, they are edible cancer sticks. That's where they belong - in the trash.
And remember, short workouts, when done consistently, can still have an amazing muscle-building, fat-loss power.
Strength training and intervals will help you build the body you want...and that you deserve. So stay positive...and realize that you don't have to start back at Square 1 if you fall off track. Stay committed to your long term goals and you'll have your beach body ready earlier next year.
Check out my butt-kicking monthly workout that combines dumbbell and bodyweight exercises for a superfast fat-blasting workout HERE. It will get the job done, fast.
Make it your best Holiday Season ever in the gym,
CB
P.S. Don't believe me?
Well then, will you believe these men and women?
"Turbulence Training has revolutionized my workout routine - NO more excuses! No time for the gym?NO problem, can?t go outside?No problem! The bodyweight workouts kept me strong when I threw out my left shoulder earlier this fall. Recently I purchased the BW/DB fusion workout and am looking forward to doing those workouts next month. I also enjoy the daily e-mails from Craig to keep me motivated."
Mary Iverson
"Dear Craig, for the last year or so, I've plateaued in the mid to high 170s, having come from the low 190's. I wasn't getting anywhere with my old program, so I started the TT program just 5 weeks ago. Since then, I have not only increased my strength, endurance and overall energy level, I've gone from 175 lbs to 166 lbs. That's more than 9 lbs of fat since I've definitely gained muscle. I finally have a waist again, and I can actually begin to see what abs look like! Thanks!" John Sobraske
"I have been going to the gym for a number of years and am always looking for newer and more efficient ways to work out. I started doing the TT program about 8 weeks ago and already (to my surprise) I am leaner than I have been in about 3 years. I am also finding that I am actually less tired than what I was doing other programs that I have tried, most of which involved longer cardio, rather than the short hard intervals recommended in TT. Given the variety of workouts within the program I hope that I will never be bored or have an inefficient workout in the gym again. I highly recommended it for anyone especially those who feel like they have plateaued."
Rebecca Organo
Click HERE to get started with Turbulence Training.
fat loss, workout, weight loss, lose weight, get lean, nutrition, burn fat
When most people think about their fat loss efforts, they tend to focus on the negative. And it's pretty easy to do that.
You know what I mean?
They worry that they didn't lose more than a pound this week. Or they focus on the meals where they slipped up. Or they stress about the upcoming special events that are going to put them off track. All this stress and negative thinking can hurt your fat loss program.
You shouldn't focus on the negative if you are going to get positive results out of your Turbulence Training lifestyle.
You need to stay focused on doing things right the best that you can...and don't stress about the mistakes that you make.
This is very important as we get closer to the holidays and the events that come with it, where you could easily lose yourself in a downward spiral of negativity and situations that are not conducive to fat loss.
Focus on the meals that you can control, and the workouts that you can make. Think about the progress you can make over the next month.
Even if you have 3 bad meals in a week, you should still have almost 40 meals that you can control. Stick to lean proteins, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, appetite-controlling almonds, health promoting fish oils, and healthy beverages like Green Tea and water.
Now I'd like to say that a TT workout will allow you to eat everything you want - but I can't...you have to do your best to avoid junk. And don't feel guilty for tossing junk food into the trash - that's better than leaving it lying around and stressing about giving in to it.
Don't turn your body into a trash compactor because you might feel guilty throwing a "perfectly good" Halloween-sized bag of chips into the trash. Chips are garbage. Like French Fries, they are edible cancer sticks. That's where they belong - in the trash.
And remember, short workouts, when done consistently, can still have an amazing muscle-building, fat-loss power.
Strength training and intervals will help you build the body you want...and that you deserve. So stay positive...and realize that you don't have to start back at Square 1 if you fall off track. Stay committed to your long term goals and you'll have your beach body ready earlier next year.
Check out my butt-kicking monthly workout that combines dumbbell and bodyweight exercises for a superfast fat-blasting workout HERE. It will get the job done, fast.
Make it your best Holiday Season ever in the gym,
CB
P.S. Don't believe me?
Well then, will you believe these men and women?
"Turbulence Training has revolutionized my workout routine - NO more excuses! No time for the gym?NO problem, can?t go outside?No problem! The bodyweight workouts kept me strong when I threw out my left shoulder earlier this fall. Recently I purchased the BW/DB fusion workout and am looking forward to doing those workouts next month. I also enjoy the daily e-mails from Craig to keep me motivated."
Mary Iverson
"Dear Craig, for the last year or so, I've plateaued in the mid to high 170s, having come from the low 190's. I wasn't getting anywhere with my old program, so I started the TT program just 5 weeks ago. Since then, I have not only increased my strength, endurance and overall energy level, I've gone from 175 lbs to 166 lbs. That's more than 9 lbs of fat since I've definitely gained muscle. I finally have a waist again, and I can actually begin to see what abs look like! Thanks!" John Sobraske
"I have been going to the gym for a number of years and am always looking for newer and more efficient ways to work out. I started doing the TT program about 8 weeks ago and already (to my surprise) I am leaner than I have been in about 3 years. I am also finding that I am actually less tired than what I was doing other programs that I have tried, most of which involved longer cardio, rather than the short hard intervals recommended in TT. Given the variety of workouts within the program I hope that I will never be bored or have an inefficient workout in the gym again. I highly recommended it for anyone especially those who feel like they have plateaued."
Rebecca Organo
Click HERE to get started with Turbulence Training.
fat loss, workout, weight loss, lose weight, get lean, nutrition, burn fat
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Bodyweight Circuits for Fat Loss
Bodyweight Circuits for Fat Loss
As you know, I've been recommending bodyweight circuits for fat loss as an improvement over traditional cardio for fat loss, but a reader asks...
"Won't doing more bodyweight training on off-days make you sore?"
That's a great question.
But it all comes down to individual fitness. After all, if you're only strong enough to do a maximum of 5 pushups per set, then it's not going to be a good idea to do 3 more sets of push-ups in your extra workouts.
But you might be able to do incline pushups - as these will be low-intensity. This lower intensity exercise on "non-TT-workout" days will not only help you burn more fat and calories, but will also help you recover from your harder workouts (by getting blood flow into your muscles to help muscle repair and recovery).
So when you choose exercises for your extra bodyweight workouts, make sure they are relatively low-intensity.
You should be able to do each of these exercises for at least 20 reps without difficulty.
For beginners, that might mean:
a) Lying 2-Leg Hip Extensions
b) 20 seconds Plank
c) Wall Pushups or Incline Pushups
d) Stick ups
e) 2-Leg Stability Ball Leg Curls
That is a potential bodyweight interval conditioning circuit for a beginner that should not cause soreness. If doing 15 reps of this causes soreness, back down to 8 reps per set.
Aim to do the circuit up to 3 times. 15-seconds rest between exercises. Rest 90 seconds after each circuit.
Why is this better than plodding along on the elliptical machine for the same amount of time?
1) Greater increase in "life-applicable" strength and fitness.
2) Just as many calories and grams of fat will be burned with this training method.
3) Increased self-confidence in your ability to do these exercises.
4) Decreased risk of overuse injury - what I refer to as the darkside of high-volume cardio. If you are unfit, weak, and overweight, then doing the same weight-bearing movement over and over and over and over again is probably not the best idea.
5) You will be able to sculpt your body better with bodyweight circuits than you ever will with those ridiculous elliptical machines.
For intermediate and advanced exercisers, good bodyweight choices include the Y-Squat, any of the pushup variations, split squats, bodyweight row, and ab exercises like the Stability Ball Jackknife.
And you should also start with a low volume of exercise...that means start with one circuit of 4-5 relatively easy exercises. That way you won't be sore after your first day with this workout. The next time you do it, you can add another round or more exercises. And so on...
Here's a good one if you are advanced and up to speed:
a) Jumping Jacks (60 reps)
b) y-Squat (15 reps)
c) Spiderman Pushups (8 reps per side)
d) Bodyweight Rows (15 reps)
e) 1-leg Stability Ball Jackknife (8 reps per side)
f) Burpees (6 reps)
No rest b/n exercises. Rest 30-60 seconds at the end of each circuit. Do 3 circuits.
I hope everyone understands the principles of the extra bodyweight workouts...
Not a day goes by that I don't perform some type of bodyweight training. I use bodyweight exercises for recovery (read my workouts on my blog here: www.turbulencetraining.blogspot.com).
You can do a lot with a little,
CB
P.S. You can get more bodyweight circuits here...
There are 3 ways to get more bodyweight circuits.
i) The October Monthly Workout here.
ii) The 6-Month Bodyweight Manual here.
iii) The TT Membership here.
"Craig's Bodyweight Turbulence Training program lets you use your body as the most comprehensive home gym available. In turn the results are like nothing else out there. If going to the gym ever feels stale, I immediately switch to CB's Bodyweight TT program to get and stay in shape."
Anthony Belza, one of Toronto's top Strength & Conditioning Coaches
"I want to thank you for kicking my a**. Seriously. I tried the one-legged deadlifts and the one-legged squats and literally cursed you. I was shocked at how little I knew about bodyweight training (i had Matt Furey's course but it didn't go into detail as yours did) and being in the military, I've had experience with calisthenics but WOW...it was incredible!"
Lee Smith, Iraq/Vegas
fat loss, bodyweight exercises, cardio, weight loss, lose weight, squats, training
As you know, I've been recommending bodyweight circuits for fat loss as an improvement over traditional cardio for fat loss, but a reader asks...
"Won't doing more bodyweight training on off-days make you sore?"
That's a great question.
But it all comes down to individual fitness. After all, if you're only strong enough to do a maximum of 5 pushups per set, then it's not going to be a good idea to do 3 more sets of push-ups in your extra workouts.
But you might be able to do incline pushups - as these will be low-intensity. This lower intensity exercise on "non-TT-workout" days will not only help you burn more fat and calories, but will also help you recover from your harder workouts (by getting blood flow into your muscles to help muscle repair and recovery).
So when you choose exercises for your extra bodyweight workouts, make sure they are relatively low-intensity.
You should be able to do each of these exercises for at least 20 reps without difficulty.
For beginners, that might mean:
a) Lying 2-Leg Hip Extensions
b) 20 seconds Plank
c) Wall Pushups or Incline Pushups
d) Stick ups
e) 2-Leg Stability Ball Leg Curls
That is a potential bodyweight interval conditioning circuit for a beginner that should not cause soreness. If doing 15 reps of this causes soreness, back down to 8 reps per set.
Aim to do the circuit up to 3 times. 15-seconds rest between exercises. Rest 90 seconds after each circuit.
Why is this better than plodding along on the elliptical machine for the same amount of time?
1) Greater increase in "life-applicable" strength and fitness.
2) Just as many calories and grams of fat will be burned with this training method.
3) Increased self-confidence in your ability to do these exercises.
4) Decreased risk of overuse injury - what I refer to as the darkside of high-volume cardio. If you are unfit, weak, and overweight, then doing the same weight-bearing movement over and over and over and over again is probably not the best idea.
5) You will be able to sculpt your body better with bodyweight circuits than you ever will with those ridiculous elliptical machines.
For intermediate and advanced exercisers, good bodyweight choices include the Y-Squat, any of the pushup variations, split squats, bodyweight row, and ab exercises like the Stability Ball Jackknife.
And you should also start with a low volume of exercise...that means start with one circuit of 4-5 relatively easy exercises. That way you won't be sore after your first day with this workout. The next time you do it, you can add another round or more exercises. And so on...
Here's a good one if you are advanced and up to speed:
a) Jumping Jacks (60 reps)
b) y-Squat (15 reps)
c) Spiderman Pushups (8 reps per side)
d) Bodyweight Rows (15 reps)
e) 1-leg Stability Ball Jackknife (8 reps per side)
f) Burpees (6 reps)
No rest b/n exercises. Rest 30-60 seconds at the end of each circuit. Do 3 circuits.
I hope everyone understands the principles of the extra bodyweight workouts...
Not a day goes by that I don't perform some type of bodyweight training. I use bodyweight exercises for recovery (read my workouts on my blog here: www.turbulencetraining.blogspot.com).
You can do a lot with a little,
CB
P.S. You can get more bodyweight circuits here...
There are 3 ways to get more bodyweight circuits.
i) The October Monthly Workout here.
ii) The 6-Month Bodyweight Manual here.
iii) The TT Membership here.
"Craig's Bodyweight Turbulence Training program lets you use your body as the most comprehensive home gym available. In turn the results are like nothing else out there. If going to the gym ever feels stale, I immediately switch to CB's Bodyweight TT program to get and stay in shape."
Anthony Belza, one of Toronto's top Strength & Conditioning Coaches
"I want to thank you for kicking my a**. Seriously. I tried the one-legged deadlifts and the one-legged squats and literally cursed you. I was shocked at how little I knew about bodyweight training (i had Matt Furey's course but it didn't go into detail as yours did) and being in the military, I've had experience with calisthenics but WOW...it was incredible!"
Lee Smith, Iraq/Vegas
fat loss, bodyweight exercises, cardio, weight loss, lose weight, squats, training
Workout Info for you to Read
Workout Info
here are some workout and fat loss articles from other sites that you should read:
Another Nail in the "aerobics for fat loss" coffin - by Alwyn Cosgrove
Training Athletes Article from Jason Ferrugia
A Summary of a Training Seminar featuring Alwyn Cosgrove, John Berardi, and others
A review of Low-Back Training Safety and Health: Tips from Stuart McGill, Ph.D, presented by Eric Cressey
The Ask The Fitness Expert Blog - Kyle Battis
CB
workout, fat loss, cardio, aerobics
here are some workout and fat loss articles from other sites that you should read:
Another Nail in the "aerobics for fat loss" coffin - by Alwyn Cosgrove
Training Athletes Article from Jason Ferrugia
A Summary of a Training Seminar featuring Alwyn Cosgrove, John Berardi, and others
A review of Low-Back Training Safety and Health: Tips from Stuart McGill, Ph.D, presented by Eric Cressey
The Ask The Fitness Expert Blog - Kyle Battis
CB
workout, fat loss, cardio, aerobics
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
New York Times Fitness, Fat Loss, Nutrition, & Workout Links
A few good fitness, fat loss, nutrition, and workout-like articles from the New York Times.
Here they are:
#1) An Article About New York City's Goal to Eliminate Trans Fats
#2) A Feature on the New World's Strongest Man - One of America's Own
#3) The Medicinal Use of Fish Oil in Europe
CB
Here they are:
#1) An Article About New York City's Goal to Eliminate Trans Fats
#2) A Feature on the New World's Strongest Man - One of America's Own
#3) The Medicinal Use of Fish Oil in Europe
CB
Wednesday total body workout
First day on this workout for my new 3-day per week routine. Legs are still sore from the monday squat exercise, but today there are no direct heavy leg movements.
Started with some foam rolling for the upper back and lower body.
Learn more HERE with Magnificant Mobility
1) Clean and Press (5x5)
2) Chinup (1xMax) - fingers gave out first, grip was tired from cleans.
3a) barbell row (3x8)
3b) glute-ham raise on ball (3x10) with weight
3c) kneeling cable crunch (3x15)
4) 1-arm biceps curls (couple sets of 6) - b/c I had the time
That's it. Decent workout,
Cb
Workout, weight training, lifting, cleans
Nutrition for Fat Loss
More fat loss, nutrition, & fitness q'n'a today...
Q: Why am I no longer sore after my workouts?
Answer:
Sounds like things have gotten a bit stagnant and your muscles have adapted to the stress of your current workout.
Now don't worry too much, because you could still be making gains without getting sore.
However, if you've really been on the same program too long it'll show not just in a lack of soreness, but also a muscle-building or fat-burning plateau. So you need a new stimulus for your muscles.
What you need to do is change your program every 4 weeks. This will help you keep progressing - and you'll notice that the new stimulus will always leave you a little soreness - not that soreness is the ultimate goal of any program. You don't need to be so sore that you can't move the next couple of days.
You can change the exercises, set and rep scheme, or completely re-configure your program.
Whatever you choose, make sure to vary your program after 4 weeks.
I prefer to change each exercise in the workout, even if it just means varying the grip in a bench press or foot spacing in a squat. There are an endless number of exercises and variations of, so you should never be short of options to keep your progress going.
Q: Can I do the interval cardio on alternate days as opposed to the same day as the TT program?
Answer:
Yes.
Interval training can be done either immediately after your strength training or done the next day.
If anyone has tried it both ways, I would like to hear from you to see if it worked better one way or the other.Q: Also, if I do a bodyweight circuit instead of interval cardio, how may intervals of the circuit and how long should each circuit last? Answer:3 rounds of the circuit.
Let's assume you do a circuit like this...
A) Prisoner Squat (12 reps)
B) Decline Pushup (10 reps)
C) Reverse Lunge (8 reps per side)
D) Jumping Jacks (30 reps)
Each exercise will take you about 30 seconds. Don't rest at all between exercises. So each circuit takes you about 2 minutes. Rest 30 seconds after the circuit, and repeat for a total of 3 times.
That's less than 10 minutes.
You can increase the effectiveness by adding a couple of exercises or another round or two of the circuit.
Q: I am just about to start the Turbulence Training manual. With all of the bonuses, I'm not sure where to start. What is the best progression?
Answer:
The best progression is to follow the order of the workouts in the main Turbulence Training e-book. Start with the beginner and move through all of the workouts, including the 4 Advanced TT workouts.
Then you can finish with the TT Fusion Fat Loss workout bonus (aka The February 2006 Monthly TT Workout).
Q: Hey, I'm interested in Turbulance Training. Seriously, I just read your site. My basic profile is that I have no time to go to the gym, play hockey once a week. I'm up early with my kids, but would have time at night to do some stuff. I don't have any equipment (don't really want any).
Anyway, I'd like to get in better shape and over the last couple of years, my energy levels are zapped by the end of the day Friday. Do you think it's a good place for me to start? I do have 1 stipulation - I like beer and don't want to give it up (really I only drink on weekends, but I so enjoy this time with the drink).
Answer:
Start with Phase 1 of the Bodyweight Manual.
Also, take a look at the nutrition report put together by Dr. Chris Mohr...the basics are key. Eat right 90% of the time...so that gives you 3 meals per week where you can slide.
And even in all the other meals, eating right still allows you to enjoy good quality food...you just need to prepare stuff in advance so that you don't eat a lot of processed foods. Let me know if you have any other questions about the exercises or the nutrition or training program.
Q: I am gaining muscle definition which i can see a little(yay), how can i fast track my fat loss? My nutrition is pretty good. I do the TT 3 - 4 times a week, i play sports twice a week. Intervals (2 -3 times a week) absolutely exhaust me (but i like how i feel after those sessions) I am still doing some intermediate and some beginner exercises as i have little core strength (though this is improving). Time is not an issue.
Answer:
Simple, take your nutrition from "pretty good" to "great". If you don't commit to nutrition like you commit to exercise, you will not reach your goals.
It can take 30 minute to burn 300 calories, but about 60 seconds of bad nutrition to consume 300 calories.
I recommend both Drs. Berardi and Mohr for Nutrition help.
Click HERE for John Berardi's site
Click here for Dr. Mohr: www.mohrresults.com
Eat your way to fat loss,
CB
P.S. Do you want to lose 21 pounds in 21 days?
"Hi Craig, I wanted to send you a note regarding TT. The workouts are great and if you incorporate the diet plan you can't help but lose FAT. I have been using the program for three weeks and have dropped twenty one pounds. I look forward to getting down to my goal weight within a year. I am very happy to have purchased this program and would recommend it to other with no hesitation. Thank you very much."
Tim Jones
Click HERE to get started with Turbulence Training.
fat loss, nutrition, workout, exercise, fitness, weight loss, lose weight, bodyweight exercise
Q: Why am I no longer sore after my workouts?
Answer:
Sounds like things have gotten a bit stagnant and your muscles have adapted to the stress of your current workout.
Now don't worry too much, because you could still be making gains without getting sore.
However, if you've really been on the same program too long it'll show not just in a lack of soreness, but also a muscle-building or fat-burning plateau. So you need a new stimulus for your muscles.
What you need to do is change your program every 4 weeks. This will help you keep progressing - and you'll notice that the new stimulus will always leave you a little soreness - not that soreness is the ultimate goal of any program. You don't need to be so sore that you can't move the next couple of days.
You can change the exercises, set and rep scheme, or completely re-configure your program.
Whatever you choose, make sure to vary your program after 4 weeks.
I prefer to change each exercise in the workout, even if it just means varying the grip in a bench press or foot spacing in a squat. There are an endless number of exercises and variations of, so you should never be short of options to keep your progress going.
Q: Can I do the interval cardio on alternate days as opposed to the same day as the TT program?
Answer:
Yes.
Interval training can be done either immediately after your strength training or done the next day.
If anyone has tried it both ways, I would like to hear from you to see if it worked better one way or the other.Q: Also, if I do a bodyweight circuit instead of interval cardio, how may intervals of the circuit and how long should each circuit last? Answer:3 rounds of the circuit.
Let's assume you do a circuit like this...
A) Prisoner Squat (12 reps)
B) Decline Pushup (10 reps)
C) Reverse Lunge (8 reps per side)
D) Jumping Jacks (30 reps)
Each exercise will take you about 30 seconds. Don't rest at all between exercises. So each circuit takes you about 2 minutes. Rest 30 seconds after the circuit, and repeat for a total of 3 times.
That's less than 10 minutes.
You can increase the effectiveness by adding a couple of exercises or another round or two of the circuit.
Q: I am just about to start the Turbulence Training manual. With all of the bonuses, I'm not sure where to start. What is the best progression?
Answer:
The best progression is to follow the order of the workouts in the main Turbulence Training e-book. Start with the beginner and move through all of the workouts, including the 4 Advanced TT workouts.
Then you can finish with the TT Fusion Fat Loss workout bonus (aka The February 2006 Monthly TT Workout).
Q: Hey, I'm interested in Turbulance Training. Seriously, I just read your site. My basic profile is that I have no time to go to the gym, play hockey once a week. I'm up early with my kids, but would have time at night to do some stuff. I don't have any equipment (don't really want any).
Anyway, I'd like to get in better shape and over the last couple of years, my energy levels are zapped by the end of the day Friday. Do you think it's a good place for me to start? I do have 1 stipulation - I like beer and don't want to give it up (really I only drink on weekends, but I so enjoy this time with the drink).
Answer:
Start with Phase 1 of the Bodyweight Manual.
Also, take a look at the nutrition report put together by Dr. Chris Mohr...the basics are key. Eat right 90% of the time...so that gives you 3 meals per week where you can slide.
And even in all the other meals, eating right still allows you to enjoy good quality food...you just need to prepare stuff in advance so that you don't eat a lot of processed foods. Let me know if you have any other questions about the exercises or the nutrition or training program.
Q: I am gaining muscle definition which i can see a little(yay), how can i fast track my fat loss? My nutrition is pretty good. I do the TT 3 - 4 times a week, i play sports twice a week. Intervals (2 -3 times a week) absolutely exhaust me (but i like how i feel after those sessions) I am still doing some intermediate and some beginner exercises as i have little core strength (though this is improving). Time is not an issue.
Answer:
Simple, take your nutrition from "pretty good" to "great". If you don't commit to nutrition like you commit to exercise, you will not reach your goals.
It can take 30 minute to burn 300 calories, but about 60 seconds of bad nutrition to consume 300 calories.
I recommend both Drs. Berardi and Mohr for Nutrition help.
Click HERE for John Berardi's site
Click here for Dr. Mohr: www.mohrresults.com
Eat your way to fat loss,
CB
P.S. Do you want to lose 21 pounds in 21 days?
"Hi Craig, I wanted to send you a note regarding TT. The workouts are great and if you incorporate the diet plan you can't help but lose FAT. I have been using the program for three weeks and have dropped twenty one pounds. I look forward to getting down to my goal weight within a year. I am very happy to have purchased this program and would recommend it to other with no hesitation. Thank you very much."
Tim Jones
Click HERE to get started with Turbulence Training.
fat loss, nutrition, workout, exercise, fitness, weight loss, lose weight, bodyweight exercise
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Todays Restorative Workout
So with my 3-day workout program, I will have Tuesday and Thursday "off" from real workouts.
During my workout time on these days, I'll be doing lots of work with the foam roller as "active rest" in order to help me recover.
My legs were sore today already (usually it doesn't get really bad till the 2nd day after the leg workout). So the foam rolling was done quite gingerly on the legs. Mind you, all of these foam rolling drills were made more awkward by having a 65 pound puppy dog draped all over me. Little guy was bored, stuck in the house all day because it rained from sunrise to sunset.
But I followed along with Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman's Upper Body Warmup DVD ("Inside Out") to do some self-massage and mobility work on my upper back. If you have a tight upper back, or your clients have upper back problems, or if you simply want the best upper body lifting warmup info, I highly recommend this DVD.
Click HERE to get Inside-Out: The Upper Body Warm-up
I also mixed in some kettlebell swings into the workout. A few sets of 25 swings with the 53 pound kbell. That helped reduce the stiffness and soreness for a while.
I do imagine though that when I get up tomorrow, my legs will be very stiff and sore. But that's what happens to me when I take a week off from heavy squats.
Big workout tomorrow,
CB
workout, exercise
During my workout time on these days, I'll be doing lots of work with the foam roller as "active rest" in order to help me recover.
My legs were sore today already (usually it doesn't get really bad till the 2nd day after the leg workout). So the foam rolling was done quite gingerly on the legs. Mind you, all of these foam rolling drills were made more awkward by having a 65 pound puppy dog draped all over me. Little guy was bored, stuck in the house all day because it rained from sunrise to sunset.
But I followed along with Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman's Upper Body Warmup DVD ("Inside Out") to do some self-massage and mobility work on my upper back. If you have a tight upper back, or your clients have upper back problems, or if you simply want the best upper body lifting warmup info, I highly recommend this DVD.
Click HERE to get Inside-Out: The Upper Body Warm-up
I also mixed in some kettlebell swings into the workout. A few sets of 25 swings with the 53 pound kbell. That helped reduce the stiffness and soreness for a while.
I do imagine though that when I get up tomorrow, my legs will be very stiff and sore. But that's what happens to me when I take a week off from heavy squats.
Big workout tomorrow,
CB
workout, exercise
Top 5 Fat Loss Workout Myths
The Top 5 Fat Loss Myths
There are so many fat loss myths out there in "exercise-land" that I was hired by Men's Fitness magazine to write about one myth each month.
After all, by now you've probably heard that if you don't do60-minutes of cardio in your fat burning zone on an empty stomach while Venus is in line with Jupiter, you'll never burn fat.
The problem with myths is that not only are they wrong and give false hope to millions of people trying to lose weight, but they also waste your time and mental effort.
I have also seen these myths used as justification for cheating ona diet, watching countless men and women justify their "treats"because they believe they are on some type of magical exerciseprogram or nutrition plan.
I could go on for days about fitness myths, but I cut my list from30 down to the Top 5 Fat Loss Workout Myths today. I'll save the other 25 for future newsletters.
Myth #1: You have to do cardio first thing in the morning on anempty stomach.
Relax. You don't have to hop on the treadmill at 4:30am everymorning. Let's allow common sense to dictate when and how you exercise.
If you want to work out first thing in the morning, and I know that is the best time for many TT readers, by all means, go ahead and do it. There's nothing magical about this time - although it is often the only time many of day many people have to themselves.
We need to think "outside of the hour" of exercise and realize that calorie burning and fat burning goes on for 24-hours. Forget about the theories and look at the big picture.
It doesn't matter when you exercise - as long as you exerciseintensely and consistently. Focus on relatively high-intensityworkouts to increase your metabolism for as many hours afterexercise as possible. That is best done with interval training andresistance training.
Myth #2: You have to do your cardio in your "fat burning zone".
Again, nonsense.
While you might burn a larger proportion of total calories as fatwhen you exercise in your fat burning zone, you burn fewer calories overall by exercising at such a low intensity.
When you increase your workout intensity and get out of yourso-called "fat burning zone", you burn more total calories, and as a result, more fat.
In addition, the "fat burning zone" training doesn't put"turbulence" on your muscles...so you don't burn many calories in the post-exercise time period. But with interval training, you burn a significant amount of calories for hours after training, andthat leads to more fat loss.
I've worked with hundreds of people that have avoided the fatburning zone while still managing to lose dozens of pounds of fat.The "fat burning zone" is one of the biggest fitness myths of alltime.
Myth #3: You have to do cardio for 20 minutes before you burn fat.
When I hear this, I picture a fat-burning switch in my body thatturns on only after I've been doing "cardio" for 20 minutes. Butwhat if I only exercise for 19 minutes and 59 seconds? Areyou telling me that I won't have burned any fat? That's ridiculous.
What if I did it on an empty stomach in the morning and in my target heart rate zone? (read that one sarcastically!)
I'll say it one last time. We need to be more concerned with our24-hour metabolism, not how much fat or even how many calories are burned during the workout.
Myth #4: Drinking Ice Cold Water Burns Fat
Standing in line at the grocery store is a great place to pick upthe latest fat loss myths. You'll also find this one all over theInternet.
This myth often comes along with some calculations showing that by drinking 8 glasses of ice-cold water you can burn 70 calories per day. I don't believe that actually holds true in real life.
Regardless, drinking cold water is not going to burn any more fat off your body than drinking room temperature water.
Don't get me wrong, I strongly believe you should drink 12 glasses of water per day, but the temperature of your water won't have any effect on your overall fat loss success.
Myth #5: Adding one pound of muscle will burn 50 extra calories each day.
Uh-oh, now I'm cutting down a myth that supports my use of strength training in a fat loss program. But I have an obligation to set the record straight about this extremely prevalent myth (even though I just saw a big name fitness expert perpetuate this myth in a recent article!).
This myth sounds so good. Add a pound ouf muscle, boost yourmetabolism 50 calories. That doesn't seem out of line at all.
But do the math for a guy that puts on 30 pounds of muscle. Does his metabolism really increase by 1500 calories? Absolutely not. For an average guy, that would require his resting metabolism to increase from 2500 calories to 4000 calories per day. How would he be able to keep any of that muscle with a metabolism like that? He'd have to eat like a pig forever.
So when you look at the big picture, you can see this little myth start to fall apart.
That's not to say you should stop your strength training, but just don't use this myth as an excuse to cheat on your diet.
Bonus Myth: Negative Calorie Foods Cause You to Lose Weight
According to the "experts", a negative calorie food requires more energy to digest than it provides you when you eat it. And included in the negative calorie food list are apples and bananas.
So by this logic, I would actually starve to death if I had nothingto eat but apples (because I would have a net energy loss fromeating a so-called "negative calorie" food).
There is no such thing as a negative calorie food.
It's a shame that people are out there promoting this stuff, andit's too bad that so many people fall for it.
Remember the old phrase, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Instead, let the common sense fat loss principles apply. It's going to take consistent effort, working hard at your workouts and with your nutrition to get the results you want.
I guarantee you that Turbulence Training will successfullyguide you to the fat loss you deserve and desire.
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS Author, Turbulence Training
P.S. Here's the truth on fat loss from TT users...
"I Coach busy women with no time to look in the mirror, let alone adopt a whole foods lifestyle or exercise yet already! And yet, your Turbulence strategies show almost everyone that everyone has all of the time they'll ever need to include exercise as a fun, performance-promotion essential to their lives. This program is amazing and plenty challenging because it is simple. Clear but lets no one off the hook. I'm thrilled to say this is a great addition to any woman's arsenal of "what to do" or "what to look forward to."
Ann G. Burgess, President, Pathfinders' Fitness by Design, Arlington , MA
"I have been in possession of TT for a several weeks now; Iabsolutely enjoy the program. I can get in to the gym and ripthough the supersets work up a great sweat and pump my energy levels up before I even get to the cardio portion of my work-out. I I have recommended this program to both beginner and veteran alike. Since starting TT I have dropped almost 2% of body fat and look forward to making my goal of 10% body fat in no time. This program is absolutely one of the best anywhere on the Web."
Alejandro B. Villalobos
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
fat loss, weight loss, lose weight, cardio, burn fat, ice cold water, workout
There are so many fat loss myths out there in "exercise-land" that I was hired by Men's Fitness magazine to write about one myth each month.
After all, by now you've probably heard that if you don't do60-minutes of cardio in your fat burning zone on an empty stomach while Venus is in line with Jupiter, you'll never burn fat.
The problem with myths is that not only are they wrong and give false hope to millions of people trying to lose weight, but they also waste your time and mental effort.
I have also seen these myths used as justification for cheating ona diet, watching countless men and women justify their "treats"because they believe they are on some type of magical exerciseprogram or nutrition plan.
I could go on for days about fitness myths, but I cut my list from30 down to the Top 5 Fat Loss Workout Myths today. I'll save the other 25 for future newsletters.
Myth #1: You have to do cardio first thing in the morning on anempty stomach.
Relax. You don't have to hop on the treadmill at 4:30am everymorning. Let's allow common sense to dictate when and how you exercise.
If you want to work out first thing in the morning, and I know that is the best time for many TT readers, by all means, go ahead and do it. There's nothing magical about this time - although it is often the only time many of day many people have to themselves.
We need to think "outside of the hour" of exercise and realize that calorie burning and fat burning goes on for 24-hours. Forget about the theories and look at the big picture.
It doesn't matter when you exercise - as long as you exerciseintensely and consistently. Focus on relatively high-intensityworkouts to increase your metabolism for as many hours afterexercise as possible. That is best done with interval training andresistance training.
Myth #2: You have to do your cardio in your "fat burning zone".
Again, nonsense.
While you might burn a larger proportion of total calories as fatwhen you exercise in your fat burning zone, you burn fewer calories overall by exercising at such a low intensity.
When you increase your workout intensity and get out of yourso-called "fat burning zone", you burn more total calories, and as a result, more fat.
In addition, the "fat burning zone" training doesn't put"turbulence" on your muscles...so you don't burn many calories in the post-exercise time period. But with interval training, you burn a significant amount of calories for hours after training, andthat leads to more fat loss.
I've worked with hundreds of people that have avoided the fatburning zone while still managing to lose dozens of pounds of fat.The "fat burning zone" is one of the biggest fitness myths of alltime.
Myth #3: You have to do cardio for 20 minutes before you burn fat.
When I hear this, I picture a fat-burning switch in my body thatturns on only after I've been doing "cardio" for 20 minutes. Butwhat if I only exercise for 19 minutes and 59 seconds? Areyou telling me that I won't have burned any fat? That's ridiculous.
What if I did it on an empty stomach in the morning and in my target heart rate zone? (read that one sarcastically!)
I'll say it one last time. We need to be more concerned with our24-hour metabolism, not how much fat or even how many calories are burned during the workout.
Myth #4: Drinking Ice Cold Water Burns Fat
Standing in line at the grocery store is a great place to pick upthe latest fat loss myths. You'll also find this one all over theInternet.
This myth often comes along with some calculations showing that by drinking 8 glasses of ice-cold water you can burn 70 calories per day. I don't believe that actually holds true in real life.
Regardless, drinking cold water is not going to burn any more fat off your body than drinking room temperature water.
Don't get me wrong, I strongly believe you should drink 12 glasses of water per day, but the temperature of your water won't have any effect on your overall fat loss success.
Myth #5: Adding one pound of muscle will burn 50 extra calories each day.
Uh-oh, now I'm cutting down a myth that supports my use of strength training in a fat loss program. But I have an obligation to set the record straight about this extremely prevalent myth (even though I just saw a big name fitness expert perpetuate this myth in a recent article!).
This myth sounds so good. Add a pound ouf muscle, boost yourmetabolism 50 calories. That doesn't seem out of line at all.
But do the math for a guy that puts on 30 pounds of muscle. Does his metabolism really increase by 1500 calories? Absolutely not. For an average guy, that would require his resting metabolism to increase from 2500 calories to 4000 calories per day. How would he be able to keep any of that muscle with a metabolism like that? He'd have to eat like a pig forever.
So when you look at the big picture, you can see this little myth start to fall apart.
That's not to say you should stop your strength training, but just don't use this myth as an excuse to cheat on your diet.
Bonus Myth: Negative Calorie Foods Cause You to Lose Weight
According to the "experts", a negative calorie food requires more energy to digest than it provides you when you eat it. And included in the negative calorie food list are apples and bananas.
So by this logic, I would actually starve to death if I had nothingto eat but apples (because I would have a net energy loss fromeating a so-called "negative calorie" food).
There is no such thing as a negative calorie food.
It's a shame that people are out there promoting this stuff, andit's too bad that so many people fall for it.
Remember the old phrase, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Instead, let the common sense fat loss principles apply. It's going to take consistent effort, working hard at your workouts and with your nutrition to get the results you want.
I guarantee you that Turbulence Training will successfullyguide you to the fat loss you deserve and desire.
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS Author, Turbulence Training
P.S. Here's the truth on fat loss from TT users...
"I Coach busy women with no time to look in the mirror, let alone adopt a whole foods lifestyle or exercise yet already! And yet, your Turbulence strategies show almost everyone that everyone has all of the time they'll ever need to include exercise as a fun, performance-promotion essential to their lives. This program is amazing and plenty challenging because it is simple. Clear but lets no one off the hook. I'm thrilled to say this is a great addition to any woman's arsenal of "what to do" or "what to look forward to."
Ann G. Burgess, President, Pathfinders' Fitness by Design, Arlington , MA
"I have been in possession of TT for a several weeks now; Iabsolutely enjoy the program. I can get in to the gym and ripthough the supersets work up a great sweat and pump my energy levels up before I even get to the cardio portion of my work-out. I I have recommended this program to both beginner and veteran alike. Since starting TT I have dropped almost 2% of body fat and look forward to making my goal of 10% body fat in no time. This program is absolutely one of the best anywhere on the Web."
Alejandro B. Villalobos
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
fat loss, weight loss, lose weight, cardio, burn fat, ice cold water, workout
My 3 Best Exercises for Fat Loss
3 Best Dumbbell Exercises for Fat Loss
Here's a fat loss question from Men's Health magazine...What are your top 3 dumbbell exercises?
Answer:
With too many exercises and too little time, most people end up "paralyzed" when it comes to putting together an efficient and effective program.
But you can get a great workout at home in only 20 minutes by using the best dummbbell exercises. Here are the 3 best dumbbell exercises for almost any goal.
a) Dumbbell Split Squat
b) Dumbbell Press
c) Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
Of course, from these 3 exercises come dozens of variations - so you won't get bored even if you simply choose to train 3 days per week with one of these movements or a variation of.
Take your dumbbells, do 3 sets of 6-8 reps for each exercise and you'll have a total-body, muscle-building, metabolism-boosting workout done in about 20 minutes.
To make things faster, superset exercises b & c by doing them back to back with no rest. Also, take as little rest as possible in exercise "a" when switching legs.That's a great 20-minute (or likely quicker) TT workout.
Q: Craig, I have a small personal business that I run out of my home. Most but not all of my clients are women over 50. I am thinking TT is not for them?
Answer:
I've used TT with men and women from 18-80.
It's all relative. You just reduce the loads used in the exercise, and the intensity of the intervals so that they can keep up. Maybe you give a little more rest time between exercises if needed. But everything can be adapted for the right fitness level - from yours to theirs. At least, that's my opinion.
Here's what some TT users from all ages have had to say...
"I have been using the TT method now for about 10 weeks intermittently. I am 61. I have been working out my whole life, also intermittently. The w/o's I am doing now are by far the most effective in a very short time period. Instead of spending 2-21/2 hrs in the gym, I am in and out in 1 hour and know I have had the a better beneficial result than I did working out twice as long."
Ira Kaufman
"I am 70 and recently added the TT technique to my exercise routine. I have noticed an improvement in muscle definition and an additional abdominal fat reduction. I plan to continue with the technique. Thanks."
Richard Johnson
"I am a female in my 50's and am doing the int. TT right now. I also own a gym and have started some of my clients on it. It is great!! The workouts are challenging and I can feel things tighten up."
Bev Wenaas
"Turbulence Training has allowed me how to get better results from my training in less time. I've improved my food choices and have more energy. My VO2 max increased from 52 to 58 ml/min/kg over four weeks of interval training 20 minutes three times a week - its highest ever. My body fat is down from 24% to 20% over eight weeks. Even my skin is clearer."
Rachel Knight
"I Coach busy women with no time to look in the mirror, let alone adopt a whole foods lifestyle or exercise yet already! And yet, your Turbulence strategies show almost everyone that everyone has all of the time they'll ever need to include exercise as a fun, performance-promotion essential to their lives. This program is amazing and plenty challenging because it is simple. Clear but lets no one off the hook. I'm thrilled to say this is a great addition to any woman's arsenal of "what to do" or "what to look forward to," genuinely and confidently affirming the being and the doing."
Ann G. Burgess, President, Pathfinders' Fitness by Design, Arlington, MA
I could go on and on and on with testimonials. Try it yourself: www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Turbulence Training is the right program for fat loss,
CB
P.S. Okay, one more!
"Hi Craig, I have just turned 45 years old and run my own PT Business meaning I dont have a lot of time to train your TT workouts have provided me with time and made my workouts more intense leaving me feeling recharged and looking forward to my cardio!! I feel like a fat burning machine even when I am doing nothing thanks for making my time in the gym more fun and achieving better results!! I am also doing this with my clients and they are also reaping the benefits."
Denise Brown
Get started today.
PPS...
Enough already, get all of the programs HERE!
fat loss, workout, exercise, lose weight, lose fat
Here's a fat loss question from Men's Health magazine...What are your top 3 dumbbell exercises?
Answer:
With too many exercises and too little time, most people end up "paralyzed" when it comes to putting together an efficient and effective program.
But you can get a great workout at home in only 20 minutes by using the best dummbbell exercises. Here are the 3 best dumbbell exercises for almost any goal.
a) Dumbbell Split Squat
b) Dumbbell Press
c) Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
Of course, from these 3 exercises come dozens of variations - so you won't get bored even if you simply choose to train 3 days per week with one of these movements or a variation of.
Take your dumbbells, do 3 sets of 6-8 reps for each exercise and you'll have a total-body, muscle-building, metabolism-boosting workout done in about 20 minutes.
To make things faster, superset exercises b & c by doing them back to back with no rest. Also, take as little rest as possible in exercise "a" when switching legs.That's a great 20-minute (or likely quicker) TT workout.
Q: Craig, I have a small personal business that I run out of my home. Most but not all of my clients are women over 50. I am thinking TT is not for them?
Answer:
I've used TT with men and women from 18-80.
It's all relative. You just reduce the loads used in the exercise, and the intensity of the intervals so that they can keep up. Maybe you give a little more rest time between exercises if needed. But everything can be adapted for the right fitness level - from yours to theirs. At least, that's my opinion.
Here's what some TT users from all ages have had to say...
"I have been using the TT method now for about 10 weeks intermittently. I am 61. I have been working out my whole life, also intermittently. The w/o's I am doing now are by far the most effective in a very short time period. Instead of spending 2-21/2 hrs in the gym, I am in and out in 1 hour and know I have had the a better beneficial result than I did working out twice as long."
Ira Kaufman
"I am 70 and recently added the TT technique to my exercise routine. I have noticed an improvement in muscle definition and an additional abdominal fat reduction. I plan to continue with the technique. Thanks."
Richard Johnson
"I am a female in my 50's and am doing the int. TT right now. I also own a gym and have started some of my clients on it. It is great!! The workouts are challenging and I can feel things tighten up."
Bev Wenaas
"Turbulence Training has allowed me how to get better results from my training in less time. I've improved my food choices and have more energy. My VO2 max increased from 52 to 58 ml/min/kg over four weeks of interval training 20 minutes three times a week - its highest ever. My body fat is down from 24% to 20% over eight weeks. Even my skin is clearer."
Rachel Knight
"I Coach busy women with no time to look in the mirror, let alone adopt a whole foods lifestyle or exercise yet already! And yet, your Turbulence strategies show almost everyone that everyone has all of the time they'll ever need to include exercise as a fun, performance-promotion essential to their lives. This program is amazing and plenty challenging because it is simple. Clear but lets no one off the hook. I'm thrilled to say this is a great addition to any woman's arsenal of "what to do" or "what to look forward to," genuinely and confidently affirming the being and the doing."
Ann G. Burgess, President, Pathfinders' Fitness by Design, Arlington, MA
I could go on and on and on with testimonials. Try it yourself: www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Turbulence Training is the right program for fat loss,
CB
P.S. Okay, one more!
"Hi Craig, I have just turned 45 years old and run my own PT Business meaning I dont have a lot of time to train your TT workouts have provided me with time and made my workouts more intense leaving me feeling recharged and looking forward to my cardio!! I feel like a fat burning machine even when I am doing nothing thanks for making my time in the gym more fun and achieving better results!! I am also doing this with my clients and they are also reaping the benefits."
Denise Brown
Get started today.
PPS...
Enough already, get all of the programs HERE!
fat loss, workout, exercise, lose weight, lose fat
Monday, October 16, 2006
New workout, new start
Today I began my workout oddysey at a new gym that is free from bosu-ballers, ellipticals, trainers that insist on gossiping to clients as the lift, and other junk.
I have also moved to a 3-day per week schedule. Total body workouts woith a rotating training emphasis - this is based on Joe kenn's tier training system.
I'll be training in downtown toronto at Dynamic Conditioning Center. They have lots of cool toys although I won't be using most of them...but check out there site.
http://www.dccentres.ca/HTML/Centre/gallery.htm
I will be using their Olympic bumper plates for cleans, which is great. Also they have a good set-up for deadlifting and rack pulls.
Today went as follows...a little conservative because I did not squat last week.
1) Medium stance squat (3x6)
2a) Good Morning (3x8)
2b) neutral grip chin (3x12)
3a) Db press (3x12)
3b) weighted Stability Ball Crunch (3x15)
Cb
workout
Fitness, Fat Loss, & Workout Tips
Fat Loss Workout Tips
Here's a series of fitness, fat loss, and workout tips that I've put together for my fat loss workou newsletters in the past. Helping you get more fat loss results in less workout time!
1) Fat Loss Tips for Abs
The truth is, any good efficient and effective compound exercise will work your abs. So you don't have to lie on the floor and bang out hundreds of crunches to get a washboard stomach. Heck, that's not effective at all.
The 3 keys to abs are:
1) Fat loss through fat loss nutrition
2) Fat loss through interval training
3) Ab strength through efficient and effective exercises - even if they not considered traditional ab exercies.
Remember - every exercise is an ab exercise - because you have to brace your abs in every movement.
2) How to get more results in less time
Choosing the right exercises is the key to getting more results in less time. That's how you lose fat fast and build a better body without having to exercise 6 days a week.
If you are using machine-based, isolation exercises right now, such as the pec-dec, the leg extension, and biceps curl machine, then I recommend you drop this expensive equipment in favor of the basics.
The cheap, efficient, effective exercise basics that worked for Arnold and the generations of beach bodies before him will work superbly for you and I as well.
We don't need to re-invent the wheel. Or in this case, the workout.
Do your exercises standing if possible.
Choose multi-muscle, total body exercises.
Always focus on working your abs in every exercise, so that you don't have to do isolation ab exercises for 30 minutes each day.
Stick to squats, lunges, pushes, and pulls.
3) Choosing a Beginner's Weight for an Exercise
Q: How much weight should I use for each exercise?
Answer:
This is one of my most popular reader mail questions. Unfortunately, I can't give everyone a precise answer because it depends on so many factors.
But for absolute beginners, here's what you need to do...and it's very simple.
Start with the lowest amount of weight possible. If you are doing dumbbell rows, start with the 5 lbs dumbbell. Use perfect form. If you can do all of the repetitions without any struggle, then increase the weight on the next set.
By simply using trial and error, you'll find the correct weight quite quickly.
Start conservative, and don't rush.
CB
fat loss, workout, exercise, nutrition, ab exercise, lose weight
Here's a series of fitness, fat loss, and workout tips that I've put together for my fat loss workou newsletters in the past. Helping you get more fat loss results in less workout time!
1) Fat Loss Tips for Abs
The truth is, any good efficient and effective compound exercise will work your abs. So you don't have to lie on the floor and bang out hundreds of crunches to get a washboard stomach. Heck, that's not effective at all.
The 3 keys to abs are:
1) Fat loss through fat loss nutrition
2) Fat loss through interval training
3) Ab strength through efficient and effective exercises - even if they not considered traditional ab exercies.
Remember - every exercise is an ab exercise - because you have to brace your abs in every movement.
2) How to get more results in less time
Choosing the right exercises is the key to getting more results in less time. That's how you lose fat fast and build a better body without having to exercise 6 days a week.
If you are using machine-based, isolation exercises right now, such as the pec-dec, the leg extension, and biceps curl machine, then I recommend you drop this expensive equipment in favor of the basics.
The cheap, efficient, effective exercise basics that worked for Arnold and the generations of beach bodies before him will work superbly for you and I as well.
We don't need to re-invent the wheel. Or in this case, the workout.
Do your exercises standing if possible.
Choose multi-muscle, total body exercises.
Always focus on working your abs in every exercise, so that you don't have to do isolation ab exercises for 30 minutes each day.
Stick to squats, lunges, pushes, and pulls.
3) Choosing a Beginner's Weight for an Exercise
Q: How much weight should I use for each exercise?
Answer:
This is one of my most popular reader mail questions. Unfortunately, I can't give everyone a precise answer because it depends on so many factors.
But for absolute beginners, here's what you need to do...and it's very simple.
Start with the lowest amount of weight possible. If you are doing dumbbell rows, start with the 5 lbs dumbbell. Use perfect form. If you can do all of the repetitions without any struggle, then increase the weight on the next set.
By simply using trial and error, you'll find the correct weight quite quickly.
Start conservative, and don't rush.
CB
fat loss, workout, exercise, nutrition, ab exercise, lose weight
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