Monday, April 30, 2007

Monday Bench Press workout

Did my new TT "300" workout on Sunday evening...make sure you give that a try after the May 4-week workout.

Today, wasn't feeling 100 percent, but gave my workout a try anyways.

1) Snatch (3x1) - 125

2a) 3-board bench (3x2) - 305
2b) Y's (3x12)

3a) 225 bench for reps (10,5)
3b) trap-bar DL (3x10) - 265

4a) OH squat (2x3)
4b) barbell curl (2x6)

Not bad, feel much better now,

CB
www.ttmembers.com - for the new 300 challenge

I goofed - The April Muscle Building Workout & May TT "300" Challenge

I don't goof when I give fitness, fat loss, or workout routine advice. For example...

a) Intervals result in more fat loss than an equal amount of slow cardio

b) Multi-muscle movements give you more results in less time

c) Always do the hardest exercises early in your workout

d) Use a bodyweight warmup rather than walking on the treadmill for 5 minutes to avoid wasting time 

But I made a big mistake on TTMembers.com...

First, to all new monthly members, I owe you an apology, because you may not have been able to access the April workout of the month.

So to make up for my error, what I'm going to do for all monthly members is this...

  1. I'm going to leave the April workout up for the rest of May...
  2. I'm going to pull a workout from the Monthly archives and let all monthly members have access to it for May...but it's up to you which manual you want...so post your choice on the message board...

NOTE: As a bonus for Platinum Level Members, I'm working on licensing a product from another fitness professional to add to the TT Library...

Go here to take advantage of my goof-up today

Building a social support fat loss network from all parts of the world,

CB

PS - Don't kick yourself later for missing out on this chance today! 

I see so many people stumbling through their workouts, and I'd hate for you to be someone that isn't make any improvements from month to month. All that time wasted, what a shame...

Don't forget about the membership increase taking place at the end of May...

  • The 1-year Platinum Level Membership will go to $297 for 12 months from $147.
  • The monthly Basic Level Membership will go to $19.95 per month from $9.95.

Become a TTMember today!

PPS - The answers to your female hormone & fat loss questions are coming...

I interviewed three doctors for the latest info how changes in female hormones stop your fat loss and what YOU can do to avoid the pitfalls of female hormone changes.

Those 3 interviews are coming in May...

Sign-up now so you don't miss out

PPPS - The May Workout is up...

It's a TT "300" challenge...go to www.TTmembers.com to start your challenge today!

Sunday, April 29, 2007

The new TT 300 - I challenge you...

May TT "300" Fat Loss Program

It's up! The May 2007 workout is a fat loss program with a "300" challenge workout that you can do at the end of the 4-weeks.

Remember, the "300" workout is a "once-only" rite of passage...not something you do everyday.

I did this TT 300 in 9:45. What can YOU do?

Click HERE to download the May 2007 TT "300" Challenge Program

7-Day Fat Loss Guide: Nutrition!

Fat Loss is often simply a matter of nutrition. But chances are, you don't need to buy anymore nutrition programs. You already know what to do. So here it is. Here's what you must do to on an off-day to improve your nutrition and chances for fat loss:

a) Buy a pack of chicken breasts. Grill them and then freeze them in individual tupperware. Take them out on a daily basis when they are needed for lunches.

b) Buy and prepare a week's worth of vegetables. Put peppers, spinach, tomatoes, and carrots in salads. Cut up raw broccoli florets, carrot sticks, and celery pieces for appetite suppressing snacks. Put all of these veggies in tupperware for the week.

c) Buy bags of apples, oranges, and grapefruits. Take 2 of each to work each day or leave the bags of fruit at work. Buy berries to be kept in the fridge at home. 

d) Buy raw nuts such as almonds, cashews, and walnuts. Avoid roasted nuts as most are roasted in unhealthy vegetable oils. Take bags of healthy nuts to work for snacks.

e) Treat yourself once per week, but no more, to your favorite meal.

And now the rest of your week...

Monday
TT Workout. Hit a personal best in a new exercise. It could be lifting 5 more pounds in a squatting exercise, or doing one more pushup than usual. Set a personal best each workout. Yes, every workout!

Tuesday
30 minutes of activity. Take it outside if you can. You'll feel so much better exercising in the outdoors than you will stuck inside on a treadmill. If work permits, take a big walk on your lunch hour.

Wednesday
TT Workout. If you are doing 30 second intervals, decrease the intensity and go to 60 second intervals. And vice versa.

Thursday
30 minutes of activity. Use fitday.com today. It will probably be a rude awakening when you see what you are really eating compared to how you think you are eating. Get the truth today.

Friday
TT Workout. Pick up some organic meat for a bbq this weekend.

Saturday
30 minutes of activity. Take before photos and measurements if you haven't already.

Sunday
30 minutes of activity followed by your planning, shopping and preparing. See above for the rules you need to follow.

I bet you can lose 1.5 pounds of fat this week,

CB

P.S. The countdown to summer abs is on...

My best workouts to help you get your summer abs are in the TT for Fat Loss program.

Click here to get started building your summer body today.

"Been using TT 4 years, love the newsletters, i use the 2K3 all the time, started off with the original ages ago. I lost 16kg in around 2 years & i'm 38yrs old!"
Michael.Walker

"In November of 2005, I noticed that I had put on a significant amount of weight. I had avoided getting on the scale b/c I was afraid to see how bad the # was.  With my job, I had many client lunches/dinners frequently and I wasn't taking into the consideration of how much it was impacting my weight.  I was still working out, but didn't have a solid program that I committed to. I went to the gym when I had time.

When I finally got on the scale I noticed that my weight hit an all time high of 228lbs!!! Not good, when I know my optimal weight for my frame is 210lbs.

The last 3 months I committed to Turbulence Training and made some modifications to my diet outlined in CBs program. What I realized is that the workouts were more intense, I burned more calories and I made it out of the gym in less time then I previously did. This worked well for my busy schedule and it was simple to commit to this program.

After a 3 month commitment, I am happy to say I am now back at 210lbs and feel better then I have in years. All thanks to the TT program. I have tried many programs and this is the most effective and simple program I have ever used. I recommend to anyone that faces the same busy work/personal life that I do."
Dion Guerin, Sales Manager, Toronto

Saturday, April 28, 2007

I Know How to Solve Your Problems

Man takes his car into a garage. Says
it's making a funny noise.

Mechanic says, "I can fix that". Turns
the car on, listens for the noise, looks
at the car, and kicks it. Noise stops.
Hands the guy a bill for $200.

Guy says, "$200? For kicking my car?"

Mechanic says, "$1 for kicking it, $199
for knowing where to kick."

***
I know where to kick.

Whether it's eliminating redundant exercises and methods from your workouts to get you out of the gym faster, or getting the truth from you about your nutrition program that you fail to recognize, or simply helping you determine whether or not you need to gain fat or lose muscle, my 16 years in the gym have shown me "where to kick".

And that's what I do on the discussion forum at TTmembers

You post your problems, I fix 'em. Minus the $199 for the kick. Let's take a look at an example conversation here...

E: HI I'm using a muslce building workout and I was wondering if it will also help me loose fat as well. I'm trying to avoid gaining mass while being puffy. I've created a modified nutition plan to help my fitness goals but again I don't want to look bloated.'
Thanks.

CB:  
Hi E, thanks for the question. Nutrition is key. If you eat right, you'll limit or prevent fat gain while building muscle. Tell me more about your current situation.


E: Right now I'm 5'8 and 185.  I want to get more solid and defined but not put on too much weight.  I realize that muscle weighs more than fat.  Should I have  start off with TT for fat loss first or get more hard muscle first?
Thanks for any input

CB:
Whats your body fat level?  


E: I've never measured it  accurately.  I'm not sure how.

CB:
If you flexed in the mirror, could you see your abs? If you can, you are about 15% fat. If you can see them without flexing, you are closer to 12%, or even 10%.


E:
Not at all.  My belly has gone down since my modifyed diet but I havent gotten to the point where I can see ab definition.

CB
:
Then yes, at least 4 weeks of a fat loss program would be a good idea. We will simply re-evaluate after the 4 weeks.

I suggest the upcoming May TT "300" Fat Loss workout from www.TTmembers.com.

It's advanced and tough, but it will do the job of building muscle and burning fat - which recent research shows CAN be done (even though the subject's average age was 61 years young).

The May TT "300" Workout will be released on Monday, and is an advanced fat loss workout. So if you've been training hard for 6 months at least, then you can use it to lose fat and build muscle for May, and then go into a muscle-building program once you can see your abs - the May workout is perfect timing for summer beach preparation.

Plus you get lots of other goodies over there on TTmembers - including 3 upcoming interviews with Doctors about the impact of fat loss hormones and how we can make sure the hormones are working for us, not against us.

Nutrition, exercise, and social support,

CB

PS - Are you Locked-In?

If you aren't, and you are sitting on the fence about joining TTmembers.com, make sure you become a member ASAP. Or if you are thinking about upgrading to Platinum Status, contact me today for details on how to get Locked-In at our Launch Discount Level.

The membership deals will be DOUBLING for both Levels at the end of May.

  • The 1-year Platinum Level Membership will go to $297 for 12 months from $147.
  • The monthly Basic Level Membership will go to $19.95 per month from $9.95.

BUT REMEMBER...
Anyone that orders before May 31st, will be "locked in" to whatever member plan they start with. So if you become a member at $9.95 per month, you will always renew at $9.95 per month until you cancel. (If you do that, and then want to join again, you will have to go up to $19.95)...

Same with the 1-year Platinum Membership, you will always be able to renew at $147 per year.

Your TT Membership site is excellent and will change the way people deal with fitness and fat loss for the better. The content blows away anything that I have come across."

Keith Scott, CSCS, MS

"I have just signed up for the TT Members forum and was blown away by the number of resources available. Thanks for doing such a great job with the site and I look forward to my journey to better health."
- from the TT Discussion Forum  


Click HERE to join today

If you have any questions, please let me know!

Friday, April 27, 2007

Friday workout for the May Fat Loss Program

This was one tough workout. So you'll love it when you get to try it.

Its a lower body-abs workout, with no intervalks at the end. Honestly, you just won't need them. The strength prtion of the workout demands too much effort.

Seriously, this workout was awesome, yet extremely humbling.

I also did a little extra to start - the main superset of my regular friday workout, but just 2 real worksets.

1a) Deadlift (8 reps) -
1b) floor press (225 x 5, 245 x 3)

After the workout, we filmed a litte pushup video for MensHealth.com

I'll let you know when it is up.

CB
www.ttmembers.com for the May workout

Top 10 Muscle Builders

What are the top 10 muscle building exercises?

Renegade strength and conditioning coach Jason Ferruggia recently grilled me about my top muscle building methods.

Like Jay, I share an affinity for the basics. No need for expensive machines. Just iron, and more of it.

Jay: If you had to pick ten or so exercises as the best mass builders out there, what would they be?

CB:

- squat
- deadlift
- RDL
- split squat
- leg press
- shrug
- bench
- db bench
- pullups
- bb row

Read the rest of my muscle-building interview here

CB

PS. You can also build muscle at home using only dumbbell exercises...

You have only 4 days left to get the April TT workout - How to Build Muscle at Home (with dumbbell workouts).

For only $9.95, you'll get this workout, plus Jay Ferruggia's insider muscle building secrets for hardgainers.

In addition, you'll also get one month's the discussion forums and all the expert interviews at TTMembers.com

Join Today to Build Muscle for Summer

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Thursday Workout

I'm a bit of a hurting unit from the workouts so far this week, but I still had to test out another fat burning workout routine from the May 200 TT "300 Workout" plan.

I'm tweaking some workouts I've used in the past with clients, and just wanted to test out the rest intervals today...it was tough, and I had to be disciplined not to quit. But, it makes for a better workout for you. This workout will be available by Monday night at the latest...hopefully Sunday.

Click HERE to become a TTMember & be one of the first to get the May workout challenge

Tomorrow is a hard leg day from the May Workout...it will definitely test my willpower. And then Saturday, that's another story...it's the TT 300 Challenge workout.

But for now, I'm off to interview Jon Benson from Fit Over 40 - about inspiration to help you stick to your fat loss program

Don't forget about the teleseminar tonight,

CB
Fat Burning Workouts

Female Fat Loss Teleseminar Tonight

Listen to my female fat loss phone call tonight at 8pm EST.

I'm next in line for the Female Fat Loss teleseminar series.

This Women's-Only Teleseminar Series features...

  • Valerie Waters - Hollywood's trainer to the female stars
  • Rachel Cosgrove - Triathlete & Fitness Competition Expert
  • Dr. Chris Mohr - Author of the TT Fat Loss Nutrition Guidelines
  • Holly Rigsby - Mom & Fitness Expert
  • and others...including me, CB.

Listen to 10 Experts Share Their Female Fitness Secrets

Enjoy,

CB

PS. Want to listen to these calls over and over?

==>
Get Access to the Female Fitness Secrets

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Shocking Source of Calories

How many times have you justified a long cardio session because you ate (or were going to eat) a 500 calorie dessert?

Everyone's done it.

Do you remember how freaking long you had to do cardio just to burn 500 calories? I guarantee you it was at least 30 minutes. For some people, it was an hour.

I remember when I was stupid enough to do this, and if I was really moving I could hit about 450 calories in half an hour. Thank goodness those days are over and I know a better way...

But back to you, and the times you've done marathon sessions of cardio. Hopefully, you learned this lesson:

  • Some foods contain a shocking amount of calories in teeny, tiny (albeit delicious) portion sizes.

From my friend Jon Herring at www.earlytorise.com comes this shocking list of super-high calorie snacks.

  • Dunkin Donuts sesame seed bagel with cream cheese - 570 calories
  • Starbucks Frappuccino coffee with whipped cream - 550 calories
  • Dunkin Donuts 24-ounce strawberry / banana smoothie - 550 calories
  • 2 Dunkin Donuts jelly donuts - 420 calories
  • McDonald's large chocolate shake - 1,160 calories

So what do you think is easier? Avoiding the food in the first place or using the wasteful mindset of "punishing" yourself with extra cardio?

Surely, you have better things to do with your time. Play with your kids, walk your dog, sleep, meditate, or take a bath.

Not that long cardio is even the answer...but that's another story for another day...

In the meantime, stick to your nutrition. Know the consequences of these calorie bombs.

Plan, prepare, and proceed with Precision Nutrition.

Go HERE to get a free Precision Nutrition E-book

You are how you eat,

CB

PS - You can still eat dessert...

Take a look at the Gourmet Nutrition desserts prepared by Dr. John Berardi and crew...

mmmm...Gourmet Desserts HERE  

PPS - Make your own Cheesecake Protein Bars...

Learn more in the discussion forum at TTMembers.com

Go here for Homemade Protein Bar Recipes

PPPS - No more long, slow cardio...

There's a dark side of cardio that too many people have met. Avoid long, slow, boring cardio that gives you overuse injuries, and stick to fast, effective TT For Fat Loss.

Wednesday squat and clean workout

I don't really know anything about training other than the fact the basics work best. Squats, cleans, presses, pulls, and rows work best for fat burning and muscle building.

Generally, the harder the exercise, the better the results. Plain and simple.

Which leads us to today...

1) Olympic Clean and Press (3x3)
- working on technique - 135

2) front squat (4x5) - 200

3) pullups (1xMax, 25 reps total)
- 12,5,5,3
- too much upper body already this week

4a) narrow stance good morning (3x10) - 55
4b) kb side bends (3x15) - 55

Some intensity was sacrificed for volume later in the workout, but not at the start with the cleans and squats.

Training, not exercise,

CB
www.ttmembers.com

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Tuesday workout - May TT 300 Workout

Todays workout was a run-through of May's TT workout of the month.

It's going to be a high-effort workout, with out of the ordinary rep ranges and tactics to build you a better body.

In fact, it will require effort like no other TT workout ever before. You up for the challenge?

And as an added bonus, I've developed a TT 300 workout that will be your "rite of passage" for this month, to be completed at the end of your 4-week training program.

You are going to love it.

By the way...
I have more goodies coming up for the members site, and because of that, the price for new members is going up at the end of May.

The Basic Level monthly membership will go up to $19.95 per month. Current members will stay locked in at $9.95 - so if you invest in a TT Basic Level Membership before May 31st, you'll save TEN dollars per month.

And I'm making even bigger changes to the Platinum Membership, and that Level will increase to $297 for the year. But if you invest in the Platinum Level Membership before May 31st, you'll pay LESS than half price, only $147. And you'll get to renew next year (and the year after, etc) at only $147 as well.

Click HERE for your Turbulence Training fat loss workouts

So NOW is the time to lock-in your TTMember's rates,

CB
Join the TT Fat Loss Workout Member Site today!

11 Reasons to Use Bodyweight Training to Burn Fat

There's nothing like doing a circuit of prisoner squats, decline pushups, reverse lunges, inverted rows, bulgarian split squats, and spiderman pushups at home to build muscle and burn fat.

Heck, you can get your entire workout done in the time it takes to drive to most gyms! Here are 11 reasons why bodyweight training is perfect for busy men and women...

1. There is nothing like bodyweight exercises to boost confidence, motivation, and improve your athleticism.

2. Bodyweight workouts can be done anywhere - no equipment needed.

3. Improves your strength and gives you bragging rights for chin-up and push-up challenges.

4. Bodyweight exercises increase strength, endurance and flexibility in your entire body.

5. Bodyweight strength training and interval training help burn fat fast.

6. Helps improve strength in the back of the body - an area totally neglected in most weight programs.

7. A full body workout in 30 minutes or less. It all depends on how fast you want to move through the workout.

8. You can enjoy the summer, training outside, not in a stuffy gym.

9. It's great if you are in jail, stuck at the office, or at the in-laws without a gym.

10. As one client said, "This allows a change from the free weight workout and also can be used as a convenience for those traveling or maybe have not purchased a set of weights or machine for home to get an excellent workout."

11. And as another client said, "I think a bodyweight workout would be a great idea especially for when people travel. I don't know about most folks but I just don't have the time or desire to try to find a gym while I'm vacation or traveling for business."

"I use bands and bodyweight exercises in my hotel room. Since most hotels seem to have a treadmill, I use that for cardio or interval workouts. So, a bodyweight program would be totally portable and leave no room for excuses."

Here's another quickie bodyweight circuit that will burn calories, again, in the comfort of your own home.

Y-Squat (15 reps)
Close-grip Pushup (12 reps)
Prisoner Forward Lunge (8 reps per side)
Mountain Climber (12 reps per side)
Jumping Jacks (60 reps)

Whew! Go through that 3 times, resting 1 minute between circuits.

Bodyweight workouts eliminate excuses, 

CB

P.S. Say goodbye to flabby arm syndrome...

...with these upper body bodyweight exercises.

One of my favorite female clients has the best arms in the gym of all the ladies, even those 20 years younger than her, and she can crank out almost 20 decline pushups, 13 regular pushups, and 10 spiderman pushups.

Click here to get started burning fat with bodyweight exercises today. 

Monday, April 23, 2007

Monday Bench Workout

Raring and ready to go today.

Back and obliques are a little sore from yesterday's high rep db rows, but that won't interefere with today's bench.

I'm also finishing up the may workout and its amazing. Totally freaking amazing.

Allright, after a walk to the subway in amazing weather, I slipped up to the gym at www.dccentres.ca for this workout...

I did Jay Ferruggia's "hulk hogan" warmup, which was great, but I kept laughing while I did it...

Some light snatches

1a) 3-board medium grip bench (3x5) - 300
1b) Y's (3x8)

2a) 225 for reps (3 sets) - 9,4,3
2b) Trap bar deadlift (3x10)

3a) 1-arm standing KB shoulder press (3x8) - 55
3b) bb curls (2x8) - 90

Lift with intensity,
CB

2 Nutrition Weight Loss Myths

The headlines of the fat loss and nutrition magazines in the checkout line at groceries stores would be so funny, if they weren't so sad.

"Lose 8lbs in 4 days with this new miracle fat burning food"

"Get slim with this Hollywood diet secret"

And so on.

I spent one summer working in the processing department of a bank. And each week I'd hear the women there talking about the latest fat burning tip, such as this classic, "Squeeze lemon juice in your water - it burns fat".

But you know how this story ends. No one lost a pound the entire 12 weeks I was there.

And it really makes me sad that this info is out there giving false hope to people. Because between the excitement of each new "miracle cure", you could see the look of despair in their eyes each week that their weight didn't change.

Then Friday would come and someone would bring in donuts. Needless to say, no amount of lemon juice could burn one of those off...anyways, here are two more myths that irritate me to no end...

Myth 1: Drinking ice cold water will help you lose fat.

You'll also find this one all over the Internet.

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 at least 12 glasses of water per day, but the temperature of your water won't have any effect on your overall fat loss success.

First of all, you're not drinking ice cold water. If it were ice cold, it would be ice. So you can knock a few calories off the estimation right there.

Second, what about warm beverages? Do they slow your metabolism down?

Seriously, anyone that is counting on ice-cold water to burn fat is not going to get any results from this "no effort" fat loss method. Sorry. Not going to work.


Myth 2: 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 nothing to eat but apples (because I would have a net energy loss from eating a so-called "negative calorie" food).

Hopefully that tells you all you need to know about the potential for any food to be a "negative calorie food".

It's a shame that people are out there promoting this stuff, and it's even worse that so many people fall for it.

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.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne
Author, Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

P.S. Who else wants REAL fat loss nutrition advice from one of America's leading nutrition experts?

The Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women - written by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., is ready for you.

Here are just some of the things you'll learn from Dr. Mohr...

1) How to calculate your calorie needs (p. 6)

2) Calorie recommendations for obese individuals (p.7)

3) The 23 types of sugar (many hidden!) to avoid (p. 9)

4) The 20 whole-grain sources to fuel your fat loss program (p9)

5) Over 60 fruits and vegetables that should be added to your diet (p. 10)

6) The 16 protein sources you should select most often (p. 13)

7) Shocking trans-fat content of 18 common foods - find out which food is the deadliest in terms of fat content (p. 16)

8 ) The 9 Fat Sources you should select most often (p. 17)

9) Dr. Mohr's 12 Rules for Fat Loss (p. 18)

10) The TT Nutrition Plan for Men (p. 19)

11) The TT Nutrition Plan for Women (p. 23)

12) Bonus Supplement Report: The Truth About Fat Loss Pills (p. 27)

Get the Truth About Nutrition For Fat Loss

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Sunday morning high repetition dumbbell row workout

For this morning's workout in the hotel gym, I had the plan to do the dumbbell row strength exercise. I use this a lot in my fat loss programs.

So all I did, because I want to save myself for mondays bench press workout was this...

Warmup
- prisoner squat
- pushup

Then 3 sets of rdl's

Then 3 sets of dumbbell rows for 35,25, and 10 reps, respectively.

Why did I do this? Because what else could I do in the gym with only 55lbs dumbbells.

The problem with this workout was my grip strength gave out.

Anyways, that was it.

Back to toronot tonight,

CB

7-Day Guide to Fat Loss: Special Nutrition Info

Time to stop messing around. We're a little over a month to the first long weekend of the summer. And we have two options.

i) Same outfit as last year. Long sleeve shirts all summer, shorts past our knees, no bathing suits, and long sleeve outfits to every wedding we attend this summer.

ii) Shirts off, sleeveless dresses, hands in the air, rockin' summer good times!

I hope you'll choose the latter, and say goodbye to the former. 

On that note, you should be on your way out to the grocery store to shop and prepare for your meals for the next 7 days, and planning your next 7 days of fitness according to these guidelines.

Monday
Turbulence Training workout, of course. Switch things up today. Where it calls for a barbell exercise, switch to dumbbells (i.e. do a dumbbell chest press instead of a bench press). Or if you are having trouble with your lunges, switch to split squats. And if you are hitting the bodyweight workouts, substitute in a harder pushup into your workout.

"I've found the various Turbulence Training programs to be tremendous.  The supersets allow one to get a lot of work done in a short period of time, which greatly reduces the time commitment necessary to see real progress, while the non-competing nature of the supersets enables steady strength increases.  For people who want a real workout, without spending hours in the gym, the Turbulence Training programs are, to me, the best way to go."

Mike Adams, Raleigh NC

Tuesday
Get 30 minutes of enjoyable exercise. It could be traditional cardio, running errands, housework, manual labor, or your favorite sport. Just make sure to be active everyday.

Finish your activity with some sort of relaxation techniques. It could be deep breathing, some easy yoga postures, or some visualization methods. Whatever you do, give yourself a few extra minutes to relax and remove the stress of your workday.

Wednesday
Turbulence Training workout. Sandwich your workout between two high-protein snacks to give your muscles the nutrients they need to recover and re-build.

Thursday
30 minutes of activity. Review your vegetable intake. You should be getting at least 5 servings per day, but try to get up to 8 or even 10 servings per day. Focus on leafy, green vegetables - broccoli, spinach, asparagus, green beans, green peppers, etc.

Friday
TT Workout. Summer is just under 2 months away (officially). But we've had some nice sunny days where sleeveless outfits have been the norm. Time to show off your arms.

"It amazes me that I'll be 45 with in June with 3 kids and I'm 5'4" weighing 114 lbs now (lean).  Thanks again for an amazing result!  I love it!!!"

Annabelle Logan (uses Turbulence Training)

Saturday
30 minutes of activity. Connect with your social support group. And call another friend and invite them to get commited to losing fat and improving their health. Help them out and compare solutions to the obstacles that prevent you from eating properly or exercising.

Sunday
30 minutes of activity followed by your weekly plan, shop, and prepare routine.

Review your nutrition and make sure that you are keeping all sources of trans-fats out of your diet. Get rid of all the snack foods that contain trans-fats and other ingredients that you can't pronounce. Focus on fresh produce, and minimize the pre-packaged foods on your list.

Summer's coming, time to put the finishing touches on your physique,

CB

P.S. What if you are too busy to workout?
You can avoid the gym altogether with the bodyweight workouts, and you can even take your workouts outside.

"I have been pretty religiously following the 6 month bodyweight program and have really enjoyed it. In phase 4 now, and I have been able to maintain my weight (an issue for me) and even gain a little strength with only 3 30min workouts a week - which is great because I used to work out 4 or 5 days a week for 1.5 hours. With 3 kids under 5 - I need the time!  Thank you - Thank you!"
Steve Nykerk

 

Click here to get started building your summer body with the 6-Month Bodyweight Workout.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

500 reps in 16 minutes

Today I needed a break from the seminar...so I snuck back up to my room and did 500 bodyweight repetitions in a bunch of bodyweight exercises.

Started with squats, pushups, lunges, and moved on to close grip pushups, stickups, stepups and mountain climbers.

It wasn't as hard as yesterday's bodyweight workout, but it was a great workout to be used as a substitute for a boring cardio workout, plus it works your arms, abs and upper body mobility much, much better. Cool, darn right.

More bodyweight info at www.workoutmanuals.com and in my youtube videos - search for craig ballantyne or turbulence training on youtube.com

CB

How to Avoid the Diet-Destroying Afternoon Munchies

A new issue of the TT Members No-Cost Newsletter is now online...in it, you'll learn...

a) The 3 Most Common Fat Loss Mistakes Made By Women - From Erik Ledin, Female Transformation Expert

b) How to Avoid Afternoon, Diet-Destroying "Munchie-Attacks"! - From the TTmembers Discussion Forum

...and a bonus, how to make your own roasted nuts at home, avoiding the use of unhealthy vegetable oils that are used to roast most commercially available nuts.

Read the TTMembers Fat Loss Secrets

Look out for the female fat loss hormone interviews coming up in May,

CB

PS - Do you want the fat loss secrets of Cosgrove, Venuto, Ledin, & Cassandra Forsythe?

You'll only find these interviews on TTMembers, where there are two levels of membership...

1) The Basic Level TT Member ($9.95 per month) gets:
- The Workout Of the Month Download
- The Nutrition Guidelines Download
- The Exclusive Fat Loss Interviews
- Access to the Discussion Forums

2) The Platinum Level TT Member ($147 per year) gets:
- 12-Months Access to All of the Above
- Access to ALL of the TT Manuals (value of over $3000)
- Exercise Video Clip Downloads

Become a TTmember today! And let me know if you have any questions...

Friday, April 20, 2007

Thursday & Friday Hotel Gym & Hotel Room Workouts

So Thursday afternoon I hit the hotel gym for a workout, not a regular workout, but some bodyweight and a total-body easy strength training workout. You know, what you can do in a hotel gym. Still, a good workout. Legs were sore, so I didn't do much for them.

Here's how it went down...

1a) Prisoner Squat
1b) Pushups

couple of warmup sets.

Then a set of max pushups: I'm up to 54. That's 4 in 2 weeks, but I'm not really trying.

2a) Lat pulldown machine
2b) Pushups (variety) 

3a) DB Curls (heavy)
3b) Y's

4a) DB Incline Hammer Curls (an old favorite)
4b) DB Rear Deltoid Raises

Biceps are sore from the extra attention. Nice quick, 20 minute session.

Click HERE To read Friday Morning's 400 repetition bodyweight hotel room workout

You can do a lot with your bodyweight in a hotel gym or hotel room workout,

CB
Get April's Dumbbell Workout Routine for Mass

3 Cardio Fat Loss Myths

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.

By now you've probably heard that if you don't do
60-minutes of cardio in your fat burning zone on an empty stomach while Venus is in line with Jupiter, you'll never burn fat. Which of course, is garbage.

I have also seen fat loss myths used as justification for cheating on a diet, watching countless men and women justify their "treats" because they believe they are on some type of magical exercise program or nutrition plan.

I could go on for days about fitness myths, but I cut my list from 30 down to the Top 3 Fat Loss Cardio Workout Myths today. I'll save the others for future newsletters.

Myth #1: You have to do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

Relax. You don't have to hop on the treadmill at 4:30am every
morning. 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 exercise
intensely and consistently. Focus on relatively high-intensity
workouts to increase your metabolism for as many hours after
exercise as possible. That is best done with interval training and resistance 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 fat when 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 your
so-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, and that leads to more fat loss.

I've worked with hundreds of people that have avoided the fat
burning zone while still managing to lose dozens of pounds of fat.

The "fat burning zone" is one of the biggest fitness myths of all time.

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 that turns on only after I've been doing "cardio" for 20 minutes. But what if I only exercise for 19 minutes and 59 seconds? Are you 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 our 24-hour metabolism, not how much fat or even how many calories are burned during the workout.

I guarantee you that Turbulence Training will successfully
guide 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

Get 7 Bonuses with Turbulence Training

"I have been in possession of TT for a several weeks now; I
absolutely enjoy the program. I can get in to the gym and rip
though 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

Turbulence Training is the BEST fat loss program - try it today! 

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Make a Difference Today

If you're life has been affected by cancer, and really, who's life hasn't, then I'm sure you'll be interested in helping Alwyn Cosgrove beat cancer (again). Alwyn, as you may know, is one of America's top trainers, and he fought cancer in 2004, 2005, and 2006 and kicked its butt.

Today, he's alive and well, thanks to medical research. Research that would otherwise have been impossible had it not been for donations. So Alwyn put together an 800-page book (available on CD-ROM) featuring dozens of trainers giving motivational and training advice.

It's available for only $24.99 at www.liftstrong.com    

Please support the fight against cancer. Alwyn, and all other survivors and cancer fighters thank you from the bottom of their hearts.

Thank you,

Craig

PS - You'll get to enjoy articles from...

Adam Campbell
Dr. Chris Mohr
Dave Tate
Dax Moy
Pavel Tsatsouline
Lori Incledon
Susan Hill
Jason Ferruggia
and many others.

Make a difference right now at www.liftstrong.com

PPS - Alwyn also included...
The messages he wrote while he was fighting cancer. You want inspiration against whatever is getting you down? You have to read his inspirational emails and messages.

Fight cancer today. www.liftstrong.com

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Squat workout before Chicago trip

Going to get a hard workout in today as I'm not sure whether I'll get to a real gym again before monday. Regardless, I will at least use the hotel gym on friday or saturday.

1a) overhead squat (3x1) - 145
1b) Y's (3x12)

2a) medium squat (4x5) - 315
2b) pushups (4x15) - various

3a) narrow GM (3x12) - 135
3b) chins (1xMax, 30 total)
18,4,4,3,

To eat well while traveling, I am packing lots of nuts (eating a lot of
pecans these days), apples, organic beef jerkey from the Healthy Butcher in Toronto, and even a few protein bars).

Eating poorly saps my mental energy and makes me feel greasy. So who needs that junk?

Not me,

CB

Beach Body Building: When to Gain Muscle vs. When to Lose Fat

A lot of guys come to me at this time of the year and want to have 6-pack abs in time for the beach. They are super-focused on losing fat. But they have the wrong focus.

The problem? They have no muscle. So like John Candy in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, they are going the wrong way.

In fact, I have a rule when it comes to making the decision about whether or not to build muscle or lose fat. Here it is...

Our baseline measure is: 5'8", 160.

If you are 5'8", and less than 160 pounds (and already in low teen bodyfat percentage), than you are wasting your time trying to lose fat to look good for the beach. You'll just end up a smaller version of yourself, with no appreciable gains in muscle definition.

If you are over 160, then you probably have enough muscle mass to pull off a fat loss program allowing you to look good on the beach.

Taller or shorter than 5'8"?

For every inch shorter, you can subtract 5lbs from the standard. So if you are 5'6", you have to be at least 150lbs before you try to lose fat. If you weigh 145, you'll build a better body by building muscle.

For every inch taller than 5'8", add 5lbs to the standard. 6 feet tall? You need to be 180 before you focus on fat loss.

So before you start worrying about how much cardio to do, and how many calories you need to cut out, make sure you are traveling in the right direction first.

Need to gain muscle? You have two options...

a) A Dumbbell Mass Building Program You Can Do At Home

b) The TT Total Mass Package (it'll keep you big & busy for a long, long time)

Not too fat, not too skinny, but just right - that's how Goldilocks likes them,

CB

PS. Avoid being told to "put your shirt back on" this summer...

"As a former university athlete and personal trainer myself, I have seen many programs claim to add size and strength, speed and power. As a Physical Education teacher, I educate students so that they can make informed decisions about their own health, nutrition and physical development. Busy with work, coaching volleyball, basketball and track and my own continuing education, I've been in a bit of a rut lately with my own training. At 6'6", 230 lb (around 10.5-11% bf), I've struggled to add any size to my physique with a job that has me running with kids all day. Craig's Turbulence Training for Mass has really helped structure what free time I have as efficiently as possible allowing me to get the most out of my workouts. I have added noticeable size in just the first four weeks of the program and look forward to the results of the next twelve. The structure of the program allows me push each body part hard while getting adequate rest. TT for Mass has given me that drive in the gym that I've been missing while floating through maintenance workouts the last four years."

Jason McBride

Read about other mass monsters here...

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Weight Loss for Women At Home

A woman's workout should consist of leg raises, biceps curls with
soup cans, and triceps kickbacks with water bottles.

Can you believe that silliness?

Neither can I, but that is what passes for "professional fitness
advice for women" these days.

I could see this info being accepted in the 1930's (maybe?), but in
the year 2007? Please...

Does anyone really believe that biceps curls with water bottles is
going to prepare women to carry their children to bed, a bag of
heavy groceries in from the car, or swing a sledgehammer during
home reno's?

No way. You need real-world workouts and fat loss advice. Not fluff.

Am I the only one that finds those types of recommendations
disrespectful to the physical capabilities of women? You'd think
that Linda Hamilton's chin-up scene in Terminator 2 would have
turned the tide of female fitness, or perhaps Demi Moore's GI Jane.

I've watched women get fit fast at almost any age with Turbulence
Training. In fact, we've had girls from 18 to 82 years young
kickin' butt with Turbulence Training.

Today, I want to share the story of a classic "supermom", you know
the mom with 3 active kids that has to drive them everywhere, eat
on the run, and still find room for workouts. Her name is Brandy
Kirton, and she'll show you how real women train, eat, and find the
time to do it all with proper planning.

CB: Brandy, tell us about your past exercise and nutrition
experiences. At what point did you find out about Turbulence
Training and what persuaded you to start using it?

BK:
I started working out back on high school. I'm 30 now.

I became a personal trainer for a few years in my early 20's. So I
learned a lot about nutrition and weight training. I have been in
great shape and not so great shape in the last 10 years. I think I
found Turbulence Training just surfing the web and decided to give
it a try. I was desperate to lose weight after my 3rd kid.

CB: And how was this a change from what you had done in the past?

BK:
I was doing 30 minutes of cardio and then lifted for 30 mins
3 to 4 times a week. That was if I actually could make time.
 
I would not work out if I knew I couldnt get it all in. I would
think, "What's the point of 20 mins?".
 
CB: What kind of results have you achieved with Turbulence
Training? And is there anything else, besides the results, you
love about the Turbulence Training programs?

BK:
I love how it changes every month so I never get bored. I also love
that I have no excuse about not having time to fit it in.

My results have been great. I am getting toned up and consistently
loosing inches. I also have a lot more energy.

CB: Do you workout at home or in a gym?

BK:
I have to work out at home. No time to get to a gym.

CB: Has Turbulence Training had a positive impact on your lifestyle?

BK:
Turbulence Training has made a huge impact on me. I dont feel like
it takes up my whole day or get bored of the same thing day in and
day out.

I feel strong and love the daily emails. It helps me stay motivated.

I work full time, have three kids 9, 5, and 11 months, and a
husband. My older two kids play every sports so there really
is no extra time.

I have to get up at 5:30 to work out before they wake up but its
worth it. I feel great after I am done and no matter what happens
that day I have already got my work out in which feels great.

*Get your very own copy of Turbulence Training & the Nutrition Guide
here:
http://www.turbulencetraining.com/

CB: Do you have any social support? If so, how has this helped
you?

BK:
My mom comes over in the mornings to work out with me. I need that
accountability so that I don't sleep instead. Its hard to get up
but I always feel so much better when I do. 

CB: What are your daily obstacles and temptations that you have
to avoid with respect to nutrition and training? And what
strategies do you use?

BK:
With all the practices, games and running around I have to do its
hard not to grab McDonald's with the kids.

I try to either bring food with me or wait until I get home. If I
have to eat out I do try and find grilled chicken or subway.

CB: How do you plan your nutrition?

BK:
I have to go shopping on Sunday to stock up on all my healthy
food. Otherwise I will eat whatever I can find which usually is not
good for me.


CB: Thanks Brandy, keep up the great work.

****
The message is clear. Plan, prepare, commit, and be consistent.
Brandy didn't use any magic pills or potions to succeed, she simply
found a great workout plan, and did what she had to do.

As a supermom, Brandy practically has to create time out of thin
air in order to do her workout, but again, she knows what she has
to do and she does it. She's committed. She has social support. She
knows the correct options for eating on the run.

She has made the effort to plan for the obstacles (lack of time,
workout motivation) that we all come across. And by doing that,
she's cleared a simple path to success.

And she doesn't waste time in the gym with slow, boring cardio
workouts. Instead, she sculpts her body in half the time with the
Turbulence Training workouts.

Get the Best Fat Loss Program & 7 Free Bonuses HERE

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS. Who else wants to lose the baby fat & have her best body since
high-school?

"Thanks, Craig, for the best body I've had since high school (20
years). I have an 11-month old daughter, and long-distance running
didn't decrease my post-partum fat much at all. After 6 weeks I've
gone down one size in jeans (and actually they're too baggy now,
too) and have the lowest bodyfat percentage than I had before the
baby, and during years of marathon training. What appeals so much
to me (besides the tighter body!) is that I can finish my workout
in under 25 minutes, and get back to my family. It's effective and
efficient; remarkably impressive. Thank you!!!!!"
Christine B.

"Hi Craig - First, I LOVE your program. In just under two weeks, I
have already started seeing definition - that has been my goal for
as long as I have been working out (a LONG time)Keep up the GREAT
work, and thanks!"
Susan Siceloff

Burn Fat & Start Changing Your Body Today!

Monday, April 16, 2007

Monday bench press workout

Did a lot of walking on the weekend as well as taking some extra rest.

1) Floor Press (4x2) - 250

2) light snatch (3x3)

3) Bench (225 for reps) - 9, 1 more than last week

4a) front squat (3x8) - 175
4b) snatch BB row (3x10) - 175

5) 135 deadlift - 40,10

Just throwin that last one in there for fun,

CB

300 Workout, Sore Knees Q'n'A

I'm off to Chicago this weekend for another seminar...if you haven't watched my Youtube video on the 300, check it out here:

CB Does the 300 Workout in less than 90 Seconds 


Q: I need to drop about 30 pounds. I also need to train for my Army fitness test coming up in July which consists of push-ups, sit-ups & a 2 mile run. 
Obviously, I'll have to do cardio to perform well on the run. Will adding 2-3 runs per week hinder my results on this program? Is there a risk of overtraining?

Answer:
You can do the running on off days, however, start with very low volume. Run twice per week, say Tuesday and Saturday, if you do TT M-W-F.

Start with 1 mile each day. Then try to run the mile faster on Tuesday, and add distance to the mile on Saturday, 1/3 to 1/2 of a mile each week.

Be conservative. Back off if you feel shin splints and make sure you have good shoes. It's not "overtraining" you need to be worried about, it's "overuse injury". That's the dark side of cardio.

Q: I am confused as to how the superset works. If it says 3x8, how do you do that?

Answer:
A typical fat loss superset of 3x8 is done like this:

1A) Exercise #1 - 8 reps
With little or no rest, go immediately to 1B.
1B) Exercise #2 - 8 reps
Rest for 30-60 seconds, as recommended.
Repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

That's it.

Please see the sample workout structure on page 35 of Turbulence Training for Fat Loss for more details.

Q: What kind of advice do you give to a client who has seen a cardiologist and has been told to start "slow and easy".  I have "strong risk factors" for heart disease. I know you're not a doctor, but do you have you any experience training someone like myself?

Answer:
Thanks for the email. You shouldn't use my program. While I've worked with a couple of guys at about 5'8, 310, the key is I worked with them IN PERSON.

I suggest you do the same. Find someone in your town and get someone to monitor your workouts. Its the ONLY way to go. You should not be exercising without supervision.

But I know you will succeed, so drop me a line when you're down to 275 and let us know how things are going.

Bottom line: You need IN-PERSON, PROFESSIONAL HELP.
 

Q:
My biggest problem while working out is terrible knees. This makes squats and lunges almost impossible. Given this, would the program be of any benefit to me? I currently weight train 5 days a week (no more than two muscle groups) and stationary bike 7 days a week for 45 min.  

Answer:
Thanks for your email.

I have designed Turbulence Training for this common problem.

In the introductory workouts, we do most of the lower body exercises on the floor (hip extensions, ball leg curls, etc) to build up the muscles around the knees so that eventually we can move to standing exercises without pain.

Combine that new-found strength with fat loss from proper nutrition, and the standing lower body exercises will be much more comfortable to perform.

Now more importantly, the real question is this:

Are you making gains on your program now? If not, then you need a new program for sure. You are doing 6 hours of cardio per week. Is this helping? Is this making your knees even worse? What is the purpose? Do you really need that much exercise?

These are some hard questions you have to ask yourself about your training program.  

I know that intervals are better than slow cardio, so Turbulence Training would require you to make a big change in your current routine.

But if you want more results in less time, and stronger, healthier knees, and less body fat, I think the answer is simple. TT for Fat Loss is perfect for you.

Bottom line: If you aren't improving, you need to change.

Thanks!

(And of course, nutrition, nutrition, nutrition! Dr. Mohr's guidelines are sensible and easy to follow.) 


Q: I live in Finland and love everything about working out, eating well, and I'm always looking for learning more. I've been reading quite a lot about TT the last couple of days and stumbled across your TT membership site. What are the details?

Answer

There are two levels of membership:

1) The Basic Level TT Member ($9.95 per month) gets:
- The Workout Of the Month Download
- The Nutrition Guidelines Download
- The Exclusive Fat Loss Interviews
- Access to the Discussion Forums

2) The Platinum Level TT Member ($147 per year) gets:

- 12-Months Access to All of the Above
- Access to ALL of the TT Manuals ever written (value of over $3000)
- Exercise Video Clip Downloads

Let me know if you have any questions! 

Find out what the experts reveal to me and no one else,

CB

PS - Can you afford to miss these interviews? 

Become a member today!

Stubborn Fat Secrets - Alwyn Cosgrove Explains the Need for Extra Workouts & Recovery for Maximum Fat Loss
CB
How can I get rid of stubborn fat? Can I add more workouts? Why did I lose weight when I had a week off? And what is the best interval program? All questions that Alwyn Cosgrove was happy to answer...you'll improve your fat loss program simply by reading this interview. . . . keep reading
Nutritional Myths & Landmines - Do's and Don'ts for Healthy, Fat Loss Nutrition with Mike Roussell
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Everyday a new nutrition myth pops up. It's enough to drive you crazy. What is true and what is false about some of these 'alternative' health nutrition tips? Are these "nutrition experts" really helping us or just trying to sell us something. . . . keep reading
Extreme Fat Loss with the Unique Exercise Genius, Nick Nilsson
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Learn about unique calorie-burning exercises that help you sculpt your body, build muscle, and burn fat. These are advanced, so train within your abilities. . . . keep reading
Busting Plateaus: Getting Inside Your Head - The Key to Successful Weight Management
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Finally, mental help! We all know the basics for fat loss TT-style (strength, intervals, & nutrition), but how do we deal with mental roadblocks? Find out from Kara Gallagher, Ph.D. . . . keep reading
TT Nutrition for Fat Loss Guidelines - More from Dr. Chris Mohr...
Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D.
This is the next level of nutrition information for TT users. . . . keep reading
The Other Side of Slow Cardio...To use or not to use slow cardio for advanced fat loss
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Is TT wrong? Is slow cardio the best way to lose fat? Let's hear what fat loss expert Tom Venuto has to say about using slow cardio to get to single-digit body fat... . . . keep reading
Legendary Fat Loss Expert Tom Venuto Shows You How to Lose Fat Fast in Your 30's and Beyond...
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
If you think that losing fat gets harder with age, then listen to Tom Venuto's tips. From beginners to advanced bodybuilders, everyone will benefit from his fat loss expertise. Tom lives the fat loss lifestyle. . . . keep reading

Become a member today!

:
Thanks for the email...we have lots of advanced fat loss info from the world's best experts and money saving fitness tips on the forum at www.TTmembers.com

Sunday, April 15, 2007

7-day Guide: Weight Loss Tips from the Experts

The other Friday I was out for dinner with Jon Benson (Fit Over 40) and Dr. John Berardi - Precision Nutrition. The conversation turned to the extremes that some people believe is necessary in order to lose fat.

But time and time again our discussion turned back to how the basics were the key.

a) Nutrition
b) Social Support - In our online community Discussion Forums
c) Basic Exercises

That is the fat loss plan for success. There are no missing steps. You don't need expensive, questionable appetite suppressants to do the job. You don't need fancy machines. And you don't need to starve yourself.

Monday
TT Workout. Change your interval workout and try Alwyn Cosgrove's new interval method for fat loss - read about it here

Tuesday
TT is all about lifestyle. That's why we have 3 structured workouts and 4 non-structured exercise days. So do something you like today, for 30 minutes of activity.

Just make sure that it doesn't interfere with your recovery from Monday's workout, or tire you out for Wednesdays' workout.

Wednesday
TT workout. Are you remembering to hit a personal best in each workout? What's today's record going to be? How many chinups you can do? An extra 2.5 lbs on dumbbells rows? A set of decline pushups for 20 reps? Whatever it is, make sure it's 1 rep or 1 pound better than last workout!

Thursday
30 minutes of activity. Thursdays are a great day to give yourself some destress activity. A dinner out, a yoga session, meditation, a nap, or a call to a close friend. Treat yourself. Soon it will be another busy weekend...

Friday
TT workout. Before you train, have your body fat tested. Compare your results to 4 weeks ago. For guys, this is a good time to determine whether you need more muscle or to stick with fat loss.

Saturday
Get 30 minutes of exercise from a fun, non-gym workout. As always, check in with that social support group. Get your motivation and encouragement.

Sunday
Plan, shop, and prepare, of course. Get 30 minutes of enjoyable exercise, and don't forget to grab a new vegetable, a new fruit, and at least one new organic product at the grocery store.

An expert should make it simple for you,

CB

P.S. Have dinner with these experts and learn from them...

Kettlebells for Fat Loss - David Whitley
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Can Kettlebells be used for fat loss? Can they be used in Turbulence Training type workouts? What are the best kettlebell exercises? . . . keep reading
Extreme Fat Loss with the Unique Exercise Genius, Nick Nilsson
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Learn about unique calorie-burning exercises that help you sculpt your body, build muscle, and burn fat. These are advanced, so train within your abilities. . . . keep reading
How to Reduce Stress with Tai Chi Expert, Dan Brown
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Stress is hard on the mind and body. I know, I put a lot of stress on myself. I used Chi Gong to help alleviate my stress in the summer of '06. In this interview, I talk with my associate, Dan Brown, about other ways to combat stress. . . . keep reading
How Often Should You Weigh Yourself - Fat Loss Expert Educated in One of New Jersey's Most Hardcore Gyms Sets CB Straight!
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
What happens when a hardcore, bodybuilding teenager becomes an educated, passionate strength and conditioning coach? You get John Alvino, one of New Jersey's most effective fat loss coaches. Find out what John has discovered through study and experimentation to help you reach your goals. . . . keep reading
Busting Plateaus: Getting Inside Your Head - The Key to Successful Weight Management
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Finally, mental help! We all know the basics for fat loss TT-style (strength, intervals, & nutrition), but how do we deal with mental roadblocks? Find out from Kara Gallagher, Ph.D. . . . keep reading
TT Nutrition for Fat Loss Guidelines - More from Dr. Chris Mohr...
Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D.
This is the next level of nutrition information for TT users. . . . keep reading
The Other Side of Slow Cardio...To use or not to use slow cardio for advanced fat loss
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Is TT wrong? Is slow cardio the best way to lose fat? Let's hear what fat loss expert Tom Venuto has to say about using slow cardio to get to single-digit body fat... . . . keep reading
Legendary Fat Loss Expert Tom Venuto Shows You How to Lose Fat Fast in Your 30's and Beyond...
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
If you think that losing fat gets harder with age, then listen to Tom Venuto's tips. From beginners to advanced bodybuilders, everyone will benefit from his fat loss expertise. Tom lives the fat loss lifestyle. . . . keep reading
 

Here are some of my favorite TT interviews. Grab a Green Tea or a protein-meal and sit down to learn their secrets...

Join TT members today to read all the interviews   

Friday, April 13, 2007

300 Workout Video from Mens Health

Here's the 300 workout. The kettlebells, the deadlift, the floor wiper. Everything from the 300 workout.

Click HERE to watch 300 workout on video

Seriously, i'm never doing the 300 workout again,

CB

CB Does the 300 Workout on Mens Health

One rep per exercise for the 300 workout. Not the full thing.

Still, you get the picture.

CB Does 300 on Mens Health

We'll get these on Youtube soon as well,

CB

Friday Workout

Feeling a bit sore and sleeping pretty hard at night, so I need the weekend off for sure.

Still, today we had a good effort.

1a) Power clean (3x3) - 165
1b) close-grip Rack lockout (3x5) - 275

2a) trap bar rdl (3x5) - 220
2b) pushup variations (3 sets)

3a) 1-leg assisted squat (3x8)
3b) cable abs (3x10)
3c) bb curls (3x6)

I really don't need to do this much volume but its fun,

CB

Truth About Morning Cardio for Weight Loss

Fitness magazines have changed a lot since I first picked up my first issues of Muscle & Fiction or MuscleMag (the Arnold collector's edition!) way back in 1992 or '93.

Slowly, they are getting better info in the magazines...although some still sacrifice quality of info just to put in "new" moves (even though these exercises suck in comparison to the basics).

I currently write for about 4 magazines on a regular basis, and I'm now on the Training Advisory Board for Oxygen magazine. Here's one of the questions I was recently asked for the magazine...

"I've been told to do cardio in the morning on an empty stomach for more fat loss. but one trainer told me I'll lose muscle mass this way. What should I do?"

Answer:
Take a deep breath, and don't worry about it.

The bottom line: Fat loss is all about the BIG picture. What happens over the course of a 24 hour period determines your results, not what happens in a 30 minute exercise session.

Just as bodybuilders know that muscle doesn't grow during a workout, we also need to understand that most fat isn't lost during training, but rather as a result of what goes on for the entire 24 hour period.

If someone wants to get lean, they will achieve most of their results from HARD DIETING, not because they do their cardio in the morning.

And as long as they apply some type of resistance training stimulus to their muscles and eat enough protein over the course of the day, they won't lose muscle - even if they do empty stomach cardio.

I was speaking with Dr. Stuart Phillips about this as well, and he said, "morning cardio a risk for muscle loss? complete bunk!!! Just how much will you lose? Certainly, the longer you go without eating the more time you're in negative energy and protein balance and you will net lose muscle, but it's not like it drops off in pounds. time for a little reality check on this one."

****
So I finished with this note to the editor at Oxygen...

I know its not great copy when an expert says, "it doesn't matter either way", but most of the time, thats the truth!

Anyways, those are the types of boring answers you'll get from me regarding controversial issues like morning cardio on an empty stomach.

Keepin' it real, as the kids say,

CB

PS - Do you want access to un-censored interviews with the top fat loss experts in the business?

Recently, I published an interview on www.TTmembers.com that didn't agree with my point of view on intervals. A reader asked why I would do that...and I said, TT Members is UN-CENSORED. We are giving you ALL of the best fat loss info, and I'm not holding anything back just because it doesn't make me look good!

www.TTmembers.com is all about your fat loss, not my ego!

Take a look at these interviews you'll get for only $9.95 per month...

Hardgainer Mass Building - Rengegade Strength Coach Explains 5x5 and How much cardio and ab training a hardgainer should do...
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Is 5x5 the best way to build mass and strength? Is the bench press a good exercise for building your chest? And what's the best way to do cardio if you are building muscle? All of this, and more, from the Regegade Strength Coach, Jason Ferruggia. . . . keep reading
Stubborn Fat Secrets - Alwyn Cosgrove Explains the Need for Extra Workouts & Recovery for Maximum Fat Loss
CB
How can I get rid of stubborn fat? Can I add more workouts? Why did I lose weight when I had a week off? And what is the best interval program? All questions that Alwyn Cosgrove was happy to answer...you'll improve your fat loss program simply by reading this interview. . . . keep reading
What Does Your Community Have to Do with Fat Loss? FitForce Bootcamp Fat Loss Success with Jerry Hill
CB
If you think that you can lose fat on your own, you might be right, but it's likely your results will be slower, if at all. Having a supportive community is key. But that doesn't mean sitting around, holding hands, and singing Kumbaya. Heck no, Jerry Hill shows us how you can train hard and harness the power of the community to get even greater gains in fat loss and fitness. . . . keep reading
Nutritional Myths & Landmines - Do's and Don'ts for Healthy, Fat Loss Nutrition with Mike Roussell
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Everyday a new nutrition myth pops up. It's enough to drive you crazy. What is true and what is false about some of these 'alternative' health nutrition tips? Are these "nutrition experts" really helping us or just trying to sell us something. . . . keep reading
Kettlebells & Fat Loss - Dirty South Styles - with Kenneth Johnson
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
I met Kenny Johnson in Sept. 2006 at Ryan Lee's bootcamp for the top personal trainers in the world. Kenny has been a fan of Turbulence Training for years, and told me how he was applying the TT princ . . . keep reading
Overcoming the Fat Loss Catch-22 with Legendary Coach, Charles Staley
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
His colleagues call him an iconoclast, a visionary, a rule-breaker. His clients call him "The Secret Weapon" for his ability to see what other coaches miss. Charles calls himself a geek who struggle . . . keep reading
Vegan Fat Loss Expert Mike Mahler Gives Kettlebell Tips to Boost Your Metabolism
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Kettlebells and vegetarianism aren't often talked about in Turbulence Training, but Mike Mahler is a training expert that lives that lifestyle. Here's Mike's take on kettlebells for fat loss... . . . keep reading
Kettlebells for Fat Loss - David Whitley
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Can Kettlebells be used for fat loss? Can they be used in Turbulence Training type workouts? What are the best kettlebell exercises? . . . keep reading
Extreme Fat Loss with the Unique Exercise Genius, Nick Nilsson
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Learn about unique calorie-burning exercises that help you sculpt your body, build muscle, and burn fat. These are advanced, so train within your abilities. . . . keep reading
How to Reduce Stress with Tai Chi Expert, Dan Brown
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Stress is hard on the mind and body. I know, I put a lot of stress on myself. I used Chi Gong to help alleviate my stress in the summer of '06. In this interview, I talk with my associate, Dan Brown, about other ways to combat stress. . . . keep reading
How Often Should You Weigh Yourself - Fat Loss Expert Educated in One of New Jersey's Most Hardcore Gyms Sets CB Straight!
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
What happens when a hardcore, bodybuilding teenager becomes an educated, passionate strength and conditioning coach? You get John Alvino, one of New Jersey's most effective fat loss coaches. Find out what John has discovered through study and experimentation to help you reach your goals. . . . keep reading
Busting Plateaus: Getting Inside Your Head - The Key to Successful Weight Management
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Finally, mental help! We all know the basics for fat loss TT-style (strength, intervals, & nutrition), but how do we deal with mental roadblocks? Find out from Kara Gallagher, Ph.D. . . . keep reading
TT Nutrition for Fat Loss Guidelines - More from Dr. Chris Mohr...
Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D.
This is the next level of nutrition information for TT users. . . . keep reading
The Other Side of Slow Cardio...To use or not to use slow cardio for advanced fat loss
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Is TT wrong? Is slow cardio the best way to lose fat? Let's hear what fat loss expert Tom Venuto has to say about using slow cardio to get to single-digit body fat... . . . keep reading
Legendary Fat Loss Expert Tom Venuto Shows You How to Lose Fat Fast in Your 30's and Beyond...
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
If you think that losing fat gets harder with age, then listen to Tom Venuto's tips. From beginners to advanced bodybuilders, everyone will benefit from his fat loss expertise. Tom lives the fat loss lifestyle. . . . keep reading
Can You Build Muscle & Burn Fat at the Same Time - Dr. Stuart Phillips Explains the Science
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
All across the Internet, men and women are claiming incredible gains in muscle and huge losses in body fat. Can this really be done? Is it healthy? Dr. Stuart Phillips, Ph.D., discusses the science of building muscle and losing fat, high protein diets, slow cardio, intervals, and more! . . . keep reading