Journey Begins

Off day today. The journey begins tomorrow.

Train ride to Toronto. Squat or deadlift workout at BANG Fitness. Coaching day on Wednesday, big family dinner Wednesday.

Thursday is a meetings day, catching up with some clients in Toronto. Friday-Saturday are back-to-back workshops. Good times.

Sunday brunch + accountability coaching day.

Monday meetings day.

Tuesday fly to Vegas... filming, seminar, workshop, trip to Speed Vegas, and then off to San Jose.

I'll be doing a workshop in SJ on Friday, then speaking at the RISE fitness event on Saturday, followed with ...

Not sure.

At present, supposed to fly home through Vancouver... on Canada's Thanksgiving weekend... but the timing is all wrong.

I'd get home at 8pm Sunday which is too late for family dinner... and I can't stay over in Vancouver and do a workshop on the Sunday because it's a holiday weekend.

Might get in an extra Empire filming session with Bedros Keuilian that week instead.

It's all messed up.

Why can't he live just down the street, lol.

Anyways, the adventure continues...

But this is nothing.

You should see the trip I'm trying to plan that includes Seoul, Sydney, Melbourne, Beijing and LA.

Crazy.

Talk soon,

Craig

Saturday and Sunday Sessions

I like working on Sundays, it's my coaching day. At 6am an email goes out to my 250 high level clients. It contains 10 accountability questions for the week. I get dozens of replies, and I reply to each reply. It's so fascinating to solve problems, create new content, and generate new connections.

It keeps me busy, but I still have time for training and a walk outside.

But I would do more walks if I had a dog. 😊

I really want to adopt a couple from lab-rescue.ca ... especially Bentley and Ellie Bellie. The problem is I'd have to install a fenced in dog run for them.

Hmmmm... dilemmas, dilemmas.

Anyways, here are a couple of good weekend workouts:

Saturday

Extensive old-man warm-up for tight hips

1A) Front Squat (+ one rep of Hang Clean since this was done at home with no rack)

1b) RDL

2A) KB Swing
2b) KB Reverse Lunge

2C) Stability Ball Rollout

Very good session.

Then Sunday was all meathead, all the time... But I was so focused on my work that I worked right through lunch (forget to really eat), and then trained at 2pm. Good times.

1A) Pushups

1b) Band Pull

2A) DB Chest Press

2b) KB 1-Arm Row

3A) Floor Press

3b) Shrug

Good times.

Then a walk outside... one of the last nice weekend days of the year.

Off to Toronto on Tuesday for coaching sessions and gym workouts.

Talk soon,

Craig

PS - Check me on Instagram - lots of cool stuff here

ManUp Day!

Big day in my world. Kind of.

My friend Bedros Keuilian just released his new book, ManUp.

I hope you grab a copy... its a killer story combined with great leadership lessons.

Bedros and I lift together all the time.

He trains like a Meathead, and never does a warm-up, but sometimes I join him.

We had an epic workout earlier this year of:

Pullups

DB Row

Hammer Strength Rows

Shrugs

Not a lot of supersets, just "he goes, I go".

 And I managed not to get hurt.

Guess I was able to ManUp for that one!

Anyways, grab a copy of his book... I even get a shout out in it.

You get a really cool bonus course when get ManUp here

Today was an off day for me here, but hopefully I will deadlift tomorrow.

Off to dinner,

Craig

Summer Update

Alright, I'm back and going to update this blog again.

Lots to report.

This summer:

- I went to Germany, South Africa (Safari!), Croatia, Montenegro, Lithuania, and London, UK

- I learned safaris are really amazing

- I worked a lot... and did not sleep very much... in fact I've been on about 6.5 hours for 60 days in a row

- I got a crazy bug bite in Montenegro that became infected

- I went a long time without working out

- I grew my new business really fast using Instagram (weird, right)

- I almost finished another book, "Unstoppable"

And most importantly...

- I tried to come up with New TT programs and I failed... I spent weeks trying to come up with something good, and nothing could compare to the classics.

So... I'm sorry, there won't be any new TT programs to buy

But I will start posting my workouts here again.

Starting today:

I weigh about 170 pounds, and I lost weight on my 31-day trip this summer while everyone else gained 10 pounds.

Unfortunately, I probably lost muscle from not training.

But I haven't lost that much strength on some exercises... and when I was training with Jay Ferruggia last week I managed to DB press 90x5.

Today in the hot garage gym I did:

1A) Band Pulls

1b) Pushups

2A) DB Press

2b) BB Row

3A) Elevated pushup
3b) Ab Wheel Rollout

Alright, that's it.

I gotta lot more work to do tomorrow (crazy book deadline!!!), so I'll talk to you soon.

Much love,

Craig

PS - Sad news... Ol' Bally is off to doggie heaven. He had a great run... the best ever. Miss him a lot. We'll never forget his Bally workout emails!!!

But

Couple of workouts dow

Got a couple of TT HP 3.0 workouts down.

One will pre-exhaust with pushups, and another (in the next phase) will hit heavy presses followed with a unique EMOM pushup challenge. Good times. That workout humbled me.

There's also a good lower body session in the works, and one conditioning workout is in the books. 

But remember, these workouts are high-performers, busy men and women generally over 35 looking to gain a little muscle and lose fat. They aren't for the 25 year old hard core crossfitter. That never was me and never will be ... besides the 25-year old workout boat left my dock a long time ago, lol.

Stay tuned for more TT HP 3.0 updates.

--

Craig Ballantyne

Author, The Perfect Day Formula

PS - The 2018 Perfect Life Retreat is Nov. 8-9th in San Diego

    

Still figuring things out

Quick check-in...

I'm still out in the lab, running tests, trying new training methods, and building out the new TT HP 3.0

TT for High Performers

It's still going to be built for building muscle and losing fat, but will also include everything I do to sleep better, travel 200 days of the year at 10% body fat while eating amazing steakhouse dinners, visiting 5 new countries every year, and keeping anxiety attacks far, far away. 

Basically, TT for James Bond types ... but without all the shoot-em-ups & car chases.

Sorry, you can't have everything. 

:)

Talk soon,

Craig

Big News - September 2018

Hey, I'm going to be MIA for a few weeks or months here...

... But in September of 2018, TT returns.

Talk soon,

Craig

--

Craig Ballantyne

Author, The Perfect Day Formula

PS - The 2018 Perfect Life Retreat is Nov. 8-9th in San Diego

    

Salt Lake Turbulence History and San Diego Training

Catching up on some travels and workouts today.

On Sunday I returned to Salt Lake City, Utah.

It was on a flight from SLC to Toronto, all the way back in 2001, when I came up with the name, Turbulence Training.

I forgot how amazing Utah is, and how nice the people are everywhere.

They are even nicer than people in North Carolina. WOW!

The trip was fantastic, and I spoke at a company called Skipio, visited Sundance ski resort, and then had to leave town on Tuesday morning.

No real workouts of note were done.

Fortunately, I did an afternoon upper body session in San Diego on Tuesday:

1A) Pushups
1B) Face Pull

2A) DB Press
2B) Pullup

3A) DB Row
3B) Triceps

And then a squat workout early this morning...

1A) Squat
1B) Box Jump

2A) Good Morning
2B) Mobility

Very sweaty. The gym was really hot... and even humid.

Strange weather for SD.

Now I'm off to do a coaching session with fitness model and former NFL punter, Steve Weatherford, from the NY Giants.

It's going to be a great day!

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:

Haters are really hurting.

They lash out at you to protect themselves.

Don't let them get to you!

Anonymous Critic = Anonymous COWARD

Don't feed the trolls.

Stay focused on making an Impact and having an Influence.

Be positive. Stay strong. Push on.

--

Craig Ballantyne

Author, The Perfect Day Formula

Get Your Friends of Craig Workshop Discount

    

Toronto Time and Workouts

Thursday was an off-day. I took the train from the farm to Toronto, and just walked around for about an hour. That included a little stroll over to see my sister and have a big family dinner.

Friday was busy, and I only had time for a pushup workout in my hotel room before a big Perfect Life Workshop... one of our best ones yet.

Today is going to be a deadlift workout.

1A) Deadlift
1B) Box Jump

2A) Hang Clean
2B) Glute-Ham Raise

3A) Squats (light)
3B) Ab Rollout

Tomorrow I fly to Salt Lake City for a bunch of meetings on Monday. On Tuesday morning it's down to San Diego for two Perfect Life Workshops and then Fitness Business Summit.

Party time!

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
Success is simple once you accept how hard it is. Once you admit that achieving your goals requires hard work & sacrifice, then you will be psychologically prepared to do the work & make the sacrifices. Then it's just a matter of taking action on a proven plan.

Upper Body and Deadlift DOMS

Hmmm. So I was not as sore as I expected today.

Certainly some DOMS, and definitely different compared to normal deadlifts.

But not as severe, for lower or upper, as I expected.

That allowed me to have a good pressing workout today.

Here's what went down:

1A) Pushups ... this superset wasn't just a warm-up, but sets close to failure
1B) Band Pull

2A) DB Chest Press
2B) DB Shrug

3A) DB Triceps Extensions
3B) DB Hammer Curl

Good times. No tweaks.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
"If you hate to see the hate in the world... Do good. Before you post that snarky insult on Facebook just to get "Liked", think about the consequences, and do good. Before you make or share the attack ad, realize that it only makes things worse, and do good.

Do good. Now, forever, and always. Do good.

Strange Deadlift Workout and Superset

Strange thing happened in today's workout.

It was another session with 3-4 second eccentrics.

I did 3 sets of deadlifts at 315 for 5 reps with a 3 second lowering phase and a 1 second pause at the bottom.

In the 3rd set, the first rep came off the floor easier than every other rep.

Very interesting.

Maybe it was a fluke.

Should be some interesting upper back DOMS on Tuesday AM.

Full workout went like this:

1A) Deadlift
1B) Email... seriously. haha.

2A) Barbell Hip Thrust
2B) Hang Clean (light, long time since I've done these)

Great workout.

Latest podcast with Bedros on advice for millennials & our younger "usn's"
=> https://www.earlytorise.com/046-advice-millennials-younger-self/

And today's kickbutt mindset tip:
Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Don't dwell on past mistakes, that gets you nowhere. Focus on what you can & will do today, tomorrow, & the rest of your life, and all of the great things that will happen because of your actions. Get strong, be strong, stay strong

You will need to make hard, uncomfortable choices in the short-term in order to have long-term success, progress, and happiness. But don't worry, it'll only hurt a bit right now, but you'll feel better for a long, long, long, long time.

Shoulders and Back

Pretty good garage gym workout today.

Slow 3-4 eccentric tempos on everything... makes for lighter weights, but less trouble, and good pumps.

Eventually builds up to decent weights in last exercises or last sets. So it's not all baby weights.

Lots of old-man warmup before this.

1A) BB Shoulder Press
1B) Band Pull

2A) Close-Grip Incline Press
2B) DB Row

3A) Ball Rollout
3B) Hammer Curl

Before the workout I was answering some reader Q's... shared this with someone struggling to improve on video:

It's how I 'tricked' myself into having more energy on-stage and in my video presentations ... and this was tough, because my introverted, low-key tendencies are very strong! :)

=> https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=19&v=QOaNvlb_hgM

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
"People are always blaming circumstance for what they are. I do not believe in circumstance. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstance they want and if they can't find them they make them." - George Bernard Shaw

Squats and Eccentrics

Fun session today at the local YMCA.

Yesterday was an off day with some long walks and a basic yoga routine.

Today was back under the bar for the slow rep training (3-4 second eccentric on all reps but the jumps).

1A) Squat
1B) Box Jump

2A) Leg Press for Fun'n'Games
2B) Leg Curl

Tomorrow is a Meathead upper body session in the garage.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tips:
"Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe, and enthusiastically act upon must inevitably come to pass." – Paul Meyer #fridayfeeling

Never feel sorry for yourself. Instead, go out and help someone. Turn your moping into mentoring. The best thing you can do is to make everyone around you better.

And one for yesterday:
Happy 1st.

Shed the old and embrace the new. ...

It's easy to get complacent in life. But you must fight it, Fight it, FIGHT it. Never rest on past accomplishments. Never stop getting better. We will never be done. Push yourself to make the most of your gifts.

Invasion of the Bodybuilder into my Baby Weights Workouts

Another great garage gym workout using my new "baby weights" philosophy stolen from Vince Delmonte and IFBB pro, Ben Pakulski.

Basically, I do a lot more warm-up, and high-rep sets before pyramiding up in weight and down in reps.

Gosh, I sound like an article from a 1993 FLEX magazine, but the workouts are good times.

Today...

1A) Pushups - 4x20 at 3-0-1 tempo
1B) Band Pull - 4x25 with pause at chest

2A) DB Chest Press - Worked up to 80x2x10 after 50x15, 60x15, 70x12
2B) BB Snatch Grip Row - 4x20

Today's Kickbutt Mindset TipS:
Stop doing things that don't matter. Release the guilt, the fear, the doubt, the 'unworthiness', and get rid of the handcuffs holding you back from focusing on your 5% and doing what really matters in life.

" Every right decision I've ever made has come from my gut. Every wrong decision I've ever made was a result of me not listening to my inner voice. If it doesn't feel right, don't do it. That lesson alone will save you, my friends, a lot of grief." - @Oprah

Good stuff all around,

Craig

PS - Pay it forward. Think of 3 people you can connect with and help. Reach out to an old mentor and thank them. Contact an old friend. Send flowers to someone you love... or an Edible Arrangement to a colleague. Renew relationships. Rekindle your connections.

Garage Gym Training in May in February

Garage gym workout special today with the garage door OPEN.

Crazy. 11 degrees Celcius and sunny.

It's like May in February.

1A) Deadlift
1B) Pogo jumps (taking it easy on volume because of the sore calf)

2A) Shrugs
2B) Barbell Hip Thrust

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
Your life is amazing. Now go make life better for others. You have the resources to get people what they want. So do it. Put others first. Share your abundance. You lose nothing by giving. You only gain and grow.

Discipline and Squats

Here's another pre-workout blog post.

Yesterday I led a workshop with some successful Toronto-area entrepreneurs, including some gym owners, nutritionists, and part of the team from Precision Nutrition. It was killer.

Now I'm packing up to head home to the farm - and ol' Bally the Dog - but first, Imma gonna hit a squat workout at Bang Fitness.

It'll go like this:

1A) Squat
1B) Box Jump

2A) Barbell Split Squat
2B) Glute Ham Raise

Good times will be had if my discipline is high. I guess.

Then a quick visit with ol' J-Roc, and a drive home.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
Short term pain from discipline equals long-term gain from progress. Long-term pain comes from lacking short-term discipline.

Steaks and Bench Presses for a True Canadian Meathead

Fun times last night with a Meathead crew at a fancy steak joint here in Toronto. I was with Brad Pilon, Michael Delmonte, Greg O'Gallagher, and a couple of other chats and we had some interesting conversation.

I also had 6 oysters, an A5 Japanese steak, a baked potato, and sauteed spinach. That's my "uniform" meal for a steakhouse ... where I get lots of food but not an insane amount of calories. I imagine this is about 1250.

Today's training was decent:

1A) Pushups
1B) Upper Back Mobility

2A) Bench Press
2B) Shrugs

3A) Dips
3B) Eccentric Neutral Grip Pullups

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tips:
Criticism is a way for the attacker to protect themselves from what it is they are lacking...whether it is talent, integrity, confidence or happiness. Attacks "on you" are a way to protect their own ego. Brush off the negativity and keep going.

Craig Ballantyne

Published by Craig Ballantyne · 3 hrs · 

Back in Toronto

Whew! Big trip is over. Back in Toronto.

Landed yesterday afternoon in late March weather... there's hardly a snowflake to be seen.

After a hilarious midnight fire alarm at the hotel (where I tried to unplug the alarm clock to make it stop, LOL), I woke up early and dominated my morning routine.

Then it was off to Bang Fitness for a workout:

1A) Deadlift
1B) Handstand Pushup

2A) Glute-Ham Raise
2B) Ab Wheel

20-minute walk each way to and fro.

Now for dinner tonight with Brad Pilon!

He's been on a vegan diet for three years... and we're going to a steakhouse.

HA!

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
Set your workouts as appointments - as commitments that can not be broken under ANY circumstance. Respect the commitment you made with yourself. And don't forget to schedule non-negotiable date nights and fun time, too.

PS -

Hold everyone in your life to higher standards. Here is a great list from Bedros Keuilian, the CEO of Fit Body Boot Camp, on the high standards to have in your life:

Do not tolerate...

- poor work ethic

- time theft

- gossip

- people who flake

- passive aggressive behavior

- pessimists and skeptics

- doing the bare minimum

Expect and give...

- loyalty

- high standards

- team work

- a "can do" attitude

- speed of implementation

- hard work

- optimism

- attention to detail

Birthdays and Bench Presses

Fun day. I'm going to pay for it tomorrow.

But first, a quick recap of yesterday.

It was Joel Marion's daughter's birthday. Lily was turning 7.

They had 90 people to the party, and I had a really deep discussion with Vince Delmonte about fatherhood, selling, fitness, faith, and family. It was probably our best discussion in the 10 years I have known him.

Got back to the hotel around 8, woke up at 4, and got back to Joel's around 10 (after a 45 minute walk over).

Then it was brunch, followed with this workout:

1A) Pushups
1B) Face Pull

2A) Bench Press
2B) Cable Row

3A) 1-Arm DB Press
3B) Iron Cross

Then 20 sprints while playing tag with Joel's daughters.

My Achilles tendons are going to be tight tomorrow!

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:

Craig Ballantyne

Admin · 12 hrs

Ben and Brandon and Ballantyne

Saturday morning's workout was another step in my evolution as I continue to stumble through the jungle and muddled world of "what next" with my training. I spent this week with Ben Pakulski and Brandon Lilly (a guy who plans on rowing 100,000 meters in one day!), legends of bodybuilding and powerlifting, respectively, and they both gave me valuable insights/ideas.

Plus, I hurt another muscle (my right calf) while running treadmill intervals on Wednesday morning. Geez louise.

If you've ever watched a video of Ben train, he uses very slow tempos ... like 5-8 second eccentrics (lowering) and 3 seconds in the lifting phase (among many, many training techniques). His workouts don't look that "fun", but they are effective and he has few injuries for a (former) pro bodybuilder.

This influenced me for today's hotel gym lower body workout:

1A) DB Split Squat with a 5-0-2 tempo
1B) Stability Ball Leg Curl
1C) Cable Abs
1D) Eccentric Calf Raise (eccentric-only sets are often recommended by muscle therapists to assist healing)

2A) DB Hip Thrust
2B) DB RDL

Nothing was "pulled" or "tweaked" in this workout.

Now for a few miles of walking over to see my friend, Joel Marion.

Today's Kickbutt Mindset Tip:
Make a list of 10 important people in your life. Beside each name write 1 thing you can do for them today. Start with the most urgent connection and do this now. Tomorrow, take care of the next. Do this every day until you've gone through your list.