Craig Ballantyne, creator of Turbulence Training, recently found the following threatening post on his TT members website:
Dear Craig:
I am the spokescell for Dan's fat cells. We hate you. We knew we were in trouble when Dan woke up at 4:30AM on a SUNDAY!
He did workout 1 from Hardcore Fat Loss, and we are hurting. For starters, the triple press was difficult, although we really enjoyed when our enemies, the muscle fibers, were screaming bloody murder, that made us feel good. But then, doing 20 deadlifts, we couldn't hear the muscles screaming over the shrieks of pain from my fellow fat cells.
We thought it was over, but then Dan decided to do a 4x6 3-minute arms circuit. Jeez. We know he's not in the NBA, nor does he yet deserve to be, but he was giving it his all to be among those elite TT-ers.
Finally, the intervals...oh those intervals. No treadmill for Dan today...oh noooooo...he did 30/60 intervals using burpees for the intervals. While we hate that infernal treadmill, that was the worst thing we've ever gone through.
Craig Ballantyne, we fat cells hate you. Since we are falling off of Dan's body, we are going to band together, come up to Canada and picket you wherever you go. We're sure there are many of us who have been looking for new jobs since you came around, so we will band together and make your life difficult.
We miss playing w/ Dan's kids when they would poke us and call him "Squishy".
We HATE you, Craig. We're meltingggggg!
W/ much hate.
-Dan's fat cells
There's a lot of serious fat loss going on with the TT members but there's always time for fun on the forum.
If you're interested in having your fat cells threaten Craig Ballantyne, check out www.TurbulenceTraining.com
.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
2 Quickie Circuits For You
Looking for a quick workout? Here are 2 super fast workouts that engage lots of muscles and will fire up your metabolism.
Do them when you're crunched for time or after your regular strength training session in place of traditional cardio.
You can do the circuits different ways:
* Perform 15 reps of each of the 4 exercise with no rest in between. When you've completed all 4 exercises, rest for 30-60 seconds and repeat the circuit 4-6 times.
* Do them Tabata style. Perform as many reps as you can (with good form, of course) in 20 seconds. You then get 10 seconds to rest and get set for the next exercise. Repeat the circuit 4 times. You'll see how intense an 8 minute workout can be.
* Choose other work/rest interval times depending upon your fitness level. If you're a workout pro, you could perform all 4 exercises for 1 minute each with no rest in between. Then, rest 1 minute and repeat. Total time 10 minutes. If you're a novice, play around with different times to see what works for you. Results come from challenging yourself, not from specific interval times.
To get the best workout and to avoid having to keep your eye on a watch or clock, use some kind of timer with an alarm. For around 20 bucks, you can't go wrong with the GymBoss. I use mine all the time and I love it. If you want access to a ton of quickie workouts with a built in timer, check out BodyBot.
Try these and tell me what you think.
Easier:
Prisoner Squats
Pushups / Incline Pushups
Lying Hip Bridge
Plank Lift
Plank Lift: Start in a Plank position then lift your butt up in the air. Pause. Return to Plank position. These are the only photos I could find and they call it "Dolphin Pose" (and she doesn't seem to be coming all the way back down to the plank position).
Harder:
K.B. or D.B. Swings
Pushups - Incline, Standard, Decline or T-Pushups
Alt. Reverse Lunge
Spiderman Climbs
Remember to always warm up properly.
.
Do them when you're crunched for time or after your regular strength training session in place of traditional cardio.
You can do the circuits different ways:
* Perform 15 reps of each of the 4 exercise with no rest in between. When you've completed all 4 exercises, rest for 30-60 seconds and repeat the circuit 4-6 times.
* Do them Tabata style. Perform as many reps as you can (with good form, of course) in 20 seconds. You then get 10 seconds to rest and get set for the next exercise. Repeat the circuit 4 times. You'll see how intense an 8 minute workout can be.
* Choose other work/rest interval times depending upon your fitness level. If you're a workout pro, you could perform all 4 exercises for 1 minute each with no rest in between. Then, rest 1 minute and repeat. Total time 10 minutes. If you're a novice, play around with different times to see what works for you. Results come from challenging yourself, not from specific interval times.
To get the best workout and to avoid having to keep your eye on a watch or clock, use some kind of timer with an alarm. For around 20 bucks, you can't go wrong with the GymBoss. I use mine all the time and I love it. If you want access to a ton of quickie workouts with a built in timer, check out BodyBot.
Try these and tell me what you think.
Easier:
Prisoner Squats
Pushups / Incline Pushups
Lying Hip Bridge
Plank Lift
Plank Lift: Start in a Plank position then lift your butt up in the air. Pause. Return to Plank position. These are the only photos I could find and they call it "Dolphin Pose" (and she doesn't seem to be coming all the way back down to the plank position).
Harder:
K.B. or D.B. Swings
Pushups - Incline, Standard, Decline or T-Pushups
Alt. Reverse Lunge
Spiderman Climbs
Remember to always warm up properly.
.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The New OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Dieting
Obsessive Compulsive Dieting - that's the catchy phrase Brad Pilon has coined to describe the behavior of many Americans who are interested in losing weight. Brad's book, Eat Stop Eat offers a different solution to dropping pounds - intermittent fasting. If you're a person who hates trying to plan and prepare 6 meals a day or refuses to measure and log every morsel that passes your lips, this approach may be for you.
Brad appeared on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet yesterday. He held his own but, unfortunately, the other panelists were extremely narrow minded and parroted the misinformation we've been fed for years. And, as usual on these shows, there was not enough time for Brad to discuss his own research and that of the other studies done on fasting.
I know we've all been brainwashed into thinking that missing a meal will cause our metabolism to screech to a halt and go into "starvation mode" but the research (contrary to the woman on the show) does not bear this out. You also will not lose muscle while fasting as long as you are strength training on a regular basis.
I think the one panelist may have had a valid point about fasting being easier for men than woman. That being said, multiple female TT Transformation contest winners have used Eat Stop Eat.
Anyway, you can see the clip of Brad appearance here.
The show also filmed a Green Room Exclusive, where the discussion continued after the show.
If you're looking for a less obsessive way of dropping fat, I recommend you check out Eat Stop Eat. Brad didn't just invent some new diet to scam the masses. In the book, he explains the benefits of intermittent fasting, debunks the many weight loss myths and discusses the scientific research in plain English.
Now he just needs to post a new photo on his website. I was really surprised at how much thinner Brad looked on Mike and Juliet than in his picture.
Update: Here's a link to Brad's thoughts on his TV experience:
The Nutrition Help Blog
Brad appeared on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet yesterday. He held his own but, unfortunately, the other panelists were extremely narrow minded and parroted the misinformation we've been fed for years. And, as usual on these shows, there was not enough time for Brad to discuss his own research and that of the other studies done on fasting.
I know we've all been brainwashed into thinking that missing a meal will cause our metabolism to screech to a halt and go into "starvation mode" but the research (contrary to the woman on the show) does not bear this out. You also will not lose muscle while fasting as long as you are strength training on a regular basis.
I think the one panelist may have had a valid point about fasting being easier for men than woman. That being said, multiple female TT Transformation contest winners have used Eat Stop Eat.
Anyway, you can see the clip of Brad appearance here.
The show also filmed a Green Room Exclusive, where the discussion continued after the show.
If you're looking for a less obsessive way of dropping fat, I recommend you check out Eat Stop Eat. Brad didn't just invent some new diet to scam the masses. In the book, he explains the benefits of intermittent fasting, debunks the many weight loss myths and discusses the scientific research in plain English.
Now he just needs to post a new photo on his website. I was really surprised at how much thinner Brad looked on Mike and Juliet than in his picture.
Update: Here's a link to Brad's thoughts on his TV experience:
The Nutrition Help Blog
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Did Tony Send You?
Friday, October 10, 2008
How To Get The Most From Your Interval Training
Yesterday, a member told me she planned to do 12 intervals on the treadmill. I usually follow Craig Ballantyne's recommendation of 6 intervals although, occasionally, I'll do a couple more. But 12? No way. I told my member that if she was capable of doing 12 intervals, she wasn't working hard enough.
The member explained that she wanted to increase the number of intervals because her previous session didn't feel like a good enough workout. That time, she ran at 5.5 mph for 35 seconds and and recovered for 85 seconds at 3.7 mph. I told her to slow her recovery speed down to 3.5 but to increase the challenging part to at least 6.0.
Later she reported that she ended up completing 8 intervals - running at 6.3 mph and recovering at 3.5 mph. There's no way she could have made it through 12 intervals at that intensity.
If you're thinking that you'd keel over trying to do that workout, it doesn't matter. The great thing about cardio intervals is that the intensity is relative to the individual exerciser. There are people for whom that workout would be far too easy and others who will never be able to work at that level.
It's about challenging yourself, not about competing with someone else.
If you're new to the concept of intervals, here's how to get started:
After a 5-10 minute warmup, increase the intensity to a level that’s higher than what you normally do. As you get acclimated to this method of training, you want the hard part of the interval to rank about 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. (If you're using a stationary bike, increase the resistance rather than pedaling wildly. Try to stay around 80-100 rpm.)
Maintain that level for 1 minute and then lower the intensity to about 3 out of 10 and recover for 1 minute.
If after a minute, you don’t feel prepared to increase the intensity again, simply extend your recovery time. You can do 60 seconds hard paired with 60, 90 or 120 seconds recovery. As you progress, you can increase your intensity even more and perform 30 seconds hard and then recover. Personally, I found that 30 seconds easy is not long enough for adequate recovery at that intensity so I use a 60 or 90 second recovery time on those. Listen to your body.
There are no magic intervals lengths; I simply chose those above because they are easier to keep track of when using equipment. If you're doing a high intensity training session, I recommend keeping the challenging part of the interval to 1 minute or less. Going for 2 minutes or more during the hard part is considered aerobic intervals.
One interval consists of the intense portion plus the recovery time.
Try this at your next workout: Warm up, perform 4 or 5 intervals, then cool down. If you are going to do this type of workout on a day when you strength train, always do it after lifting. Change interval times and equipment regularly. Work up to 6 intervals total per session and do not do more than 3 (4, if you're an advanced exerciser) interval workouts per week.
If you're interested in better fat loss results...
If you want to continue burning more calories after your workout...
If you want to spend less time exercising...
If you want reduce your risk of repetitive motion injuries...
...give cardio intervals a try.
.
The member explained that she wanted to increase the number of intervals because her previous session didn't feel like a good enough workout. That time, she ran at 5.5 mph for 35 seconds and and recovered for 85 seconds at 3.7 mph. I told her to slow her recovery speed down to 3.5 but to increase the challenging part to at least 6.0.
Later she reported that she ended up completing 8 intervals - running at 6.3 mph and recovering at 3.5 mph. There's no way she could have made it through 12 intervals at that intensity.
If you're thinking that you'd keel over trying to do that workout, it doesn't matter. The great thing about cardio intervals is that the intensity is relative to the individual exerciser. There are people for whom that workout would be far too easy and others who will never be able to work at that level.
It's about challenging yourself, not about competing with someone else.
If you're new to the concept of intervals, here's how to get started:
After a 5-10 minute warmup, increase the intensity to a level that’s higher than what you normally do. As you get acclimated to this method of training, you want the hard part of the interval to rank about 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. (If you're using a stationary bike, increase the resistance rather than pedaling wildly. Try to stay around 80-100 rpm.)
Maintain that level for 1 minute and then lower the intensity to about 3 out of 10 and recover for 1 minute.
If after a minute, you don’t feel prepared to increase the intensity again, simply extend your recovery time. You can do 60 seconds hard paired with 60, 90 or 120 seconds recovery. As you progress, you can increase your intensity even more and perform 30 seconds hard and then recover. Personally, I found that 30 seconds easy is not long enough for adequate recovery at that intensity so I use a 60 or 90 second recovery time on those. Listen to your body.
There are no magic intervals lengths; I simply chose those above because they are easier to keep track of when using equipment. If you're doing a high intensity training session, I recommend keeping the challenging part of the interval to 1 minute or less. Going for 2 minutes or more during the hard part is considered aerobic intervals.
One interval consists of the intense portion plus the recovery time.
Try this at your next workout: Warm up, perform 4 or 5 intervals, then cool down. If you are going to do this type of workout on a day when you strength train, always do it after lifting. Change interval times and equipment regularly. Work up to 6 intervals total per session and do not do more than 3 (4, if you're an advanced exerciser) interval workouts per week.
If you're interested in better fat loss results...
If you want to continue burning more calories after your workout...
If you want to spend less time exercising...
If you want reduce your risk of repetitive motion injuries...
...give cardio intervals a try.
.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
3 Biggest Factors In Fat Loss by Craig Ballantyne
3 Biggest Factors In Fat Loss
By Craig Ballantyne
If you're trying to lose weight, you must know the 3 biggest factors in fat loss.
First up, is social support.
A study from Stanford University showed that social support is the #1 factor for success in female fitness programs.
I'd bet that its also important in male fitness programs - no matter how much guys would be unwilling to admit it.
And this should come as no surprise...just look at the popularity of Internet message boards dedicated to fitness and fat loss.
And while the social support can come from your spouse, family members, friends, the Internet (i.e. the Mens Health Belly Off Club) or co-workers, the Stanford study showed that individuals have a greater chance of sticking to an exercise program when they have to be accountable to an authority figure - such as a doctor, lifestyle coach, or trainer (again, use the MH Belly Off Club or other Internet weight loss club with experts).
Regardless, don't feel that you need to do this on your own. Get some social support and watch your success rate soar.
(I also encourage everyone to do a lifestyle review with his or her physician, especially if you are over 30 years of age and previously sedentary. Better safe than sorry. And it's also great to get your doctor into your social support group.).
Good communication and professional instruction will significantly increase your chances of success.
The second most important factor is nutrition.
That's right, what you eat is more important than how you exercise.
It's always tough for me to admit this, but its true. No matter how great a TT workout can be, it's no match for eating a large pizza or scarfing down a huge piece of chocolate cake. Nutrition will always have the final word on your fat loss success.
So make sure you know how many calories you are eating and have an expert check to make sure that you aren't eating something that you think is healthy, but in reality is actually an obstacle to your success.
And finally, the 3rd most important factor in fitness is exercise.
And the more customized your program is for you, the better your results will be. When you combine a great workout program with proper nutrition and accountability, you can make incredible changes...you can even feel like you are reversing the aging process.
"Hi Craig, I just have to respond to this email...I'm 55 years old and have been on TT for over a year now. I'm in the best shape of my life, have 15% body fat, can run easily 10+ mph on the treadmill, am stronger than ever, and I feel and look great (if I do say so myself). TT is simply AMAZING! So whoever thinks they are "too old"...forget about it.....never too old. If you have the commitment and desire, you can do it. And frankly, I don't accept the 'no time' excuse...there is a simple solution to the 'no time' reason...prioritize your daily activities and start thinking about your health FIRST...you are of no use to anyone when you're 'disable'. Enjoy life!"
Al Aiello
Start today working to get access to all 3 factors...
1) Social Support
2) The right nutrition info
3) A professionally designed fat burning workout
You can even join hundreds of other folks in the 3rd Turbulence Training Transformation Contest. It started a few days ago but you can still jump on board.
To discover the 12-week TT Transformation Contest & Prizes:
=> Click Here to Know All About the TT Contest
And please refer your friends to the contest.
You'll be helping them change their bodies and their lives,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
TurbulenceTraining.com
By Craig Ballantyne
If you're trying to lose weight, you must know the 3 biggest factors in fat loss.
First up, is social support.
A study from Stanford University showed that social support is the #1 factor for success in female fitness programs.
I'd bet that its also important in male fitness programs - no matter how much guys would be unwilling to admit it.
And this should come as no surprise...just look at the popularity of Internet message boards dedicated to fitness and fat loss.
And while the social support can come from your spouse, family members, friends, the Internet (i.e. the Mens Health Belly Off Club) or co-workers, the Stanford study showed that individuals have a greater chance of sticking to an exercise program when they have to be accountable to an authority figure - such as a doctor, lifestyle coach, or trainer (again, use the MH Belly Off Club or other Internet weight loss club with experts).
Regardless, don't feel that you need to do this on your own. Get some social support and watch your success rate soar.
(I also encourage everyone to do a lifestyle review with his or her physician, especially if you are over 30 years of age and previously sedentary. Better safe than sorry. And it's also great to get your doctor into your social support group.).
Good communication and professional instruction will significantly increase your chances of success.
The second most important factor is nutrition.
That's right, what you eat is more important than how you exercise.
It's always tough for me to admit this, but its true. No matter how great a TT workout can be, it's no match for eating a large pizza or scarfing down a huge piece of chocolate cake. Nutrition will always have the final word on your fat loss success.
So make sure you know how many calories you are eating and have an expert check to make sure that you aren't eating something that you think is healthy, but in reality is actually an obstacle to your success.
And finally, the 3rd most important factor in fitness is exercise.
And the more customized your program is for you, the better your results will be. When you combine a great workout program with proper nutrition and accountability, you can make incredible changes...you can even feel like you are reversing the aging process.
"Hi Craig, I just have to respond to this email...I'm 55 years old and have been on TT for over a year now. I'm in the best shape of my life, have 15% body fat, can run easily 10+ mph on the treadmill, am stronger than ever, and I feel and look great (if I do say so myself). TT is simply AMAZING! So whoever thinks they are "too old"...forget about it.....never too old. If you have the commitment and desire, you can do it. And frankly, I don't accept the 'no time' excuse...there is a simple solution to the 'no time' reason...prioritize your daily activities and start thinking about your health FIRST...you are of no use to anyone when you're 'disable'. Enjoy life!"
Al Aiello
Start today working to get access to all 3 factors...
1) Social Support
2) The right nutrition info
3) A professionally designed fat burning workout
You can even join hundreds of other folks in the 3rd Turbulence Training Transformation Contest. It started a few days ago but you can still jump on board.
To discover the 12-week TT Transformation Contest & Prizes:
=> Click Here to Know All About the TT Contest
And please refer your friends to the contest.
You'll be helping them change their bodies and their lives,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
TurbulenceTraining.com
Machines vs. Free Weights - The Discussion Continues
If you've spent any amount of time on exercise related websites, I'm sure you've read that strength training machines are safer and/or the best option for beginners.
Unfortunately, that's just more fitness misinformation that keeps people from getting the results they want. You can put that nugget of "wisdom" in the same file as the fat burning zone, low weight / high reps to tone and boring hour long cardio sessions for weight loss.
I am not totally anti-machine but the longer I've worked in this field and the more educated I've become, the fewer machines I use. Check out the link below for a great article on the subject. If you're not interested in the history of how people came to believe that machines are "superior" to free weights, scroll about half way down to read why they are not your best option.
Dark Side of Strength Training Machines
by James Wilson
.
Unfortunately, that's just more fitness misinformation that keeps people from getting the results they want. You can put that nugget of "wisdom" in the same file as the fat burning zone, low weight / high reps to tone and boring hour long cardio sessions for weight loss.
I am not totally anti-machine but the longer I've worked in this field and the more educated I've become, the fewer machines I use. Check out the link below for a great article on the subject. If you're not interested in the history of how people came to believe that machines are "superior" to free weights, scroll about half way down to read why they are not your best option.
Dark Side of Strength Training Machines
by James Wilson
.
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