Let me solve your workout problem.

I know that you are:

- Eating well
- Exercising regularly
- and TICKED OFF that you aren’t making progress.

I’ve answered dozens of emails from new readers that have said exactly that. And after I get more info from them, here are the 3 mistakes commonly made:

1) Your perception of your nutrition “success” doesn’t match the
reality of what, when, and how often you are eating. To learn the rules of fat loss, you need to read (scratch that, you need to
STUDY), Dr. Chris Mohr’s Fat Loss Nutrition Guidelines.

2) There is no variety in your training.

3) You need to up the intensity of your training.

Let’s face it. Human beings like to stick to a routine. We don’t
like change. We like our comfort zone – some more than others.

But if there is no change in your workout from month to month, then your body will not change either.

That is why I insist on changing your workouts every 4 weeks as you do in the TT workouts.

You won’t succeed by doing the same thing over and over again.
Would you get ahead at work by doing the same tasks you did as the first day on your job? No way. You have to take on more challenges.

With variety in your training, you will continue to apply
“turbulence” to the muscle, and making your body use lots of energy (i.e. calories and fat) during the recovery period to repair the muscle and replenish the energy used. That will “jack up” your metabolism.

If your body is used to the training, the exercises, the sets, and
the reps, it will give a “ho-hum” response and your metabolism will flatline.

And that’s why you need to raise the intensity of the workout as
well.

Slow, boring cardio doesn’t jack up the metabolism like intervals.

And research has shown that 8 reps boost your post-workout
metabolism more than 12 reps. So you have to safely add a little
weight (try using 5% more weight with perfect form, of course), and decreasing the number of reps per set by 2. That’s a good place to start.

So if you’ve been doing a machine circuit, then stop, and give this sample free weight Turbulence Training workout a try.

Warmup with a bodyweight circuit. 8 reps per exercise, go through it twice.

Sample bodyweight circuit:

i) Bodyweight squat
ii) An easy pushup
iii) A bodyweight row if possible, if not, do stick-ups

Then do 20 minutes of total body strength training done in
supersets.

ie.
1a) DB Squat
1b) DB Press

Do each exercise with a weight that allows only 8 reps. Do not rest between the squat and press. Rest 1 minute after the press. Repeat the superset 2 more times.

Next superset:

2a) DB Split Squat
2b) DB Row

Same as above.

On to intervals:

5 minute warmup.

6 intervals of 60 seconds at a “harder than normal cardio pace”
with 60-90 seconds recovery (at the easiest pace possible).

5 minute cooldown.

Stretch tight muscles only.

Done.

We don’t do slow cardio. It does nothing for the man or woman who is short on time.

And of course, always train safe and don’t do anything you are not comfortable doing…but if you are fit and healthy, you can
increase the intensity, change the variables, and burst through
your fat loss plateaus.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne,
Author, Turbulence Training

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training

Are fat loss lies ruining your chances of success?

I sincerely hope that your 2007 workout and nutrition plan is
already wildly successful and that you are well on your way to
achieving your fat loss and fitness goals. But if you aren’t, let
me know why and what I can do to help.

Many people’s programs suffer from misconceptions about fat
loss – i.e. that cardio must be done everyday – and also false
perceptions about how well they are eating.

I’ve reviewed hundreds of client evaluations forms in my career,
and just recently I reviewed 5 more for a transformation program we are working on over at Men’s Health magazine.

And time and time again I see the same problem.

I have one question on my feedback form that asks the client:

“Do you eat lots of fruits and vegetables?”

Almost everytime the client’s answer is “Yes”.

On the next page, I have the client list their food intake.

And guess what rarely shows up?

If you guessed fruits and vegetables, you’d get a prize if I were
giving them away.

There are too many inconsistencies in our thoughts and actions when it comes to weight loss.

And the misguided notions that well-meaning fitness articles heap on us simply adds to the ever-growing confusion.

Here I want to shed some light on some of the most common
misconceptions about training and dieting for fat loss.

The more I discuss weight loss and read the research, the more I realize fat loss results come from your nutrition, and that
training is just a relatively small part of the equation.

But knowing this “truth” allows me to confidently design shorter
fat loss workouts than most people traditionally use or expect are necessary.

Listen, you can spend 60 minutes on a cardio machine if you want. Sure you will burn 500 calories during that session, but your metabolism won’t be significantly elevated after exercise AND you’ll still have to find some time to do the mandatory strength training that a beautiful and healthy body requires.

Or you can do what I suggest…

Scrap the long, slow, excruciatingly boring cardio workouts and
instead stick to a much more manageable approach of…

A bodyweight movement warmup (5 minutes)
Turbulence Training Strength Training Supersets (20 minutes)
Turbulence Training Interval Training (20 minutes)

Done only 3 times per week, these 45 minute workouts still burn plenty of calories during training (300-400 calories), but the workouts also boost your metabolism for hours and hours (some research suggests up to a day and a half!), therefore burning far more NET calories AND fat than slow, mind-numbing cardio.

All you really need are some short intense training sessions to
boost your metabolism and sculpt your body. And then you really just have to trust your nutrition to strip the fat.

Look at it this way…imagine you are carving an ice sculpture out
of a block of ice. Your nutrition would be responsible for lopping
off the big chunks to get down to only the amount of ice you
need…and the Turbulence Training workouts would be responsible for chiseling in the details of your final sculpture.

As no matter how much confusing information there is about
exercise, the debate over the best way to eat for fat loss is
always much more ridiculous.

(That’s why I went to a credible and sensible source – Dr. Chris
Mohr, Ph.D. – for the TT Fat Loss Nutrition Guidelines.)

As far as dieting misconceptions go, I think too many nutritionists are trading political correctness for results. In my opinion, PC diets don’t work.

Take a look at the American Diabetes Association…they still make room for sugar in a diabetic’s diet – because they don’t want to deprive anyone of sugar.

Well that’s not going to work. You have to make sacrifices. You
have to stick to at least a 90% nutrition compliance if you want
big-time results.

You can’t go with the political correct approach of “having a
little bit of your favorite foods everyday so that you don’t
deprive yourself”.

Think about the person that has your dream body – whether it’s a cover model, your neighbor, a TV star, or the fittest person down at your gym. Do you think they haven’t made sacrifices? Of course they have. They’ve done the work to get their reward.

Now its your turn!

You have to get strict and stick to whole, natural foods (fruits,
vegetables, meat, fish, and nuts) if you want to succeed.

You need to accept that every action has consequences…

If you want to live a lifestyle where you don’t deprive yourself of
daily treats, that’s fine. But realize the consequence of this
action will be that you will always remain a few pounds of fat away from your goal.

According to your actions, you value your treats higher than you
value your fat loss success.

But if you place your desire for fat loss success above your desire to eat junk, than the consequences will be that you will reach your body composition goals. It’s that simple. We all get what we deserve and unless someone is holding a fork to your mouth, you are responsible for your own success.

And my last “non-PC” tip on dieting…almost all the people that
tell me they are eating very well are lying to themselves and to
me – as I mentioned before based on my client feedback experiences.

So do what Dr. John Berardi calls a compliance grid. Take a piece of paper and make a 6×7 grid (6 meals over 7 days). Then check off each time you eat according to plan and mark an “X” for each time you miss your goals.

Realize that you only have 4 mistake meals for an entire week if
you want to stick to the 90% compliance.

Most of the time this is a bucket-of-cold-water-to-the-face wake up call to people. They quickly realize their nutrition compliance is much closer to 75% than 90%…and that explains why they aren’t getting anywhere.

So the bottom line for fat loss:

1) Nutrition is where the hard work really is for fat loss.

2) The workouts don’t have to be super-long to get fat loss
results. You just need short, intense, and efficient. And that’s
what my workouts are all about. Nothing fancy, no rocket science, just FUN workouts that are over quickly…and who wouldn’t want that considering today’s busy lifestyles.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training

3 Tips for More Energy

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Last summer I trained a Hollywood starlet who was in Toronto to film a movie. She was a model Turbulence Training client, doing everything I asked in each session including her first-ever
chin-up, except for the Sugar-free Red Bull she insisted on having before each workout.

She said she needed the energy.

Everywhere you go people are looking for ‘energy’. Have you been seduced by the ads promising “such and such” beverage will “give you wings”, or by stores offering sky-high cups of coffee. Where do you go for your fix? And is it really a fix at all? Or just a patch that leads to an inevitable crash and burn?

In reality, the “energy” we’re chasing is simply mental alertness.

And it’s no secret that coffee and cigarettes contain drugs that
stimulate your brain, giving you the mental alertness we mistakenly call ‘energy’.

If you are searching a better way of living, a life that doesn’t
depend on chemicals – literally, drugs! – to keep you awake and
motivated, if you are tired of being tired, then being wired, and
then being tired again, then set the coffee cup down, step away
from the supersized Diet Cokes, and turn to holistic living.

There are better, healthier ways to achieve higher levels of
physical and mental energy.

Here are 3 ways to get more energy, naturally.

1) Exercise

It doesn’t matter what time you exercise, just be consistent. Fit
it in based on your schedule and personality. If you have to do it
first thing when you wake up, just do it. Don’t even let yourself
think about it. Just get started.

A lot of people think too much about their plan. That’s why
Turbulence Training works for so many people…they don’t have to think, they just follow the workouts and get done fast.

Focus on intense strength training for 20 minutes followed by a
brief interval training session to boost your metabolism all day
long.

Exercise is a drug. Like caffeine and nicotine, exercise causes the release of many chemicals into your blood, resulting in mental stimulation and an improved sense of overall well-being. Exercise just makes you feel good.

2) Eat smaller, more frequent meals.

Skip the cycle of starving and feasting characterized by no
breakfast, a high-carbohydrate lunch, and a huge dinner. Instead, eat breakfast and then continue to eat every 3 hours for the rest of the day.

Research shows that a high-fiber breakfast helps control appetite and increases mental alertness all morning, and improves your ability to process information.

Do not skip breakfast and rely on a coffee to get you through the
day. Got no time? C’mon! You’re an adult, you can get up 10 minutes earlier to have a protein shake, some almonds, and an apple. You’re not in high school anymore. No excuses!

3) Eat only whole, natural foods, such as fruits, vegetables,
organic proteins, raw nuts (not roasted in oil), Green Tea, water.

Trying to run on processed foods is a recipe for an energetic
disaster. Stick to whole, natural foods during the day, snacking
rather than binging on big meals, and you’ll never feel like dozing off.

If a food is from a bag or a box, it doesn’t deserve a place in your
nutrition plan. Avoid all added sugars. Surely, you’re already
sweet enough!

Bonus Tip!)
Take mini-breaks during the day to work on your mobility.

Work environments zap our ‘energy’. From poor posture, to
eye-strain from computer screens, your office, cubicle, and car
seat will suck the life out of you.

According to Men’s Health magazine…

“British researchers recently found that when people exercised
during their workday — regardless of the duration or intensity of the movement — they were less likely to feel fatigued, and that translated into a 15 percent improvement in job performance.”

Daily exercise breaks are essential to not only boost energy, but
mobility. Each day, as your computer sucks you into its visual
vortex, your upper body becomes rounded forward and tense. You need to reverse that movement. Here’s how…

Stickup
Stand with your back to the wall and feet about 4 inches from the wall. Place the back of your arms against the wall with upper arms parallel to floor and forearms at 90 degrees. Stick up your arms over head while keeping your arm against the wall at all times. Slowly return to below the starting position tucking your elbows into your sides and bringing shoulder blades together. Repeat for 12 reps. Do this every 60-90 minutes.

In addition, get outside into natural light whenever possible.

For a complete exercise and nutrition plan to help you burn fat,
sculpt your body, and give you all-day energy, get started with
Turbulence Training today!

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com