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23 Şubat 2011 Çarşamba

How to Gain Muscle & Lose Fat
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Are you ready for my famous "gain muscle or lose fat" chart?

I know this is going to make a few people mad, but it's the truth about whether a guy should lose fat or gain muscle. If he doesn't stick to my recommendations, he won't get the ripped abs and muscles he wants.

I often get scrawny guys asking me how to lose fat, when they have no muscle underneath the fat...they think they will look good if they "get ripped", but in reality, will look like they are starving. They should focus on gaining muscle instead.

This is a harsh lesson in reality, but too many guys are trying to lose weight when the focus should be on gaining muscle.

In fact, through my experience in working with athletes and dozens of men in the gym trying to lose fat and gain muscle, I've come up with a height-weight chart that determines whether or not you should lose weight.

Here's the chart identifying the cut-off weight for muscle building, and the rule below.

5'6" - 140 pounds
5'7" - 145 pounds
5'8" - 150 pounds
5'9" - 155 pounds
5'10 - 160 pounds

And so on. For every inch taller, add 5 pounds. For every inch shorter, subtract 5 pounds.

For example, if you are 5'8", 150 pounds, you should NOT be focusing on losing weight. You need to gain muscle if you want to look good on the beach and have muscle. Focusing on weight loss would be the worst thing you could do. If you do, you'll look like crap, and practically anorexic, to be blunt.

Instead, you must focus on gaining muscle. This will improve the appearance of your body, and take you from a stick-figure to a lean, muscular physique with a better chance of seeing your abs.

And don't worry, you're not going to look huge. At 5'8", a guy would have to be at least 180 in order to be considered "jacked" or "huge".

And the best news of all? Because skinny guys are untrained, simply starting a muscle building program will give them maximum fat loss and muscle gain at the same time. They are going to get the best of both worlds.

To use Turbulence Training to gain muscle and lose fat, simply stick to the weight training workouts only. Avoid the hard interval cardio for at least 4 weeks as you gain muscle, and eat extra calories right after your workout (as well as having a bigger breakfast than normal). These two changes will
allow you to gain muscle and lose fat.

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, visitwww.TurbulenceTraining.com

Cardio is a Waste of Time for Fat Loss
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

While the mainstream fitness media still insists that aerobic exercise is a great way to lose weight, Turbulence Training users know that interval training is the better way to burn body fat.

Still not convinced?

A recent study published by the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, subjects aged 40 to 75 were instructed to do 60 minutes of aerobic exercise per day for 6 days per week for an entire year.

Given the amount of exercise, you'd expect weight losses of 20, 30 pounds, or more, right?

Well, the surprise findings showed the average fat loss for female subjects was only 4 pounds for the entire year, while men lost 6.6 pounds of fat over the year. That's over 300 hours of aerobic exercise just to lose a measly 6 pounds of blubber. Not time well spent, in my opinion.

So what's the better way? Stick with Turbulence Training, using interval training and strength training to get better bodysculpting results. With intervals, you'll achieve more fat burning results in less workout time.

The next time you are out exercising, perform a session of interval training. If you are walking or running outside, find an incline that can challenge you for 60 seconds, then walk down for 60-120 seconds, and repeat up to 6 times.

If you walk or run on a treadmill, adjust the incline or speed to safely increase the challenge for 60 seconds, then return to the normal pace for 60-120 seconds, and repeat up to 6 times.

You can also use a rowing machine, bicycle or stationary bike, or even an elliptical machine to do intervals.

But whatever you do, stay away from boring, ineffective cardio exercise workouts and stick with Turbulence Training for your fat burning program.

The Best Ways to Burn Belly Fat
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

Best Ways to Burn Belly Fat

I often get asked, “What’s the best way to burn fat and lose my belly?” People want to know if aerobics is better than strength training, or if traditional cardio exercise is better than intervals.

Well, to say I've done them all would be an understatement.

With over 15 years experience helping others, training myself, training for sports, spending countless hours in the gym, AND actually conducting laboratory research studies on different exercise methods, I'm pretty confident in knowing what works and what does not.

But first of all, I want to frame my responses. I'm going to talk about what works for people that have a limited amount of time to exercise, mostly because I expect your readers don't have 90 minutes per day to devote to a workout, unlike the typical audience of a fitness magazine.

That's why there is a huge disconnect between some of the information found in magazines and the ability of the reader to apply it to their lives.

We just don't have 6-8 hours per week for exercise, nor do we need it. If you're a triathlete, you might need that, but not someone that just wants to lose fat and gain muscle.

Having said all that, the bottom line for getting a better body is...

Use bodyweight exercises to warm-up, strength training supersets to build muscle, and then finish your workout with interval training to burn fat in a short amount of time. I've structured my system so that you are in and out of the gym in 45 minutes, three times per week.

You'll do 5 minutes of bodyweight exercises to warm-up. This is a much more efficient approach than spending 5 minutes walking on a treadmill, which really doesn't prepare you for anything except more walking on a treadmill.

Then we move into the strength training supersets, where we use two exercises performed back to back with minimum rest between each. This cuts our workout time, while still giving us maximum results. We only need 20 minutes for this, and we'll use basic exercises, and sometimes even more bodyweight exercises, depending on the client's goal for muscle building.

And finally, we'll do 18 minutes of interval training. A warm-up, followed by six short intervals at the appropriate fitness level for the client, interspersed with short periods of low-intensity recovery. Finish with a cool-down. And that's the workout. Again, about 45 minutes total.

Compare that to what most people do, which is run, jog, cycle or use the cardio machines for 45 minutes straight. Sure, that will burn calories, but it doesn't build a better body.

In fact, there are a few "dark sides" to long slow cardio, including less-than-optimal results, the potential for overuse injuries, and it is an inefficient form of exercise. If you only have 30-45 minutes for your workout and you spend it all on a cardio machine, when are you going to train the rest of your muscles and sculpt a better body?

So the best way to burn belly fat is with a combination of strength training and interval training. It’s fast, it works, and it’s fun!

Fat Burning Exercise Tips for Busy Parents & Professionals

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

The great thing about strength training and intervals for fat burning is "efficiency". Because you are working harder, the signal to your body to change is stronger. You cut time when you increase intensity and you burn fat faster.

Now don't worry, I won't be asking you to do hill sprints tomorrow if you aren't exercising today. For a beginner, we just do some slightly faster than normal walking intervals. For intermediate fitness levels, we'll pick up the pace about 20% compared to their normal cardio levels, but again, the work periods are much shorter.

The key is, you must shift to a slightly higher intensity in order to cut time from your workout. But the workout also goes faster, and much more importantly, you will get more results and better fitness from these methods.

It's easy to do these workouts first thing in the AM, at lunch, or after the kids go to bed. Plus, you can get a great workout at home with only a bench, dumbells, and an exercise ball. You don't need fancy machines or an expensive gym membership.

And another bonus, you only need three hard fat burning workouts per week. You don't have to be in the gym six days per week.

On your off days, it's important to stay active for at least 30 minutes, but these days should be unstructured and revolve around being active with your family or hobbies. Don't think of them as workout days, think of them as fat burning, stress reducing activity days.

Uh-oh, Five Fat Loss Mistakes
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Straight to it. Here are five of the biggest fat loss mess-ups that
I see men and women doing everyday...fix these, and you'll lose fat.

1) Not having back up.

Trying to lose fat without social support is the wrong way to go
about this. Ideally, you'd have your doctor, an RD, a trainer, your workout partner, your spouse, your workmates, and your friends all behind you. Research shows that you'll benefit most from a health professional (i.e. a trainer) and a workout partner that is also successful. Get those two people on your team first, and then work on the rest of the group.

2) Not using a structured program

If you ever go into the gym and wonder what you are going to do first, you're already wasting your time - even before you choose. Get a plan, know what you have to do, stick to it, and see it through. That way, no wasted time wandering around the gym deciding where to start.

3) Not changing your workout after 4 weeks.

That's the longest you should go on one program. If it's been
6-months, give your head a shake. If it hasn't worked yet, why do you think it's magically going to start now. Change it up
frequently. You'll get more results and you'll have more fun.

4) Not realizing your results will come from nutrition more than
they will from training.

You want to lose fat? You have to eat right for fat loss. You can't
train like an animal and then eat junk and expect to lose fat. No
program is that good. None. Diet beats training everytime, like
scissors beats paper. Eat whole, natural foods in 6 smaller meals
each day. Get lots of fiber, lots of protein, lots of vegetables.
Eat healthy fats, avoid trans fats. Drink lots of water and tea. So
simple, so effective. Eat for energy, not for gluttony.

5) Not knowing when to quit.

I get emails everyday from readers asking if they can add even more cardio and more lifting to their current workout plans. After all, if some is good, more training must be better?

Listen, you have to draw the line somewhere. You can't keep adding more and more exercise. First, there is diminishing returns from each additional set you do, and from extra cardio. Second, your body can breakdown fast from too much work, particularly when you are dieting. Overtraining and low calories go together like oil and water. Neither of these combos will make your engine run optimally.

And finally, focus on quality over quantity. The "volume approach to fat loss" from the 1980's (characterized by lots of cardio and lots of carbs) didn't work. For good reason. Stick to high quality nutrition, and high-quality training.

The only thing that matters is results. Not muscle soreness, not
feeling exhausted after each workout, and not feeling deprived of food.

Quality work and quality food for a better body.

300 Movie Fat Loss Workout for Men & Women
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

The 300 movie workout is the talk of the fitness world. It's helped actors chisel Greek Statue bodies while causing weight loss and calorie burning for the rest of us.

The 300 workout is legendary, having been featured in Men's Health and on ESPN. Everyone's looking for the 300 workout on the 'Net. So I made mini-version of the workout for the average guy and gal, see those below.

But first, here's how the original 300 Workout goes...but don't try this at home...

a) Pullups - 25 reps
b) Deadlifts with 135lbs - 50 reps
c) Pushups - 50 reps
d) 24-inch Box jumps - 50 reps
e) Floor wipers - 50 reps
f) 1-arm Clean & Press with 36lbs Kettlebell - 50 reps
g) Pullups - 25 reps

And remember, there is NO scheduled rest between exercises.
Although eventually, you'll slow down.

I tried this workout last week and managed to get 'er done in only 19 minutes and 7 seconds. But what about a 300 workout for you?

Fortunately, this workout can easily be changed. Appropriate
exercises can be subbed in, and we can drop the number of reps down to 100, 150, or 200 - still making for a total body challenge.

For example, you might do this 200-repetition workout - this is
great for a man with moderate fitness:

5 Chinups
20 prisoner squats
20 pushups
100 Jumping Jacks
30 Bicycle Crunches
10 decline pushups
15 bodyweight inverted rows

Optionally, you could do 100 reps of rope jumping to finish off 300 total reps.

An intermediate woman could do a 150 rep workout:

5 Bodyweight Inverted Rows
10 Bodyweight Sumo Squats
15 bodyweight squats
15 Pushups (doing as many regular pushups, followed by kneeling)
50 jumping jacks
10 spiderman climbs
20 reverse lunges
25 bicycle crunches

Add in 50 rope skips for 200 total repetitions - or 150 skips for a full 300.

Tough, but fair. So you can do your own version of the 300 workout and build your own Greek God or Greek Goddess body. Work with a trainer to come up with other ideas. And always, train safe.

Don't train like this everyday. Just use one of these workouts once every other month as an extra challenge.

For your regular fat burning workouts, stick to the Turbulence
Training workouts for men and women. You'll boost your metabolism, burn fat, and maximize your fitness so that you'll be ready for your very own 300 test day.

Politically Incorrect Fat Loss Works
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

You know who is your worst enemy in the fight against fat?

Well-meaning fitness professionals that don't want to make you feel bad for being lazy and eating crap. That's who.

They write articles about how "diets are bad", how you can lift
soup cans and get fitness model arms, and how you should exercise in the nice and easy "fat burning zone" to get results. Basically, they give you what want to hear - plenty of excuses for avoiding hard exercise and strict nutrition (the real keys to fat loss).

But I don't. You'll get no such excuses from me.

Here's the real deal on fat loss. You have to work hard in your
workouts and even harder on your nutrition if you want results. Or you can take the politically-correct easy way out and have the same body in 3, 6, and even 12 months from now.

Love me or hate me, I promise you results. Let's take a look at why the PC-solutions don't work...

Q: I've been told to exercise in my "fat burning zone". What's the best cardio method for weight los.

Answer:
Cardio is not the only solution.

Clearly it adds to the energy deficit and overall calorie balance
that favors fat loss.

BUT it's not the "be all & end all" of fat loss success - and that
is anecdotally supported by the number of overweight distance
runners.

I almost never recommend long, slow cardio...simply because no one I train or consult with has the time for this, and it doesn't work any better than shorter, less frequent, more intense interval training sessions.

Five or six days of 45-minute cardio sessions in my fat-burning
zone? Yeah right, like anyone has time for that.

If I told you that you could get the same results (or better, as
recent research suggests) in three 20-minute interval sessions
each week as you could from three or five 45-minute slower cardio sessions each week, which would you choose?

Yes, intervals feel about 10x's harder than regular, slow, boring
cardio. And yes, you won't be able to read your people magazine
when doing intervals. And you might breath a little heavy. So if
you're worried about sweating, than maybe fat loss isn't for you.

But if you don't mind going against the crowd, intervals are worth every second for the superior results.

Q: Should men and women train differently for fat loss?

Answer:
Nope. Next question.

Seriously, the answer is no, but just to add to that, men and women don't have that many differences when it comes to fat loss, so they both do well with the Turbulence Training style workouts.

Now here's one reason why TT may actually work better for women than men...

More women tend to start Turbulence Training after having spent months or years using slow cardio and light (if any) weights. And selfishly, I could not be any happier - because when these dedicated women start using the shorter, more intense strength and interval sessions they make rapid progress and make me look like a genius.

The accolades come pouring in...I have dozens of testimonials from women thanking me for saving them TIME while helping them finally breakthrough stubborn fat loss plateaus (and eliminating the pain from their overuse injuries that occurred due to high volumes of cardio). Their words make me feel like a million bucks because the TT workouts are making these women feel like a million bucks.

That being said, I sometimes make small changes in TT workouts to adapt to a woman's pre-conceived notions about strength training. Some women are very hesitant to lift weights. But you and I know that is necessary for bodysculpting, fat loss, and health benefits such as building bones.

So what I do is sub a few (not all!) of the weight exercises out
and replace them with equal intensity bodyweight exercises. Some bodyweight exercises can be classified as traditional strength exercises (i.e. for a woman that can only do 5 full pushups, the pushup exercise is almost a max strength exercise). But women "mentally" deal with this type of strength training better than putting a dumbbell in their hands.

On the other hand, some bodyweight exercises provide more of an interval training effect (i.e. bodyweight squats). Either way,
bodyweight exercises can put turbulence (i.e. "stress") on the
muscle and boost metabolism and help female clients get the results they want and deserve.

Q: What differentiates Turbulence Training from other programs?

Answer:
That's a tough question to answer, as there are other systems out there that give impressive results in an acceptable time frame.

I will say this however, I am extremely dedicated to Turbulence
Training and the entire "fat loss" cause.

One of the factors behind my dedication is that I find the general concept of fat loss to be so simple, and yet millions and millions of people around the world have an incredibly difficult time achieving their goals.

I want to give them every possible resource available to them to
help them succeed.

So I am constantly tinkering with new workouts, exercises, and
interval methods, and interviewing other trainers and nutritional experts for every single little fat burning advantage I can find. And that comes through in what I offer to the readers of my newsletters and clients that use my programs.

I said in a past newsletter that "Fat loss is easy, once you
realize how hard it is." You have to respect that it's not
something you put on "auto-pilot". Taking the stairs at work
instead of the elevator, parking 100 extra feet away from the door, and subbing 1% milk for 2% milk is not going to help you lose 13 pounds of fat in a year like the politically correct articles
suggest.

You need a politically-incorrect plan to eat right 90% of the time
(i.e. saying "no" when an office-mate brings in doughnuts) and you have to have the best workout plan available to you if you want to get the most results in the least amount of time.

And then you still have to have a plan to help you stick to those
plans - and that should involve a social support group. There are
many tricks and tips to success, so you always have to keep
learning and trying to improve. And that's what I help with in my programs and newsletters.

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!

5 Common Ab Myths
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Ab exercises aren't the only thing you have to do in order to get your 6-pack. You also have to work hard on your diet as well, sticking to a fat-burning, muscle-building diet all year round.

Here's a list of 5 common myths about abs.

Myth 1) You don't need to watch what you eat

Diet is first and foremost the key factor when trying to get 6-pack abs. Plan your nutrition in advance, to avoid dietary downfalls.

Myth 2) As long as you do a lot of ab exercises and repetitions, it doesn't matter how well you do them

It is important to do all repetitions with good form. Focus on quality, not quantity. Avoid sit-ups and an excessive number of crunches. Both exercises can damage the lumbar spine in your low back, and crunches are rarely effective anyways.

Myth 3) You can "Spot reduce" the fat on your abs with crunches

No matter how many crunches you do, you won't be able to get rid of your ab fat with crunches alone. You need a good diet and an increase in your calorie burning from strength training and interval training.

Myth 4) Infomercial products will help you get a 6-pack

You've probably seen dozens of ab gadgets on TV, but none are magic bullets. You can't expect anything you order from TV to help you get a 6-pack. You have to do the hard work with nutrition and training to get results.

Myth 5) You must do abs every day

You don't need to do abs every day. Instead, train them twice per week and use non-conventional exercises such as Mountain Climbers and Stability Ball Jackknives to reduce the stress on your low back.

7-Day Motivational Weight Loss Guide
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Fat loss is hard. And once in a while, everyone loses their
motivation for diet and exercise. So that's why I'm bringing you 7 tips to help you lose more fat in less time over this upcoming
week.

(If you are a complete beginner, please refer to the 21-day
quickstart guide in the Turbulence Training manual for more details on how to develop key healthy habits during the essential start-up phase of your fat loss program.)

If you're a M-F, 9-5 employee, you know that Saturday or Sunday has to be your day to hit the grocery store and get fresh meat and produce to prepare your meals for the next week.

I'm a big fan of picking up some fresh salmon fillets and asparagus for Sunday dinner. Chicken breasts can be cooked in bunches for freezing and then used over the week as easy lunchtime protein sources. Fruits and vegetables are washed and prepared for cooking or snacking, and almonds, pecans, walnuts, and organic beef jerky are packed into travel bags for when I'm on the go.

Prepare and succeed. It's that easy.

So print this out, put it on your fridge, and let it guide you to
your fat loss goals, while keeping your workouts fun and motivating.

Now here we go with our day-by-day guide...

MONDAY

On Monday, your motivation will be high to have a great Turbulence Training Workout.

Plan to set a personal record in your workout today. If you are a
beginner, that might mean using a higher level on the cardio
machine for 1-2 minutes, or doing 2-3 extra pushups per set. For the advanced fat loss program, it might mean using 2.5 more pounds per dumbbell in your split squats, or extending your intervals by 5 seconds per sprint.

By continuously aiming to achieve a personal best in your workouts, you will ensure that you are pushing your body to adapt - to change for the better.

Now you don't have to set a record on every set for every exercise. Just pick one record that you want to break each workout. Aim for constant improvement.

TUESDAY

This will be an off-day from your Turbulence Training schedule, but you should still get 30 minutes of activity. Make it as fun as
possible. Take the dog for a walk, play your favorite sport, or
chase your kids.

Even walking for 30 minutes is great. It will help you recover from Monday's workout and simply improves your overall health. If you're looking for an advanced fat loss option, use a bodyweight circuit to boost your metabolism.

Also, I want you to make a big nutrition change on this day and
eliminate all sources of trans-fatty acids from your diet.

Read your food labels, and don't eat anything that contains
hydrogenated oils. Also, be sure to look at the breakdown of fats - if the total fat content is greater than the sum of the saturated
and unsaturated fat contents, then the product contains trans-fats.

Remember that labels are sneaky!

A label can boast "0g Trans Fat" if there is less than 0.5g of
Trans-fats per serving. But if there are several servings in a bag, and you eat the whole bag...guess what? You could have eaten 2-3 grams of trans-fats!

And trans-fats will kill ya. As Dr. Bruce Holub from the University of Guelph says, "there is no safe level of the fats and food producers should cease and desist the industrial production of trans fats in the country."

WEDNESDAY

Perform your regularly schedule strength and interval training
workout. And if you need to, purchase a new cooking
appliance, such as a grill or steamer to help you prepare healthy,
nutritious, low-fat protein sources or high-fiber, nutrient rich
vegetables in a convenient manner.

Healthy food preparation is a SMALL effort for a LARGE reward.

THURSDAY

30 minutes of activity, anyway that you can get it. And then at
dinner, try a new source of lean protein, such as salmon, bison, or ostrich (or switch back to lean, red meat if you're bored of
chowing down on chicken).

FRIDAY

Have another great strength and interval workout. Since this is
your Turbulence Training workout of the week...have fun and reward yourself with a superset of your 2 favorite exercises. It's a perfect time to add some extra work for your arms and abs, if you love training those muscle groups. Just do something you really like. You've earned it. Training should be fun AND effective.

SATURDAY

30 minutes of activity. It's the weekend, find something fun to do with a friend. On weekends, I try and get into the gym with an old friend and amaze them with several bodyweight exercises that they have never seen before - such as Spiderman Pushups, Inverted Rows, and single-leg squats.

Then check-in with your social support group (in-person or on the Internet) to talk about the ups and downs you went through this week. Share recipes, tips and tricks to turning aside temptations, and motivate each other to stay strong for another 7-days of fat-burning with the TT lifestyle.

SUNDAY

Get in another 30 minutes of exercise nice and early to start your day. Then plan your shopping list, head on to the grocery store or even better a fresh, open market and get your weekly produce and lean protein sources.

Make sure to include 1 new vegetable and 1 new source of lean
protein in your purchases.

One big step everyday towards a better body!

Another week and another pound or two of fat should be hitting the road. Keep up the great work!

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

The Evolution of Cardio
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

I've been meaning to write this email for a long time. Today I'm
going to give you the story of how I solved the problem of getting an efficient and effective fat loss program finished in 45 minutes. Essentially, how I invented Turbulence Training.

And then I'll end with a sample TT workout for you...

But first, let's take a tr
98-99. I was but a lowly grad student, studying the effects of
androstenedione (the supplement taken by the might Mark McGwire during his record-breaking home run quest in '98).

In my study (which was published in the Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology for any science nerds like myself out there), we had guys use the supplement and go through a couple of weight training sessions. By February of '99 I was stuck in the lab, analyzing the blood samples using some fancy radio-active isotopes.

And when I say stuck in the lab, I mean STUCK. I'd get there at
7am, and record my last data point at 11pm. Sixteen hours of
mad science. And if I wasn't there, I was downstairs in the
medical library, studying papers on testosterone and training.

Now coming from a very athletic background, this sedentary
lifestyle didn't sit well with me. But there I was, studing for a
degree in Exercise Physiology and left with no time for exercise.
Or so I thought.

Fortunately, I actually had a 50 minute window once per day of
"down-time" while the lab's gamma-counter analyzed blood samples.

That left me 50 minutes to get to the gym (5 minutes across campus) and get a workout in the remaining 40 or so minutes. I knew that if I applied my studies to the workout, I could get maximum results in minimum time.

As a former athlete, I knew that I had to find a way to stay fit
and to avoid the fat gain that comes with working long hours in a
sedentary environment. And I also had to stay true to the
high-school bodybuilder I once was, so there was no way I was
willing to sacrifice my muscle to one of those long-cardio, low
protein fat-loss plans that were popular at the time.

Instead, I had to draw on my academic studies and my experiences working with athletes as the school's Strength & Conditioning Coach.

I knew that sprint intervals were associated with more fat loss
than slow cardio, and I knew that you could also increase aerobic fitness by doing sprints (but you can't increase sprint performance by doing aerobic training).

So clearly, intervals were (and ARE!) superior to long slow cardio.

I had seen first hand the incredible results of sprint intervals in
the summer and fall, as the athletes made huge fitness improvements and shed winter fat in a short time using my interval programs. I knew that intervals had to be the next step in the evolution of cardio.

The biggest benefit of intervals? A lot of results in a short
amount of time. I knew that I only had 40 minutes to train, and
therefore I could only spend 15-20 minutes doing intervals.

Now onto the strength training portion of the workouts. I knew that a high-volume bodybuilding program wasn't going to cut it - I just didn't have time. But in the past year I had read so many lifting studies, that I knew exactly what exercises I needed to do to maximize my lifting time in the gym.

Those exercises were standing, multi-muscle, movements such as squats, presses, rows, power cleans, and plenty of other standing single-leg exercises. I knew that those exercises would bring me far more results than those people sitting on machines would ever achieve.

And I also knew that I had to lift heavier than the average Joe or Jane Gym-goer lifts. I just knew that doing lighter weights and high-reps wasn't going to cut it. And a research study from 2001 later showed that I was right - when women did 8 reps per set, they had a significantly greater increase in post-workout metabolism than if they did 15 reps per set.

So I had my plan. Bust my tail over to the gym, through the cold, dreary Canadian winter afternoon, and do a quick but thorough warmup (specific to my lifts - none of that 5 minutes on the treadmill waste of time).

Once I got through the warm-up, I did as many sets as I could in the remainder of the 20 minutes for strength training.

At that point, I knew that supersets were the only way to go if I
wanted to maximize the number of sets I could do...so the
non-competing superset of Turbulence Training was put in place.

By non-competing, I mean that the 2 exercises in the superset don't interfere with one another. So you can use upper and lower body exercises together, or pushing and pulling exercises. Just be careful not to use two grip-intensive exercises together in a superset - otherwise, one exercise will suffer, if not both.

And then I followed up the strength training with intervals, as I
knew these had to follow the lifting, otherwise it would not be the correct exercise order. Remember, intervals first leads to
premature fatigue. Lift first, cardio later. Forget that old wives
tale about doing cardio first to burn more fat. That's junk.

You know, I remember the exact day and exact workout that this all came together into the Turbulence Training program. It hit me as I was finishing my intervals. I knew I had found something that was like fat loss magic.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a way to put it in a pill. But I've
been able to put it down on paper in all of the TT manuals.

The exact workout I used that day went like this...

Warm-up
1 set of Bodyweight Squats
1 set of pushups
1 set of Squats with the empty bar
1 set of light dumbbell chest presses
1 set of moderate weight barbell squats
1 set of moderate weight dumbbell chest presses

Strength Training Superset #1
Barbell Squats paired with Dumbbell Chest Presses
3 supersets, aiming for 8 reps per side per set

Strength Training Superset #2
DB Rows paired with Barbell Forward Lunges
3 supersets, aiming for 8 reps per set

Stationary Bike Intervals
After a warmup, I did 6 intervals of 45 seconds work and 45 seconds rest, finishing with a cool-down.

And from that point in time, I've tried to share this and all the
other Turbulence Training workouts with as many men and women as possible. The same men and women that I would see day-in and day-out performing the same ineffective slow-cardio fat loss programs, and not making a darn change month after month. And every day they would see me, soaked in sweat, feeling great and looking lean, and finishing another TT workout.

Eventually I noticed these other men and women weren't around as consistently as before, and then soon enough they would drop out completely - after all, they weren't getting results with their slow cardio and aerobics classes (yep, those were still around in '99!).

And so here we are today...thousands of TT users later, with
national fitness magazines like Men's Health, Men's Fitness, and
Shape spreading the good word about Turbulence Training.

Thousands of TT users, dozens of personal trainers, and even
several national fitness magazines all agree with me, Turbulence
Training is the #1 way to fast fat loss.

Thanks for being a part of the TT Lifestyle Revolution, and for
sharing this new and improved fat loss training and cardio system with the world.

So when you see someone frustrated with their ineffective fat loss program, tell them there is a better way. It's research-based, efficient, and most of all, effective. And yes, it goes against the crowd. But it works.

And it's now better than ever,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS - Don't know where to start?

If you are a beginner, start by reading Dr. Mohr's nutrition
guidelines...eating properly will be the biggest factor in your
early success.

Beginners should also start with the Introductory TT workouts to prepare their muscles for the upcoming intense training.

For others, it's best to start with the Intermediate Level TT
workouts. If those aren't enough of a challenge, you can move onto the Original TT workout and follow the 16-week advanced program right through.

If at any time you need a break, try the TT Bodyweight 4-week plan.

And then finish off with the bonus programs to cap off a full 24 weeks of Advanced TT fat loss workouts.

Bodybuilding Hormone Secrets
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

More today on the secrets of supersets...

In the past, I've mentioned supersets being effective simply because they save you time - and that results didn't depend on your heart rate (even though it gets jacked with supersets).

But recent research suggests another reason for the effectiveness of supersets - and that's the increase in Growth Hormone in your body.

GH, for those that don't know, is one of the hormones in your body that increases fat burning.

It's also one of the most popular scam supplements that you hear about in spam email.

So why is GH so popular?

Because everyone calls GH "the Fountain of Youth". It's supposed to make you lose fat and apparently make you look and feel younger...(and it must work - I was 'accused' repeatedly in NZ and Australia of being only 25 years old - almost 7 years younger than I really am - must be the TT lifestyle).

And that's why it doesn't surprise me that both interval training and high-intensity resistance training have both been shown to increase GH.

But the so-called GH boosting supplements aren't backed by science. On the other hand, I've been able to show you the science behind Turbulence Training. And not only science, but results too!

But now for some bad news...a recent study (from JCEM, 91: 678-, 2006, for any science nerds) showed that obese men burn fewer calories and have less post-exercise GH than normal men. And the obese men also had higher cortisol levels. AND the obese men burned fewer calories in the post-exercise period. That's a triple-yikes!

Three strikes against obese men...and possibly why some guys have a heck of time losing fat in the first place. Their hormones are out of whack to begin with - so its harder for their bodies to burn fat.

If you turn to a low-fat diet and lots of cardio, you aren't going to get the GH response that you would if you eat according to Dr. Mohr's TT fat loss guidelines and if you use the TT workouts.

So let's review the TT workout set-up that will get you more results in less time...I'm talking 3 workouts of 45 minutes per week that will blast your post-exercise metabolism through the roof and help maximize your hormonal response to exercise.

A - The Warm-up

We use three bodyweight exercises done in a circuit. This is a much better way to prepare for training than by walking slowly on a treadmill.

B - The Strength Training Supersets

This can be as little as one brilliant superset (DB squats + DB presses) if you have only 10 minutes, or up to 4 s

C - Intervals

Bodyweight circuits, stationary bike intervals, or running on the treadmill or outside, these are just a few of the ways we can do intervals for 10-20 minutes.

We don't need 40 minutes of slow cardio, or even 40 minutes of intervals.

There is still a lot to learn about interval training, but most research is using only 20-minute interval workouts to get major, much-better-than-longer-cardio results.

As I learn more, you'll learn everything.

So that's that. Eat according to Dr. Mohr's TT Fat Loss Guidelines to avoid the Western Lifestyle, and exercise and live according to the TT lifestyle, and you'll look and feel fantastic - and YOUNGER!

3 sessions of 45 minutes per week for your fountain of youth,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

Short Workouts, Big Fat Loss
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

So many questions on TT, so little time. Here's a Q'n'A session all about the benefits of Turbulence Training.

Q: Craig, could you explain to me why long slow cardio doesn't really work for fat loss and how your system of training has helped thousands of people shed fat and gain lean muscle?

CB:
First, let me clarify my opinion of "cardio" and "aerobics". I know slow cardio can work for fat loss, but those who get the most benefit are often young, heavily muscled males with time on their hands and genetics on their sides.

They can workout 6 or 8 hours per week and have lots of muscle so even if they lose a bit, it won't matter.

But for people that only have 2-3 hours total exercise per week and want a buff body, rather than a skinny, weak physique, I have found that slow, traditional cardio is not the way to go.

Slow cardio is just not efficient for overweight women (i.e. those
that use it most!), and slow cardio works less the longer you use
it. You'll hit a plateau pretty fast with a cardio-only approach.

Those are my observations.

And realize that when I talk about training for fat loss, I'm
almost always talking about getting the most results in the least
amount of training time - because that is the population I deal
with. I don't work directly with fitness models that have 8-10
hours per week to train. Things might be different there,
especially the closer you get to the competition.

But for real life, slow cardio is one of the last places I would
turn for fat loss help.

And because there are millions of men and women out there with little time to train but a real need to lose fat. Because there are so many of these people out there that have relied on slow cardio in the past, when they switch to the Turbulence Training approach, it's an almost overnight success story. Hence the high volume of great feedback we have on the program.

Q: We live in a very fast paced society. People don't have the extra time for anything these days, especially long workout sessions. Can people get real results with training programs that only take 10-30 minutes?

CB:
Certainly - as long as their nutrion is correct for 167.5 out of
168 hours per week.

That's right, nutrition is the real key to fat loss. With training,
all you need to do is apply a relatively small amount of
high-intensity exercise to your muscles and you'll sculpt them or build them, whatever your goal.

High-intensity exercise (strength training and interval training)
ramps up your metabolism more than slow, marathon cardio training sessions.

And with training, there is a diminishing return on every set. So
you can't expect 4 sets to be twice as good as 2 sets. As long as
you get in 1 hard set, you are on the way to fat burning and
bodysculpting. Then just add volume as needed and as you have the time.

Q: Can you explain "turbulence" and how it ties into real fat loss and body transformation?

CB:
What happens is this...

During high intensity training, you apply "turbulence" to your
muscles. That causes muscle/protein breakdown and glycogen
depletion (which can be called "cellular disruption").

This increased cellular metabolic activity results in "afterburn" -
that is, the burning of more calories after high-intensity exercise
than you would have burned after low-intensity exercise such as slow cardio.

So even though you might burn more calories during a slow cardio workout (say 500 calories) compared to during an equal length high-intensity Turbulence Training workout (say 350 calories), you will burn a lot more calories after the high-intensity training session.

The net result is more calories burned in the 24 hour period with high-intensity training. Combine that with the muscle-sculpting benefits of strength training, and you'll have a better body in less time. Guaranteed.

Q: I have female clients that struggle with the notion of training with resistance because they think they will get bulky...how does you TT system work with women and what kind of results have you seen?

CB:
There are a couple of simple changes you can make to avoid "bulking up".

First, let me state that generally, muscle growth is the result of
training with enough volume at the right intensity, and eating a
high-volume of calories.

Obviously, the calorie volume should be low on a fat loss program.

Next, we aren't using split routines (i.e. where you train one body part per day), so generally we are using only one exercise per muscle group. That cuts down the volume by 2/3 in most cases (as split routines often use 3 exercises or more per muscle group).

So we've eliminated the volume to avoid excess muscle growth, but kept the intensity high to reap all the benefits of Turbulence.

One other method I use in my workouts to avoid "bulking up" females is bodyweight training. There are many tough bodyweight exercise that provide low-risk Turbulence. Women love the variety in bodyweight training.

Q: Can people do your system in their homes with limited equipment and be just as successful?

CB:
Absolutely. The TT fat loss programs were designed for home gyms equipped with only a bench, an exercise ball, and dumbbells (and a pullup bar for those that are strong enough).

That's it. I designed the workouts for home gyms (as well as to be done in busy gyms) because that is how the real-life clients I deal with have to workout.

Q: Craig, I have done your workouts and they have kicked my butt, but I also left feeling better and with more energy then I had before I started. Is this a normal response you get from people that use your system?

CB:
Yes, definitely, although it can also be said of exercise in
general.

Regardless of what exercise method you use, simply moving should increase your mood and energy - essential at this time of year as the glow from the holidays recedes and the Northern hemisphere enters its winter dormancy.

Q: What are your recommendations for keeping the fat off during busy times of the year, such as the holidays or vacations?

CB:
Start your day with your workout, so that you don't get pulled into something later on that will cancel it out. Even if all you can do is a bodyweight circuit, do so safely, but with a high intensity.

There is a huge variety of bodyweight exercises you can do...these will boost your metabolism.

Beyond that, stick to your nutrition as much as possible. That
means tossing (yes, literally throwing out the junk that surrounds you) excess calorie sources away when they are not warranted. Don't keep stuff at your work desk.

Enjoy quality food at parties, but not while you go through
a regular workday.

And don't fret if you only have 20 minutes to do a workout. Now
that you know intensity and quality are more important than volume, you can be satisfied with working hard for a short period of time.

Make your workouts fun, enjoy your treats in moderation, and stay active with family activities where appropriate - don't leave a big ol' "butt imprint" on your couch or beach chair.

Do all of this, and you'll be riding a huge wave of motivation into
the new year where you can really kick butt on your fitness goals.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

P.S. Wait, there's more! Listen to what these success stories haveto say about Turbulence Training. Get twice the results in half the time!

"I am a 44 year old mother of 2. I have been struggling for the
last 8 years (since my youngest child was born) to return to my
toned shape. Nothing has worked for me until giving TT a try.
After spending hours upon hours in a gym and spending way too much time running and doing other things that will eventually wear out my joints, I gave in and decided to accept that I should age gracefully. NO WAY! I decided to try TT and cannot believe the results. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. It can truly change your attitude and life."
Lisa DiDonato

"I purchased the TT training manual about a month ago and have been following it ever since. It makes so much sense and i really enjoy the different workouts so never get bored the body weight workouts are cardio in disguise as i find i burn just as many calories if not more from a BW session as i do with the TT cardio session. I am sore in places i have never been sore and find i push myself just to prove i can do the moves and love it. From an aussie that was looking for something other than just another weight workout with the same old moves this has been a real eye opener for me and i have been telling my friends just how great the TT method is."
Kelli Tomkins, Australia

"I am actually getting twice the results in half the time. As a
serious gym junkie with little imagination finding your workouts
has been a welcome breath of fresh air. I no longer feel bound to
the gym struggling for the smallest result. My body and I are in
this together now. Your workouts are interesting and make me feel strong in practical ways. It's more like a game of testing my
capabilities, not another boring workout. On top of that I can't
praise your customer service highly enough, you have been amazing! I never expected such quick personal responses to my emails. For the price I paid, I have received so much more than I anticipated. Many thanks and all the best."
Heidi Sinclair

"Craig, got my 6-week bodyfat test lost 10lbs of fat and gained 6lb of muscle, im proving you can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time with your TT workout system,and nutrition plan."
Desmond Hardison, NV

"Hi Craig, I am enjoying Turbulence Training. I am a personal
trainer, so I've incorporated much of it into my sessions. Though
I used some philosophies from TT, your program has added a world of new ideas, methods, and techniques to my client sessions. And for that, I thank you so very much. Even my wife loves it, ha! So much more to read and implement, so TT reading will keep me busy for many months to come. Make it a great day!"
Loren Salas