15 Minute Workouts (Pix inside…and NYC trip summary)

Just wrapped up a whirlwind weekend in NYC that involved some great meals, new exercises, and a surprise workout idea from one of the world’s most popular romance novelists (seriously!).

But before you read any further, make sure you have everything you need to enter the 20th TT Transformation Contest. It’s free, and you can win $1000 just for losing your belly fat.

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Now back to the weekend…It all started very early on Friday morning in Denver with what I lovingly call, “The Suck Wind Workout”. It’s 15 minutes of fun when you are short on time (after a warm-up, of course).

Get Started Sucking SuperSet
1A) Total Body Extensions – 30 seconds
1B) Decline Pushups or Regular Pushups – 30 seconds
– 3 rounds, no rest

Suck-Wind Circuit
2A) Low Box Jump – 10 reps OR 30 Jumping Jacks
2B) Stepup for Weak Leg – 10 reps
2C) Low Box Jump – 10 reps OR 30 Jumping Jacsk
2D) Stepup for Strong Leg – 10 reps
– 3 rounds, no rest

Then it was off to New York. As soon as we landed and got into the city we went directly to a fancy, schmancy clothing store, Tom Ford, where my friends bought obscenely expensive suits. I didn’t spend a penny, although I did enjoy some free champagne offered by Tom Ford’s staff.

After we zipped over to an amazing restaurant, Quality Italian, partly owned by my friend Michael (who you will hear more about in a second).I had a delicious but simple chicken dish with kale salad and broccolini while other diners were enjoying giant pizzas that looked worthy of a future cheat meal.
 
On Saturday I was up early again and running intervals in Central Park under an incredible sunrise.

I also stopped for some prisoner squats on the streets in front of the Four Seasons Hotel by Central Park (There were two cop cars right beside me…they must have thought I was crazy.):

After that short workout I decided to slip into the hotel gym for some pullups and “Toes to Bar” ab pikes.

That’s where I ran into Nicholas Sparks, the famous romance novelist. Nick is a member of the Atlas 400 group, and he was training hard. Nick is getting in shape for an upcoming GQ photoshoot for his latest movie starring young, beautiful actors I have never heard of…

Everyone knows Nick as the author of The Notebook, but few people know he is also an accomplished track coach and knows more about working out than many trainers I’ve met. In fact, Nick coached his son to a world junior indoor track record (4×400 meters, New Bern High School, North Carolina).

Nick and I spent an hour trying to “out-do” one another with short workout routines and awesome new exercises. He was already using one of my favorite “little known” exercises, the TBX, in his daily workouts. Here’s a 10 minute workout we came up for you.

The Nicholas Sparks “Fat Loss in a Bottle” Circuit Workout

1) Total Body Extensions – 20 reps
2) Inchworm + Pushups  – 5 reps (do 5 pushups each inchworm)
3) Burpees – 10 reps
– Rest 30 seconds
– Repeat as many times as you can in 10 minutes
 
Here’s a quick description of how to do the Inchworm (thanks to LiveStrong.com)

  •     Stand with your feet at hip width. Hinge forward at the waist and touch the floor with your palms. Bend your knees, if necessary.
  •     Walk your hands forward until you are supporting all your weight on your hands and toes. Your body should make a straight line and your hands should line up with your shoulders.
  •     Do 5 pushups in this position.
  •     Walk your feet forward to meet your hands. Keep your palms on the floor and bend your knees, if necessary.
  •     Repeat the inchworm 5 times with 5 pushups each time.

Hope you enjoyed the weekend update.

Now go get your transformation started!

And keep on pushing on,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT
Certified Turbulence Trainer
 
PS – Oh yeah, remember my friend, Michael?

He was randomly upgraded to the Presidential Suite at the St. Regis Hotel, and he let me in the $22,000 a night (!) suite to take some funny photos.
Presiner-Squats
Here am I doing Presiner Squats (prisoner squats in the Presidential Suite)
Pres-Desk
And “working” at the desk in the Presidential Office. Good times!
(That’s my gratitude journal there to my left.)