Final Piece to the Puzzle

Yesterday, fitness and nutrition expert Chris Mohr, asked if I can describe the basic concept to Turbulence Training AND why it’s so effective when it comes to fat loss. You can see for yourself how effective this program is from Transformation Contest winners.

Today, I am going to share with you something that is really essential to your fat loss success.

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Chris Mohr:  Many readers fall into the trap of only working out in a gym setting–can you honestly get a solid workout just using your own body weight?

Craig Ballantyne: Oh baby, can you ever. In fact, there are a lot of bodyweight exercises that are harder than some of the free weight exercises people are doing.

Of course, like all my programs, I have appropriately designed beginner body weight programs that progress to intermediate and advanced levels. I’ve used these exercises and workouts with 300-lb men with bad knees. I know what works and is appropriate in those situations.  The same goes for the intermediate client who has trained with weights in the past but wants a new challenge.  My experience has shown me the right amount of bodyweight training and so on.

If you are worried about bad knees, the lying floor exercises for your lower body will prepare you for standing exercises. And again, if you are advanced, you will be mightily challenged by the advanced bodyweight routines that I have put together.

Chris Mohr:  I personally love body weight training, and now you can get an amazing workout, while challenging your body.  What are some of your favorite body weight exercises?

Craig Ballantyne: First, agility pushups. By that I mean pushups that require acrobatic movement of the legs during the pushup movement. In the manual, we have Spiderman Pushups where you externally rotate your leg and bring your knee to your elbow while you do the lower position. Not only does this increase the difficulty of the exercise, but it also adds to the benefits (increased co-ordination, ab work, etc.).

Any time you can add a movement to a body weight exercise you double or triple the benefits (or more). For example, we can take a basic squat or lunge and change the arm position (to a “Prisoner” or “Y-position” with your hands).  Doing this, you work the upper back, which is otherwise difficult to work with bodyweight exercises if you don’t have access to a pull up bar.

For abs, I prefer stability-based exercises such as mountain climbers, Stability Jackknifes, and variations rather than traditional ab crunches (those can sometimes be rough on your back). These are phenomenal total-body ab exercises that I believe will get you more results (and a healthier back) in less workout time.

And of course, I can’t neglect the big pulling exercises (chins, pull ups, body weight rows). Those are the ultimate upper body exercises to work towards – and are your biggest bodyweight muscle builders.

There are pictures of all of these and every single exercise I recommend in Turbulence Training.

Chris Mohr:  This is great, Craig.  However, don’t hold back any longer—can we have a sample workout from your best selling TT program to whet the appetite of our readers?

Craig Ballantyne: First, let’s review the TT workout set-up that will get you more results in less time…I’m talking to three 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 body weight 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 four supersets if you want to spend 30 minutes on your TT Strength Training.

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.

Obviously, this is just a basic sample and in the program itself, I go into much greater depth on the intricacies of each exercise, with descriptions and pictures.

Chris Mohr: We can’t talk about getting in shape without delving into nutrition.   What role does nutrition play in your programs and how can Meal Plans 101 complement your offerings?

Craig Ballantyne: I’m not afraid to admit that nutrition is more important than training when it comes to fat loss. If you don’t eat right for fat loss, you will not lose fat, no matter how good your training program.

Almost client who hits every “plateau” who consults with me starts losing fat again once we fix their nutrition. If you are busting your butt in the gym, but treating yourself to sugar and trans-fat pastries or processed snacks, you are going to get frustrated fast.

You have to plan your meals. You have to shop in advance for the week ahead. You have to prepare those foods according to your meal plan.

The nutrition component is hard I know. There are a lot of temptations out there. HOWEVER, if you use your meal planning system, prepare your foods, and have that food on hand when someone orders pizza into the office or offers some other temptation, then you at least have the tools to eat right. You just say “no, sorry, brought my own lunch today” and you stick to your plan.

One last thing I want to mention. Sixteen weeks is not that big of a deal when considered over the course of your lifetime. So just commit to being very serious about your fat loss for that time. You’ll reach your goals and you’ll lay down some healthy life habits. Once you decide on that 16-week block of fat burning with TT and Meal Plans 101, don’t let anything get in your way. Once you are done, you’ll be so proud of yourself, and you’ll realize you have the potential to make some incredible life changes.

Chris Mohr:  Thanks, Craig!

Tomorrow in part 3, we’ll take a look at some of the best fat loss tips and workout solutions to get you back on the fat loss track.