Tabata Training QnA and Metabolic Finisher Feedback

Today we’re going to expose the myth of Tabata Training, give away a TRX, and here from a happy metabolic finisher client.

First, congratulations to Charles McLaughlin, he’s our winner of the 3rd TRX I’m giving away this week. Well done Charles. Thanks for being part of Turbulence Training.

By the way, here’s a great article on a total body metabolic TRX workout from Certified Turbulence Trainer, Mike Whitfield.

http://workoutmanuals.com/trx-total-body-workout/

Enjoy.

Now for the QnA:

Question: What’s your take on tabata training and what exercises would you incorporate into a routine?

Answer: Tabata training can only be done with super high intensity exercise. Doing 20 seconds of an exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest is not tabata training. That’s just training. Tabata training requires “exhaustive intermittent training consisted of seven to eight sets of 20-s exercise at an intensity of about 170% of VO2max with a 10-s rest between  each bout.” That’s a quote from the research study.

Not many exercises allow you to do that.

The original research was done using a specially designed bike in a research lab. Most people don’t know this. It doesn’t mean 20-10 training is bad, it just means 95% of 20-10 training is NOT Tabata training.

Question: I recently moved my PT studio to the second floor of a third story building. As such, med ball slams are out, much to my clients’ dismay! Is there anything you can think of (aside from wood chops as they’ve been done to death in there!) that can alleviate some frustration and elevate the heart way in a similar way, but will not reduce my 100 year old building to rubble?

Answer: Get a tire and a sledgehammer. Then you whack the tire with the sledgehammer. Check youtube for proper technique demonstrations.

Question: I like TT workouts and the traditional lifting workouts. Ive been alternating between the two every few months.When I go to traditional lifting workouts I miss the feeling from TT. When I go to TT I miss the the other. I’d like to know how I can maintain both without adding days in the gym. – Steve

Answer: The TT Meatheads programs are designed for that. Check them out in the muscle building section at

http://www.turbulencetraining.com/workouts

There are 3-day and 4-day per week programs.  Meatheads for life.

Question: Hey Craig if you wanted to do explosive exercises in your program when would you do them? Before the workout and if you do upperbody one and lower body another day will that still help with weightloss? – Kyle

Answer: Explosive exercises, like jumps or power cleans would be done after the warmup and after specific warm up sets. Adding these won’t dramatically increase fat loss, and should NOT be done if someone is overweight or uncoordinated. I find that “explosive training” is over-prescribed by trainers to unprepared clients.

Safety first please.

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Letter of the Week

“Craig, Just finished doing one of your Metabolic Finishers and I am telling you it’s one of the best workouts I’ve ever done. The afterburn effect that you get from these is amazing. My skin still feels hot to the touch – the hgh flush…..that’s when you know that human growth hormone is being actively released into the bloodstream. And this is the hormone that builds muscle and burns fat.” – Tim

Thanks Tim. Awesome that you feel that way.

There are two ways to get the new program:

1) By trying out the TT Membership for $4.95 here:

http://www.turbulencetraining.com/workoutofthemonth/

or

2) By just getting the Metabolic Finishers workout only here:

http://www.turbulencetraining.com/workouts/2011/Oct2011_MetaFinish.shtml

Exercise of the Week: The Face Pull

For this exercise, you’ll be working your upper back and rear deltoids. You’ll need a rope attachment on a high cable pulley.

Watch the exercise here:

And finally, I received a lot of diet questions this week, including:

Question: What type of pre- and post-workout nutrition for fat loss is best?  AND What  do you think about eating meat?

Answer: Nutrition for fat loss is really simple.

• Eat when you are hungry, don’t eat when you’re not hungry.
• Build your diet around whole, natural foods.
• Focus on fruits, vegetables, raw nuts, and protein sources.
• Minimize added sugar and processed carbohydrates.
• There’s no need to force calories if you are not hungry.

You can use Isabel’s diet since it best fits the description of this plan. Check it out here:

http://www.ProvenFatLossDiet.com

Find out how many calories you are eating each day, and if you want to lose fat, improve the quality of your diet and decrease your calorie intake.

But what about meat?

Frankly, I believe there are “4 horsemen of your body’s apocalypse”, and if you avoid these four, you’ll live a long and healthy life and you don’t need to get stressed out about whether you eat meat.

What/who are these 4 horsemen?

I’ll tell you next week. I’ve been meaning to write this article for a few YEARS now, and it’s time. So I’ll find an hour or two while in Mexico next week to finish it up and get it to you.

The wait will be worth it, trust me.

Have a great weekend and look for some Mexico vacation updates too,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Certified Turbulence Trainer

PS – If you have a question, just drop by the TT FB page here to ask it:

http://www.TurbulenceTrainingFanpage.com

“It is one thing to study war and another to live the warrior’s life.” – Telamon of Arcadia, mercenary from the 5th Century BC