In this week’s fat loss guide, you’ll get 10 interval training workouts from TT readers…plus a kettlebell workout,  some fat loss motivation, and the truth about measuring your body fat.

But first, a fat loss reality:

Everything you do either takes you closer to or further from your goals. Just remember that in everything you do this week.  I first heard this from Alwyn Cosgrove, and it’s so simple, yet so true.

Click here to listen to the call…

And now, our fat loss tips.

Monday – March 15th

Transformation Tip of the Week:
Everything we do has consequences…if we eat that pizza…if we decide to skip a workout…as my friend Simon Black said to me…”Bear in mind the single universal law of causality… there will be consequences from your actions, and you must be prepared to accept them.”

INTERVAL TRAINING

What have I been doing?

1) Adrenaline sprints – see the TT Adrenaline program for more details
2) Kettlebells – I just bought a 44lb, so now I have a 35, 44, 53, and 70
3) Treadmill intervals – Last workout was 6 intervals at 10.8mph (60s with 60s rest)

And now here are 10 of your favorite interval training workouts as posted on the TT Facebook Fanpage.

1. Sprints on the treadmill. 5 mins at 1min on 1min off.. 9.8 for the sprint then 3.8 for the rest
2. Bodyweight cardio TT style
3. 20-yard shuttles… throw five of them back-to-back for 100 yard total.
4. 30 on 30 off doing kettlebell swings, and tabata training for 4 minute rounds with the kettlebell or any other chosen exercise
5. Burpee pyramid.
6. 5-meter Interval shuttle runs
7. Stadiums- simple and effective. Motivating to see how many sections in front of me and how many I’ve completed
8. Prowler sled
9. We live on a hill, at the bottom of a dead-end. At least once a week we’ll do a dozen or so 50 yard uphill sprints. If I’m feeling frisky I’ll do Litvinov intervals: 30 heavy kettlebell swings, then the uphill sprint. You won’t see a dozen Litvinov’s however.
10. 1/4 mile sprints….90 seconds off in between.

Tuesday
Get 30 minutes of fun activity – now grab a Green Tea and let’s do this week’s research review

Reference:
Obes Res Clin Pract. 3(4):209, 2009. Assessing Body Fat Changes during Moderate Weight Loss with Anthropometry and Bioelectrical Impedance.

Researchers from Vanderbilt U studied the best way to measure body fat, including testing Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA). If you have a body fat scale at home, it uses BIA…and this study is bad news for that scale.

• Fat mass changes were assessed in 34 overweight adults (24 females, 10 males) after a 12-week supervised weight loss induced by caloric restriction (-30% of requirement) using BIA and DXA.
• Diet intervention resulted in a significant decrease in body weight (- 7.86 +/- 2.87 kg), body mass index (BMI – 2.69 +/- 0.98 kg/m(2)), total body fat (- 5.22 +/- 2.32 kg), truncal fat (- 2.80 +/- 1.94 kg) and waist circumference (- 5.52 +/- 3.57 cm).
• Compared to DXA, BIA underestimated total body fat changes in males (- 8.8 kg, p<0.001) and overestimated total body fat changes in females (+ 2.1 kg, p< 0.001).
• Body mass index, body weight, and waist circumference provide simple and more accurate than BIA estimates of relative changes in total and truncal fat during moderate weight loss in adults.

You’ll notice the diet caused a lot of lean body mass loss, since there was no resistance training.

Bottom line:
The body fat analyzers you use at home are inaccurate. Wildly inaccurate.

Wednesday

First tip: Here’s how to double the number of bodyweight exercise you know:

For many exercises, including legs, pushing and pulling exercises, you can play around with the 1&1/2 rep style – lowering to the bottom position, coming halfway back up, and then lowering again, and then coming all the way back up.) It makes any exercise harder.

Second tip: Some new exercise substitutions

What can you use to replace the deadlift?

Answer:
The only direct replacement is a dumbbell squat.

Otherwise, just replace with any lower body exercise paired with a row.

For example, do a barbell lunge and DB row.

Or pair a Stability Ball Leg Curl + DB Row.

Q: What exercises can I use to replace lunges if I have knee soreness?

Answer:
First, see a doctor and have them diagnose the problem. Second, see a therapist and have them treat the issue. Third, see a trainer and have them assess where you need to work on flexibility and how you can include some “knee-friendly” exercises in your workout program.

These exercises include:
Lying Hip Extensions (also known as Lying Hip Bridges)
Single-leg Hip Extensions (Used in the TT Bodyweight 4-week program)
Lying Hip Extensions with your feet on the ball
Lying Stability Ball Leg Curls (Used in the TT for Fat Loss program)

And remember, always talk to your doctor about the best possible exercise selection to help reduce your knee pain.

Thursday
Do 30 minutes of fun activity and then understand that the basics are what work the best…

You see, everyday I get so many weird/extreme/complex/technical fat loss questions…and the thing is, I don’t know anything about what you just asked me, but I just don’t see how it would change what you need to do.

To lose fat, you must:
Eat fewer calories than you need, avoid processed foods, do intervals, and resistance training.

That’s pretty much it. What could possibly change?

Friday

Here’s a list of kettlebell exercises I did last Saturday…

35lb 2-Hand Swing
35lb 1-Hand Swing
35lb 1-Hand Snatch
35lb 1-Hand C&P
53lb 2-Hand Swing
53lb 1-Hand Swing
53lb 1-Hand Snatch
53lb 1-Hand C&P

Click here for more info on Kettlebell Workouts

Social Support Saturday!
30 minutes of fun activity…

Research show that for 75% of people their biggest regrets in life are the things they didn’t do in life…not the things they did.

So…”Go to the effort. Invest the time. Write the letter. Make the apology. Take the trip. Purchase the gift. Do it. The seized opportunity renders joy. The neglected brings regret.”
Max Lucado

Sunday
Plan, Shop & Prepare and do 30 minutes activity.

Earlier this week I wrote about whole grains and fat loss and I’ve found some gluten free, wheat free noodles…the brand is “King Soba” and the ingredients are:

1) brown rice + millet

2) brown rice + Wakame (a sea vegetable)

But I still think that all whole-grains are decent, as long as they are high fiber.

According to research from Penn State University, replacing processed carbs with whole grains will help you lose belly fat (probably by lowering insulin levels – insulin is a hormone that stores fat).

For most people, they simply need to worry about losing body fat and getting under 20 or 25% fat. So eating more whole grains will help.

Next week!
TT Workout – TT 2K10
Weekly Research Review – Hormone & Resistance Training Study
Nutrition – How to avoid night-time binges

“Do I have to give up bread & rice to lose fat?” is one of the most common nutrition questions I get.

So today we’re going to cover “grains and fat loss” with the help of my friend & nutrition expert, Isabel De Los Rios.

Now I know most of you are being told that you can’t eat any grains, but Isabel will surprise you.

And at the end of today’s lesson, I’ll tell you what I think…

But first, what does Isabel say? Well, she wants us to know:

1) Not all carbs are the same but you don’t need to go low-carb

The good news is that there are plenty of healthy carbohydrate and grain options that fit into your fat burning meal plans.

2) Brown Rice is good for fat loss meals, but white rice isn’t.

Now you probably knew that…so let’s get more specific…

Isabel says the reason why white rice is bad news for fat loss is because the healthy bran layer and the germ are removed. So you lose the fiber and are just left with the starch.

And you and I both know that without the fiber, even eating a huge bowl of white rice can still leave you hungry.

So that’s the BIG problem with ALL processed carbohydrates, from white bread to white pasta to potatoes without the skin. You lose the fiber and are left with the starch, and you stay hungry and get hungry faster.

3) So the #1 rule is to keep the fiber in your grain choices.

“Fiber helps you to feel full for a longer period of time and if you are not hungry and feel satisfied, it’s much easier to stick to your healthy eating than if you are starving all day,” Isabel says.

Plus, Isabel adds, “Fiber also helps to control blood sugar fluctuations and as you’ve learned in my nutrition book, the secret to weight loss is keeping your blood sugar and your insulin under control all day long.”

4) What types of rice does Isabel recommend?

i) Basmati Rice

Isabel says brown basmati rice might even be better than regular long grain brown rice.

ii) Black Rice

Cultivated in Asia, this rice is typically sold as an unmilled rice, meaning the fiber-rich black husks of the rice are not
removed, making black rice very high in fiber.

(This one is a staple in the TT Kitchen! One of my favorite winter meals is vegetarian chili and black rice on a Sunday afternoon while watching football. – CB)

iii) Jasmine

Of course, Isabel recommends the brown version.

5) Now for the big question – how much rice should you eat?

Isabel says, “a ½ cup to a cup of brown rice is a great carbohydrate choice in your lunch or dinner alongside a tasty protein (maybe some wild fish) and some yummy vegetables (possibly some sautéed spinach).”

************************************

Craig here again…

Perfect info. Thank you Isabel.

Now you’ll notice Isabel really only had a chance to cover rice and basic carbohydrate recommendations…there’s just not enough time or room to do everything else.

She didn’t get a chance to cover quinoa – the high protein grain – and some of the other lesser known, delicious grains that you can eat on a fat burning meal plan.

I highly recommend Isabel’s program. I promise it will work for you to help you lose stubborn belly fat.

(By the way, Isabel just had a baby and within weeks she was back to her old clothes…it’s amazing what you can do with the right nutrition…check out her site for a picture of her and her baby.)

Click here for Isabel’s website

In conclusion…

The bottom line is this:

The #1 rule is to keep the fiber in your grain choices.

And that’s what I do…sticking to brown rice pasta, black rice, and even my flax meal bread.

Combined with my meal plan built on the fat loss foundation of raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts, it’s impossible for me to get fat. My body will always be lean.

And you can have a lean body – while eating grains – too.

Just use Isabel’s meal plans.

And just say no to low carb,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

Women in their 40’s have to work against nature to maintain their figure.

Our current lifestyle and Mother Nature has stacked the odds against us. Sailing smoothly through the fourth decade of our life without some extra baggage is difficult (literally, I’m talking about gobs of fat hanging off our waists like a muffin top – not a pretty sight).

Do we have to just accept the fact that with age our bodies will change into something less desirable? Absolutely not!

There are a few ‘MAGIC BULLETS’ that will help you turn back the hands of time and make you look and feel years younger. Read on…

I have some good news and bad news about what happens to a woman’s body as she ages. Let’s start with the ‘bad’ news:

We die a little each day…

Mother Nature has programmed our body to start to ‘decay’ a little every day. In fact both men and women’s bodies are pre-programmed to ‘decay’ in a similar way.

There are messenger molecules that send signals to the entire body to ‘decompose’ so to speak. There are also messenger molecules, called cytokines that tell the body to ‘grow’. The messenger molecule of growth is Cytokine 10 or C10 and that of decay is Cytokine 6 or C6. In youth, C10 is plentiful and is sending messages to all parts of the body to grow.

We get less and less C10 circulating as we get older and we get more C6 circulating. This is a SLOW TRAIN TO THE GRAVE, decay without growth. More on this later…

Help! Our metabolism is tanking…

About two thirds of women will gain between 10-15 lb during MENOPAUSE with the majority of this weight centered around the abdomen.

Many women develop “insulin resistance” which means their bodies tend to store fat instead of burning calories. Other factors that are of concern and are involved in creating a middle age spread include hormonal imbalances, lack of sleep, dietary concerns and nutritional imbalances, and stress.

So far, it’s not a pretty picture: My saggy butt and over flowing waistline hobbling to the refrigerator for a soda and chips while I watch my favourite TV show before bed. Then I’ll fall asleep and wake up in the middle of the night and toss and turn while sleep eludes me. I’ll get up exhausted the next day, creak and groan through the long day only to repeat this cycle of sedentary living feeling lethargic and looking lousy.

STOP!!

This is depressing and does NOT have to happen. Although both of the facts I previously mentioned are true: we are in a constant state of decay and have the potential to have sinking metabolisms and a middle aged spread, there IS good news. Let’s get on with it!

Magic Bullet #1

Remember those messenger molecules C6 and C10 I mentioned? What if we had some way of turning on that magic messenger of youth, C10 again? If we could only keep that juice coming, then we wouldn’t have to decay with the constant flow of C6 our body delivers as we age.

Would you believe that you can?

INTENSE EXERCISE is the magic bullet that will turn your body’s switch to open the flood gates of C10. You see your body has a slow leak of C6 as we age, but when you exercise, you break down tissue and you will experience a surge of C6. Your body, in its evolutionary wisdom of survival, will provide a surge of C10 to start repairs or growth in response.

DECAY turns to GROWTH, brilliant.

You need to add intense exercise to your daily routine in order to keep those surges of C6 and C10 going. Modern day sedentary living, stress, and poor diet only accentuate the slow leak of C6 to decay, it will not stop, but you can overcome many aging factors by telling your body to GROW instead of DECAY when you add intense exercise.

This is tremendously good news. C10 is literally the fountain of youth. There will always be a slow decline in performance with age and our skin will fall prey to the hands of time, but we will feel younger and our bodies will look younger and sexier.

Magic Bullet #2 – Muscle Magic

So, from a cellular level, we see the need for exercise, but I’m telling you that you need to choose an exercise that builds and maintains MUSCLE as this is the second fountain of youth that you can tap into.

Remember I said that most women gain 10-15 pounds at menopause?

Well, this is a bit of a lie. Those women that gained weight were slowly re-compositioning their bodies in the 10 years prior to menopause and menopause is taking the blame. Studies show that there isn’t any evidence to show that the metabolism slows with the change of life.

Lifestyle leading up to menopause is to blame for this weight gain and many of the other ailments that women complain about.

Most lifestyles are such that as we go from our 30’s to 40’s we become more sedentary.

Although life is full of career and possibly child rearing, we also have more time to relax and we often don’t pursue sport in the same way we may once have. At the very least, we aren’t chasing toddlers and we have possibly been promoted to a position where we can sit down a little more.

Less activity equals less muscle.

Even though your weight may show the same or only a few pounds more on the scale, you are likely ‘fatter’ now than you were in your twenties and thirties. You have TRADED MUSCLE FOR FAT by reducing your daily activity.

Muscle is metabolically active tissue that takes calories to maintain. Fat is basically dead weight that does nothing for you in terms of caloric demand.

Your desire is to build and maintain as much muscle as possible so you can maximize your calorie burning capacity. The MORE MUSCLE your body has, the MORE YOU CAN EAT. Period. Do you see the need to weight train now? Bring it on!

Now, if you’ve experienced any weight gain in your 40’s, I’m not saying that it’s YOUR FAULT! Absolutely not. There is clearly an abundance of misinformation out there concerning women in their 40’s regarding this issue.

Time for some clarity.

I’m telling you that you can beat Mother Nature at her own game and maintain your weight, your figure, your self confidence and feel healthy and sexy well into and beyond your forties.

Here are 3 NON-NEGOTIABLE STEPS that you can take today to improve your health: exercise, exercise, exercise!

1. Start resistance training immediately.

You’d be surprised to hear that body weight only training is one of the safest and most effective ways to increase and maintain muscle mass in women in this age category.

By adding some muscle and maintaining the muscle that you already have, you will preserve and even elevate your metabolism as you age. And don’t think for a minute that you’ll get that overly developed muscular look-if only adding muscle was that easy. Your hormonal make up is not such that this is even possible.

Lift weight and LIFT AS HEAVY AS YOU CAN and you’ll still only add modest amounts of this good stuff.

2. Ensure you add intense heart pounding exercise daily or almost daily.

You need to get that surge of C6 and corresponding surge of C10 to keep your body growing, so move it intensely DAILY if possible. This also doesn’t mean that you need to start to run; there are plenty of other aerobic exercises that are more effective than going for that long slow jog.

High intensity interval training is your answer to FAST and extremely effective workouts and fat loss.

3. Make exercise a habit like brushing your teeth.

Get a plan so that you just have to DO the work. It’s always easier to face a workout with a plan in hand.

And finally….

did you think I’d forget to mention how your diet plays into this? Of course your nutritional plan plays a HUGE part into this picture. My one word of advice today: STOP DIETING.

ONE KEY to long lasting health and weight maintenance is to consistently apply the principles of nutrition that you may already know. Surprisingly, cutting out all junk food including all high glycemic carbohydrates and alcohol is a great start to gaining control of your eating and appetite.

Another pleasant surprise is that once you get past that first week of ‘withdrawal’ from the junk and sugar, your cravings won’t be as strong.

I’ve only scratched the surface of your action plan. You have some knowledge of the ‘’why’’ you need to move, time to find out the plan. As a woman in my mid-forties, I’m living proof that it is possible to fool Mother Nature. With my help, you can too.

Sincerely,

Shawna Kiminski
www.FemaleFatLossOverForty.com

This week you’ll discover 10 tips to eat healthy for cheap, but I also must warn you that I have a lot of politically incorrect inspiration and motivation to give you…

But first, let’s start with reality.

The reality is that everyone makes  mistakes with their diet.

So there will be times you mess up…and that’s cool, as long as you learn from it. Just get back on track as soon as possible.

This call is full of motivation and kick-butt mindset tips…

=> Click here to listen to the call…

Let’s kick off with Kekich Credo #7

“You’re successful when you like who and what you are. Success includes achievement…while choosing and directing your own activities. It means enjoying intimate relationships and loving what you do in life.”

I say…”Success is not just a number on a scale. Success is living with energy and happily making healthy choices. When you choose to eat healthy and exercise instead of watching TV, that is achievement….

“This will help you love life and the people around you more. The PROCESS is often just as important as the physical progress…A body transformation cannot happen without a mental transformation as well.”

And now, our fat loss tips.

Monday – March 8th

Transformation Tip of the Week:

5 tough questions to ask yourself today if you are struggling:

1) Why do you continue to make short term decisions that ruin your chances of long-term success?

2) Why do you continue to eat junk when you want to lose fat?

3) Why do you watch so much TV when you know you should be exercising?

4) Why do you still do cardio and crunches when they haven’t given you results and they never will?
(See: 7 Reasons NEVER to do crunches again)

5) Why do you hide your goals when you know that support will help you succeed?

Take time to answer those. Identify the obstacles. Plan solutions. Then you’ll succeed!

You have to accept that a little short-term pain will allow you long-term success.

Now for some lower body exercise substitutions:

For Squats –> You can do 1-leg squats, 1-leg bench squats (see photo), bulgurian split squats, split squats, lunges, step-ups, reaching lunges, 1-leg deadlifts, or 1-leg hip extensions. Goblet squats are okay too. DB squats are okay, but usually the grip strength becomes an issue.

For DB Split Squats -> You can do:
- 1-leg lying hip extensions for beginners
- high-rep Bulgarian split squats for advanced
- 1-leg bench squats (see photo)
- high-rep split squats with your front foot elevated 4-6 inches for intermediate
- 1-leg deadlifts
- 1-leg squats onto bench
- deepstep-ups
- reaching lunges
- lunges

We’ll do pushing and pulling exercises later

Tuesday
Get 30 minutes of fun activity – now grab a Green Tea and let’s do this week’s research review…

Interesting resistance training weight loss study…

Researchers at the University of Rhode Island foundthat weight training plus diet helps seniors lose almost 9 pounds of fat…while diet-only group lost less than one pound of fat.

In the study, they had 27 overweight and obese older (age 67years) adults separated into 2 groups:

Group 1 followed the 10-week Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension for weight loss diet (DASH, n = 12)

Group 2 followed the DASH Diet plus moderate intensity resistance training (DASH-RT, n = 15).

Results:

Weight Loss – no difference between groups, but the average was over 6.6 pounds of weight loss.
DASH-RT = 3.6kg
DASH = 2kg

Body fat loss – The resistance training PLUS diet group lost about 9 pounds of fat, while the diet-only lost less than 1/2 a pound of fat!

DASH-RT = 4.1kg
DASH = 0.2kg

Lean Mass gains – Only the resistance training group gained lean mass. The diet group LOST lean mass.
DASH-RT = 0.8kg
DASH = -1.4kg

Reference:
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2010 Feb 19. Effect of moderate intensity resistance training during weight loss on body composition and physical performance in overweight older adults. Avila JJ, Gutierres JA, Sheehy ME, Lofgren IE, Delmonico MJ.

Wednesday

Another hard question…

During your workout, always be asking yourself if you are doing the BEST that you can.

Are giving extreme focus to the exercise? Even if it is just off-day stretching, are you doing everything you can to get the MOST out of your efforts? And if the choice comes up between “blowing off” the last exercise or sucking it up and sticking to it, make sure you choose wisely.

Pushing exercise substitutions
For DB Chest Presses (of any kind) -> You can do one of these:
- pushups
- close-grip pushups
- decline pushup
- elevated pushups
- off-set pushups
- pushups with your feet on the ball
- pushups with your hands on the ball
- spiderman pushups
- pike pushups
- or possibly the hardest two hand pushup of them all, decline close-grip spiderman pushups

Thursday
Do 30 minutes of fun activity

“In order to succeed you must fail, so that you know what not to do the next time.” Anthony J. D’Angelo

Friday

Pulling exercise substitutions

For DB Rows -> Using the smith machine, you can do…
- inverted rows
- underhand inverted rows
- inverted rows with your feet on the ball
- inverted rows holding the ends of a towel hung over the bar (advanced grip strength there!)

For DB Rows -> Using the pullup bar, you can do…
- eccentric pull-ups
- regular pull-ups
- sternum pull-ups
- chinups
- side to side pull-ups

In place of bodyweight rows, you can do:
db rows
db elbow-out row
db chest supported row
db rear deltoid raises
stickups/prone stickups/WYTs
band rows
bb rows
seated cable rows

In place of pull-ups and chinups, you can do:
db rows
db pullovers
underhand grip pulldowns (kneeling) – replace chinups
overhand grip pulldowns (kneeling) – replace pull-ups
assisted chinups/pull-ups using machine

Social Support Saturday!
30 minutes of fun activity…

And a quote I like that I’m not apologizing for believing in…

“People are always blaming circumstance for what they are. I do not believe in circumstance. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstance they want and if they can’t find them they make them.” – George Bernard Shaw

It’s not politically correct, but it’s true to me.

Sunday – Plan, Shop & Prepare
30 minutes activity and plan, shop, & prepare.

Now here’s how to eat healthy for cheap:

1) Look for house brands for certain items at the grocery store.
2) Look for coupons both online and local.
3) Try to shop for things that are in season.
4) Grow a garden & prepare things at home (and make your own breads, shakes, hummus)
5) If you shop at food chain stores, wait until the end of the day or evening to shop.  Fresh food prices will drop to prepare for new items for the next day.
6) Eat less meat, buy less expensive (but quality) meat or no meat.  Replace meat with beans.
7) Use portion control when eating dinners at home.  You can get 3-4 meals out of it that way.
8] Plan your meals for the entire week.
9) Buy non-perishable items in bulk whenever possible.
10) If you have a large freezer, you can freeze many items in bulk and freeze foods that can go bad and use them in blender drinks.

Remember: Better to pay your grocer than your doctor!

Next week!
TT Workout – More interval training research & exercise substitutions
Weekly Research Review – The best way to measure your fat loss
Nutrition – The latest new foods in my diet

I just spent two and half hours reading through all your ab questions from last week and I must say I’m shocked…

…I didn’t realize how many people were still using crunches to try and get a flat stomach and six pack abs.

Unfortunately, I have bad news…doing crunches is NOT going to get you the results you want.

(Although you knew this already, of course, as so many of you also wrote in with frustration that the crunches were not working.)

So I’m going to prove today what you already knew, and that’s how you NEVER need to do crunches again…here are the 7 reasons:

1) Crunches aren’t working for you now, and didn’t in the past, so why would they work in the future?

It’s time to give them up for good.

You know the old saying about insanity? It’s doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Time to change it up!

2) Crunches are most dangerous when they are most effective.

When you are overweight, there can be a lot of resistance on the abs when you do crunches – and technically that is good…

HOWEVER, because your ab and low back muscles are weak, that’s when you use bad form and end up with a pain-in-the-neck or low back pain from crunches.

So even though crunches can work your abs as a beginner, they end up causing more harm than good.

As a beginner, you are much better off using the Beginner TT for Abs 4-week program AND the bonus DVD, the TT Beginner Total TorsoTraining program you get here:

3) On the other hand, crunches get LESS effective as you get leaner and fitter, because there is less resistance on the muscle and you’re now too strong to get anything out of crunches.

Here’s a dramatic demonstration of what I mean.

Take your left arm and extend it out to your side. Now clench your fist and do 20 biceps curls.

Now tell me, do you really think that will “work your biceps” and make them lean and sexy? Of course not! So why would the same high-rep method of crunches work for your abs? It won’t, of course.

4) A couple of years ago, Men’s Health magazine made a big deal about a research study proving you would need to do 20,000 crunches to burn 1 pound of belly fat. Twenty thousand!

Even a “crunch fanatic” would need a few days to do 20,000 crunches. The bottom line is that ab crunches are a HUGE waste of time when you are trying to lose belly fat.

5) Even those lean, mixed martial artist guys don’t do crunches.

On the weekend, I was reading an interview with the trainer of world champion fighter, Georges St. Pierre, and the trainer explained how they don’t do crunches, but instead do anti-rotation and extension exercises for the abs.

Not sure what those are? Don’t worry, you’ll get some of those in the TT for Abs workout DVDs.

6) Interval training works your abs harder than crunches.

Whether it’s sprints or kettlebell swings, your abs will shape up faster with interval training than they will with crunches. Guaranteed.

7) Crunches don’t make your abs “pop out”.

This was a big problem mentioned in so many of your questions. A lot of TT readers had lost the fat, but still couldn’t see their abs because they didn’t “Pop out”.

Listen, crunches will never do that…but the exercises we use in the TT for Abs DVDs will, I promise.

So when you’re ready to give up crunches (like right now, right?) and use proven ab exercises and workouts, then you’re ready for the TT for Abs DVDs.

Click here to get your follow along TT for Abs workout DVDs.

See your abs soon,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Creator, TT for Abs DVDs

PS – It doesn’t matter where you live…

I can now be your in-home personal trainer with the TT for Abs DVDs.

It doesn’t matter if you live in Manilla, Hong Kong, Berlin, Rome, Rio, Montreal, Seattle, Philly, Vegas, Charleston (one of my favorite cities), any Armed Forces base around the world, Cape Town, or New Delhi, I will be there to guide you through the workouts.

PPS – Nutrition also beats crunches EVERY time.

That’s why I also filmed the Simple Nutrition DVD for you and you’llget that DVD and manual as well as another bonus gift. Say goodbye to crunches and hello to sexy abs!

On Sunday morning I met an old client to take him through his weekly workout, and I kicked his butt with some TT, but when it came to the abs circuit at the end, he started laughing and said, “NO WAY!”

Why?

Because his abs were still sore and tight from the workout I had him do on Thursday.

Of course, it wasn’t from a “crazy crunches” workout.

Instead, he used one of the TT for Abs DVDs circuits that included one of my favorite exercises – the Stability Ball Rollout.

To make it more effective, we played with the tempo of the exercise (that’s the speed of the movement) AND he focused really hard on the muscles he was trying to work.

And that is why he gets such great results from my ab workouts.

Other folks at my gym who aren’t getting results simply aren’t doing the exercises properly.

They go through the motions, but don’t work the muscle.

And if you’re not getting results, don’t worry…it’s not really your fault, because you’ve never been taught how to do these exercises properly – and that’s why you need the TT for Abs DVDs.

I’ll show you exactly how to get amazing results from the unique ab exercises I use with my clients.

So you’ll be able to avoid the #1 mistake people make in their ab workouts at my gym – ineffective exercise technique.

Once you make a few small changes with my one-on-one help, you will get fast results and sexy abs.

I promise the TT for Abs DVDs are the solution for that problem.

Click here to get your follow along workout DVDs:

=> http://www.TTforAbsDVDs.com

Talk to you soon,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Creator, TT for Abs DVDs

“15% of 2010 is gone forever. 15% of your New Years Resolutions should have already been checked off…So exactly how are they looking now? Are you on track with your goals? If you wanted to lose 30lbs this year – are you down fifteen percent – or 4.5lbs already? It’s amazing how time passes. Where will you be at the 30% point – April 20th? That’s 8 weeks away.” – Alwyn Cosgrove

Make sure you are…

1. Writing down your goals
2. Creating a written plan to move towards them
3. Measuring your results
4. Reviewing your progress.

That’s how you succeed.

And big news:

The TT for Abs & Simple Nutrition DVDs will be released on Monday – A big 19 dvd set. Powerful stuff.

All shipped to your door for FREE this week – but this week only.

Including my Simple Nutrition System. Simplifying what others are making too complex…just showing you how to eat real food to lose fat.

Watch your email this week for more info…but for now:

Click here to listen to this week’s fat loss call…

Let’s review your fat loss tips.

Monday – March 1st

Transformation Tip of the Week:
If you want abs, don’t waste your time doing 30, 20, or even 15 minutes of abs per day. It’s pointless. Instead, use interval training to burn belly fat, and a few choice exercises to sculpt your abs, and a few basic exercises to build endurance in your abs so that you stay pain free.

Now let’s update an old classic…

TT 2K5 Workout A – from the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss Manual

1A) Squat or 1-Leg Squat – 8 repetitions   — UPDATE: Use the Front Squat or 1-leg bench squat
No rest.
1B) DB Chest Press or Bench Press – 6 repetitions  —- UPDATE: Use Decline Pushups
Rest 1 minute & repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

2A) DB RDL – 8 repetitions —- UPDATE: Use 1-leg ball curls
No rest.
2B) Spiderman Pushup – 5 repetitions per side — UPDATE: Use the Spiderman Climb Pushup (from TT Big 6)
Rest 1 minute & repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

3A) DB Step-up – 10 repetitions per side  —- UPDATE: Lateral Lunge (see TT Big 6 for “how to”)
No rest.
3B) DB Rear-Deltoid Raise – 12 repetitions —- UPDATE: Rope Row
Rest 1 minute & repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Advanced Interval Training Workout A-II —- UPDATE: TT Adrenaline Intervals

Tuesday
Get 30 minutes of fun activity – now grab a Green Tea and let’s do this week’s research review

Interesting interval training study…researchers used interval training with heart surgery patients.

Why?

Because in the past, doctors have found that aerobic fitness predicts the risk of death in cardiac patients, so the scientists wanted to find the fastest way to do this…

The subjects all had prior heart surgery, and were placed into 2 groups:

Intervals – 90% max heart rate
Cardio – 70% max heart rate

Both groups trained 5d/week for 6 months…

After 4 weeks:
Fitness increased in both groups.

After 6 months:
Only the intervals group continued to make improvements in fitness.

Quality of life improved in both groups.

Conclusion:
The interval training group had better long-term fitness improvements.

NOTE: This was highly supervised…do not do this without doctor’s approval…but note the power of intervals.

Reference:
Am Heart J. 2009 Dec;158(6):1031-7. Aerobic interval training versus continuous moderate exercise after coronary artery bypass surgery: A randomized study of cardiovascular effects and quality of life.

Wednesday

I ran a few intervals this week…4×4 at 10.5mph – feeling strong…but didn’t want to have excess muscle soreness…but fitness is still there despite only doing metabolic resistance training.

TT 2K5 Workout B – from the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss Manual

1A) Pull-ups or DB Pullover – 8 repetitions  —- UPDATE: Sternum Pullup
No rest.
1B) DB Floor Press – 8 repetitions   —- UPDATE: High rep pushup
Rest 1 minute & repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

2A) Chin-ups or DB Row – 8 repetitions   — I love high rep DB rows…but for the UPDATED version, you could also try DB Chest-Supported Rows
No rest.
2B) DB Incline Press – 8 repetitions  —– UPDATE: 1-arm Standing Shoulder press
Rest 1 minute & repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

3A) Inverted Row or DB Rear Deltoid Raise – 15 repetitions  —- UPDATE: Another good place to insert DB Chest Supported Rows if you haven’t already…or TRX rows if you have access to the TRX straps.
No rest.
3B) Decline Pushups – 20 repetitions   —- UPDATE: Close grip decline pushups
Rest 1 minute & repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Advanced Interval Training Workout B-II: UPDATE: Again, TT Adrenaline fat loss intervals instead.

Thursday
Do 30 minutes of fun activity and then add more fruits and vegetables.

That’s the main message of my new SIMPLE NUTRITION DVD.

And here’s a research study to support why…

Subjects on a low-fat diet that ate more fruits and vegetables lost more fat than another group on only the low-fat diet.
After 1-year, the low-fat, fruits and vegetables group (LF-FV) lost more weight than another group of woman on the low-fat (LF) diet only.

Why?

The LF-FV group reported being less hungry, thanks to being able to eat more food than the LF group.

Bottom Line: Base your diet on the Fat Loss Foundation of fruits, vegetables, and raw nuts.

Reference:
Amer. J. Clin. Nutr. 85: 1465-1477, 2007.

Friday

Workout Tip for your abs…Listen, crunches just aren’t going to do it…here are better options from the TT for Abs DVDs:

Try this little circuit:

1) Stability Ball Rollout
2) Side plank
3) X-Body Mountain Climber

I did this yesterday and my abs feel tight and awesome today.

Or try this little superset that makes the Jackknife a little harder.

1) Plank to fatigue

2) Stability Ball Jackknife – 15 reps

You’re going to love the TT for Abs Follow-Along Workout DVDs.

Social Support Saturday!
30 minutes of fun activity…and do it with others.

As my friend Alwyn Cosgrove says, “Doing a good program with other people will give better results than a great program on your own.” That’s the power of social support.

No one to workout with? No problem. With the new TT for Abs DVDs you can now workout with me. I’ll show you the right form and encourage you through the entire workout. It’ll be a blast!

Click here for your copy of the TT for Abs DVDs

19 DVDs, including the Simple Nutrition System.

Sunday – Plan, Shop & Prepare
30 minutes activity and then plan, shop, & prepare.

Here’s a little smoothie tip from Kardena Pauza. She says each drink should have no more than 5 fruits and vegetables, because if you do, the taste gets messed up. And I tried this, and she’s right.

So I stick to 1 banana, blueberries, blackberries, spinach, and raspberries (raspberries are the key for me). I’ve also tried 1 banana, pineapple, blackberry, raspberries, and spinach. Not bad. I also tried adding celery this week, but unlike the spinach, celery has a strong flavor.

Next week!
TT Workout – Exercise Substitutes
Weekly Research Review – New resistance training study shows it helps older folks lose fat – better than just diet alone!
How to eat healthy for cheap

Enjoy the TT for Abs DVDs,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training