Long weekend in Toronto…go down to the beach to take the dogs swimming…also going to explore the St. Lawrence market for awesome snacks…and who knows, maybe even check out the Caribana parade. I haven’t done that since 2001.

Earlier this week, I found this quote and it became an instant favorite of mind…

“Keep these concepts in mind: You’ve failed many times, although you don’t remember. You fell down the first time you tried to walk. You almost drowned the first time you tried to swim. Don’t worry about failure. My suggestion to each of you: worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.”
Sherman Finesilver

Forget about failure…and never give up on something you care about.

Click here to listen to the call…

Now let’s get into the TT Workout and tips…

Monday – Aug 2nd

Transformation Tip of the Week:

Change and transformation aren’t easy. But get through the rough patches and you’ll ultimately get the big payoff. You can’t get a rainbow (or double rainbow!) without some rain. Hang tough. Plan ahead. Be prepared. Take action. Stay strong. I KNOW you can do it.

TT Bodyweight Cardio 3 – Workout A

• This workout can be performed as a standalone workout or it can be used to replace the interval training portion of almost any other Turbulence Training workout.
• If performed as a standalone workout, you must start with the general bodyweight warm-up circuit.
• If you don’t have access to a bar for pull-ups or inverted rows, skip the exercise in the bodyweight circuit.

Prisoner Squat – 15 reps (2-0-1)
Pull-up – 3 reps (3-0-1)
Elevated Pushup – 6 reps per side (2-0-1)
Diagonal Lunge – 10 reps per side (2-0-1)
Jumping Jacks – 30 reps
Vertical Jumps – 6 reps (1-0-X)
Spiderman Climb – 10 reps per side (1-0-1)
Side to Side Jump – 8 reps per side
Spiderman or Regular Pushup – 12 total reps (2-0-1)
Inverted Row – 10 reps (2-0-1)
Shuttle Sprint – 20 seconds (if possible)

• Rest one minute before repeating 1 more time if you are replacing interval training.
• Rest one minute before repeating up to 3 more times if done as a standalone workout.

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

Reference:
Am J Health Promot. 2010 July/August;24(6):384-387. A Multicomponent Intervention Reduces Body Weight and Cardiovascular Risk at a GEICO Corporate Site. Ferdowsian HR, Barnard ND, Hoover VJ, Katcher HI, Levin SM, Green AA, Cohen JL.

113 overweight employees at GEICO (no lizards allowed) were studied, with half being assigned to a low-fat, vegan diet for 22 weeks. At the end of the study, the vegan diet group had greater weight loss and decreases in waist circumference. Researchers found, “Weight loss of 5% of body weight was more frequently observed in the vegan diet group (48.5%) compared with the control group (11.1%).

Just another diet that works. Click here if you want a TT-approved vegetarian diet.

Wednesday

With the TT BW Cardio program, if you don’t have access to a pullup bar for your circuits, you’ll need to do some type of back exercises…seated rowing, db rows, etc. For example…

The Mandatory Back Workout
To be done once or twice per week on ANY day to make up for the lack of back exercises in the bodyweight circuits. You can do on workout days or off days.

1A) Chin-up or DB Row – 8 reps (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute.
1B) Inverted Row or DB Rear-Deltoid Raise – 12 reps (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute and repeat 2 more times.

TT Bodyweight Cardio 3 – Workout B

• Start with the general bodyweight warm-up circuit
• Do each exercise for 1 minute. Move to the next exercise without rest.
• Rest 1 minute at the end of each round before moving to the next round.
• See the video below for all exercises demos.

Round #1
Jumping Jacks
Bodyweight Squats
T-Pushups (alternate sides)
Repeated Vertical Jumps
Prisoner Lunges

Round #2
Pushup
Prisoner Squat
Squat Thrust
Duck Under
Burpee

Round #3
Seal Jump
Spiderman Climb
Get Up
Side-Step
Run in Place

Round #4
Split Shuffle
Side to Side Jump
Side Plank (30 seconds per side)
Total Body Extension
Run in Place

Round #5
Seal Jump
Close-Grip Pushup
Lateral Lunge
Mountain Climber
Side-Step

Thursday
Do 30 minutes of fun activity…and take 10 minutes to figure out:

Know what you want to achieve/where you want to go.
Write out a plan to get there.
Implement & review the plan everyday.

3 simple steps to success.

Friday

TT Bodyweight Cardio 3 – Workout C

• This workout can be performed as a standalone workout or it can be used to replace the interval training portion of almost any other Turbulence Training workout.
• If performed as a standalone workout, you must start with the general bodyweight warm-up circuit.
• If you don’t have access to a bar for chin-ups or underhand inverted rows, skip the exercise in the bodyweight circuit.

Close-Stance Bodyweight Squat – 15 reps (2-0-1)
Close-Grip Pushup – 10 reps (3-0-1)
Chin-up – 3 reps (3-0-1)
Reverse Lunge – 10 reps per side (2-0-1)
Inchworm – 6 reps (2-1-2)
Run in Place – 20 seconds
Mountain Climber – 10 reps per side (1-0-1)
Total Body Extension – 8 reps (1-0-1)
Calf Jump – 10 reps
Deep Step-up or Reaching Lunge – 8 reps per side (2-0-1)
Decline Pushup or Regular Pushup – 12 reps (2-1-1)
Underhand Inverted Row – 10 reps (2-0-1)
Run in Place – 20 seconds

• Rest one minute before repeating 1 more time if you are replacing interval training.
• Rest one minute before repeating up to 3 more times if done as a standalone workout.

Social Support Saturday!
30 minutes of fun activity…

“Shocking” fitness truth: You can actually burn calories OUTSIDE of the gym. You don’t need to be on an elliptical machine every day. What to do on your off day from the gym? Go dancing, hiking, swimming, playing, walking, ENJOY LIFE outside of the gym!

That’s what you should do on your off-days.

Sunday – Plan, Shop & Prepare
30 minutes activity and plan, shop, & prepare…and grab this #1 food for breakfast:

Eggs.

“A breakfast featuring protein-rich eggs reduces hunger pangs and decreases calorie consumption for the rest of the day, according to a University of Connecticut study. Researchers found that men who ate eggs for breakfast consumed significantly fewer calories at an unlimited lunch buffet than men who ate a breakfast based on bagels of equal calories.”

Next week!
TT Workout – Reformed Fat Loss
Research Review – One Surprising Activity That Can Wipe Out Your Results
Social Support – Phone Fat Loss

Yesterday we learned how men’s transformation contest winner, Charles Hiller Jr., overcame binge eating simply by choosing the right diet to lose 25 pounds in 5 weeks.

Today, Charles lets us in on his secret ingredient for fat loss. By adding this one element to his transformation plan, Charles is now living a healthier, happier lifestyle he and his family can both enjoy.

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CB: How important for your success were the other TT members on the TT forum? Did you benefit the most from motivation, the experience of others, or accountability? Any suggestions on how TT readers can get the right social support in their life? And how did you deal with negative influences, if you had any?

CH: The forum was a HUGE aid for me, I had a place to go where people where going through what I was doing, or were already successful. It gave me a place to see the results of others, and get encouragement for my results.

The one thing besides diet and exercise that was just as important was a support group…

…I had never had this before, and this time I went out and found one, surrounded myself with people that knew what I was trying to accomplish and were there for me. I first noticed the benefit in the forums and how much of a response I would get when I made a post, and how complete strangers where there to offer support. So finding people in my everyday life that would provide the same support was really, in my mind, the SECRET INGREDIENT to the recipe.

Also, at the end of the day when you are lying there in bed, you are ultimately accountable to yourself. Will you fall asleep in minutes with a clear head knowing you did what was best for you that day, or will you lay there trying to sleep beating yourself up over the day’s events?

The biggest thing is really being accountable to yourself, and for your actions. No person, event, or thing should have the power over you to make you not be the person you want to be. In the long run everything that you intake into your body, or do or not do with it, are your decisions and you are accountable for them every day with your health and well being.

I had a few negative people that tried to bad mouth what I was doing, or convince me that I was wasting my time, and when I looked at them and the examples they put out there for the world to see, I knew they were no better, so I just chose to ignore them and go about what I was doing. When I would come across a person that was a positive influence I would interact with them, and have more open discussions about lifestyle changes, and over the course of a few weeks, I found my social life much more satisfying and healthier in general.

CB: Did you start out with a strong belief in your ability? Or was that something you built over time? If so, what were some of the turning points?

CH: I knew I had it in me to make some drastic changes. In my mind I had hit bottom, and knew I had to do something. It was difficult at times, and I had to challenge a lot of beliefs that I took to be true and look at them from a different angle. Once I understood that what I had been doing the last twenty years was not working, it opened my mind to new concepts and approaches.

CB: Next, tell us about your workouts…what was new, what worked best, what did you enjoy, and how consistent were you? Has your attitude towards exercise changed? Any suggestions for beginners out there who are intimidated?

CH: I decided to do the TT bodyweight workouts, I had been lifting weights most of my life, yet it dawned on me that I could not do a pull up or chin up….

…So my mind set was to let me get my body to move on its own and be able to manipulate the weight I had before I started adding more to it. I focused on STRICT form and keeping the TIMING that was presented in the program, and found the workouts to be just as demanding as any I had ever done with weights.

I realized that I could do the workouts anywhere that was convenient and at anytime. There was many a workout that was done in a mechanical room at work when I could slip away for 15-20 minutes between projects.

I like the way my body feels now, and how I have firmness to my muscles even when they are at rest. I look forward to my workouts now, and have grown to enjoy the Interval Training on the bike. I use to hate any type of cardio work. I look forward to being active now, and the example that I am setting my kids.

It is AMAZING how much time I have added back to my life by not being a couch potato, worrying about signing into to some internet game that would take hours of precious time from my day. Besides losing weight and becoming healthier this program has also helped me get my life back.

To the beginner, I say pick a workout and start that day, don’t put it off or plan around it, and JUST MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Once you get started you will find yourself looking forward to it. I would also have to say stick with it, you will have days where you will not want to do your workout, but just take that first step with the warm up and 30 minutes later you will see that you are done and you will feel so much better for doing it and sticking with your workout. I have managed to not miss a workout since I started the process, and I feel really good about accomplishing that.

In the end you will always find time for the things that are important to you. So how important is it to change your body and fulfill your goals?

CB: And finally, what’s next for Charles? How do you plan to keep this momentum going and what recommendations do you have for others who want to make the same permanent lifestyle changes?

CH: Setting ACHIEVABLE goals is what will keep me going.

You need to sit down and make a list of goals short and long, and then be honest with yourself and decide what you need to do make them come true. You need to be honest with yourself and do a root cause analysis. I started to make lists and really think about them.

I wrote down 3 short term goals and 3 long term goals, and then broke it down further to make a list of 3 items for each goal that would help me achieve that goal and 3 items that would hinder that goal….

…From there I built on each list to figure out how to achieve the goals and what to look out for to overcome the hindrances. When it is out on paper it really comes together.

Then I shared my goals with those that I knew could support me, and they helped keep me accountable. A short term goal is to finish the current twelve week challenge, and have just as good results as I did with the mini 5 week challenge. A long term goal is to achieve single digit body fat. I would love to get down to around 215 pounds so I would not have to compete in the heavyweight division in Judo, but just getting back on the mat would be a great start.

In essence our actions will determine the quality of life we will have, so you need to decide what kind of lifestyle you want to have, and start making your actions mimic that lifestyle.

Thank you so much!

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Thank you Charles for being so candid with your weightloss transformation as there were a number of great tips beginners just starting out can really learn from. Keep plugging along and let us know your progress for the remaining 12 weeks!

For other great body transformation stories, please check out www.TransformationContest.com.

Last week I interviewed Mary Pipken, the women’s TT transformation contest winner who lost an inspiring 4 pounds and 5 inches around her waist in just 5 weeks.

Today, I thought I’d introduce the men’s winner, Charles Hiller Jr. In the same amount of time, Charles dropped an incredible 25 pounds and 3.9 inches of fat! So let’s see if we can glean some useful fat loss tips from the man whose “quality of life has greatly improved”.

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CB: Tell us a bit about your background…what types of lifestyle did you have prior to Turbulence Training?

CH: For the most part I was sedentary. Worked an average of 50- 60 hours a week, and was going to school about 10 hours a week. I work as an Instrument and Controls tech. for a generic pharmaceutical company, and spent most of my day at a desk reviewing paper work or writing new procedures. I would be out on the floor maybe about 2 hours a day. My commute was anywhere from 1-2 hours a day, so I really was not that active.

I use to play Judo 2-3 times a week and that was my main form of exercise. About 2 years ago, I had some chest pain, that ended up being stressed related, and my doctor had told me he did not want me to do anything more than brisk walking till I was under 300 pounds, at the time I was around 340.

CB: What was “the last straw” that made you decided to take control with Turbulence Training?

CH: There were many straws it is hard for me to pick just one….

…missing the Judo mat was one, since I stopped playing I had creeped up to around 370 in about a year and felt horrible, had no energy, and was losing self confidence.

I have small children that I have every other weekend, and it got to the point that I could not do anything with them anymore. Carrying them on my shoulders or taking a hike in the woods became a CHORE, it was not fair to them to be couch potatoes, because their father, the guy that is suppose to set the example, couldn’t get off the couch or was afraid to leave the air conditioning.

Having to pay more for clothes and not being able to purchase them in regular stores was a major thing too.

Mostly, was the self image I had in the mirror, I would look at myself and literally feel like I would have to puke. Every time I heard someone laugh I would just assume I was being made fun of. People would tell me your not fat your just a big guy, and I would want to just scream at them to stop lying to me. I ruined many a relationship because of this self image.

CB: What kind of nutrition changes did you make that seemed to have the most impact on your transformation? How big of an impact was Isabel’s Diet Solution Program?

CH: The first thing I did was to immediately STOP EATING all packaged and processed foods.

I was originally following Precision Nutrition by John Berdari, and after about two weeks into the program I came across Isabel’s system from a link on one of your blogs, and gave it try. I ran the program by my A&P instructor, who has a great background, acupuncturist, cscs, and chek practioner, who happened to know Isabel, and I immediately changed programs.

I was never really a very picky eater so I was open to change; my thing was always QUICK and EASY. I never thought I had the time to prepare meals.

So after reading The Diet Solution, I made an INSTANT SWITCH to Organic fruits and vegetables, free range meats and eggs, and raw dairy products. It took about 2 weeks to find local suppliers that I that I felt that I could trust, but it was well worth the effort. I am probably compliant with the organic life style 80% of the time.

I still have yet to find a sweetener that I like more than the Sugar in the Raw, that I am using. So I cut my coffee intake down from about 3 pots a day to 2 cups, so I use 2 packets of that a day.

Isabel’s system was like a super detox for me, so many things CHANGED for me in a short time: energy levels, mood stability, and a general sense of balance.

I also started to use Brad Pilon’s Eat Stop Eat program…

…at first I fasted once a week, now I am fasting every 4th day, this was a lot easier than I thought it would be, the greatest benefit that I got from that was, now I know when I am hungry or eating for some other reason, it really helped me get IN TUNE with my body and its wants and needs.

CB: What nutrition advice do you have for TT readers that are “beginners” to good nutrition? Did you make a lot of changes at once or did you start with small changes?

CH: My advice is to read everything with an open mind and check the research.

There are so many systems out there, you need to find one that will MAKE SENSE to you and will be something that you feel you can change for the LONG HAUL, not just a quick fix….

…I am the king of quick fixes and they never last long. For me I eased into the systems over a couple of weeks, but I am an all or nothing type of person, I have problems with middle ground lol. I found the programs that I ended up using to be simple, easy, and just common sense.

I am constantly sending people to the different web sites to check them out. I was also fearful of the elevated cost of ORGANIC and FREE RANGE foods, but I soon realized that the benefits where well worth it, but also since I was not buying the processed packaged items anymore, I was eating about the same but my grocery bill was lower each week.

CB: How did you deal with the binge eating that was a problem in the past?

CH: In all honesty, I learned when my body needed fuel, or something else that was not true hunger. I learned how to read what was going on inside of me, and react to it appropriately. Also, I noticed once I started to eat cleanly, the urges for binge eating all but DISSIPATED.

I had a day where I forgot my meals at home and instead of going to the grocery store across the street and getting some fruit or nuts to hold me over till I got home I allowed myself to go out with my co-workers to the Chinese buffet for lunch, from the word go it seemed I forgot everything that I had been doing and within hours my body knew what I did to it, and all the bad habits came running back….

…I felt bloated and sluggish and noticed a change in my mental clarity; I was shocked at how fast my body reacted to the crap I had shoveled into it. It took me a good 2-3 weeks to get back to a compliance level that I was happy with.

I have also adopted a different way of looking at food too, now when I want to eat something that I know is not the best choice for me, instead of the “it’s not too bad for me” argument, I ask myself “how good is this for me?”. This thought pattern seems to put things in perspective.

I also don’t hold myself to eating at a certain time of day, I eat when I am about a 7 on a 1-10 hunger scale, and I eat about a 1/3 of what I’m use to eating, then I wait 15 minutes and I will have another 1 or 2 mouthfuls and that usually satisfies me.

I also slowed down my eating; I would “wolf” down my meals in under 5 minutes, I had always been a very quick eater. Now it may take me about 10 minutes to eat a meal, and I try to enjoy the taste and texture of everything I eat.

I have really CHANGED my relationship with food.

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Join us tomorrow where we finish the second part of Charles Hiller Jr’s transformation interview and learn what other effective fat loss tips he has to share.

For more inspiring body transformation success stories, check out www.TransformationContest.com.

Here are, in order, the 7 key phases you need to go through in order to have the perfect “fat burning, lean body sculpting” workout.

1 – Self-Massage

I’ve been doing this half-heartedly for years, but recently started taking this more seriously, using a foam roller, tennis ball, and
Acuball to “tenderize” my muscles prior to training. I’ll do some videos and articles on this soon, I promise.

2 – Mobility Warm-up

Just like you see in all of the TT workouts, I use bodyweight exercises, dynamic stretches, and even static stretches prior to training – depending on my needs or my client’s needs.

And thanks to the new TACFIT bodyweight program, I have cool new bodyweight moves to add to my warm-up, including:

The Top 5 exercises You Are NOT Doing

1. Lunge Knee Twist (p.85, ONLY in the TACFIT manual)
2. Swinging Tripod (p.86)
3. Scorpion Strike (p. 94)
4. Rocca Invert (p. 96)
5. Cossack Lunge (p. 107)

Seriously, those are cool exercises you can do ANYWHERE, anytime.

3 – Explosive Exercise

Before I hit my main strength exercise, I’ll do a jump exercise (if I am focusing on a lower body workout) or a medicine ball throw (if I’m focusing on bench presses or military presses).

You’ve already used TT programs with jumps, but expect more medicine ball throws soon (these were in the Football Field 444 Challenge).

4 – Main Exercise

Now I move to the main exercise, such as squats, deadlifts or bench presses (and military presses or handstand pushups).

In your TT workouts, you’ll start with a superset of the most important exercises as your main lifts.

5 – Assistance Exercises

We’re about 15-20 minutes into a workout by now, and this is where I’ll add assistance exercises for my strength work or metabolic
circuits for a fat loss program.

6 – Ab Endurance Exercises

Personally, I’ve been doing a lot of the basics – planks, side planks, Stability Ball planks, and rollouts. In TT programs, you get a little more variety, including TRX or Ball Pikes, plus Jackknives, cross-body mountain climbers, etc.

Just remember, you do NOT need (or want) to do crunches or sit-ups.

7 – Interval Training

If you are new to interval training, just listen to what Turbulence Training Transformation Contest Winner Charles Hiller has to say about it:

“Interval training, has opened my mind up to a better way of getting in shape and losing weight. I am spending much less time in the gym, and obtaining results that I never thought possible – over 30 pounds in 6 weeks with TT. I have more energy, feel better, and no longer suffer bouts of depression. TT and intervals gave me back my life.”

And from Turbulence Training fan, Annette Hall:

“As an aerobics teacher since the age of 16, it has been extremely hard for me to accept that Intervals are the most effective fat burning method of training. However, I realised after reading on the TT site that if aerobics were effective I should have been as thin as a stick and I wasn’t! Since switching to intervals and TT workouts I have not only lost over 28 pounds, I am fitter than I have ever been and am wondering why people bother with aerobics for fat loss!”

Interval training is powerful and proven, and is an essential part of the perfect workout. If you aren’t using interval training in your workouts, make sure you get the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss System to discover how to boost your fat burning with intervals today!

Yesterday I introduced to you our most recent female 5-week TT transformation contest winner, Melody Pipken. I wanted to share her success story with you because I know so many of you face the same challenges Melody worked so hard to overcome.

Today, Melody shares what motivated her day-in and day-out, and the steps she followed to lose 4 lbs and 5 inches of fat in just 5 weeks time. Let’s dive right in….

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CB: How important for your success were the other TT members on the TT Forum? Did you benefit the most from motivation, the experience of others, or accountability? Any suggestions on how TT readers can get the right social support in their life? And how did you deal with negative influences, if you had any?

MJP: I think the TT forum is vital to my success!

Thank you so much for creating this place where I can go and learn so much from others who are taking this transformation journey with me and as well as those who have already met their goals and are maintaining or pushing on to new ones.

It is very motivating to compete with other men & women who share my goals of being fit and even want to win the same contest that I want to win. They fight so hard to overcome the same struggles I am facing – to workout consistently and to get in a strong workout whether they feel like it or not and to stay on target with their eating.

Of course it is not always a struggle- sometimes it is just exciting to share a new workout or exercise you discovered or a new weight accomplishment with others who ‘get it‘….

…It is crazy to want to win these contests so bad – yet I cant help but cheer for the others too -I don’t want to see anyone who really put in effort lose!!!

How do I deal with negative influences? I just make sure I know what my goals are! (or come whine in my journal and get some support there).

CB: In your winning essay, you mention goal setting quite a bit. Was this process new to you, and how did you go about setting your goals? Did you write them down on paper or keep track of them on computer? What advice do you have for other TT readers about goal setting?

MJP: Yes- the process of actually writing down my goals was new to me. Of course I had read about goals and how important it was to write them down before – but something I read in TT really hit home with me (finally)…So actually doing it- writing them down – was new.

My first goal I wrote down was: to WIN the 8th TT Transformation Contest.

Then, as I thought more about my goals I realized I did NOT want a goal I could not control the outcome of what if I have an awesome transformation and someone else just has a better one? So I changed that goal. I also was originally hung up on my age – I felt very limited by it, but I decided to just get over that too!

My # 1 goal is to get into the best shape of my life!

I want to look good- but I want to feel good- truly be healthy is very important to me….

…so I set up some SPECIFIC GOALS I want to reach, then BROKE THEM DOWN by:

1. How much of them I thought I could accomplish in the 12 weeks.
2. Then broke them down with different things I could work on weekly to get me to those goals.

My advice is to just do it!!! Get a sheet of paper- write 3 things you want to accomplish -big things you will really have to stretch to reach for -then one thing you can do to help you reach each of those goals- then a baby step for each of those to get you on the way.

CB: Did you start out with a strong belief in your ability? Or was that something you built over time? If so, what were some of the turning points?

MJP: No I did not start out with a strong belief in my ability.

I was 44 in the worst shape of my life, felt bad most of the time- and was really buying into that idea – ‘over 40 everything falls apart’.

Even though I knew I could lose weight and be in a little better shape- I felt limited by my age in what I would be able to accomplish. Then I met Catherine… and Ma … And received an encouraging comment on my introduction by another contestant. So I just started to think….

…maybe I was WRONG.

I started eating better and working out constantly and very quickly I felt stronger and started to notice changes in the mirror.  At this point I believe I can absolutely do it- get in the best shape of my life that is!!!

CB: Next, tell us about your workouts…what was new, what worked best, what did you enjoy, and how consistent were you? Has your attitude towards exercise changed? Any suggestions for beginners out there who are intimidated?

MJP: My workouts- what I love best about them- well I guess that would be the RESULTS – quick results- but also I love the VARIETY.

I love that the workouts are different throughout the week and then that they completely change every 4 weeks. Really keeps working out fresh and exciting -and challenges me physically.

I am not very organized by nature- so I love how organized all these workouts are.Working out with the stability ball was new to me- I have had one forever -but never actually worked out with it. I love it- I cant believe how much it challenges me.

Also planks- I had never done these before – VERY challenging. My newest challenge is Stability Ball X Body Mountain Climbers- wow- I had to really push to get 8 of those last week the first time I tried them- looking forward to mastering them!!!!

I am using the heaviest weights I have ever used also. I have been able to be very consistent with your workouts -I really enjoy the 3 day a week commitment. If I have time I can do a fun bodyweight circuit on my off day -or if I decide to take the dog for a jog instead I don’t have to feel guilty like I missed my workout.

I find I really look forward to my workout days though..I look forward to challenging myself to up my weights or hold a plank longer, ect.

Keeping a journal in the forums helps me stay accountable with my consistency too.

My SUGGESTION to beginners would be to start at the beginning with the fat loss workouts and take one day at a time. Start a journal and post! DO the best YOU can each workout and challenge yourself to do a little more the next time -and stick with it because you will see results in no time!!!!

CB: And finally, what’s next for Melody? How do you plan to keep this momentum going and what recommendations do you have for others who want to make the same permanent lifestyle changes?

MJP: What is next for Melody? Well I want finish the Booty 4 Wife program I am working on now- but there are so many others I want to try…

…TT2K6 looks pretty good but I have not decided yet. I will probably start a journal in the regular forum. And since I have another 15 lbs to get to my weight goal – I will be checking out the contest that starts in September!!

The other thing I plan to do is keep an eye on my goals & reassess them when & if necessary so they will help keep me on target!

Thanks again Craig for Turbulence Training. The workouts are the best- but the whole package really is what WORKS - the forums, the podcasts, the nutritional advice, Facebook updates, and the contest!!! It was such an honor to win the 5 week contest knowing how hard the other ladies were working. I am really proud of how I look even though I am still ‘on the way’ and I feel great! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

Melody Pipkin

I’m off to Atlantic City this weekend to hang out with Joel Marion and John Romaniello…Two more weeks till Joel gets married…so here’s the plan.

• I get into Philly early Friday morning, and then we’ll drive to AC
• I’ll hit an upper body workout somewhere with Joel…and maybe John, unless he’s playing poker…
• Then we’ll hit the pool, have a big dinner, and a big night out
• Saturday will be all about relaxing around the pool
• Saturday night we’re going to see Russell Peters comedy show
• Sunday – more pool & hopefully an on-time trip home (unlike the last two weekends)

Should be a great time…hope you have a great weekend too…now let’s take a look at a hardcore workout and controversial nutrition study in this week’s fat loss coaching call/report.

Click here to listen to the controversial coaching call…

Now let’s get into the TT Workout and tips…

Monday – July 26th

Transformation Tip of the Week:

Do what is right. It’s not common sense. Common sense is wrong. You need good judgement. You need to observe and associate consequences to your every action. And then you need to decide whether or not you should make the same choice the next time you are in that situation. Remember – Everything you do takes you closer to OR further away from your goals. The choice is yours.

Now to review the workout of the week. This is the most popular program of 2010…

TT Hardcore 2K10 Workout A

1A) Vertical Jump – 3 reps (1-0-X)
1B) DB Chest Press – 8 reps (3-0-1)
1C) DB Reverse Lunge – 8 reps per side (2-0-1)
1D) Stability Ball Plank – 45 second hold
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 circuits.

2A) Pull-up – 2 reps short of failure (3-0-1)
2B) Dips – 2 reps short of failure (2-0-1)
2C) DB Row – 12 reps per side (2-0-1)
2D) Cross-Body Mountain Climber – 10 reps per side (1-0-1)
2E) DB Rear Deltoid Raise – 10 reps (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 circuits.

Interval Training – You can also wait and do this on Day 2 instead.
5-minute warm-up.
24 second interval at 8/10 or 9/10 intensity level.
36 second recovery at 3/10 intensity level.
In week 1, repeat 5 more times for a total of 6 intervals.
In week 2, repeat 7 more times for a total of 8 intervals.
In week 3, repeat 9 more times for a total of 10 intervals.
In week 4, repeat 11 more times for a total of 12 intervals.
5-minute cool-down.

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Hey, I told you this was Hardcore! Here’s the workout video for this one:

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

Reference:
Meat Consumption and progressive weight change.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Aug;92(2):398-407.

According to European researchers, eating too much meat might cause you to pack on the pounds.

BUT…

This study is complex and the findings are controversial.

Let’s use our good judgement to think about this one without prejudice, shall we?

The study found that people who ate more meat (poultry, processed meat, and red meat) gained more weight over five years than those who ate less meat, but the same amount of calories.

(NOTE #1 - That statement doesn’t make much sense…how can one group gain more weight if they ate the same number of calories? Sounds like a problem with accurate food logs…)

To their credit, the researchers studied 370,000 people from 10 countries.

The biggest meat eating countries: Spain, Sweden, Germany, and Denmark. On average, men in these countries consumed 300 calories from meat, while women consumed 200 calories from meat. Surprisingly, Greece was the country with the lowest meat intake.

The researchers believed meat causes weight gain because it is “energy-dense” (meaning it packs more calories by weight than veggies or fruits, for example).

BUT…

That doesn’t make sense, because the researchers said heavy-meat eating subjects gained more weight even though they ate the same number of calories.

My thoughts – Something doesn’t add up.

THE REALITY:

Can you eat meat and lose fat?

Yes, of course! The truth about meat for fat loss is that you can eat meat and lose weight. You just have to worry about total calorie intake. After all, dieting bodybuilders eat a LOT of meat and lose fat and get ripped, and thousands of TT members have lost fat while eating meat.

So you need to accept the context of this study…this was not a weight loss study…it was a weight gain study.

One finale note…if you simply want to maintain your body weight and body fat levels, then you might need to cut back on your meat consumption. Of course, the most important thing to do is watch your total calorie intake.

Wednesday

TT Hardcore 2K10 Workout B

Just a reminder…this is a HARDCORE program…and so the following workout is advanced. Do NOT use if you are a beginner.

That said, you are going to use a Barbell Complex in this program…here are the Barbell Complex Rules

• Do not rest between exercises.
• You can use dumbbells if you don’t have a barbell.
• Use a weight that you can do 15 times for military press.

1A) RDL – 6 reps (3-0-1) ====>
1B) Hang Clean – 6 reps (1-0-X)
1C) Front Squat – 6 reps (3-0-1)
1D) Military Press – 6 reps (2-0-1)
1E) Back Squat – 6 reps (2-0-1)
1F) Forward Lunge – 6 reps/side (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 circuits.

2A) Chin-up with Knee-up or Underhand Inverted Row – 2 reps short of failure (3-0-1)
2B) Spiderman Climb Pushup – 1 rep short of failure (1-0-1)
2C) 1-Leg Stability Ball Leg Curl – 10 reps per side (1-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 circuits.

3A) DB Incline Chest Press – 5 reps (3-0-1)
3B) DB Split Squat – 5 reps per side (3-1-1) – pause for 1 second at the bottom
3C) Stability Ball Pike – 5 reps (1-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 4 more times for a total of 5 circuits.

That’s it. You’ll be happy when you are done, trust me.

Thursday
Do 30 minutes of fun activity…and time to look at another study.

Reference:
Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2010 Mar 23. Sedentary lifestyle and emergence of hopelessness in middle-aged men. Valtonen M, Laaksonen DE, Laukkanen J, Tolmunen T, Rauramaa R, Viinamäki H, Mursu J, Savonen K, Lakka TA, Niskanen L, Kauhanen J.

Finnish researchers studied over 1000 men studied for 4-11 years…and found that consistent, long-term physical activity was inversely associated with hopelessness.

(That means the exercise helped them avoid feelings of hopelessness.)

Just another reason to exercise…it makes us feel better, in addition to looking better.

Friday

One last hardcore workout…

TT Hardcore Workout C

1A) Depth Jump – 6 reps (X-0-X)
1B) Deadlift – 8 reps (3-2-1) – pause for 2 seconds at the bottom
1C) Pushup – 50% of your maximum repetitions (2-0-1)
1D) Get-up – 6 reps per side ====>
Rest 1 minute before repeating 1 more time for a total of 2 circuits.

2A) 1-Leg Bench Squat – 10 reps per side (4-0-1)
2B) Renegade Row – 8 reps per side (1-0-1)
2C) Pushup with Hands on Ball – 1 rep short of failure (2-0-1)
2D) Hanging Leg Raise or Stability Ball Rollout – 8 reps (3-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 circuits.

3A) Burpee-Chin-up Combo – 10 reps
3B) Cross-Body Mountain Climber with Feet on Stability Ball – 8 reps per side (1-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Intervals
5-minute warm-up.
36 second interval at 8/10 intensity level.
54 second recovery at 3/10 intensity level.
In week 1, repeat 4 more times for a total of 5 intervals.
In week 2, repeat 5 more times for a total of 6 intervals.
In week 3, repeat 6 more times for a total of 7 intervals.
In week 4, repeat 7 more times for a total of 8 intervals.
5-minute cool-down

Whoop whoop, you are done!

Social Support Saturday!
30 minutes of fun activity…and more info on the power of social support that helped Melody lose her love handles in only 5 weeks…AND gave her the confidence to buy her first bikini in over a decade.

Melody had this to say about her transformation contest success...

“If you are going to accomplish anything -including loosing weight- you must set goals.” So I set out to write some goals – I thought I would make them reasonable and attainable for a 44 year old

I posted an introduction at the forum and stated my age and that I planed to be realistic- that I knew I was in my mid-40s, I couldn’t weigh what I did/ expect results like I had in my 30’s ect. and I would set my goals to reflect that. THEN came a reply from another TT member and she said that she was 45 and thanks to TT she was in the best shape of her life – actually better than she was in her 20’s and 30’s!!! Well that blew all my excuses out of the water and it challenged me!

I remembered re-reading in Craig’s goal article, he said, “DON’T set your goal so low they don’t really mean anything to you! Go for the gold- what do you really want?” I thought -I want to be in the best shape of my life- but not just on the outside -inside and out! I knew it would be hard work- but I also was beginning to believe with Turbulence Training I could do it!!!!”

Thanks Melody. Congratulations!

Sunday – Plan, Shop & Prepare
30 minutes activity and plan, shop, & prepare for the week ahead.

This week’s nutrition tip: Check the serving size

Make sure you look on the label to see how many servings are in each container or package. Most snacks or drinks contain 2-4 servings, and that means more calories! Also, get to know serving sizes for meat (1 serving = 1 ounce).

Giant energy drinks often contain up to three servings per can – but most of us think it is a single serving. One giant can can be 210 calories and 51 grams of sugar – twice as much as in a regular soda.

Next week!
TT Workout – Some bodyweight cardio
Research Review – Corporate weight loss using a surprising diet
#1 food for breakfast?
Another contest winner profile

Transformation contest winner, Melody Pipkin, who lost 4 lbs and 5 inches of fat in just 5 weeks, sat down with me recently to share her winning transformation contest formula.

Like many of you currently struggling with weight, Melody was unhappy with the way she looked and things weren’t getting better any time soon.  So, let’s take a look at what life was like for Melody before and after TT, and what life-changing nutritional tips she recommends to burn fat fast.

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CB: Tell us a bit about your background…what types of workouts had you done in the past, what types of results, and how important are short workouts for your busy life?

MJP: I started working out at home years ago to get back in shape after the birth of my youngest son. I used workout videos -my first one was a step workout Keli Roberts & Cher – lol. Would be very dated now -but it was a really good workout and did get my lower body back in shape.

I found I enjoyed the muscle toning workouts that used weights the best. Even though I enjoyed working out, I was NOT consistent with it. I would workout for a while and get in shape – then stop- getting distracted with other pursuits.

Most recently I started reading about the kettlebell- I purchased one for my birthday along with Pavel’s book- “Enter the Kettlebell”. I enjoyed learning swings and Turkish GetUps and I was intrigued by all the bodyweight workouts I was reading about that people were putting together….

….but I knew I needed some sort of STRUCTURED program to follow if I was going to work out consistently after being a stay-at-home-mom for years. At 40, I decided to go back to school and join the workforce so my time is now VERY limited in the mornings -which IS my workout time.

Most of my workout videos were 60-90 minutes and I just did NOT have that much time anymore.

CB: What was “the last straw” that made you decide to take control with Turbulence Training?

MJP: I was very unhappy with how I looked. I was at my biggest size/weight ever and headed to the next size up if I did not make some changes -quick.

Also, and really more significant than how I looked- was the fact that I felt bad almost all of the time -fatigued, blood sugar issues, aches & pains… Everybody would say- “Your over 40 expect it.” But I knew being overweight & not exercising or eating correctly had something to do with it.

I also knew enough to know a diet pill or a crash diet were not the answers for me. I knew the changes I needed to make had to come through DIET and EXERCISE – I just did not know HOW to pull it all together by myself….

…I found a lot of plans out there but I needed the RIGHT plan to follow. I tried a few of the new workout videos out there- but just could not get into them. I saw that some people were designing their own workout routines on paper- but I really did not have the time, organizational skills, or knowledge to do that.

I received a free workout from TT and really enjoyed it. TT just made sense to me.

I LIKED…

…that it combined body weight exercises, weights, and kettlebell moves.

I LIKED…

…that it is all very organized for me.

I LIKED…

…that the workouts were short and to the point.

I LOVED…

….the short cardio intervals.

And of course the previous contestants before & after pictures were pretty convincing that the program would work.

CB: What kind of nutrition changes did you make that seemed to have the most impact on your transformation? What nutrition advice do you have for TT readers?

MJP: The change that has made the biggest impact for me personally as far as my nutrition is PLANNING.

I knew a lot of the ‘right things to eat’ -I just was not doing it. I am not a planner by nature at all -but through reading & listening to podcasts & watching videos in the TT programs I have leaned to plan ahead.

1. Make a menu
2. Shop ahead of time
3. Prepare my food ahead of time so I have something to take with me when I go out

Those three little steps have made a world of difference in my eating.

The BIGGEST impact as far as what foods I am eating has been to cut out white sugar and processed food as much as possible. I am trying to build my diet around lean protein, lots of vegetables and fruits, and whole grains.

Also it has really helped me to JOURNAL what I am eating and as much as I hate to admit it -count my calories. I do not like to count calories, but I am for now, and it has helped me to get a good idea of the amounts I should be eating. I have been using Fitday.

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Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow where Melody shares what her essential ingredients were that motivated her to reach fast and incredible results.

If you would like to see other inspiring TT body transformation success stories, then head over to

=>www.transformationcontest.com