On Wednesday morning I hit the gym at 6am for an early workout, as I had a flight to San Diego mid-morning.  During my training, I noticed there was a gentleman at the gym with an old-school training style.

He was one of those guys with a big pot belly who did a lot of sit-ups.

Ugh…don’t be that guy.

First, situps and crunches aren’t helpful for getting rid of your belly.

At the airport, I read an article on the Men’s Health website where they said,

“A recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that simply performing sit-ups, crunches, and other ab exercises won’t do much (correction: anything) to reduce belly fat.”

That’s the truth.

In addition, Dr. Stuart McGill has proven that the sit-up and crunch motion are harmful to your low back.

The Men’s Health article reported,

“One group of study subjects performed ab exercises 5 days a week while the control group did nothing. At the end of 6 weeks, there was no significant change in stomach fat in either group.”

In short: Ab exercises didn’t flatten people’s stomachs.

According to Men’s Health,

“It’ll take you 250,000 crunches to burn a pound of fat.”

So what should you do?

Not crunches.

Not sit-ups.

Instead, stick to total body metabolic resistance training workouts, interval training (as recommended by the same Men’s Health article), and total body ab exercises like the ones you can do with me in these workouts:

=> http://www.TTforAbsDVDs.com

The TT For Abs DVDs gives you 12 weeks of follow-along workouts that you and I can do together – and you even get to watch me struggle with the workouts, too.

Good times,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Certified Turbulence Trainer

PS – Today is the last day to save over $220 on the DVDs.

The price goes back up at midnight here:

=> http://www.TTforAbsDVDs.com

And don’t forget, you also get the 15-Minute Express workouts that are really tough, but really fast.

As you’ll see in the DVDs, you can burn a lot of calories in just a short amount of time.

It’s much better than spending even a single second on crunches.

It’s been a crazy week here in the TT World.  My right-hand gal, Amy, has been on vacation and I’ve actually had to do some work around here.

So I was a little slow getting the August Workout added to the TT Member’s site.

But it’s there now, and you’ll find a great program for your abs this month with “TT for Abs 2K11″.

All members can download the program here.
(It’s the first program under “Recent Additions” on the right.)

TT for Abs 2K11 has several new abs exercises combined with a metabolic resistance training set-up to burn the fat while you build your six pack abs.

Now for this week’s questions from the TT Member’s Forum…

Question: What does Metabolic Resistance Training (MRT) mean?

Answer:
MRT is best described as a hybrid-fusion of bodybuilding set and rep schemes with an interval training twist all in a total body workout system.

After working with Alwyn Cosgrove on some programs, my MRT systems contain two different types of MRT workouts. First, there is the heavier resistance, classic MRT program.  And second, there is the higher rep, Metabolic Conditioning style workouts.

Both are used in my MRT program.

ALSO…if you want to attend the Turbulence Training Summit, I’ll be taking attendees through both styles of MRT workouts each morning before the seminar. You can reserve your spot here:

=> http://www.TTSummit.com

Question: I am well muscled, 5’9 just under 170,13% body fat. I am in very good shape conditioning wise. I eat extremely well however I probably eat a lot because I am afraid of losing muscle. I need a “fat burning” workout to help me get the 6 pack abs but I don’t want to sacrifice any muscle. What TT program would you recommend?

Answer:
You’ll want the 4-week Metabolic Resistance Training workout.

This program is already legendary and the right one for you.

Grab it here.

Exercise of the Week – Band-Assisted Chin-ups

If you’re struggling to do more than 2-3 chin-ups, or even your first chin-up, this video – from Certified Turbulence Trainer Chris Lopez – will give you a sneaky way to improve.

=> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_7LHNpnF54

Question: I started running and have developed extremely sore shin muscles. I think that I have tried to do too much too soon. I really want to continue with my program today, but they are so sore that they are even hurting with me just sitting! Is there anything that I can do to help the soreness go away quicker? Or better yet, what can i do to prevent it from happening to begin with? Thanks in advance for your advice. – Penny

Answer:
This is common.

Unfortunately, all you can do is wait until the soreness goes away. When you are pain free, see if you can find a softer surface.

Were you on pavement or concrete? Those two are the worst.

What about your shoes?

Are they relatively new?

Are they quality running shoes?

In the meantime, no intervals – just do the supersets, unless you can do intervals on a bike.

Train hard but safe,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Certified Turbulence Trainer

Thanks for your feedback on yesterday’s “10 Exercises to STOP Doing“.

Since I had a lot of questions on what you can still do, I put together a list of replacement exercises.

1) First, just to clarify, you can still do Clean and Presses if you do the exercise properly with the right equipment. If you have any doubts about form, do squats supersetted with overhead presses instead.

2) You can also still do box jumps, side-to-side jumps, vertical jumps, etc. Again, just make sure all jumps are done with proper form and not to failure. Also, make sure your jump training is done on a wooden floor or grass, NEVER on concrete or pavement.

3) You can still do regular dips (at a dip station). Here’s Bill Hartman’s recommendation on form:

Do dips with “a forward lean and with your hips and knees flexed roughly 90 degrees”.

I use this exercise in the TT for Abs DVDs Advanced Workouts, and you’ll see proper demonstration in the manual and DVDs here.

4) By the way, if you have bad shoulders, here’s a great exercise tip I found from Joe DeFranco. Joe recommends doing 100 reps of band pull-aparts every day. Do them in 4 sets of 25.

Just hold a resistance band with your hands spaced shoulder width apart, and using light to moderate tension, pull the band apart by squeezing your shoulder blades together.

I did 4 sets of 25 on Monday, and my upper back and rear-deltoids felt tremendous all day. I’m adding these to my warm-up routine at least 3 days per week.

5) To replace sit-ups, crunches, and russian twists (and V-ups too, as those are another nasty exercise on your low back), use these 5 replacement exercises:

- Planks
- Side Planks
- Stability Ball Planks
- Stability Ball Rollouts
- Stability Ball Jackknives

NOTE: You can also use the TRX or other straps for a lot of these better ab exercises.

If you have the TT for Abs DVDs, you’ll be able to follow along with me as we do those exercises together in the comfort of your own home.

=> Grab your TT for Abs DVDs today

Train hard but safe.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS – If you’re a trainer, the following two books are MANDATORY…

…for you to read. They will make you a better trainer and keep your client healthier and fitter.

1) Dr. Stuart McGill’s “Ultimate Back Fitness & Performance”

2) Schuler & Cosgrove’s, “The New Rules of Lifting for Abs”

If you’re a trainer and you don’t make an effort to read these books ASAP, I’d find that very disappointing.

First, before we get into today’s list, I have a damaging admission to make.

The truth is that I was FIRED a few times by personal training clients back in the day because they didn’t like my strict workout rules, which included:

1) Absolutely NO talking during the performance of an exercise

2) Perfect form must be used in every exercise

3) No quitting on an exercise

Not surprisingly, that didn’t go over very well with some clients who liked to “gab” more than they liked to workout, or clients who liked to say they could do 5 chin-ups, when all they could REALLY do was 5 “quarter reps”.

The bottom line is that I take my training serious. You want a buddy to chat with? Train with someone else. I’m just not a chatty-Craiggy.

Sorry.

And because I take my training seriously, I’ve built up a list of exercises that should no longer be in your workouts because they are ineffective or downright dangerous.

Here are the top 10 exercises to remove from your program right now.

#1 – The Bodybuilder Bench Press

The truth is you never, ever have to do another set of bench presses if you simply want to lose fat or build chest muscle. There are plenty of other “shoulder-safe” exercises like dumbbell chest presses that work just fine.

That said, I know there are a few irrational TT Meatheads, like myself, reading this email. And we still want to bench press, and maybe even enter a Powerlifting competition.

But the Bodybuilder Bench Press – where you have a wide grip on the bar and your elbows pointed out to the sides – is the most damaging to your shoulders.

To make the exercise safer for your shoulder joint and rotator cuff muscles, simply tuck your elbows to your body – so they point more towards your feet – and bring in your grip by 1-2 inches. That will save your shoulders.

#2 – Anything done with a rounded back (even picking up dumbbells)

It doesn’t matter if you’re squatting, deadlifting, straight-leg deadlifting, rowing, or even doing triceps kickbacks, you must STOP doing these exercises with a rounded lower back.

That’s a one-way ticket to a herniated disc. And you do not want to go there, girl.

So make sure that you brace your abs, and keep your back in the neutral position – and even with a slight arch in your low back – as you do dumbbell rows, deadlifts, squats, and Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs).

If you don’t know what I mean, or you still aren’t comfortable with those exercises, by all means DROP them and just ask for a substitute exercise. There are plenty of other movements I can recommend.

And one more thing…I see a lot of people (including my clients) who use great form in all exercises and then pick up dumbbells off the floor with a rounded back.

That’s another no-no.

You can just as easily hurt your back doing that as you can in an “official” exercise. So always, always, ALWAYS pick stuff up by bending at the knees and keeping the object close to your body – but NEVER by rounding your back (even when tying your shoes!).

#3 – Bench dips (where your hands are placed on the bench behind you)

Personally, I’ve never been one to use this exercise, as I thought it was lame-o. And then 2 years ago I attended a Bill Hartman lecture, and he was very unkind to this exercise. (Who’s Bill Hartman? He’s a guy that has been crowned “the smartest man in fitness” by Brian Grasso, Alwyn Cosgrove, and myself.)

Here’s what Bill says about those bench dips…

“To achieve that much range of motion the scapula must tilt forward which is a pretty unstable position. This also means that the shoulder joint is unstable and increases demands on the rotator cuff especially the subscapularis.

“Over time this is a lot of undesireable stress leading to impingement of the cuff. This doesn’t even consider the stress on the AC joint. It’s also a crap exercise for overload.”

Cut those out of your program immediately.

#4 – “Clean and Presses” done with a fixed bar

Clean and presses are a great exercise when done with proper form, but almost every time I go to a big box gym I see people using those fixed “body bars” and doing some mangled “reverse-curl/external rotation/body contortion” movement.

Worse, I’ve watched groups of women do this in aerobics classes.

Listen, it’s nice that people see the value in the total body movements, but if you can’t do the exercise properly, it shouldn’t be done at all.

When I see a person trying to clean and press a 2-inch diameter, 24 pound body bar, it ALWAYS looks bad…because it is. Again, there are plenty of other ways to train the body. You could do a front squat combined with a push press. That would be safer and would still work all the muscles you want (and even more).

#5 – Behind the Neck pulldowns or presses

I’m a real conservative guy. To me, dressing up means a clean white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. I hold the door open for lil’ old ladies. I don’t gamble or smoke. And I don’t curse around my mom.

And because of my conservative nature, that’s why I’m putting all “behind the neck” exercises on the no-fly list for your workout.

Some coaches say they are fine, and other coaches say it depends on the individual. And while I agree that some folks can do these without a problem, I look at it this way:

There’s NO good reason to risk your shoulder with these exercises when you get equal results from modified, safer versions of these exercises or simply by using other movements.

So be conservative and do your shoulders a favor by dropping all behind the neck movements.

#6 – Crunches

I know some people are getting real upset with me every time I tell you to stop doing crunches, but if you won’t believe me, then at  least believe Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove, whose new book, “The New Rules of Lifting for Abs” just hit #2 on Amazon’s best sellers.

They recommend dropping crunches, and so does Mike Robertson, Men’s Health fitness expert, who recently wrote this about the crunch debate:

“I can’t believe we’re still arguing this stuff. I would’ve hoped by now that we’ve all thrown crunches and sit-ups by the wayside…think about the body-wide effects of crunching – a crunch trains the rectus abdominus by pulling the rib cage down.

“When we pull the rib cage down, we increase the thoracic kyphosis. This sets off a cascade of events – we increase the kyphosis, thus losing t-spine extension. This consistently puts our scapulae in a poor position, not to mention putting our gleno-humeral joint at an increased risk for impingement as well.”

Let me translate Mike’s science…

Basically he said, STOP doing crunches!

#7 – Side bends

Unless you’re a powerlifter or strongman competitor, you can stay away from side bends.

You don’t want to repeatedly bend your spine sideways any more than you want to flex your spine forward with crunches and sit-ups.

And besides, who has ever gotten sexy abs with side bends?

They sure didn’t help me or Bally the Dog with our six pack abs.

#8 – Plyometrics to Failure

Hey, I appreciate the fact that people are putting more athletic movements into their fat loss programs. After all, you will get more results with athletic training than slow cardio.

But…you must be smart with your training. Doing “explosive” exercises to the point of muscle failure – and therefore, to the point of improper form – is simply wrong.

That’s what causes injury. And that causes people to drop out of their fat loss program.

So listen…be conservative. YES, you can use jump training in your fat loss program…after all, some of the advanced TT programs do.

But you can’t be doing plyometrics to failure. You can’t be doing plyometrics with sloppy form. And you can’t be getting hurt.

Train hard, but train safe.

#9 – Russian twists

Listen, I have nothing against Russians. Sometimes when I go on holiday I like to relax at the bar with a Black Russian, and I also think Russian women are some of the most beautiful in the world…

…but this exercise they’ve given us gets a big fat NYET!

Don’t do this. It combines spinal flexion and rotation, and is unsafe for your low back. Sorry, it belongs in Siberia!

#10 – Sit-ups

Sit-ups are far worse for your low-back than crunches. As Mike Robertson wrote in his ab training article:

“You may not like Stuart McGill, but the guy has done his home workon the spine. If you want to get your lower back healthy, there are safer and more effective ways to train the core than performing sit-ups until you enjoy the unique pleasure of a herniated disc.”

I agree 100%.

So ditch the crunches and situps and focus on abdominal stability exercises like the ones I have for you in the TT for Abs DVDs here.