No weights? No problem…we’re going to cover the Ultimate Advanced Bodyweight Workout this week…but first, I was sharing this goal setting tip the other week with my private trainer’s coaching group…

“Put down your goals in writing - carry the biggest ones with you in your pocket to remind you of the right path at all times (I do this). Put down your workouts on paper so you know what to do when you go to the gym. Write down everything you eat - relying on your memory will fail you. Review this information frequently to keep you on track.”

Click here to hear more about that tip on this week’s fat loss podcast

I also added the “TT Adrenaline” workout this week…busy week…crazy challenge in that program.

And for more motivation, make sure you visit my Facebook page…I send out tips every morning.

Click here to join me on Facebook

Now let’s get transforming your body…

Monday – Feb 1st

Transformation Tip of the Week:

“To live an extraordinary life you must resist an ordinary approach” - Frank McKinney.

For fat loss, this means NOT doing the same things as everyone else in the office (i.e. bringing in donuts, eating fast food, going to bed late and running late in the morning). Instead, you need to plan, shop, and prepare for your meals and stick to a workout schedule - be consistent and you’ll achieve extraordinary results

And remember, if you want REALLY advanced results, you must take advanced measures…you can’t expect to coast to single digit body fat. So stay strong!

Speaking of strong…this week’s workout shows you how to get strong with the Ultimate TT Bodyweight Workout…it uses the toughest bodyweight exercises I could do…

Advanced TT Bodyweight July 2007 – Workout A

1A) 1-arm Pushup or Assisted 1-Arm Pushups – 1 rep per arm (2-0-1)
Start with weak arm first. Rest 15 seconds between arms. Move to 1B without rest.
1B) 1-Leg Deadlift – 8 reps (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before going continuing through the following sequence.

In set 2, do 2 reps per arm for pushups & 8 reps for the deadlift.
In set 3, do 3 reps per arm for pushups & 8 reps for the deadlift.
In set 4, do 2 reps per arm for pushups & 8 reps for the deadlift.
In set 5, do 1 rep per arm for pushups. There are no more deadlifts.

Superset #2
2A) Backpack Pull-up – 8 reps (2-0-1)
No rest.
2B) Stability Ball Leg Curl – 20 reps (1-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Superset #3
3A) Close-grip Pike Pushup – 15 reps (2-0-1)
No rest.
3B) Underhand Bodyweight Rows – 15 reps (1-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Superset #4
4A) Pike – As many reps as possible (2-0-1)
No rest.
4B) Spiderman Pushups – 12 reps per side (1-0-1)
Rest 30 seconds before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Tuesday
Get 30 minutes of fun activity – and let’s do this week’s research review – Two “weird” things women must do for weight loss…

Researchers at Harvard Medical School studied 4456 females for several years regarding their weight-control behaviors, including dietary approaches and physical activity.

During 4 y of follow-up, participants gained an average of 3.3 kg.

However, two things helped them gain less weight:

1) Exercising 5d/week - so stay active on your off days
2) Limiting portion sizes - a simple tip here is to use smaller plates when eating

Researchers concluded that “physical activity is a necessary strategy for long-term weight control. Combining dietary weight-control approaches with physical activity is the most effective method for reducing weight gain”

Reference:
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 91, No. 1, 147-153, January 2010
Weight-control behaviors and subsequent weight change among adolescents and young adult females

Wednesday

Advanced TT Bodyweight July 2007 – Workout B

1A) Pistols or 1-leg Squats onto Bench – 2 reps per leg (2-0-1)
Start with weak leg first. Rest 15 seconds between legs. Move to 1B without rest.
1B) Decline Pushup – 20 reps (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before going continuing through the following sequence.

In set 2, do 4 reps per leg of 1A & 20 reps for 1B.
In set 3, do 6 reps per leg of 1A, but skip 1B.
In set 4, do 8 reps per leg of 1A & 20 reps for 1B.
In set 5, do 4 reps per leg of 1A & 20 reps for 1B.
In set 6, do 2 reps per leg of 1A, and skip 1B.

2A) Partner-Assisted Glute-Ham Raise or 1-leg RDL – 8 reps (3-0-1)
No rest.
2B) 1-Arm Inverted Row – As Many Reps as Possible (1-0-1)
Rest 30 seconds and repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

3A) Bulgarian Split Squat – 8 reps (2-2-1)
No rest.
3B) Stability Ball Ab Rollout – 15 reps (3-0-1)
Rest 30 seconds and repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

4A) 1-leg Stability Ball Leg Curl– 8 reps (1-1-1)
No rest.
4B) Stability Ball Plank – 45 seconds
Rest 30 seconds and repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Thursday
Do 30 minutes of fun activity or the interval training workout below…

Also, take 5 minutes and plan out your weekend of activity and your meals. That way, things won’t start bad and go downhill from there. Then spend another 10 minutes planning out next week, identifying obstacles that might get in your way, and then write down 2 solutions for every obstacle. This will save you a lot of stress.

Advanced TT Bodyweight July 2007 – Interval Training Circuit
Interval Warm-up – 5 minutes at a moderate pace

Interval #1 (60 seconds at 8/10 intensity level)
Without rest, do 20 pushups
Rest 1 minute before moving to Interval #2.

Interval #2 (60 seconds at 8/10 intensity level).
Without rest, do a side plank (30 seconds per side)
Rest 1 minute before moving to Interval #3.

Interval #3 (60 seconds at 8/10 intensity level).
Without rest, do 20 bodyweight squats.
Rest 1 minute before repeat Intervals 1-3 one more time each.

Friday

Advanced TT Bodyweight July 2007 – Workout C

1A) 1-Arm Chin-up with “finger assistance from the other hand” – 1 rep per arm (1-0-1)
Start with weak arm first. Rest 15 seconds between arms. Move to 1B without rest.
1B) Split Squat with Front Foot Elevated – 12 reps (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before going continuing through the following sequence.

In set 2, do 2 reps per arm of 1A & 12 reps for 1B.
In set 3, do 3 reps per arm of 1A, but skip 1B.
In set 4, do 4 reps per arm of 1A & 12 reps for 1B.
In set 5, do 3 reps per arm of 1A, but skip 1B.
In set 6, do 2 reps per arm of 1A & 12 reps for 1B.
In set 7, do 1 rep per arm of 1A, and skip 1B.

2A) Pushup with Hands on Ball – 20 reps (1-0-1)
No rest.
2B) Stability Ball 1-Leg Jackknife – (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute and repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 sets.

3A) Inverted Bodyweight Row with Feet on Ball – Max Reps (1-0-1)
No rest.
3B) Jump Squat – 6 reps (1-0-1)
No rest.
3C) Mountain Climber with Hands on Ball – 10 reps per side (1-0-1)
Rest 1 minute and repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 tri-sets.

Social Support Saturday!
30 minutes
More challenges this year…and TT Addiction comes out in a few months

Advanced TT Bodyweight July 2007 – Crazy 8 Circuit
Do exercises 1-4 without resting between each.
Rest 1 minute.
Do exercises 5-8 without resting between each.
Rest 1 minute.
Repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 “Crazy 8 Bodyweight Circuits”.

1) Burpees (10 reps)
2) Pushups (30 reps)
3) Squats (30 reps)
4) Mountain Climbers (15 reps per side)

5) Jumping Jacks (100 reps)
6) Alternating Forward Lunges (15 reps per side)
7) Bodyweight Rows (15 reps)
8] Close-grip Pushups (20 reps)

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

Here’s a tip…

“Keep your healthiest foods at eye level. Whether in your cupboard or fridge, what you see first is typically what you’re going to eat, especially at snack times. Don’t hide the fruits and veggies in a drawer…keep ‘em in front of your face, where they’ll be saying, “eat me!”
Rob Poulos, www.FatBurningFurnace.com

Next week!
TT Workout: DB-KB-BW (August 2007)
Cheat Meal Rules
Weekly Research Review – The Deadly Diet

Have a great weekend,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

In the next few months as I travel to Miami, Vegas, and New York City, I know that I’ll be doing a lot of bodyweight workouts in hotels, on the beach, and even in parks.

So I better be prepared with lots of exercises and a variety of ways to train to keep getting results.

That got me thinking about the best bodyweight workout tips I had, and also reminded me to ask Adam Steer - the Bodyweight Coach - as well.

Here’s what I came up with…

Tip #1

One of my favorite bodyweight exercise tips came from my buddy Jay
Ferruggia, who recommended that whenever possible, we choose a
bodyweight exercise over a free weight exercise for assistance lifts.

For example, if you are training to increase your squat, Jay would suggest using single leg bodyweight movements, Glute-Ham Raises and Back Extensions as follow up exercises.

Tip #2

One of the best - yet simplest - bodyweight exercise tips I can give you, is to
give up the treadmill warm-up and replace it with a circuit of 5-8
different bodyweight exercises that simultaneously prep and stretch
your muscles for exercise.

You will be much more prepared for your workout this way.

Tip #3

Another bodyweight tip of mine is to use the “1 & 1/2 reps” method to make bodyweight exercises harder. I got this idea from John Romaniello.

For example, in the Bulgarian Split Squat, you’d lower yourself into the bottom position (see photo at right), then come halfway up, and then go back down and THEN all the way back up.

That’s one (painful) rep. Do 12-15.

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

And since so many of you were loving Adam Steer’s video from Monday, I asked him for 6 more bodyweight exercise tips…

1. For maximum metabolic effect, do this “Top Down” bodyweight circuit:

- 30 secs Push Ups
- 30 secs V-ups
- 30 secs Jump Squats without rest.

Do 3-5 of these circuits with 30 seconds rest between each circuit.

2. Use isometric (static) holds to build muscle with bodyweight exercise.

Grab the top of a push up position and lower half way to the bottom.
Hold that for at least 30 secs and up to 70 secs. Do 2-3 sets with
60 seconds rest.

3. Ditch the treadmill and use bodyweight training instead.

String 5-7 of your favorite bodyweight exercises together–1 rep each–and do that “Flow” over and over for as long as you would have spent on that boring treadmill.

4. Use bodyweight “drop sets” for a brutal workout. Try this:

Do 30-60 secs of a wall sit, then go straight into 10-12 reps of alternating rear lunges. The wall sit toast your quads, but the lunges add some help from the glutes and hams so you can keep going a bit longer.

5. Super heroes don’t ignore their lats–the big muscles in your back–and neither should you.

But what can you do if you have absolutely NO equipment?

The Superman.

Start in either a standard push up position or from the knees. Then walk your hands out overhead as far as you can go and hold. The lats have to do some serious work to maintain that position.

6. Have some fun with your bodyweight training.

Pick your 5 favorite exercises.

You’ll do one rep of each–that’s one round of your “Flow”–and then return to the start without rest. But don’t just throw the exercises together.

Spend some time playing with the transitions and reordering the exercises until you’ve got the smoothest “Flow” you can create.

***********
Thanks to Adam and Jay.

Feel the flow with bodyweight exercises,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

In a recent post, I covered 3 top fitness predictions, but now I want to complete my top 10 list by covering ab exercises, the best equipment piece of 2K10, and more.

So here are the remainder of my fearless predictions…

7. Metabolic Resistance Training will be the training buzzword of the year

Weight training circuits, Turbulence Training, Afterburn Training – all of these have been known for years, but more and more we’ll see the phrase, Metabolic Resistance Training (MRT) used to describe this broad field of training.

Of course, that also means that MRT will be defined differently by almost every trainer…leading to some confusion among fitness readers.

However, on the bright side, we’ll see more fun, exciting, challenging, and super-effective metabolic resistance training programs hit the scene next year – giving you a ton of options for a fat burning, bodysculpting workout. If you love these types of workouts, 2010 is going to be a dream come true for you.

8. More fat loss programs will include jump training

For over a decade cutting-edge trainers have spoken up loudly for the need to include multi-muscle, total-body, intense exercises in fat burning programs, and in the last 5 years we’ve seen a shift to doing as much bodyweight exercise as possible in order to get a lean, athletic physique.

And so finally, jump training – the epitome of multi-muscle, intense, bodyweight exercise – is about to become more mainstream in fat burning programs.

Of course, jump training should only be done by those who are physically capable, but once that hurdle has been overcome, then jumps can and should be used as a powerful, efficient way of working the body to burn calories, put turbulence on the muscles, and possibly even light up the fire of the afterburn to consume fat and calories during the recovery period.

9. More people will be alerted to dangers of bad ab training

Men’s Health dedicated an entire training section to the dangers of crunches and have ran more than one article with advice from Dr. Stu McGill – the world’s expert on using planks, side planks, and bird dogs instead of crunches…

…but for some reason the world’s female fitness magazines still linger in the dark ages of crunches (and cardio – but that’s another story) and continue to give their readers bad advice on how to get abs without hurting their backs.

But I truly believe this will be the year that crunches become passé – UNLESS of course the bodypart specialization popularity rejuvenates the dead-end exercise known as crunches. I guess this will be the fitness battle of the year – will crunches stay or will they go – here’s hoping this is the end of the line for that next-to-useless exercise and more focus on good abdominal exercises.

10. No-Equipment will be the NEW-Equipment of the Year

Bodyweight training will have its biggest breakout year since it first started getting more popular back in 2004-2005.

Due to a tough economy and a decrease in time that people will have to workout, we’ll see more people abandoning traditional gym memberships and working out at home, in a park, or even their hotel room without a single piece of equipment.

Plus, you’ll see innovative trainers – such as Adam Steer, myself, Ross Enamait, and many others coming up with unique bodyweight programs, systems, and techniques that you never would have expected could compete with traditional weight training.

For those folks that don’t re-join the bodybuilding darkside (just kidding), you’ll see them pushing the envelope of how they can transform their bodies without a single piece of equipment.

Bonus Prediction 11.
The smartest trainers will combine all of these methods – including the proven tactics from over the years PLUS the latest and greatest techniques – to create the most effective workouts YOU could possibly have – in the least amount of time.

It’s going to be YOU – the fitness enthusiast – who wins BIG-TIME this year.

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

But I’m not the only one who made fitness predictions for 2010. In our special report, you’ll also hear from Ferruggia, Pilon, Del Monte, and many more discussing over 30 groundbreaking fitness, diet, supplement, and muscle-building predictions, including…

Spent the weekend in Orlando working with some fitness pro’s, and got back Saturday night. It was a lot of fun meeting some experts who use TT bootcamp workouts and bodyweight exercises in their programs.

Yesterday I hit the gym for an extra workout, because this week I’m taking a break from heavy barbell work to plan out a bunch of new Turbulence Training programs.

And they are AWESOME!

(Two of them will be ready in December AND two more on December 26th.)

So Sunday morning, I ended up doing a killer intense bodyweight workout - it was harder than last month’s 4-week weights program, and it included 9 bodyweight exercises (not in this order): 

1) Pull-ups (finishing with 2 added crash sets, courtesy of Vince Del Monte)
2) Vertical Jumps
3) 1 and half rep Bulgarian Split Squats (my quads are feeling these!)
4) Bodyweight Rows (with another crash set)
5) Dips (my special “easier on the shoulder” version)
6) Bodyweight Triceps Presses
7) Reverse Lunges
8] Stability Ball Rollouts
9) 1-leg Calf Raises

That was actually Workout A of Bodyweight Bodybuilding, coming out in December. The sets, reps, and rests are very detailed.

However, if you want to IMMEDIATELY incorporate more bodyweight exercises into your workouts, OR if you are a personal trainer running bootcamps, then I have great news for you.

I’m having a “Giving Thanks” holiday sale on the TT Bootcamps bodyweight system this week…

For the next 3 days, until 9pm EST on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009, you’ll save $30 by taking advantage of this “Giving Thanks for 2009 and Kick-Starting 2010″ TT Bootcamps Holiday Sale.

Click here to get the Turbulence Training Bootcamps Workout Program

Now, of course, we both know that exercise is only part of the bargain…

So here’s my GROCERY LIST to help you make better choices and get more variety in your diet.

This will get me through a few days…depending on how many apples, peppers and berries ol’ Bally the dog eats (he’s doing his “alligator” impression in this photo)…

Groceries
- 6 red apples
- 6 bananas
- blueberries
- raspberries
- 1 bunch broccoli
- 1 red pepper
- 1 orange pepper
- 1 green pepper
- 1 bag baby spinach
- 2 Portobello mushrooms
- flax bread
- 1 tomato
- 1 avocado
- 2 grapefruit
- 4 oranges
- 2 vanilla almond milk
- 2 chocolate almond milk
- raisins
- sunflower seeds
- dates
- crunchy almond butter
- jug of water

Remember, I’m sticking to a vegan program for this month…and also, my cupboards are stocked with black beans, kidney beans, high-protein pastas (Kamut and Spelt versions), and chili for veggie protein.

Plan, shop and prepare my friend - and you WILL SUCCEED!

To your success,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, TT Bootcamps Workouts

If you’ve ever wondered how many calories you can burn in an hour, you’re about to be surprised.

In the past couple of weeks I’ve grown weary of people claiming they are burning 1000 calories in their cardio workouts, so I went to an exercise physiology professor to find out the truth…

Click here to find out the answer on this week’s fat burning coaching call

And we’re going to have a lil’ fun this week…I need a theme song. More on that in a moment, but first, let’s find out the truth about those people who claim to burn 1000 calories in an hour…they seem to be popping up everywhere…

Monday – Oct 13

Transformation Tip: Can you burn 1000 calories?

I asked my good friend, Dr. Stuart Phillips, Ph.D, from McMaster University…

Q: How hard would someone have to exercise to burn 1000 calories in an hour?

His Answer:
You’d have to work pretty hard, but it’s not impossible by any means…let’s take me for example.

I weight 195 and if I ran at a 7 mph (~8:30 mile pace) for 60min then I’d burn about 1000 calories… I used to be able to do that, but I weighed 178 at the time!!

Q: How many people could possibly pull that off?

Answer:

Not too many perhaps 1-2%, mostly well trained runners and possibly well trained cyclists… (note if I did 60 min to burn a 1000 cal on a bike I’d have to ride pretty darn fast - 26 mph). And don’t get me started on how hard you’d have to work on an elliptical…

*************
So there you go…most people are overestimating the number of calories they burn in a workout, and frankly, I’ve shown you before that weight loss is not all about calories…

And more importantly, I DESPISE the mindset people have around this time of year where they think they can just go into the gym and burn off Thanksgiving dinners, Halloween candy bar binges, and alco-holiday drinks.

Forget that mindset. Instead, focus on doing quality workouts, such as…

Advanced Workout A – Hotel Room Workout

Repeat the circuit 2 times the first time you try it.
In future workouts, you can repeat the circuit up to 3 times.

Y-Squat – 15 reps
1-Leg RDL – 8 reps per side
Reverse Lunge – 15 reps per side
Spiderman Pushup – 8 reps per side
1-Leg Reaching Lunge – 12 reps per side
X-Body Mountain Climber – 10 reps per side
Prone Stick-up – 8 reps
T-Pushup – 10 reps per side

Intervals – Running in Place
20 seconds running, 10 seconds recovery (very slow walking in place)
Repeat 8 times

Tuesday
30 minutes of fun activity…and now let’s look at some fasting research from the Am J Clin Nutr. 2009, “Short-term modified alternate-day fasting: a novel dietary strategy for weight loss and cardioprotection in obese adults.”

In this study, 16 obese subjects (12 women, 4 men) completed a 10-week diet study.

Weeks 1-2: Subjects followed a control diet

Weeks 3-6: Subjects did alternate day fasting (ADF) consuming 25% of energy needs on the fast day and then as much food as they wanted on the following day. The food was controlled by the researchers.

Weeks 7-10: Subjects did alternate day fasting (ADF) consuming 25% of energy needs on the fast day and then as much food as they wanted on the following day. The food was chosen by the subjects.

RESULTS:
Interestingly, the subjects stuck to the diet very well (86-89% adherence) and subjects lost an average of 1.5 pounds per week during the alternate day fasting program. Overall, they lost 12.3 pounds in 8 weeks of dieting and they dropped their body fat from 45% to 42% while lowering cholesterol and triglycerides as well.

CONCLUSION:
The researchers concluded, “These findings suggest that ADF is a viable diet option to help obese individuals lose weight and decrease CAD risk.”

Fasting, which I once thought was crazy, seems to be an acceptable way for folks to lose fat and improve their health.

I recommend Brad Pilon’s Eat Stop Eat fasting program.

Wednesday

TT Hotel Room Advanced Workout B

Repeat the circuit 2 times the first time you try it.
In future workouts, you can repeat the circuit up to 5 times.

Bulgarian Split Squat – 15 reps per side
Decline Pushup – 20 reps ===>
Y’s & T’s – 10 reps each
1-Leg Squat – 10 reps per side
Spiderman Climb – 10 reps per side

Intervals – Jumping Jacks
30 seconds jumping jacks, 30 seconds recovery (very slow walking in place)
Repeat 6 times

Thursday
30 minutes of fun activity and then vote on…

The Turbulence Training Theme Song!

In the comments section below, please tell me what the Turbulence Training theme song should be (and tell me about your favorite workout tunes as well).

Whoever gives me the best suggestion for the Turbulence Training theme song will win a 1-year Platinum TT membership!

Looking forward to your rocking suggestions!

Friday

TT Hotel Room Advanced Workout C

Repeat the circuit 2 times the first time you try it.
In future workouts, you can repeat the circuit up to 3 times.

Running in Place – 20 seconds
Chops – 12 reps per side
Grasshopper Pushup – 8 reps per side (see video below)
Y-Squat – 15 reps
Mountain Climber – 12 reps per side
Bodyweight Squat – 30 reps
Diagonal Lunge – 12 reps per side
Squat Thrusts – 10 reps

Social Support Saturday!
30 minutes of activity, and then check out this site for motivation ideas…

www.Stickk.com

On that site, you’ll

1) Set your goal.
2) Set the stakes
3) Pick referee
4) And go!

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

Here are my 5 fat loss nutrition rules to help you…

1) Have a big green salad everyday
My “Big Boy” salads consist of spinach, broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, onion, avocado, black beans and salsa, and I have a variation of that everyday - usually before or after I workout.

2) Have an apple per day
Red delicious or Granny Smith, I usually have my daily apple before noon…although often I’ll have a second one after my workout.

3) Drink lots of water and at least 1 cup of Green Tea
I probably drink over 3 liters of cold water per day, as well as at least 1 cup of Green Tea with breakfast.

4) Eat at least 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
This will help fill you up and it’s just plain healthy. You’ll feel amazing when you start eating a whole-foods nutrition plan.

5) Have at least 2 ounces of raw nuts per day.
On a given day, I’ll eat almonds, walnuts, almond butter, and even pecans, sunflower seeds, and peanut butter. Don’t be afraid of nuts, research shows they do NOT make you fat.

For more nutrition tips on eating more vegetables, get help from Kardena’s Kitchen here.

Next week!
Special gifts for men and women
New cardio & diet research

Stay strong,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training