This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving…and I have a lot to be thankful for…so many friends, in person and online, including you and everyone on FB…even on the streets of Toronto!

Today I was walking Bally the Dog, and a guy rolled down the window of his mini-van and yelled, “Craig Ballantyne. I love your workouts!”. Whoever you are, you made my day. Thanks!

Of course, I’m also thankful for my family, health, fun workouts and healthy eating…and that dog. That funny ol’ dog.

Big meal coming up Sunday night most likely…then I’ll head back to Toronto on Monday for Deadlifting. Weather is going to be a gorgeous 70 degrees (~20 celcius all weekend). Amazing. Amazing. Amazing.

Now let’s help you lose fat…

Click here to listen to the call…

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

Monday – Oct  11th – Thanksgiving Monday

Transformation Tip of the Week:

“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.”
Les Brown

So ask yourself: How can I get what I want? What do I need to do to get there? Then make a plan. Take action. It’s that simple to get started.

Now for a bodyweight workout plan

TT BW 1000: Workout A

1A) DB Chest Press – 8 reps (2-0-1) —- Substitute: Advanced pushup or max reps pushup
1B) DB Bulgarian Split Squat – 8 reps per leg (2-0-1) – Substitute: 1&1/2 rep style bodyweight only version
Rest 1 minute before repeating the superset 2 more times.

2A) DB Chest-Supported Row – 8 reps (2-0-1) —- love this one….keep the exercise and increase reps
2B) Stability Ball 1-Leg Curl – 10 reps per side (2-0-1) —- Substitute: 1-leg DB RDL
Rest 1 minute before repeating the superset 2 more times.

3A) Elevated Pushup – 12 reps per side (2-0-1) —- Substitute: 1-arm DB press
3B) Overhand Inverted Row – 12 reps (2-0-1) — Substitute: underhand
3C) Y-Squat – 15 reps (2-0-1) —- Substitute: Close-stance bw squat for 30 reps ==>
3D) Dumbell or Kettlebell Swing – 30 seconds (1-0-1) —- Substitute: 1-arm swing for 20 sec each side
Rest 1 minute before repeating the circuit 3 more times.

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

If you’ve ever suffered through an anxiety attack, you know it’s the next worst thing to suffering a real heart attack. You truly think the end is coming.

I went through a 6-week period of this many years ago when I was younger and trying to stay up late and get up really early to work…eventually it caught up with me.

So this week I’m dedicating the research reviews to two studies about using exercise to help cope with anxiety…

Reference:
‎Br J Sports Med. 2008 Nov 19. State anxiety and subjective well-being responses to acute bouts of aerobic exercise in patients with depressive and anxiety disorders.

Aerobic exercise is associated with a reduction in state anxiety and an improvement in subjective well-being.

Researchers from Belgium studied 19 males and 29 females after 3 workouts.

20 minutes at self-selected intensity without HR feedback
20 minutes at self-selected intensity with HR feedback
20 minutes at the prescribed intensity of 50% of max HR

State anxiety and subjective well-being were evaluated using the State Anxiety Inventory and the Subjective Exercise Experiences Scale.

After 20 minutes cycling, patients showed significantly decreased state anxiety and negative affect in the three conditions – same in all conditions.

Only cycling at self-selected intensity enhanced positive well-being.

Reference
Depress Anxiety. 2008 Aug 26;25(8):689-699. Reducing anxiety sensitivity with exercise.

Researchers from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas tested the belief that exercise helps in the treatment of anxiety. 60 people (suffereing from anxiety) were randomly assigned to

a 2-week exercise intervention
a 2-week exercise plus cognitive restructuring intervention
or a control condition.

Exercise led to better improvements in anxiety than control, but there were no added benefits of cognitive intervention.

Bottom Line: Going out and exercising at a nice pace makes you feel better. Two thumbs up for that!

Of course, serious issues should be brought up with a medical doctor.

Wednesday

Workout Tip Wednesday

Change the tempo: Slower lowering tempos often lead to more soreness. But it is a different training stimulus. I think it is worthwhile to go up to 4 seconds on the lowering phase. I don’t like to use slow lifting, but I don’t mind slow lowering. So next time you did dumbbell chest presses, take 4 seconds to lower the weight to your chest. Alternatively, when doing squats, take 4 seconds to lower yourself to the bottom position. This will make you hurt so good.

TT BW 1000: Workout B
1A) DB Squat – 10 reps (2-0-1) — Slow it down to 4 seconds, if you’re sick, add a pause
1B) Grasshopper Pushup – 10 per side (2-0-1) — Faster — one second lowering phase
Rest 1 minute before repeating the superset 2 more times.

2A) DB Renegade Row – 8 reps per side (2-0-1) — pause at the top for one
2B) DB Split Squat – 8 reps per side (2-0-1) — pause at the bottom for one
Rest 1 minute before repeating the superset 2 more times.

3A) Stability Ball Rollout – 10 reps (3-0-1) —- go faster, do more reps
3B) Burpees – 30 seconds —- can’t change this…but feel free to add a chin
Rest 1 minute before repeating the superset 2 more times.

Intervals

Thursday
Do 30 minutes of fun activity…

Turbulence Training Facebook QnA time…

Q: If I only have 20 minutes to exercise, what’s the most effective thing that I could do?

Answer:
resistance training supersets or circuits. Could be bodyweight, db, or barbell. you can do a LOT in just 20 minutes. But don’t skip the warmup.

Workout A from the original TT Depletion program

Friday

Another FB QnA…this time, a question from a young man who is overthinking training…a kid who posts advanced questions on every expert’s FB page…seemingly with no clear plan, but a ton of youthful enthusiasm.

Q: Training for lean gains. can I skip the HIIT on lifting days and do sprints on off-days? Also, can I add in a big compound exercise for 4×5-8 eg. Bench, Deadlifts or Squats before the supersets?

Answer:
At the risk of losing you as a friend, here’s the deal. You need to stop thinking so much and asking so many minor-details questions, and just get a professionally designed program, put your head down and do the work. What you need to do is simple. I recommend Jay’s Muscle Gaining Secrets. Do that for 12 weeks. Get strong, get some experience, and stick with the basics!

Now for the Bodyweight 1000. Please note, I’ve eliminated the bike crunches from the workout and replaced them with mountain climbers and the plank.

TT BW 1000: Workout C
100 Jumping Jacks or Jump Rope
25 Close-grip Pushups
25 Jumps
25 Pull-ups
100 Squats
50 Mountain Climbers (25 reps per side)
25 Stickups
100 Pushups
50 Walking Lunges (25 reps per side)
50 Underhand Inverted Rows
Plank (100 seconds)
50 Stability Ball Leg Curls
50 Decline Pushups
25 Overhand Inverted Rows
50 Mountain Climbers (25 per side)
50 Squats
25 Chin-ups
100 Jumping Jacks or Jump Rope

Social Support Saturday!
30 minutes of fun activity…

“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.” Earl Nightingale

Here’s a list of topics that I reflect on each day during a simple Gratitude Exercise. (NOTE: The answer to almost all of these questions is often, “the little things in life”.)

1- Who am I Grateful for?
2- What Opportunity am I grateful for?
3- What did I do today that I am grateful for?
4- What will I do tomorrow that I will be grateful for?
5- What and who do I appreciate in life?
6-(In the morning) Reaffirm what I am going to do today that I will be grateful for.

Sunday – Plan, Shop & Prepare

30 minutes activity and plan, shop, & prepare…and now let’s look at another research study…

A lot of nutritionists make these really awesome sounding arguments against whole grains…but the research almost always shows that whole grains improve health and weight loss. Here’s another study for the debate:

Reference
Am J Clin Nutr 92: 733-740, 2010. Effect of increased consumption of whole-grain foods on blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk markers in healthy middle-aged persons: a randomized controlled trial

UK researchers looked 3 daily portions of whole-grain foods on cardiovascular health of 233 individuals at high risk of CV disease. Study started with a 4-wk trial of a refined diet, and then random allocation to 12 weeks of:

1) control (refined diet)
2) wheat
3) wheat + oats group

Both whole-grain groups experienced a decrease in systolic blood pressure. But there were no changes in systemic markers of cardiovascular disease or cholesterol concentrations.

Authors concluded: The observed decrease in systolic blood pressure could decrease the incidence of coronary artery disease and stroke by ≥15% and 25%, respectively.

Up for debate: Would removing grains allowed inflammation to be lowered?

So much to debate, so little time…

Next week!
TT Workout – How to burn 1000 calories
Research Review – Power of web-based fat loss
Link to a really cool interview with Tim Ferriss, author of the 4-hour work week

You’re about to discover how to lose fat and save money with bodyweight workouts (no fancy machines required) and cheap, healthy eating tips.

Also, you can win some money with the TT Transformation Contest. This is the last week to join Contest #9. Its going to be the biggest and best contest yet.

Don’t forget, there are 2 contests. 6-week and 12-week. There are 2 categories in the 6 week and 4 categories in the 12 week (Men under 40, Men over 40, Women under 40, Women over 40).

Click here to get the details and join the contest

Good luck to you! Now let’s get you some transformation tips in this week’s podcast.

Click here to listen to the podcast

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

Monday – Sept 13th

Transformation Tip of the Week sponsored by My Daily Motivation:

There will be days when you struggle to exercise and stick to your diet, and that is okay. EVERYONE has those days. Just make sure you never, ever, EVER give up. Realize everyone else goes through this, and not quitting is what separates the success stories from the dreamers.

This was inspired by one of my favorite quotes:

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: to choose one’s attitudes in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” – Victor Frankl

Now let’s move to training…and bodyweight exercises.

Phase 3 of the 6-Month TT Bodyweight Manual – Workout A

1A) Prisoner Squat (15 reps)
1B) Feet on Ball Pushup (12 reps)
2A) Bulgarian Split Squat (12 reps)
2B) Chin-up (Max-1)
3A) Stability Ball 1-Leg Curl (10 reps)
3B) Spiderman Pushup (6 reps)
4A) Walking Lunge (15 reps)
4B) Side Plank Leg Lift (8 reps)
5A) Rotate Lunge (10 reps)
5B) Stability Ball Jackknife (15 reps)
Interval Workout A

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

Reference:
International Journal of Obesity (2010) 34, 1293–1301. Leisure-time physical activity and sedentary behavior clusters and their associations with overweight in middle-aged French adults.

French researchers examined over 4500 French men and women (who were older than 45 years of age).

Researchers found that the likelihood of being an overweight woman was lower for a ‘multiple activity-low TV’ cluster. That means French women who were active and didn’t watch a lot of TV were NOT overweight. For French men, the only association was found with my ‘endurance physical activity’.

Bottom Line: STAY ACTIVE!

Wednesday

Phase 3 TT Bodyweight Manual Workout B

1A) Y-Squat (15 reps)
1B) Close-grip Pushup (12 reps)
2A) 1-Leg Squat on Bench (8 reps)
2B) Inverted Row (15 reps)
3A) 1-Leg Deadlift (12 reps)
3B) Shoulder Press Pushup (12 reps)
4A) Hanging Knee-Raise (10 reps)   ====>
4B) Hands on Ball Pushup (12 reps)
5A) Spiderman Climb (15 reps)
5B) X-Body MC (12 reps/side)
Interval Workout B

Thursday
Do 30 minutes of fun activity…

And now for our Facebook Question of the Week – brought to you by the Facebook TT Fanpage. Join me over on that page for daily QnA sessions.

Q: What should I eat right after training if my goal is to lose fat?

Answer:
If you’re hungry, it’s time to eat. Just keep in mind that you want to stay within your calorie needs for the day when you are trying to lose fat. If you do that, you can eat right after your workout if you want.

If you aren’t hungry, you can wait 30 minutes, or an hour, or whatever till you are hungry. Keep it simple.

In the last month I’ve interviewed John Berardi and Brad Pilon, and they have both said the same thing.

Click here for Brad’s interview

Simple fat loss nutrition!

Friday

Phase 3 of the 6-Month Bodyweight  Manual Workout C

1A) Cross Crawl (15 reps)
1B) Decline Pushup (10 reps)
2A) Pull-up (Max-1)
2B) Split Squat with Front Foot Elevated (15 reps)
3A) Hands on Bench, Feet on Ball Pushup (15 reps)
3B) Siff Lunge (12 reps)
4A) Stability Ball Rollout (15 reps)
4B) Side Plank (40 seconds)
5A) Elevated Pushup (15 reps)
5B) 1-Leg Stability Ball Jackknife (6 reps)
High-Intensity Cardio

Social Support Saturday!
30 minutes of fun activity…

“Avoid negative people at all costs.They are the greatest destroyers of self confidence and self-esteem.”
Brian Tracy

So don’t let anyone bring you down!

Now for controversial research…

Reference:
International Journal of Obesity (2010) 34, 1302–1307. Disgust and perceived control in attitudes toward obese people

Australian researchers wanted to explain negative attitudes toward obese people. 524 people rated how much they believe that obesity is a matter of personal control, indicated how disgusted they are with obese people, and reported their attitudes toward obese people.

Results: Disgust was the strongest predictor of negative attitudes toward obese people, and disgust fully mediated the association between perceptions of control and attitudes toward obese people.

In addition, obese people were rated less favorably, and as more disgusting, than almost all social groups.

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

Ouch. This is sad but true. People do judge a book by its cover.

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

Now for some cheap healthy eating tips.

1. Look for house brands for certain items at the grocery store.
2. Try to shop for things that are in season.
3. Grow a garden & prepare things at home (make your own breads, shakes, hummus)
4. 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.
5. Eat less meat, buy less expensive meat or no meat.  Replace meat with beans.
6. Plan your meals for the entire week.
7. Buy non-perishable items in bulk whenever possible.
8. If you have a large freezer, you can freeze many items in bulk.

Next week!
TT Workout – Adrenaline Baby!
Research Review – Fat Loss Battle: Exercise vs Genetics; Exercise for Kids
Nutrition – Green tea supplement research