I have 5 research-prove belly fat burning tips for you today, but the first thing I want you to do today is download this free ab workout program here.

Once you’ve that, come back for some awesome belly fat burning tips.

Ready?

Okay, you’re NEVER too old and it is never too late to lose belly fat.

My mom’s doing it at 68 (she’s still young in my opinion!), and hundreds of TT users are going to enter the 9th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest even though it goes over the holiday season!

But they aren’t letting that stop them. They’ll plan ahead and work around special events. Let’s get real, it’s not that hard.

Most of us just say it’s hard because we are looking for an excuse.

But if you plan, shop, and prepare yourself – both mentally and with a proven fat burning schedule – you can lose fat EVEN during the days between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.

So today I’m going to give you five RESEARCH-PROVEN methods to help you lose fat 24/7/365.

Alright, let’s do this.

Proven Fact #1 – Eat More Fruits & Vegetables

Subjects on a low-fat diet that ate more fruits and vegetables lost more fat than another group on only the low-fat diet.

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

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

Here’s the reference:
Amer. J. Clin. Nutr. 85: 1465-1477, 2007.

So eat nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables to fill you up. Time to enjoy peaches, watermelon, apples, melons, and berries. Don’t let any “guru” tell you that fruit is bad, that’s nonsense!

2) Drop the Cardio and Use TT-Approved Interval Training

Our research friends in Australia have found interval training to be the solution to stomach fat.

According to Professor Steve Boutcher, an Australian expert on interval training, “high intensity intermittent exercise may result in greater fat loss in the abdomen”.

That means that unlike doing hundreds of crunches, interval training can work to burn belly fat over everything else. And that’s why the Turbulence Training for Abs workouts use intervals, not cardio.

3) Okay, There is ONE Type of Cardio That Can Help

In another study, researchers compared high-intensity cardio against low-intensity cardio. Both groups burned the same amount of calories in their workouts (400), but the high-intensity group exercised less.

Results?

The subjects in the Low-Intensity Exercise group did not lose fat. So “Boooo!” to low-intensity cardio.

On the other hand, the HIC (high-intensity cardio) group lost a significant amount of abdominal fat.

Once again, research shows that exercising harder results in more belly fat loss in less time. And in fact, slow cardio does NOTHING for fat loss.

Reference:
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008 Oct 8. Effect of Exercise Training Intensity on Abdominal Visceral Fat and Body Composition.

So if you insist on doing cardio, I will allow you to do one extra high-intensity cardio session per week in addition to your three Turbulence Training for Abs workouts per week.

4) Burn More Calories AFTER Exercise with Supersets

The latest research shows that superset training – the type of resistance training used in Turbulence Training for Abs – boosts metabolism more than traditional straight set training.

Reference:
J Str Cond Res 24:4 2010.

Sure, Turbulence Training was 10 years ahead of this research, but it is always nice to have more scientific proof that the Turbulence Training for Abs workouts are the best way to train for fat loss!

5) Stick with Lower Reps in Your Workouts for Calorie Burning

This is from one of the first studies I used to formulate Turbulence Training. In the study, researchers had women do two workouts. One workout was done with light weights and high reps, and the other workout was done with heavier weights and 8 reps per set (this group was called high-intensity).

The study found that the high intensity group burned more calories AFTER exercise and therefore the scientists recommend high intensity resistance training rather than low-intensity high rep lifting.

Reference:
A Comparison  Of Two Different Resistance Training Intensities On Exercise Energy Expenditure And Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption. Thornton, K, Potteiger, JA. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Volume 33(5) Supplement 1, 2001, p S73.

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So there you go…I use ALL five of these RESEARCH-PROVEN methods in my TT for Abs workouts that I filmed on DVD for you.

Burn belly fat with scientifically proven workouts and nutrition,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training for Abs

I have a crazy travel schedule coming up…so it was nice to be at home last weekend. I was able to go down to the St. Lawrence Market, a Toronto institution, and picked up fresh fruits and vegetables.

This weekend I’ll be celebrating Joel Marion’s wedding in Tampa Bay, Florida (that’s him with his fiance Lisa in the photo)…then heading overseas to eastern Europe to see some friends.

In fact, while you are reading this, I’ll probably be on a 24 journey taking me from Tampa to Miami to Frankfurt to Vilnius, Lithuania. Crazy.

So lets get into it…

Click here to listen to the call…

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

Monday – Aug 9th

Transformation Tip of the Week:
You wouldn’t put an alcoholic in a bar if you wanted him to stop drinking…so make sure you are putting yourself in the right training environment for your goals…and that you are hanging around other achievers – no matter what aspect of your life – from fitness to financial to family. Avoid negative situations and negative people as much as possible.

TT Reformed Meathead Fat Loss Workout A

Squeeze your muscles at the end of EVERY repetition.
In the first week, do only 2 supersets instead of 3 supersets per exercise pair.

1A) DB Incline Press – 6 reps (3-0-1)
1B) DB Row – 6 reps (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

2A) Pull-up – Max reps (4-0-1)
2B) Dips – Max reps (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

OPTIONAL
3A) DB Triceps Extension – 8 reps (2-0-1)
3B) Barbell Curls – 10 reps (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 3 more times for a total of 4 supersets.

Jumps or Intervals
Vertical Jumps – 10 reps
Rest 10 seconds
Repeat 3 more times for a total of 4 rounds.

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

Reference:
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: August 2010 – Volume 42 – Issue 8 – pp 1511-1518. Increased Cardiometabolic Risk Is Associated with Increased TV Viewing Time.

Australian research study looked at over 11,000 people and found that increases in television watching above 10 hours per week were associated with increases in waist circumference, blood pressure, and cardiometabolic risk factors.

And this was INDEPENDENT of physical activity levels. Interesting.

Cut back on your TV if you do more than 10 hours per week.

Wednesday

Heading to Chicago for TT Team meeting…a cubs game, then a TT Team meeting on Thursday where we’ll discuss how we can help you better…In fact, there’s a cool surprise coming later this summer for all TT readers who have ordered the Turbulence Training manual or DVDs.

TT Reformed Meathead Fat Loss Workout B

1A) Barbell Squat – 12 reps (3-0-1) – with last set drop-set at 50-75%
1B) Stability Ball Rollout or Ab Wheel – 10 reps (3-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

2A) DB RDL – 12 reps (3-0-1)
2B) Stability Ball Jackknife – 12 reps (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

3A) Barbell Forward Lunge – 8 reps per side (2-0-1)
3B) Side Plank with DB Lateral Raise – 10 reps per side (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Bodyweight Intervals
Burpees – 10 reps
Rest 30 seconds
Repeat 3 more times for a total of 4 rounds.

Thursday
Do 30 minutes of fun activity…and now for a new component of the calls. I’m going to answer a Facebook question every week in our Thursday section of the 7-day guide.

Facebook question of the week: “How do you do foam rolling?”

Great question, and luckily Chris Lopez from KettlebellWorkouts.com just filmed this video for you.

Friday

TT Reformed Meathead Fat Loss Workout C

1A) Deadlift – 8 reps (2-0-1) – Use perfect form, no straps, overhand grip.
Rest 1 minute.
1B) DB Chest Press – 8 reps (3-0-1)
Rest 2 minutes before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

2A) Military Press – 8 reps (2-0-1)
2B) Inverted Row – Max reps (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

OPTIONAL

3-Minute Arms (Click here for 3-Minute Arms)
6-Minute Abs (Click here for 6-Minute Abs)

Bodyweight Squat Intervals
20 seconds of bodyweight squats
10 second hold in bottom position of squat
Repeat for 8 rounds.

Social Support Saturday!
30 minutes of fun activity…

And another study…

Reference:

Am J Health Promot. 2010 July/August;24(6):378-383. The Drop It At Last Study: Six-Month Results of a Phone-Based Weight Loss Trial.

6-month trial to examine the efficacy of phone-based weight loss programs with varying levels of treatment contact (10 vs. 20 sessions) in comparison to self-directed treatment.

63 obese adults separated into 3 groups.

1) self-directed treatment
2) 10 phone coaching sessions
3) 20 phone coaching sessions

Weight losses were -2.3, -3.2, and -4.9 kg, respectively.

Participants who completed 10 or more sessions lost more weight (-5.1 kg) compared to those completed four or fewer sessions (-.3 kg, p < .04).

Conclusions: Phone-based weight loss program participation is associated with modest weight loss. The optimal dose and timing of intervention warrant further study.

Craig Ballantyne’s Bottom line: Enlist a trainer or social support from someone who will get on the phone with you on a regular basis. Once per week. Have a buddy you call every Saturday.

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

I recently read “12 Steps to Raw Foods” and I’ve decided to bump up the number of raw foods in my diet (even though I already eat 60-80% raw foods). I’m experimenting with one serving of “Garden of Life Raw protein” each day and I’m going to cut out the toasted almond butter sandwich in the AM and switch to eating raw nuts and dates.

By the way, if you love to “cook”, here’s an amazing raw dessert for you to try (in a martini glass).

Next week!
TT Workout – Advanced Hotel Room BW Workouts
Research Review – Runners: Beware!
Social Support – Your Success Depends On Your Spouse & Social Support

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!

If you’re involved in a body transformation contest or simply trying to lose fat, but finding it difficult to stick to your plan, then I recommend going back to part 3 of my interview with Brad Pilon.  Brad not only offers some of his best tips to help you see your transformation to the end, but also reveals just how little resistance training you need to maintain muscle mass.

Today, in part 4, we’ll take a closer look at Pilon’s fasting for fat loss book, Eat Stop Eat, and get to the truth about fasting and its effect on your metabolism.  Interesting stuff!

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

Craig Ballantyne:  Okay.  So why don’t you give us a quick background on the Eat Stop Eat?  Everybody who’s got this report also has the Eat Stop Eat book so they can read in detail about it, but why don’t you just give us a quick background on the Eat Stop Eat.

From my understanding it’s just eat normal for six days and then fast for 24 hours and then as a result of that you end up with a caloric deficit and so it’s more important over seven days than it is to worry about dieting every day.

Brad Pilon: That’s exactly my approach.  So the key is it’s still the food in between.  I mean it’s always going to come down to what you’re eating but the concept behind Eat Stop Eat is that if you cut out one or two 24-hour chunks of eating from your week and eat the regular way you normally eat to maintain your current weight, that’s almost a 20 percent REDUCTION in food intake if you fasted twice.

And thus you should see a reduction in calories while on the days you are eating you’re still eating the way you normally eat.  And the concept really WORKS for the type of people – and everybody knows them – who want to lose weight and when you start making suggestions on things for them to change they are simply not willing to change their diet.

So it leaves you in a really odd position.  Like I don’t know how to get this person to eat less and then all of a sudden the obvious answer is just ask them to eat less via frequency.  Or the amount of times they eat.

So what it’s designed to do is just make it extremely EASY to do long term.  I mean I’ve been fasting with the twice a week now for almost 18 months now.  And I’ve never really had a situation where I got tired of it or sick of it because I space it out in a way that completely agrees with me.

For me I fast once every five days and it just seems to work.  It’s been the best way for me to keep my body weight extremely low.  I mean I’m never more than five, six pounds off of the weight I competed at.  And it’s just an easy way to maintain caloric restriction.

Over the years I’ve come to think that the bulking and cutting cycling and the ratios approaching the carbs or fast proteins to slow proteins and high glycemic carbs and low glycemic carbs really becomes just moot points compared to how many calories you are or aren’t taking in.

And whether you can do a diet long term is I think the key to success from not only your physique transformation but maintain that transformation.  I can think back and I used to do it all the time when I was young.

The whole concept of dieting for the summer and then ballooning up during the winter.  I mean how counter productive and frustrating is that.  Whereas if you just maintain a lean body 365 days a year it’s way better.

So that’s basically East Stop Eat in a nutshell.  It’s a way to make dieting flexible but still effective.

Craig Ballantyne:  Okay.  And for anybody that is reading this or listening to this, you also can go into the Turbulence Training Members,  and we have a teleseminar with Brad where I have an hour-long interview with him about Eat Stop Eat and the fasting approach to weight loss.  So make sure that you check that out for more information.

Now, Brad, one of the things that we covered in that call but we’ll cover again here is the concern or myth that doing something like that is going to RUIN your METABOLISM.  Do you want to approach that?

Brad Pilon: Yeah.  Absolutely.  Going back to quoting the research which always irks some people but the main determinant, the thing that determines your metabolism or your metabolic rate is your lean body mass.  And as we just discussed if you’re weight training and dieting your lean body mass isn’t really changing. And so if your lean body mass isn’t really changing, then neither is your metabolism.

If you want to take it a bit further, if you look at research studies, there are specific measurements you can take.  One is metabolic rate.  One is RQ which is just a measure of how much fat versus carbs your body is burning.  And two other things you can look at are the two enzymes.  One’s responsible for moving fat out of your fat cells and one’s responsible for moving fat into your fat cells.

And you can look at those four things during a one, two, three, four-day fast and you see that okay lean mass doesn’t go down so you’re maintaining your metabolic rate.  The RQ does go down which means you’re burning more fat.  And the activity of the enzyme releasing fat goes up while the activity of the enzyme that brings fat into your fat cells goes down.

So all signs point to the fact that you’re maintaining your metabolic rate while burning more fat which is exactly what you want during a diet because the GOAL of the diet isn’t just to lose weight.  It’s to LOSE FAT.

So based on that data, small, short periods of complete fasting don’t decrease your metabolic rate or mess up your potential fat burning ability.  So then over a long period of time considering the fact that you will go back to eating you are eating smaller amounts and you are resistance training to keep your lean mass up.

There’s really no reason to believe that you are slowing your metabolism or ruining your fat-burning ability.  Now, you throw inactivity in or become bedridden and lose muscle mass, then that’s a completely different story.  And it’s a result of muscle wasting is indeed a loss of metabolic rate but if you maintain that muscle by training properly it’s not a concern.

Craig Ballantyne:  Okay.  So the big point there is people seem to be getting carried away with articles these days that if you miss a meal your metabolism is going to decrease.

Brad Pilon: Ridiculous.  And I understand in a way it’s a great SCARE TACTIC to sell the idea of multiple meals or certain types of meals or certain ratios but just in the sense of your metabolism slowing down or ruining your ability to burn fat, it just isn’t there.

Craig Ballantyne:  So why don’t you give us a success story of Eat Stop Eat and maybe some beginner that came up that had a hard time losing body fat and has been able to succeed with Eat Stop Eat and how they have done it and put it in their lifestyle.

Brad Pilon: Absolutely.  The people I notice that have been having the results from Eat Stop Eat and the ones who are emailing in and I get a chance to talk to are people who have either had problems with diets in the past or just didn’t even want to bother.

It’s the type of people who when they looked at the pros and cons of dropping 30, 40 pounds of fat versus massive alterations in their lifestyle they just weren’t into it.  They did the pro and con and said as much as I’d love to look better and drop some weight, it’s not worth the change.

And so that’s when those type of people were like okay, this program here which is pretty easy to follow.  As long as I can make it through one of these fasts I know I can make it through all the subsequent fasts so they all sort of start out the same.

People are fairly HESITANT at first.  They give me all the reasons why they probably can’t do the fast.  And then I don’t hear from them for a while because they’ve tried the first fast, they’ve realized it’s fairly easy and they’re just going forward with it.

And then it’s people I have talked to once or twice and then all of a sudden four or five months later I get these emails and these pictures of people who have dropped 40 pounds.  Really amazing things like that.  And a couple of them I’ve had a chance to meet and it was like an entirely different person.

The STORIES were always the SAME.

It’s always I started fasting.  It was easy.  I got the hang of it.  I started working out.  And then the workouts are typically like I really started weight training and then I started intervals.  They were hard but I could do them.  And then I found that I could do them on my fasting days.  That wasn’t a problem.  And then four months later I’m meeting people who have lost a tremendous amount of weight.

And the cool thing is then because fasting is so easy they don’t have to all of a sudden worry about and then I stopped my diet and everything went to hell.  And I’m still fasting.  I just don’t fast as often.

So that’s the great part.  Is so many people who went down from 240 to 200 but then I see them a couple months later and they’re 195 and they’re 180 but they’re not just ballooning back up because they just incorporated the fast lifestyle and the weight training and the rest of the life changes that kind of happen as you start seeing weight loss.

But it’s for those people who really think they can’t do it on other diets that seem to have the best success.

Let’s find out what other nutrition and transformation tips Brad has for us in part 5 of this interview.

Who will be the next winner of the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest and what fat burning workouts will they have used?

We’ll find that out later this week…

If you want to win the 7th TT contest, I have good news for you…it starts…

Sunday, Dec 27th

So get ready to fire it up.

And remember, even if you don’t win, all of the folks who have finished a contest will agree its amazing what you can accomplish in just 12 weeks.

Just imagine…being 10, 15, 20, or even 30 pounds lighter at the end of March. That would be pretty cool, huh?

So get ready to get started right after Christmas.

Click here to download this week’s call

Monday – Dec 14

Transformation Tip: “Be Loud & Proud”

Be loud and proud of the healthy changes you are making in your life. There are many more folks secretly wishing someone will take charge and be a healthy role model for them.

It might not happen overnight, but if you continue to lead by healthy example – without preaching or being condescending – you can build an entourage that will help you reach the next level.

Intermediate Workout A – Fusion 2K6

Workout A
1A) DB Squat (3×15) 2-0-1
1B) Spiderman Push-up (3×12) 1-1-1
2A) DB Row (3×6) 2-0-1
2B) Bulgarian Split Squat (3×15) 2-1-1
3A) DB Incline Press (3×8) 3-0-1
3B) 1-Leg RDL (3×8) 3-0-1
Interval Training

Tuesday
30 minutes of fun activity and now lets look at a recent Protein study.

20 healthy, young resistance trained athletes were examined for energy expenditure for one week and fed a mixed diet (15% protein, 100% energy) .

In the second week, followed by a hypoenergetic diet (60% of the habitual energy intake), containing either 15% (~1.0g.kg) protein (control group, n=10; CP) or 35% (~2.3 g.kg) protein (high protein group, n=10; HP) for two weeks.

Reference:
Med Sci Sports Exerc. “Increased Protein Intake Reduces Lean Body Mass Loss during Weight Loss in Athletes.” Mettler S, et al.

Subjects continued their habitual training throughout the study.

Results
Control group lost 6.6 pounds total weight BUT 3.5 pounds lean mass
Protein group lost 3.3 pounds weight and only 0.67 pounds lean mass

That’s a LOT of lean mass in just 14 days…Seems a little fishy…

So we went to a guy who just spent a few years reviewing protein, training, and other diet studies while getting his Master’s degree, Brad Pilon, for a breakdown. He says…

“The study in question is a very interesting one, but should NOT cause you to drastically change your views with regards to protein.

“This is one trial, and an outlier at that.

“These men managed to lose more FFM in two weeks then you typically find in studies four times this length. While this study was well conducted, this should prompt us to ask the question “why?”

“DXA (the technique used to measure lean mass) doesnt measure muscle mass, only ‘non-fat mass’, so further work needs to be done to see if the losses were actually muscle.

“Numerous studies have not found this result using many different measurement styles and subject groups, and these studies are typically much longer in length. This makes me wonder if this is a transient measurment error/confounder that dissapears after a short period.

“The calorie restriction was not severe. The fat loss (equal in both groups) seems to correlate well with the calorie restriction, but if the losses in Fat Free Mass were actually muscle, this would suggest a large amount of ‘missing calories’ in the study.

“The bottom line is that we should never jump to conclusions with the publication of one single study. Doing this is similar to what newspapers and fitness magazines do, and generally is a waste of time.

“There is more than enough data to show that protein intake plays a very small role in our ability to maintain our muscle mass while we are dieting.

There is also a very large amount of data showing that it is resistance training that determines how much muscle we maintain when we are dieting.

Stick with the total body of evidence in an area, and try not to make drastic changes in your diet on the speculations of one single study.

At the same time we should not discount this study, as no research is ever useless, but we should view it with the bigger picture in mind.”

*****
Craig again.

Interesting thoughts from Brad, and I think the bottom line is this…

At most, you need 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal bodyweight – as suggested by Alan Aragon last week.

So if you are a 220 pound guy but want to weigh 180, then aim for 180 grams of protein. Or if you are a 150 pound woman that wants to weigh 130 pounds, aim for 130 grams of protein.

You don’t need any more.

Here’s a simple list of common protein sources

1 cup of dairy = 8 grams
1 ounce of meat = 7-8 grams
1 egg = 6 grams (5 grams of fat)
2 tbs. peanut butter = 8 grams (16 grams of fat)
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese = 24 grams
1 scoop of protein powder = 20 grams
1 protein bar = 15-35 grams (check the label)

Wednesday

Workout B – Fusion 2K6

1A) DB Chest Press (3×6) 2-0-1
1B) 1-Leg Hip Extension (3×15) 2-0-1
2A) DB Reverse Lunge (3×8) 2-0-1
2B) Shoulder Press Push-up (3×12) 2-0-1
3A) Inverted Row* (3×15) 2-0-1
3B) Stability Ball Leg Curl (3×15) 2-0-1
Interval Workout B

Thursday
30 minutes of fun activity and check this out…

“Research reported you order more if a skinny friend orders more, you order less if a fat person orders more, and you order less if you eat with people who are careful about what they eat.”

So the bottom line…

Hang around the right folks at the office Christmas party.

Friday

Workout C – Fusion 2K6

A1) DB Split Squat (3×8) 3-1-1
A2) Close-grip DB Press (3×8) 2-0-1
B1) Pull-up (3xMax) 3-0-1
B2) Siff Squat (3×20) 2-0-1

Circuit (1-3 times, no rest b/n ex)
C1) DB Diagonal Lunge (12) 2-0-1
C2) Off-set Push-up (10) 2-0-1
C3) 1-Leg Deadlift (8) 2-0-1
C4) Spiderman Climb (10) 1-0-1
C5) Plank (60 seconds)

Social Support Saturday!

Social support is the #1 key for success in fitness programs. While the support can come from your spouse, sibling, child, parent, friend, neighbor, or co-worker, individuals have a better chance of sticking to an exercise program when they hold themselves accountable to a personal trainer or lifestyle coach.

Don’t try and do this on your own. Social support is important in your quest for fitness and fat loss.

Sunday – Plan, Shop & Prepare

According to Men’s Health magazine (Dec 2009), we should get no more than 9 teaspoons of added sugar per day; but most folks get 30 teaspoons (after all, a can of soda has 8 teaspoons).

So last week, we dedicated an entire article to:

How to Reduce Sugar Cravings

And then I asked Brad Pilon for his suggestions on how to get rid of them, and he said…

“Sugar cravings are a result of expectations. You need to break the cycle, and literally take a break from sugar. My advice is to do a simple 24 hour fast.

“Obviously this is a little self-serving, since I’m the guy who writes about fasting, but I believe that you only need to do this a couple times before you see a reduction in sugar cravings.

Sounds a little crazy, but I have found it works great,  especially if you pay special attention while you are fasting, looking for the times you crave sugar, and the cues that make you crave sugar.

The more you know your personal eating cues, the better you will be at
avoiding or beating those impulses.”

************
Craig here again, and I agree, you’ll learn a LOT about your body and your eating schedule and habits just by trying fasting. Check out Brad’s book and blog for more info.

Okay, that’s it…

Next week!
Advanced Fusion 2K6 Workout
Nutrition – More tips to eliminate binging