It wasn’t all but 20 years ago that fitness experts were telling you to eat low fat diets, exercise with machines and to make sure that you are burning enough calories by doing slow boring cardio workouts.

Things have definitely changed over that time.

Now, research has proven without a shadow of a doubt that performing some type of Metabolic Resistance Training is the sure fire way to shed unwanted belly fat and build muscle at the same time.

The big secret is that some of the world’s top coaches & trainers have been using metabolic resistance training for years now.

Anytime you use circuits or supersets to train with an elevated heart rate with insufficient recovery, you are doing metabolic resistance training.

One of the most common issues, however, with doing an MRT workout is that access to adequate gym equipment is limited unless  you’re lucky enough to train in an empty gym or you train at a private a private studio that specializes in MRT workouts.

Your ability to move from one “bang for your buck” exercise to the next is limited when you have maneuver through a busy gym or when the pretty boy is doing bicep curls in your squat rack again.

And that’s where the beauty of the kettlebell comes into the MRT equation.

What most people don’t know is that Metabolic Resistance Training has been the standard practice of training with kettlebells since they were conceived back in the 18th century!

Lifting a challenging weight several times with an elevated heart rate for a given period of time is the essence of using a kettlebell.  Not only are you forcing your muscles to work hard, but you’re forging a heart of steel and creating an environment in your body that will burn fat all day long.

The beauty about kettlebell training is that not only are you getting a great muscle-building and fat loss workout at the same time, but you are also able to increase your movement efficiency as well.

Yes that’s right, training with kettlebells will allow you to move better and with greater efficiency than training with traditional weight equipment.

All kettlebell exercises require the use of the entire body.  From “grinds” like the Get Up to ballistic exercises like the kettlebell swing, each exercise you perform uses every muscle in your body in a coordinated network to move the kettlebell.

By moving the kettlebell or – in the case of the Get Up – moving around the kettlebell and because of the way the weight is distributed when you hold a kettlebell, your body pulls itself into alignment forcing you to open up chronically tight areas like your hips and chest and strengthen areas that are chronically weak like your glutes and shoulder girdle.

So what does this have to do with losing fat and building muscle?

Well, every kettlebell workout is a metabolically demanding workout, but with movement efficiency as the foundational principle behind kettlebell training, you not only will shed that unwanted belly fat and build lean mass, but you will be moving better allowing your body to work harder and longer.

The benefit of this is that chronic issues that plague our western society are often combated and alleviated through kettlebell training.  Poor posture by sitting at a desk 8 hours per day hunched over a computer keyboard is quickly battled by holding a kettlebell over your head or explosively extending your hips countless times when you perform kettlebell swings or snatches.

Kettlebell metabolic resistance training, not only will you give your body the ability to burn fat and build muscle at the same time, but you will begin to move better and stave off common issues associated with living everyday life.

Not only will you be stronger and leaner, but healthier as well.

Chris Lopez, RKC, Certified Turbulence Trainer www.KettlebellWorkouts.com/losefat

Today we’re going to do a Kettlebell exercise and workout QnA time with Certified TT Trainer, Chris Lopez.

Chris is also an RKC, Russian Kettlebell Challenge, certified KB trainer, and has been a kettlebell fanatic for many years. He even taught me how to use kettlebells here, at Kettlebell School:

1st question: Chris, what got you into kettlebells?

Chris Lopez – When we had our 3rd child, I found that my training time was severely restricted. so i was looking for an efficient training solution. We have 5 kids now. Also, Russian training methods have always interested me, so I got curious..

Turbulence Training – You have the RKC, tell us about how much fun that certification was.

Chris Lopez - It was crazy fun! the energy that was shared among all participants was incredible. the knowledge and support from all the instructors was great too. I learned so much in 3 days that I’m hooked and want to go further with the RKC.

The best part was that it was no BS. if you didn’t prepare for the weekend, there was NO WAY you were going home with an RKC certificate

Turbulence Training - Before the RKC, what was your favorite KB exercise…and then what was your favorite KB exercise after?

Chris Lopez ‎- Before the RKC, my favorite exercise was the snatch…Now, my favorite, by far is the double KB clean. At the RKC, one of the senior guys taught us proper clean technique and told us about how it’s great for athletes to develop upper body “armour”. SOLD! Now I do higher rep double cleans with 24kg bells, and I get smoked in less than 10 minutes. My goal is to be able to do 100 in a row. Right now I’m at around 40.

Bronson Young – Hey Chris, I am doing a circuit routine with the KB’s for the total body three days a week. I go 30 seconds on and 15 rest. My excesses are squat press, chest press, rows, lunges, 1 leg deadlifts and swings. Am I doing the right workout?

Turbulence Training – And what KB exercise do most people tend to need the most help with? What is the average person doing wrong?

Chris Lopez ‎- The swing is usually the one everyone does wrong even though it seems like the most basic movement. but, I’ve seen so many beginners and trainers turn it into a sumo squat-front delt raise exercise… you MUST hinge at your hip and think max-hip hinge, minimal knee bend

Chris Lopez - It depends on what your goals are. it sounds like a good routine. I would maybe split up the lower body exercises a little more so that the quality of your swings at the end of the circuit don’t suffer.

Turbulence Training – Chris, I know you have a lot of KB youtube videos and “finisher workouts”…is there one in particular you like best?

Chris Lopez-  I love the ladder workouts. They seem to be the favorite of most of the readers as well. The ladders are where you start with 8 reps of one exercise or series and work your way down and then back up by adding or subtracting reps.

Turbulence Training – One of the most common questions we get is, “What weight of kettlebell should I start with?” – so whats the answer for men and women?

Chris Lopez Men – 12 or 16kg, Women – 8 or 12kg

Turbulence Training - And why do you like the double KB clean so much now? What weight do you use?

Shannon Billows – Is doing a kettlebell swings for intervals on your “off days” ie Tuesday and wed, hinder recovery time as from your main resistance training workouts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday?

Chris Lopez – Not at all. in fact, I think it will help recovery because it helps circulate your blood to the recovering muscles. training on the off-days is fine, as long as your intensity isn’t as high as your training days.

Shannon Billows – Awesome Thanks a bunch

Turbulence Training – Awesome. Thanks Chris. We’ll have you back real soon. Until then, if anyone has questions for Chris, they can stop by his blog at www.KettlebellWorkouts.com – have a great day everyone.

Chris Lopez – Thanks for having me CB!

Isaac Rojas This great! I just asked Craig about a TT Kettlebell workout not knowing there was one and now we have a Kettlebell Q n A! I was actually on ur website blog last night Chris. I recently started with just KB swings but I introduced KB to my gf and she loves it. What is the best overall female exercise with a KB that works full-body? BTW, going to pick up the TT Kettlebell Revolution soon!

Chris Lopez – The SWING!!! For females especially, the swing is great because it works the glutes, hamstrings, low back, abs & upper back like nothing else! thanks so much for the kind words

David L. Morrison I’ve asked this question three times thus far about calf training, I do own a kettlebell. I would like an Effective way to build my calves ( k.bell/body weight ) Thank you!

Chris Lopez ‎- I find hill sprinting to be an incredible calf workout. I’m not good with isolation training, but understand that the calves are a muscle group that you can hit quite frequently throughout the week. For specific exercises, I suggest you take a look at http://www.JasonFerruggia.com/

If you have a kettlebell exercise or workout question, please ask it in the comments section below and we’ll get Chris to answer it.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Certified Turbulence Trainer

I was in California this weekend…Cali always makes me think of great nutrition, and awesome foods like avocado, dates, spinach, asparagus, red onions, spinach salads with strawberries and walnuts, and even Portobella mushroom burgers.

Last summer I visited Kardena Pauza down here in Orange County, and she made me some amazing blender drinks and fed me the most amazing dates I have ever had. Nothing since has compared to them. They were like tiny donuts…so sweet.

Anyways, what most people don’t know is that  I was a very picky eater when I was young. I didn’t eat most of those foods listed above until I was almost 30!

Click here to listen to the call…

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

Monday – July 12th

Transformation Tip of the Week:
“If you have a problem with _____, do something about it. It doesn’t matter how big the ____ problem is, you can take action on fixing it today. Send an email to a friend asking for help with ___. Search the internet for solutions to _____. Or get off Facebook, and go fix your ____ problem in the real world. No matter what, there is no excuse to not work on fixing your ____ problem today.”

TT Workout A – Kettlebell Workouts
1) KB Clean (5 x 5)
2a) KB Side Press (3 x 5)
2b) Chin-Ups (3 x AMAP)
3) Turkish Get-Up (3 x 5 per side)
4) 2-Arm KB Swings x 100 (in as minimal sets as possible, rest 1min btwn sets)

And here’s something else to try, from the latest Men’s Health magazine.

Trainer Martin Rooney gives us his 3-minute chinup test and scores.

For men, if you get ___, you are ____.

<19 = below average
20-29 = average
30-39 = good
40-49 = excellent
50+ = extraordinary

In the magazine, Martin gives tips on how to improve by doing sets 2-reps short of failure with 1 minute rest.

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: July 2010 – Volume 42 – Issue 7 – pp 1286-1295. Resistance Training Predicts 6-yr Body Composition Change in Postmenopausal Women. Bea, J., et al.

Previously, sedentary women (n = 122, age = 56.3 ± 4.3 yr) were randomly assigned to resistance training or control.

The training group did eight core exercises for two sets of eight repetitions at 70%-80% of one-repetition maximum, three times weekly, plus progressive weight bearing, stretching, and balance

Results showed that resistance training is a viable long-term method to prevent weight gain and deleterious changes in body composition in postmenopausal women.

So no matter what your age, you need to be lifting for a better body!

Stay strong!

Wednesday

TT Workout B – Kettlebell Workout

Jumping Jacks x 25
1-Arm KB Swings x 15 per arm
KB Overhead Walking Lunges x 10
Push-Ups x 15
Double KB Row x 15
Prisoner Squats x 15
Burpees x 10

Thursday
Do 30 minutes of fun activity. Now a common question I get about these off days is…

“Can you do intervals and weights on alternate days?”

The answer is yes. It seems to be fine. We are still looking to see if this gives more results or less. But so far, so good.

Friday

TT Workout C – Kettlebell Workout

KB Snatch (5 x 5 per side)
2a) Hindu Push-Ups (3 x AMAP)
2b) Renegade Rows (3 x 10 per side)
KB Windmill (3 x 8 per side)
Double KB Front Squat (1 x 20)

Social Support Saturday!
30 minutes of fun activity…and now for a support tip from the latest Men’s Health magazine (July or August, 2010).

Research shows you need to get on the email list of fitness experts, because signing up for weight loss advice emails can help you lose weight because you’ll eat smarter & increase your activity.

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

Another tip from that issue of Men’s Health…

Men should consume < 150 calories of added sugar per day.

However, good ol’ Men’s Health is always contradicting itself, and 2 pages later, MH recommends drinking 200 calorie slushies before your endurance workout.

Confusing messages…what they should have done was been more specific that the slushie recommendation was for ENDURANCE athletes.

Oh, and why do slushies help? Because the cold temperature slows the absorption of sugar…giving you time released energy.

It’s also worth mentioning again this info about deadly transfats.

Foods can claim to be trans-fat if they have < 0.5g per serving! But a package of food might have 2-4 servings, and therefore, you if you eat the entire bag, you could get a heart-crushing 1-2 grams of transfats. And you should eat LESS than a gram per day.

Research – quoted in MH – shows that for every 2% increase in your daily trans fat intake, your risk of heart disease increases 23% – transfats are nasty!

Avoid all foods with hydrogenated oil in the ingredient list…even if the package says “trans fat free”.

Next week!
TT Contest Results!
TT Workout – Program that helped contest winners
Research Review – High Protein Diet Study

I’m a lucky man because I’m off to the SuperBowl this weekend…and I’ll be creating a special report on my fitness and nutrition while on the road. In fact, I’m creating an entire new site “Turbulence Training Travels”. Watch for that in March.

Speaking of the SuperBowl, this week’s fat burning coaching call has a SuperBowl theme with lots of sports analogies.

Click here to download the call – its a good one

But first, I want to tell you about an email I got this week.

For some reason, my email address has been put on a “free publicity” list, and every day I get 3-5 lame Press Releases about fitness.

One of them was about the “120 Calorie Half-Time Workout” that went on to outline a boring circuit that you could do at half-time during the game to burn off some of the football munchie calories.

But this mindset bugs me.

Why?

Because you’ll never win the “calorie battle” by trying to out-exercise a bad diet. It just won’t work with “120 calorie circuits”.

Instead, stick to the “7 Word Diet” 90% of the time, and follow my 3 cheat rules (listed below) for big events.

Now let’s move on to our Superbowl tips…

Monday – Feb 8th

Transformation Tip of the Week: Superbowl Style

Kekich Credo #73. Nothing wins more often than superior preparation.

For Fat Loss, you must…

1) Plan, shop, and prepare.

2) Come up with two solutions for every obstacle in your life.

3) Use a structured, professionally designed workout

4) Get social support

5) And have a positive and determined mindset that …you are going to DO this, not that you are going to “try” and do this.

That’s how you win.

Workout A – TT KB-DB-BW Fusion Program – August 2007

Superset #1
1A) 1-Leg Squat with KB’s or DB’s [if possible] – 6 reps per leg (2-0-1)
30 seconds rest.
1B) DB Incline Press – 8 reps (3-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating the superset 2 more times.

Superset #2
2A) 1-Leg RDL with KB or DB – 10 reps per leg (2-1-1)
No rest.
2B) DB or KB Row – 8 to 12 reps per arm (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Superset #3
3A) DB or KB Squat – 20 reps (1-0-1)
No rest.
3B) Decline Pushup – 20 reps (1-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Intervals

• Warm-up for 5 minutes.
• Work for 45 seconds at a hard pace (at a subjective 9/10 level of intensity).
• Follow that with “active rest” for 90 seconds by exercising at a slow pace (at a subjective 2/10 level of intensity).
• Repeat for 5 intervals.
• Finish with 5 minutes of a cool-down at a 3/10 level of intensity.

Tuesday
Get 30 minutes of fun activity – and let’s do this week’s research review about “The Diet of Death”.

Reference:
International Journal of Obesity (2009) 33, 1419–1426. Associations between dietary patterns and obesity phenotypes. A-M Paradis1,2,3, G Godin4, L Pérusse2,5 and M-C Vohl. Laval.

In this study, researchers reviewed the diets of 664 participants aged between 18 and 55 years.

They found that people generally fell into 2 categories:

1. The Western Diet (refined grains, French fries, red meat, processed meats, & regular soft drinks)
2. The Prudent Diet (eggs, fish, seafood, vegetables, and non-hydrogenated fat)

Unfortunately, the researchers found that subjects who ate the Western Diet had a larger BMI, heavier weight, bigger waist and a lot more fat. They were much more likely to be obese.

But people on the Prudent diet were the opposite.

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Listen, nutrition is pretty simple. In fact, I just finished reading an entertaining little book called,  “Food Rules” by Michael Pollan. It tells you what to eat, and what not to eat.

And it can all be summed up in this 7 word diet:

“Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

Heck, eat ANYTHING but the Western diet. That is the diet of death.

Wednesday

I know I’m going to get the question, “Can I just use dumbbells for these exercises?”.

The answer is “yes and no”. Kettlebells allow for a better movement in the swing exercise. For that one, you’ll want a kettlebell.

Workout B – TT KB-DB-BW Fusion Program – August 2007

1A) 1-Arm KB or DB Swing – 12 reps per arm (2-0-1)
No rest.
1B) Spiderman Pushup – 10 reps per side (1-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating the superset 2 more times.

Superset #2
2A) 1-Arm, 1-Leg DB or KB Overhead Press – 6 reps per side (2-0-1)
No rest.
2B) Waiter’s Bow – 15 reps (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Superset #3
3A) 1-Arm DB or KB Squat & Press – 10 reps per arm (2-0-1)
No rest.
3B) X-Body Mountain Climber – 10 reps per side (1-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Triset #4
4A) Turkish Get-up – 5 reps per side
No rest.
4B) Pushup Hold – 2 reps (15 second hold at top & 5 second hold at bottom)
No rest.
4C) Side Plank – 20 seconds per side
Rest 30 seconds before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 trisets.

Thursday
Do 30 minutes of fun activity and then let’s look at your planning again…

If you watch football, you know that every play is scripted…and you might even know that teams come in with their game already planned out. They know what plays they are going to run.

The teams that plan the best, often have the best results…even against greater talent.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is not having a plan. That leads to wasted time (“what should I do today”) and no results.

Spend time planning your workouts to save you time when you go to do you workouts.

Get as much control as you can by planning, shopping, and preparing, but don’t get upset by things you can’t control. Go with flow. Breathe. Work on improving everything else that you CAN control.

Friday

5 supersets in today’s workout!

Workout B – TT KB-DB-BW Fusion Program – August 2007

1A) DB Split Squat – 8 reps per side (2-0-1)
No rest.
1B) Block Pushup – 15 reps (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating the superset 2 more times.

Superset #2
2A) DB Chest Press – 8 reps (2-0-1)
No rest.
2B) 1-Leg Deadlift – 8 reps per side (3-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Superset #3
3A) DB Deep Step-up – 12 reps per side (2-0-1)
No rest.
3B) T-Pushup – 10 reps per side (1-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Superset #4
4A) DB Rear Deltoid Raise – 12 reps (2-0-1)
No rest.
4B) 1-Leg Calf Raise – 10 reps per side (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Superset #5
5A) DB Curl – 10 reps (2-0-1)
No rest.
5B) Close-Grip Elevated Pushup – 10 reps per side (1-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.

If you want, you can finish with kettlebell swings, but the 5 pairs of exercises should be enough.

Social Support Saturday!
Get 30 minutes of fun activity, and then think about this sports analogy for social support:

In sports, the home field is almost always thought of as an advantage because of the support from the fans.

You too must create support from the “fans” in your life.

Its tough to do this on your own. Get help from positive people, and don’t let negative ones into your life.

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And there’s one more workout for this program:

Day 6 – Interval Training Circuit

Warm-up – 5 minutes at a moderate pace

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

Interval #2 (45 seconds at 8/10 intensity level).
Without rest, do 15 pushups
Rest 1 minute before moving to Interval #3.

Interval #3 (60 seconds at 8/10 intensity level).
Rest 1 minute before repeat Intervals #1-#3 one more time each.

Cool-down for 5 minutes.

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

If you are eating big today, use these 3 Cheat Meal Rules

1) Enjoy the meal WITHOUT guilt. It’s just one meal.

2) But NO “gorging” or going back for 2nds. You just get one round of food to enjoy – so eat and drink slowly. No gluttony allowed. Eat slow so you feel full faster.

3) Once it’s over, get right back on track. No feeling bad. In fact, you should feel good – after all, you just REWARDED yourself.

BONUS: Be prepared in advance that you don’t “relapse” after the meal. Make sure you have plenty of healthy alternatives for snacking if you still are hungry later in the evening so that you don’t go back to the leftover wings.

Also, with respect to rule 2, everyone needs to make sure they haven’t “bottled up their desires” so that they end up going on a binge fest. Its not about binging, its about rewarding.

That’s why I like the term “reward meal” rather “cheat meal”, even though it sounds totally dorky.

Okay, that’s it. Hope it helps.

Have a great week,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

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Next week!

• TT Workout – Beginner Total Torso Training
• Weekly Research Review – An interesting fiber & weight loss study
• Endurance athlete strength training tip
• Protein intake tips from Men’s health

Last week I posted 3 more fitness predictions, but those aren’t the only trends I see going big-time in 2010…

More fitness predictions:

4. Kettlebell-friendly gyms will become more popular

Without a doubt, kettlebells continue to get more popular every year, since they were first introduced. But the first decade of Kettlebell popularity was spent creating a hardcore mentality about kettlebells that slowed their acceptance into mainstream fitness.

In my opinion, KB’s could be 20x’s more popular than they are now. So in 2010, you’ll start to see a more family friendly version of Kettlebell Workouts and training areas at your local gym.

Since they are already being sold on infomercials, it’s time for kettlebells to explode in popularity and to be given the space they deserve in your neighborhood gym.

5. Trainers and fitness authors are going to create more age-group targeted programs

Whether or not this is necessary, we’ll see more and more books and trainers specializing in helping “women over 40”, “men over 65”, etc. Now to be honest, with the exception of individual injury considerations – which applies to all ages – there really isn’t much difference in training someone for fat loss over 50 or at age 30 or age 60.

However, on the bright side, every age group will now have access to more specific role models, tighter communities, and peer-delivered messages that hit home stronger than ever.

6. More trainers will create 5, 6, and even 7-day per week programs – even me!

Whoa, whoa, whoa! 7-day per week programs? How could I ever create a 7-day per week Turbulence Training program? Let me explain…

First, these programs won’t include 7 hard workouts per week. Rather, folks just want to be told what to do on their off days as well as during their workouts.

So instead of creating articles, books, and programs that just give you three workouts per week and leave you to your own devices for the rest of the days, trainers will now be giving you the exact stretching, recovery, and off-day activity plans for a complete 7-day program.

Talking with P90X creator, Tony Horton, really gave me a lot of ideas for this new system.

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Okay, that’s it for today, but I still have about 6-10 more predictions coming your way soon.

Click here for the final predictions.

Let me know if you have any predictions,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training