30
Aug '10
Fish Juice Supplements?
After all my crazy travel plans this summer, I decided to get out of the big city and spend the weekend at Momma B’s. Ol’ Bally the Dog loves my mom, and follows her around the house and her garden wherever she goes.
It’s quite cute to watch the two of them.
It was also a bit of a sad trip home, as it was the first time I’d been there since workers knocked down and buried my dad’s silo (if you don’t know, I grew up on a farm and my passed away 2 years ago, and my mom decided his rickety old barn and silo should get knocked down).
I’m going to post some pictures on my blog and Facebook page later this week…I have a few shots of the 80 foot silo tumbling down. More to come… ===>
And now there’s nothing left but a hill of dirt where his silo and barn once stood. Seems so strange. You’ll see when I add those photos on Friday.
But back to my mom…
…she’s made a huge improvement in her health and fitness in the last decade. She retired in 2004 and since then has become much more active, exercising almost every day.
She now has two rooms in the big old house where I group dedicated to her workout area, with a treadmill, yoga mat, stability ball, and dumbbells.
Yep, she’s 68 and using Turbulence Training. Pretty cool. So if she can do it, so can you!
And more importantly, she’s made some dramatic improvements to her diet. She eats even more fruits and vegetables now, snacks on raw nuts, and uses Prograde Protein in her smoothies.
Plus, she uses the ONE supplement that almost everyone should use.
Fish oil.
Why?
Because these contain heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
I just read a review study from the September 2010 issue of “The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry” where researchers from the University of California concluded that the omega-3 fatty acids help your heart because:
- They are anti-inflammatory (protecting your heart)
- They help you reduce triglycerides (a bad fat in your blood)
- They are anti-thrombotic (which means omega-3s fight blood clots)
These are just a few of the methods by which omega-3 fatty acids protect your heart.
And so on one hand, it was good to see that my mom had a bottle of fish oil in her fridge this weekend…
…But on the other hand, taking a spoonful of what I call “fish juice” is pretty gross. Especially if it dribbles down your chin. Double gross.
So that’s why I’ve gone back to Omega-3 capsules. And I’ve bought my mom some of the same brand I use too.
The capsules I use are from a company that I’ve partnered with called Prograde, and their omega-3 fatty acid brand is called “EFA Icon”. I get mine here and you can too:
=> The Best Source For Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Protect Your Heart
Have a great week (with some free stuff coming tomorrow),
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
Just finished up another controversial nutrition interview with
Click here to listen to Part 1 of my interview with Brad
Here are a few of the questions I asked Brad:
What’s the real deal with…
- Do foods such as dairy and grains (bread) cause harmful inflammation in the body?
- Diet soda vs regular soda…Which one is the better choice for fat loss and health?
- Sugar: How big of an enemy is this for fat loss?
- Is sugar the biggest enemy? If not, what is?
- What’s the truth about dairy for fat loss and health? (Brad reveals shocking “business motives here!”)
- What are your opinions on cheat meals vs cheat days?
- The truth about eating to boost your metabolism
- Should Eat Stop Eat be combined with other diet programs?
- What is the best workout schedule for fasting?
- Did you really do a powerlifting competition while fasted?
- What is the best health and nutrition strategy for living to be 100?
Click here to discover the truth about dairy – sugar – and bread for health and fat loss
Do you have a question for Brad?
If so, just post it below in the comments section and I’ll ask him in Part 2 of our call.
01
Aug '10
Protein Powder – When to use it
Every morning on the TT Facebook Fanpage I do a 15 minute fitness QnA session where you can ask me any training question you want…
…but it always ends up being 50-75% nutrition questions!
And always asking about the whey protein powders, post workout drinks, creatine, and supplements, supplements, supplements.
So…I’ve decided to dedicate a couple of emails this week to answering your questions about nutritional supplements.
First, I don’t really use many supplements myself. On most day, I take a healthy fat (fish oil or krill oil) and Vitamin C (because some research suggests it reduces muscle soreness).
A few times per year I’ll use creatine for 6-8 weeks, but it no longer gives me the results it did when I first tried it.
And sometimes I’ll use a protein powder. Usually it is a vegan brand, such as Sun Warrior or the current brand I’m trying, “Garden of Life Raw Protein“. But these are expensive.
Whey protein powders are less expensive, but often contain one ingredient that gives me a headache.
You see, the other week I was at a friend’s house and she wanted to impress me by making me “one of those blender drinks I like so much”.
She put in the fruit, the spinach, the natural peanut butter, and almond milk, and handed it to me. It tasted amazing…except for the weird aftertaste…and just a few minutes after I finished my glass I started getting a headache.
The reason? Aspartame. That stuff gives me a headache. So avoid it. Look for protein powders, like this one, that use Stevia.
Why choose Stevia over Aspartame?
Good question, so I asked Jayson Hunter, RD, and he said:
“There are many conflicting research studies on the negative side effects of aspartame and saccharin. Since there is so much conflicting information at this time about this it is best to choose a natural sweetener whenever you have the option to do so. One of the most common and increasingly popular natural sweeteners on the market right now is Stevia.”
Now to be honest, I’ve written over and over and over again that most people don’t need protein shakes…or at least to use as many protein shakes as they do.
But no matter how many times I say this, I can’t stop you from buying protein, and so that’s why I’ve partnered with Prograde Nutrition to recommend you get the best.
=> Get the best protein powder here <== Comes with a 60-day guarantee
And here are 5 times when it’s a pretty good idea to use this protein powder.
1) In your blender drinks
When and if I use a protein powder, this is the time. So I’ll add one scoop to my blender drink of: banana, straweberries, raspberries, spinach (you can’t taste it!), almond milk, walnuts, and cacao nibs.
2) When you are hungry
Research shows that protein suppresses appetite. Having a protein shake mid-afternoon is helpful in getting you through to dinner. An apple or almonds could probably do the trick as well, but a protein shake is fine. (For large appetites, have a protein shake & an apple.)
3) Post-workout
If it’s going to be a couple of hours before your next meal, then having protein shake plus some fruit is a good idea. This is also a great time for another blender drink. (But when isn’t it?)
4) When you are improving your diet
Protein powders help when you are just getting started in going from a bad diet to a good diet. At this point, most people just don’t know a lot of healthy options, and so a protein shake in addition to some other whole, natural foods is a good place to start until you learn more advanced “healthy cooking skills”.
5) When creating delicious, but healthy desserts
I know what its like to crave something sweet at 8 or 9pm at night when you are committed to eating healthy. Back in the day, when I used a lot more protein powders, I would mix chocolate protein powder with plain yogurt and walnuts.
But if you want really good treats, try the protein “peanut butter bars”, protein “peanut butter ice cream”, and protein “popsicles” from the dessert recipe list here.
So that’s it for the protein powder review.
And listen, I would only recommend the products that I’d give my mom to use. She uses Prograde vitamins, protein, and Omega-3’s.
=> Get your Prograde protein powder here <== Comes with a 60-day guarantee
Yes, every Prograde product comes with a 60-day, 100% money-back guarantee. You’ve got nothing to lose (and everything to gain) by putting your trust in Prograde Nutrition.
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
PS – By the way…
Today is August 1st…and so it is time for you to look back at what you wanted to accomplish in 2010, and if you aren’t there yet, to re-commit yourself to success.
“Even the impossible can be broken down into possibilities.”
Start with small goals. Achieve them and reward/reinforce your behavior. That will encourage you to continue with the right actions and will get you to keep moving closer and closer to your bigger goals.
Looking forward to your success.
Last week I was interviewed by another Canadian fitness expert, Rob King, from the beautiful east coast province of Newfoundland.
He asked me, “Craig, after helping thousands and thousands of people online, in the gym, and through Men’s Health magazine, what are the 3 biggest reasons that stop people from losing fat?”
And I told him, “Rob, the answers are going to surprise you, but here they are…”
“FIRST, most people fail from a loss of motivation
I understand that you might not reach your goals as fast as you
want, but you must never, ever, EVER give up!
Here are THREE motivational secrets to get you back on track:
i) Set goals with a deadline & a reward/punishment for your results. So sit down, look at your calendar, and circle the date that marks when you want to reach your goal. If you do, you get a reward. If you don’t, set a punishment. That will inspire you to action.
ii) Get social support. Put yourself in the right training environment and hang around other achievers. You can’t soar with eagles if you are hanging around turkeys.
iii) You must TRULY believe in yourself. You must stop with the “I’ll give this a try” mindset, and switch to a “I’m going to succeed no matter what” belief. When you get that, you’re golden.
BONUS TIP) Educate yourself. Never give up looking for new clues to success. The most successful people in life are often simply the most persistent.
SECOND, a bad diet/nutrition plan is the 2nd biggest reason for failure
Most folks who email me are so confused by nutrition. They read so much conflicting information all of the time, and it gets frustrating.
BUT the truth is, you just might need to try a lot of diets before you find the right ONE for you.
It’s like dating…99% of people don’t meet “the one” on their first date, and you probably won’t find the “right diet” on your first try.
But you can’t give up, you must keep searching for your BEST diet.
Maybe you are best suited for a higher protein diet with extra reward meals, like The Every Other Day Diet. (I follow this on weekends and don’t gain any fat, even after a weekend in Atlantic City. Impressive.)
Maybe you prefer organic foods, multiple small meals per day, and the elimination of wheat/dairy like The Diet Solution Program. (My regular diet is based on Isabel’s main principles.)
Or maybe your schedule won’t work for 6 meals per day, so you are better off with Eat Stop Eat. (I’ve used this, and recommend EVERYONE does at least one fast in their life. So mind-opening.)
You just need to find the right one for you. It is out there, I promise you that! Keep trying! And never, ever, EVER give up.
THIRD, some people fail to get results because of bad training.
Surprisingly, bad training advice is not the biggest reason people fail to lose fat. In fact, it’s probably the LEAST of people’s problems – and that’s coming from a guy who makes his living training people!
But that’s the harsh truth. Having social support and following the right diet are more important than the right workout.
Listen, as long as you are consistent with training and nutrition, most programs will give you good results.
Now that said, of course, if you want to have fun, ditch the cardio, and get results in a short amount of time, Turbulence Training is the best workout for you.
But really, the motivation and nutrition are more important. To be consistent, you have to find an intense program that you enjoy, but the good news is that you don’t have to be training 6 days per week.
As little as 2-3 workouts per week can give you amazing results.
That will free up the rest of the week for you to stay active in activities you love.
I promise that you CAN get a leaner, sexier body, without spending 6-7 days per week in the gym.
So use these motivation secrets, find the RIGHT nutrition plan for YOU, and do quick total-body workouts to get you fast fat loss results.
Oh, and then don’t forget to tell me about your success.
To your success!
Your friend and coach,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
PS – Big interview on Thursday with Bill Phillips…
…and I’ll send you the recording on Friday. My gift to you.
22
Jul '10
Truth About Meat For Fat Loss
I’m off to Atlantic City this weekend to hang out with Joel Marion and John Romaniello…Two more weeks till Joel gets married…so here’s the plan.
- I get into Philly early Friday morning, and then we’ll drive to AC
- I’ll hit an upper body workout somewhere with Joel…and maybe John, unless he’s playing poker…
- Then we’ll hit the pool, have a big dinner, and a big night out
- Saturday will be all about relaxing around the pool
- Saturday night we’re going to see Russell Peters comedy show
- Sunday – more pool & hopefully an on-time trip home (unlike the last two weekends)
Should be a great time…hope you have a great weekend too…now let’s take a look at a hardcore workout and controversial nutrition study in this week’s fat loss coaching call/report.
Click here to listen to the controversial coaching call…
Now let’s get into the TT Workout and tips…
Monday – July 26th
Transformation Tip of the Week:
Do what is right. It’s not common sense. Common sense is wrong. You need good judgement. You need to observe and associate consequences to your every action. And then you need to decide whether or not you should make the same choice the next time you are in that situation. Remember – Everything you do takes you closer to OR further away from your goals. The choice is yours.
Now to review the workout of the week. This is the most popular program of 2010…
1A) Vertical Jump – 3 reps (1-0-X)
1B) DB Chest Press – 8 reps (3-0-1)
1C) DB Reverse Lunge – 8 reps per side (2-0-1)
1D) Stability Ball Plank – 45 second hold
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 circuits.
2A) Pull-up – 2 reps short of failure (3-0-1)
2B) Dips – 2 reps short of failure (2-0-1)
2C) DB Row – 12 reps per side (2-0-1)
2D) Cross-Body Mountain Climber – 10 reps per side (1-0-1)
2E) DB Rear Deltoid Raise – 10 reps (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 circuits.
Interval Training – You can also wait and do this on Day 2 instead.
5-minute warm-up.
24 second interval at 8/10 or 9/10 intensity level.
36 second recovery at 3/10 intensity level.
In week 1, repeat 5 more times for a total of 6 intervals.
In week 2, repeat 7 more times for a total of 8 intervals.
In week 3, repeat 9 more times for a total of 10 intervals.
In week 4, repeat 11 more times for a total of 12 intervals.
5-minute cool-down.
*********
Hey, I told you this was Hardcore! Here’s the workout video for this one:
Tuesday
Get 30 minutes of fun activity – now grab a Green Tea and do this week’s controversial research review.
Reference:
Meat Consumption and progressive weight change.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Aug;92(2):398-407.
According to European researchers, eating too much meat might cause you to pack on the pounds.
BUT…
This study is complex and the findings are controversial.
Let’s use our good judgement to think about this one without prejudice, shall we?
The study found that people who ate more meat (poultry, processed meat, and red meat) gained more weight over five years than those who ate less meat, but the same amount of calories.
(NOTE #1 - That statement doesn’t make much sense…how can one group gain more weight if they ate the same number of calories? Sounds like a problem with accurate food logs…)
To their credit, the researchers studied 370,000 people from 10 countries.
The biggest meat eating countries: Spain, Sweden, Germany, and Denmark. On average, men in these countries consumed 300 calories from meat, while women consumed 200 calories from meat. Surprisingly, Greece was the country with the lowest meat intake.
The researchers believed meat causes weight gain because it is “energy-dense” (meaning it packs more calories by weight than veggies or fruits, for example).
BUT…
That doesn’t make sense, because the researchers said heavy-meat eating subjects gained more weight even though they ate the same number of calories.
My thoughts – Something doesn’t add up.
THE REALITY:
Can you eat meat and lose fat?
Yes, of course! The truth about meat for fat loss is that you can eat meat and lose weight. You just have to worry about total calorie intake. After all, dieting bodybuilders eat a LOT of meat and lose fat and get ripped, and thousands of TT members have lost fat while eating meat.
So you need to accept the context of this study…this was not a weight loss study…it was a weight gain study.
One finale note…if you simply want to maintain your body weight and body fat levels, then you might need to cut back on your meat consumption. Of course, the most important thing to do is watch your total calorie intake.
Wednesday
Just a reminder…this is a HARDCORE program…and so the following workout is advanced. Do NOT use if you are a beginner.
That said, you are going to use a Barbell Complex in this program…here are the Barbell Complex Rules
- Do not rest between exercises.
- You can use dumbbells if you don’t have a barbell.
- Use a weight that you can do 15 times for military press.
1A) RDL – 6 reps (3-0-1) ====>
1B) Hang Clean – 6 reps (1-0-X)
1C) Front Squat – 6 reps (3-0-1)
1D) Military Press – 6 reps (2-0-1)
1E) Back Squat – 6 reps (2-0-1)
1F) Forward Lunge – 6 reps/side (2-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 circuits.
2A) Chin-up with Knee-up or Underhand Inverted Row – 2 reps short of failure (3-0-1)
2B) Spiderman Climb Pushup – 1 rep short of failure (1-0-1)
2C) 1-Leg Stability Ball Leg Curl – 10 reps per side (1-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 circuits.
3A) DB Incline Chest Press – 5 reps (3-0-1)
3B) DB Split Squat – 5 reps per side (3-1-1) – pause for 1 second at the bottom
3C) Stability Ball Pike – 5 reps (1-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 4 more times for a total of 5 circuits.
That’s it. You’ll be happy when you are done, trust me.
Thursday
Do 30 minutes of fun activity…and time to look at another study.
Reference:
Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2010 Mar 23. Sedentary lifestyle and emergence of hopelessness in middle-aged men. Valtonen M, Laaksonen DE, Laukkanen J, Tolmunen T, Rauramaa R, Viinamäki H, Mursu J, Savonen K, Lakka TA, Niskanen L, Kauhanen J.
Finnish researchers studied over 1000 men studied for 4-11 years…and found that consistent, long-term physical activity was inversely associated with hopelessness.
(That means the exercise helped them avoid feelings of hopelessness.)
Just another reason to exercise…it makes us feel better, in addition to looking better.
Friday
One last hardcore workout…
1A) Depth Jump – 6 reps (X-0-X)
1B) Deadlift – 8 reps (3-2-1) – pause for 2 seconds at the bottom
1C) Pushup – 50% of your maximum repetitions (2-0-1)
1D) Get-up – 6 reps per side
====>
Rest 1 minute before repeating 1 more time for a total of 2 circuits.
2A) 1-Leg Bench Squat – 10 reps per side (4-0-1)
2B) Renegade Row – 8 reps per side (1-0-1)
2C) Pushup with Hands on Ball – 1 rep short of failure (2-0-1)
2D) Hanging Leg Raise or Stability Ball Rollout – 8 reps (3-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 circuits.
3A) Burpee-Chin-up Combo – 10 reps
3B) Cross-Body Mountain Climber with Feet on Stability Ball – 8 reps per side (1-0-1)
Rest 1 minute before repeating 2 more times for a total of 3 supersets.
Intervals
5-minute warm-up.
36 second interval at 8/10 intensity level.
54 second recovery at 3/10 intensity level.
In week 1, repeat 4 more times for a total of 5 intervals.
In week 2, repeat 5 more times for a total of 6 intervals.
In week 3, repeat 6 more times for a total of 7 intervals.
In week 4, repeat 7 more times for a total of 8 intervals.
5-minute cool-down
Whoop whoop, you are done!
Social Support Saturday!
30 minutes of fun activity…and more info on the power of social support that helped Melody lose her love handles in only 5 weeks…AND gave her the confidence to buy her first bikini in over a decade.
Melody had this to say about her transformation contest success...
“If you are going to accomplish anything -including loosing weight- you must set goals.” So I set out to write some goals – I thought I would make them reasonable and attainable for a 44 year old
I posted an introduction at the forum and stated my age and that I planed to be realistic- that I knew I was in my mid-40s, I couldn’t weigh what I did/ expect results like I had in my 30’s ect. and I would set my goals to reflect that. THEN came a reply from another TT member and she said that she was 45 and thanks to TT she was in the best shape of her life – actually better than she was in her 20’s and 30’s!!! Well that blew all my excuses out of the water and it challenged me!
I remembered re-reading in Craig’s goal article, he said, “DON’T set your goal so low they don’t really mean anything to you! Go for the gold- what do you really want?” I thought -I want to be in the best shape of my life- but not just on the outside -inside and out! I knew it would be hard work- but I also was beginning to believe with Turbulence Training I could do it!!!!”
Thanks Melody. Congratulations!
Sunday – Plan, Shop & Prepare
30 minutes activity and plan, shop, & prepare for the week ahead.
This week’s nutrition tip: Check the serving size
Make sure you look on the label to see how many servings are in each container or package. Most snacks or drinks contain 2-4 servings, and that means more calories! Also, get to know serving sizes for meat (1 serving = 1 ounce).
Giant energy drinks often contain up to three servings per can – but most of us think it is a single serving. One giant can can be 210 calories and 51 grams of sugar – twice as much as in a regular soda.
Next week!
TT Workout – Some bodyweight cardio
Research Review – Corporate weight loss using a surprising diet
#1 food for breakfast?
Another contest winner profile
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