Today’s article has nothing to do with fitness…I hope you don’t mind.

It’s just a little personal update I wanted to share with all of my friends, including you.

From time to time, everyone has days in their lives they will remember forever. Yesterday was one of them.

Yesterday, we sold the farm.

Ever since my dad passed away in 2008, it was inevitable.

But after over 40 years of her living in the same house, and after 36.5 years of me having a bedroom in the same northwest corner of that house, it was time for my mom to sell the old homestead and move on.

The house is just too big for one old little lady.

Plus the farm comes with a massive lawn that takes her and her brother (my uncle) over 3 hours to cut – and they have to recruit her old friend Gord, a dairy farmer up the road to bring his tractor down to cut the slope of the large front yard.

(Good ol’ Gord also has to come down after every winter snowfall to clear the 150 yard laneway too.)

Yesterday, after Bally and I went for a big walk from the farm all the way into where I went to high school, we loaded him up into the back of my mom’s SUV. Then we drove to nearby St. Mary’s to sign the legal documents that finalized the sale of the ol’ Howie Ballantyne farm.

Then again, there’s not much left of the farm now anyways.

If, like many readers, you’ve been around for a while, then you probably remember the article I wrote about the day they knocked down the barn and silo out here.

If not, you can read that article about “getting out of your comfort zone” and you can see photos of the demolition here.

I wasn’t around the day of that demolition, but those pictures sure tell an interesting story, don’t they?

After we left the lawyer’s office yesterday morning, we drove home through the beautiful countryside, past farm after farm getting ready for harvest, and we eventually drove by the small elementary school where I went from Kindergarten through Grade 8.

It looked like the old place hadn’t changed one bit, but for the cars in the parking lot.

The soccer field where lil’ Craiggy used to play and get in fights with other kids to impress the girls was still there.

The old baseball diamond…the bus loading zone…the swings…same as it looked 30 years ago.

Hard to believe it’s been that long. But on we went, passing by the old township baseball diamonds where I used to play as a kid.

Believe it or not, my mom would send me – alone – on the 3 mile bike ride from home to the ball diamonds – and back, every Monday and Wednesday during the summers when I was just 9 years old.

That’s how things were back then, you could just send a kid on his own biking down the back dirt roads and not worry about him.

Yes’um, I was the original dirt road scholar.

I’d buy my jumbo freezie after baseball, hop on my bike, and slowly get home just before dark.

Boy, those were some tough rides on a two-wheeler without any fancy gears when you’re just 9 years old. But it sure kept me lean even though I would get home and dive into some soda and chips each night. Maybe steal a few gumdrop candies from my old man while he was sleeping, too.

Those were the days.

The days gone by.

My good old days.

We’ll have one more Christmas out on the farm.

Maybe even one more summer too, before my mom gets her new house built.

Then we’ll have to be a little more careful when crazy ol’ Bally the Dog goes to visit my mom, since her new house will be closer to the road.

But until then, we’ll get up Thursday morning before the sun and start our walk through the fields just as it begins to crest the hills that surrounds the old ranch.

Lil’ Bally will run through the streams, bark at some ducks, sniff around where the old barn used to be, and mark his territory – as soon it will no longer be his.

I hope you enjoyed that little roll down memory lane for me, letting me show you where I’m coming from.

Reminds me to be both thankful for everything I have but also to remember that life hurries on, and that time is ticking on everything.

Maybe there’s a fitness lesson in here after all…a reminder to us that we gotta get moving on our goals.

How’s about this…

Take some time on the weekend and run through a list of all the things you have to be grateful for…

And then make another list of all the things you still want to accomplish…

And then let’s start working on an action plan to help you get what you want and deserve out of life.

Let me know what you have planned for the future in the comments section below.

To your success,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Certified Turbulence Trainer

More shenanigans for Bally the Dog. He’s been spending the summer on the farm with my mom while I schlep across the world spreading the word of Turbulence Training

As a result, it has led to many adventures. Some are cool, like when he gets to chase the deer that come down to drink at the river by the farmhouse.

Others are a little scary, like when he chases the neighbor’s dog toward the road.

And then others are just plain mysterious…like the infection he had on the side of his face this week. Turns out he had an ear infection (a chronic problem) and he was scratching himself a lot, and got a little cut on his face which then probably got infected by the river water.

So now he has the dreaded plastic cone on his head. Probably sulking, too. But he was also the subject of a Facebook question, which I’ll get to in a second.

First, the training QnA…

Question: I have been REALLY enjoying the MRT program. A few of the routines call for reps of pull ups/chin ups/push ups to x number short of failure. Since I cannot do a single unassisted chin up or pullup (and very few “man” push ups..at least  the decline or other “specialty” ones) what would you recommend for reps on those or some alternative exercise instead? – Janice

Answer: Hey Janice, thanks for the feedback. Depends on available equipment…if in a gym, a set of 8-12 underhand pulldowns can replace chins, overhand pulldowns for pullups.

If you have an assisted pullup machine at your gym, use that.

If you are training at home with dumbbells, just use db rows.

For pushups, you can do them with your hands on a bench will make things slightly easier…or eccentric only pushups (control the descent for 5 seconds).

Alternatively, rest your legs on a stability ball. If you place your thighs on the ball, that will support a lot of your weight and allow you to adjust the resistance for your pushups.

Question: What strategies should I take to hit my goal to do 25 pullups?

Answer: Good question. To be honest, I’m not the best expert, as my max is only 21 chinups, and I wouldn’t recommend the program I used to do that.

If there is anyone who can help you achieve this goal, it’s Shawna Kaminski, a female trainer from Calgary who can do over 27 pullups.

Check her site here:

=> http://challengeworkouts.com/50-pull-up-challenge

Question: What would you do with a client who has trouble performing a full extension (hands overhead) with the Stick-up exercise? – Chris

Answer: Chris, I actually had a client like that…he had a lot of mobility issues due to genetics and his work environment.

You just have to keep practicing, and also use band pulls, prisoner squats, prone stickups, and keep working on that area.

Your client should also look into physiotherapy to address underlying issues.

Question: What are the absolute necessities for a home gym? I live in an apartment so space is limited. I have two sets of dumbbells (10lb and 15lb) plus a stability ball and 15lb kettlebell, plus a yoga mat and foam roller. I run and usually do a TT workout 2 or 3 times per week. – Samantha

Answer: You have a great set-up.

If I had to build my own home gym, I’d start with adjustable dumbbells, perhaps the powerblock brand…ones that allow me to have up to 90lbs of resistance.

That would be the FIRST piece of equipment I’d get. It’s also pricey, too, but that’s where I’d start.

You can hit every body part with dumbbells and bodyweight exercises. For chest presses, you can lie on the floor. And you can do db rows in a staggered stance – no need for a bench.

After that, I’d get a pull-up bar, then a kettlebell, and then a ball.

I’m thinking someday soon I might leave the big city and get a big country home, and then build a wicked home gym in a 2-car garage…that’s going to be fun if it ever happens. Stay tuned…

Question: Who has a better 6 pack abs…You are Bally the Dog? – Daniel Woodrum, Certified Turbulence Trainer, from South Carolina

Answer: Daniel, right now, me. He’s spent the entire summer on holiday at the farm with my mom and I think lil’ poochy is getting fattened up a bit. He gets more ice cream there than he does in the big city with me. Not a lot of ice cream, but it might be enough to take him from 6-pack abs to just a 4-pack.

Time to step up his training when I get home,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Certified Turbulence Trainer

PS – If you have a question, just drop by the TT FB page here to ask it:

=> http://www.TurbulenceTrainingFanpage.com

And don’t forget…just one week left to enter the 12th TT Transformation Contest here:

=> http://www.TransformationContest.com

You can win up to $1000 just for losing belly fat.

Hmmmm…I might have to get Bally to enter…

The 12th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest is up and starting today.

It’s your chance to lose belly fat and win up to $1000 in one of our four categories.

To see how other folks just like you have been able to lose fat and change their lives, visit our success stories here:

=> http://www.TransformationContest.com

All you need to do to get started are these 3 simple things.

1) Take your before photos before Saturday, Sept. 17th.

2) On the day you take those before photos, start using any of the Turbulence Training workouts for the next 12 weeks.

3) Submit your before and after photos and 300-word contest summary “journal entry” before midnight on Saturday, Dec 10th to TurbulenceTrainingHelp@gmail.com.

That’s it. No purchase required. You can find the workouts online, on youtube, or on my blog at www.TTFatLoss.com.

Looking forward to your success. And remember, every pound you lose helps get us closer to my goal of helping TT readers lose 500 pounds of fat in this contest.

We can do this.

Never quit. If you stumble, get back up. What happened yesterday no longer matters. Today’s another day, so get back on track on move closer to your dreams and goals.

Consistency is key. Track your efforts and focus on what works.

Look long-term, not next week. Get social support to help you make it through the dip. I can’t emphasize how important it is to connect with and communicate with like-minded individuals.

You can do it,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS, CTT

PS – Lose belly fat for your chance to win up to $1000 here

=> http://www.TransformationContest.com

Back in May, at the start of the 11th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest I set a bold goal. I wanted to help TT users lose a documented 500 pounds of fat in just 12 weeks.

Unfortunately, my goal fell short…far short. We reached 228 pounds as a group. Now, in reality I should be ecstatic. And I am, of course.

People’s lives WERE changed. Bodies were transformed. TT users have developed new lifelong habits. They’ve added years to their lives and life to their years. They have more energy. They look and feel better.

Check out the winners of our contest here

I’m so proud of everyone, including our $1000 prize-winning Champions.

• Men Under 40 – Matt Lost 35 Pounds in 12 Weeks
• Women Under 40 – Jenae is Back to Her High School Weight (thanks to TT)
• Men Over 40 – Phillip Lost 34 Pounds in Under 3 Months (time for new pants)
• Women Over 40 – Katie Kicked Butt with TT and Eat-Stop-Eat

Amazing.  And I want to see you up there next contest.

It’s really simple to get started. You don’t have to buy anything, but I’ve found that our winners most often are consistent visitors to the TT Forum for that all important social support.

The next contest starts this weekend. Get all the details here.

So let’s help you help me in reaching my 500 pounds of fat loss mission goal.

Cool?

I thank you from the bottom of my heart, as this small goal will help us reach our bigger goal of 1 Million Transformations by 2020.

To your – and our – success,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Certified Turbulence Trainer

PS – Did you notice something?

I didn’t succeed the first time with this goal, but I’m not stopping.

I’m going to keep going until we reach this goal.

I’m not going to give up.

And that’s the attitude you need to have as well.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve struggled before…if you’ve entered and dropped out.  After all, no one quits smoking the first time they try, right?

It takes an average of 9 attempts to quit. But eventually they will quit if they try enough.

They will succeed.

And so will you.  And so will I.

We must never give up.

So let’s do this together.

Find out how to get started and how to take your before and after photos here:

=> http://www.TransformationContest.com/rules

500 pounds of fat loss – here we come.

Well…

You might be upset with me today…

But sometimes it’s worth getting you a little worked up in order to reach you with an important message.

Let me tell you a little story to explain.

On my internet independence website, I ran a business transformation contest. It was announced to over 6000 readers.  Guess how many people entered? …. Two.

That’s it.  But there was no cost to enter. Heck, there was barely any effort required.  Yet still, just 2 out of 6000 “showed up”.

The lesson:  Take ACTION. You have a lot LESS competition than you think.  What’s the old Woody Allen quote?  Oh yeah,”Eighty percent of success is showing up.”  Seems to be very true.

So if that’s the case, you have a great chance of being one of our next Transformation Contest winners.  I assure you, out of the hundreds of people that tell me they are going to start, only a few will finish.

That’s reality.

BUT…

…that also means the reality of you winning gets a lot better.

So if you’re wanting to change, but you’re struggling, then use the TT Transformation Contest as that final kick in the butt. If you transform, you will NOT be disappointed this summer.  Instead, you’ll be leaner, sexier, and healthier.

You’ll have more energy for your kids, for work, for fun, and even for the bedroom.

So here are the 3 steps you need to take to change your behavior:

Step 1 – Clearly identify and communicate what you want the new behaviour to be and what old behaviour you want to stop.

Step 2 – Reinforce/reward the new desired behaviour.

Step 3 – Make it easy to perform the desired behaviour. So make the necessary changes in your environment that foster the performance of positive behaviors.

For example, research shows that people eat more vegetables when vegetables are stored in the fridge at eye level.  Little things like that go a LONG way in helping you change.

The more you make healthier options available to yourself, the more you will make the right choices.

Let me leave you with this:

“Identify exactly what is you want. This takes a lot of thought. Then don’t let anything stand in your way of getting it.” – Kekich Credo #56

Looking forward to your success,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS, CTT
Creator, Turbulence Training Transformation Contest