You see, I still have my old driver’s license from when I was 300 lbs.  So when they ask for my ID, I hand it to them and wait for a response.   If I get a second look, I’m in.  The games will ensue.  Sometimes, I’ll just say something like, “Yep.  Boom.”, or if I’m in a playful mood, I’ll just tell them, “I ate a lot of salt yesterday.”  Ohhhh man, it’s good times.

Anyway, back to the workout decision.  If I go through the doors and see a few machines and no free weights or at least a chin-up or pull-up bar, I know that my exercise plans will be bodyweight workouts.  If there is a bar but no free weights, I can hang around the gym and incorporate chin-ups, pull-ups and body squats, among other good-time moves.  It will still be a bodyweight workout, but I like the chin-up and pull-up options.  It will also allow me to perform a metabolic resistance training program.

Is Bodyweight MRT Possible?

Here’s the thing though – how do you incorporate metabolic resistance training using just bodyweight, and can you have a solid MRT workout using just your own body?  The cool, hip answer is “yeah mang”.  Don’t think I added a “g” at the end by mistake.  That’s slang for “yeah man”.  It’s a new trend I’m trying.  Anyway…

There is a lot of debate of what exactly is MRT, but by now you know that it incorporates non-competing supersets or circuits with short rest periods.  That’s the overall theme.  A MRT program can involve:

• Non-competing strength training (chin-ups supersetted with Bulgarian squats for example)
• Metabolic conditioning exercises (mountain climbers, jumping  jacks, Spiderman climbs)
• Shorter rest periods  (like 20 secs)
• Longer rest periods (but still challenging enough to not allow full recovery – like 1 minute)

So do you take all of these components, toss them in a blender and then get to work?  No, mang.  Ha-ha, who started that slang?  I like it.  Anyway, of course you wouldn’t just throw these things together and hope for a solid MRT workout.  When I put together a bodyweight MRT workout program, I do like to use everything above, but there’s typically a template I put together and it looks like this:

Warm-up

2-3 Supersets of strength exercises using 1 minute of rest between supersets

1 Metabolic conditioning circuit using 3-5 conditioning exercises using 30 seconds to 1 minute of rest (depending on my mood)

Metabolic Workout Finisher (this really varies, but the principles remain the same – high intensity and short rest periods

A basic bodyweight program is great – for example, a circuit of pull-ups, squats and planks.  But I also think that protein shakes are great.  But if you incorporate strength exercises, metabolic conditioning and a metabolic finisher, then it’s fantastic… like a protein shake blended with peanut butter, almond milk and cinnamon.  Analogies are fun.

The art behind the program design is important.  You should perform the strength exercises at the beginning of the program when you are fresh and your muscles haven’t been fatigued.  That way, you will give each strength exercise your best effort, allowing you the maximum benefits… like smoking belly fat.  Then, you follow that with metabolic conditioning and/or a metabolic finisher.

Putting a Bodyweight MRT Workout Together

Alright, let’s do this.

Warm-up

Do the following circuit twice, resting for 30 seconds between circuits:

• Jumping Jacks (15)
• Arm Crosses (15)
• Prisoner Squats (15)
• Pushups (10)
• Plank (30 secs)
• Leg Swings (15 ea)
• Close Grip Pushups (8)

Superset 1

1A) Pull-ups or Wide Overhand Grip Inverted Rows (1 rep short of failure)

1B) Split Squat or Bulgarian Squat (1-1/2 rep style) (8 ea) (1-1/2 rep style is done when you go down, come halfway back up, back down and finally all the way up (that’s one rep)

Rest 1 minute and repeat 2 more times

Superset 2

2A) 1-Legged Deadlift (12 ea leg)

2B) Decline Pushups (1 rep short of failure)

Rest 1 minute and repeat 2 more times

Metabolic Conditioning Circuit

Do the following circuit 3 times, resting for 45 seconds between circuits

3A) Jump Squats (5)

3B) Cross-Body Mountain Climbers (8 ea)

3C) Total Body Extensions (15)

3D) Spiderman Climb (10 ea)

Finisher

Do the following circuit resting only when needed.  In the first circuit, you will perform 6 reps of each exercise.  In the next circuit, you will perform 5 reps.  Continue in this fashion until you complete 1 rep of each exercise.  Time yourself.  The next time you perform this finisher, see if you can beat your previous time.  Remember, form takes precedence.

4A) Burpees (6, 5, etc., down to 1)

4B) Lunge Jumps (6 ea leg, 5 ea leg, etc. down to 1 ea leg)

4C) Spiderman Pushups (6 ea side, 5 ea side, etc. down to 1 ea side)

Now that’s a tasty bodyweight metabolic resistance training smoothie.  Yeah, mang?

Now for the first superset, you may not have access to a pull-up bar or a way to do inverted rows.  While there is no perfect bodyweight move to replace that, you can certainly do the split squat “prisoner style”, by keeping your hands behind your head and squeezing your shoulder blades together during the movement.  That will work your upper back while you work your legs.  You can also incorporate this style with the jump squats.  They are brilliantly called “Prisoner Jump Squats”.

With this type of program, you get the best of all the worlds – you incorporate metabolic resistance training, metabolic conditioning and with the finisher, even an interval element.  Yeah mang, I said “element”.  I can be hip or sophisticated.

So can metabolic resistance training involve just bodyweight exercises?  Yeeeaaaahhhh, mang.  Ha-ha, so fun.

Finish strong,

Mike Whitfield

The next 72 hours are CRITICAL for your success. This is the exact time of year when forward momentum stops. Plans are scrapped. Dreams are put on hold.

SuperBowl weekend (for North Americans), and the “February Fat Loss Plateau Curse” for everyone around the world, can be frustrating and deadly for your goals.

I know. I’ve been there.

My first year of college (or University as we call it up in Canadia) completely put me out of my routine. I ate poorly, drank too much, and just couldn’t get into the habit of my workout routine which I had built up for three strong years in high school.

It was embarrassing. I was ashamed of the 10 pounds I had gained and muscle I had lost.

It’s not your fault that you might be suffering from a dip in motivation. It happens to all of us. I wasn’t always a GQ fitness model with abs.

Fitness companies weren’t always stealing my image to put on their T-shirts and equipment boxes.

You see, back in the day, during my first year at college, I became downright disappointed with my belly fat situation.

But something happened in that 2nd term…

…I re-gained my commitment to my goals.

Like you, I felt “enough was enough”.

I was tired of looking like crap…but you know what was worse? How I felt. I hated being tired all afternoon. I hated getting sucked into an hour of TV after classes and then trying to find energy to study at night.

One day I decided it had to stop and I had to change.

And with the help of the fitness advice I was learning each day in my classes, plus from my personal studies of every fitness magazine I could get my hands on, I began the journey towards the creation of Turbulence Training.

Towards “Turbulence Forever“.

You see, I’m not only the President (as the old TV ad goes), I’m also a client.

I’m the original TT Success Story.

The first, but far from the last.

And I hope you’ll be the next.

This quote came into my life this week – at the perfect time – and it will help you:

“It’s perfectly okay to want to quit – as long as you don’t.” – Fran Tarkenton

So whatever I can do for you, please let me know.

There’s nothing that can be done about the past – you can only improve the way you do things in the future.

If you need help, just drop by the TT Facebook page and ask your question here

If you are struggling with motivation today and are thinking of skipping your workout, then just do me one tiny little favor?

Just go to your workout space and do your warm-up.

Just 5 minutes, that’s all you need.

And once you get through the warm-up, promise me you’ll do just one set, okay?

Oh, and do me one last favor, just do a couple of intervals for me too, pretty please?

If you do that, I promise you’ll end up doing the whole workout, and probably having an amazing session too.

That’s “Forward Progress” as they say in the NFL.

Keep your forward progress going for the next 72 hours.

Kill the curse.

Get that all important small victory.

The one that delivers the momentum that keeps you going.

Listen, my friend Roman got into town last night, and we’re going to be hanging out and working on Kickbutt Mindset Tips to help you beat ‘the curse’.

No matter how you are doing going into February, it is our promise to you that you’ll leave this month kicking the fat loss curse to the curb – forever.

Everything we do this month is about giving you the tools, workouts, and nutrition tips to make everything EASIER.

Fat loss will come simpler and quicker if you can make it through the critical next 72 hours.

Stay strong until Monday. If you can do it, celebrating each small little victory along the way, you’ll be on the path to achieving your biggest goals in 2012. I promise you that.

It’s our mission to show you the way. To show you what Roman and I have been lucky enough to achieve.

Like you and I, Roman struggled too. Everyone struggles. But there’s a solution for all of us.

Stay strong – and give us a chance to show you the way to fat loss forever.

We’ll be working on a plan for you all weekend long. Stay tuned for your step-by-step solution next week.

NOTE: If you are rocking along and don’t need a good kickbutt mindset email, you can jump right over to this SuperBowl
Sunday workout QnA I’ve prepared for you with an awesome plan:   ttfatloss workouts-exposed

Either way, you are awesome.

More awesome than a cheat meal pizza on SuperBowl Sunday with your bestest friendz in the whole world.

I’m lucky enough to be kicking back with Lily Marionz, Roman, Kim Lyons, and a few other fitness folks this weekend to
watch the game. Oh yeah, and Joel will be here too.

Giving thanks, thinking up new workouts (my new “Turbulence Forever” comes out next week for you), and getting motivated
with the best fitness minds on the planet is my plan for Sunday.

I’ll be back next week with the exact plan to help you get through the “February Fat Loss Plateau Curse“.

Stay strong my friend,

Craig Ballantyne
Certified Turbulence Trainer

PS – “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right”. – Napoleon Hill

The tough mudder is an obstacle course comprised of 10 to 12 miles of running, climbing, pulling and pushing through mud, ice, fire and electric volts. It is not for the faint of heart and is a true test of what a human being is really capable of.

As you can imagine, the training required of any competitor that hopes to survive through the bitter end, needs to be extensive and thorough. In addition to ensuring your own behind crosses the finish line, this challenge expects you to help your fellow man or woman cross as well, putting your character to the test as much as your endurance.

You’ll need a true, full body workout program that is well put together and thought out in order to do your best at this challenge. Training for strength and endurance through all kinds of elements and conditions should all be priority one factors in your program.

When to Start Your Tough Mudder Training

The amount of time you’ll need to give yourself to train for an event like this really depends on your starting point. If you’re currently a couch potato, you’ll need a lot more time than someone that’s already putting in the work at the gym everyday.

Typically if you’re a fitness enthusiast, working out at least three to four times a week with an honest effort, you’ll likely want to schedule about 10 weeks to get ready for this challenge. If you’re brand new to fitness you may want to double that. Whatever your current level of fitness may be, the more time you have to prepare, the better off you’ll be, but six to ten weeks is the minimum recommended even for those true fitness buffs.

All-Terrain Running is Key

The tough mudder races normally include as many hills as possible and the steeper the better so you will need to spend a lot of time running hill repeats. Each event is somewhat different in terms of terrain so you will need to check out the particular race you are interested in to really appreciate how many hills are involved and just how steep they are.

It is recommended that before entering the competition, you are already running at least a couple times a week for a distance of 5 miles. You certainly don’t need to be a seasoned marathoner, but a good solid base will provide the starting point that will be required to train for the additional mileage.

It should be noted that the terrain you’ll be running on during the event will be nothing like the smooth pavement rolling through your subdivision. During the race you will be subject to steep hills, over long distances of mud and sludge. If you have a steep, muddy trail nearby, that will be your new gym for the meat of your training. Training on the treadmill, track or asphalt just isn’t going to cut it.

Uphill running demands a huge effort from the hamstrings and calves and nothing will train those muscles more sport specifically than uphill running itself. Leave the calf raises for the bodybuilders.

Since the running within the competition is broken up with intermittent physical and mental strength challenges it’s best to break up your training runs in a similar fashion. Try using interval or fartlek training on your runs. Sprint for a pre determined amount of time or landmark distance and then ease off again, repeating the process over and over.

Full Body Strength Training

Swinging from bars, climbing ropes, pulling other humans up over obstacles, crawling through the mud, running through tires and carrying logs or other heavy objects over long distances are all obstacles you will face that will require a great deal of physical strength. Keep in mind that once again, you are not doing these things in the cozy comfort of your gym, you are faced with elements that may be uncomfortable and unpredictable.

Every muscle is involved in the obstacles you will be subject to during a Tough Mudder. It is imperative that you train each muscle in a variety of ways, in all types of motions to really be prepared for the types of challenges that will be asked of you.

Since the obstacles are placed sporadically throughout the event, it makes sense to train with numerous exercises set up in a circuit format. This will keep the heart rate up, the muscles moving and guessing and will mimic the course as closely as possible.

Full body exercises are the key to your success. You will not be prepared to complete this event by doing barbell curls or crunches. You need exercises that mimic real life and real movements, involving as many muscle groups and body parts as possible. Power, explosiveness, strength and endurance will all be required of your body.

Exercises like squats, push presses, kettlebell swings, windmills, rows, pull ups, push ups, snatches and lateral lunges are all high energy, demanding movements that will create the effect on the muscular and endurance systems that you will so desperately need.

Be creative when setting up your circuits, involving as many planes of motion as possible. Try a circuit of one arm kettlebell snatches, pull ups, lateral lunge jumps, explosive push ups and dips or superset certain exercises like deadlifts and pull ups or kettlebell swings with weighted dips. These are the types of compound, dynamic moves that will prepare you for what’s to come.

Pay close attention to form and range of motion during your workouts. Poor form will only lead to injury and the failure to progress while a lack of range of motion will simply deny the full potential of a great workout. Alternate your running days with your strength training days and make sure to take at least one rest day to recover, This system will get you over the finish line and have you looking like a million bucks at the same time.

The Mental Component of Tough Mudder Training

While the physical requirements of a Tough Mudder are certainly challenging, the mental requirements may be even more so.

Completing any physical competition requires a mind over matter type of attitude but when you add in mud, fire, ice water, cold and/or hot humid temperatures, mud, rain, smoke and then electric shocks, you’ll need much more focus than simply an “I think I can” attitude. The Tough Mudder is a true test of human will and perseverance.

Even though you may enter a Tough Mudder challenge as an individual, it is somewhat a team sport as well. The event is designed with the purpose of proving your skills for camaraderie as much as your strength and stamina capabilities.

During the event you may be asked numerous times to help your fellow competitor over a climbing wall, under the mesh or through the water. You may have to carry an injured participant or help a panicked participant through the swim or the electric shock component.

While there may not be a specific training program for this particular element, keep it in mind during your training. If you’re training with a partner, take turns being the hero as part of your preparation. It’s not just a fun, tough physical challenge; it’s also a test of the human spirit.

Try to mimic the elements you will encounter as much as possible in your training. Run in the pouring rain, the mud, the muck, cold or hot weather, depending on the time of year you’ll be competing and expect to be bumped, bruised and scraped.

Eating for Fuel

Don’t underestimate the importance of a well fed body. Nutrition is one of the most important things when it comes to all aspects of living well and is even more crucial when you’re beating up your body with consistent, hardcore training.

You will need lots of fresh fruit and vegetables to provide your system with the proper vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Lean sources of protein will be necessary in order to replenish and repair beaten down muscle tissue. Carbohydrates in the form of whole grains, beans and vegetables will offer the energy you need to conquer the 10 to 12 miles that you’re faced with.

Make sure your diet is rich in whole, real foods and void of processed, sugary snacks and treats during your training for optimum performance.

Enjoying the Fruits of your Labour

If you train for a tough mudder properly, with the physical and mental determination that will be required from you during competition time, you’ll have no problem crossing the finish line.  Your hard work will pay off and you will enjoy the pride and satisfaction that comes with achieving what may seem an insurmountable goal.

We have a couple of questions on the contest plus the TRUTH about ab exercises and fat loss today.

Question: In your rules you wrote: “This mini-contest runs until Saturday, February 25th, 2012. All entries into the 6-week  mini contest must be submitted before midnight, EST, on Saturday, Feb. 25th, 2012.”

But if I started on Dec 26th, then I’ll be done on Feb. 5th, so are you simply giving contestants a few  weeks to submit  their entry? – Greg

Answer: Hi Greg, sorry for the confusion.

The 6-week contest ends 6 weeks from last day to enter, which is next Friday, Jan 13th. Some people finish up to 3 weeks earlier than others because TT readers are allowed to enter any time between Dec. 26th and Jan. 13th.

Question: Thanks for the clarification. I now understand. I thought everyone started on Dec 26th. Could I restart IF I wanted to  or am I stuck with Dec 26th? – Greg

Answer: You can restart. All that matters is contestants send in their  before and after photos that are clearly 6 weeks (for the  6-week mini-contest) or 12-weeks (for the main contest) apart  by the given date…and please include your 300 word transformation ‘essay’ describing your changes.

Thanks Greg, wishing you success with it.

Question: I’ve been doing abs every day for 30 minutes and I’m stuck. My waist isn’t getting smaller and I hate these long workouts.

Answer: Well, I have good news for you.

Here’s the TRUTH about abs…

As reported in the latest Men’s Health magazine (the one with Ashton Kutcher on the cover), a research study found that doing 6 weeks of ab training did absolutely NOTHING for dropping belly fat.  And these folks were doing 14 sets of abs, 5 days per week.

Brutal.

What a waste of life for no reduction in belly fat. Skip that and use the TT Metabolic Resistance Training program instead. You’ll get more results from less time in the gym.

Question: When I do a pushup, how much weight am I lifting? – Ronny

Answer: Great question, and Men’s Health just reported on a research study that looked at this. Here’s the ‘percent of your body weight‘ that you are lifting when doing various pushups:

a) Kneeling pushup = 49% bodyweight
b) Regular pushup = 64% bodyweight
c) Decline pushup = 74% bodyweight

Of course, both b and c are much harder when you do your pushups in the TT Spiderman style. Check out 101 bodyweight exercises here.

Question: I trained a “fatloss” client today. We did mobility, interval treadmill work for 20-minutes and then supersetted with weights. My  question is: Does it really matter if I do  weights first then intervals? I normally do weights first but just wanted to switch it up with her.Thanks. – Doug

Answer: Doug – If strength gains are not a priority, then no, it doesn’t really matter for fat loss if you do intervals before resistance training or after.

As an aside, doing intervals first is a good way to ‘trick’  clients into thinking they are working harder than normal.

But again, when it comes to fat loss, it likely doesn’t matter either way. But you’ll never see me doing intervals before my resistance training because I know my lifting would suffer.

Question: Is it ok to strength-train my lower body one day then do  intense cardio like spin for an hour or run 6k the next day? – Bernadette

Answer: Bernadette – Please be careful of overuse injuries. Getting a chronic, nagging injury is your biggest risk when you start training more than recommended. Your muscles, Achilles tendon, knees, hips, low back, etc., are all at risk. Make sure you  are doing a thorough warm-up that includes foam rolling. And  also get some complete rest days in there somewhere.

Question: Can you explain MRT, MCT, and MFF?

Answer: You bet, I did that in a QnA for you.

Learn about MRT, MCT, and MFF here.

Alright, that’s it for this week…but a bit of motivation before you go…always remember:

Chip away at good behaviors. Not everything is going to change  overnight…but if you’re a little better today, and a little  better tomorrow, then you’ll be a whole lot better next month.

Stay strong. Get stronger.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Certified Turbulence Trainer

PS – TT Trainer Ray Ortiz was on…

…Canada’s national morning show yesterday…

…check out his clip here

Well done, Ray. All the TT Trainers are proud of you.

I’ve actually been right in the past about some big trends, and today, we’re going to focus on the hottest fitness trends for 2012. You’ll want to know the truth about these – in advance – so you know how to incorporate them into your workouts.

1) Metabolic Resistance Training will be the training term of the year

Weight training circuits, Turbulence Training, Afterburn Training – all of these have been known for years, but more and more we’ll see the phrase, Metabolic Resistance Training (MRT) used to describe this broad field of training.

Of course, that also means that MRT will be defined differently by almost every trainer…leading to some confusion among fitness readers (almost as much as the term, ‘clean eating’).

As the originator of this MRT programs however, you’ll get the most accurate MRT programs here through Turbulence Training – and therefore, the very best results.

Even celebrities are getting in on the MRT craze. Recent reports state that the rap legend, 50 Cent, is releasing a book based on MRT training. That will be the hot new buzzword in Hollywood this year and you’ll likely see articles in Men’s Health magazine about how a celebrity trainer got one of his clients into superhero action movie character shape with MRT workouts.

Fortunately, this is good news for all Certified TT Trainers because MRT will catch on with folks in your neighborhoods, and you’ll be the go-to expert for this type of training as long as you continue to learn from my TT workouts.

2) The M-MRT Explosion will be the next level in MRT

Alwyn Cosgrove helped me bring the terms MRT and MCT to the training world, and we explicitly defined those as different types of workouts.

Recently, with the help of a bodybuilder (of all people), I’ve been able to create a new form of MRT called Muscle-MRT. This makes MRT not just about total body movements like Kettlebell Swings and Burpees, but also about massacring the muscles through deep glycogen depletion in muscle-focused movements like close-stance barbell squats.

All will be revealed – in terms of how to use M-MRT – in an upcoming TT workout of the month.

3) Bodybuilding Training Will Start Getting More Respect

Now I’m not saying that everyone is going to go back to bodybuilding 6 days per week (that would ruin too many shoulder joints), but I am saying that bodybuilding methods are going to become popular again.

For example, just in the last couple of weeks I’ve had my Toronto TT guinea pig clients trying out Ben Pakulski’s squeezing techniques in the gym with great results.

If you don’t know Ben, he is one of the top 10 bodybuilders in the world. In fact, back when I lived on the west side of Toronto I used to train side-by-side with Ben in the dungeon of a gym called System Fitness.

Funny thing though, we never spoke. And we still haven’t had an offline conversation, but he and I have been going back and forth on how we can make TT MRT workouts even better. And one of the biggest changes was to use his squeeze techniques – which again, you’ll learn all about in the January 2012 TT Workout of the Month and next month’s issue of this newsletter.

As trainers get better and better, your workouts will become more intelligent as we sift through the junk of old-school training and polish off the hidden gems, and that’s what we’ll see in 2012 as bodybuilding training will get more respect.

In the past 5-10 years, bodybuilders have been like Rodney Dangerfield – they ain’t been gettin’ no respect. So this should be the year it all changes. On the bright side here, these new programs will satisfy our metabolic needs for pump-type workouts – there’s a time and place for everything!

4) The Old-Man Warm-up and Workout approach will be known as the best way

Earlier this year I popularized the old-man warm-up, and with great minds thinking alike, guys like Jim Wendler have been using a similar expression for his pre-lifting preparation. Ironically though, when you use an old-man warm-up you can actually transport your body back to its youthful health, mobility, and physicality.

The more time you spend in an old-man warm-up, the better off your body will be. My chiropractor continues to be amazed at the stress of my workouts and the response of my body. Just over two years ago I was going to him for a painful low-back condition, but he’s been amazed at how I’ve ‘worked’ my way out of the problem due to diligent old-man warm-ups (and a little help from his treatment).

Next, the word ‘recovery’ is going to become almost as popular as training amongst serious fitness folks in 2012. Of course, as with anything in fitness, people will now become competitive with their recovery workouts, bragging about how long they spent doing foam rolling or the fact that they use PVC pipe now instead of regular foam rollers that are for “wussies”. (But seriously, once you try a PVC pipe you won’t want to go back to foam.)

5) Trainers 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 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 TT

Whoa, whoa, whoa! 7-day per week programs? How could you 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.

7) Backlash on Hard-Core Workouts

Everything goes in cycles, and it’s probably going to be the year that experts and clients start going against crazy hard-core workouts. In fact, we’re beginning to see that already in magazines like Men’s Health and newspapers like the NY Times calling out the hardcore cults for their lack of preparation in workout design.

The hardcore workout backlash will reach a tipping point as official injury numbers are recorded and brought to light in the new year. Be warned that this will be the year you don’t want to be known as “Hardcore”.

8] MMA Class-Bootcamp Hybrids become more popular

This will be an interesting marriage in the fitness industry, one of convenience and economics. Many MMA gyms will realize that they can get more clients and members into bootcamps, and for better or for worse, many Hardcore MMA gyms will water down their specific training methods in exchange for clients and money.

That’s not a judgement, just an observation on what to expect.

At the same time, many bootcamp classes, seeking to differentiate themselves, will start claiming to be more hardcore. However, if I had to choose one workout as being more effective, it would be the bootcamp-in-the-MMA studio rather than the MMA-added-to-the-bootcamp approach.

This could turn out to be a very interesting battle for clients in 2012. May the best coaches win.

9) The Rise of Urban Adventure Racing

It seems everyone is doing the “Tough Mudder” race these days. If you don’t know about it, you soon will. It’s a 10 mile run that also involves a muddy obstacle course and allows accountant-types to express their inner wildside on the weekends. It sounds like fun, maybe I’ll give it a try one day. And if you get really excited by these, I truly believe it’s a new fitness niche where you could carve out an online business – or even a new group training class format.

10) Advanced Fat Loss Trainers seek better certification opportunities

Never satisfied in their quest to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack, more elite trainers will be looking for advanced fat loss certifications to expand their skills and increase their ability to get more clients, make more money, and design the lifestyle of their dreams.

Now is the time to replace their current approach with a Certification that is radically different, entirely new, and infinitely superior to the old-school generic certification program that so many trainers have saddled themselves with in the past.

Advanced trainers know that nothing short of re-invention will carry them to their loftiest goal of being the best, most in-demand, and well-known trainer in their town. Generic certifications are fine for generic trainers, but not for next-level trainers who want more for their clients (and for their own business and lives as well).

The advanced fat loss certification is superior in that not only is it more effective for their client’s results, but also more profitable for their own business. It opens up many, many more chances to associate with bigger names and opportunities in the fitness industry.

The future of the personal trainer industry is here. And we’re proud to offer an incredible opportunity through the advanced fat loss Turbulence Training Certification to replace the generic, less-than-average beginner personal trainer certification.

If you’re a trainer, then without a doubt, you’ve chosen the right industry to be involved in for your career. Despite the tough economy in retail, manufacturing, and food services, the fitness industry will continue to grow in 2012.

To your fitness success in 2012,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Certified Turbulence Trainer

Today, Jason will share more tips as he explains the different types of sprinting techniques.

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CRAIG BALLANTYNE: Remember when you trained Hyson?  Maybe tell us briefly on how his program was back then, and what you would do now to change that program.  It’s been like two years or something.  What would you have changed in his program to keep getting him those awesome results?  You use a new style of Renegade training.

JAY FERRUGGIA: Yeah, that’s a good question actually.  He was doing three days.  So he was doing upper, lower, upper because he was running a few days a week as well.

CRAIG BALLANTYNE:  Really?

JAY FERRUGGIA: Not jogging.  He was running sprints.  But yeah, it was a park he found in Brooklyn that had pretty good hills.  So he was doing hill sprints.  But what I would have him do now is probably, the diet would be something different first and foremost.  Back then – I’m trying to remember exactly what we had him – this was two years ago, so I was still doing a more traditional six meals a day type deal.  We were doing carb cycling and calorie cycling.  But I would trim that down.  I would either have him use an intermittent fasting type approach, which I have kind of my own unique spin on that I’ve been using, over have more time between meals.  Most people I’ll have do one of those two.

So we’ll have three meals a day, but there will be five to six hours between each one.  Have him kind of just sit down and determine what approach.  But I’ve found better success with those.  And most people don’t have time to eat six meals a day, or the desire.  So either of those two approaches ends up being three or four meals, usually three – maybe a workout shake or something like that.

And then for the training I would probably definitely have him do four days.  The fourth day, just off the top of my head we’d probably have him do another lower body day.  If he was doing upper, lower, upper I’d probably throw in a lower body day in there.  But since he was running sprints a few times a week and squatting the other day, that day would probably be more hip extension stuff so as not to stress his knees as much.  And we really wouldn’t want to stretch his spine as much either.  So it would probably be heavy single leg RBL swings, glute hams, back raises, glute bridges, hip thrusts, sled work, all that kind of stuff.  And then abs and whatever assistance work.

I just think that fourth day, if you’re not killing yourself and you’re being smart and making all the changes that I had previously mentioned, it definitely will help a little bit.  You’re still getting an extra day where you’re burning calories, you’re building muscle, you’re getting positive hormonal changes.  I’d have to sit down obviously and think about it all.  But those would be just kind of the general changes that I would make to it, off the top of my head.

CRAIG BALLANTYNE:  So the general question here for guys that want to get strong – well, guys or girls – stronger and gain muscle.  That’s been like the focus.  Where does the sprinting – is it something that will help them, is it something that is okay to do or is it something that will kind of get in the way?  How do you do it right so you can get stronger and bigger and still sprint?  Or do they even need to?

JAY FERRUGGIA: I think most people can do it.  In the past I was trying the old school, the old super squats kind of theory of don’t run when you can walk, don’t walk when you can stand, don’t stand when you can sit down, that kind of stuff, for skinny guys or girls looking to gain size.

But I think that doing some condition actually does enhance your results.  It’s a very rare person that doesn’t have trouble gaining 10 to 20 pounds of muscle and staying lean at the same time.  Eighteen-year-old kids can do it.  But after that, unless you’re a real genetic freak, most people – and I’ve worked with a ton of regular people – they do tend to end up getting fatter when they’re trying to gain a lot of size.  Even ten pounds sometimes, they’re going to get fatter.

So I think it’s smart to always do some kind of stuff like that.  Some high intensity conditioning definitely makes it better.  It enhances your recovery, not only between workouts but your between set recovery gets better.

You’ll notice that when you start running sprints your recovery, say if you’re alternating chin-ups and military presses or something like that, just within a few weeks you’ll start to notice that between sets your drop off isn’t as much.  You’re not breathing as heavy.  You feel better.  So your workouts actually get better, your recovery between the workouts gets better, your overall health improves, you’re able to eat a little bit more, which you’re going to need for gaining that muscle without getting this fat.

And then if you look at some of the most jacked guys in the world that most people would pay to have their physique, NFL running backs or wide receivers or d-backs, they’re all running sprints all the time.  The one thing you don’t want to be doing is jogging.  That’s going to kill you.  But if you’re running I would say it’s going to have more benefit than any negative effects really.

So let’s say if you were lifting three days a week and you ran sprints two days.  If you’re training five total days, and the sprint workout is only going to be 20 or 30 minutes, most people are going to be able to recover from that.  If you really have recovery issues then you could throw those sprint workouts in right after training.  So you train 30 to 45 minutes, and then you’re already warmed up at that point so you don’t need much of a warm-up.  Sprint for 15 to 20 minutes and you’re good to go.

CRAIG BALLANTYNE:  What type of sprinting should they be doing?  Should they just be doing hills, or is there something special with the hill sprints?  Or is it okay to do sprints on a treadmill?  Or is that maybe not the best idea because you’re going a lot faster and you could hurt yourself?

JAY FERRUGGIA: The only reason that I picked hill sprints first and foremost, is just because it’s way harder to get hurt.  If anyone’s listening to this call who’s in their 30s and hasn’t sprinted since high school, the possibility of getting hurt is fairly good if you’re not smart about it.  You’re going to want to take a few weeks to work up to it.  And the first couple of weeks you’re going to do so little that it’s going to be boring.  But you have to do that to be smart about it.

If you haven’t sprinted in a while yeah, you can do flat ground. But it’s just that the angle that it puts you at when you’re doing your hill sprints greatly reduces the impact and the chance of injury.  So that’s why I recommend hills sprints above all else.

And then if you had a sled you could run with, either attached to a belt or if you’re dragging it or you have your arms extended in front of you and have attached rings or Blast Straps to it.  Again, that reduces the possibility of injury simply because it slows you down.  Or if you were pushing the prowler, the angle of your upper body would be kind of similar to what it would on a hill.

If none of those are options then obviously your only choice is to run sprints on flat ground.  I’d rather it be outside than on the treadmill.  If the treadmill is your only option, if you’re somewhere where it’s all icy out during the winter, obviously that’s better than nothing.  So you can do that.  But again, work up to it very slowly.  Start maybe 70 percent the first day, and literally only do maybe three 40-yard sprints.  That sounds like nothing, but you’d be surprised at people who get injured doing that, doing slightly above that the first day.

And keep it very minimal then just work up.  Don’t be too eager.  You’re not going to get down to five percent body fat in two weeks no matter what you do.  So take it slow and be smart, because once you get injured you’re not going to be able to train.  Then all your goals are out the window anyway.  So just real slow, a couple sprints and see how your knees feel, see how your hip flexors feel, see how your hamstrings feel.  You don’t want to tweak or pull a hamstring or anything like that.

And make sure you’re running with proper mechanics.  You do not want to be heel striking.  I see people who haven’t sprinted in a while and they heel strike.  That’s the last thing you want to do.  Make sure that the ball of your foot hits the ground, and kind of pause like a bull and pull at the ground behind you.  So you should be running pretty quietly.  If you’re just clogging along and I can hear you from two blocks away you’re going to get hurt as well.

So work on running mechanics.  Try to be quiet.  If you’re running on flat ground your heels should land directly beneath you, not way out in front of you, when you’re jogging.  That’s when you get that impact that’s just way too stressful on the knees and everything.  So all those things are real important to consider.

CRAIG BALLANTYNE:  What about if you have a car and your friend drives the car and you attach yourself to the car, like [Mandelbaum].  Is that a good way to train?

JAY FERRUGGIA: Yeah, yeah.  That’s what you and I do when we’re together.  It’s a really good way.  And then use blood for gas.

CRAIG BALLANTYNE: Yeah.  And if you’re transporting blood, where should you transport the blood in the car?

JAY FERRUGGIA: In the gas tank.  You want to use it as fuel.

Next up,  Jay will share with us his plans and goals for 2012. Click here for part 4.

Yours in Health,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, M.Sc.
Certified Turbulence Trainer

He is a renowned strength coach has been training athletes from over 90 different athletic organizations, is the chief training adviser to Men’s Fitness Magazine and on the advisory board for Live Strong.

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CRAIG BALLANTYNE: Hey everybody. Welcome to another Turbulence Training podcast. It’s really just another chat with one of my buddies. And we’re going to catch up with the legendary Renegade coach, Jay Ferruggia. Jay, welcome to the call.

JAY FERRUGGIA: Thanks, Craig.

CRAIG BALLANTYNE: All right. So as I mentioned just before we got on here, this is going out to everybody on the Turbulence Training podcast. So there will be tens of thousands of people listening. And we just want to catch up with Jay in a nice casual conversation, and see what he has learned in 2011.

So Jay, you did a Renegade seminar. You told me you had quite a few lessons from that. But you’ve been down in California. And you’ve got the gym running back in Jersey. You’re still learning a ton of things. So this year what were some of the top lessons?

JAY FERRUGGIA: There were a lot of lessons this year, actually. And this was mainly due to my personality. I think a lot of the things that we tend to recommend, and in the way we train people, is due to our own personalities, our own genetics, what works best for us. And my personality has always been pretty intense.

I always liked training super intense, but to the point where it was detrimental. Where I would over train a lot, and I suffered a lot of injuries that I shouldn’t have just being stupid and not knowing when to tone it down. And I was always going a hundred percent, always ball to the wall. And even over the last two years I’ve definitely trimmed back on that and recommending that a lot. Always leave a couple reps in the tank, this and that. But I cut it back even more this year, and it’s definitely helped my clients and all the members of the Renegade Inner Circle.

I feel a lot better. I make better progress. I avoid injuries, stuff like that. When you’re always going all out, like I always like to do, things start to break down and eventually you do get the nagging injuries. And then you’re forced to take layoffs. And then you’re always kind of in that cycle of training’s great, then you’re hurt, then you’re not training, then you’re rehabbing, and just that never ending cycle.

When I say I toned it down a lot this year, I mean that some of the things were weights above 90 percent, even weights above 85 percent, I cut back on more. I do more work with myself and with everyone in the 75 to 85 percent range, and try to avoid doing a ton of stuff at 90 percent and above.

Obviously there’s always a time and place for it, and for maximal strength development it is important. But you do tend to burn out and you do get hurt doing that too much. So I kind of limited that. Going to close to failure.

Again, I really had never advocated that much the last few years. But there are times when you’re competing, with friends or whatever, when it does get out of control. I’ve been better able to temper that with myself. And I always hold my clients back. I just see the benefits across the board of doing this kind of stuff. And by making these changes, myself and clients, I’ve been able to train more frequently actually. Do a little bit more volume. Do a little bit more frequency. When in the past I really limited guys to three or four days a week.

I actually have some guys that were only able to recover from three days with the old style training. Now I’m training four days, some people even training five. And I’ve done stints this year. I trained six days on an upper lower. The workouts are only 30 minutes.

But recovery is just better all-around when you’re not frying your nervous system, frying your joints, things like that. So that was another thing. I kind of neglected work capacity a little bit, because the training was so intense we had to keep the volume so low. But I think we neglected work capacity a bit by doing that. So now there’s more of a balance, where we’re bringing up strength, size, conditioning and work capacity all together now. And it’s working synergistically, and just getting better results all around. Those were some of the biggest things that I learned. I’m trying to think what else here. And basically I eliminated any risky type exercises as much as I could.

And I realize this is not always possible for most people. But myself, I had custom made bars at the gym. So they have a fat two-inch diameter angled grip instead of straight bar. If you don’t compete in Olympic lifting or power lifting, or it’s not going to get tested on the bench press as an athlete, for most of us there’s not a huge reason to use a straight bar if you can avoid it, simply because it’s a little bit riskier. It’s a little unnatural to use a straight bar.

If anyone looks at this right now, it kind of does like a military press and puts their hands up in the bottom position. For most people you’ll see there won’t be a straight line. Your hands will be angled in slightly. So that when you force them to connect through a straight line like that, it puts a little bit of undue stress on the wrists or the elbows. And that makes the shoulders, everything’s connected. And that might not be a huge deal for everybody. But over time if you get strong, five or ten years down the line that is going to add up.

So things like that as you get older you try to be more conscious of that and think about that. So I’ve tried to eliminate the straight bar. And whenever possible use fat grips or custom made fat handles on everything, just because that is a lot safer on your elbows and your shoulders. I spoke with a lot of strongman competitors this year, just trying to do more research and find all this stuff out firsthand from a lot of these guys. And because they always have to press the axle bar and two-and-a-half and three inch diameter bars in competition, they’ve gotten so used to it now. They notice such a tremendous difference that a lot of the guys I know, they say they won’t even press with a regular bar or use a regular bar at all anymore, because it’s so stressful to their elbows in comparison to the fatter bars. And anyone listening, all you have to do is try it one time.

If you press dumbbells with a two-inch, if you’re used to those pencil thin grips that most gyms have and you slap the fat grips on there or go to a gym that has custom made fat handles, you will notice an instant difference in how your elbows and shoulders feel during the workout or the next day. People can prove this to themselves right away. Let’s say you grab a 105-pound dumbbell and try to farmer’s walk with it, versus grabbing a 150-pound kettlebell, which has a fatter grip, you’ll notice that it’s actually easier to hold the fatter grip. Which doesn’t sound like it would make sense, but it just has to do with the length/tension relationship and just the way it kind of sits in your hand.

Those were, I guess, most of the changes. I’m trying to think if there’s anything else I didn’t cover. I guess mobility and flexibility also was something that I myself neglected. I actually had everyone do it, but I personally neglected it too much. So I made it a real goal to get a lot better at that this year. And I do at least a half hour a day, every single day. That’s part of my morning routine, just like brushing my teeth and flossing. I absolutely force myself to do that every day. And I feel a thousand times better. My recovery is better. I can actually squat. Not that I squat heavy that much like I used to anymore, but I can do it deeper with a lot less pain. So that’s been huge for me. I’m trying to think what else.

CRAIG BALLANTYNE: You’re not doing your mobility always right before you train? You’re just doing it any time of the day?

JAY FERRUGGIA: I’ve actually become so obsessed with mobility. There’s so many different drills that I do. I have countless mobility drills. So I tend to break it up. The first thing in the morning I do stuff that doesn’t involve spinal flexion, because I just think that’s a little risky first thing in the morning. But I do it just to force myself to do certain things first thing in the morning. So I’ll do about 15 to 20 minutes. And then before I’m training, depending on what I’m going to do that day, I’ll do another 8 to 12 mobility drills as well.

So I end up getting at least a half hour of it in each day. And then before training I might throw in some dynamic stretching and certain activation drills as well. But the other stuff is just part of my morning routine. Like before I even start working now I’ll just go through a whole circuit. And that’s, like I said, it’s just like brushing my teeth now.

That’s all we have for today. Please join us in Part 2 where Jay talks about mobility drills.

Yours in Health,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, M.Sc.
Certified Turbulence Trainer