01
Dec '09
TT in Dubai
All this talk of Dubai in the news reminds of the time back in February 2006 when I spent a week in the desert on the Persian Gulf visiting 4 of my friends who were living there.
It’s kind of a funny story, because as you can imagine, it doesn’t rain much in Dubai, but the week I went there it was overcast for 4 days and rained HARD for 3 days.
They had a lot of flooding that week, crazy car crashes, and I remember walking around in the mall with the floors covered in water. I’m bad luck when it comes to weather – so don’t invite me to your wedding!
I also did the classic “Spend half the day on the beach and half the day skiing in the indoor ski hill at the mall”.
Here’s me snowboarding (poorly) in the mall in Dubai =>
In case you didn’t know, Dubai has this crazy mall in the middle of the desert where they just happened to build in a ski hill.
Crazy.
Here’s what the mall looks like from the outside when you drive by – the big grey “spaceship-looking” thing is the ski hill…
Yep, good times. And here’s a picture of me with my beach body in the ocean the morning before I went snowboarding:
Back then I was about 190-195 lbs, although I don’t feel that I look much different.
If there was one difference in my training it simply had to be…
The fact that I trained with a partner.
And even though we trained in a crappy training environment (commercial gym, bad music, etc.), we made big gains and got strong because we pushed each other and we were able to spot one another.
Back then I was able to bench 310, and these days I can barely bench 275 (for various reasons, the biggest being my lack of a training partner).
So my workouts back then were also 4 days a week to build muscle (didn’t need much help with fat loss), but in reality, we only need 3.25 workouts to get everything we needed.
We over-trained a little, mostly because me and the guy I trained with were both working 10-12 hours per day training other people, and getting up at 4:30am after 5 hours sleep isn’t the best situation for recovery…
…even when you’re only 30 years old.
About that time is when I came up with the TT Fusion Fat Loss workout, and my program is reflected in that one, because of the 4-day per week advanced nature.
Essentially, we had this set-up going:
Day 1
Bench
Row
Another press (could have been dumbbell or board press)
Pullups
Grip
Day 2
Squat
Hip extension (i.e. good mornings)
1-leg exercise (i.e. bulgarian split squats)
Day 3 - Rest
Dork in Dubai (self portrait) =>
Day 4
Dynamic Bench
Shoulders
Arms
Day 5
Deadlift
Abs
Grip
Sometimes we’d skip a mid-week workout and train on Sundays with some classic strongman stuff, like tire flipping, etc. Those were fun workouts too.
Those were the days.
My workouts have changed a little bit, but I’m trying out another 4-day per week program now, although with more bodyweight exercises.
Who knows where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing in 2012.
Stay strong,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training Fusion Fat Loss
Comments on TT in Dubai »
Don’t worry about the poor snowboarding Craig…I tried it once like 5 years ago and it resulted in a torn meniscus and surgery. Since then I’ve been anti snowboarding. By the way seeing pictures of your trips and stuff is really motivational on the business side of things! Although I’m having trouble finding my “niche” as you say. I’m still plugging away.
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Training partners are crucial. Thats why boot camps and gym classes are thriving these days. People want to be around other people. It helps keep them motivated and really a partner or group “makes them show up.”
The gains I used to see with a training partner were huge compared to lifting by myself. Great point Craig.
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I agree, having a training partner is so motivating, it gets you going as you don’t want to be the one “chickening” out of the training.
And it is fun!! I find that when I train alone, I either push way too hard, or I get bored.
Sharon from sunny South Africa
P.S. Craig, you aint no dork my boy!!
P.P.S. When will you be doing a trip to SA??
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Jana Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:07 pm
What’s wrong with pushing too hard – most people can’t do this anyway.
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Sharon Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Hey – guess you’re right – however, when you are training 7 days a week it is sometimes good to be a bit cautious.
I tend to be a bit of a maniac LOL
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Hey Craig…enjoyed reading your Dubai story….indoor skiing sounds to cool for words…I haven’t been skiing yet but it’s only a matter of time…I enjoy all kinds of workouts…indoor, outdoor, sports, classes….you name it I’ve done it and I too find that I enjoy doing classes on those days I don’t feel like working out alone…I look for great instructors that help me kill it in the gym with great music of course…When I do feel like doing my own thing I would really enjoy having more of your workouts to give a try to mix it up…I too have been telling people for years that it has always been weight training that has kept me the more lean and not all that plain Janc cardio!!!…look forward to more of your insider/expert secrets no matter what the topic so keep them coming…Luz
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I agree that training with a partner is very motivating, but when you’re performing a workout that has say 4 exercises in series before rest, and with little rest before the next set of 4 exercises, how can you incorporate a partner and still have seamless transitions between sets for both partners?
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Craig Ballantyne Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Hey Shane, I just listed the exercises, not the rest periods. We did straight sets for the main exercise and then supersets to finish the workouts. One guy would do one exercise while the other guy would do the other exercise.
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Hi Craig,
A very nice, straightforward, heavy basics lifting schedule that is turbocharged with a good training partner. Coupled with the proper diet, that’s all it takes to get big and strong. Good clean fun too!
Cheers! Phil
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I think probably about 85% of people are unhappy with the way they look because BOTTOM LINE – they want to look good naked. Whether anyone ever sees them that way or not. If you need a buddy to get your butt moving, you will never succeed in looking good to yourself. You have to find a way to SELF-MOTIVATE in order to master this. Now this doesn’t mean not to workout with anyone or go to a bootcamp, but until you go in the gym or home and are in charge of your workouts and your “plan”, you won’t succeed in being happy with your physical training.
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Hi Craig,
Thanks for sharing the actual workouts that you did in the past. This is really informative and inspiring.
Most of the times, trainers and fitness gurus will just say this is the good workout and I would have done this for better results etc but those exercises might not be what made their bodies like they have today.
Case in point would be Arnold’s famous 6-days a week bodypart workout that he promoted in his book. But that kind of workout was not what he did to build his massive msucle and body ( steorid not withstanding ). He only did those kinds of workouts AFTER he got massive and big. So, it is really misleading following that kind of workout he did AFTER he got massive and big will work for those who are yet to get massive and big.
Same things can be said about Mike Mentzer but anyway, I’m now rumbling
So back to the point, I appreciate your honesty and sharing of your earlier workouts, imperfections and all and would love to see/read about your actual early workouts more in the future as well.
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Hi Craig seems like a really great trip you had there, Dubai looks insane… especially that indoor ski slope!
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Craig – unrelated to your Dubai post I would like to ask for alternative exercises to the kettle ball exercises you do. I have lover back issues so every time I try any kettle ball swings etc I have back trouble. Any help you can be with this would be greatly appreciated.
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Craig Ballantyne Reply:
December 5th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Remove them and replace with bodyweight squats or other intervals that you can do without pain.
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So did that workout help you with muscle gain?
I’m a struggling gainer, so I’m looking into good mass gain workouts.
I weigh about 145, and within the next year I’d like to get up to 180
Any recommendations/suggestions?
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Craig Ballantyne Reply:
December 10th, 2009 at 10:17 am
Yes, it did.
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