Who will be the next winner of the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest and what fat burning workouts will they have used?

We’ll find that out later this week…

If you want to win the 7th TT contest, I have good news for you…it starts…

Sunday, Dec 27th

So get ready to fire it up.

And remember, even if you don’t win, all of the folks who have finished a contest will agree its amazing what you can accomplish in just 12 weeks.

Just imagine…being 10, 15, 20, or even 30 pounds lighter at the end of March. That would be pretty cool, huh?

So get ready to get started right after Christmas.

Click here to download this week’s call

Monday – Dec 14

Transformation Tip: “Be Loud & Proud”

Be loud and proud of the healthy changes you are making in your life. There are many more folks secretly wishing someone will take charge and be a healthy role model for them.

It might not happen overnight, but if you continue to lead by healthy example – without preaching or being condescending – you can build an entourage that will help you reach the next level.

Intermediate Workout A – Fusion 2K6

Workout A
1A) DB Squat (3×15) 2-0-1
1B) Spiderman Push-up (3×12) 1-1-1
2A) DB Row (3×6) 2-0-1
2B) Bulgarian Split Squat (3×15) 2-1-1
3A) DB Incline Press (3×8) 3-0-1
3B) 1-Leg RDL (3×8) 3-0-1
Interval Training

Tuesday
30 minutes of fun activity and now lets look at a recent Protein study.

20 healthy, young resistance trained athletes were examined for energy expenditure for one week and fed a mixed diet (15% protein, 100% energy) .

In the second week, followed by a hypoenergetic diet (60% of the habitual energy intake), containing either 15% (~1.0g.kg) protein (control group, n=10; CP) or 35% (~2.3 g.kg) protein (high protein group, n=10; HP) for two weeks.

Reference:
Med Sci Sports Exerc. “Increased Protein Intake Reduces Lean Body Mass Loss during Weight Loss in Athletes.” Mettler S, et al.

Subjects continued their habitual training throughout the study.

Results
Control group lost 6.6 pounds total weight BUT 3.5 pounds lean mass
Protein group lost 3.3 pounds weight and only 0.67 pounds lean mass

That’s a LOT of lean mass in just 14 days…Seems a little fishy…

So we went to a guy who just spent a few years reviewing protein, training, and other diet studies while getting his Master’s degree, Brad Pilon, for a breakdown. He says…

“The study in question is a very interesting one, but should NOT cause you to drastically change your views with regards to protein.

“This is one trial, and an outlier at that.

“These men managed to lose more FFM in two weeks then you typically find in studies four times this length. While this study was well conducted, this should prompt us to ask the question “why?”

“DXA (the technique used to measure lean mass) doesnt measure muscle mass, only ‘non-fat mass’, so further work needs to be done to see if the losses were actually muscle.

“Numerous studies have not found this result using many different measurement styles and subject groups, and these studies are typically much longer in length. This makes me wonder if this is a transient measurment error/confounder that dissapears after a short period.

“The calorie restriction was not severe. The fat loss (equal in both groups) seems to correlate well with the calorie restriction, but if the losses in Fat Free Mass were actually muscle, this would suggest a large amount of ‘missing calories’ in the study.

“The bottom line is that we should never jump to conclusions with the publication of one single study. Doing this is similar to what newspapers and fitness magazines do, and generally is a waste of time.

“There is more than enough data to show that protein intake plays a very small role in our ability to maintain our muscle mass while we are dieting.

There is also a very large amount of data showing that it is resistance training that determines how much muscle we maintain when we are dieting.

Stick with the total body of evidence in an area, and try not to make drastic changes in your diet on the speculations of one single study.

At the same time we should not discount this study, as no research is ever useless, but we should view it with the bigger picture in mind.”

*****
Craig again.

Interesting thoughts from Brad, and I think the bottom line is this…

At most, you need 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal bodyweight – as suggested by Alan Aragon last week.

So if you are a 220 pound guy but want to weigh 180, then aim for 180 grams of protein. Or if you are a 150 pound woman that wants to weigh 130 pounds, aim for 130 grams of protein.

You don’t need any more.

Here’s a simple list of common protein sources

1 cup of dairy = 8 grams
1 ounce of meat = 7-8 grams
1 egg = 6 grams (5 grams of fat)
2 tbs. peanut butter = 8 grams (16 grams of fat)
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese = 24 grams
1 scoop of protein powder = 20 grams
1 protein bar = 15-35 grams (check the label)

Wednesday

Workout B – Fusion 2K6

1A) DB Chest Press (3×6) 2-0-1
1B) 1-Leg Hip Extension (3×15) 2-0-1
2A) DB Reverse Lunge (3×8) 2-0-1
2B) Shoulder Press Push-up (3×12) 2-0-1
3A) Inverted Row* (3×15) 2-0-1
3B) Stability Ball Leg Curl (3×15) 2-0-1
Interval Workout B

Thursday
30 minutes of fun activity and check this out…

“Research reported you order more if a skinny friend orders more, you order less if a fat person orders more, and you order less if you eat with people who are careful about what they eat.”

So the bottom line…

Hang around the right folks at the office Christmas party.

Friday

Workout C – Fusion 2K6

A1) DB Split Squat (3×8) 3-1-1
A2) Close-grip DB Press (3×8) 2-0-1
B1) Pull-up (3xMax) 3-0-1
B2) Siff Squat (3×20) 2-0-1

Circuit (1-3 times, no rest b/n ex)
C1) DB Diagonal Lunge (12) 2-0-1
C2) Off-set Push-up (10) 2-0-1
C3) 1-Leg Deadlift (8) 2-0-1
C4) Spiderman Climb (10) 1-0-1
C5) Plank (60 seconds)

Social Support Saturday!

Social support is the #1 key for success in fitness programs. While the support can come from your spouse, sibling, child, parent, friend, neighbor, or co-worker, individuals have a better chance of sticking to an exercise program when they hold themselves accountable to a personal trainer or lifestyle coach.

Don’t try and do this on your own. Social support is important in your quest for fitness and fat loss.

Sunday – Plan, Shop & Prepare

According to Men’s Health magazine (Dec 2009), we should get no more than 9 teaspoons of added sugar per day; but most folks get 30 teaspoons (after all, a can of soda has 8 teaspoons).

So last week, we dedicated an entire article to:

How to Reduce Sugar Cravings

And then I asked Brad Pilon for his suggestions on how to get rid of them, and he said…

“Sugar cravings are a result of expectations. You need to break the cycle, and literally take a break from sugar. My advice is to do a simple 24 hour fast.

“Obviously this is a little self-serving, since I’m the guy who writes about fasting, but I believe that you only need to do this a couple times before you see a reduction in sugar cravings.

Sounds a little crazy, but I have found it works great,  especially if you pay special attention while you are fasting, looking for the times you crave sugar, and the cues that make you crave sugar.

The more you know your personal eating cues, the better you will be at
avoiding or beating those impulses.”

************
Craig here again, and I agree, you’ll learn a LOT about your body and your eating schedule and habits just by trying fasting. Check out Brad’s book and blog for more info.

Okay, that’s it…

Next week!
Advanced Fusion 2K6 Workout
Nutrition – More tips to eliminate binging