Men's Workout World » turbulence training

How Can I Eliminate Fat From the Body

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:36:18 +0000

How Can I Eliminate Fat From the Body

BY Craig Ballantyne

Today, and over the next week, we’re going to turn the interview table here at TTFatLoss.com and have abs expert, Scott Colby (see photo to left), interview me on some of the most perplexing questions people have when it comes to transforming their bodies.

This will be a lot fun and probably prove very useful to anyone looking to burn fat, gain muscle, or take their training and nutrition program to the next level….with that being said, let’s get right into today’s question…

********************************

Scott Colby: All right. Hello, everybody. My name is Scott Colby. Thank you so much for being here. I know it’s the holidays, but wanted to get this interview in before the New Year because I know a lot of you have some good fat loss goals and other fitness goals for the New Year, so I thought today would be a great call. Some of you probably have the day off from work, so I hope everybody had a great holiday, and thank you again for being with us. We’ve got a great call today. My guest is Craig Ballantyne.

A lot of you already know Craig; he’s out in Toronto, a strength and conditioning coach, and you may know him better as the author and creator of Turbulence Training. He’s also a contributing author to Men’s Health magazine and a member of the training advisory board for Maximum Fitness and Oxygen magazine. Now Craig’s fat loss/muscle building websites feature his best-selling Turbulence Training for Fat Loss program, and of course he also has a membership site, ttmembers, which offers access to all of Craig’s turbulence training workouts and video clips.

They’re actually for men, women, mass-building, athlete, and body-weight-only workouts, so he has a lot of different niches within the ttmembers site. And of course, discussion forums within the site for support and where you can get all your questions answered. Craig – just so you know, he’s completed a Masters of Science degree in exercise physiology from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. And he continues to really get into the LATEST RESEARCH out there, whether it’s training, nutrition, supplementation – anything that’s gonna help you improve your health and wellness as well as your physical and mental performance.

And I love interviewing Craig because his workouts are similar to mine. He does a lot of body-weight-only workouts, a lot of dumbbell training workouts without the use of machines. Things that you could do anywhere, and they’re quick workouts where you don’t need a whole lot of time. So those are the same philosophies that I believe in, so that’s why I always enjoy having Craig as a guest. So Craig, welcome to the call. Thanks for taking time out of your holiday to be with us.

Craig Ballantyne: No problem, Scott; happy to be here.

Scott Colby: Cool. Well, we got a lot of great questions. Now we won’t get through all of them, but we’ll get through as many as we can. And these are questions that have come in prior to the call. I know people are still asking questions; again, we’ll get to as many as we can, and hopefully the audience listening will learn a little bit from each answer that Craig provides. I would recommend if you are listening to this right now, either live or whether you’re listening to the recording, maybe get out a piece of paper and a pen to take some notes.

And then try to shut down everything that will distract you like your TV and your email and text messaging and all that stuff. It’s easy to get distracted. Craig’s gonna provide a lot of great information today, so you definitely wanna take some notes. George out in Baltimore – I believe George is here listening live – he wants to know, “How do I eliminate fat from the body? Does this question make sense? I run about three to five miles daily. I’m in excellent shape. However, I would love to have a better gut.” So Craig, it looks like George is trying to get a little more defined and lose fat, and he runs three to five miles every day. What would you recommend for George?

Craig Ballantyne: The number one thing, no matter if he wants to do the straight running or if he wants to switch over to the intervals, is INCREASE THE INTENISTY of the TRAINING. And also – actually, the number one thing is the DIET, because we’re talking about advanced results here. And when you’re talking about advanced results you’re talking about having to take advanced measures. So he might be eating pretty well. He might be 80 percent, 85 percent compliance. But if you wanna go to the next level, you have to take it to the next level with your nutrition. You really have to be compliant.

You only get one reward meal per week.

You’ve gotta be that 90 percent compliant, so one reward meal, a couple of reward kind of snacks. So if you’re eating 6 meals per day, your 38 meals on track, perfect, out of 42 for the week. I mean it has to be that good, if not better, if you wanna take it to the next level, because nutrition is where it’s at. You know we’re gonna come back to this over and over again in the call, that nutrition is far more important when it comes to losing fat than anything you could possibly do. So that’s the first thing that you need to do is to really take a good look at his nutrition.

So writing everything down for a week using FitDay or NutritionData or CalorieKing or SparkPeople.

You know there’s a whole bunch of websites out there that allow you to use that type of calorie tracking. You don’t

have to do it forever; you just have to do it for a short amount of time until you know exactly how your body responds to foods and how many calories you’re eating, so you can kind of eyeball in the future.

But another thing I just mentioned there is you really have to understand how your body RESPONDS to food. If you eat a big meal at night, do you wake up in the morning leaner or do you wake up in the morning bloated?

You have to take a really good look at that, and you have to associate how you feel with what you’ve just eaten. So many people never make that connection, and it’s really, really disappointing to their results because they never really make that connection that every Saturday at lunch – sorry, every Monday at lunch we have team meeting lunch at Applebee’s and I always end up eating the bread. And then I’m tired all day, and then I have a bad workout at night. Well, most people don’t make that connection to the bread, and they just keep on eating it every week, week in and week out. And that’s the problem.

So FIRST get that nutrition in order, and THEN take the training to the next level of intensity.

So he could continue with that same distance, if he wants, but he has to increase the intensity so he gets that distance done in a shorter amount of time. I’m not a big fan of doing the long, slow cardio, but I mean three to five miles, really if he’s a fairly fit guy he should be able to cover those probably I guess half an hour for the three miles. Maybe even 25, close to 20 minutes if he’s really fit. But you gotta run those miles as fast as you possibly can.

There’s certainly at least one study, if not more, that shows that when you’re comparing high intensity versus low intensity cardio – not interval training, but just straight-on steady-state stuff – that the high intensity people lose belly fat more than the low intensity. So if the guy covers five miles as fast as he can versus he goes and does it moderately, he’ll get better results doing it as fast as he can.

So gonna have to take that intensity up in your diet and in your fat-burning exercise. And then you know of course I’m all about adding in resistance training too.

One thing that I’m sure we’ll cover a couple of times is the MINIMUM amount of resistance training that needs to be done a week. And just talking to people that don’t like going to the gym at all, and they wanna know how much resistance training do I need to do? I would say you can get your total body in about 2 sessions, 15 minutes each. That is a minimum amount of resistance training that you need to do. And when I’m talking about that minimum, I’m talking about to help you stay strong, because most people, when they get older, it’s not their cardiovascular fitness that is the restriction on what they can do in life. It is the strength of their muscles. So that’s why I’m such a big proponent of strength training for longevity – far more important than thinking about endurance training.

Everybody thinks about, “Oh, I gotta go out and do cardio.” But cardio’s not the thing that prevents you from falling when you’re 80; it’s strength. So that’s why we gotta do that minimum 15 minutes twice a week, preferably three times a week. And if you get up to 3 by 20, you probably are gonna get 75 or 80 percent of the results that someone who spends 30-40 minutes in the gym three times per week lifting weights is gonna get. So that’s what we need to do, and that’s what George needs to do. So pretty long answer there, but bottom line is if you want the advanced results, you have to take the advanced measures, and I just listed them there.

Scott Colby: Great stuff, Craig. And I wanted to add something to your nutrition answer. Our last interview when we were talking mainly about a vegetarian lifestyle, you had said something similar about eating 90 percent compliant to get advanced results. And I made a video soon after that, and my point in the video was a lot of people are eating foods like a granola-type cereal and Lean Cuisine and reduced fat Wheat Thins. And I think a lot of people think that this counts as part of your 90 percent compliance, and my argument was that was more along the lines of your 10 percent cheats or reward meals, so to speak.

Because I think people MISCATEGORIZE foods as healthy if they’re looking at just like the front of the box and it says, “reduced fat Wheat Thins,” or “heart-healthy” cereals. And I just want people to keep in mind that these boxed foods, while you might think, “Hey, I’m eating healthy, because look at the wording on the front of the box,” you’ve really gotta look at the ingredient label. And a lot of these foods, like cereals and frozen dinners, have a lot of junk in them. So if you’re eating those types of foods, those would go more in your 10 percent cheat meals, not 90 percent healthy meals.

So you gotta STICK TO your fruits and vegetables and nuts and lean meats and eggs; foods with single or just a few ingredients. So just wanted to add that.

Craig Ballantyne: Another thing to add to that, Scott, is another place where people really end up in trouble with those types of situations is in the portion size. Now obviously if you’re buying a Lean Cuisine, it’s a single serving, and that’s all you eat, then that’s gonna be calorie restricted. But Wheat Thins, breakfast cereals – mostly breakfast cereals. I mean you take a look what an actual serving is of a breakfast cereal, it is a piddly little portion, and it would take the appetite of a bird to really be filled up by that. So most people end up eating two or three portions, but they only look and think that they’ve eaten one portion and one serving size.

And so they only really take those calories off the side of the box, but really it should be three times as much. So that’s a very important point that you just made there.

Check out what to do if you love carbs in part 2 of my interview with Scott Colby.

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3 Diet Secrets for 2010

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 05:43:45 +0000

Remember that funny video I made last year about “diet vs exercise”?

If you haven’t watched it, here it is:

It points out the futility of the cardio confessional and shows you
that diet is much more important than exercise.

And since diet is more important than exercise, I’ve decided to
spend a lot time sharing nutrition tips this week, starting with
these 3 diet secrets:

1) Your nutrition program doesn’t have to be extreme.

Hold up on the insane New Year’s changes. Make sure the nutrition
plan you’ve chosen is sustainable. Simple diet changes go a lot
farther than you might think.

Why not just eat more whole, natural foods rather than trying to go
on an impossible-to-stick-to ultra-low carb extreme plan?

2) Get the junk out of the house.

If it’s in your house, you’ll eat it…and trust me, this goes for
me too. When I visited my mom’s house for Christmas, I ate all the
chocolate I could find. But I keep it out of my house here in the
big city.

So whatever your weakness is, keep it out of your home.

Success is that simple.

3) Fill in the “diet-killing” gap.

For some folks, the diet-killing gap is between work and dinner. For
others, it’s between dinner and bedtime, but for almost everyone,
there is a point in the day when we suffer from mindless eating.

So make sure you have alternatives…as soon as you come home from
work, cut up vegetables and dip them into hummus. That will keep you
full on a small amount of calories.

After dinner, if you need something sweet, stir up chocolate protein
powder into a small bit of plain yogurt. That will satisfy you.

BONUS Tip #1 – Chew your food 20 times before swallowing. Most people
eat so fast they only about 5 times. You’ll really notice a difference
and you’ll slow your eating so you feel full.

I was reminded of this tip while reading a book called, “Mr America”,
about one of the first ever fitness gurus.

BONUS Tip #2 – Have a bowl of broth-based vegetable soup before a
meal. American researcher Barbara Roll has published a lot of studies
showing that this will help you reduce the food you eat. Surprisingly,
consuming just water doesn’t seem to do the same trick.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

Visit Turbulence Training to get your FREE sample fat burning workout. Click here to get started:
http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

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12 Minute Fat Loss Bodyweight Warmup

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:56:03 +0000

This is a 12-minute workout program.

To begin every workout of the 12-minute workout program, you will start off with a bodyweight warm-up.

The first exercise will be the Y-squat. Place your hands up in a Y position with your shoulder blades back, and then sit back and squat.

After finishing the Y-squat, go down and do Push-ups. If you’re a beginner, then do kneeling push-ups, otherwise regular pushups.

The Last exercise in this warm-up is the Diagonal Lunge. So, stepping out in a 45-degree angle, with your foot still pointing forward, drop down, and then drive back up using your front heel to power up. Alternate sides, doing 6 repetitions per side.

Go through this warm-up twice and then you will be warmed up and ready to move into the workout.

Visit Turbulence Training to get your FREE sample fat burning workout. Click here to get started:
http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

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12 Minute Fat Loss Workout 3 Pushups and Dumbbell, Kettlebell Swings

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:40:17 +0000

This workout is a conditioning circuit using Pushups and Dumbbell/Kettlebell Swings

The first type of pushup you will do is the Close-Grip Pushup. So for this exercise, do as many repetitions as you can in 30 seconds. From there, move immediately into 1-Arm Dumbbell Swings for 30 seconds. Once you’ve gone for 30 seconds, switch sides and do the other arm.

Again, if you have KB’s then you can use those in place of the DB’s.

Next you will do regular Pushups for 30 seconds and finishing off the circuit with 2-Arm Dumbbell Swings.

It’s important to note that throughout this circuit you will not take any rest. By then end of the circuit you’ll be pretty tired, so take one minute rest and then try to go through it again two or three times.

Visit Turbulence Training to get your FREE sample fat burning workout. Click here to get started:
http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

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12 Minute Fat Loss Workout 5 Total Body 3 Exercise Workout

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:12:55 +0000

This workout is another total body, 3-exercise workout. You’ll start out this mini circuit with a dumbbell squat. So, for this exercise, grab a set of dumbbells and place them at your sides. Next, push your hips back and squat down, then drive up. However, as you come up, you will do a bicep curl into an overhead press. Repeat.

Once you’re done that exercise, move immediately into a T-push up. So, go down into a regular push up position, and then as you come up, swing one arm out and rotate out so that your arm is perpendicular to the ground. Bring your arm down, do a push up, and then repeat for the other side.

CLICK HERE for a FREE WORKOUT!!
http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

After that exercise you’ll do a series of burpees. So, go down, kick your legs out, do a push up, jump up, and then repeat that for 30 seconds.

That’s it for the mini-circuit, so you can take a rest, and then repeat that as many times as you can in 12 minutes.

Visit Turbulence Training to get your FREE sample fat burning workout. Click here to get started:
http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

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12 Minute Fat Loss Workout 6 Upper Body Workout

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:07:02 +0000

In this workout you will perform an upper body superset of chin-ups paired with dumbbell chest presses.

Now, you won’t be able to lift as much weight as you normally would simply because your body will be fatigued from doing the chin-ups.

CLICK HERE for a FREE WORKOUT!!
http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

So, take the bar by an underhand grip, shoulder width apart, and from a dead hang, pull your chest up to the bar and back down. Perform as many reps as you can.

Move immediately into dumbbell overhead chest press. Press the db’s up and in, and then down and out.

Once you’re done all your reps, rest one minute and then repeat that superset as many times as you can in 12 minutes.

Visit Turbulence Training to get your FREE sample fat burning workout. Click here to get started:
http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

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12 Minute Fat Loss Full Body Workout 8

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:45:55 +0000

In workout 8 we’re going to start out with dumbbell squats. Hold the dumbbells down by your sides, push your hips back and keep your chest up and out.

Move immediately into a pushup with your hands on the ball. If you can’t do these, just do regular pushups.

CLICK HERE for a FREE WORKOUT!!
http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Finish off with deep step-up. With your dumbbells in your hands, put one foot on the bench, drop your hips down and step up. Step back and down. By dropping your hips down, youll get more work out of that lead leg. Finish all reps on one side and switch to the other side.

Rest 1 minute and repeat this set. Do these as many times as you can in 12 minutes.

Visit Turbulence Training to get your FREE sample fat burning workout.
Click here to get started:
http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

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Men’s Workout: Diet vs. Exercise Royal Rumble

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:37:19 +0000

What happens when you put 3 fitness experts in a room with a pizza, two cheeseburgers, two servings of edible cancer sticks (aka “french fries”), 2 sodas, 2 donuts, 2 giant chocolate chip muffins, 1 huge frappacino, 2 espresso brownies, 1 protein bar, a treadmill, a stairclimber, and a kettlebell?

Well, you have the Ultimate Fat Loss Royal Rumble, of course. The battle of “Diet vs. Exercise”. And while we have it ALL on video, I want to tell you about in gory bite-by-bite “how to ruin your fat loss diet” detail. Click Here to Watch the Entire Video

It all starts with this strange idea I had while walking Bally the Dog. I thought, “Hey, I really need to show folks just how futile cardio is in the fight against a bad diet. But how can I do this…”

Then it hit me. We could show folks just how fast they could consume enormous amounts of calories that ruin fat loss programs. We’ll do a skit called 1000 calories in 1000 seconds. That’ll be perfect. But then I did the math. That’s 1000 calories in almost 17 minutes. Anyone can do that…and no one’s watching a 17 minute video of me eating.

So then I had a better idea. Why not compare how much “diet damage” can be done in a short amount of time PLUS just how FEW calories you can actually burn in hard exercise?”

I was willing to be the exercise subject, and sacrifice some hard work in order to get the message across…but I needed some Guinea Pigs to consume a ridiculous amount of food in a short amount of time. My first thought was Bally the Dog, he likes to eat, but then I’d probably have PETA after me…

So I thought, why not get nutrition expert Brad Pilon? PETA doesn’t care about him, and I know he can eat! Turns out Brad was down with the idea, so we got everything together and met in the gym late at night to film 5 episodes of Diet vs Exercise and test the limits of human (eating) performance!

Diet vs Exercise – Episode 1: Treadmill vs. Pizza & Soda

It doesn’t take a professional gambler to realize this was a mismatch from the start. First of all, it was two foods against one machine! You’ll love the video, but just to give you a quick rundown of the results, Diet scored a whopping 1100 calories to 43 calories victory over the Treadmill in just 3 minutes.

That’s right, Brad was able to consume over 1100 calories in pizza and soda in just 3 minutes, while I was only able to burn 43 calories while running at 10.5 mph for 3 minutes. It was no contest and we proved the point that “you can’t out-cardio a bad diet”.

Diet vs Exercise – Episode 2: The Stairmaster vs “Burger & Fries plus a Soda”

In this battle, we had men’s exercise expert John Barban wolf down as many calories from a beefy burger, fries, and soda meal as possible in just 3 minutes, while I got relegated to 3 minutes on an old-school stairmaster.

Couple of things to point out here…First, according to the stairmaster, climbing a flight of stairs only burns 3 calories! So the next time you read a politically correct article from some lame fitness expert telling you to “take the stairs instead of the elevator”, just realize that doesn’t even cover one french fry’s worth of calories! What a joke.

Second, I found the stairmaster exercise to be easier than running on the treadmill, yet in the same amount of time the stairmaster reported I burned 59 calories (that was 16 calories MORE than running at a harder pace – in my opinion). That just goes to show you that you CAN NOT trust the calorie counters.

So the winner again was DIET, by a score of about 1100 calories to 59 calories – again, delivering the knock out blow in just 3 minutes.

We actually filmed 3 more episodes, but I’ll wait for those to hit video. You should get a good laugh out of fitness and nutrition experts stuffing their faces while I suffer through sprints, kettlebell exercises, and the indignity of using a stairmaster. How embarrassing.

But the point of course is not just to entertain, but to get across this extremely important message and the BOTTOM LINE: You can’t out-train a bad fat loss diet.

Your fat loss diet is the key to burning fat and losing inches,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training

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Men’s Workout: Diet vs Exercise

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:29:53 +0000

Find out how much of a joke cardio is and how dramatic your calorie intake can be without you even knowing it. The fact is, that you can’t out train a bad diet. Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training

Try one of the most popular Turbulence Training Workouts Here

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