Top 5 Fat Loss Tips

I began following Craig’s workouts back in 2005 and have noticed that the way he combines the exercises together not only allows me to take less rest between sets but I literally notice the fat melt away.

So I asked him to write his top 5 fat loss tips for you guys. Enjoy
Tim James CPT Australian Kettlebell Instructor

 

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Men’s Fitness magazine recently asked me for 3 of my best fat loss
secrets.

Since most times the magazines just don’t have enough space to run
my full tips, I thought I’d give you a more detailed explanation of
my secrets here (plus a few extra bonus tips that I didn’t send to
the magazine).

Secret #1 – Focus on burning carbohydrate, not fat, during your
fat-loss workouts.

Sounds backwards, right? But not when you look at how I structure
my workouts.

Remember that Turbulence Training focuses on resistance training
and interval training. Both of these use carbohydrate as the main
source of energy. So it’s obvious the workout is designed to burn
carbohydrates during the training session.

I have no interest in you trying to train in your “target heart
rate zone” for fat burning (aka – the fat burning zone). The whole
idea of a fat-burning zone is an over-simplified idea of how the
body works during exercise.

Leave the inefficient fat burning zone to the mis-educated trainers
in the commercial gyms (that not surprisingly, also want to sell
you a heart rate monitor so you can stay in your “fat burning heart
rate zone”).

If you want to get the most results in the least amount of time,
focus on burning carbohydrates, not fat.

Why do my fat loss workouts focus on burning carbohydrate rather
than fat?

In order to burn more calories after the workout, that’s why. When
you exercise with intervals and heavy resistance training, your body
uses more calories in the hours after exercise than it would if you
did traditional cardio and lifted lighter weights.

I call this ‘Turbulence’. By any name it gives you the same results
- maximum improvements in your body composition (helping you lose
fat while gaining muscle).

Secret #2 – Use a range of repetitions in your strength training
workouts.

In order to train more muscle fibers and burn more carbohydrates, I
have clients use a range of repetitions within the same workout.

The Turbulence Training workouts now use 6, 8, and 12 reps per set
in order to work the muscle the most effectively.

This will burn more carbohydrates and promote as much muscle growth
as possible when you are keeping the calories low.

Secret #3 – Use the stationary cycle for interval training.

I choose the stationary bike for intervals whenever possible
because cycling against a resistance can help maintain muscle mass.

Cycling against a resistance also allows you to perform a large
amount of mechanical work, and that is a key determinant of the
Turbulence in my training.

But please note: I don’t use low-intensity, fast pedaling
’spinning’ intervals as I’m convinced that the hard, resistance
based intervals are more effective for fat loss.

My clients only cycle against a strong resistance in their intervals.

And while I really like the bike, but there are many other ways to
do intervals. Use what works for you, but if you are at a plateau,
try the bike.

Secret #4 – Increase meal frequency

Okay, so this isn’t really a secret to anyone that has read about
fat loss.

But a 2005 study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
showed that eating 6 times per day was associated with eating fewer
calories per day, lowering cholesterol levels, and lowering
post-meal insulin levels.

Combine an increased meal frequency with an increased protein and
fiber intake, and you’ll see your body composition improve rapidly.

If you need more nutrition help, then you’ll love the Turbulence
Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women – written by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D.

See below for more details…

Secret #5 – My Synergistic Turbulence Training Workouts

My Turbulence Training Fat Loss workouts are fast becoming the most
effective way to burn fat, build muscle, and get lean.

The synergistic strength training-interval training workouts are
efficient and effective – getting you in and out of the gym in under
an hour.

Here are some tips that you can use for an advanced training phase.

Use these tips for 2 weeks then return to your normal training
schedule:

a) Add 10 seconds to each interval but maintain the intensity

b) Add in some bodyweight circuits (10-20 minutes per day) done in
the morning or evening (if you do your regular workout in the AM, do
your bodyweight circuits after dinner; otherwise, do the bw circuits
first thing in the AM, and then do your regular workout at lunch or
later in the afternoon or evening)

If you are advanced, you can use squats, pushups, and bodyweight
rows for your circuit.

If you are a beginner, you could use lying hip extensions, modified
pushups, and stick-ups.

c) Add an extra set to each exercise in the first superset you do
in each workout.

Again, use these three tips for an advanced fat loss period of two
weeks, then return to a normal training schedule.

But always stick to the best fat loss nutrition plan possible.

If you have any other questions, just let me know.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne
Author, Turbulence Training

P.S. Big Nutrition Announcement!

The Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women – written
by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., will help you transform your body.

Here are just some of the things you’ll learn from Dr. Mohr…

1) How to calculate your calorie needs (p. 6)

2) Calorie recommendations for obese individuals (p.7)

3) The 23 types of sugar (many hidden!) to avoid (p. 9)

4) The 20 whole-grain sources to fuel your fat loss program (p9)

5) Over 60 fruits and vegetables that should be added to your diet
(p. 10)

6) The 16 protein sources you should select most often (p. 13)

7) Shocking trans-fat content of 18 common foods – find out which
food is the deadliest in terms of fat content (p. 16)

8 ) The 9 Fat Sources you should select most often (p. 17)

9) Dr. Mohr’s 12 Rules for Fat Loss (p. 18)

10) The TT Nutrition Plan for Men (p. 19)

11) The TT Nutrition Plan for Women (p. 23)

12) Bonus Supplement Report: The Truth About Fat Loss Pills (p. 27)

 

Email me to get a copy of this report.

Cheers Tim

How to use a buffet to lose weight!

You may be wondering as I did when I thought through this article, how do you do that?

You see only the other night eating out with some friends, one of the blokes said to me, “You better make sure you go back and get seconds, you will want to get your moneys worth!” I thought, why is it that people have the perception that if you are allowed to eat as much as you want that you will?

 

I originally was going to have a steak dinner for $14 and asked the waitress if I could substitute vegetables for the chips. She said that would cost an extra $7 so that was only $2 cheaper than the buffet which gave me greater choice of foods. I ended up getting the vegetables I wanted plus a spring roll. The point is, I didnt think I had to eat 2, 3 or more platefuls. I just wanted to enjoy my meal and have a nutritious option.

 Here are three tips to enjoying a buffet.

• Stick to water as the carbonated drink will fill you up quickly and you will feel to full.
•  Make your first choice the healthiest option.. ie. salads, vegetables, roast etc
•  Once you are finished your first plate consider whether you want dessert or not and wait 5 minutes.

If you dont want dessert you have the option to get a second plate or you may be satisfied from one plate and therefore you wont overindulge. There is nothing worse than that feeling of being overfull.

 Remember just because you are paying $20+ doesnt mean you have to have multiple plates. That after all is a standard price for one plate of decent food in most restaurants,

Enjoy your food, dont deprive yourself but be accountable to your goals (fat loss, health, example to others, etc.)

 

Tim James

CPT Australian Kettlebell Instructor

How I literally tasted nearly 100km of road!

It is not what it seems. You see, I joined some adventurous friends to cycle from Brisbane to the Gold Coast along with 10,000 other cycling frieks.

It began to rain and if you know what it is like riding in a peleton then you would understand that rain and close riding meant I was tasting the road off the tyre in front of me. Not the most pleasant thought but I was enjoying the challenge of a 3 1/2 hr + ride.

Here are some things I gained from meditating on my ride.

1. When you take up a challenge that is not in the normal every day life category you get to see life through a different lens. I have never seen those townships (every single metre) from that perspective before and it was like using a zoom on google maps. How this can benefit your fitness journey is by undertaking a challenge or workout you may never have done before you get to discover things about yourself that you wouldnt find out any other way, like your determination and staying power.

2. There is a lot to be said for the encouragement of others and to hear someone call your name can sometimes be enough to motivate you to work your legs again that little bit more. Do you have a support group that can encourage you to keep going? If you dont you really are missing out!

3. The exhiliration of crossing the finish line is akin to what the Apostle Paul said, “I have finished the race”. The knowledge that all that energy you have put in has rewarded you with public recogntion can be very gratifying. There is that surge of pride as non competitors cheer you on across the finish. I always am thankful for the non competitors at the finish line. Their role is SO important to me. Have you finished what you started?

4. Sometimes life throws challenges at us that we really dont know how they will end! The great thing about the challenge I undertook is that is had already been prepared by a team of experts and all I had to do was participate. There are many challenge workouts around but a popular modern one is the Fitness Boot Camp.                                                                                                                                                                 It runs for a specified phase and there are definite markers of improvement and a definite plus is the communal support. My fit camps “Get Energetic Fit Camps” have been running now for nearly 5 months and the members are loving the workouts.

Email me if you are in the area and are interested.

Tim James

Certified PT & Australian Kettlebell Instructor

How to GI “Joe” your food!

So wouldn’t you love to look in as great shape as they do in the GI Joe movie?

Well I took a long shot to connect GI (glycaemic index) and the movie to write this blog.

GI is often misunderstood but in simple terms it relates to how different foods contribute to spikes in blood sugar levels. Interestingly  it is the “proceessed” foods that are high GI.

So lets look at bread… I still eat bread myself but I choose it carefully. Find a dense grained type like Cape Seed from Bakers Delight or look in your local bakery for rye/ sourdough. These breads will be far lower on the GI scale than your standard white bread from Woolies.

Next we will look at cereal.. If you eat it for breakfast there is a chance that you are eating high GI cereal and that will leave you starving at tea break which will make eating those bikkies with your tea very hard to resist. Muesli is a better option than most cereals due to the amount of fibre in the mix. Add nuts yourself and they will help to neutralize any blood sugar spikes.

If you have a sweet tooth opt for something like Date loaf which generally has far less salt, butter and sugar than say “Madeira Cake”. I prefer to alleviate my sweet fixes with a red apple and some almonds as it satisfies me and I dont feel worried about getting fat from fruit.

Brown rice and wholemeal pastas are the lower GI options. Brown rice with soy sauce has a really nice taste and most pasta based dishes really have a lot of flavour so changing to wholemeal really isnt that difficult. If it means the difference between gaining weight from excess blood sugars stored as excess energy and trying something new then I would say the smart thing to do is choose the low GI option.

I didnt want to exhaust you but hope to make these tips implementable into your current diet.

I look forward to hearing of your creativity in meal planning.

Tim James

CPT and Australian Kettlebell Instructor