Showing posts with label fat loss exercises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fat loss exercises. Show all posts
Monday, May 23, 2016
Friday, February 19, 2016
Turbulence Training Review
While looking for a new fat burning workout, I stumbled across a program promising better fat loss results in half the time. Frankly, it sounded too good to be true, but with life seemingly moving at a faster pace these days, leaving me with little time to hit the gym, I decided this new program – Turbulence Training for Women – was worth a shot.
If you aren't yet familiar with "TT", as it's commonly referred to by its ever-growing fan base, this is a workout program in which you ditch the time-consuming and ineffective cardio sessions and replace it with 3 short-burst fat burning workouts that combine both resistance training and superior interval training.
The results are a leaner, sexier, feminine-looking physique, with less time spent in the gym away from your family and friends. So let's have a look at what my experience was with TT for women.
To start out, the Turbulence Training program offers a convenient and economically-friendly $4.95 21-day trial (after which you are billed the remaining $35), but I decided to follow the program for the full 4 weeks to really measure its effectiveness.
My first concern was that the workouts would be either too easy or too difficult, but after quickly reviewing the TT program I knew that wouldn’t be a problem!
Not only is this program packed with workouts to keep even gym fanatics busy for a long time, but the TT Fat Loss program has workouts that allow beginners to naturally progress without over-doing themselves.
My next biggest concern was that these workouts would turn me into the next He-man. Let's face it, we want fat loss, but if it's going to make us big and bulky, then forget it.
Fortunately, the combination of bodyweight exercises, traditional dumbbell exercises, and interval training made my body smaller and firmer, not big and bulky. After 4 weeks, there was definitely no threat of me entering the next bodybuilding competition, but my arms, abs and hips had noticeably toned up and my stomach was flatter than it had been in years.
And I can't forget to mention the interval training portion of the workouts either. These short burst training sessions will challenge you mentally and physically, but they are so quick and the natural exercise high you feel after completing one of these sessions simply does not compare to anything else.
I refuse to spend 30-45 minutes wasting my time running on the treadmill anymore without getting any results. I’ve said “NO” to boring cardio for good.
Other Cool Features:
These workouts offer a lot of variety in the exercises to keep your body guessing and your mind stimulated.
The program offers exercise photos along with the accompanying descriptions.
When you purchase the program, you get a free 3-month membership to the Turbulence Training fat loss forum where you can get professional advice directly from the author, Craig Ballantyne, as well as social support from other women all over the world – just like you. This forum is priceless – and you get it free with Turbulence Training.
Problems:
I didn't have many concerns with this program. In fact, the only thing I can really think that could be improved is a more convenient travel program. The manual is quite cumbersome, and would involve printing off a large number of pages. However, all I did was write down my workout in a little booklet, double check to ensure I knew how to do the exercises correctly and head off to the gym.
So, for $4.95 and a 21-day trial, Turbulence Training for Women is an excellent investment and I highly recommend you give it a try if you’re looking to tone your body up in just a few weeks with short, burst workouts.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
3 Kettelbell Exercises To Test The Waters
There seems to be a certain reservation among “regular” gym goers when it comes to trying Kettlebell Training.
I say this because when I train with my clients at the gym and have them do work with kettlebells, there always seems to be 3 or 4 wandering eyes peering over at what we are doing.
It's pretty humorous because some will resort to stealth-like ninja techniques to perform the “wandering-eye-walk-by” whereby they pretend to be on their way to the water fountain and just casually stroll by 4 or 5 times to try and catch some instruction.
But honestly, 4 drinks in between your sets of ab/adductor machine?
Truth be told, Kettlebell Training is gaining momentum and it’s good to see that people are actually taking an interest in a simpler alternative to “traditional” weight training.
So with that being said, let me see if I can ease you into Kettlebell Training.
Here are 3 exercises you can start doing today, just by “subbing-in” a kettlebell for a dumbbell…
1. Substitute KB Military Press for any type of Overhead Pressing with a Dumbbell
Pick up a kettlebell and bring in it in close to your body ensuring that 1) your WRIST STAYS IN NEUTRAL (never flexing or extending) and 2) it is resting in the nook of your arm between your bicep and forearm (take a look at the picture of me above left in the header).
Brace your abs hard, pretending that someone is about to punch you in the stomach. Keeping your wrist straight, squeeze the handle of the KB as tight as you can and take a breath in, creating and even tenser brace in your abdomen.
Now press the kettlebell overhead moving your arm from a neutral GRIP (palm facing towards your midline) to a pronated GRIP (palm facing away) as you lock your elbow out over your head.
The important thing here is to LOCK OUT. I know in some body building circles they tell you to keep a slight bend in your elbow, even in the overhead position, to “keep tension on the muscle”. That’s not the case here. This isn’t body building.
You are going to LOCK OUT and make sure that 1) Your shoulder is depressed. That is, it’s not up by your ears, it’s down and back 2) Your bicep is almost touching your ear and 3) The kettlebell, while in the overhead lock-out position is in line if not BEHIND your head.
Slowly lower the KB back to the starting position following the same pronated to neutral curve you used when you pressed it over head.
2. Try a Modified Renegade Row in place of a standard 1-Arm Bent-Over Row
Unlike a standard DB Row, where you rest a knee on the bench, the Modified Renegade Row will force you to really use your abs to keep your low back stable.
Place a kettlebell on the floor on the left side and then place both hands on the edge of a bench (or chair). With your hands on the bench/chair, set yourself up so that you’re in a “push-up” position with your feet slightly wider that hip-width apart.
Reach down and grab the KB with your left hand. Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes and row the kettlebell into your body towards your hip. Remember when you row to squeeze your shoulder blades together prior to bending your elbow.
As you row, you’ll notice that your body will want to twist and rotate because of the uneven distribution of weight. You must prevent this from happening. By bracing your abs and squeezing your glutes, you will work your abs like they’ve never been worked before!
Slowly lower the weight, again not allowing yourself to rotate and repeat for the required reps.
3. Replace regular squats with a 1-Arm KB Front Squat
Just as the Military Press above, pick up a kettlebell and bring in it in close to your body ensuring that 1) your WRIST STAYS IN NEUTRAL (never flexing or extending) and 2) it is resting in the nook of your arm between your bicep and forearm (take a look at the picture of me above left in the header).
Brace your abs hard, pretending that someone is about to punch you in the stomach. Keeping your wrist straight, squeeze the handle of the KB as tight as you can and take a breath in, creating and even tenser brace in your abdomen.
Now, keeping the bell close, push your hips back and bend your knees. You’ll notice that as you descend, because of the uneven distribution of weight, your body will want to twist or even bend sideways. Just like the Modified Renegade Row above, you want to resist this and brace your abs hard.
Descend into the squat by pushing your knees out allowing your hips to go below parallel and keeping your spine straight.
Push your feet into the floor (keeping your heels on the ground the entire time) and drive your body up to the standing position.
So there are 3 exercises you can try out today, using only 1 KB, to help familiarize yourself with Kettlebell Training.
In addition to the benefit of only needing one piece of equipment for the above exercises, the uneven distribution of weight during KB Training allows you to use your abs like no other exercises can. They force you to stabilize your spine and to try to stay straight forcing your abs to work the way they were meant to be worked - as stabilizers of your torso and spine and not as “prime movers”.
And because of this, you'll find that people who train with KBs tend to have bullet-proof abdominals, while eliminating low back pain and gaining usable strength that will help you in everyday life.
Turbulence Training FAQ'S - Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is Craig Ballantyne?
Answer:
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, M.Sc., is a sought after fitness expert and consultant to Men's Fitness magazine - one of the most popular fitness publications in the world, and Maximum Fitness.
Craig's fat loss and workout tips are featured every month in Men's Fitness and his sports training articles and workouts can be found on a number of websites and in many other magazines such as Men’s Health, Oxygen, Maximum Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness Hers.
Craig’s areas of expertise include helping busy men and women lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in as little time as possible. Craig also has an extensive research background and keeps up to date on the latest scientific findings that will help improve your health and wellness and your physical and mental performance.
Q: How much fat can I lose with Turbulence Training?
Answer:The short answer is, “a lot”.
But to be more specific, you should be able to lose one pound of body fat each week (in addition to following sound fat loss nutritional practices). At the same time, you should expect to gain or maintain muscle.
Turbulence Training for Fat Loss gives you at least 16 weeks of fat-blasting workouts, so expect a two-digit fat loss by the time you get through the program.
Q: Why should I only use each version of Turbulence Training for 4 weeks?
Answer:We want to keep the element of variety in the training program to achieve consistent fat loss. Nothing, except poor eating, halts fat loss like staying on a training program for too long. By switching it up on a frequent basis, you’ll avoid fat loss plateaus and keep making gains in strength and fitness at the same time.
Q: Can women use Turbulence Training? I don’t want to bulk up.
Answer:Yes, they sure can. Many women have had Turbulence Training Success Stories.
As well, women don’t have to worry about “bulking up”. Unless you are over-eating, it is hard for women to gain muscle. So by using the Turbulence Training for Nutrition guidelines, along with the interval training to burn fat, you will not bulk up when you do the strength training exercises (which are essential for boosting your metabolism – to burn even more fat).
Answer:
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, M.Sc., is a sought after fitness expert and consultant to Men's Fitness magazine - one of the most popular fitness publications in the world, and Maximum Fitness.
Craig's fat loss and workout tips are featured every month in Men's Fitness and his sports training articles and workouts can be found on a number of websites and in many other magazines such as Men’s Health, Oxygen, Maximum Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness Hers.
Craig’s areas of expertise include helping busy men and women lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in as little time as possible. Craig also has an extensive research background and keeps up to date on the latest scientific findings that will help improve your health and wellness and your physical and mental performance.
Q: How much fat can I lose with Turbulence Training?
Answer:The short answer is, “a lot”.
But to be more specific, you should be able to lose one pound of body fat each week (in addition to following sound fat loss nutritional practices). At the same time, you should expect to gain or maintain muscle.
Turbulence Training for Fat Loss gives you at least 16 weeks of fat-blasting workouts, so expect a two-digit fat loss by the time you get through the program.
Q: Why should I only use each version of Turbulence Training for 4 weeks?
Answer:We want to keep the element of variety in the training program to achieve consistent fat loss. Nothing, except poor eating, halts fat loss like staying on a training program for too long. By switching it up on a frequent basis, you’ll avoid fat loss plateaus and keep making gains in strength and fitness at the same time.
Q: Can women use Turbulence Training? I don’t want to bulk up.
Answer:Yes, they sure can. Many women have had Turbulence Training Success Stories.
As well, women don’t have to worry about “bulking up”. Unless you are over-eating, it is hard for women to gain muscle. So by using the Turbulence Training for Nutrition guidelines, along with the interval training to burn fat, you will not bulk up when you do the strength training exercises (which are essential for boosting your metabolism – to burn even more fat).
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