5 Ways to Cut Your Workout Time

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

Do you know the 2 biggest reasons men and women stop exercising?

1) Lack of time
2) Lack of motivation


Let's tackle "Lack of Time" today with 5 ways you can get your workouts done faster. After all, no one should spend more than 50 minutes in the gym.



Here are 5 ways to cut time from your workouts.


a) Supersets

I use "non-competing" superset. This means, choose two exercises for different muscle groups - and preferably completely opposite movements. For example, choose a push and a pull. That way, one muscle group rests while the other works...and you cut the rest time you need between sets.

b) Choose a better warmup strategy

Don't waste 10 minutes walking on the treadmill. Instead, use a total body circuit of bodyweight exercises as a general warmup, and then move directly into specific warm-up sets for your first two exercises.


c) Pair dumbbell and bodyweight exercises together in your supersets 

This saves you time at home (you don't need to change the dumbbell weight between exercises) and in the gym (you don't need to fight for 2 sets of dumbbells).


d) Choose Intervals over slow cardio

The latest research shows more weight loss when people use intervals, and intervals take half as long to do.

e) Limit the use of isolation exercises

Pick multi-muscle exercises, such as squats, pulls, pushes, and rows. If you have time, you can squeeze in some dropsets for arms and shoulders if you want. However, if you only have 3 sessions of 45 minutes per week, isolation exercises must be the first to go.

In addition, don't spend more than 10 minutes per week on direct ab training. It's not efficient and won't give you rock hard abs alone.


Workout less, live life more,


Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Creator of Turbulence Training








PS - Don't know where to start?

If you are a beginner, start by reading Dr. Mohr's nutrition guidelines...eating properly will be the biggest factor in your early success.

Beginners should also start with the Introductory TT workouts to prepare their muscles for the upcoming intense training.

For others, it's best to start with the Intermediate Level TTworkouts. If those aren't enough of a challenge, you can move onto the Original TT workout and follow the 16-week advanced program right through.

If at any time you need a break, try the TT Bodyweight 4-week plan.

And then finish off with the Turbulence Training Fusion Fat Loss program followed by the 30-day Maximum Fat Loss program to cap off a full 24 weeks of Advanced TT fat loss workouts.

After that, choose between the TT for Women or TT for Muscleprograms to help put the finishing touches on your physique. All of these are included as bonuses with Turbulence Training.





About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Top 5 Fat Loss Tips

 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 heartrate 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.

Alwyn Cosgrove calls this 'afterburn', and I call it '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. My 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.

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 new 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., is ready for you.

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)

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy       equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com