Weight Loss Central

Yes, you can. I have done it myself. There are several ways to gain muscle and lose fat. Remember, fat loss is not the same as weight loss. In this article I will be concentrating on strategies to change your body composition (i.e. gain muscle lose fat). The easiest time to accomplish this dual goal is when you are in what has been termed the “novice stage”. Once you pass the novice stage you will need to decide which of the two goals is the priority: gain muscle or lose fat.

The novice stage is a magical period where you can with comparative ease gain muscle and lose fat. The novice stage is the period when you first start resistance training to build muscle. This also applies if you use to train but have not in a while. During this stage you can make strength gains between each workout, if you are on a good program. Your muscles should be adapting and growing at a rate that will use up more calories. You should be able to eat at a level above what was maintenance before and still lose fat. Depending on your past history, age, and the quality of the program (also how will you stick to the program), you could be in the novice stage anywhere from a few months up to a year! A novice program should contain three full body workouts per week on nonconsecutive days. The novice stage ends when you can no longer recover in time to make gains (even small ones) in the next work out.

Now it is decision time, do you want to keep making strength and muscle gains or do you want to reduce your fat? In this next stage you will not be able to do both build muscle and lose fat effectively. You can build muscle while losing very little or no fat or lose fat while building a little or maintaining your muscle. Another choice is to build muscle without regard to fat or the reverse. Whichever way you choose your diet is the key to success.

If you truly need to worry about gaining muscle and losing fat then you will most likely qualify for the novice stage. If not then you will need to make your decision and follow a nutrition and exercise program that will support that goal.

For more on nutrition aspect check out gain muscle lose fat. Finding the right program can take a lot of time and energy. The best overall program, combining all the physical nutritional and metal parts of gaining muscle and losing fat is at losefat-online.com.

Here is a free one. It uses body weight so you don’t need any equipment and you can see how interval training works for yourself.

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

If you don’t have variety in your program, you are more than likely to
end up at a fat loss plateau soon rather than later. Variety is one of
the keys to keeping that fat loss coming.

So
not only should you have variety within your training week (i.e.
alternate between two different interval training workouts, rather than
just doing the same interval workout each time), but you should also
change these workouts every 4 weeks.

So you need to change your training program every 4 weeks. To modify your interval training workouts, you can…

1. switch exercise methods (and even use bodyweight exercises for intervals)
2. increase or decrease the length of the interval (while decreasing or increasing the intensity, respectively)
3. increase or decrease the number of intervals per workout
4. increase or decrease the rest time between intervals

First,
let’s take a look at the interval methods. Here is my list of preferred
ways to do your intervals, ranked in order from best to worst, based on
my experiences…

1. Sprinting outdoors (and hills might be the absolute best)
2. Strongman movements (Farmer’s walks, tire flips, car pushing)
3. Bodyweight interval circuits
4. Treadmill running
5. Stationary cycle (upright preferred)
6. Stairclimber
7. Rower
8. Swimming (only works for competent swimmers)
9. Elliptical & Crosstrainer machines

Okay, so how long should you do intervals and how the heck do you do bodyweight exercises as interval training?

First,
I stand by what I said in Part 1. There does not seem to be a “best”
interval training program. But that is good because it allows us to use
variety in our approach. (So perhaps the best interval training method
is simply the one that changes every 4 weeks.)

Interval
recommendations have ranged from 15 seconds (from Muscle Media waaaay
back in the late 90’s), to 5 minutes (these are known as aerobic
intervals). So let’s take a look at each interval recommendation and
all those in between.

15 seconds
The
great thing about 15 second intervals is that you’ll be able to work at
a very high rate (almost near your maximum power output), as long as
you get adequate recovery between work intervals. The downside is that
it is very difficult to do 15 second intervals on machines, because it
takes a long time to “build up” and “bring down” the machine settings
to the correct speed.

If
you decide to use these short, high-intensity intervals, you should do
so only if you already have an above average level of fitness. Your
rest interval should be at least 15 seconds long, and can be as long as
60 seconds. The longer you rest, the harder you will be able to
exercise in each interval.

20 seconds on, 10 seconds off
This method is known as the Tabata protocol, after the Japanese
scientist that published a study on this routine. It is very demanding
(obviously), and while some trainers have suggested this is the best
method for interval training, I don’t think there is any proof that you
will get better results.

Clearly,
the pro’s with this method (as well as the 15 second intervals) is that
you’ll get your workout done faster (provided you do the same number of
intervals as any other workout). Again, it would be very difficult to
perform this type of interval training on a machine, due to the time
lag as you increase or decrease the settings. And finally, these too
should only be performed by above average fitness levels.

30 seconds
The Turbulence Training workouts tend to use a lot of 30 second
intervals. Beginners will rest up to 90 seconds between intervals,
while advanced fitness levels will rest 30-60 seconds. The longer
(relative) rest allows you to work harder in each successive interval
(i.e. you’ll almost be able to match your performance in the first
interval with each following interval). Short rest intervals (as in the
Tabata protocol) will lead to a dramatic drop-off in performance with
each interval. You can easily do the 3-second intervals on any machine.

45 seconds
These intervals are proven for fat loss, in addition to being effective
for many team sports (such as hockey, soccer, basketball, and rugby). I
have used 45 second intervals extensively in both areas of training.
Not only will these tax your muscles, they will also tax your will to
complete each interval (if done at the right intensity). Use 45-90
seconds of recovery between intervals. Do 3-6 intervals per workout.
Your fitness and fat loss will skyrocket.

60 second intervals
Similar to the 45 second intervals in benefits and toughness. Use
60-120 seconds of recovery between each.

120 second intervals
These are now officially aerobic intervals, and can be used for both
fat loss and improving aerobic capacity for sports and running. A great
way to achieve two fitness goals at once. Exercise for 2 minutes and
then recover for 2 minutes. Repeat 6 times. These workouts take longer
(obviously), but can have a role in changing your body and improving
your performance.

5 minute intervals
Same strategy as with the two minute intervals. This really increases
your workout time, so these are only used with serious endurance
athletes.

Beginner vs. Advanced
If you are thinking that these intervals all sound “too intense” for
you, please don’t worry. Interval training is all relative. You don’t
have to sprint for your life in each type of interval. Instead, just
work at a slightly harder than normal pace. By the end of the interval,
you should be getting tired, but you shouldn’t be gasping for air.
Start conservatively and you will get the hang of it.

For
example, if you regularly use level 5 on the stationary bike for 30
minutes continuously, you might try doing a 1 minute interval at level
7. Try that for an interval workout and let me know how it goes.

My
favorite intervals for fat loss are between 30-60 seconds. These have
been the staple intervals in my Turbulence Training workouts since the
first workout was designed back in 2001. But again, I think you will
get your best fat loss results if you vary your interval training
workouts - just like you must vary your strength training workouts.

Intervals are the secret to success,

CB

P.S. Do you need to lose a post-vacation belly?

“Craig,
I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been using your Turbulence
Training System to whip myself back into shape after a vacation and too
much time in front of the computer getting a couple of projects
completed and I’ve dropped 10.2 lbs. of bodyfat in the last 28 days. As
a fellow fitness professional I can safely say that it’s the best and
most efficient approach to improving body composition that I’ve come
across.”
Pat Rigsby
President
The Fitness Consulting Group

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

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

Is there really a best interval training system for fat loss?

Do intervals really work as well as regular cardio for fat loss?

I’m going to cover these, and many more questions in Part 1 of your
lessons on interval training.

But this is not just interval training 101. Today, you’re going to
leave this email with a graduate degree in interval training for
fat loss.

I’ll answer both questions upfront before the lesson begins, and
I’ll give more details on each as we go along:

1) Conservatively, intervals are at least as effective as regular
aerobic training for fat loss. Personally, I believe intervals are
far superior. And there is no denying that intervals allow you to
get your workouts done a lot faster than slow, boring cardio
workouts.

2) I have to admit, there is no best interval training program for
fat loss. But that is a good thing, because there are so many ways
that you can change your interval training to keep your fat loss
results coming week in and week out.

By changing your training program every three to four weeks, you
are using one of the key principles of Turbulence Training -
variety. It is essential to change your workouts this frequently,
otherwise you might suffer from a dreaded fat loss plateau.

And if that is the case for you now, I’ll show you dozens of
alternative interval training workouts you can use to kick-start
your metabolism and fat loss.

Now what many people don’t know, or perhaps just fail to recognize,
is that interval training is not just for advanced fitness
superstars. No way. In fact, intervals are an effective and perhaps
even the most effective method for beginners to get fit and lose
fat.

First you have to understand that interval training is based on
relative performance. While my intervals would be much too hard for
a beginner, my intervals would be a joke for Lance Armstrong.

So even for those men and women that are just dipping their toe
into the fitness waters for the first time in months, years, or
dare I say, decades, they too can do interval training.

If you are a beginner and you can walk at 3.3mph for 20 minutes,
then your intervals will start at a walk at 3.6mph for 30 seconds
to a minute. That is interval training.

It doesn’t have to be high-intensity, sprint-to-the-death activity.

Instead, just increase the intensity slightly more than you can
normally handle, and do so for a short time, and intersperse that
with periods of easier exercise for twice the duration.

So if you did 1 minute at 3.6mph, drop down to 3.0mph for 2
minutes. Do that up to 6 times, and you’ve had yourself an interval
session.

Now for those of you that have been doing only slow, traditional
cardio, switching over to interval training 2-3 times per week is
going to be the fat loss equivalent of throwing a lit, gasoline
soaked rag on a pile of dry kindling.

Here’s why…research has given us a lot of evidence that intervals
are superior to traditional cardio. First, a study from Laval
University in 1994 compared interval training to aerobic training -
straight up - over a 12 week training period. Subjects that used
interval training had better results. They lost more fat. You can’t
argue with that.

And second, interval training causes metabolic turbulence - also
known as boost in your metabolism. Due to the high-intensity nature
of intervals, there is more “turbulence” applied to the muscle.
That means more muscle breakdown and more adaptations in the
muscle.

Now I know that sounds very technical, but all you need to
understand is that when all this extra activity goes on at the
muscle level, it requires a lot more energy to return your muscle
back to normal (i.e. to get out of turbulence and back to a normal
resting state).

And when your body uses more energy, it means, in laymen’s terms,
that you are burning more calories.

So it’s important for men and women not too get hung up on the
calorie counters in the gym. First, because the calorie count of
the workout is not the only factor in determining fat loss
(intervals burn far more calories after the workout - more on that
later).

And second, a report on CBS showed that the calorie counters on
some machines are often significantly inaccurate.

Doesn’t that boil your blood when you think back to all those times
you did slow, boring cardio and patiently watched the calorie
counter creep up to your goal of 250, 300, or even 400 calories?
And who knows if that was even accurate?

With intervals, you can forget about the calories on the machine.
Just work hard, do the intervals, then leave the gym and let your
muscles continue burning calories on its own while it recovers from
exercise.

OK, time is up, so I’m going to leave off here for Part 1.

I apologize, you don’t have your Master’s of Science Degree in
Interval Training yet, but you will after Part 2.

So your homework between now and next week’s class is to start
incorporating interval training into your fat loss program. For
beginners, see the outline above. Make sure to include a 5-minute
specific warm-up and cool-down.

And if you truly did just peel yourself off the couch last week and
you have not exercised in years, I insist that you see a doctor
before you take up any exercise program. Believe me, you’ll thank
yourself for it.

For more advanced fitness levels, let’s start with 60 second
intervals.

Do a 5-minute specific warm-up, then exercise for 60 seconds at a
slightly harder than normal cardio pace.

Follow that with 90 seconds of exercise at a very easy pace. (Don’t
exercise too hard in the recovery period - that is one of the
biggest mistakes people make with interval training!). Repeat this
sequence for 3 more intervals (let’s just do 4 intervals for your
first session).

Through trial and error, find an intensity that allows you to work
to near fatigue - but not complete fatigue, there should still be
some “gas” left in the tank - by the end of the 60 second interval.

In the next newsletter, I’ll discuss at least 6 different interval
durations and when you should use them, as well as the best
interval training methods - and don’t miss when I expose the most
ineffective machine in the gym.

Hint - It is also the most common machine these days, yet I’ve yet
to see a single person change their body by using this machine for
their cardio and intervals.

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

Technorati Tags: cardio, fat loss, burn fat, lose weight, weight loss, calories, intervals

New year, new goals.

I had a minor set back on my goals for last year.

I had an accident and have not been able to exercise in 5 months.

That ended Monday. Here is my plan and goals:

I am using the principles laid out in BFFM .

1. I am calorie shifting to keep my body from going into starvation mode.
2. I am using the carb protien fat ratio of 40-40-20. I found that works best for me.
3. Exercise.

I am using a video exercise program from Beach Body: Power 90 to start with. You only need a few dumbells and your go to go with this program. I like the video program because I don’t have to drive 30 minutes to a gym and I don’t have to pay monthly dues. I also get to look like a fool when learning new exercises in the privacy of my own living room!

Last year I had gotten down to 207 and 18% body fat before my accident. I was using the program I just Laid out to get there.

I am now 229 and 25% body fat.

Goal 1 - Get to 199 by the end of April.

Goal 2 - Complete 3 rounds of P90x and get to and maintain 185-195 pounds and 10% body fat.

Here is a calculator that can help with the calorie shifting.

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, “I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps it’s because escape is easier than change.”

Success psychologists say that 95% - 97% of the people in the world do NOT have written goals and fail, while 3-5% have written goals and succeed.

If these statistics are correct, then Mr Rohn’s observation really IS quite fascinating isn’t it?

Unfortunately for most people, the odds for success are actually even lower, because out of the few people who do set goals, most don’t take goal setting seriously, they don’t do it scientifically and they only do it once a year.

Goal setting is so important, that I always teach goal setting and mind dynamics first, and only THEN, do I teach nutrition and training second.

It doesn’t matter how much you know about nutrition or exercise. Until specialized fitness knowledge is linked with goals and directions, the knowledge is useless and you won’t accomplish very much or keep the changes long term.

In fact, I devoted the entire first chapter of my book, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle to the subject of goals and constructive “mind programming” for successful, permanent behavior change.

I’ve also studied neuro linguistic programming (NLP) for many years and more recently spent many months researching the latest information about neuroscience to see just how much of the traditional self help and goal setting wisdom is actually backed by brain research.

As you start thinking about your goals for 2007 right Now, I’d like to help you start the year off right by sharing two very valuable, science based tips on achieving your goals:

SCIENTIFIC GOAL SETTING TIP #1: Repetition is an effective way to “plant” a goal in the non-conscious mind

Why don’t most resolutions stick? Psychology and neuroscience today are giving us the answers.

Thanks to new technologies in brain imaging, such as PET scans, SPECT scans and functional MRI’s, we can now actually see your thoughts as electrochemical impulses and we can see the formation of new neural connections in real time right before our eyes.

We can also see where, geographically, in your brain, a particular type of thought is occurring.

most importantly, we can see how long it takes to form strong neural patterns and what types of stimuli cause the patterns to form more quickly

Here’s what we’ve discovered:

Setting a goal once is a conscious activity. Willpower is also a conscious activity. But research has shown that at least 5/6 of your brain power is in the non conscious mind and that the information and instructions that reach the non conscious mind are responsible for your automatic behavior.

Some psychologists believe that 95% of our behaviors are unconscious and automatic… more commonly known as habits.

Long term behavior changes don’t take place when you set goals one time as with most new years resolutions. There’s an old saying in “self help” circles that it takes at least 21-30 days to form a habit. This has now been proven to be fairly accurate on a neurological basis.

New neural patterns begin to form only after they’ve been repeated enough times. They continue to strengthen with further repetition. If you make resolutions on January 1st and you don’t continue to repeat and reinforce your desire for those “goals,” no new neural connection is formed, no new habits are formed, no new behaviors are formed….

Your resolutions wither away and die and any results obtained through willpower (trying to force the new behaviors through conscious effort), are quickly lost when you slip back to your old ways.

What you repeat over and over again is programmed into the subconscious mind and begins to take root. On a practical level, this means RE-writing your goals everyday and thinking about them in positive terms and in mental pictures, every day, repeatedly until the habit is formed and turned over to “auto-pilot.”

In 1956, when Earl Nightingale wrote “The Strangest Secret is that we become what we think about most of the time,” we didn’t know what we know now about the brain.

Nevertheless, Earl was right.

You don’t change your body by trying to change your body. You change your body by creating new habitual patterns of thinking and visualizing.

Trying to force new behaviors with willpower while continuing with your old ways of thinking will always fail because your automatic behavior is mostly under non-conscious control.

Its not the resolution you set once… its the goals (mental thoughts and images) you focus on all day long that create the long term (and automatic) behavioral change… when you change your behaviors, you change your body and your life…

SCIENTIFIC GOAL SETTING TIP #2: Emotion is a goal-turbocharger

Is there any way around this tedious process of “mental programming” through repetition? Not really. The fields of NLP and hypnosis have given us some tools for creating more rapid changes, but ultimately you have to begin to “run your own brain” and change your habitual way of thinking. No one else can do it for you and there’s no way around it.

there is however, a scientifically proven way to to speed up the process and that is with the use of strong emotion.

Since modern imaging technology can see activity in the brain and scientists have located the seat of emotions in the brain, we know that the strength and number of neural connections associated with a thought or behavior are increased when you’re in a highly emotional state.

The neuron connections are also stronger, longer lasting and it takes longer to lose a neural connection when it was formed with great emotion.

With this knowledge, we see another reason why new years resolutions fail: They are set casually with no emotion and no strong emotional “reason why” that gives you the leverage to you need to make a change permanent.

On January 1st, you may think you’re setting “real” goals, but if you’re like most people, you’re not only doing it a mere once a year and then losing focus, you’re also likely to be making flimsy, wishy-washy, emotion-less “resolutions.”

Zig Ziglar once said that, “A goal casually set and lightly taken will be freely abandoned at the first obstacle.”

You might want to back up and read that quote again, maybe even write it down or print it out, because this one hits the bull’s-eye!

This truly explains why New Year’s resolutions almost never work, and why so few people can keep off the pounds after they get rid of them.

Goal setting should not be casual or lightly taken. Goal setting is an important and serious matter. This is not a game - this is your life, and you only have one life to live.

Goal setting is also not a one time event - it is an ongoing process of literally “re-wiring your brain.” With the discovery of brain plasticity, we now know that this is science fact, not self-help fiction.

Make the time to set REAL goals, today! Take it seriously, do it scientifically, re-write your goals every day, think about them constantly, and then take massive action

Do it and this will be the most successful year of your life!

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling e-book, “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to burn fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism by visiting: The Secrets of Weight Loss.

Have you heard all the latest on dieting? You know- Low carb is it, or is it low fat?

Eat negative calorie foods. “Eat clean.” “Eat clean food.” Eat this special cabbage soup. Eat every 3 hours or you will throw your system into starvation mode. Just buy our meals and pay us more when you lose weight. Talk about negative motivation!

If you are like I use to be all the terms, theories, and testimonials are just confusing!

There is some truth to all these. That is why they work in the short run for most people. Long, well that is a different ball game.

The long term is the way you must approach weight loss if you want to keep it off. Deprivation will only make you less likely to keep the weight off. The diet you use to lose the weight needs to be the same basic diet you continue to eat. Just once you reach the weight and fitness level you want to be at you increase your calories. You do need to eat a clean diet, that being one with lots of fresh vegetables and lean meats. Your exact combination of carbs, protein, and fat will vary by person. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find the combination that works for you. The ratio that worked for me was 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% fat. Now I can’t get exact but that is what I shoot for.

You need to avoid refined sugar, flour and high fructose syrups. They go into you system quickly and leave just as fast. The affect is a spike in blood sugar followed by a valley. This will cause you to have more and stronger cravings. The peak and valley in your blood sugar is the theory behind eating 5 to 6 small meals a day. Once your stomach shrinks to the smaller meals, when you blow it you will do less damage. At least that is my experience.

The dreaded exercise, Yep folks most of us need to add physical activity to our daily routines. The key is finding something that you will do and does not bore you. Also be willing and ready to change. Doing anything for too long will get boring.

These are the major themes that run through most of the effect weight loss programs. If you follow these suggestions, reduce your calories 15 to 20 percent below maintenance and increase your exercise. You will be on your way to weight loss success.

Learn more at Lose Fat Online

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

At this time of year, we can use every last tip to help avoid
holiday weight gain.

So here are 5 more fat loss tips for beginner & advanced readers.

1) No liquid calories (with the exception of a post-workout drink).

Get rid of all the juices, the sodas, and the sports drinks. Liquid
sugar is the last thing you need when you are trying to lose fat.

You must also limit your alcohol intake - especially if you are
adding mix to drinks…that is a double calorie bomb! A single “Jackand Coke” is over 200 calories (100 calories from booze and 100 calories from mix).

2) No fast food.

Do not eat at fast food restaurants. Even if you choose what you
think is healthy, remember this:

Fast food restaurants are all about profit.

And in order to profit while giving you cheap, quick, and easy to
prepare foods, the quality of the food ingredients will be poor -
especially the protein.

Now you might have read that you can still make healthy choices at fast food restaurants. But you know what, that’s just
politically-correct opinion. If it’s fast food, it’s poor food.

Walking into a burger joint and grabbing a chicken breast on a
white bread bun with a piece of old lettuce and a half-green,
half-pink tomato is “barely” healthy eating.

The politically-incorrect truth is that it’s going to take time and
effort to eat properly. You will have to plan, shop, and prepare
healthy meals. You will have to spend time cleaning, cutting, and
cooking your food. That’s the truth.

But believe me, it will taste so much better than fast food, and
healthy eating will make you more alert. Eating fast food will make you feel terrible, and will make you want to have an afternoon nap at your desk.

Make one small improvement to your nutrition everyday for the rest of your life.

3) Eat more fruits and vegetables.

If you are eating 2 servings per day, then go up to 4 servings per day by the end of the week. And even if you think you are doing great by having 5 servings per day, you still need to double that (take 2-3 weeks to work your way up to 10 servings per day).

Stick with fiber-rich fruits and vegetables - organic if possible.

4) Eat 1oz of almonds or walnuts per day (1/2 oz in the AM, and the other half in the afternoon).

Most nuts are roasted in oils (possible source of trans fats), so
stick to natural or dry-roasted nuts.

Don’t panic…this small amount of nuts won’t make you fat, but will fill you up and help you lose weight.

5) Be consistent with your workouts.

And make sure the workouts are efficient and effective. To make it easy for you to follow, stick with the Turbulence Training fat burning workout system.

It doesn’t matter if you train in the morning before or after
breakfast, or at night before or after dinner, or at 1pm on days
when the moon is in line with Saturn…don’t worry about the
details, just train consistently.

Click here to get Turbulence Training
==> www.TurbulenceTraining.com

6) BONUS TIP: Go for a walk after lunch or dinner (or anytime you eat a big meal). Research shows this will help you control your cholesterol and triglycerides, plus any movement is better than sitting around watching the TV and snacking.

Improve your lifestyle everyday,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

PS - Change your workouts to beat a fat loss plateau.

“The constant shakeup is amazing. I look forward to my workouts. I feel so much better than I did 6 weeks ago. I had almost given up on fitness as I was becoming very frustrated with my plateaus. I started out at 233 lbs and am already heading for 225 in only a few short weeks. Thank you for developing this truly amazing program and for sharing with the rest of us. It’s very refreshing to enjoy working out again!”
Dave Heffernan

“Turbulence Training is AWESOME! I started working out in 2004 first time in gym at 39 yrs. Then I discovered T.T. in 2006 and started receiving unbelievable info on xercises/nutrition. Immediately I started incorporating T.T. in my busy schedule which is improving my strength, definition, flexibility and nutrition. Craig is quick to reply to questions and supportive. My confidence and strength has definitely improved. If I only knew of Turbulence Training in 2004. The gym crowd is really checking me out now.”
Kimmie Clark

“I lost 14 pounds this month and the weight is just falling off me.
My wife says I now look like when we first met and I still have
more to go. I can fit into my old jeans again which is a big deal
for me. I just cut back on starches and bread and do your routine 2-3 times a week. I never thought in a million years that just 10-20 minutes of weight training followed by some cardio would get me such steady results. I even cheat a bit on the weekends.”
Billy Williams

Turn your health around with Turbulence Training:
==> http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com
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

This is a interesting post. I agree with most of what Gary says. Wish I had said it as well.
By Garry
You cannot be blamed for thinking about the easiest weight-loss solutions after numerous attempts. Quick fix strategies like diet pills or fasting will give you temporary results but they will not guarantee weight maintenance, …

Weight Loss Strategy

We have all heard the claim that the “XYZ program” is the one that will solve all your dieting problems. You will loose weight quickly and keep it off with no effort. If you have had the experience I have then you no that they are all hype. The diet industry is full of over hyped products. If you read the fine print they all say you need to follow a diet and exercise plan. Guess what diet and exercise is the real producer of results. I have tried to follow a diet and exercise routine and have failed that way also. What is the weight loss plan that works for everyone? There is none. We are all different and have different causes to why we are over weight.

The root cause of your problem is what you must find. For me, it is emotional eating and inactivity. I am a computer professional co most of the day I get the exercise of a bored couch potato flipping through the channels.

Why do we over eat? I have found 3 main reasons:

1. Emotional eating. Eating because it makes you feel good in some way. Your emotions over come your reason and you eat.
2. Habit. You will eat at certain times of the day if you are hungry or not. At holidays you stuff yourself because you always have.
3. Poor food choices. Yes what you eat can make you eat more. Your body decides it is full based on volume more than anything else. Foods with high calorie density give you many more calories when you feel full. Salty foods tend to cause you to eat more of them. Combine a sugary cola with potato chips and look out!

 Controlling these 3 things alone will not guaranty you success at losing weight either. Your body type, amount of physical activity, age and gender will all affect how well and how fast you can lose weight.

You need to find a diet and exercise plan that you can do for the rest of your life. Find activities that require physical activity but do not bore you. That way you are more likely to stay with it. Your diet and exercise plan need to be flexible because if you do or eat the same thing long enough you will get bored! Experiment and try different things. Find what works for you. If one plan does not try another; don’t give up. What works for one will not always work for another. That is the only way I have been able to loose weight and keep it off. And remember don’t fall for the hype.