Are you completely honest with yourself about your eating habits?  Even if you have a healthy eating plan drawn up for yourself, you probably overlook the extra treats you allow yourself throughout the day, especially at times of year such as Halloween, when bowls of candies are temptingly available at work and home.   If you can’t resist treats, the hard truth is your fat loss program won’t be successful.

 No matter how much hard work you put in at the gym, a poor diet will make sure it all comes to nothing.   If you regularly eat fast food, candy bars, and drink sugary sodas, then you will never lose fat or build muscle.  It is surprising how many people continue to eat this way despite all the information available nowadays about good nutrition.

 It is a shame people eat badly, because there is nothing complicated about fat loss nutrition.  The first thing to do is cut out those unnecessary calories, such as high-fat, high-sugar snacks and sodas.  An occasional treat is fine, but if you eat ice-cream, cookies, and chips every day, that fat loss just will not happen.   Instead, replace them with a healthy snack such as almonds, which contain fiber, protein, and monounsaturated fats.  A serving of 22 pieces helps to curb hunger, so reach for them rather than the cookie jar.  

 Try breaking three large meals per day into six smaller ones.  This will encourage your metabolism to speed up, burning off extra calories.  Meals should contain lean protein, vegetables, and whole foods.  Remember, you can never eat enough fruit and vegetables.  (Just make sure they are not smothered in fatty sauces or fried.)  

 It is helpful to take a note of what you eat on a daily basis.  Go into detail- how are your energy levels after certain foods?  Some foods give you a consistent level of energy while others cause fatigue.  Sugar and fried foods are associated with poor concentration, while whole foods and snacks keep you alert and energetic.   Make the switch, and if you are overweight, you will lose at least 1 pound per week, just from better nutrition. 

 If you have poor eating habits, you won’t make an instant switch to perfect nutrition- don’t be too hard on yourself.   Initially, just try to improve on what you ate the day before, and build up slowly.  A steady, focused approach will work much better than overwhelming yourself with dramatic changes.  Here are three top tips for the beginner to get off to the best possible start:

1. Eat several small, whole food meals a day.
2. Avoid unnecessary liquid calories, such as alcohol, sugary soda, or sweetened hot drinks. 
3. Do not eat processed carbohydrates or sugar.  This means cutting out white bread, cakes, candies, sodas, and chips.

 Tackle them one at a time- on the first day, have water with your lunch instead of a soda.   Build up to stage where you can make weekly meal plans of small whole food dishes.  It is especially important to plan if you are on a busy schedule and might be tempted to grab a fatty snack instead of a healthy option.  

 Stay realistic- if you currently live off fast food takeaways, you will struggle to suddenly plan and prepare a full week of healthy meals- go for two per week and build from there.  When you feel ready, here are some further steps you can take:

 1. Plan a weekly menu.   Make it flexible in case you to eat out on a business or social occasion, or work late- the more options you have, the better it will work.

 2. Good meals start with grocery shopping.  Make a weekly list of healthy ingredients and take it to the store with you.  If you don’t have cookies, chips, and cakes in the house, you won’t be tempted to eat them!

 3. Prepare the meals, or at least the main ingredients, on your day off so that cooking them isn’t time consuming during your working week.

 Another good tip is to avoid foods that come in a bag or a box as much as possible- these are generally processed foods with added fats and sugars.   If you have to buy something with a label, make sure the product doesn’t contain High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) or Partially- Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil.   These ingredients are the source of trans-fatty acids which have strongly contributed to modern obesity levels. 

 An example of a good health food shopping list includes the following:

•  Vegetables:  Mushrooms, Spinach, Broccoli, Peppers (red, green, yellow & orange), Snow Peas, Tomato Sauce, Frozen Mixed Vegetables.
•  Fruits:  Apples, Oranges, Melon, Raspberries, Grapes, Peaches, Blueberries. 
•  Other:  Almonds (unsalted, not roasted) Green Tea.

 Remember to start slowly and be consistent in your approach for the best results.

The first thing to remind people who want to get fit is that it needn’t be a complicated process.  Don’t let yourself be put off by technical jargon and fancy equipment:  all you need is to find the will power, and some straightforward guidelines- which you will find here!

 #1- If you have done little or no exercise for a while (or, perhaps, at all!) then it is important to visit your doctor for a full check up before beginning.  It is essential for those who are obese, have high cholesterol, or diabetes.  Once your doctor has given approval, the best course of action is to book an assessment with a professional fitness instructor.   This may seem like a lot of time consuming work, but it is far better to start off on the correct foot than to store up problems for later on.  Your doctor may discover a previously undiagnosed condition, or if you have a condition you are aware of, you will be advised on the best way to manage it. 

 At the gym, a fitness professional will assess your strengths and weaknesses, which is key  to planning a suitable exercise routine and avoiding injuries.  If you forge ahead alone, you may well end up over facing yourself and straining a muscle, or becoming disheartened by over ambitious goals.  This leads us to secret number 2.

 #2- Start with walking, not running.   Be realistic about your current fitness level- if you haven’t exercised in years, it is essential to respect your limitations.  A steady, measured approach is the only way you will be successful in your fitness attempt.

 #3- Set goals for yourself.  Break larger goals into smaller, specific goals- if you just hope to shed 10 pounds in a year, there is a danger that you will wander off track.  So, set small achievable goals that are within your current capabilities.  Improvement will come with time and persistence.

 #4- Initially, just exercise one muscle group per session.  Slowly add a set as the weeks go by.   Listen to your body- if you are aching so much that movement is difficult, take a break and let your system recover.  If you run too much early on, you are risking shin splints, so keep the distances short and take rest days in-between.  If you are lifting weights, stick to the lighter ones for your first few weeks.

 #5- One of the most important pieces of advice is this:  create a social support network.  Whether this is family members, friends, colleagues or a sports coach, you will be much more successful with other people to  inspire and encourage you on your journey.   A work out buddy is great for those days when settling down in front of the TV seems more appealing than getting out there!

 #6- Pay attention to your diet, but don’t over-complicate things.  If you really want guidance, see a nutritionist.   Otherwise, follow these simple steps.  Avoid foods with high-fructose corn syrup and added sugar.  You are aiming for a high nutrient to calorie ratio.  Take a note of everything you eat for a week, and see if you are casually snacking on fatty or sugary foods.  If you are, replace them with fruit or a handful of almonds. 

 Keeping fit is an investment in future good health, and will make a huge difference to your life.  These tips are designed to make sure you are investing your time and effort in the most effective way possible. 

I saw these videos and thought they were an awesome example of a really intense work out the covers all the bases. I’m doing this, are you?

Burpees

Wood Chops

Rope Pull Ups

Side Lunge Touch Down

Squats, Shoulders and Lifts Exercise

Santana Push Ups

The key principle of Cardio Interval Training is variety.  If you don’t introduce variety into your routine, you are in danger of entering a “fat loss plateau” where your body adapts to the number of calories you are using up by slowing up your metabolism.  Even if you reduce your calorie intake by 500 per day, your body will be used to your routine and keep the required calories in reserve for your workout.   The only way to break out of this trap is by avoiding a repetitive exercise routine that your body gets used to. 

During weekly exercise sessions, you should alternate between two different workouts, but crucially, you must change the workouts completely every four weeks.  So, what are the best methods for doing this?  Firstly, increase or decrease the number of intervals per workout, and also the rest times between intervals.  Also, increase or decrease the length and intensity of the interval itself.  The key is to constantly push yourself and keep your mind as well as your body active.

Another way to achieve variety is to switch exercise methods.  Some suggestions for alternative methods include:

• Rowing machine
• Step machine
• Treadmill with or without an incline
• Sprinting- preferably outside, and with some inclines
• Stationary Cycling
• Cross-trainer machine
• Swimming
• Bodyweights

 You probably have a couple of questions about these suggestions.  Let’s deal with timing first.  Interval recommendations vary from 15 seconds to 5 minutes.  15 second intervals are great for achieving a very high rate of exertion.  You need to be quite fit to start off with, and it’s best to use sprinting or swimming as your method, because machines don’t build up speed quickly enough.  The same goes for the Japanese method known as Tabata Protocol, where you exert for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds.  The main advantage of this method is that you can get a high burn workout done in a short period of time. 

 The most widely used Turbulence Training interval timing is probably 30 seconds.  Depending on your level of fitness, you can rest for 30-90 seconds between intervals.  The thing many people like about this method is the longer rest, which allows you to achieve a consistent level of performance, almost matching the first interval.  This is difficult to achieve with shorter rests.   For those looking to gain that extra edge, the 45 second interval is a good choice.  It is especially popular with team sport players, such as hockey, soccer and basketball, as it builds up stamina.  Recovery time should be 45-90 seconds.  As your body gets used to 45 seconds, notch up to 60 seconds.

 If you were training for a competitive event, you would need to really push your body with 120 second intervals- great for advanced aerobic fitness and fat loss.  Rest periods should be 120 seconds, repeated 6 times.  For the endurance athlete with plenty of training time, 5 minute intervals are used. 

 It is important not to let yourself be overwhelmed at first.  Remember, you don’t need to push yourself to extreme limits every time,  until you are gulping for air and your heart is hammering.  Go at it steadily, and just challenge yourself a little to step outside that comfort zone.  You’ll soon find the right method and notice the difference in your body shape. 

Some of the most commonly asked questions about interval training are “Is interval training really as useful as regular cardio for fat loss?”  and “What is the best interval training system for fat loss?”  The answers to these questions require going into some detail about interval training systems, so by the end you will have Masters of Science level knowledge!

The first question can be dealt with more briefly so let’s start there.  Interval training is  definitely at least as useful as regular cardio, and the great advantage is that  you can burn more calories in a shorter amount of time.   You also avoid the boredom and risk of repetitive strain injury associated with a long haul cardio session.  Interval training can be varied endlessly to keep you both mentally and physically on top form.

Research backs up the fat loss claims of interval training.  A 1994 study by scientists at Laval University compared two groups over a twelve week training period, with one group doing straight cardio and the other doing interval training.  Every single subject in the interval group lost more weight than those in the straight cardio group.  Without getting too technical, the reason for extra fat loss can be attributed to ‘turbulence’.  Firstly, interval training causes metabolic turbulence: basically your metabolism speeds up.  Secondly, during the high intensity intervals, the muscles undergo more turbulence- they have to adapt and breakdown.  All this extra activity in the muscle area requires more energy- and it doesn’t end with your workout.  The muscles need to return back to their normal resting state, and this requires yet more energy!

What those who swear by clocking the calorie counters on the exercise machines at the gym don’t realise is, different methods of exercise could help them burn calories even after the workout!  Also, studies show the calorie counters are a very crude method of measurement, and are often very unreliable.  Interval training concentrates on working out all your muscles, not clocking up abstract numbers.

So, now that we know the advantages of interval training, what’s the best way to go about it?  The short answer is, there isn’t one single ‘best’ way; there are many, which is part of its effectiveness as a fat loss method.  Many people perceive interval training as an advanced exercise technique which is only for professional athletes, but this is not the case at all.  In fact, even the most dedicated couch potato who is capable only of walking can start an interval training program.  How is this the case?  Well, the complete beginner would walk on the treadmill at an average  speed of 3.3 mph, increasing at 1 minute intervals to 3.6 mph, for a period of 20 minutes.  This is achievable for any able bodied person; the level of intensity used is relative to the fitness level of the individual.

To burn off that extra fat, you do need to push yourself, but not necessary to extreme limits- just slightly above a level you are comfortable handling.  Work at a low intensity for twice the duration of the high intensity.  Even walking at 3.3mph for two minutes and increasing to 3.6mph for one minute for six sessions is interval training- it really is that straightforward!   In part 2, we’ll look at the ways you can vary your interval training.  Remember, variety is the key to maintaining your motivation and achieving your fat loss goals!

Cardiovascular exercise, or cardio for short, is excellent for the heart and one of the cornerstones of fitness training.   Types of common cardio exercise are running, swimming, and aerobic routines.  Its undeniable benefits include strengthening the heart, lungs, and increasing lung capacity.   More problematic is the potential of cardio exercise to help with weight loss.   While for some people, burning off the fat with a cardio workout has worked very well, others have reported doing six or more hours of training per week, and not shifted any fat, particularly from the belly area.

Why would this be the case?  It is a question that has been addressed scientifically.  Research published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2008 studied 35 overweight men and women, who previously were not taking any exercise.  Each subject undertook a cardio exercise program of five sessions a week for twelve weeks.  At this quite intense level, it wasn’t surprising that on average the subjects lost 8.2 lbs each.

However, the average weight loss figure masks the true picture, which showed a large variance between the individuals.   One subject lost an amazing 32.2 lbs, while at the other end of the scale, someone actually managed to gain  3.74 lbs!  So what is the explanation for this mystery?  To address the question, the researchers had to take into account other factors that influence weight- mainly the diet of each subject.

Subjects were classified by the scientists into two groups, labelled the ‘Compensators’ and the ‘Non-compensators’.   The Compensators experienced an increase in appetite, which led them to consume on average an extra 268 calories per day.  The extra food cancelled out potential fat loss from calorie burning work outs.   So, the research confirmed the correlation between calories consumed and energy expended; to lose weight you need a negative calorie deficit.  Cardio workout without weight loss will still help you develop a strong heart and lungs, and probably provide great side effects such as stress relief and more peaceful sleep.  However, for many people the real motivation behind their exercise routine is weight loss, which paradoxically isn’t happening because of a compensatory appetite.

What is the solution to this dilemma, apart from developing the iron will power needed to resist your appetite?   An Australian expert named Prof. Steve Boucher recommends high intensity resistance and interval training (also known as Turbulence Training).  His research shows that interval training increases levels of hormones called catecholamines.  One of the benefits of catecholamines is appetite suppression, and they can also have other fat-burning properties.  So if you have been disappointed by the effects of regular running or swimming on your weight, it might be worth booking a session with a gym instructor who can help you get started with a regular program of Turbulence Training.

Realistically, most people will struggle to lose even 8lb in three months with regular cardio exercise.   Even if you are self disciplined enough to  resist ‘compensation’ eating, feeling constantly hungry as you go about your daily life will leave you tired and irritable, and more likely to skip exercise sessions.   The best solution is to persist with a steady program of monitoring your calorie intake and varying your training.   Learning new work out techniques is mentally challenging and rewarding, and the resulting extra weight loss is sure to fire your enthusiasm!

The most common body area that people want to shift fat from is the belly, but ironically this can also be the most stubborn fat of all.  Some people try traditional methods such as running and swimming, and others are convinced that 100 stomach crunches every morning will do the trick.  But what is the expert opinion from sports coaches and professionals?  Well, often the trouble with experts is that while their advice might be correct, they assume their audience has up to two hours a day to devote to exercising.  For the average person, this is just not realistic.

If you flip through a health and fitness magazine, the information can seem more appropriate for aspiring triathletes than for someone wanting to lose a couple of inches from their waist.  This article will give you realistic advice for an achievable and proven program, which is a mixture of weights and interval training.    Three 45 minute sessions a week are all you need to improve your body.

Let’s start with the warm up.  Most people would head straight for the treadmill, but a far more efficient way to prepare your body for the workout is to use body weight exercises, such as sit ups, press ups, bridges, and squats.   If you spend a minute on each exercise, that will leave you ready to move on to the strength training super sets, where two exercises are performed back to back with a short rest in-between.   These could be a mixture of bench presses, dead-lifts, tricep dips, bicep curls, wall sits and shoulder presses, to name just a few.   Concentrate on these basic exercises for around 20 minutes.

The second 20 minutes should be spent on interval training.   After a short warm up, begin a cycle of six short intervals of maximum intensity (or whatever your fitness level allows) interspersed with periods of low intensity recovery.  For this you can vary your equipment throughout the week, switching between treadmill, cross-trainer, bike, rowing machine, or whatever suits you best.   Make sure you finish with a couple of minutes cool down- and that’s your work out done!

Compared to people who just use the cardio machines for 45 minutes straight, you will build much more muscle and burn more calories.  Slogging away on the same machine for 45 minutes is not just an inefficient way to exercise, it can even be risky.   You are repeatedly using one group of muscles which can cause an overuse injury.   It’s also more likely to make exercise feel like a chore.

So, don’t be put off by all the articles you have read about time consuming and complex workouts that the average person doesn’t need or have the spare time for.  You can lose your belly fat by simple alterations to your usual gym session, to include a mixture of strength training and interval training.  You will notice not just the loss of fat, but a better all round sculpted body.   If you feel daunted by the thought of making the change by yourself, why not book a couple of sessions with a personal trainer to set you on your way?  This way you will be sure you are doing the exercises correctly and will have the motivation of professional support.

Turbulence Training is a new way of looking at building a lean body. Below you can find some videos that show the basic ideas behind Turbulence Training. The concept is really pretty simple. You mix up the focus of intense interval training to keep you muscles freshly challenged. The focus can be weight loss or body shaping or both.

When you watch these Turbulence Training videos you will see just how intense these workouts can be.

Find more Turbulence Training videos on Youtube.

Turbulence training workouts, developed by workout routine and fat loss expert Craig Ballantyne, is a breakthough approach to building muscle and losing weight. Craig is one of principle writers of Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness where he writes about workout routines for building muscle and losing weight.

Muscle building and weight loss all seem to look great in the pictures, but who knows if they really work. If you’re like me you’re skeptical about whether any of these program really help to reshape your body like the models they use in the pictures. I was pretty sure it was all genetics and drugs, until Turbulence Training was published. It changed my perspective completely, and I think it will change yours as well.

Who was Turbulence Training designed for?

Turbulence Training workouts are designed for men and women who don’t have a lot of time and are looking to

1. Burst through a fat loss plateau
2. Lose weight and build muscle at the same time
3. Sculpt their bodies into fat burning machines

What is a Turbulence Training workout?

A Turbulence Training workout is a high intensity, low repetition, fast workout session that integrates resistance training and interval training. The integration of variety, resistance and interval training is the secret to successfully burning fat and building muscle at the same.

Craig says in his book

“The Turbulence Training workouts put what we call a huge ‘Metabolic Disturbance’ on your muscles. And then after the workout, your muscles have to work very hard (burning calories) to return your body to normal. That’s how ‘Turbulence Training’ combines resistance training and interval training to help you lose fat and sculpt your body”

The system is designed around three 45 minute weight workouts a week.

Each Turbulence Training workout session includes a 5 minute warm up, followed by 20 minutes of resistance(strength) training following by 15-20 minutes of interval training.

The other key element is to vary the exercises much more than other programs, which magnifies the impact of each session.

“Most people need to increase the intensity of the workouts and change the program frequently. Variety is a key ‘principle’ for fat loss in Turbulence Training. Your body ‘adapts’ in response to training. The problem is that your body rapidly adapts to training. Gains from a once successful program will soon diminish, indicating that your training program should be changed regularly. This makes perfect sense. Your body is very smart and efficient. If you ask your body to lift the same weight week in and week out, your body will only change enough in order to meet that demand.

In order to maintain continual fat loss and muscle gain, you must continually change your program variables. Constantly changing your exercises, the number of sets and reps for each exercise, and other variables all demand your body to adapt and expend more energy (and fat) to get used to it.”

Three Elements of the standard Turbulence Training workout session.

Turbulence Training is divided into 2 parts: alternating resistance supersets and varied interval training.

1) Alternating Resistance Supersets

Alternating Resistance Supersets have you complete 2 opposing muscel group resistance sets back to back without rest. In one session, this might be a superset of 10 squats, followed by 10 pullups.

The progam has you complete 3-5 supersets of a 20 minute session. The goal is to raise the intensity of your workout AND maximize your recovery time.

2) Interval Training

Interval training has built in variation which makes it ideal for Turbulence Training. Interval training means that you alternate between intense exercise and slow exercise, for example alternating between running at top speed for 60 seconds and walking for 60 seconds.

Interval training has been proven by detailed research to burn more fat than a long steady paced cardio exercise. In addition, it has the added benefit of burning fat for hours after an interval training workout.

Turbulence Training Steps

• 3 workouts per week, rotating the workout focus each time
• Each workout will be resistance training followed by Interval Training.
• Do 2-4 sets per exercise and 6-8 repetitions per set.
• Combine opposing muscle group exercises in supersets.
• Rest 1 minute between exercises.
• Perform 2 warm-up sets.
• Conclude each workout with different types of interval Training.
• Every 3 weeks you change up the exercize routine.
• Start eating right. Great abs are built in the kitchen, not the gym.