3 Great Training Hints For Fighters
Fighter’s training schedules are packed! There is no avoiding it if you want to be in the best competitive shape. However, there are a few tips that will help maximize your time spent training without compromising results (actually improving results)!
The first thing I will do is make these tips short and sweet so you can get back to training!
Training Tip #1. People often classify my work as being “a grip guy.” That’s not quite true. I’m a trainer that attacks whatever is needed for the sport demands and is the weakest on the athlete. With most athletes it is the grip.
However who has the time to add grippers, pinches, etc at the end of a workout? Instead work GRIP INTO YOUR CURRENT TRAINING. Towels, thick bars, and sandbags are all great options to add hand strength to your current program
Kettlebell Towel Swing
Sandbag Pull Throughs By Grapping Cloth (NOT HANDLES!)
Training Tip #2. Get your primary exercises in, and then add some working recovery periods during your supplemental lifts. For example, get your first lift complete and let’s say you have 2 minute recovery periods for the rest of the lifting session.
During those rest periods put yourself under a static hold for 30 – 90 seconds, then rest for the remainder of the time. This will help teach your body to recover under stress (like between rounds). Examples would include a plank or a sandbag/keg bear hug.
30 Second Bumper Plate Holds During Rest Period
Training Tip #3. Always make time for active recovery. Self myofascial release on a foam roller or lax ball will go a long way for fixing those sore muscles.
If you are maintaining a packed training schedule, that this is a MUST or your muscles will break down.
Work these tips into your current programs for more results, in less time – isn’t that always the goal anyways! Good luck with your training.
Joe Hashey’s Bull Strength Conditioning
Get ready for a complete conditioning program that is easy to understand and even easier to implement!
Ready to look in the mirror and see those lean muscles smiling back? Bull Strength Conditioning, with complete DONE FOR YOU workouts, will end your search for the most effective program!
10-15 Minutes Each Workout Can CHANGE YOUR PHYSIQUE!
These workouts are plugins. Replace these resistance cardio circuits with the boring cardio you are currently doing at the end of your workouts.
Visit Bull Strength Conditioning to put a permanent end to never ending cardio sessions that aren’t burning the fat they should.
Categories: Guest Authors, Joe Hashey Tags: athlete workouts, bull conditioning, fat loss, Football Training, hard core exercises, joe hashey, strength conditioning
Ankle Mobility Strategies
Today is a rare Saturday morning where I have some time to sit down and watch Sportscenter. They just showed highlights of the Miami Heat (basketball team) game where two starters of their rolled their ankles in a span of 3 minutes!
I also have read that the most common injury in football is….ankle sprains. Obviously, this is not just an issue for basketball players, but all athletes. There are some complicated strategies, but I’m going to keep this post SIMPLE and EFFECTIVE. Most of these suggestions won’t alter your time in the gym at all.
The sad thing is that ankle sprains can be HUGELY reduced with a few tweaks to the training program. A little information on ankle sprains first. There are ligaments that keep the ankle bones and foot in the correct position. A sprain occurs when the ligament is stretched beyond its normal range of motion. Sprained ankles often come from landing on uneven ground or off balance.
I know from personal experience that a sprained ankle is painful and annoying. I broke my right ankle in a high school basketball game by coming down on someone’s foot. I had issues rolling my ankles frequently. A few years later, I made some tweaks in my training program and have not had A SINGLE ANKLE SPRAIN IN 5 YEARS, despite a close call a few months back(story at the end).
Simple Ankle Health Strategies
GET OUT OF THE STIFF HIGH TOPS – Of course I’m talking about training, not games. I posted a “Who Trains The Best” NBA version a few weeks back and you will notice that nearly all of these athletes have stiff high tops on while training. These stiff shoes lock the foot and ankle in place and limit the training effect. The simple fix is to warm up and do appropriate exercises in socks. This will help increase strength and proprioception in the foot and ankle. Below is a photo of Lamar Odom training in stiff shoes and lots of braces. Which brings me to my next point….
LOSE THE ANKLE BRACES – As soon as the injury is rehabbed, its time to lose the braces. An ankle brace and taping are used to hold the foot and ankle in place, just like stiff high tops. Again, if the joint is constantly braced, it will not develop any strength and stability! Simple Solution – strengthen and rehab the ankle appropriately, then let it free! Here is another option to training in socks – Vibram Five Fingers. A new market is developing out of the realization that foot stabilization is often a crutch.
WORK ON ANKLE MOBILITY/STRENGTH – It is important to stretch the gastrocnemius, soleus, and achillies to achieve proper mobility. I have not had to incorporate many drills to strengthen the ankles. I occasionally use some band resisted ankle movements and marching on foam or a soft surface.
Most athletes have suffered from injured ankles. This is extremely preventable. I am excited to see the fitness and sport industry paying more attention to joint health.
However, I also see another disturbing trend, athletes dressing up more and more just for looks. This trend includes all these sweat bands and braces that kids are finding popular, but also spatting, especially in football. Spatting is taping the outside of the cleat. This is mostly done for looks,and often includes an ankle brace UNDER the spatting as well! No need for this in youth sports. Protect your body, not your perceived image!
Ankle health has been beneficial to my training. A few months ago I was walking 500+ lbs out of the rack for a box squat at a gym that had a worn down platform. One step out of the rack and my right ankle rolled over. Even with all that weight on my back, my ankle was stabilized and I was able to continue the squat. Could have been really bad!
Joe Hashey’s Bull Strength Conditioning
Get ready for a complete conditioning program that is easy to understand and even easier to implement!
Ready to look in the mirror and see those lean muscles smiling back? Bull Strength Conditioning, with complete DONE FOR YOU workouts, will end your search for the most effective program!
10-15 Minutes Each Workout Can CHANGE YOUR PHYSIQUE!
These workouts are plugins. Replace these resistance cardio circuits with the boring cardio you are currently doing at the end of your workouts.
Visit Bull Strength Conditioning to put a permanent end to never ending cardio sessions that aren’t burning the fat they should.
Categories: Guest Authors, Joe Hashey Tags: athlete workouts, bull conditioning, fat loss, Football Training, hard core exercises, joe hashey, strength conditioning
Do You Have Bull Strength?
I wrote the Bull Strength training manual (www.bullstrength.com) to address many of the problems I see in athlete training. As a high school football coach and a gym owner I have noticed that many athletes work extremely hard…but have no idea what they are doing. The unfortunate thing is, for the most part, these athletes just do not know better. They are willing to do the work, but do not know what work to do.
When I was a high school freshman my older brother was one of the top tier players on the varsity team. The coaches, a former All American from West Point and another from Alabama, claimed he had this natural “bull strength.” He wasn’t a gym rat, but was just strong. A game into the season, they brought me up to varsity for the same reason, but I didn’t quite understand it at that time.
Looking back on the situation, it is now obvious where our strength came from. Our father was a mechanic and a furnace man. Since my brother and I were in middle school, we would help carry furnaces up and down basement stairs, lift heavy odd objects, and turn wrenches. This kind of “labor” turned out to the best kind of training for us. We were able to push lineman around and perform extremely well at our positions.
After that I got into the gym, but my father used to say, “You want a real workout, turn pipe and hang it all day!” That was the kind of man he was. His friends in the business were all big and strong, but never performed a curl or a leg extension in their lives!
Bull Strength Concepts
Of course I’m not going to have athletes hang pipe to become better at their sports, but there are a few concepts that need to be applied to successful athlete programs. Here are the general principles of creating Bull Strength:
1.Lift Free – I am a huge proponent of athletes lifting with free weights. They need to create the proprioception required for athletics. I do not agree with the argument “sports aren’t played on a machine, so you shouldn’t lift on them.” If you used that reasoning, there is no reason to perform a squat, dead lift, bench, etc, since they aren’t exact replicas of an athletic endeavor. However, free weights require the lifter to stabilize and control themselves and the weight. Body control and stabilization is essential in athletics. With the exception of rehabilitation, the vast majority of lifts should be performed without machines.
2.Use Odd Objects – This concept applies two-fold – to both mental and physical training. Odd objects include things like sandbags, kegs, stones, BUT ALSO include regular gym equipment used in a creative way. This is one of the strengths of the Bull Strength Manual. If you have the odd objects, use them, if not I explain ways to use gym objects in creative ways.
The objects train your mind to get used to working in different situations. Whether it is a football lineman trying to secure a block, a baseball player trying to make a diving catch, or a basketball player trying to box out, they all require use of their body and coordination against odd objects (person, ball, closing space, etc). It prepares them for dealing with different scenarios. Additionally, they help train the musculature to handle varying forces.
3.Train Hard AND Smart – Too often I see strength coaches beating their players’ bodies up until they actually get weaker. There is a distinction between hard training and hard plus smart training. Pushing athletes to throwing up is one of the most catabolic things a coach can do. Soon their players will be weaker and hurt, and they wonder why.
4.Recover hard – To achieve Bull Strength you need to rest and restore with as much attention as you lift. Restoration will allow you to push more weight, feel better, and avoid injuries.
I actually heat my foam roller sometimes to relax the muscles.
My restoration includes: foam rolling, contrast bathing/showering, contrast hand dexterity work, lax ball “poor man’s massage,” active release techniques, Thera Cane use, massage with “The Stick,” stretching, mobility work, eating, and sleeping (the last two are my favorite, but it’s all important!) If you neglect this phase, you will never achieve your strength potential.
Conclusion
Authoring the Bull Strength Manual has been a pleasure. I have been able to meet many of the top athlete trainers and discuss serious training with them. If you apply the above principals to your training, the results will be outstanding! Good luck, and keep training.
Joe Hashey’s Bull Strength Conditioning
Get ready for a complete conditioning program that is easy to understand and even easier to implement!
Ready to look in the mirror and see those lean muscles smiling back? Bull Strength Conditioning, with complete DONE FOR YOU workouts, will end your search for the most effective program!
10-15 Minutes Each Workout Can CHANGE YOUR PHYSIQUE!
These workouts are plugins. Replace these resistance cardio circuits with the boring cardio you are currently doing at the end of your workouts.
Visit Bull Strength Conditioning to put a permanent end to never ending cardio sessions that aren’t burning the fat they should.
Categories: Guest Authors, Joe Hashey Tags: athlete workouts, bull conditioning, fat loss, Football Training, hard core exercises, joe hashey, strength conditioning
The Beginners Guide To Working Out – The 8 Rules
I get a lot of questions about dead lifting and squat from guys that are 100 percent new to training. I love dead lift and squat, don’t get me wrong, but I hate when people try to go heavy with no form and relative body strength. It looks terrible and the only results they get are injuries.
However, I can’t always blame them. You glance at the magazine rack and its packed with bodybuilder and star athlete’s training programs. Ask yourself this, who are they marketing to? Do they expect other start athletes to pick up the magazine and try out the programs? No!
They are marketing to youth and guys that are new to lifting. Unfortunately, these programs SUCK for someone at that strength level.
I’m going to try to lay the ground work that these new lifters SHOULD follow, not some marketing BS!
The Great 8 Rules of Strength Training
1.Relative Strength – Some people might call this ‘a strength base.’ What I am talking about is an ability to control your own body weight through exercises like push ups, pull ups, dips, body weight squats etc. Long story short, don’t bench if you can’t do push ups well. Don’t squat if you can’t do bodyweight squats efficiently and with good form.
2.Compound Lifts – Focus on compound lifts for quicker results. Don’t get obsessed with all the fancy machines. Keep basic.
3.Form – Especially with compound lifts, form is essential for maximum gains and safety.
4.Plan – Write down your workout before you go to the gym. Don’t just choose a body grouping and go.
5.Test – How strong are you now? What’s your goals? Choose a few lifts and test them. Perform your strength training program and then test to see if you are stronger. If not, it’s time to re-evaluate your program.
6.Don’t Obsess with Numbers – Compare yourself to yourself, not to some pro athlete or someone that has trained for months. Along with #5 and #6, don’t lie to yourself. If your bench is 50 lbs, don’t write down 100. Keep things relative.
7.Don’t Train Like a Pro – I don’t care how the top athletes train via their magazine articles (which are only a glimpse at their program, if that). Train to your own strength.
8.Ask Questions – Get on sites like this and ask your questions! Check my post on Top Strength Sites, but don’t get overwhelmed, that’s why I’m stopping at
Follow these simple rules to set up your program. There is no doubt that this will be effective.
Final words of wisdom – enjoy training, be passionate, work hard AND smart.
Joe Hashey’s Bull Strength Conditioning
Get ready for a complete conditioning program that is easy to understand and even easier to implement!
Ready to look in the mirror and see those lean muscles smiling back? Bull Strength Conditioning, with complete DONE FOR YOU workouts, will end your search for the most effective program!
10-15 Minutes Each Workout Can CHANGE YOUR PHYSIQUE!
These workouts are plugins. Replace these resistance cardio circuits with the boring cardio you are currently doing at the end of your workouts.
Visit Bull Strength Conditioning to put a permanent end to never ending cardio sessions that aren’t burning the fat they should.
Categories: Guest Authors, Joe Hashey Tags: athlete workouts, bull conditioning, fat loss, Football Training, hard core exercises, joe hashey, strength conditioning
Barbells or Dumbbells?
A few months back I posted the differences between Kettlebells vs Dumbbells but today is a different discussion.
I’m making the case for returning to barbells….
Preface: I like to have my athletes use primarily dumbbells with the accessory lifts. Dumbbells are easy to increase weight and use with large groups. Also they are great for making sure the “weak side” gets the proper amount of training. I’m not advocating abandoning dumbbells.
Observation: I have seen most people use exclusively dumbbells when it comes to accessory lifts. Dumbbell lunges, step ups, floor press, rows, etc.
The simple integration of a straight bar will make a drastic difference.
Dumbbells are often used in a slight swinging motion and the momentum can be used to aid the lifter. Additionally, when one training tool is over used, the body accommodates (read more on accommodation) to it and progress is slowed. By the same reasoning if you are only using barbells, then a switch to dumbbells may be beneficial.
Your Barbell Workout
Perform this lower body workout to know what I mean! Post your results in the comments.
Squat 6 x 2
Walking Lunges 3 x 25 yards and back (or 3 x 15 reps each leg if no walking space)
Romanian Dead lifts 4 x 8
. Straight Bar Sit Ups 4 x 10
Don’t be scared to go heavy on the lunges and as heavy as possible on the RDL’s while maintaining good form. I know some people will be skeptical that it is only 4 lifts but trust me. Perform EXACTLY this lower body workout and post your results.
The barbell on lunges is the brutal part of this workout. It will make sure you brace properly with the core and keep your torso upright.
We performed this workout last week and I had a few athletes come to me two days later and say the legs on their boxers are almost too tight! Talk about instant feedback.
If you want an upper body workout, make sure to post up your thoughts in the comments and I will put one out for you!
Oh, and the truth is if the barbell “bothers you” to put in on your back, you either need to work on the placement or get bigger traps.
==>Lose that ridiculous pad.
Joe Hashey’s Bull Strength Conditioning
Get ready for a complete conditioning program that is easy to understand and even easier to implement!
Ready to look in the mirror and see those lean muscles smiling back? Bull Strength Conditioning, with complete DONE FOR YOU workouts, will end your search for the most effective program!
10-15 Minutes Each Workout Can CHANGE YOUR PHYSIQUE!
These workouts are plugins. Replace these resistance cardio circuits with the boring cardio you are currently doing at the end of your workouts.
Visit Bull Strength Conditioning to put a permanent end to never ending cardio sessions that aren’t burning the fat they should.
Categories: Guest Authors, Joe Hashey Tags: athlete workouts, bull conditioning, fat loss, Football Training, hard core exercises, joe hashey, strength conditioning
The 8 Best Ways To Maximize Your Training
Everyone that reads this site is already passionate about strength training; there is no doubt about that! This article contains methods I have used in my own training and with my athletes to add a “little something extra” to the programs.
Let’s cut the small talk and get to the meat, here’s the list:
Real Primary Exercises. Choose a primary exercise that is a compound lift and is proven to help you reach your goals. If you are an Olympic lifter, then choose those. If you are a powerlifter, then get to benching, squatting, and dead lifting. If you are a recreational lifter (here’s where we get in trouble), choose something off the list above. Smith machine curls don’t fit. Activate the most muscles you can right off the bat.
Warm Up HARD. Warm ups should not be all slow and steady stretching. Time it, and get it done. Here’s the timing I use with my athletes – 3 minutes active recovery or mobility, 4 minutes dynamic stretching, then 3-5 minutes specific warm up (lighter sets and reps of their exercise, this includes rest periods for a group of 3). Everything is up on a board for them to read and their first working start needs to start within 12 minutes of them walking in the door.
Use the Training Economy. Supercharge your training session with choosing exercises that give you the biggest bang for your buck. Instead of listing them all, here are some guidelines. These are the lifts that use multiple muscle groups and rarely involve machines. More muscles used = more adaptation.
Finish Strong. Many of my athletes have benefited from incorporating a “finisher” exerciser. On certain moderate volume or intensity days I will allow them to choose a finisher. These exercises range from Jail Yard pushups to hand walking competitions and everything in between. The competitive nature of people that work out should be utilized! The guys enjoy some healthy competition; it gets their adrenaline pumping, and leads to a positive training effect.
Realize You’re Weak (nesses). If you keep training the same lifts and program non stop, you may develop some weaknesses. Make sure you identify the areas of concern and catch them up! Keep in mind that “weaknesses” are all relative. A powerlifter may find that their triceps are their weak point; however those “weak triceps” may still be very strong compared to anyone else!
Play within Yourself. The worst thing you can do is find the strongest guy in the gym and compare yourself to them, however, its one of the hardest things NOT to do. Hell, I’m saying it, and I still make that mistake (and probably will again). They may have been training for 15 years and if you have only 2 years under your belt, then they should be that much stronger! It is good to take notice of the characteristics of strength, but don’t get down if you can’t deadlift 500 lbs after a year.
Don’t be a sissy. I’m being serious here, and I’ll admit I’ve been guilty of this before as well. Who here hasn’t talked themselves out of a big lift? I certainly have, and I’m still bitter that I went sissy for that moment. Get a pattern of thinking down before you perform a big lift. It can be you against the weight, it can be you and the weight working together, it could be you picturing a hot girl in the room that you have to impress…Whatever it is, just do it and stick to what works!
I’ll let you in my mind here for a second. My go to thought is my younger brother performing the lift easily and smirking at me. After I get that ingrained my mind, there is no choice but to get the lift.
Post up some of your thoughts in the comments here at the Diesel Crew! I’d be curious to hear.
Don’t drown in information while searching for knowledge. The internet has created put an amazing amount of information out to people. Answers to nearly every question are just a button click away. However, what is hard to find is true knowledge.
There are thousands of strength training sites with information out there, some right, some wrong. The problem is who is right? There is so much information, but a real lack of knowledge. Stick to the basics, learn from people that have experience (ie not off a 12 year old on a forum), and get that knowledge!
I’ll end with a challenge. Anyone can read this information, say “yeah that’s good,” then go on making the same mistakes as before. I challenge you to internalize at least ONE of these 8 tips and make it happen! Please post any results in the comments.
There it is, 8 simple things you can do to bump your workouts up to the next level. I know, as readers of the Diesel Crew site, that many of you already have some sick super charged workouts. Keep up the good work, and thanks for reading.
Joe Hashey’s Bull Strength Conditioning
Get ready for a complete conditioning program that is easy to understand and even easier to implement!
Ready to look in the mirror and see those lean muscles smiling back? Bull Strength Conditioning, with complete DONE FOR YOU workouts, will end your search for the most effective program!
10-15 Minutes Each Workout Can CHANGE YOUR PHYSIQUE!
These workouts are plugins. Replace these resistance cardio circuits with the boring cardio you are currently doing at the end of your workouts.
Visit Bull Strength Conditioning to put a permanent end to never ending cardio sessions that aren’t burning the fat they should.
Categories: Guest Authors, Joe Hashey Tags: athlete workouts, bull conditioning, fat loss, Football Training, hard core exercises, joe hashey, strength conditioning
5 Killer Ways to Aplify Your Workout
Most of here are not professional lifters. We have many obligations such as family and a career to fill our schedule. This means that when you step into the gym, you must get the most out of your limited time!
Every person that lifts or performs other workouts has made mistakes along the way. One of the biggest errors is wasting time. Before you know it, the lifting session is over. Here are five tips to maximize your time spent in the gym.
Workout Maximizers
1. Have a Plan. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” My mother used to use that phrase to explain to me the importance of lesson planning as I was in graduate school. The concept applies to the gym as well. You should know your workout plan before you touch a weight, a sled, a treadmill, or anything else.
2.Monitor Rest Periods. In order to achieve your goals, you should be aware of a proper rest period. Also, the rest period should vary according to your objectives. Not only will this save you time, but it will make your workout more effective.
3.Include Compound Lifts – If you want to maximize your time gym, it makes sense to work multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Free weight lifts like the squat, dead lift, overhead press, and, bench, are all excellent choices.
4.Be Creative With Conditioning – Many people are looking “to get in better shape.” This doesn’t have to mean trotting away the hours on a treadmill. You can lift AND condition on the same days. Since we are focused athlete training, strength development is important, however it won’t go far if the person is always fatigued. During pre season preparation, we include things like 6 x 30 yard hills, DB circuits, rope battling, and sledgehammer conditioning. Often, these exercises only take 10-12 minutes to perform at a high intensity.
5.Vary Your Training Techniques – Running out of time? Instead of skipping a lift, superset your last two lifts. Not enough time to finish out a set? Perform a dropset. There is always a way to get your training in!
These are general principles that can be adapted to fit your training goals. For example, my rest periods on maximal effort lifts are longer than on repetition and supplemental exercises. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t pay attention to time, it just means I need to adapt the rest period to meet my goals.
With everything on your plate, your training session should be well paced and planned to be efficient and maximize results! Remember, make corrections, not excuses.
Joe Hashey’s Bull Strength Conditioning
Get ready for a complete conditioning program that is easy to understand and even easier to implement!
Ready to look in the mirror and see those lean muscles smiling back? Bull Strength Conditioning, with complete DONE FOR YOU workouts, will end your search for the most effective program!
10-15 Minutes Each Workout Can CHANGE YOUR PHYSIQUE!
These workouts are plugins. Replace these resistance cardio circuits with the boring cardio you are currently doing at the end of your workouts.
Visit Bull Strength Conditioning to put a permanent end to never ending cardio sessions that aren’t burning the fat they should
Categories: Guest Authors, Joe Hashey Tags: athlete workouts, bull conditioning, fat loss, Football Training, hard core exercises, joe hashey, strength conditioning
Do You Hate Your Job
One of my clients does.
And it is killing him.
Literally.
At the very least, it is contributing to depression, frustration, and inflammation – hitting him both physically and mentally.
So not only does this stress beat him up at work, but in the gym too.
Work stress prevents him from losing fat, and contributes to the pain in his knees and back.
The worse his days at work are, the tighter his muscles and the more inflammation in his knees. Work also contributes to poor eating choices, because he just works so darn much. And that makes the inflammation even worse. It’s a vicious cycle. Inflammation is associated with many diseases, including arthritis and an increased risk of heart attacks.
So he needs to get out of this situation, ASAP. But easier said than done, right?
And ladies, don’t think this doesn’t apply to you…as quoted on Men’s Health.com the other day, “In a recent study at Yale, women who were most susceptible to stress had both higher levels of cortisol and greater abdominal fat than nonstressed women. And the ladies under stress stored fat primarily in one place: their bellies.”
Ouch.
You must exercise to control your stress hormones. My client always feels better after the workout. Yes it takes time, and that can add to your stress, but if you do your workout first thing in the morning, you are set. There’s no doubt that early morning workouts is the #1 workout time for busy people.
What type of workout is best? First of all, just start with anything you can stick to. That’s the best advice for you or anyone you know that “hates exercise” but needs to do it. Simply find something you like and do a little bit of it this week. Next week, you can do a little more. And so on.
That’s a good start, but a structured exercise program will give the greatest health improvements.
For structured workouts, the best, most efficient exercise approach would include strength training, interval cardio, and some meditation time. You can get all 3 components in Turbulence Training, if you make sure to include meditative static stretching at the end of your session.
One other benefit of the morning workout – It allows you to start the day with a sense of accomplishment.
So keep the TV off at night and get to bed early. Then get up early and get your workout done. Your exercise is one of many ways you can lower stress and the stress hormone cortisol.
Lowering cortisol should help to control food cravings over the course of the day, and following Dr. Mohr’s nutrition guidelines will also help you stay on track. Eating the right fats, as outlined by Dr. Mohr, will also help you optimize your hormone levels to fight fat and stress.
High-fat, high-carb meals increase inflammation…adding to the physical stress on your body. Avoid processed foods and fast foods at all costs…and just eat whole, natural foods.
Good nutrition is that simple.
So spend some time on the weekend preparing your food plan for the week, so that you don’t have to make any rush decisions for fast food meals or snacks.
Don’t eat anything with trans fats, don’t eat any processed carbs, and don’t drink any soda. And stay the heck away from fast food.
So nutritionally, there is a lot you can do to make your day go better. Same with exercise, be consistent and it will help reduce your stress and improve your health.
As for your job, if it is something you want to change, then you need to talk to the right person. You might need to find a career coach. If any readers want to pass along some career help, please let me know and I’ll share in future articles.
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
P.S. Is a lack of time stressing you out?
“No time to exercise” is the #1 reason most people don’t exercise consistently. In fact, a lack of time stresses most people out for many reasons – whether it’s a lack of time to prepare good food, exercise, or be with your family.
That’s why I created Turbulence Training to be the most efficient and effective fat loss program out there.
The warm-up is applicable to your workout, not some 5-minute waste of time on the treadmill.
The strength training supersets shave minutes off your wait time.
And the intervals cut your cardio in half, or more.
“I think TT is awesome. I have seen a serious change in my overall body composition. In 12 weeks I’ve gained a lot of muscle and have lost about 10 lbs, but inches are flying off.”
Gordon M.
“The TT workouts are excellent! You have literally changed my life! I got completely burned out on single body part training and long periods of cardio. It just isn’t conducive to my life given that I work full time and have a spouse. I’m already lean but I want to maintain a high level of health and have a fit, athletic look. I have to admit that I was skeptical because the workouts were so short, but even after the first workout my skepticism disappeared in a hurry. The time flies by at the gym and the workouts have eliminated a lot of stress because if I got stuck at work and couldn’t get to the gym for “leg day” it would mess up my training schedule for the rest of the week. I also like having the option to do some body weight circuits plus I have a full range of dumbells and a ball at home so I can get my workouts in at home.”
Janet M
Get your free sample workout to burn belly fat, flatten your stomach, and work your six-pack abs at: http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health and Oxygen magazines and will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment.
Categories: Craig Ballantyne, Guest Authors Tags: body weight training, burn fat, craig ballantyne, fat loss, lean muscle, turbulence training
5 Steps to Get Your New Year’s Resolutions Back on Track
Already putting off your New Year’s resolution to get fit until 2007? If you’ve already fallen off the fitness-wagon, these tips are for you. After all, winter will soon be over (honestly!) and you’ll be ready to hit the beach. And you want to be ready for that, don’t you? Here are my 5 simple steps to help you lose fat and get lean.
1. Find a source of social support. It can be a friend, spouse, or co-worker, but research from Stanford University shows the ideal social support is a professional that you feel obligated to report to on a consistent basis.
2. Eat 6 small, balanced snacks and meals per day, rather than 2 or 3 large meals.
3. Commit to eating whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, and lean protein sources, rather than processed foods like muffins, fast food, and sugary snacks. Use fitday.com to monitor your food intake.
4. If you want to lose fat, start by reducing your calorie intake by 200 calories per day. One easy way to do this is to replace sweetened beverages with water or Green Tea.
5. To get lean, you’ll need to include some form of strength training and cardiovascular training. If you haven’t worked out in years, start conservatively and get professional advice on how to structure your workouts in the safest, and most efficient and effective manner possible.
The good news is that you don’t have to spend hour after hour in the gym to get great results. A good program should have you in and out of the gym (shower included) in only an hour. Pretty small investment for such a great return, isn’t it?
Get your free sample workout to burn belly fat, flatten your stomach, and work your six-pack abs at: http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health and Oxygen magazines and will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment.
Categories: Craig Ballantyne, Guest Authors Tags: body weight training, burn fat, craig ballantyne, fat loss, lean muscle, turbulence training
Top 5 Fat Loss Tips
5 of CB’s Top Fat Loss Tips
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 two bonus tips that I didn’t send to the magazine – just another reason to be a TurbulenceTraining.com newsletter subscriber).
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.
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 and gain 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 5, 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. This approach is also used in my TT for Mass report – in order to get the most results in the least amount of time.
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.
Secret #4 – Increase meal frequency
Okay, so this isn’t really a secret to anyone that has read about fat loss. But a new 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.
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. Read more about the best fat loss workouts here that coaches and trainers from all over the world are using with their clients.
“I’ve been employing Turbulence Training with my clients for some time now, and I can say that they are delighted with results, not only because of the fat they burn, but also because of the time they save. Program is great for busy people – basic, most efficient principles in comprehensive and practical form. And I can add from personal experience, Craig is real professional and great guy in conducting business with his clients and associates.”
Davor Kudrna, Martial Arts Instructor and Conditioning Coach, Croatia
Get your free sample workout to burn belly fat, flatten your stomach, and work your six-pack abs at: http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health and Oxygen magazines and will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment.
Categories: Craig Ballantyne, Guest Authors Tags: body weight training, burn fat, craig ballantyne, fat loss, lean muscle, turbulence training
