Bodyweight exercises offer a quick and effective way to get your body into condition while burning fat and working out from home.   There are several great bodyweight workouts whether you are looking for fat loss, strength training, muscle building, or general conditioning.   One of the most comprehensive bodyweight exercise programs is the Turbulence Training Bodyweight Manual.

I’ve used about every method over the last 27 years to get in shape from rigorous high school wrestling practices, weight training programs, and of course boot camp.  When I entered the Marines I saw the proof that thirteen weeks of boot camp exercises on Paris Island is a highly effective method for fat loss.  It all works depending on your level of commitment and consistency but for those of you that don’t have access to a gym you can get a great workout without weights from home with bodyweight exercises.

Here is a way to get a quick full body workout doing a circuit with bodyweight exercises.  Bodyweight exercises are great because your body must use so many stabilizers to go through the range of motion which will not only tone up more muscle but burn more calories giving a great fat burning effect.  Fat loss workouts don’t have to be boring mind numbing cardio sessions.  Boot camp workouts are interesting challenging your body as well as challenging your mind by making yourself push harder.

Bodyweight Exercises #1 – The Pull Up

The pull up is a phenomenal part of a boot camp exercise program especially if you are actually training to go to the military.  The Marines will have you pulling yourself up a bar everyday to strengthen your arms and back.  This is a functional strength exercise that is necessary to give you strength for climbing up ropes and pulling your body over rough terrain.  If you workout from home and you don’t have a makeshift bar to pull yourself up on get an Iron Gym.

I have the deluxe version which supports several grips and it fits right into a door.  Put it up in the door during your workout and take it down after.  I recommend doing pull ups at least 3 times per week to strengthen the upper body.  You’ll feel this exercise working your upper back muscles, your biceps, rear deltoids, and even your abs will get sore from the stabilization of pulling yourself up.

Bodyweight Exercises #2 – The Push Up

Everyone knows the push up of course.  It is part of every boot camp exercise program and one of the primary bodyweight exercises that athletes have used for years.  It will help build your chest, shoulders, triceps, and once again, your abdominals will be a stabilizer for this movement.  Keep your body in a straight line when performing the push up and hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart.  Lower your body down slowly and push up explosively to enhance power and strength development.  If you cannot do that many pushups do as many as you can and switch to a kneeling push up.  There are a variety of grips and widths you can use for push ups as you get more advanced.  A closer hand grip will work your triceps more intensely to build up your arms.

Bodyweight Exercise #3 -  Y Squat

Now it’s time to add lower bodyweight exercises to this circuit.  The Y squat will now give you a chance to work your glutes, hams, and quads while once again your core will act as a stabilizer.  Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms up in the air forming a very wide Y.  Now sit back into a deep squatting position careful not to lean forward.  If you lean too far forward you will start to feel the weight on your toes and balls of your feet.  Shift your weight back to your heels and push from your glutes when coming back to the starting position.

This is one example of a quick 10 minute circuit you could do if you are one of those people so short on time you think it’s impossible to get a workout in.  Start with a 10 minute workout 3 days a week.  This is just an example of how 3 simple exercises can give you a quick boot camp workout from home.  There are hundreds of combination’s and possibilities to workout without weights.

Best Bodyweight Exercises Routines

Get the most complete bodyweight exercise program ever developed, with the Turbulence Training Deluxe Bodyweight Workouts Manual. Try this fat loss workout and see how quickly you get results.

When sold separately…

* The 6-Month Bodyweight Turbulence Training Manual sells for $67.
* The TT Bodyweight 500 Workout Challenge sells for $19.95.
* The TT for Athletes 8-Week Training Program sells for $27.
* The TT Ultimate Advanced Bodyweight Workout sells for $19.95
* The TT Bodyweight 1000 Fat Burning Challenge sells for $19.95

For a total of $153.93. But with this special Ultimate Bodyweight Workout Package offer you can get all these programs for only $57. This total package is the ultimate all in one fat loss workout routine.

Bodyweight Exercises for Fat Loss

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What is bodyweight cardio? It’s a fun fat loss workout program that you can do at the park or in the comfort of your own home without equipment. If you’re sick and tired of boring cardio, or if you’ve even had enough of traditional interval training, these new bodyweight exercises circuit programs can be used to replace both of those fat burning workout methods.

You can even replace your whole exercise routine with the bodyweight cardio program, because it combines bodyweight strength training with muscle endurance to provide you with a complete lean body workout. After all, it often feels like there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

Between work, family, appointments, and unexpected time-zappers, it’s hard finding time to squeeze in a quality workout. And it’s even more difficult to workout when it involves navigating through rush hour traffic, dealing with annoying people and dirty machines in the gym, and following a program that isn’t making even the slightest dent in your belly fat. It’s frustrating, exhausting, and most importantly, wastes your precious time!

What you need is a fat burning workout that you can do ANYWHERE – including the park, your backyard or even in a hotel room. With your busy lifestyle, you need a no-equipment workout that will help you burn fat as fast as interval training on a treadmill.

Fortunately, I’ve discovered the perfect program…

Turbulence Training Bodyweight Cardio 3

This no-equipment, anywhere, anytime workout system has already helped thousands of other men and women to burn fat and sculpt their bodies.

In this program, you’ll get:

- 4 challenging, ZERO equipment workouts that will tone your body in ALL the right places

- NEW exercises GUARANTEED to burn more calories all day long – Fun workouts you can get done quickly

- Fat-blasting workouts you can SUBSTITUTE for interval training and cardio workouts (No treadmill? No problem!)

- PLUS, you’ll get the never-seen-before 5-Round “fat burning fight” workout that will ignite your fat-burning hormones One of the most critical elements to your fat loss success is finding a workout program that fits into your lifestyle, and with the flexibility of Turbulence Training Bodyweight Cardio 3, things just got a whole lot easier.

This no-equipment, anywhere, anytime workout system has already helped thousands of TT clients burn fat and sculpt their bodies. And now I’ve made the latest version even MORE effective and convenient than ever…

Bodyweight Cardio is Guaranteed!

So in this newly updated Bodyweight Cardio 3 workout program you’ll find:

• 4 challenging, ZERO equipment workouts that will tone your body in ALL the right places
• My NEWEST exercises GUARANTEED to burn more calories all day long
• Fun workouts you can get done quickly – Anywhere, Anytime
• Fat-blasting workouts you can SUBSTITUTE for almost ANY other TT interval training workout I’ve ever created (so no treadmill, no worries!)
• PLUS, my never-seen-before 5-Round “fat burning fight” workout that will ignite your fat-burning hormones.

** Buy Now **

Bodyweight Cardio Video

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And you’re about to discover the most amazing 5 programs that will help you do that, without resorting to the embarrassment of doing long, slow, boring cardio.

World-famous fitness expert, Craig Ballantyne, author of Turbulence Training, has just released ALL five of his TT for Meathead workouts together in one package.

And the great thing is he has knocked off over $100 from the total investment in this package muscle building package.

Each program regularly sells for $29.95 each, but you can get ALL  five Meathead programs for just $47 until Thursday, August 26th.

If you’ve never heard of the TT Meathead programs, here they are:

Get all five of the TT Meathead Muscle Building programs here: —> Build Muscle and Lose Fat

1)    Turbulence Training for Meatheads
Sells for $29.95

Born out of a love for classic bodybuilding exercises, but also the need to get results fast, the “Original” Turbulence Training for Meatheads program was designed to build muscle in a short amount of time while having old-school fun doing it. It’s just like all those great workouts you did in high-school, but safer and more effective.

2)    Turbulence Training for Meatheads V. 2.0
Sells for $29.95

In Version 2.0 you’ll discover the follow-up muscle building program to the instant classic, TT for Meatheads. For men AND women serious about packing on muscle and building more strength than ever before, you’ll find a 4-day upper-lower body split routine that’s fun, fast, and guaranteed to give you amazing results.

3)    Turbulence Training for Reformed Meatheads
Sells for $29.95

Forget about spending hours in the gym trying to get jacked. In just half the time, former bodybuilders are using this fat loss program to get
big guns, ripped abs, and an ultra-cut body – all without cardio.

4)    Turbulence Training for Meatheads IV – Get Lean & Jacked
Sells for $29.95

In Turbulence Training Meatheads IV – Get Lean & Jacked, you’ll combine traditional bodybuilding exercises with bodyweight exercises in an insane hybrid
workout to help you build muscle and burn fat in only 3 workouts per week.

5)    Turbulence Training for Meatheads V
Sells for $29.95

According to the “Original Meathead”, aka the guy I’ve been designing the Meatheads programs for over the last 4 years, Meatheads V is “the best workout ever“. Discover the ultimate 4-day workout program to help you gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

Click here to order this Turbulence Training program for ONLY $47.00

I have always considered bodyweight exercises and training to be superior for overall fitness and it is why boot camp workouts have also gained popularity so quickly.  Getting a good workout without weights is sometimes the easiest way to stay in shape when you are short on time.

In this article by Craig Ballantyne quickly touches on 3 of the best bodyweight exercises that you can add to your workout.  Craig is a great resource of information and I have been able to work with him online to bring you some of his information.

The 3 Best Bodyweight Exercises

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

Here are 3 kick-butt bodyweight exercises you can do anytime, anywhere to burn fat, stay energized, and avoid overeating.  Bodyweight exercises help you burn fat shockingly fast, without any fancy equipment.

1) Any Single-Leg Exercise

The pistol (single-leg squat to the floor) is the most advanced 1-leg exercise.  But you can also do assisted single-leg squats with a band, or onto a bench, or even with a Stability Ball between your back and the wall.

If you aren’t ready for single-leg squats, you can use Bulgarian Split Squats, Reverse Lunges, regular split squats, or lying 1-leg hip bridges if you are a beginner.  Leg exercises using only your bodyweight for resistance is an extremely effective for fat loss exercise and will burn up a lot of calories.

2) Decline Push-ups

These are harder than normal pushups, thanks to your elevated feet. And in this position, you can still use a close-grip to fatigue your triceps, a “piked-hip position” to build your shoulders, or even the Spiderman leg motion to work on your abs.  Pushups are really one of the most versatile upper body bodyweight exercises

3) Bodyweight Exercises with Inverted Rows

I choose these over chinups and pullups because bodyweight rows let your chest rest, while your back is strengthened. It’s the perfect compliment to a pushup.

Do 8-12 repetitions per exercise.  Don’t rest between exercises.  Go through this bodyweight circuit up to 3 times, resting 1 minute after each circuit.

For a once-per-month challenge, do each of these bodyweight exercises to failure in your final round through the circuit.

Get in shape fast with Turbulence Training!

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
About the Author:

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

Bodyweight exercises for fat loss offer some of the fastest results you will ever see.  Workout without weights from home without ever having to travel to a gym or fitness center.  It’s possible to get just as good of a workout without a gym membership by simply doing bodyweight exercise routines.

Bodyweight Exercises for Fat Loss

If you want a simple to follow bodyweight workouts program with beginner to advanced routines try the TT Deluxe Bodyweight Manual.  You can workout without weights to build muscle, lose weight, or just to stay in shape and feel great.  Workout from home with bodyweight exercises!

Best Bodyweight Exercises Routines

Get the most complete bodyweight exercise program ever developed, with the Turbulence Training Deluxe Bodyweight Workouts Manual. Try this fat loss workout and see how quickly you get results.

When sold separately…

* The 6-Month Bodyweight Turbulence Training Manual sells for $67.
* The TT Bodyweight 500 Workout Challenge sells for $19.95.
* The TT for Athletes 8-Week Training Program sells for $27.
* The TT Ultimate Advanced Bodyweight Workout sells for $19.95
* The TT Bodyweight 1000 Fat Burning Challenge sells for $19.95

For a total of $153.93. But with this special Ultimate Bodyweight Workout Package offer you can get all these programs for only $57. This total package is the ultimate all in one fat loss workout routine.

Bodyweight Exercises for Fat Loss

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Fat loss is accelerated when you work your entire body in a circuit.  The problem with traditional cardio is that your body gets so efficient at doing the same movement pattern over and over (like in an elliptical or bike) that it learns how to perform the exercise with less oxygen and less energy.  That is the opposite of what you want!

Using bodyweight exercises you can effectively workout without weights and not only get a cardio fat loss workout but a full body muscle toning and conditioning routine all in one.  These can be done in circuits grouped with exercises that work opposing muscle groups or as specially designed intervals where you vary the workout intensity from low to high.

Craig Ballantyne has released another great workout called Adrenaline.  The Turbulence Training Adrenaline Workout program consists of :

Adrenaline Advanced Fat Loss Workout

“ A heart-pounding 3-day circuit program, using bodyweight, dumbbells, and kettlebells,  Adrenaline also includes NEW interval training techniques AND never before seen systems that are guaranteed to blast away that last little bit of stubborn belly fat.”

This is an advanced fat loss workout so if you are new to training or just getting back into working out you will probably want to start off with some of the more basic Turbulence Training Routines.  You can find a couple examples here where I have posted a 12 minute and 7 minute fat loss workout.

Bodyweight exercise routines are great because you can do them at home without equipment.  I’m doing a complete review of Bodyweight Exercise Revolution which I started looking through last week.

I spent a lot time looking through the system and went through a couple of the workouts to see what it is about – first thoughts, it is really tough!  I’m going to officially start the program this week and will give updates on the features with what I like about it and who it is good for.

There are a lot of great programs to choose from this spring.  If you want a sample boot camp exercise program get this Free Boot Camp Workout to get you started or join a fitness boot camp in your area so you can workout with groups of people.

If you are a fitness boot camp trainer or want more home boot camp workout ideas check out these boot camp drills I have posted here to add some variety to your classes.

For complete boot camp workout programs there are a few great choices out there.

Turbulence Training Bootcamp

SureVictory Fitness Bootcamp

If you haven’t tried bodyweight workouts take a look around on this site for some of the routines and get started.  You don’t have to invest in any exercise equipment or a gym membership.  Workout without weights from home and get in the best shape of your life with bodyweight exercises.

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I have available for you on this page a free bodyweight exercise routine that you can download from free.  I will have this exercise routine available for download for a limited time so get this complete 4 week manual on bodyweight workouts while you can.  It’s the original 4 week Turbulence Training Bodyweight Workout.  It’s a great program to start off with if you want something for home that is in the style of boot camp exercises and workouts.

Bodyweight workouts and cardio are the way to go for fast results and also the convenience of being able to workout from home or anywhere on the go.  If you love boot camp workouts and bodyweight exercises you can also mix things up a bit with Kettlebells.  Kettlebell workouts add a whole new level of fun and challenge as you can go through several ranges of motion that you would in many bodyweight exercises but while holding a light pair of kettlebells (they don’t have to be heavy, 5 pounds will surprise you!)

This one is actually pretty exciting because TT Kettlebell Workouts is at it’s lowest price ever of only $35 until Friday as a 35th birthday promo.  It’s normally $57 so this is a really great price for those of you that want to mix up your home workouts or even add kettlebells to your fitness boot camps that you teach.

You can check out the Kettlebell Workouts here and you can download your free bodyweight exercises book below.

TT 4 Week Bodyweight Exercise Routine

Right click on book and 'save as' to download

This free workout will take you through 4 weeks of workouts complete with exercise descriptions and pictures.  The bodyweight manual also has an easy to follow chart that you can print out to follow along with.  You’ll find that in one short month this bodyweight exercise routine will make a huge difference.  Don’t be surprised if you lose a few inches without even dieting (well, eat normal and don’t eat junk food but I guess some people might consider that a “diet”)

You don’t need any fancy equipment or weights to get in really good shape.  It just takes the desire and discipline to stay on the plan.  Set a goal for yourself.  If you struggle staying on a workout plan then make it an easy goal – stay on the bodyweight exercise routine for 21 days.  Why not the whole 4 weeks?  You will stay on the entire plan but set a written goal that you will make it 21 days – it takes about 21 days for your mind to form a habit.  After 3 weeks you will not have to think about trying to workout because your body and mind will be craving it.  The bursts of endorphins that you get from working out will make you feel better and your body and mind will build a connection between your workouts and that effect.  Light cardio has been known to fight off mild depression just because of the endorphin release.  When you complete this 4 week workout you will be ready to graduate to more advanced bodyweight exercise routines.

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So far 2010 has been a great year for fitness with  advancements in interval training, bodyweight exercises, and of course the explosive success of starting Fitnesss Boot Camps with their rapid growth around the world.  More and more fitness trainers and new fitness enthusiasts are starting their own boot camp exercise business with TT Bootcamp and the Sure Victory Fitness Bootcamp Kit. * (There’s plenty room for tens of thousands more boot camp trainers around the world and the demand for fitness boot camps  is sky high so jump on this and ride the wave!)

With all of these boot camp workouts and bodyweight exercises in your arsenal you’ll have everything you need to stay in condition all year without having to go to a gym or buy lots of expensive equipment.

Here’s a cool report you can download for FREE with fitness predictions  for 2010 and some great fat burning tips you probably haven’t seen yet.  If you are a personal trainer or fitness boot camp instructor you’ll see some valuable information in here to where the industry is going to help you stay ahead of the curve.

Download your Free Report

Right click on book and 'save as' to get your FREE PDF

This has some really exciting and useful information to see where the fitness industry and how much more efficient workouts are becoming with bodyweight exercise programs.

FACT: You MUST Regularly Change Your Workout To Avoid a Fat Loss Plateau

That’s why each month there are TWO brand NEW 4-week fat loss workout programs to help you lose fat, sculpt your muscles, burn calories, and get in the best shape of your life when you sign up for a Turbulence Training Membership.

And the only way to get these new workouts – and more importantly, the only way to get PERSONAL TRAINING advice from Craig Ballantyne himself – is to be part of the Turbulence Training Member’s area.

When you become part of the Turbulence Training community today you’ll be able to visit the TT discussion forums where everyday I’m helping members tweak their diet and workout programs to lose more fat, burn more calories, and build muscle… to get more results in less time…just like our Transformation Contest Winners!

Here are last years Turbulence Training Contest Winners – You can still vote for this year – cast your vote here!

This was last years winners.  Go take a look at more of the incredible transformation results for both men and women and cast your vote!

More workout articles here at Boot Camp Exercises:

Bodyweight Fat Loss Workouts – interval training for super fast fat loss

Extreme Boot Camp Drills – include these in your fitness boot camp workouts

Starting Fitness Boot Camps – Why you’ll make more money than regular personal training

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This weekend I had the chance to start evaluating the program Bodyweight Exercise Revolution and will be doing a complete 60 day review of the program.  Adam Steer the coauthor of the program sent me the entire bodyweight exercises program and the deluxe programs so I could dig in really deep and see what they are about so that I could give their complete program a try to whip myself into shape for the summer.

All forms of bodyweight exercises and boot camp workouts as they are superior for developing strength and conditioning for an athlete or busy person that wants to workout from home.  Bodyweight workouts allow for true functional strength development, improve balance and coordination, and can be used as a complete cardio routine for rapid fat loss.  There is no gym required and no equipment required so this is something anyone can learn to do.

With the right program you can workout without weights to get stronger, gain muscle, lose fat, or just get into overall fantastic condition.  The last 3 months has been hectic for me so I have neglected my workouts.  I am going to use Bodyweight Exercise Revolution to whip myself back into shape in the next 60 days.  That puts me in mid May and beginning of June to see if I can get into peak condition without going to the gym.

I’ll be updating my experience everyday on this site (o.k. I’ll be blogging it so they say).  If you have been looking for something to inspire you to get in shape this summer you can think about joining me on this 60 day journey and beyond.  You can actually try their program risk free for 2 months so the only thing holding you back is yourself.  I’ve decided it’s time to take action again in my life and get in control of my fitness.  It’s too easy to let that type A personality in you put you into overdrive on other goals and tasks like work while letting your health and fitness fall by the wayside.  I think we’ve all been there at some point but digging back out can sometimes be the hardest part.

The Bodyweight Exercise Revolution program is loaded with so much information I didn’t know where to start (so I started with the bodyweight exercise book).  It is loaded with videos showing fat loss circuits, strength exercises, muscle gaining workouts, you name it.  They have covered every single corner you can think of to workout without weights.  If you run fitness boot camps a lot of these exercises and drills can be included in a boot camp class so there is a lot of good stuff in here.

Their bodyweight program is so in depth it is going to take me a couple weeks just to give it a really thorough review to tell you what’s inside.  So what I’ll do is give a daily update on this blog on my workouts, my results, plus what I like or may not like.  I like to post real reviews of products where I actually test them myself.  You won’t find many reviews out there like mine where I dive in deep and put myself into the thick of it giving you a real look at what to expect from the program.

Here is a glimpse at what you can expect from the program and what I’ll be looking at

The Bodyweight Exercise Revolution eBook gives you 5 separate programs for the price of one. You get all this:

• The Bodyweight Exercise Revolution E-book
• Over 165 pages – jam-packed with explanations and instruction
• Color photos with detailed descriptions for each exercise variation
• 5 step-by-step 28-day programs
• 20 weeks of distinct programming (representing months or even years of variations on exercise level and intensity)
• A follow-along instructional video based on the RMAX Intu-Flow® joint health and mobility portion of the program (downloadable mp4)
• A follow-along instructional video of the RMAX Prasara Yoga compensatory cool down portion of the program (downloadable mp4)
• The 28-day Fat Loss program
• The 28-day Muscle Gain program
• The 28-day Strength Building program
• The 28-day Longevity program
• The 28-day General Athleticism program

Plus the following bonus material:

• Follow-along videos of ALL the circuits and sessions.
• A Bonus chapter on the integration of other RMAX training programs into the 4×7 Wave template.
• On-going support from both Ryan and Adam through the RMAX International on-line forum. You can log in to ask questions about the Bodyweight Exercise Revolution program and we’ll make sure you get the answers you need.
• Access to all future updates to this title.

Click on the Book to Learn more About Bodyweight Exercise Revolution

There is a lot of ground to cover here.  The best way to really review Bodyweight Exercise Revolution will be for me to use it and show some results.  If you are looking for a great workout without weights to either lose weight, get stronger, build muscle, or just get in better shape for the summer then consider joining me for the next 60 days.

Learn more about Bodyweight Exercise Revolution here and check back for updates.

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In this video Craig Ballantyne the creator of Turbulence Training explains high intensity interval training, also known as HIIT, and why it works so well for fat loss workouts.  You can get more information on his complete programs and more about intervals for fat loss and conditioning at Turbulence Training.  Watch the video below to see why HIIT is so effective and will have you burning fat faster than ever.

The Best Cardio Intervals for Fat Loss: Part 1
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 article 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.

The Best Cardio Intervals for Fat Loss: Part 2

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

www.TurbulenceTraining.com

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Cardio equipment isn’t needed for high powered fat loss workouts.  Many people skip workout out all together because they think they need to be at a gym or need some special cardio machine like a treadmill or elliptical machine.  The truth is you can do fat loss workouts anywhere with bodyweight exercises used in circuits.  Speed up your metabolism with these bodyweight circuit exercises and discover how you can not only get a great workout without equipment, you can also do it very quickly!

Fat Burning Bodyweight Circuit Exercises

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training Bodyweight Cardio

When you travel, you worry about missing your workouts and eating poorly.  You must plan ahead for both (apples and almonds for planes, trains, & automobiles) and bodyweight circuits for “no-equipment fat loss workouts”.

And while I have bodyweight exercises that are just as hard as the bench press and barbell squat in one of my bodyweight workouts, today we’ll focus on replacing intervals with bodyweight circuits for fat loss workouts that get results fast.

Bodyweight Fat Loss Workout Template

a) Pick 3 lower body exercises

b) Pick 3 upper body exercises

c) Alternate between a lower and upper body exercise without rest, till you are done all 6 exercises

d) Rest a minute.

e) Repeat 2-3 more times until you are done 20 minutes

Here is an example of a great fat loss workout circuit that doesn’t require any equipment so it can be done at home or on the road when traveling.

1) Prisoner Squat (12 repetitions)
2) Elevated Pushups (8 reps per side)
3) Single-Leg Deadlift (10 reps per side)
4) Close-grip Pushups (As many reps as possible)
5) Jumping Jacks (30-60 reps)
6) Cross-Body Mountain Climber (12 reps per side)

That’s actually a really advanced fat loss workout so let’s slow it down a bit for beginners with a few breaks using planks (not really a break but it will slow things down and allow you to catch your breath a bit while working your core)

1) Wall Squat (8 reps)
2) Kneeling Elevated Pushup (5 reps per side)
3) Lying 1-leg Hip Extension (8 reps per side)
4) Plank (30 second hold)
5) Jumping Jacks (5-10 reps)
6) Side Plank (15 second hold per side)

Fat loss workouts can be quick and effective without having to do boring cardio for hours.  Check out this 12 minute fat loss workout and a 7 minute fat loss workout that is perfect for when you are short on time but can’t skip your workout.  Bootcamp exercises and bootcamp workouts are the ultimate fat loss workout that can be done anywhere.

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