Leveraging and chipping away at Streaks

Streaking Update 1) Write 3000 words per day I almost got off track this morning, spent too much time thinking and planning out some other work issues, before I finally settled in to writing. But my deadlines kept me honest and I got a couple of projects done early. I also pushed back my workout to late morning, a rarity, and I made sure to leverage everything I write into multiple

Deads and depressed friends

Dandy deadlifting was done on Friday. The morning started great with lots of writing, then a big breakfast of walnuts, coconut oil, and cacao nibs. That's my version of cereal. Alas, I washed it down with a Coke Zero because I needed a high-voltage jump start for the deads.Forgive me my diet sin!Then it was off to a local LA Fitness around 10am. It's right beside where the Phillies have

#1 butt exercise to avoid

Ol' Bally the Dog, my crazy Canadian chocolate lab, enjoys sniffing butts. He makes no apologiez. That's what dogs do. I, on the other hand, prefer just to look at them. I'm a bit of a butt expert. Show me a nice butt and I can accurately predict that person's workout routine. And if you show me a flat butt, or one that squishes out sideways or droops down instead of curving back

Shoulders and Streaking in Florida

Had a great experimental workout today, putting together some new ideas for the May TT workout of the month. 1A) KB Snatch1B) Yoga Stretches2A) KB 1-Arm Standing Overhead Press2B) Slam Ball100 rep circuit3A) Slam Ball - 20 reps3B) Total Body Extension - 60 reps3C) Pushups - 20 resp Streaking Update 1) Write 3000 words per day Morning writing: Finished George Washington section...but went

The Fat Greasy Enemy is back

Uh-oh, the pharmaceutical has brought back their greasy enemy of fat, Alli. Now Alli is not what you might expect. You might be thinking "he" is a big, fat, greasy underground mobster, but he's not. Instead, he's a diet drug that makes you poop your pants. I'm serious! Alli is also known as Orlistat. Common side effects include, "inability to control bowel movements; oily

Meathead Summit

Back down to the garage today. Upper body meathead training. It doesn't get any better than this, does it. Garage door open, cool Florida morning turning to humid, powerblocks, chest pump, and meathead 1-arm rows to finish it all off, almost seeing stars as I trained to near absolute failure.Workout went like this:1A) DB Press - 4x61B) KB CSR - 4x102A) DB Incline - 4x122B) DB Shrug - 4x123)

Monday Mooty Workout and Drinking Streak

Flew to Tampa and drove to the gulf coast on Sunday, then I squatted on Monday. That's left me with total body fatigue, tired arms, sore legs, and a tired mooty. Yes, a tired mooty.Monday's Mooty Mash-Up workout went like this (done at the Clearwater LA Fitness, right beside the Phillies spring training diamond):1A) Squats1B) High Box Jumps (good to see I still have decent springs)2A) Good

Number one exercise for a better booty or mooty

If I had to choose just one exercise for getting a nice butt, I would, of course, CHEAT, and choose three exercises � one for beginners, one for intermediates, and one for advanced body sculpting. And yes, these answers are the same for men and women. After all, it's really important for guys to have a great butt, too. If you want to hit a golf ball farther, be an NFL running back,

Best Drink for Fat Loss

There's one drink used by all the top fat loss experts we trust. It's so good and gives you so much fat-burning energy that it's helped me give up caffeine for weeks. Plus, it tastes great with a natural hint of sweetness AND is more filling than plain old water. But it's not an "energy drink" packed with sugar, caffeine, and who-knows-what-other-dangerous-ingredients. It won't give you

Steak and bacon at peter lugers

Steak and bacon and broccoli at Peter Luger's last night in Great Neck, NY, with Bedros Keuilian, found of Fitness Business Summit ... today, speaking at Martial Arts Business Summit on Long Island... and tomorrow, flying to Florida...so resting up my arms today. smile emoticon - Bodyweight squats only, today, with Missi Holt!

Stressful week into a New York weekend

Alright, it's been a stressful, different week in my life. I made some big changes in my business, traveled to Toronto, had late night meetings and early morning breakfasts, slept poorly (at the amazing Shangri-La hotel in Toronto), interviewed Mark Ford (http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=65942823), did 6 other phone calls, created the CTT call of the month, wrote essays and TT emails,

You vs Carbs

I've just learned something really embarrassing about myself. I am defenseless against sugar. If I start eating some, I can't stop. It's embarrassing. If you've ever eaten too many sweets at one sitting, or too many carbs at any meal, then this will help. But there are worse carbs. At the link below, my good friend and top nutrition expert Joel Marion is going to let the cat

At Home Grateful for a Hard Workout

Today's been a crazy day, even though it is an official holiday. I haven't been stressed like this for a long time. I really didn't expect this weekend to turn out like this.I wrote about it here:http://turbulencetraining.blogspot.ca/2015/02/put-your-problems-in-perspective.htmlAnd then I got lazy. Not wanting to deal with the stress of going to the gym on a holiday, or getting out of my car

Put Your Problems in Perspective

My problems (which are small and few) were put into that correct perspective today. One of my good friends from college called me early this morning. He is very depressed, anxious, suicidal...he's getting professional help but he is very stressed with his job, his new baby, his unwell young son, and his past addictions, and he's off on work leave... I've written about him before here (he

Hey Old Man, If you Don't Move Well, You Will Never Move Well....

I have been working out in gyms since 1983.  In that 30+ year period I have made a pretty consistent observation.  Young guys tend to heave heavy weights with questionable form but the worst offenders in terms of poor movement are the old guys.  They may not be lifting heavy, but they are moving poorly with light weights!  The most common problem is performing half reps or worse.  Full range of motion is rare.  Of course there are exceptions but the exceptions are .....well....exceptional.  Young people move well.  They can scoop things up off the floor, roll and pop back up with no issues.  They can run, jump, do cartwheels and climb trees.  They can move freely.  We lose some of that as we age.  By the time we hit our prime (20s - 30s), we have lost some of that movement ability but have gained strength.  This is probably the leading cause of recreational sports injuries.  20 and 30 somethings are strong enough but don't move as well as they did 10 years ago, so they get injured.  Most middle aged guys are losing both movement competency and strength.  Old guys have lost a considerable amount of both qualities.  The loss can be enough to seriously impair quality of life.  For an old guy, movement competency simply must be addressed.  It makes sense to work on mobility and movement competency throughout your lifespan.

Young guys can sprinkle in some mobility and movement competency as part of strength training program.

Middle aged guys can sprinkle in some strength training as part of a mobility and movement competency training program.  See the difference?

For old guys, mobility and movement competency is the strength training program!  For an old guy, getting up off the floor, or getting out of a chair with no hands can be very effective strength training.  How about loaded carries?  For old guys this means full range of motion exercises.  Preserving the ability to move the joints through a full range of motion, pain free, is the ultimate goal.  You will never get there by half repping!   As a trainer working with older clients you need to constantly ask yourself, "How can I restore strength and mobility through a full range of motion?"  You are not going to get there with machines and half reps.  You might start there but the goal is to move past that point.  You might have to sacrifice some loading for mobility but if done correctly, it will be temporary.

20 minute jump rope circuit

Happy Ballantyne's Day. I have a very interesting 10+10 circuit workout to share with you. This one last 19 minutes and 50 seconds. It was a great challenge to start a snowy Saturday morning. Each exercise was meant to be about a minute long, and I knew how many reps I could do in a minute...so I didn't time things...but as you can see, I was right on track for total training time. It's

Hot new workout videos for Ballantyne's Day

C'mon Craig, when are you going to give us a nice Ballantyne's day gift of new videos?That's the BIG question from the tens of thousands of happy readers from all over the world. Since 2013 over 77,583 men and women have used our original bodyweight videos to lose weight, get back in shape, and overcome every single excuse for getting fit. You love that you can roll out of bed and do a short

25 Shades of Craig?

Saturday is going to be the BEST day of the year. Here's why... First of all, it's everyone's favorite holiday, Ballantyne's Day. Second, we're going on a date. But it's only going to take 10 minutes, and we can do it anywhere in the comfort of your home, and you can wear your PJ's, your workout clothes, or even your jeans. Just be ready to get your heart pumpin'. Whoa. Now I know

Sleepy Arms and Strong Squat

Simply awesome workout today even though I slept poorly last night. I woke up just after 1am with both arms 'asleep' from being in the face down, arms overhead position. I awkwardly had to rub my hands together to get feeling to come back to them. They felt like noodles with pins and needles!That always scares me a little. I had an old college roommate that once slept 13 hours with his one

Snarkless Streak is Over

I blew it. A streak is over.There was still a victory within...but it's time to start all over again.***Streaking Update It all started with Bally the Dog vs. The Snowmobilers...more below... 1) Write 3000 words per day Lots of writing today, but not enough on the book. That said I had a few breakthroughs in different areas of TT, ETR, and personal development. Just wish I had the same

Monday Morning Meathead Found in the Garage

Garage gym Monday morning Meathead workout time. Doesn't get much better than this. No waiting at the bench press in a crowded gym.Today's training:1A) DB Press1B) Band Pull Apart1C) DB Rear Delt Raise2A) Handstand Pushup2B) DB CSR 3A) Crow Post3B) Farmer Walk4A) DB Neutral-Grip Incline

Saturday Deadlifts and Streaks and Stories

I love a weekend deadlift or squat session. Usually I go on Sunday mornings when there are even fewer people in the gym, but today I hit a mid-Saturday morning challenge deadlift workout. The weight room was a little busy at first, but the beauty of a deadlift session is that you can do it anywhere and don't need a bench or rack.1A) Deadlift (week 2 of 5-3-1 program)1B) Box Jump1C) Military

Best oblique exercises

I got stuck with a 6 hour flight delay on Thursday coming back from Joel Marion's in Tampa, so I had a few extra hours at the airport to answer your many questions. Here were some of the best...you'll get some cool new exercise ideas and a tip on the best workout for fat burning. Q: What are the best exercises for oblique muscles? - Ben Wedighezai Answer: I've recently become a fan of

Streak Update and Delay

Streaking Update Well, on the downside, I'm stuck with a 4-hour flight delay at the Tampa airport. Bad weather in Toronto, I guess.On the bright side, streaks are going great. Projects are moving ahead quickly. And I needed the extra time at the airport to get through the 97 emails in my inbox. 1) Write 3000 words per day I finished another ETR essay, the TT report card, and a few other

Lego Movie Life

Fun TRX abs-arms and KB shoulder press workout today. Back on track yesterday. Everything is awesome. My life is one big Lego movie.:)Off to work on the March 10x10 workout.Tomorrow is an off day with travel to Toronto, and Friday is off with a visit to the chiropractor for a 'body audit'. Just checking to make sure everything is aligned, and to get a bit of ART if needed.

Ouch Again

Ouch. Screwed up again. Got back on track again. I fail all the time. And each time I do, I learn, and I get a clearer picture of how I should be, act, and prepare. I'm thankful for the painful lesson. Read more below. Last night's mistake didn't stop today's atonement. I had a great workout. I fixed my mind and I'm getting back on track. It didn't hurt that it was an upper body meathead

Super Sunday and Legs Monday

Ouch. I am going to be sore tomorrow from today's garage gym leg workout. I was planning on going to the gym, but the closest one is 20 minutes away and there was a lot of writing to do this morning after the big BioTrust SuperBowl Weekend party wrapped.It was so much fun...details below.Today's Workout:1A) DB (Powerblock) Split Squats - 5x8-101B) Box Jumps - 5x52A) DB RDL 2B) Ab wheel3) KB

#1 workout (wise superbowl decision)

This is one of the most common questions I get..and today, Michael Obermeyer of Wichita, Kansas asked me this on our TT Facebook Memorial Day Fitness QnA: "If you had to pick just one workout to do, which one would it be?" The answer is, without a doubt, my Turbulence Training home video workout program. It covers it all: Extreme fat loss, metabolism boosting, and at-home convenience -

Trouble Spot Training

It may sound a tad bit crazy, but inside today's brand new article from my Toronto's Trouble Spot Training Expert, Bruce Krahn, you'll discover how you can fix your trouble spots: => 5 Trouble Spot Workout Cures Oddly enough I had to go all the way to Miami last year to meet Bruce at a small, closed-doors meeting of 15 elite fitness experts. The seminar was arranged by world-famous trainer,

Do not do these bad idea workouts

Did you know that the world's most popular exercise methods like Yoga, P90X and Crossfit do very little to transform your stubborn body parts? In fact, there is pretty clear evidence these 3 popular methods may be making you look thicker - NOT better. And they can cause your body more harm than good. CrossFit can cause "exertional rhabdomyolsis", which leads to kidney failure and even death.