By Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
http://turbulencetraining.rxsportz.com

The truth is that sometimes you just won’t have the equipment, space, or strength to do some exercises in Turbulence Training.

Fortunately, there’s GREAT news about that, which I realized last week while writing up a new exercise column for Men’s Health magazine.

And the GREAT news is this:

Almost every single TT exercise can be substituted by an equally amazing exercise from my repertoire.

So let’s go through a huge list of exercise substitutions. This will be perfect for you to print out and keep with your TT program or in your workout area.

Exercise Substitutions

1) To replace Squats, you can do:

1-leg hip extensions
Step-ups
Deep Step-ups
Split squats
Reverse lunges
Forward lunges
Bulgarian split squats (with back foot elevated on a bench)
Reaching lunges
1-leg deadlifts
1-leg squats (use bands or straps for assistance if necessary)
1-leg squats standing on a bench

By the way, if you are using dumbbells for squats or lunges and you find that the weights are too heavy to hold, you can switch to a barbell if you have access to it.

The only reason you don’t see barbell exercises in the TT programs are because most TT readers exercise at home with dumbbells.

2) To replace Deadlifts:

The only "direct replacement" is dumbbell squats.

Otherwise, just replace deadlifts with a superset pairing of any lower body exercise paired with a row.

For example:

Barbell lunge supersetted with a DB row
Stability Ball Leg Curl supersetted with Inverted Row

3) If you have sore knees and need to replace lunges:

First, see a doctor and have them diagnose the problem. Second, see a therapist and have them treat the issue. Third, see a trainer and have them assess where you need to work on flexibility and how you can include some "knee-friendly" exercises in your workout program.

These exercises include:

Lying Hip Extensions (also known as Lying Hip Bridges)
1-leg Hip Extensions
Lying Hip Extensions with your feet on the ball
Stability Ball Leg Curls

4) To replace Bench Presses or Dumbbell Chest Presses (of any kind), you can do one of these:

Pushups
Close-grip pushups
Decline pushup
Elevated pushups
Off-set pushups
Pushups with your feet on the ball
Pushups with your hands on the ball
Pushups with your feet on the ball and hands on the bench
Suspended strap pushups
Spiderman pushups
Spiderman climb pushups
Pike pushups
Dips
Decline close-grip spiderman pushups

By the way, if you have dumbbells but no bench, you can replace flat dumbbell bench presses by lying on the floor. And you can replace incline dumbbell presses with standing 1-arm dumbbell shoulder presses.

5) To replace any kind of row, here are alternatives:

Dumbbell rows
Dumbbell rows with elbows out
Dumbbell chest supported rows
Barbell rows
Inverted rows
Underhand grip rows
Seated cable rows
Renegade Rows (with flat dumbbells or kettlebells)
Dumbbell rear deltoid raises
Rows with TRX or blast straps
Chin-ups (these are done with an underhand grip)
Eccentric chin-ups
Sternum chin-ups
V-grip chin-ups
Pull-ups (these are done with an overhand grip)
Eccentric pull-ups
Sternum pull-ups

And in place of pull-ups or chin-ups, you can do:

Dumbbell rows
Dumbbell pullovers
Underhand grip pulldowns (kneeling) – replaces chin-ups
Overhand grip pulldowns (kneeling) – replace pull-ups
Assisted chinups/pull-ups using machine

However, if you have absolutely no equipment (i.e. no dumbbells, no barbell, no cables, no straps, and no bar) then unfortunately there is no way to train your upper back. The best you can do is to add a lot of prisoner squats, prisoner lunges, stick-ups, and WYT’s to your bodyweight program.

6) To replace dips, you can do:

Any version of close-grip pushups
Dumbbell floor presses
Dumbbell close-grip presses
Close-grip bench press

7) To replace dumbbell split squats, you can do:

1-leg lying hip extensions
Bulgarian split squats (use higher reps or the 1 & 1/4 rep method)
Split squats with your front foot elevated 4-6 inches
1-leg deadlifts
1-leg squats (holding straps or cables for assistance)
1-leg squats standing on the bench
Step-ups
Deep step-ups
Reaching lunges

(NOTE: For many exercises, including pushing and pulling too, you can play around with the 1&1/2 rep style – lowering to the bottom position, coming halfway back up, and then lowering again, and then coming all the way back up.)

Please forward this list to your friends or print them a copy.

To your success,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
http://turbulencetraining.rxsportz.com

Go to the Source

by: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training 

Last Friday I stopped by the house of an ol’ college buddy to meet his fiancé and new baby boy. He’s getting married in 5 months time and we had to have a serious chat.

You see, he’s gained 25 pounds since birth of his son. He really fell off the wagon. But he’s taken the first and most important step by admitting things have to change and so we sat around for over 2 hours in his backyard on a beautiful day and hammered out this plan.

I could have wrote a 5-month plan, but I wanted to fast-track his results – and YOUR results – because research shows people who start losing fat quickly get better long-term fat loss results as well.

So here’s your complete 14-day FAST-TRACK guide to fat loss (if you like it, please forward it to a friend or print them off a copy too):

Day 1 – Stop Everything to Plan, Shop, & Prepare This Meal Plan

I hope you’re reading this on Sunday, because I want you to plan, shop, and prepare today. If it’s Monday, skip your workout and do this instead – its THAT important.

And I don’t just mean planning what you are going to eat for dinner. I mean planning what you are going to eat for every meal for the next 2 weeks.

Don’t tell me that’s too hard. After all, most people with lean physiques stick to a relatively similar diet for 90% of their meals and then enjoy a random cheat/reward meal 10% of the time.

So your schedule might go like this:

Breakfast – 2 eggs, 1 slice rye toast, 1 apple, Green Tea, fish oil

Snack – 1oz raw almonds, 1 pear, Green Tea

Lunch – Grilled chicken/salmon or black bean salad with spinach, onion, peppers, mushrooms, etc., 1 banana or bowl of cherries, 2 cups unsweetened iced tea with lime or lemon

Snack – Unlimited raw vegetables and hummus

Dinner – Protein and vegetables and fruit…so this could be a small piece of steak, chicken, or fish, along with your favorite vegetables, and a bowl of your favorite fruit.

         Or it could be the veggie dinner I had last Monday of quinoa with red pepper-cashew sauce and avocado wrapped in kale leaves.

         Or it could be wild rice with beans and avocado and salsa.

That schedule won’t change much, with the exception of a slight variation in your main course at dinner, right? And then once per week schedule a meal of your favorite food.

Everyone can stick to this plan for 14 days, and this tip alone will help you lose 5-12 pounds of fat in just 2 weeks. And this is also how you’ll need to eat for the rest of your life. It’s not hard, it just requires a little practice. Keep at it and never, EVER give up.

Alright, so to review, here’s your 3-step guide to Day 1.

i) Plan your meals. ii) Shop for the food. iii) Prepare the food (cut everything up, put in the proper trays, cook food if necessary, and get it all packed up for work)

In addition to planning out all of your meals, you must also start keeping a food journal (you could do it online too), because studies show that keeping a food journal will help you lose fat faster.

Next, make sure you do 60 minutes of activity today AND take a "before" photo along with your weight, body fat (if possible), and measurements of your waist, hips, arms, and thighs. Continue to weigh yourself every other day, as research shows that frequent check-ins lead to greater weight loss.

Day 2 – Attend An "Online Turbulence Training Seminar"

You must set EVERY workout and activity session as an appointment with yourself that you must keep – just like a doctor’s visit. Let nothing, except real emergencies, come between you and your workouts.

Today you’re going to do a Turbulence Training workout.

Now if you are currently using long, slow, boring cardio to lose fat, stop that bad habit immediately and switch to Turbulence Training.

If you need to learn more about TT, watch my free videos on YouTube where I explain Turbulence Training and interval workouts. While you are there, look up my "Diet vs. Exercise" video series to see why diet is much more effective for fat loss than cardio.

If you are a beginner, please start conservatively. But if you have been working out for a while, the next 3 weeks are your time to step your workouts up a notch.

Day 3 – Write Your Way to Fat Loss

First, you must schedule 60 minutes of easy to moderate activity. I’ll talk about that in a second, but you can do anything from a 60 minute walk, a yoga session, a light bodyweight and stretching session, an hour of playing with your kids, or playing an easy game of your favorite sport. Don’t go too hard, but stay active.

You must also carve out 30 minutes to sit down and write out 3 short term goals and 3 long term goals. Write down EXACTLY what you want to accomplish in these 14 days. After that, write down what you want to accomplish in the following 90 days.

Once you’ve done that, you’re going to prepare a contract with yourself promising to take the steps necessary to achieve these goals. Sign the contract and review it everyday to keep you on track.

Day 4 – Recruiting Day

Today’s another TT workout. Make sure you are using a professionally designed structured and proven fat loss workout, rather than just "winging it" or using long slow cardio for fat loss.

You’ll also spend time today recruiting for these 3 components of your fat loss social support team:

- Nutrition buddy – Workout partner – Fat loss forum accountability buddies

Research shows that recording your nutrition in a food journal and having someone review your meals increases your chance of losing fat.

Another study found that if you workout with a partner who is losing fat, then you’ll have a greater chance of losing fat as well.

And finally, a third study found that the more often subjects checked in to an online fat loss forum (like the TT Member’s forum), the more likely they were to lose a lot of fat.

Get your team together and you’ll get more results – faster.

Day 5 – The 60 Minute Solution

Why am I telling you to get 60-minutes of activity on your off days from TT?

Well, to be honest, I do NOT expect you to burn massive amounts of fat with easy, off-day activity.

However, every minute you spend moving, you are NOT snacking! I know the biggest problem you will have is your diet. So instead of snacking in front of the computer or TV, spend your free time away from food. That’s the simple secret to the 60 minute solution.

So get 60 minutes of activity on Day 5.

Day 6 – The Challenge

Your 3rd TT workout needs to be a challenge workout so that you can improve your performance each week. In fact, you should set at least one personal best in each workout. If you improve your performance, your physique will improve as well. You can use one of the TT bodyweight, Adrenaline, or Addiction Challenge workouts.

Day 7 – Diet Check-In and Reward Meal

Congratulations, you’ve made it through 7 amazing days of fat burning. Today you’re going to double check your nutrition plan by reviewing your food journal.

If you haven’t already done so, eliminate all liquid calories and replace with water and Green Tea.

If you need to learn more about nutrition, start using the free service called Fitday.com. It will help you track your calories.

And if you’re really struggling to avoid night eating, try this tip. Place a small mirror on your fridge door. Research shows that subjects consumed fewer calories when they did this because it will remind you to make smarter choices.

Finally, as a reward for all of your hard work, you can treat yourself to your favorite meal. But that doesn’t mean gorging. It simply means having a normal meal of your favorite foods to give you a mental break from your plan. When the meal is over, don’t go back for seconds. Get right back on the 14-day plan instead.

Days 7 & 8 are also 60 minute off-day activity days.

Day 8 – Review your goals.

It’s no good to write your goals down and then forget them. Review them at least weekly, if not daily. Heck, carry them around in your pocket and look at them at every meal.

As you workout, visualize yourself reaching your goals. Believe in yourself, keep a positive attitude, stay motivated and you’ll continue to make fast fat loss progress every day.

This will also be another great day to plan, shop, and prepare.

Day 9 – Take It to Another Level

Week one was great, but with only 5 days left it is time for you to step it up again. This time I want you to hire a trainer for just one TT session to make sure you are doing all the exercises correctly and training as hard as you can (safely, of course).

Add this trainer to your support team. And by the way, a good trainer should be able to estimate your body fat better than any of those "fat scales" you can buy at a store…so get them to check that too.

Day 10 – Plan Your Next Shopping Trip

Today is another 60 minutes of off-day activity, and you’ll also work on improving your nutrition even more. What I want you to do is focus on eating more from the Fat Loss Foundation.

The 3 components of my Simple Nutrition Fat Loss Foundation are raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Research shows that eating more of these 3 foods will help you lose weight better than a diet that is low in fruits, vegetables and nuts.

Make an effort to eat one new fruit, vegetable, and nut each week during your between meal snacks.

If you aren’t already eating grapefruit, try one today and see how it helps fill you up (because it contains a lot of soluble fiber called pectin). Add a new vegetable – such as broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus – to your dinner. And try walnuts or pecans instead of almonds at your morning break.

Slowly but surely increase the fiber in your diet until you hit the recommended amount of 35 grams per day.

And I hope this goes without saying, but you should have eliminated all foods that contain added sugar. That is one the simplest yet most effective nutrition changes you can make.

Day 11 – Recruit Again

Add a new member into your social support team, such as a new workout partner or healthy-eating partner. This will add strength to your commitment. If possible, join a transformation contest online, or start one among your friends or co-workers.

But when you do that, keep in mind that you want to help other people succeed. The more you can help others lose fat, the more you will help yourself as you share what’s working with your friends and they show you their fat loss secrets too. Stay positive, and you’ll build a powerful fat loss team.

Today is also another TT fat loss workout day, so give it your best.

Day 12 – Check-In Time

Today you’ll re-measure your weight, body fat, and measurements. Take a look in the mirror to compare yourself against your before photo to see big changes that will motivate you to stay strong.

I also want you to start thinking about getting a tan. Yes, I said getting a tan. Why? Because simply adding a little bit of color to your body can make you look leaner. There’s a reason all those models in supplement ads are tanned, you know.

Finally, if there is a "big day" at the end of the 14-days, make sure you try on the outfit you are going to wear to double-check that it is going to look great on you.

Make sure you do this check-in either before your 60 minutes of activity or a few hours after so that exercise does not mess-up the numbers.

Day 13 – Mental Performance Review

Write down all obstacles that are still in your way of success, and then brainstorm 2 solutions to overcome each. Get some help from your social support team on this. The more you and your team share solutions, the more fat you – and everyone else – will lose.

For example, you might come up with rules like, "No eating in the car" to help cut down on bad food choices. Someone else might suggest "brush your teeth after dinner to avoid night-time snacking". Those are simple yet powerful tips to keep you on the fast-track to fat loss.

Follow up this positive session with your best TT workout yet!

Day 14 – Review, Plan, & Prepare

Congrats on making so many powerful changes in just 2 short weeks.

By now, you’ll probably have lost 5-12 pounds of fat and just as importantly, you’ll have developed proven, life-long fat burning habits that will be easy for you to stick to forever.

Keep this weight loss train moving by reviewing your original goals. Next, do your planning, shopping, and preparing for another week, and get ready for even more fat loss.

Enjoy your 14-day results and celebrate with a reward meal (and show off your firmer, leaner body at the big event too!).

Go to the Source

The body is a machine. It was meant to move about. When it doesn’t move, it gets weak. That weakness can lead to back pain.

As technology has propelled us forward as a society, we have taken a step backwards as a human machine. Video games, computers, and remote controls have all lead us and our children to a sedentary lifestyle. Obesity is becoming an epidemic.

This is what happens to your muscles when you don’t move your body. Muscle tone begins to slacken. The muscle fibers aren’t used anymore so they forget how to be flexible and stretchable. Injuries, like back pain, are common in people who have been sedentary.  Lack of muscle tone and flexibility are primary reasons sedentary people are injured easily.

Exercise and you

Exercise is a good thing. We may resist, postpone, and complain about having to do it, but these are the reasons we all need exercise whether we like it or not:

Increases blood flow
Strengthens muscles
Increases muscle flexibility
Releases endorphins (feel good substances and natural painkillers)
Increases immunity
Speeds up rehabilitation

Much of the pain reported by back pain sufferers occurs in the lower back. Back pain can be exacerbated as we put our back and muscles further out of alignment trying to find a comfortable position.  You can see where this is a vicious cycle.

Just as important as good exercises to strengthen and stretch the back muscles are exercises to strengthen the abdominals.  Why? The abdominal muscles, or “abs”, do much more than look good in a bikini.  They support the lower back, keeping our posture correct and in proper alignment.  This abdominal support, or “girdle”  protects the back from injury by supporting it.

Proper exercises for the back go hand-in-hand with proper exercises to strengthen other areas of the lower body.  One of the most frequently reported injuries are from improper lifting techniques.  Squatting through your lifts, using your legs, abs, and buttocks reduces the chances of injury to your back while you lift an object.  Exercises used to strengthen these areas of your body also help protect your back.

Exercises for total back health

Aerobic exercises increase endurance, lowers blood pressure and heart rate.  Aerobic exercise also helps in losing weight.  Excess weight is a contributing factor in many back injuries.

Types of aerobic activity:

Walking

Bicycling

Swimming or water aerobics

Along with aerobic exercises, anaerobic activity, also known as strength training, is needed to build up muscle tissue and help prevent injury by having toned, strong muscles. When the muscles that support the back are strong, the spine can move properly, in alignment, without sustaining damage.

Strength training exercises:

Back extensions – Lie flat on your stomach. With hands laced behind the head and the back and buttocks muscles engaged, lift up about an inch or two. Hold the stretch and slowly return to starting position.  Relax your muscles, and repeat.  Do not lift your upper torso so high that your lower back tenses or hurts.  Small motions are perfect.

Back rows – Builds the muscles of the lower back. This will be done in a slightly bent position, standing up and leaning body slightly forward and down with knees slightly bent.  In this position, take dumbbells in each hand and, with elbows bent and at side, raise and lower the dumbbells slowly down and back up.  Be sure to hold in your abdomen as you do this exercise.

Pelvic tilt – Lay flat with knees bent and feet on the floor. Slowly raise the pelvis while squeezing the buttocks. Return to start position, relax, and repeat.  Again, keep your abdominal muscles firm throughout the upward thrust, lower, relax at the start position, retense abdominals, squeeze and lift buttocks off the floor, hold, and return to start position.

Exercise builds stamina, sheds pounds, and tones and strengthens muscles.  All these results can help to eliminate back pain caused by everyday wear or an injury.  When the muscles are strong, they can better handle changes that would hurt a weaker back.  Exercise your back and it won’t let you down!

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Back Pain Relief Guide – Get the latest, cutting-edge information about back pain, what causes it and how to get lasting relief. Millions of people suffer from back pain unnecessarily – don’t continue to be one of them.

Go to the Source

Pampering yourself at a spa is considered more and more these days a necessity. For those who have issues with back pain, a good massage may be just what the doctor ordered. Massage is an alternative therapy that can bring relief for many who suffer from a pain in the back.

There are different types of massage therapy but the basic tenet is the same. Through massage, pressure is applied to the body in various ways (knuckles, palms, chops, fingers) and through different media (oils, stones, cups, balls). The goal is manipulation of the soft tissues of the back to promote better health and pain relief.

The ancient practice of massage therapy goes back thousands of years. In India and the Orient, the idea is to release the energy that is trapped in parts of the body through some sort of injury or stress so the body is free to heal itself. This energy is referred to as “Chi”.

Benefits of Massage Therapy

When you are suffering with chronic pain, massage therapy can be an alternative to surgery. Doctors usually consider surgery a last resort, but many fortunate people avoid surgery all together with the use of massage therapy. Here are some of the benefits of massage therapy:

Reduce stress
Increase flexibility
Reduce blood pressure
Alleviate many types of back pain
Increase range of motion
Reduce cramps and spasms
Improved blood circulation in muscles

Choosing your Massage Therapy Type

There are many different types of massage therapy. Choosing the right one will take a bit of experimenting, but any reputable massage professional will walk you through the proper method for your particular back pain.

1.Swedish massage – Involves long strokes with the hands. Ideal for increasing blood flow to the muscles, increasing circulation, reducing toxins in the muscles and increasing flexibility.

2.Hot Stone massage – This therapy uses heat to relax the muscles and balance the energy centers of the body. Stones are used on the back and thighs and massage is carried out with them using light pressure.

3.Deep tissue massage – Be warned. This type of massage may leave you sore after the first time. However, it may be no worse than what you are already experiencing.  Massage is conducted against the muscle grain to get deep into the tissues. Make sure you talk to your massage professional about your pain tolerance before beginning and make it clear that you have the ultimate say in whether or not the massage feels alright.

4.Thai massage – This massage is designed to lengthen and strengthen the body. It improves range of motion, flexibility and improves posture. Poor posture is one of the causes of back pain.

Massage therapy can be of great benefit to your entire body, especially your back. Choose a licensed massage professional who is well-versed in the type of massage that you choose to alleviate your back pain.  Have a good conversation before you begin about what you can expect from the massage, then lay back and enjoy!

————

Back Pain Relief Guide – Get the latest, cutting-edge information about back pain, what causes it and how to get lasting relief. Millions of people suffer from back pain unnecessarily – don’t continue to be one of them.

Go to the Source

TT Bodyweight Bodybuilding is filled with unique & advanced bodyweight exercises combined with a TT Addiction circuit. This is the coolest and most colorful TT workout yet…

Get ready to discover new bodyweight exercises, including new twists on old ab exercises, plus a 9-exercise TT Addiction circuit that will rock your world.

You’ll also get little exercise tweaks that make a big difference – such as 3/4 rep dips – plus combo exercises (such as the Burpee-Pullup in the Bodyweight Addiction Circuit). These exercises will have you loving this workout no matter what your goal – fat loss or muscle building.

When you grab your copy of TT Bodybuilding 2.0, you’ll find a variety of bodyweight exercises strategically chosen to not only get you RIPPED, but designed in a way that will send your metabolism through the roof, blasting away fat from your ALL your trouble spots long after you’ve finished working out.

You’ll also discover Craig Ballantyne’s latest interval training workout GUARANTEED to drop inches from your waist line and get you into AMAZING shape.

Go to the Source

With TT Bodyweight Cardio 3, you’ll discover:

- 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

- PLUS, my 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, fat loss just got a whole lot easier.

Go to the Source

By Nick Nilsson

Experience a training technique so powerful you can literally FEEL your metabolism firing up and burning fat!

Want to burn off that holiday weight gain as quickly as humanly possible? Fat-Loss Circuit Training is the BEST place to start.

Fat-Loss Circuit Training is a program of my own invention. I developed it for losing fat quickly. It’s challenging but very effective!

It’s also one of the core components of my extremely powerful "Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss" program available here:

http://bit.ly/dbQGeX

Fat-Loss Circuit Training is very simple once you get the hang of it, but it can be one of the most demanding (and most extraordinarily effective) styles of training you can do.

If you’re familiar with normal circuit training (with timed, light-weight intervals), please put aside any notions you might have of how this program works. You will not only be harnessing the muscle-building and metabolism-stimulating power of intense, full-set weight training (NOT the typical light-weight, timed intervals of normal circuit training), you will also be incorporating the great calorie-burning effects of cardiovascular training.

The proper combination of the two styles (weights and cardio) into one workout is, quite simply, phenomenal for fat burning.

In order to use Fat-Loss Circuit Training, you will need access to both weight equipment and cardio equipment (and/or benches or stairs), preferably located in fairly close proximity to each other.

This type of training is harder to do in a crowded gym as it will involve you moving back and forth quickly between different pieces of equipment. If someone is waiting to use your cardio machine the moment you step off, it will defeat the purpose of the workout. This technique is best used in a fairly uncrowded gym where you have more freedom to use equipment or, better yet, in a home gym with weights and cardio equipment and no one waiting for anything!

If you do work out in a crowded gym, I will tell you exactly how to get around it.

How The Training Works:

- Essentially, this is combined circuit/interval training.

- You will be going back and forth between your weight training exercises and one cardio exercise for the duration of the workout.

- Your rest period for weights will be your cardio and your rest period for cardio will be your weights.

- You will be doing some sort of activity for your entire workout without any break!

This combination is very effective for a number of reasons:

- It forces your body to burn calories continuously during the workout.

- It utilizes resistance training and cardio training so you get all the benefits of both in one workout.

- By forcing your body to work like this, you dramatically increase your metabolism leading to increased fat burning long after the workout (more so than either weights or
cardio alone).

- It saves time – you get both your weights and cardio in the same amount of time as your regular workout.

- You will still be able to use heavy weights in your weight training, helping to preserve muscle mass.

How To Do It:

Step 1 – Set Up

For the most efficient workout possible, try to have most or all of your exercises pre-set and ready to go. The less time you spend on preparation during your workout itself, the more effective that workout will be, especially since you want to be continually active throughout the workout. You can use any type of cardio that is convenient and enjoyable to you, be it a machine, stair stepping, or even a skipping rope.

If you are working out in a crowded gym, try to claim an area for yourself and focus on dumbell exercises. You won’t have to wait in line to use any weight machines that way.

If you don’t have access to convenient cardio machines, you’re going to have to go low-tech. You’ll need to do stair-stepping (stepping up two stairs then back down works well), bench-stepping (step up onto a flat bench or Step platform then back down) or rope-jumping (be sure you’re not close to anyone if you choose this). These approaches work just as well as cardio machines and allow you to perform this training style in a busier setting.

If the stair-stepping method is what you need to use, have a look at the stepping pattern demonstrated on the following page:

http://bit.ly/cXGFE4

Step 2 – Warm-up

Do a few minutes of low-intensity cardio as a warm-up. You may wish to do a few light sets of a few of the exercises you’ll be working with before you start into it though. Don’t tire yourself out, just get a light sweat going.

Step 3 – Start with 30 – 40 seconds of moderate intensity cardio.

This could be setting a stair machine to a level that is not easy but is not so challenging that you’re going to exhaust yourself right away. Watch the timer on your machine
and go for approximately 40 seconds (I say approximately because there will generally be a slight lag time when you step on and off).

Many cardio machines have a "rest period" feature where you can leave the machine on and it will not erase your program while you have stepped off. Normally, this is about 2 minutes. This should be enough time to complete your weight set.

If you are using a machine such as a treadmill or stair machine that you will leave on with the timer running, just watch the time counter on the machine and keep track of when you get on it to get the designated period. It may require a little mental math! You can also use your own stopwatch or timer on your watch to keep track (this is easier). Start the timer when you start the cardio.

Many machines also have a feature that runs through a series of time periods. I’ve found on the StairMaster, if you set the length of the session to 20 minutes, this results in a 40 second time period making it perfect for judging your cardio periods.

Step 4 – Do a set of weights.

Go as quickly as you can to your first exercise. Do a set of the first exercise on your program for the day. Do this with no rest, going from the cardio immediately to the weights. Do all your reps until you start to approach muscular failure.

While this is definitely still intense weight training, don’t push yourself to muscular failure as you would in your regular training. Due to the high training volume we’ll be doing in this program, pushing to failure on every set will compromise muscle recovery.

Also, be very sure to use proper form and tempo when lifting the weights. Don’t rush your weight sets – perform them with the same form and speed as you would if you were doing a regular set in your training. Fast, light or sloppy weight sets are NOT what we’re looking for here.

Step 5 – Go right back to the cardio.

Get back to the cardio and do another 40 seconds of moderate-intensity cardio.

Step 6 – Repeat the cycle for the duration of the workout.

You will be going back and forth continuously between cardio and your weight training exercises, using the cardio as the rest period between your weight sets. What this means is that over the course of your workout, you’ll be burning calories via cardio and weights AND you’ll be working your muscles with intense, heavy weight training as well. It’s tough training but very effective!

Notes:

- As you improve your cardio ability, you can choose to increase the intensity of your cardio training between sets. You may wish to start at a lower level and gradually increase the resistance over the course of the workout or start at a higher level and keep it there. It is perfectly acceptable to keep it at a steady, moderate level, however.

- This Fat-Loss Circuit technique can be used with nearly any form of cardio exercise as long as it is convenient to go back and forth with the weights. The real key here is to maintain activity for the entire workout.

- Keep your workouts to no more than 45 minutes at the very most when doing this type of training. Any more than that and you will be breaking yourself down too much. It’s an extremely demanding form of training as you’ll be working every major energy system in your body. You will also find it will crank your metabolism up pretty seriously!

For a sample workout to follow, taken directly from my "Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss" ebook, please click on the following link:

http://bit.ly/97PS9P

You will be able to print this workout and take it to the gym with you to try out.

Want to learn more about the "Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss" program? Click on the following link right now!

http://bit.ly/dbQGeX

Your new body is waiting for you!

——————

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 15 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus – Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "Specialization Training," all available at http://fitness-ebooks.rxsportz.com.
He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

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You know, a little knowledge can be dangerous. Many of us are “armchair physicians” when it comes to healing our own wounds. When your back first begins to hurt, you may put heat on to relax the muscles or ice packs on to reduce the inflammation and dull the pain. This is not necessarily a bad thing UNTIL you realize that your back pain hasn’t lessened.  Worse yet, you misdiagnosed the cause of your back pain and you’re icing a knotted muscle and heating an inflamed joint.

What will your doctor do to diagnose your back pain?

One of the main reasons to consult a physician about your back pain is because it can be caused by things other than the run-of-the-mill suspects like injury, strain, exercise, or excess weight. As an example, your kidneys lie against your back outside of the abdominal cavity. Kidney stones and kidney infections can cause pain in the back. Assuming your lingering back pain can be stretched out or cured with ice packs could be dangerous.

Rather than make assumptions, your doctor will begin by asking you a series of questions meant to zero in on a few clues about the origin of your back pain:

How long have you had your pain?
What does it feel like? Is it sharp or dull?
When does the pain occur? Sitting? Standing? Lying down?
How have you managed the pain so far?

Now, the detective work begins. Your doctor will perform various tests, based on your answers, to diagnose the cause of your back pain. This series of tests is the best way to come up with a helpful treatment.

1.Visual – The doctor will have you stand and look at your back. He can evaluate your posture, feel for any bulges in the back or areas that are sensitive to pain. This can be done during your initial visit.

2.X-rays – This is the only way to see your bones. The doctor can check the bones of the vertebrae and the surrounding supporting tissue. If there are any misalignments or fractures, you will have a better idea of what you will be dealing with in the way of treatments.

3.MRI – This is the magnetic tube which allows the doctor and technicians to see the soft tissue. If there is a herniated disc or a degenerative disc problem, the doctor will know.

4.Myelograms – This involves the nerves. When a disc is herniated, nerves can become pinched. By injecting dye into the spinal cord, doctors can see if and where nerve damage is occurring.

Self-diagnosing back pain is a risky business.  A backache now and again when you’ve been out mowing the lawn or painting the house is understandable.  However, intense or long-term back pain is nothing to play around with.  It could be a sign that something is wrong with either the structure of your back or your general health.  A visit with your doctor will either reassure you that rest and exercise will help your back or you’ll find proper treatment to resolve a health issue.  Seeing your doctor is the only way to put your mind at ease and get on with your day – without that old pain in the back!

————

Back Pain Relief Guide – Get the latest, cutting-edge information about back pain, what causes it and how to get lasting relief. Millions of people suffer from back pain unnecessarily – don’t continue to be one of them.

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Normal sets only work a select type and number of muscle fibers. Find out how the Triple Add Set technique can work EVERY muscle fiber you’ve got in a single set.

By Nick Nilsson

Looking for a new challenge in your workouts? The Triple Add Set is just what you need. It is very a tough intensity technique, but it is extremely effective. The Triple Add Set will strongly work all three of the major muscle fiber types (I, IIa, and IIb) in one extended set, pushing the very limits of your body’s strength and endurance. If this sounds good to you, you’re going to love this technique!

To fully understand the effectiveness of the Triple Add Set, let’s take a look at the muscle fiber types and why it’s such a good thing to work all three of the major types at once.

- Type I muscle fibers are endurance-oriented muscle fibers. They primarily work in higher rep ranges and during aerobic exercise.

- Type IIa muscle fibers work when the weight used is moderate-to-heavy. This fiber type is most active in moderate rep range weight training (e.g. 5 to 10 reps per set)

- Type IIb muscle fibers are the explosive muscle fibers. They are called upon when the weight is very heavy and great power or explosiveness is needed.

When you lift a weight, your body recruits a certain number of muscle fibers to get the job done. It recruits a certain percentage of each type of fiber, depending on how heavy the load is. For instance, the lighter the load, the more Type I fibers will be called upon. The heavier the load, the more Type IIa fibers will be called upon. With very heavy loads, Type IIb fibers will be the most heavily recruited.

With regular training, your body learns to become more efficient with this recruitment and tries to get away with firing as few fibers as possible to get the job done. It’s the body’s natural tendency to conserve energy.

Unfortunately, this also leaves many muscle fibers underworked and not developed to their full potential. We need to find a way to force your body to recruit every available fiber to maximally work the muscle and develop it to it’s full potential. That’s where the Triple Add Set comes in.

If you’re familiar with Triple Drop Sets (where you start with a heavy weight for the first part, then drop to a lighter weight for more reps then drop to a somewhat lighter weight for more reps to finish with) then you’re familiar with the basic idea of this style of training.

However, here’s the switch: instead of starting with a heavy weight and working down, we’re going to start with a light weight and work our way up!

The Triple Add Set technique will first exhaust your Type I muscle fibers with light weights and high reps.

Then it will work on the Type IIa muscle fibers by moving to heavier weights and moderate reps. Since Type I fibers are still being activated at this point, even though the weights are heavier, your body will recruit more and more of those Type I fibers as you keep going.

On the third and final part of the set, very heavy weights will be used. Your Type IIb fibers will now be preferentially activated. But now, because the load is extremely demanding, your Type I fibers and even more of your Type IIa fibers are being recruited to help.

By the time you’re done with the Triple Add Set, you’ve recruited almost every available muscle fiber in the target muscle. Then we do one or two more sets just to be sure they’re completely worked!

How To Do It:

- Start with a light weight and do a high-rep set, e.g. 20 to 30 reps. Your muscles will be burning. This will hit the Type I endurance muscle fibers and fill the target muscles with blood.

- Rest 10 seconds to flush out enough of the waste products that have accumulated in your muscles for you to keep going. This is basically the time it takes to switch weights on the machine or grab a new set of dumbells, take a few deep breaths and jump back in.

- Next, you’ll move on to a somewhat heavier weight and aim for about 6 to 8 reps. This will hit the Type IIa muscle fibers (the moderate-to-heavy oriented fibers).

- Take 10 seconds rest again.

- After that, you will do your last set with a heavy weight, going for only 1 to 3 reps. This will work on strength and connective tissue while focusing on the Type IIb muscle fibers (the very heavy and explosive fibers).

- Your muscles will feel incredibly hard and pumped up. The effect of this type of training is immediately noticeable and very powerful.

It will take a little practice to figure out what weights you’ll be using. It will really depend on how well your body deals with lactic acid build-up. This is a training stimulus your body will most likely NEVER have experienced before.

The first part of the set should use a very light weight. Go for strict form and go for the burn. The first time through you should get at least 20 to 30 reps.

On the second Add Set, your reps will go down significantly as the waste products of the first set will not have been completely cleared.

The second Add Set should use about double what you used on the first set, e.g. start with 25 pound dumbells then do 50 pound dumbells (this increase will vary a lot depending on the exercise – experiment with the weights you use to find out what works for you).

The third and final part of the set is the hardest. Since you’ve already worked hard on the previous two parts, you will be using a weight that is lighter than what you’d normally use for this rep range in regular sets. When you do the third part, you will feel an extremely strong and deep burning in the muscles. You are tapping muscle fibers that have rarely been worked! The first two Add Sets worked the majority of your muscle fibers – every fiber you’ve got now has to kick in and fire to move the weight in the third Add Set!

It’s extremely hard and extremely effective. You’ll either love it or dread it but it works!

These are Triple Add Sets. Pick an exercise and give this technique a try the next chance you get. You will be amazed at the incredible burning and pump that results from this unique training stimulus!

The Triple Add Set is only one of the many innovative exercise techniques you’ll find in my new ebook "Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss." This book is all about how to lose fat as quickly as possible while keeping and even BUILDING muscle mass.

Click this link now to find out more!

http://bit.ly/dbQGeX

——————

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 18 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus – Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "Specialization Training," all available at http://fitness-ebooks.rxsportz.com. He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

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