Monthly Archives: January 2011

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For complete beginners, interval training can be a daunting task. This is why steady state cardio is so popular: people don’t want to do the hard stuff, so they do the easy stuff. But I would rather train hard for 10-20 minutes, rather then train slow for 30-60 minutes.



The Beginner Interval Workout

Beginners should start off with a 30 second work interval, followed by a 90 second rest interval. So, if you’re running, then run hard at a pace you can handle for 30 seconds straight, then go into a slow jog or walk for 90 seconds.

Perform 5 total rounds for a nice, 10 minute workout. You only need to do this sort of training twice per week to see results. After 3-4 weeks, once progress slows or comes to a complete halt, then move onto a more difficult interval routine.

Progressing with Intervals

The best way to progress with intervals is to reduce rest periods while keeping the total time that you train the same. So, from 90 second interval, drop it to 75 seconds. Then try 60 seconds, followed by 45 seconds.

Here is what 10 minute workouts would look like as you progress:

  • 5 rounds of 30 seconds work, 75 seconds rest
  • 6 rounds of 30 seconds work, 60 seconds rest
  • 8 rounds of 30 seconds work, 45 seconds rest
  • 10 rounds of 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest

As you can see, all of these workouts last 10 minutes or less.

Advanced Protocols

Many of the advanced protocols involve resting as much as you’re working, and working more than you’re resting. For example, the Tabata protocol is an advanced method that involves a 20 second interval followed by a 10 second rest.

Other advanced protocols include:

  • 15/15
  • 8/12
  • 30/15
  • 40/20

Remember that as you progress, you will need tougher and tougher workouts. I recommend grabbing Craig Ballantyne’s 31 Interval Workouts manual to keep your interval workouts fresh and exciting!

Click here for more information.

The following is a guest post by Craig Ballantyne:

Slow boring cardio doesn’t work for fat loss, but there is a “Secret Cardio for Fat Loss” that will get you results fast.

And this secret method is called interval training.

Interval training is a research-proven KEY to your fat loss program
and health. Researchers are even starting to use intervals with
patients recovering from heart disease! So you know that interval
training is just going to get more popular.

But a lot of folks worry that intervals can get boring, if you do
the same ones over and over again. And that’s true.

So here’s the deal…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 a key for getting continuous fat loss results.

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.

Just like your resistance training, you need to change your
interval training program every 4 weeks. To modify your interval
training workouts, you can…

- switch exercise methods (and use bodyweight exercises for intervals)
- increase or decrease the length of the interval (while decreasing
or increasing the intensity, respectively)
- increase or decrease the number of intervals per workout
- increase or decrease the rest time between intervals

After all, there is NO “best” interval training program – no best
“sets and reps” for fat loss.

That’s why you need to use variety in your program. (So perhaps the
best interval training method is simply the one that changes every 4 weeks.)

If you are thinking that these intervals all sound “too intense”
for you, please don’t worry. Interval training is all relative.

In fact, a recent study found that coronary-heart disease patients
found interval training EASIER than cardio! 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.

(NOTE: Talk to your doctor first if you have never done interval
training before.)

My favorite intervals for fat loss are between 30-60 seconds. These
have been the staple intervals in the Turbulence Training workouts
since the first TT workout was designed back in 2001.

But again, you will get your best fat loss results if you vary your
interval training workouts – just like you must vary your strength
training workouts.

Click here to learn more about Craig’s interval training workouts.

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Time is essential. And we all complain about a lack of time. The more time we have, the more freedom we have to do what is important to us.

And that’s where interval training comes in. I know, it’s a strange segue, but I wanted to use an example from my life to illustrate the importance of time.

The #1 excuse people have for not working out is lack of time. So, Interval training is simply the obvious choice. You can create a regimen based on how much time you have.

If you can’t get in a workout with interval training, then guess what….YOU ARE LAZY. Even the President of the United States is able to get in 45 minute workouts, 6 days per week!

No one’s busier then the President of the United States (if you’re busier then the President, then please write a comment. I would love to hear what you do for a living.)

Ok, so what is Interval Training? Interval training is an exercise technique that is based on time and intensity. You perform a particular movement for a given time period at a high intensity level, then follow up with a low intensity movement for a given time period.

So, the easiest way to do intervals is to sprints. You can sprint for 30 seconds, followed by a 60 seconds easy walk. Get your heart rate down, and then go hard again. After a few rounds, you’ll be standing in your own pool of sweat.

That’s really the BASICS of interval training. There is a lot more to it. But what you need to know is that it’s a fat loss method that will save you lots of time. And time = freedom.

However, just like any other regimen, intervals can get boring after a while. So, as you get stronger and leaner, you need harder and harder workouts to push you to your brink.

So every 4 weeks, seek to change up your interval workout. There are many ways you can do this including:

Increase/Decrease Length of Interval

If you increase the length of the interval, you actually decrease the intensity level. So, to make a workout harder, the best solution would be to decrease the length of the interval. Intensity also depends on how much rest you take in between each set.

Increase/Decrease Number of Intervals per Workout

The easiest way to make your workout harder is to add more intervals. However, adding an extra interval would also increase the total time of your workout. If you’re short on time, you’re better off decreasing the length of the interval and going harder per each interval.

Increase/Decrease Rest Time between Intervals

Another great way to make your workouts harder is to decrease the rest time. But this is only an advanced technique. Decreasing your rest intervals means that you might not fully recover between each set.

Switch Exercise Methods


There are a lot of great ways to do intervals. Here are my favorite methods:

  • Shuttle Sprints
  • Shadow Boxing
  • Sledgehammer Swings
  • Kettlebell Training
  • Bodyweight Exercises
  • Jump Roping


Interval Training Popular Rep/Set Schemes

Now, there is no “best” way to do intervals. So I urge you to experiment with the following rep/set schemes and try to find which ones work best for you. I personally like the 8/12 method:

8/12

Australian researchers concluded that the shorter the interval period, the greater the energy expenditure. I did this method once, for 10 minutes, and it was brutal! But I’d only recommend training this way once a week.

30/30

This is the most common interval training method – 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off. You get as much time to rest as you work, and it gives you just enough of a rest period to go hard at each set, minimizing the drop off in performance.

30/45


For those that need a little extra rest between each set, use a 45 second rest period. This still keeps your heart rate up, but allows you enough rest to push through just as hard in each interval period.

40/20

I like to think of these as “double tabatas.” Tabata is when you do 20/10 – which don’t always work for every single exercise. 40/20 uses the same idea (rest half as much as you work). But it’s just as tough, if not more.

There are lots of other awesome interval training methods too keep you going. For more interval training workouts, check out Craig’s manual: 31 Interval Training Workouts.

In yesterday’s post, I mapped out 7 methods you can do your “cardio.” These methods were not boring at all. However, what if you don’t want to do any cardio at all? Is there a way to burn fat? You bet there is. Here are 6 methods:

1 – Add Muscle

You’ve heard it over and over again: add muscle to burn fat. It’s absolutely true, but few people know how to do it right. The idea isn’t to go on a bulking cycle. A bulking cycle is where you eat a whole bunch of food – pretty much everything in site – to gain muscle. But instead, you gain fat along with the muscle, so you actually look worse then when you started.

Trust me, I’ve been there. What people don’t realize is that you can pack on a few pounds of muscle easily just by cleaning up your diet and increasing your protein intake. You don’t need to gorge like a mad man.

And it only takes an increase of 5 lbs of muscle mass to boost your metabolic rate and burn off more calories per day.

2 – Bodyweight Cardio

Out of all the cardio methods, bodyweight circuits are the best. You’re getting a cardio effect, and training your muscles at the same time. So,  you can actually build lean muscle mass while burning fat!

I’m going to be coming out with a lot of great bodyweight cardio circuits through my new site ===>>> No More Cardio

3 – High Intensity Training

In general, you want to make sure that you are performing high intensity training. That is the most effective (and fun) way to burn fat. If your workouts start to get easy, then do something to make them harder!

4 – Shuttle Sprints

Shuttle sprints are something I talked about in the last post. But they need a second mention because not enough people do them. Shorter sprints seem to work better.

A study was conducted by Australian researcher Professor Steve Boutcher. He put women in two groups:

Group A – Performed 20 minute workout using 8-second intervals, followed by 12 seconds rest.
Group B – Performed 20 minute workout using 24-second intervals, followed by 36 seconds rest.

The 8-second intervals resulted in greater energy expenditure than the 24 second intervals!

5 – Sledgehammer Sprints

Another great cardio method I mentioned yesterday. The reason I believe sledgehammer swings are so effective is because, just like Bodyweight Cardio, you can get both a muscular and cardiovascular workout.

Use the interval training scheme above (8 seconds work, 24 seconds rest) for your sledgehammer Workouts!

6 – High Octane Cardio



In the next few months, I will be developing more workouts using the High Octane Cardio method developed by Kettlebell Coach Mike Mahler. But for now, lets go over the template that Mike Mahler uses:

  • Cardio Movement, such as Sledgehammer Swings
  • Strength movement, such as Pushups
  • Same Cardio Movement
  • Choose Different Strength Movement
  • Same Cardio Movement
  • Choose Different Strength Movement

There you go. Now plug in your favorite hard cardio and strength drills into the template.

Make sure you sign up for my new website so you can burn fat and build lean muscle mass with free bodyweight workouts each month. Click here to check it out.

If you’re going to do cardio, then you should focus on exercises that give you the biggest bang for your buck. These are movements that you can perform at a high intensity level and give you the biggest metabolic burst within a short period of time.

1 – Jump Roping

My all time favorite method of cardio is jump roping. It’s a lot of fun, and you can slip it into any routine you desire. Try to start your circuits off with a 1 minute of hard jump roping, or do a complete interval workout with jump roping.

2 – High Octane Cardio

High Octane Cardio is a cool training method developed by Kettlebell Strength Coach Mike Mahler. All you do is alternate between bouts of high intensity cardio and bodyweight or weight bearing movement.

3 – Sledgehammer Swings

Grab a tire from your local mechanic, and a sledgehammer from a hardware store. Now, pretend your Rocky Balboa from Rocky 4, and swing away. Pretend you’re chopping wood and give swing that sledgehammer with a vengeance.

4 – Shuttle Sprints

You need some space for these, but not much. You can do them in your driveway or backyard. Simply sprint from one side of your yard to the other for 30 seconds (if you can last that long). Rest for 60 to 90 seconds, and go again!

5 – Interval Training

Interval training is another training method. All you do is alternate between periods of high intensity and low intensity exercise. You can use shuttle sprints, jump roping, or sledgehammer swings to set up your own interval training workout.

6 – Shadow Boxing

Another cool and fun exercise where you can pretend you’re Rocky Balboa. Simply bounce around, and throw punches into the air. You don’t need to be the best fighter around, just get your heart rate up!

7 – Bodyweight Cardio

This is a method that Craig Ballantyne, author of Turbulence Training uses a lot in his workouts. It’s also the kind of workouts you’ll see in my brand new (free) website called No More Cardio. You can check out at ShahTraining.com/NoMoreCardio.

Good luck!

What is the caveman diet plan? The caveman diet plan, also known as the paleolithic diet, is based on the eating habits of our caveman ancestors. The diet plan includes wild plants and animals that can be easily transported and do not necessarily require cooking before consumption.

The foods you choose must be unprocessed, and must come from the following groups of food:

  • Meat, poultry, seafood
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Eggs
  • Nuts
  • Avocados
  • Oils from Nuts and Fruits, such as olive oil

You want to avoid foods such as grains, white sugar, and dairy products. In addition stay clear of beans, soy products, and processed meats. Vegetable oils are also a no-no on the paleolithic diet.

That is the jist of what the diet is about.

One of the key reasons why the caveman diet plan works is because it is low in carb, and high in protein – two key features of most fat burning diet plans.

But is the caveman diet plan really effective, or just another fad? Author Tom Venuto answers that question in his article “Paleo Diet Flaw.” Click here to read the article.

Here are 3 cool pushup variations for stronger abs:

[pro-player]http://www.shahtraining.com/Pushups 1.m4v[/pro-player] 

How do Pushups work abs?

Do a pushup, and you’ll see just how much your abs are activated. To keep your body straight, you need to tighten up your abs. In fact, if you suck at pushups, chances are that your abs are not strong enough.

If this is the case, then you should get stronger for your pushups by doing planks. Hence, you’re not yet ready for the pushup variations displayed above. Here is how to do a plank:

How to Make these Pushup Variations more Difficulty

Are these pushup variations too easy for you? Well then, here are some quick ways to make them more difficult:

  • For the Wall Planche and Stability Ball pushup, you can use pushup handles to give you a deeper range of motion.
  • Experiment with your hand positions. Bring them closer to train your triceps, and wider to target more of your chest.
  • For the Hands on Ball Pushups, you can place your feet up on an elevated object, against the wall, or on another ball. Now, I have trouble with the basic versions, so use caution when using these super adanced variations.

Sample Routine

Here’s a sample routine using these 3 variations:

Perform 5 rounds of:

  • Stability Ball Pushups w/ JackKnives x 15 reps
  • Wall Planche Pushups x 10 reps
  • Hands on Stability Ball Pushups x 5 reps
  • Rest 60 seconds

The following are some great Intense Home Workout Routines from YouTube:

Fitness – Intense Boot Camp Workout

For more free fitness videos, workout routines and diet and exercise plans visit Zuzana’s fitness site: www.BodyRock.Tv

Fat Burning Cardio Workout for Home, Office or Travel

CLICK HERE: www.JoeyAtlas.com for More FREE Fitness & Fat Burning Exercise Videos, Workout Tips and Nutrition Shortcuts to Get Your Body Into Hot & Sexy Shape. Go there now to get rid of the nasty body-fat that’s screwing up your life… And be sure …

Help Me Workout – Home Push Up Workout Routine

All Exercise Workouts Can Be Found At… tinyurl.com In this video I demonstrate several push up workout routines that you can apply immediately at home. This workout routine involves several push up exercises and is intended to workout your biceps, …

Now, for some great blog posts about intense home workout routines:

Home Gym Full Body Training Routines | Bamadems

We all know how difficult in might be to make it to the gym after 9 long hours at work. I bet it has happened to you as well.But what do you do when you don’t.

Publish Date: 01/12/2011 9:17

http://bamadems.org/blog/home-gym-full-body-training-routines/

Easy Holiday Exercise Routines To Do At Home

The holidays are almost here! This December, what will you be doing? Are you going to rest a lot? Are you going to eat a lot? Or are you going to continuously.

Publish Date: 01/07/2011 20:45

http://quickweightlosscourse.com/8175/easy-holiday-exercise-routines-to-do-at-home/

Magnificent At Home Workout Routines Could Be What You Need

While obesity is among the more common diseases regarding not having enough movement, there are many circumstances that can easily be prompted from the shortage of daily or perhaps weekly activity. Situations such as poor food digestion …

Publish Date: 01/05/2011 4:02

http://caribfitness.com/blog/magnificent-at-home-workout-routines-could-be-what-you-need/

An Intense Home Workout with No Equipment will help you lose fat and build muscle mass without going to the gym. Here are some great blog posts about no equipment training at home:

Home Strength Training Workouts Without Equipment

Starting your workouts at home is more affordable and doesnt require a membership at a gym or fitness club. What are the best routines to follow without using weights or expensive home gyms? How do you stay…

Publish Date: 12/31/2010 18:08

http://hubpages.com/hub/Home-Strength-Training-Workouts-Without-Equipment

Workouts Without Weights 3 Best Ways To Workout At Home-at home

There are many ways to workout at home that don’t involve buy expensive home gym equipment. As a matter of fact, you can get a better at home workout with…

Publish Date: 01/08/2011 14:38

http://workout.dracony.org/2011/01/08/workouts-without-weights-3-best-ways-to-workout-at-home-at-home-workout-training-without-equipment/

Interval Training No Equipment Needed | Fat Burning Workouts

Interval Training For Fat Loss In the first video Craig Ballantyne takse us through the beginning Interval Training workouts to get you started. Â…

Publish Date: 01/09/2011 22:27

http://fatburningdietsandworkouts.com/fatburningworkouts/interval-training/interval-training-no-equipment-needed/

The following are some exercises with intense home workouts with no equipment:

The King of The No Equipment Workout – AthLEAN X Show

www.athleanx.com In a slight departure from the workouts I’ve been bringing to you free week after week, I had to stop and show you something this week that absolutely blew my mind. This guy…I’ll call him the “Man of Steel” (he works at a steelyard…

Home workout-No equipment or gym needed!

I only did one circuit for this video, but you would want to repeat all of these exercises 2-4 more times, depending on your fitness level.

Beat Me Down -PILOT- No Equipment = No Excuses!

This is the PILOT for a series I am going to be filming 2+ times a month called “Beat Me Down”. This is going to be my way to show you guys new workout routines and how great they work by having my own butt kicked. Be sure to leave me your feedback o…

Circuit training is one of best ways to burn fat and build lean muscle mass. Here are some great videos showing you how to design a circuit training program and some sample routines:

Mar 08 2009 workout 1

Total body circuit workout design to shape, sculpt and define your body

Basic Beginners Workout to Getting in Shape- circuit training exercises tutorial how to fitness

This is a basic beginners workout to getting in shape. You want to do each of the circuit exercises from 30 seconds each to 2 minutes each, depending on your shape. Total sets of circuit, you want to aim for 5, but you might not when you first start….

Bodyweight Circuit Workout (Not the same old tired exercises)

www.athleanx.com You asked for it and you got it once again. A bodyweight only workout that you can do in the comfort of your own home using nothing but a pullup bar and your own bodyweight. In typical AthLEAN-X fashion, this workout is not going to …

Here are some awesome blog posts about how to design a circuit training program at home:

Bodyweight Exercise Circuit Workout | Turbulence Training Fat Loss

6 exercise bodyweight circuit workout, sprint interval training research, and the truth about nitric oxide supplementation.

Publish Date: 01/11/2011 15:01

http://www.ttfatloss.com/bodyweight-exercise/workout/

What A Kettlebells Training Circuit Entails

What most guys don’t understand is that a circuit training workout is not an easy, fluff program, and if designed and done correctly can not only beef up muscle tone, but it can lean out the fat surrounding the mid section and make …

Publish Date: 01/10/2011 6:43

http://health.ezinemark.com/what-a-kettlebells-training-circuit-entails-31dca1fb67c.html

Home Gym Full Body Training Routines | Bamadems

For you I’d suggest two circuit routines. You can do only one of them or you can do two circuits, using both if you feel you have energy (and desire) to do that: Workout One/Circuit One. /Warm up/ …

Publish Date: 01/12/2011 9:17

http://bamadems.org/blog/home-gym-full-body-training-routines/

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Parth Shah

The stability ball is a great tool for training your abs. People are starting to realize that crunches and situps are useless. Your abs were meant to stabilize your core, so train for stability to make them stronger and bigger. Then use diet to make them “pop.”

Here are some really cool Ball Abs Exercise workouts that do not require any Crunches or Situps:

Exercise Ball Abs Workout

Get flat abs with this ab workout using an exercise ball. Fitness Model Jess Bergenfield shows Sarah 3 ab moves she can do the same day as her cardio. *Sponsor: Lose More in Less Time – www.diet.com diet.com Check Out Diet.com Video! Diet.com: www.di…

Want the Most out of your Ab Workouts? Then Grab these Abdominal Training DVDs Today! (Click Here)

Stability Ball Ab Exercises

CLICK HERE for a FREE WORKOUT!! www.TurbulenceTraining.com and Here are my 3 favourite stability ball ab exercises that can be done at home and will build your abdominals to give you that six pack look. The first exercise is the stability ball rollou…

The Most Fun Abs Exercises You Can Do with a Ball

In this video, Coach Nicole of SparkPeople.com will lead you through a fun 5-minute core workout that will target and tone your abs, obliques, and lower back without any crunches. If you’re an intermediate to advanced exerciser who is looking for new…

Want the Most out of your Ab Workouts? Then Grab these Abdominal Training DVDs Today! (Click Here)

Here are some really cool Ball Abs Exercise articles:

3 Abs Exercises | Turbulence Training Fat Loss

It uses the Ab Wheel (or you can sub in the Stability Ball Rollout if you don’t have the little wheel gadget). Craig ball rollout finish 150×134 3 Abs Exercises. A) Ab Wheel or Stability Ball Rollout – 10 reps – No rest. …

Publish Date: 12/20/2010 8:23

http://www.ttfatloss.com/workouts/3-abs-exercises/

Seriously The Best Ab Workout For Men | Build Muscle Mass 101 Articles

Front plank on the ball. This exercise is a very good one for creating strong abs. It is hard, but nothing good comes without hard work. Put your hands on a flat bench and your feet on an exercise ball. All you need to do is contract …

Publish Date: 01/08/2011 13:51

http://www.buildmusclemass101.com/articles/seriously-the-best-ab-workout-for-men/

Yes Do Your Lower Back Pain Exercises Every Day! | P90X Coupon

Exercise ball. An exercise ball is also called a physio ball or a Swiss ball. They are available in fitness stores, sporting goods stores, and online. Exercise balls are a cost-effective solution for such things as balance, … An ab and back machine will place your body in the seated position, which is the most comfortable and safe position for back exercise coupled with ab exercise. Used straight forward, this machine will tighten and tone your abs, obliques and …

Publish Date: 01/05/2011 12:48

http://p90xcoupon.com/2011/01/yes-do-your-lower-back-pain-exercises-every-day/

Fat Burning Diets – Food That Help Burn Fat – Abs Workout Ball

SL75 Fat Burning Diets Food That Help Burn Fat Abs Workout Ball Max Fitness 65cm Exercise Ball with Foot Pump (Pearl White) 65 cm Max Fitness Exercise Ball with free pump included. Incorporate the versatility and effectiveness of the …

Publish Date: 01/01/2011 20:47

http://www.coreexerciseball.org/fat-burning-diets-food-that-help-burn-fat-abs-workout-ball/

Want the Most out of your Ab Workouts? Then Grab these Abdominal Training DVDs Today! (Click Here)

Abdominal Workout with TT AAA Abs Workout C | craigballantyne.org

Move immediately into extended pushups. Move your arms out in front of you as you lower yourself down and back up. The next exercise is a stability ball pike. This is a more advanced version of the stability ball jackknife. …

Publish Date: 01/10/2011 13:44

http://craigballantyne.org/abdominal-workout-with-tt-aaa-abs-workout-c

Reasons Why You Should Work With An Exercise Ball To Get Abs

Using an exercise ball for ab muscles is just about the best decision you could potentially actually make. The main reason it would be one of the best conclusions you actually make is really because utilizing an exercise ball takes all …

Publish Date: 12/25/2010 13:04

http://mindbodysoulsource.com/reasons-why-you-should-work-with-an-exercise-ball-to-get-abs/

Want the Most out of your Ab Workouts? Then Grab these Abdominal Training DVDs Today! (Click Here)