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The Evolution Of Cardio
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
I've been meaning to write this article for a long time. Today I'm going to
give you the story of how I solved the problem of getting an efficient and
effective fat loss program finished in 45 minutes. Essentially, how I
invented Turbulence Training.
And then I'll end with a sample TT workout for you...
But first, let's take a trip down memory lane to the winter of 98-99. I was
but a lowly grad student, studying the effects of androstenedione (the
supplement taken by the might Mark McGwire during his record-breaking home
run quest in '98).
In my study (which was published in the Canadian Journal of Applied
Physiology for any science nerds like myself out there), we had guys use the
supplement and go through a couple of weight training sessions. By February
of '99 I was stuck in the lab, analyzing the blood samples using some fancy
radio-active isotopes.
And when I say stuck in the lab, I mean STUCK. I'd get there at 7am, and
record my last data point at 11pm. Sixteen hours of mad science. And if I
wasn't there, I was downstairs in the medical library, studying papers on
testosterone and training.
Now coming from a very athletic background, this sedentary lifestyle didn't
sit well with me. But there I was, studing for a degree in Exercise
Physiology and left with no time for exercise.
Or so I thought.
Fortunately, I actually had a 50 minute window once per day of "down-time"
while the lab's gamma-counter analyzed blood samples.
That left me 50 minutes to get to the gym (5 minutes across campus) and get
a workout in the remaining 40 or so minutes. I knew that if I applied my
studies to the workout, I could get maximum results in minimum time.
As a former athlete, I knew that I had to find a way to stay fit and to
avoid the fat gain that comes with working long hours in a sedentary
environment. And I also had to stay true to the high-school bodybuilder I
once was, so there was no way I was
willing to sacrifice my muscle to one of those long-cardio, low protein
fat-loss plans that were popular at the time.
Instead, I had to draw on my academic studies and my experiences working
with athletes as the school's Strength & Conditioning Coach.
I knew that sprint intervals were associated with more fat loss than slow
cardio, and I knew that you could also increase aerobic fitness by doing
sprints (but you can't increase sprint performance by doing aerobic
training).
So clearly, intervals were (and ARE!) superior to long slow cardio.
I had seen first hand the incredible results of sprint intervals in the
summer and fall, as the athletes made huge fitness improvements and shed
winter fat in a short time using my interval programs. I knew that intervals
had to be the next step in the evolution of cardio.
The biggest benefit of intervals? A lot of results in a short amount of
time. I knew that I only had 40 minutes to train, and therefore I could only
spend 15-20 minutes doing intervals.
Now onto the strength training portion of the workouts. I knew that a
high-volume bodybuilding program wasn't going to cut it - I just didn't have
time. But in the past year I had read so many lifting studies, that I knew
exactly what exercises I needed to do to maximize my lifting time in the
gym.
Those exercises were standing, multi-muscle, movements such as squats,
presses, rows, power cleans, and plenty of other standing single-leg
exercises. I knew that those exercises would bring me far more results than
those people sitting on machines would ever achieve.
And I also knew that I had to lift heavier than the average Joe or Jane Gym-goer
lifts. I just knew that doing lighter weights and high-reps wasn't going to
cut it. And a research study from 2001 later showed that I was right - when
women did 8 reps per set, they had a significantly greater increase in
post-workout metabolism than if they did 15 reps per set.
So I had my plan. Bust my tail over to the gym, through the cold, dreary
Canadian winter afternoon, and do a quick but thorough warmup (specific to
my lifts - none of that 5 minutes on the treadmill waste of time).
Once I got through the warm-up, I did as many sets as I could in the
remainder of the 20 minutes for strength training.
At that point, I knew that supersets were the only way to go if I wanted to
maximize the number of sets I could do...so the non-competing superset of
Turbulence Training was put in place.
By non-competing, I mean that the 2 exercises in the superset don't
interfere with one another. So you can use upper and lower body exercises
together, or pushing and pulling exercises. Just be careful not to use two
grip-intensive exercises together in a superset - otherwise, one exercise
will suffer, if not both.
And then I followed up the strength training with intervals, as I knew these
had to follow the lifting, otherwise it would not be the correct exercise
order. Remember, intervals first leads to premature fatigue. Lift first,
cardio later. Forget that old wives
tale about doing cardio first to burn more fat. That's junk.
You know, I remember the exact day and exact workout that this all came
together into the Turbulence Training program. It hit me as I was finishing
my intervals. I knew I had found something that was like fat loss magic.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a way to put it in a pill. But I've been able
to put it down on paper in all of the TT manuals.
The exact workout I used that day went like this...
Warm-up
1 set of Bodyweight Squats
1 set of pushups
1 set of Squats with the empty bar
1 set of light dumbbell chest presses
1 set of moderate weight barbell squats
1 set of moderate weight dumbbell chest presses
Strength Training Superset #1
Barbell Squats paired with Dumbbell Chest Presses
3 supersets, aiming for 8 reps per side per set
Strength Training Superset #2
DB Rows paired with Barbell Forward Lunges
3 supersets, aiming for 8 reps per set
Stationary Bike Intervals
After a warmup, I did 6 intervals of 45 seconds work and 45 seconds rest,
finishing with a cool-down.
And from that point in time, I've tried to share this and all the other
Turbulence Training workouts with as many men and women as possible. The
same men and women that I would see day-in and day-out performing the same
ineffective slow-cardio fat loss programs, and not making a darn change
month after month. And every day they would see me, soaked in sweat, feeling
great and looking lean, and finishing another TT workout.
Eventually I noticed these other men and women weren't around as
consistently as before, and then soon enough they would drop out completely
- after all, they weren't getting results with their slow cardio and
aerobics classes (yep, those were still around in '99!).
And so here we are today...thousands of TT users later, with national
fitness magazines like Men's Health, Men's Fitness, and Shape spreading the
good word about Turbulence Training.
Thousands of TT users, dozens of personal trainers, and even several
national fitness magazines all agree with me,
Turbulence Training is the #1
way to fast fat loss.
Thanks for being a part of the TT Lifestyle Revolution, and for sharing this
new and improved fat loss training and cardio system with the world.
So when you see someone frustrated with their ineffective fat loss program,
tell them there is a better way. It's research-based, efficient, and most of
all, effective. And yes, it goes against the crowd. But it works.
And it's now better than ever,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
PS - Don't know where to start?
If you are a beginner, start by reading Dr. Mohr's nutrition
guidelines...eating properly will be the biggest factor in your early
success.
Beginners should also start with the Introductory TT workouts to prepare
their muscles for the upcoming intense training.
For others, it's best to start with the Intermediate Level TT workouts. If
those aren't enough of a challenge, you can move onto the Original TT
workout and follow the 16-week advanced program right through.
If at any time you need a break, try the TT Bodyweight 4-week plan.
And then finish off with the bonus programs to cap off a full 24 weeks of
Advanced TT fat loss workouts.
About the author:
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified
Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, 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 all over
the Internet, 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 the Turbulence Training
homepage.
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