Politically Incorrect Fat Loss Works
June 4th, 2007 · Filed Under: Fat Loss Nutrition · Fat Loss Workouts
Below you will find my favorite article written by Craig Ballantyne. Craig and I are totally on the same page when it comes to this topic and I honestly couldn’t have said things any better.
Craig and I will never give you what you ‘want’ to hear. We give you what’s going to work for you. It pays to be upfront and honest and you can either take it or leave it.
I received my 1st hate mail from someone a few weeks ago because she felt that my sales letter was a bit harsh. I’m not here to hold your hand and comfort you. I’m hear to help you take responsibility for where you are at and teach you what it takes to develop your dream body.
No short cuts!
Be on the look out for Part II to the interview that I did with Craig Ballantyne on the subject of the 5 Fat Loss Mistakes.
Now onto this incredible article by Craig…
Politically Incorrect Fat Loss Works
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTrainingProgram.com
You know who is your worst enemy in the fight against fat?
Well-meaning fitness professionals that don’t want to make you feel bad for being lazy and eating crap. That’s who.
They write articles about how “diets are bad”, how you can lift
soup cans and get fitness model arms, and how you should exercise in the nice and easy “fat burning zone” to get results. Basically, they give you what want to hear - plenty of excuses for avoiding hard exercise and strict nutrition (the real keys to fat loss).
But I don’t. You’ll get no such excuses from me.
Here’s the real deal on fat loss. You have to work hard in your
workouts and even harder on your nutrition if you want results. Or you can take the politically-correct easy way out and have the same body in 3, 6, and even 12 months from now.
Love me or hate me, I promise you results. Let’s take a look at why the PC-solutions don’t work…
Q: I’ve been told to exercise in my “fat burning zone”. What’s the best cardio method for weight loss.
Answer:
Cardio is not the only solution.
Clearly it adds to the energy deficit and overall calorie balance
that favors fat loss.
BUT it’s not the “be all & end all” of fat loss success - and that
is anecdotally supported by the number of overweight distance
runners.
I almost never recommend long, slow cardio…simply because no one I train or consult with has the time for this, and it doesn’t work any better than shorter, less frequent, more intense interval training sessions.
Five or six days of 45-minute cardio sessions in my fat-burning
zone? Yeah right, like anyone has time for that.
If I told you that you could get the same results (or better, as
recent research suggests) in three 20-minute interval sessions
each week as you could from three or five 45-minute slower cardio sessions each week, which would you choose?
Yes, intervals feel about 10x’s harder than regular, slow, boring
cardio. And yes, you won’t be able to read your people magazine
when doing intervals. And you might breath a little heavy. So if
you’re worried about sweating, than maybe fat loss isn’t for you.
But if you don’t mind going against the crowd, intervals are worth every second for the superior results.
Q: Should men and women train differently for fat loss?
Answer:
Nope. Next question.
Seriously, the answer is no, but just to add to that, men and women don’t have that many differences when it comes to fat loss, so they both do well with the Turbulence Training style workouts.
Now here’s one reason why TT may actually work better for women than men…
More women tend to start Turbulence Training after having spent months or years using slow cardio and light (if any) weights. And selfishly, I could not be any happier - because when these dedicated women start using the shorter, more intense strength and interval sessions they make rapid progress and make me look like a genius.
The accolades come pouring in…I have dozens of testimonials from women thanking me for saving them TIME while helping them finally breakthrough stubborn fat loss plateaus (and eliminating the pain from their overuse injuries that occurred due to high volumes of cardio). Their words make me feel like a million bucks because the TT workouts are making these women feel like a million bucks.
That being said, I sometimes make small changes in TT workouts to adapt to a woman’s pre-conceived notions about strength training. Some women are very hesitant to lift weights. But you and I know that is necessary for body sculpting, fat loss, and health benefits such as building bones.
So what I do is sub a few (not all!) of the weight exercises out
and replace them with equal intensity bodyweight exercises. Some bodyweight exercises can be classified as traditional strength exercises (i.e. for a woman that can only do 5 full push-ups, the push-up exercise is almost a max strength exercise). But women “mentally” deal with this type of strength training better than putting a dumbbell in their hands.
On the other hand, some bodyweight exercises provide more of an interval training effect (i.e. bodyweight squats). Either way,
bodyweight exercises can put turbulence (i.e. “stress”) on the
muscle and boost metabolism and help female clients get the results they want and deserve.
Q: What differentiates Turbulence Training from other programs?
Answer:
That’s a tough question to answer, as there are other systems out there that give impressive results in an acceptable time frame.
I will say this however, I am extremely dedicated to Turbulence
Training and the entire “fat loss” cause.
One of the factors behind my dedication is that I find the general concept of fat loss to be so simple, and yet millions and millions of people around the world have an incredibly difficult time achieving their goals.
I want to give them every possible resource available to them to
help them succeed.
So I am constantly tinkering with new workouts, exercises, and
interval methods, and interviewing other trainers and nutritional experts for every single little fat burning advantage I can find. And that comes through in what I offer to the readers of my newsletters and clients that use my programs.
I said in a past newsletter that “Fat loss is easy, once you
realize how hard it is.” You have to respect that it’s not
something you put on “auto-pilot”. Taking the stairs at work
instead of the elevator, parking 100 extra feet away from the door, and subbing 1% milk for 2% milk is not going to help you lose 13 pounds of fat in a year like the politically correct articles
suggest.
You need a politically-incorrect plan to eat right 90% of the time
(i.e. saying “no” when an office-mate brings in doughnuts) and you have to have the best workout plan available to you if you want to get the most results in the least amount of time.
And then you still have to have a plan to help you stick to those
plans - and that should involve a social support group. There are
many tricks and tips to success, so you always have to keep
learning and trying to improve. And that’s what I help with in my programs and newsletters.
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTrainingProgram.com
I hope that you enjoyed this article as much as I did. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to part I of the interview with Craig Ballantyne called 5 Fat Loss Mistakes, simply scroll down to the post and click the Audio Mp3 button.
YOUR DREAM BODY AWAITS YOU…
Scott Tousignant, BHK, CFC
www.TheFitChic.com
www.UnstoppableFatLoss.com
www.TheFitBastard.com
Check Me Out On MySpace
Article Series - Turbulence Training
- 5 Fat Loss Mistakes Part I
- Politically Incorrect Fat Loss Works
- 5 Fat Loss Mistakes Part II
- How Fat Loss Lies Stop Your Success
- 5 Fat Loss Mistakes Part III
- My Diet Secret










June 4th, 2007 at 10:54 pm
Hey Scott,
I read Chris’s report, and on the whole, I totally agree with things that are said. Except for the duration aspect. First, if I was working with something brand new, I think you need to work them up to aerobic interval workout and getting them up to 80% MHR, just might send them over the edge to wanting to stop. In addition, I don’t agree that only 20 minutes/day, 3 times a week is sufficient. The higher the intensity and the longer you can hold that intensity is going to produce better results than just 20-minutes a day. If you want results beyond fat loss, to really see a difference in what you can do in your life, I think you need atleast 60 minutes, 5-6 times a week.
June 5th, 2007 at 5:21 am
Hey there Krista,
Thanks a bunch for your comment. You’ve touched on some very good points and it’s great to hear some feedback on this topic.
You are totally correct when you say that you think you need to work them up to 80% MHR. Trust me, I’ve put people who thought they were in shape through some interval training and they couldn’t last 5 minutes.
You should always ease your way through intensity and steadily progress.
Ah, the controversy with 20 minutes/day, 3 times a week. In all fairness some of Craig’s programs last for 45 minutes and he recommends fun physical activity on the days off.
He mentioned some of the above in the audio interview. Have a listen to see what he says.
You are right when you say the longer that you can hold the high intensity the better results that you will produce.
I believe how Craig would answer that would be if you can last longer than 20 minutes your intensity isn’t high enough.
There are some workouts that I do during my fat loss phase where there is no way that I can last longer than 20 minutes. Then there are some where the workouts aren’t quite that intense and I last 45 minutes.
For myself and what I have my clients do during a fat loss phase is 4 days/week of high intensity weight training that lasts 20 minutes or less.
In the am 3 times a week I have them do some moderate cardio such as a very brisk walk first thing in the morning.
2-3 days/week they will do HIIT training for 15 minutes.
This followed with a healthy nutrition plan has produced incredible results.
By the way, I go for brisk walks every morning for 45 minutes. Not necessarily for fat loss, but because it clears my head and I listen to some great educational audios. And I just enjoy nature.
The #1 thing is that you find what works for your body and your time frame. Your body will respond differently to different forms of training.
The high intense and short workouts may be exactly what todays busy society needs. If you have the time and you want to spend more of it in fitness, you will absolutely reap more benefits.
Way to go Krista! Thanks for the comments. Your opinion means a lot to me.
June 5th, 2007 at 11:11 pm
Hey Scott,
Thanks for responding to my post, I really appreciate it (plus the emails I receive, it’s good info).
I have a question about your comment “There are some workouts that I do during my fat loss phase where there is no way that I can last longer than 20 minutes. ”
Does that mean your more anaerobic than aerobic?…because I can understand being almost 100% anaerobic for short periods of time with recovery in between….just trying to understand this in comparison to what I do.
Many thanks,
Krista
June 6th, 2007 at 10:37 am
Hey Krista,
You are right on the ball, and I absolutely love your questions. I’m sure that your questions and the discussion that we are going through will really help a lot of people. I thank you for that.
Now to answer your great question…
In the Fat Loss workouts that I do either in the Fit Chic Year Of Workouts Program or The Fit Bastard Year Of Workouts Program I take a 15 second rest between exercises (and sets).
After about 2 minutes of this my heart rate does not drop during that 15 second rest period. I am no longer in anaerobic state, I’ve gone into aerobic.
I don’t just plop my butt on the bench for 15 seconds. It gives me just enough time to pace a few steps and get right back at it.
I do where a heart rate monitor from time to time during my workouts and I can tell you that my heart rate stays just as elevated during the workout as it ever does during a cardio session.
Actually it is higher than when I do my moderate cardio training. You should see what happens on leg day. My heart rate is quite elevated for an extended period of time.
Like I said, on these type of fat loss programs I walk by the people who have been on the treadmill for an hour and I’m sweating much more than them, I’m breathing harder, My heart rate is higher, and I’m going to be burning calories much longer than they will be after the workout.
Plus their bodies have not changed much over the years and they keep adding more and more time to the workouts. I just can’t do that.
Now does all of this mean that what you have been doing is not the best way to train by steadily increasing your intensity and duration… HECK NO!
I go through phases where I train like that too. It’s all part of the big picture. I’m just trying to get the message out there that it’s not the only way to train.
And if people are avoiding exercise because they think they have to spend hours in the gym, it’s just not true.
Do I know people who follow the traditional approach and get great results? You Bet. But they’ve got the time to spend hours in the gym.
Trust me, I once had questions just like you. I tested it out on myself and found the answers, but the answers will vary from person to person.
There is no one single solution. Try different programs… Give them your 100% honest effort and see what works for you. Then try other programs and go through the same process.
There are many programs that work for others that have not worked for me. It doesn’t mean it’s bad, it just means my body does not respond to that type of training.
There’s a key point that I want to touch on here and that is to have fun when it comes to your fat loss training.
If you absolutely love long duration training and you are seeing results and you know you can stick to the program, then stick with it.
If you are going to dread HIIT training and stop working out because of it, then you should avoid it.
This is a fitness lifestyle that I promote. And for it to be a lifestyle you have to enjoy it and you have to mix things up.
Krista I can tell that you are going to be a huge success just by the types of questions that you are asking.
Ask a great question and you will get great answers that will impact your life.
Keep up the great work and never stop asking such great questions