Sorry for this week’s interview being a day late. The FitCast crew is busy at work on a HUGE NEW PROJECT that I think everyone is going to be excited about. I think we will be THE fitness and nutrition destination on the internet soon…

This week’s interview is about Z-Health and why you should know about it. Mike T. Nelson is Z-Health R, I, S and T Phase certified.

KL: For all of those who are out of the fitness loop, what is Z-Health?
Excellent question and one I hear a lot.

MN: In short it is a way to optimize your performance via the nervous system.   If you have a movement problem you most likely also have pain.  Z Health works to correct movement problems and many times reduces pain, thus increasing performance.
KL: What is the goal of the Z-health methodology?

MN: Z Health is about creating superior athletes.&nbsp ; I do believe that most everyone wants to be treated and move like an athlete.
KL: How has it served you since getting the certification?
MN: At the risk of writing a whole novel (watch out),  I felt much more confident after even taking just the R Phase (Level 1) Certification since I had a set of PRINCIPLES and a method to evaluate ANY athlete and ANY exercise.  I was able to help most  (50-70%) that walked through my door in 1 to 2 sessions with their current issue.
The long answer is below, as my personal evolution.
After over sleeping, showing up 45 minutes late and sneaking into the CSCS exam by running into the exam proctor (literally) in the hallway I passed!  Whoo ha.  Step 1 done.
Now armed with some more info I was all set.  The bad part was that “broken” people kept showing up at my door!  I want to loose 20 pounds they cry, but they were in pain and simple movements were hard.  I could not in good faith have them exercise in pain (later I would learn that this was a good thing as pain has bad effects on the nervous system and kills performance).  Time for more research.
Mobility 1.0
So I did some more research and started to implement some general mobility work (Magnificent Mobility DVD) and some “pre-hab” work—scarecrows, scap wall slides, YTWXYW whatevers.   Low and behold people started to get better.  Sweet!  I stopped doing programs and exercise guidance for free and began to charge money.  I realized that if it is free, people believed the value of it was the same – ZERO.  It did not matter if the information was worthless or priceless; their perception was “if it is free he must not be telling me the good stuff”.  I took on my first official client on as a bet.  I bet him that I could increase his bench press by more in an 8 week period now compared to any 8 week period in the past 2 years.    If we did it, he would sign on as a client for a cheap rate.  If not, he was still not out any money just some time.
Turns out his shoulder range of motion (ROM) was horrible from a few injuries.  He did not bench really at all for 4 weeks, then lightly for another 2 weeks and then test time 2 weeks later.    We did not beat his old record (although not by a tone), but he was almost pain free now.
The Tire
Now that his bench was up, he wanted to flip the 400 lb tire.  The downside, his lower body needed some work from previous injuries.  Time for the heavy artillery—the foam roller!!  So I plopped him on the foam roller and it was incredibly painful and I decried that it MUST be good then since this is a “good” pain (note: as of today I no longer advocate any pain during training, nor do I use a foam roller, see why here  http://miketnelson.blogspot.com/2008/01/get-off-foam-roller.html).   We also upped the general mobility work  and incorporated lots of glute bridges, static stretching of the hip flexors and upper body too.  General strength work was cut back other than some basic drills with primarily bodyweight.
Test Time
By this point I was charging him money, which meant I was as accountable too.  To be perfectly honest I had no idea if what I was doing would work.  From what I read and chatted with others it SHOULD work, but this was reality.  We had gone over some technique work during this time, but never did an actual tire flip since I was afraid a missed lift may be dangerous and potentially destroy his mindset (later on I learned why this is so important).  I did not want him to ever fail doing it.  So he stepped up, got into the correct position, started to push, and the tire started come up and then over it went!  “Another one I shouted!!”  He stepped up, got into position, and ended up doing 3 reps.  He was ecstatic and I was just as happy for him.  It was at that point I realized that long term, this is what I wanted to do.  I want to help people achieve goals that they believed were impossible.   At this time I also switch graduate programs, even though I only 2 classes left towards my PhD in Biomedical engineering (I had not started research though) and started over again in the PhD program in Kinesiology—Exercise Physiology).
Mobility 2.0 and Beyond Z Health Style
Enter Dr. Cobb.  I first saw Dr. Cobb speak at Charles Staley’s Training Summit and honestly I did not get it.   By this point I really thought I knew what I was doing (looking back that seems laughable now).  I had the first copy of the R Phase DVD and really loved it, but the theory made no sense to me.
Dr. Cobb was in town a few months later and I knew I had to see him and learn more.  I convinced my tire flip client that if it was not worth his time, I would pay for his training for the next 3 months, no question asked.   I also bought a session for my sister for her birthday.    What I saw that day was insane.  I handed over my credit card and almost $2000 later for training and I would have to fork out dinero for two trips to AZ, but I was on my way.  Truthfully, I did not have 2k lying around; but I knew that it was a long term investment and if I was going to train people I needed to at least see what this was all about.
Z Health R Phase Here I Come
Level 1 (R Phase) training in AZ made my head spin.  I felt like I entered the Matrix and took the red bill (or was it the blue pill).  After the first long weekend I spent the next 3 months trying to disprove all of it in my head and kept coming back to “Darn it, Dr. Cobb is right again!”  So off the short plank I went into the Z Health deep end of the pool.  I relearned all my lifts from scratch and started doing Z Health with PRECISION instead of waving my limbs around to the DVD like a drunken dodo bird trying to take off.
The Outer Limits
Once I completed the two long weekends of R Phase I was amazed at the power of the nervous system.   I remember Dr. Cobb saying that you should be able to change the body at the speed of the nervous system.  Wow, that is friggin’ fast.   The other one that stuck in my head was that if movement can get you INTO pain, movement should be able to get you OUT of pain.  Just before I left for R Phase, I was getting more and more people with some heavy injuries and felt like I was not making a difference as fast as I (or they) wanted.
I then went on to take I Phase, S Phase, T Phase and currently am in the Master Trainer Intern program.
Why So Many Z Health Phases?
R Phase—learning the movement alphabet.  You must master the basics first, so you need to relearn mobility in ALL of your joints in isolation.    In my experience and from talking to others, this will allow you to help 50-70% of the athletes that come through your door in the FIRST session.  Normally it will only be one, 1 to 1.5 hour session per issue.   The athletes leave with their “homework drills” that they do about 3 times a day for a few minutes each time for about 4 weeks.

• I Phase—learning the movement template.  Z Health I Phase exercises are done from various lunge positions and every movement is then INTEGRATED.  You need to learn the basics before you integrate it though.  Integration of crappy movement is still then bigger crappy movement.  I Phase also gives you the tools to test eye movements and vestibular (inner ear) function.  This will put you at about 70-90% results in one session.

• S Phase—sports movements.  You learn what great athletes already do and how to do it yourself.  Also includes 7 more visual tests.  You have 2 eyes for a reason and vision is a high priority in the body, so making sure this system is up to par can be pretty huge.    If you train competitive athletes, this is a must to take.  Even if you train the everyday athlete, you want to get them to this point since it makes athletics FUN!

• T Phase—therapy based.   Now I am not talking about diagnosing athletes, but you learn new skills using hands on techniques to get a result period and/or get that result even faster.  Everything from temperature changes, lymph work, scar work, “massage work”, nerve glides, breath retraining, to even self cranial work.  It is truly insane and gives you a framework for virtually every manual technique bases on the nervous system.  Once you really understand it at this level, you should be up in the high 90s for results from one session.

Now this does not mean that they are all fine and will never have another issue after one session with you—of course not, the body is constantly adapting and changing, but you are peeling the onion and getting to deeper and deeper layers.  Think of it as cleaning the bugs out of your computer and putting on better software.
What Do I Do Now?
1)    If you are wondering how to start—take action!  I think it was Gray Cook who said something like (paraphrasing here) “When I first started I messed up a lot of people.”  Now I am not advocating that you INTENTIONALLY mess people up; but you should TEST everything that you do so that if you mess someone up you can correct it or at min get them back to baseline first before they leave.  Do no harm first but keep learning.

2)    There are many ways!  There are many that do not use Z Health and get excellent results and are currently happy doing things their way.  Cool!  There are others that are constantly searching for better, faster, and more effective ways and I think this is where Z Health is amazing.   Z Health is more than just joint mobility work, it is beyond a system and another tool for the tool box;  it is a way to view EVERYTHING based on neurology.  The amount of change you can get in seconds most of the time will blow your mind.   Athletes moving a shoulder to full range of motion, an Olympic marathon runner that after 1 session no longer has horrible hip pain and can go all the way up on her big toe without pain for the first time in years, to low back pain that persisted for years to virtually no pain.  Now it is not always that easy, but about 50% of the time it really is that easy.  Behold the power of the nervous system!!!
KL: Wow Mike! Thanks for all of the great info!

MN: Thanks for giving my the opportunity to answer some questions here Kevin as it is much appreciated. Please check out my blog at www.miketnelson.blogspot.com for the latest in performance enhancement.  I also provided some science to a new MMA project that will be out around the first of year, so watch for it.
Mike T Nelson completed his BA in Natural Science from St. Scholastica and also a  MS in Mechanical Engineering specializing in Biomechanics from Michigan Technological University.  He is currently a PhD Candidate at the University of Minnesota in Kinesiology (Exercise Science) researching the effects of Energy Drinks on Metabolic (In)flexibility.
He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the NSCA, Z Health R, I, S and T Phase certified, Z Health Master Trainer intern, and a RKC instructor.
He currently trains athletes of all types in White Bear Lake Minnesota and can be contacted at michaelTnelson@yahoo.com

Get this Week’s Episode:

MP3 Download/iTunes/RSS/Odeo

Hosts:

Kevin Larrabee (Twitter), Tony Gentilcore, Jonathan Fass, Leigh Peele (Twitter), and Mike Boyle

Sponsors:

• TurbulenceTraining.com- Boost Muscle Growth and Blowtorch Bodyfat!!!
  
• BlackStarLabs.com (Save 10% with “FIT10″ code in Coupons section at checkout)
  
• RobertsonTrainingSystems.com - High Octane Corrective Exercise and Performance Enhancement

FitCast NEWS

• Mike Boyle from StrengthCoach.com interview coming up
• Five Days left to get The FitCast Insider- Volume 1 at a HUGE Discount
• Call into the voicemail bag 978-633-3488!!!

Mailbag

• First Voicemail bag call
• Hey Kevin. Thanks for answering my question. I didn’t realize how much you dissect a question, until it was my own. I said the fitcast was tied for my favorite podcast (with an MMA show), but with the new format, the fitcast is definitely my go to website. -Joey
• Kevin,
  Thanks for mentioning The New Rules of Lifting on your show.  In one of the first episodes of The FitCast that I listened to, you talked about how you’d gotten “addicted” to strength.  I’m just a couple months into New Rules, and I think I’m already beginning to understand what you meant.  All I want to do these days when I go to the gym is tackle those lifts again–I actually LIKE the Squat now, and a few months ago, I was afraid of it.  For a guy with body image issues, it’s a good change from pointless sets of vanity lifts (curls, kickbacks, crunches, blah-blah-blah).  I feel stronger now no matter what I look like (but the aesthetic bonuses don’t hurt, either).

  I have a question for whoever on the show wants to chime in:  I love juice–the stuff made from fruit, I mean.  I drink it like a toddler, minus the sippy cup.  I’ve always assumed that since it had vitamins and antioxidants and stuff that it was a good part of a healthy diet, as long as it wasn’t doped with HFCS or other additives, and even better if it wasn’t from concentrate.  But as I’ve been getting a handle on the nutrition side of my training, I’ve heard nothing but bile against it–fruit sugar makes you fat, drinking juice deprives you of getting fiber, etc.  So what’s the deal?  Is juice that bad for me?  Would using a juicer help?

  I’m in the Fat Loss portion of New Rules, trying to trim away the food baby I gained during my internship, so I’d like to be firing on all pistons.  Since I don’t drink coffee, I need a shot of OJ in the morning to get me going (I drink the stuff with pulp in it–does that help?).  Is that screwing me over?

  Gratefully,
  David
  St. Louis, MO

• I was using creatine and seeing strength improvements, but even taking it in a relatively small amount I was getting the puffer-fish effect and my pants were getting tight.  I stopped using it and the side effects went away, but I’m looking for another supplement to try that might have similar benefits but without the side effects.  Any suggestions?

Roundtable

• Jon’s Study on flexability

Links mentioned:

• StrengthCoach.com

The response to the return of The FitCast Insider Volume 1 has ben incredible. I have received messages from happy customers who feel like the Dan John: Squat, Deadlift, and Olympic Lift video was worth the price of entry alone.

Again, this will only be offered until October 31st at Midnight EST. Then it is gone! If you want to take yor training, nutrition, and recovery to teh next level, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of The FitCast Insider- Volume 1 today!!!

By: Kevin Larrabee

This week’s interview is with Craig Ballantyne of  TurbulenceTraining.com. Craig is known for his fat-loss workouts that have help thousands to put on lean muscle and blowtorch bodyfat. Enjoy the interview

KL: Hey Craig, thank you for your time. First off can you fill the audience in about what’s new in the world of Turbulence Training and at TTmembers.com?

CB: I have a big announcement coming soon, but right now we’re just having fun
with all the new workouts I’ve put up recently, including…

3-Minute Arms
6-Minute Abs
TT Bodyweight Cardio (TT Bodyweight Cardio Version 2.0 comes out Nov 1st)
TT for Meatheads (Meatheads Version 2.0 comes out Nov 1st)
TT Female Bodysculpting

We’re in the middle of another 12-week Transformation Contest, and our 4-
week Rapid Weight Loss contest just wrapped up with the winners here:

=> http://www.TransformationContest.com

New TT2K9 workout and Transformation Contest coming in January. Lots of good
times had by all. We’re also doing weekly “Challenge Workouts”, and our
first one was the TT Bodyweight 500 that I’ll talk about below.

KL: The holidays are fast approaching and this tends to be the time of the
year where people find themselves surrounded by alcohol, desserts, and other
food that will temp them to stray from their diet. What advice do you give
to your clients to avoid putting on the holiday weight?

CB: There’s never a time of year when we’re not surrounded by alcohol, desserts,
and other tempting food, so let’s stop using it as an excuse. Okay, maybe
the first 3 weeks of January, but once the Superbowl comes, its one thing
after another (Spring Break, Summer Holidays, Fall Holidays). So “time of
year” doesn’t really impress me. As far as I know, McDonalds is also open 52
weeks of the year.

You have to plan ahead. Decide which days are going to include “reward
meals”, and which days you are going to “stay strong” and stick to the plan.

You have the old, “pain of discipline vs. pain of regret” to choose between.
It’s up to you.

Clearly I’m no Obama when it comes to motivating people. You are either
going to do it or you’re not.

You need to decide right now whether you are going to be like everyone else
or if you are going to go against the crowd and improve your body at this
time of year.

Once you accept how hard it is to burn fat – at any time of year – then
you’ll find it easy.

That might sound like the stupidest thing you’ve heard, so let me explain.
Take a look at a bodybuilder 12 weeks out from a show. They know how hard it
is going to be to cut that fat. So they plan ahead. They make all their
meals in advance. They avoid situations where they will be tempted. And if
they can’t avoid the situations, they still avoid temptation. There is NO
other option in their minds. They’ve accepted the difficulty and the
challenge.

You don’t have to be as strict as a bodybuilder getting ready for a contest,
but you must have the same mindset. You can’t think it’s going to be easy.
You need to mentally prepare in advance. Fortunately, its just a simple
mindset shift.

Go from being a person who is going to TRY and avoid bad foods and too much
booze to a person who IS going to avoid bad foods and too much booze. That’s
all it takes. But again, don’t be fooled, it’s not easy. And you have to
truly believe you are going to succeed.

Now, having said all that, you might also want to try Eat-Stop-Eat from Brad
Pilon, one of the many experts on Intermittent Fasting. Both of the winners
from the first two TT Transformation Contests used Eat-Stop-Eat.

KL: What about training during the holidays, which tends to be the busiest
time of the year?

CB: I’m sure most Fitcast readers know about the 4-minute workouts, and other
short workouts you can do. There’s really not much excuse to miss workouts.
I travel as much, if not more, than 90% of people in the USA. I’ve spent
dozens of nights in hotels and days on planes, and I don’t think I’ve been
able to use any travel day as an excuse to miss a workout. I’ve thought
about it, but I knew deep down I was just being lazy. When I fly early, I
get up earlier. If I have to, I get to the hotel and go straight to the gym.

Like the nutrition part, its all about being prepared, physically and
mentally. Set aside the time on the schedule. Program your brain that there
will be a workout done today. No excuses.

If you’re going from work to a holiday party, train first thing in the AM or
at lunch or after work.

Except for the rarest of occasions, it’s physically possible to do a
workout. The real reason most people skip workouts is because they are lazy
or they want to start the party early.

KL: Recently you have been mentioning Turbulence Training for Meatheads. How
does this differ from previous TT For Mass programs?

CB: It doesn’t. TT for Meatheads just makes me laugh. I was running out of names
for programs, and this workout just happens to be the exact workout I gave
to two of my clients who are self-proclaimed meatheads. So that was the
story of the name. However, I later realized the guys called
themselves “meatballs”, not meatheads. So look for TT for Meatballs in 2009.

KL: At The FitCast not a week goes by without a supplement question. What
supplements do you recommend if any?

CB: I personally do use or would use:

a) Plain creatine (with the loading phase – I don’t understand why anyone
wouldn’t use a 3-day loading period)

b) Fish juice

c) A greens drink (Greens Plus)

d) Multi-vitamin if your diet sucks

e) Protein powder if your life is truly so busy you can’t make real food

KL: Last week I saw a “registered dietitian” telling the audience that they
need to cut out ALL fruit while dieting if they want to lose weight, do you
agree with this?

CB: Yeah, that’s the cause of the world’s obesity problem – too much fruit. If
we’d all stop eating bananas, everyone’s BMI would come down to 25. And the
sooner we can get fruit out of our schools, the sooner we’ll eliminate child
obesity.

All it takes is a thimble-full of common sense to realize that fruit is not
going to stop an overweight person from losing weight.

Now I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t have a clue if eating fruit would
stop you from going from 6% fat to 4% fat for a bodybuilding competition,
but if you are 28% fat and want to go to 20% fat, I promise you that fruit
will not stop you from losing weight.

KL: You are known for helping people lose body-fat without cardio. Would you
say you are a bigger fan of bodyweight intervals? And if so, why?

CB: I like bodyweight intervals because the movements are athletic, and there’s
more mobility benefit from using a variety of bodyweight exercises (when
chosen properly). But I still really like traditional interval training for
fat loss, as that’s what all the research has been done on. But in the real
world, a lot of TT users exercise at home without any fancy cardio
equipment, so I had to meet the need for them and I’ve spent a lot of time
using bodyweight circuits to replace intervals. Some are better than others,
and it all depends on your fitness and strength level, but we’ve found some
really good bodyweight circuits that will help folks burn fat at home.

KL: What is the Bodyweight 500?

CB: This is a workout I made up to use as a challenge workout to keep folks
motivated to stick to their workout program. It came out in October 2007.

I found that guys loved the 300 workout created by Mark Twight and I also
found that because there was a benchmark (i.e. how fast can i do this
workout), it kept guys coming back to try it again and again. And since
getting people to stick to a program is difficult, I realized the value of
the challenge workout in a fat loss program.

So I came up with the TT BW 500 based on that connection. Men’s Health used
it for their Belly Off 2008 program, and the results reported by guys
surprised even me. Some guys lost 40 pounds in 8 weeks.

So here is my TT Bodyweight 500 Workout:

50 Prisoner Squats

50 Pushups

25 Jumps

25 Stability Ball Leg Curls

50 Stability Ball Jackknifes

50 Step-ups (25 reps per side)

25 Pull-ups (NO substitutions)

50 Forward Lunges (25 reps per side)

50 Close-grip Pushups

50 Inverted Rows

50 Squats

25 Chin-ups (NO substitutions)

If anyone needs instructions on these exercises, they can check out:

=> http://www.turbulencetraining.com/bodyweight-500-12-exercises.shtml

Or watch the Youtube video here:

=> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_5TX_uoagg

I just did this the other week and did my best time of 19:35, but some folks
are even doing better. It’s the pullups that’ll get ya.

KL: Great! Thanks for your time CB, it is always a pleasure. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts head over to the Turbulence Training homepage.

That is it for this week folks!

Don’t forget, there is less than 10 days left to purchase

The FitCast Insider- Volume 1 at a HUGE discount!!!

Take Care,
Kevin

Get this Week’s Episode:

MP3 Download/iTunes/RSS/Odeo

Hosts:

Kevin Larrabee (Twitter), Tony Gentilcore, Jonathan Fass, Leigh Peele (Twitter)

Sponsors:

• TurbulenceTraining.com- Boost Muscle Growth and Blowtorch Bodyfat!!!
  
• BlackStarLabs.com (Save 10% with “FIT10″ code in comments section at checkout)
  
• RobertsonTrainingSystems.com - High Octane Corrective Exercise and Performance Enhancement

FitCast News

• FitCast Insider on Sale until OCT 31st!!
• Mike Boyle NEXT week
• Brad Pillion the week after
• Midweek show attempt/update
• Video is coming
• Interview with AC, CB

Mailbag

• Here is a quick question for the fitcast crew.
  For the last 6 months, I have become addicted to the Crystal Light brand water packs.(green tea, sunrise, red tea, etc…). They are sugar free and make plain water taste quite good. Now, how much of your daily water intake would you say could be made up of these packs. I know drinking plain water is probably better but this makes me drink more.

  Thanks Ashley (male)

• Kevin, I am hearing alot about the negative effects of Soy products for men. Specifically the issue of raising your estrogen levels, or lowering testosterone. I have recently added tofu, and soymilk to my diet, in an attempt to keep up the protein, avoid the lactose, and lower the fat. If you guys could throw this one around, that would be great. I love the show, and it was a great suprise after I stumbled across it on itunes. P.S. I am doing the P90X routine. I will let you know what I think. I am a diehard weight lifting guy, but I am not able to get to the gym due to kids and work, so this was a good compromise for now. Thanks again,

  Sam

• I was wondering if you guys could talk about the difference between soy and whey protein. The pros and cons of each, and your preferences. Thanks -Stanley
• Hi Kevin,

  I am training a friend who can not go to a gym using bands.
  I am having an issue with finding a good hamstring exercises without weights. she can use her body weight or bands.
  Thanks for the halp. -AK

• How is Tony going to bash Stargate when he falls asleep in Barnes & Noble reading The Lord of the Rings? I mean, seriously, fuckin’ elves, really? Fuck elves. Though FOX does show reruns of SG-1 and/or Atlantis on the weekend at like 1-3am. Maybe it was a little Freudian slip and late at night, with the windows shut, the lights off, and the door locked. Tony walks around in his underwear holding a staff yelling “Kree Jaffa!”. All while eating turkey tits. Maybe when Stargate Worlds goes live we could drag Tony away from his World of Warcraft intoxication of staring at female blood elves that are really dudes in real life and his hunt for the professor plums. Then to kill two birds with one stone we could force him to play Stargate Worlds and devote 5 minutes of every episode to talking about all the wacky adventures he is having. This would somewhat satisfy the request for Kevin to do his gaming podcast again, and ultimately bring me joy to hear Tony bitch about Stargate every episode. Or at least get him to play Call of Duty 4 and when you kill him with a P-90 scream out “You got Stargated bitch!” or “Daniel Jackson owns you!”. That’s always fun. -Josh

It is time again for best of the blogs. This week we have some new additions to the roundup including Strength Coach Mike Boyle who has stepped into the universe of blogging.

Mike Boyle- Interpreting Social Media:

Some People Don’t Get It

Every once in a while I go on YouTube and see the comments attached to some of the videos we post. Yesterday I happened to read one about the Women’s Bench Press clip ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=1thPCt0a9IE<a href= ). If the link doesn’t work, just type in Women’s bench Press on YouTube and it will come up. Guys are on there critiquing technique. “They lower the bar too fast” etc. etc…

Jonathan Fass- Weighing in on Rapid Fat-Loss:

Q: I was watching Ms. and Mr. Olympia last night on a webcast. I heard that Jay Cutler lost 15 lbs in one evening….how?!!! I know water pills can do some, but really? How healthy could that be? – Y.R.

Alwyn Cosgrove- New Fat-Loss Study:

The training session is the stimulus for change. The real change occurs in the post workout period. I have called it the “afterburn” effect. For a program based on this principle – check out Afterburn Training...

Craig Ballantyne- 3 Weight-Loss Controversies:

It’s been a very controversial week in the world of fat loss workouts and diets.

First, I wrote about whether your diet should include Grains or not, if you want to burn fat.

By: Kevin Larrabee

This is the first of a series of interviews you will see from now on. Each week you will be receiving a new interview with the best of the best in the fitness and nutrition world. First up is Alwyn Cosgrove. Alwyn is known around the world as a fat-loss expert and designed the training program for Warp Speed Fat-Loss.

Kevin: When you had to create a program for maximum fat-loss what factors did you have to keep in mind?
Alwyn: The primary factors are programming activities that develop or at least maintain muscle, have some long term effect at raising metabolism through EPOC etc, and burn a ton of calories while doing it.
So when you look at that – we need heavy loads, metabolic resistance training, and high intensity cardio as our “triple threat” approach.
Kevin: Is the Warp Speed Fat-Loss training program suitable for people that have been training for less than 6 months (beginners)?
Alwyn: It’s a little intense and beginners can get great results doing much easier programs so I wouldn’t suggest it.
Kevin: How important is it to change up the type of exercise that you use for the intervals (bike, sprints, complexes, sled pushes, ect.)?
Alwyn: Normally yes – but in a 28 day program you could conceivably get away with using one method for the entire program, however I’ve noticed in our gym that the more we change it up – the faster the fat loss results seem to come in the short term.
Kevin: You are known for your extremely effective fat-loss workouts. Would you say that this is the most effective workout that you have ever created?
Alwyn: Good question. I’m not sure if it’s the most effective ever because it’s just a part of an overall program. These workouts were designed around the nutrition program that Mike wrote. On their own they are extremely effective, but they were designed to work synergistically with the nutrition plan.
It’s a complete program – so if we were using a different diet or a different time frame (not so extreme etc) then I’d write a different workout.
If you change the diet or the exercise program, your results may not be as expected. The key is following a complete program – not just part of a program. So while these workouts are great I really want to emphasize that the nutrition is the most important factor and the workouts were built around that nutrition – not the other way around.
Kevin: After completion of Warp Speed Fat-Loss , what kind of training program would you recommend for someone who wants to continue to get leaner?

Alwyn: I’d take two weeks at maintenance and then I’d continue with an “Afterburn” type program that involved metabolic resistance training, maybe some intervals or additional cardio and a reduced calorie diet. But I should add that if you have a lot of fat to lose, WSFL may not be the best choice for you.

Kevin: Can people use Warp Speed Fat-Loss multiple times throughout the year?

Alwyn: Technically yes, but it’s an extreme program. But again – if you have that much fat to lose that you’d need to go through this multiple times, you’d probably be better with a longer term, moderate approach.

Kevin: Thanks Alwyn,  it is always a pleasure! For those interested you can check out Warp Speed Fat-Loss and lose 15 Pounds in 1-Month!!!

That is all for this week’s interview. On deck is Craig Ballantyne of TurbulenceTraining.com.

Take Care,

Kevin

By: Craig Ballantyne

TurbulenceTraining.com

Men’s Fitness magazine recently asked me for 3 of my best fat loss tips. Since most times the magazines just don’t have enough space to run my full tips, I thought I’d give you a more detailed explanation of my secrets here (plus a few extra bonus tips that I didn’t send to the magazine).

Secret #1 – Focus on burning carbohydrate, not fat, during your
fat-loss workouts.

Sounds backwards, right? But not when you look at how I structure my workouts. Remember that Turbulence Training focuses on resistance training and interval training. Both of these use carbohydrate as the main source of energy. So it’s obvious the workout is designed to burn carbohydrates during the training session.

I have no interest in you trying to train in your “target heart
rate zone” for fat burning (aka – the fat burning zone). The whole idea of a fat-burning zone is an over-simplified idea of how the body works during exercise.

Leave the inefficient fat burning zone to the mis-educated
trainers in the commercial gyms (that not surprisingly, also want to sell you a heart rate monitor so you can stay in your “fat
burning heart rate zone”).

If you want to get the most results in the least amount of time,
focus on burning carbohydrates, not fat.

Why do my fat loss workouts focus on burning carbohydrate rather than fat? In order to burn more calories after the workout, that’s why. When you exercise with intervals and heavy resistance training, your body uses more calories in the hours after exercise than it would if you did traditional cardio and lifted lighter weights.

Alwyn Cosgrove calls this ‘afterburn’, and I call it ‘Turbulence’.
By any name it gives you the same results – maximum
improvements in your body composition (helping you lose fat while gaining muscle).

Secret #2 – Use a range of repetitions in your strength training
workouts.

In order to train more muscle fibers and burn more carbohydrates, I have clients use a range of repetitions within the same workout. My workouts now use 6, 8, and 12 reps per set in order to work the muscle the most effectively.

This will burn more carbohydrates and promote as much muscle growth as possible when you are keeping the calories low.

Secret #3 – Use the stationary cycle for interval training.

I choose the stationary bike for intervals whenever possible
because cycling against a resistance can help maintain muscle mass.

Cycling against a resistance also allows you to perform a large
amount of mechanical work, and that is a key determinant of the Turbulence in my training.

But please note: I don’t use low-intensity, fast pedaling
’spinning’ intervals as I’m convinced that the hard, resistance
based intervals are more effective for fat loss. My clients only
cycle against a strong resistance in their intervals.

I really like the bike, but there are many other ways to do
intervals. Use what works for you, but if you are at a plateau, try the bike.

Secret #4 – Increase meal frequency

Okay, so this isn’t really a secret to anyone that has read about
fat loss. But a 2005 study from the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition showed that eating 6 times per day was associated with eating fewer calories per day, lowering cholesterol levels, and lowering post-meal insulin levels.

Combine an increased meal frequency with an increased protein and fiber intake, and you’ll see your body composition improve rapidly.

If you need more nutrition help, then you’ll love the new
Turbulence Training Nutrition Guide for Men & Women – written by Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D.

See below for more details…

Secret #5 – My Synergistic Turbulence Training Workouts

My Turbulence Training Fat Loss workouts are fast becoming the most effective way to burn fat, build muscle, and get lean. The synergistic strength training-interval training workouts are
efficient and effective – getting you in and out of the gym in
under an hour.

Here are some tips that you can use for an advanced training phase

- use these tips for 2 weeks then return to your normal training
schedule:

a) Add 10 seconds to each interval but maintain the intensity

b) Add in some bodyweight circuits (10-20 minutes per day) done in the morning or evening (if you do your regular workout in the AM, do your bodyweight circuits after dinner; otherwise, do the bw circuits first thing in the AM, and then do your regular workout at lunch or later in the afternoon or evening)

If you are advanced, you can use squats, pushups, and bodyweight rows for your circuit.

If you are a beginner, you could use lying hip extensions, modified pushups, and stick-ups.

c) Add an extra set to each exercise in the first superset you do
in each workout.

Again, use these three tips for an advanced fat loss period of two
weeks, then return to a normal training schedule.

But always stick to the best fat loss nutrition plan possible.

If you have any other questions, just let me know.

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.TurbulenceTraining.com

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FitCast News

• Mike Roussell Interview coming up at the end
• The FitCast Insider back for the month of October
• Voice Mailbox
• Leigh’s new website
• Mike Boyle on Next Weeks show
• Mid-Week Episodes

Mailbag

• Hey Kevin: Love the show.

I’ve been working on getting in great shape since last February, 08. I’m a 46 year old male, 5′10″, 175 – 180 pounds. I’ve been working pretty hard with weight training — 3 times a week — and cardio — 3-5 times a week. I lost about 25 pounds in the first several months (my worst weight was 195 pounds) — a little bit at a time — and have since re-gained about 10 pounds — mostly muscle. I caliper test at about 12 percent bodyfat (give or take – I have a pretty crappy caliper).

I’m generally pleased with where I am. I have some nice definition in my abs, and I can make out a pretty decent 6 pack when I tense my stomach, but . . . I have a stubborn layer of fat over top of my abs and to the sides — the love handles. I’d also like my waist to be a bit narrower. I’m keeping up with the resistance training and the cardio, but is there a simpler method for melting the last bit of belly fat? I don’t feel the need to loose much more general fat, but I’d love to see the belly fat go.

I’m eating very well — tapering carbs through the day, taking general nutritional supplements — multivitamin, fish oil, soluble fiber. I get a cheat meal in every now and again — but not too much. I drink moderately. -Brian

• Hey guys, I am a big fan of the show. Before I found resources like your podcast, I only had a muscle and fitness education, so needless to say, I have learned a lot. When I used to be naive to the benefits of full body training, it seemed as though my body comp. was better, I did bodypart splits, as well as trained MMA, and I looked and felt better than when doing full body workouts. I’ve tried Dos Remedios’ program from his book, as well as Eric Cressey’s, and while I did get stronger, I looked noticably worse. I no longer train MMA, and my main focus is looking and feeling good. Is there a middle ground you would recommend, or should I stop being a pussy and hope the size eventually comes along with the strength? Thanks in advance, and I am glad you decided to stick with the show, I subscribe to at least 20 podcast’s of all varieties and this easily ties for numer one (#1 in fitness). I would also like to say, I think you give more than enough content to warrant some off topic discussion, that stuff cracks me up. -Joe

• Hey Kevin. I was wondering what are the supplements used on warp Speed Fatloss? I’m considering doing it (have done the VDiet 2x) as I’ve been gaining weight now that I’m back in school. I’m just wondering how much I’ll need to order/save so I can order. Love the the show, bring back the old theme music sometime. -James
• I would like to know what ideas you have for cheap nutrition. I am on a very tight budget and want to find some cheap ways to feed my family that are nutritious and cheap.-Matt

Roundtable :Video Games and Fitness

• Jillian Michael’s Wii Video Game
• Wii Fit (also top 10)
• Rock Band

Wouldn’t it be cool if you could call in and ask your question to the panel or guest? Well, guess what, now you can!!! From now on we will have the voicemail bag every week with a few featured questions from The FitCast audience!

Now, how do you do it? You can do it two ways. Preferably you would have Skype on your computer and would call my username and leave a message. Or you can call a U.S. phone number (978-633-3488). If you want to call via Skype e-mail me through the contact page and I will send you my username. You can also e-mail me an audio recording in MP3 format to: kevin@thefitcast.com.

Now get at it! If you have a question for the panel this week send it via voice!