Q: I’m here today with Craig Ballantyne, author of the internationally successful Turbulence Training program. Craig, I want to thank you for
making the time to do this interview.
For the sake of those readers who don’t know you, can you tell us a little about yourself, your credentials, areas of expertise, and so on?
Answer:
Like most folks in the fitness industry, I played a lot of sports when I was younger. That led to weight training. From there, I realized I wanted to be
a strength coach in professional sports.
I went to school for Kinesiology, which then led to a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology. Along the way I studied what made a good NHL Strength Coach (they had Master’s Degrees and were Certified Strength And Conditioning Specialists – CSCS).
I also started training athletes, along with men and women for fat loss. Then I started working with Men’s Health in 2000. And I invented Turbulence Training in 1999, and finally put it online in 2001. The rest is history.
Editor’s note: You can now try Craig’s program for just $1. Click here to learn more about the $1 trial
Q: What can people learn and benefit from using Turbulence Training?
Answer: They’ll discover how to burn belly fat at home, without slow cardio or
expensive machines. So they’ll end up saving time and money, all while losing fat and getting lean – plus, they’ll even end up with a nice flat, sexy stomach.
Q: I’ve read that you don’t believe in cardio for fat loss, what is it about cardio that’s not as effective as most people believe?
Answer: That’s right, I know that cardio is not the best way to lose belly fat.
There are many reasons, including:
- Cardio machines over-estimate the number of calories burned by up to 31%.
- One research study found that when men and women did 6 hours of cardio every week for one year, they only lost 6 pounds.
- When some people start a cardio program, they end up eating more, and may even gain weight because of this.
- Even scientists admit that cardio does not burn as much fat as you’dexpect based on the number of calories burned in a workout.
- And finally, head-to-head research has shown that interval training works better than slow cardio for fat loss – even when diet is not changed.
Q: Who do you think Turbulence Training is for?
Answer:
It was originally designed for busy women and men in their 30′s and 40′s, but has been used by folks from 18 to 81. Most of our Transformation Contest Winners tend to be 30-45, with kids, and folks who wanted to get back in shape fast.
Q: I know you offer many workout reports and collections, which are two of your favorites, one for men and one for women?
Answer: Great question.
My favorite workout for men is the TT Meatheads program (for muscle building) or TT for Reformed Meatheads (fat loss). One other program that doesn’t get as much attention as it should is the “Gain Muscle and Lose Fat” program from November 2008.
For women, the “TT for Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks” program gets the most raving feedback, so I’d have to choose that one. It’s a program built for men and women, and has been used by the most Transformation Contest Winners.
Q: Can you give us 3 tips to boost metabolism?
Answer: To be honest, it’s questionable as to whether you can significantly boost your metabolism enough to have a real impact on your fat loss, but in theory, these are the best ways to do it:
1) Moderate to high-intensity resistance training with multi-muscle exercises
2) Interval training
3) Kettlebell & bodyweight exercises (which are a combination of 1 & 2)
Q: Is there anyone who Turbulence Training isn’t good for like vegetarians, diabetics, etc?
Answer: It’s perfectly fine for vegetarians, but anyone who has a medical condition
should speak to their doctor first before using any workout program. We also have specific beginner workouts – like the Beginner Total Torso Training program – that are perfect for folks just getting into exercise (after they have been approved by their doctor, of course).
Q: A lot of people believe that they need to do 5-6 workouts each week to lose fat. What’s your take on that?
Answer: Well, you should stay active EVERY day of the week – for health reasons – but that doesn’t mean you need to go to the gym or do a structured workout 6 days per week. Research has shown that as little as 3 workouts of 20 minutes of interval training can burn a signficant amount of body fat.
Add in 10-20 minutes of resistance training, and that’s all you need to win a TT Transformation Contest.
Of course, diet is the #1 factor in fat loss.
Q: What’s the greatest thing you like about doing what you do in your business?
Answer: Building the challenge type workouts that you see in TT Adrenaline, TT
Bodyweight 500, and TT Bodyweight 1000.
In addition, interacting with folks on the TT forums or facebook, and providing them with kick-in-the-butt inspirational quotes that help them take their results to the next level OR to help them get back on track.
Q: You’ve helped thousands of people shed fat. What do you think are the keys of a successful fat loss process?
Answer: As I mentioned, diet is the #1 factor. You have to eat whole, natural foods,
and you have to make sure you don’t eat too much. It’s pretty simple, but we all have a lot of bad diet habits we have to break in order to get results.
So everyone just needs to focus on doing a little better today than they did yesterday, and they WILL get results. It takes time, but I promise this diet will work for them.
Second, stick to the short, burst resistance training and interval training workouts to burn belly fat.
And third, try to stay active as much as possible in your life. For most people, every little bit of activity could count and help.
Fourth, get social support from friends, family, workmates, a trainer, your doctor, and even online from the TT forum.
Fifth, have a positive attitude and stay determined to reach your goal.
Q: If there is one piece of advice you can give to someone who wants to lose weight, what would it be?
Answer: Never give up.
For some folks, results will come fast – even 10 pounds in a week…but for others, results might be slower.
But never give up. Take baby steps, and keep trying to do better everyday.
Those changes will add up. Chances are you have another 40-70 years here on earth, so just imagine how good you’ll look if you do a little better each day for the rest of your life!
Q: Thank you Craig for this illuminating interview.
For more on Craig Ballentyne and his program, visit Turbulence Training Review.