Craig and his dog looking ripped
Talking with Craig Ballantyne (Plus a free fat-burning workout)
I first heard of Craig Ballantyne over five years ago when I picked up a Men's Health magazine and have been reading his stuff ever since. The creator of Turbulence Training, Craig is the training-for-fat-loss guru.
I mean, some of his most effective workouts can be done with little to no equipment. (I did the one he reccommends below and almost lost my lunch...) and they really tax the metabolic system in a way other exericse programs can't touch.
I was lucky enough to snag him for an interview where he outlined his favorite fat-loss technique to build a beach body: the non-copmeting metabolic circuit.
Nate and Craig Talk Shop
NG: I really have an aversion to cardio, man. I don't like to run and I definitely don't want to spend half an hour three times per week doing incline treadmill walking. Do we really need traditional cardio to lose fat or "stay healthy?"
CB: Absolutely not.
Study after study show health benefits from resistance training. After all, it doesn't take a genius to realize that a good superset lifting session works your muscles and cardio-vascular system a lot better than a 30-minute walk in the park.
It should only be another 10-15 years before the government health department comes to the same conclusion.
As for losing fat, the truth is that diet is more important than exercise.
So as long as you are eating the right diet for fat loss, then yes, you'll be able to lose fat and sculpt your body with resistance training - even if you don't do interval training (since you can use all types of resistance in interval training style to replace traditional sprinting, too).
NG: What if I hate getting on the bike and doing intervals? Is there a way I could use weight training to get the same effect?
CB: Totally.
What you need to do here is follow my "non-competing exercises" format that
I use for supersets and apply it to metabolic resistance training circuits.
Non-competing exercises simply refer to putting a series of exercises together that allow one muscle group to rest while another muscle group is trained.
This system is pretty straight-forward. For example, doing pushups followed by repeated vertical jumps is a pair of non-competing exercises (i.e. the pushing muscles are trained while the lower body rests and vice-versa).
On the other hand, doing bulgarian split squats followed by jumps represents a pair of competing exercises, and I don't usually place those exercises back to back in a metabolic resistance training circuit.
For dramatic effect, feel free to do 20 bulgarian split squats per leg with a 3-second eccentric followed by vertical jumps. Your hops just won't be the same.
And by using the non-competing system, it maintains the integrity of your strength and power to a much greater degree than the old-school bodybuilder method of pairing exercises for the same muscle group.
The main area where it gets tricky is with your grip. For example, if you try to go from a set of high-rep kettlebell swings into pullups, you're going to have a hard time because of forearm fatigue (even though the main muscle groups of the exercises are "non-competing").
Having said all that, what I like to do is put together 8-10 exercise metabolic resistance training circuits in place of intervals.
Sample Beach Body Fat-Loss Workout
Repeated Vertical Jumps - 8 reps
Pull-ups - 2 reps short of failure
Lunge Jump - 6 reps per side
Close-grip Pushups - 5 reps short of failure
1 and 1/2 rep Bulgarian Split Squats - 10 reps per side
Regular Pushups - 2 reps short of failure
Bodyweight Rows - 15 reps
Bodyweight Squats - 25 reps
Mountain Climbers - 15 reps per side
1-Arm KB Swings - 10 reps per side
Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat 2-3 more times or as many times as possible in
20-30 minutes. Whatever you have time for.
NOTE: Of course, do a warm-up before this.
DOUBLE NOTE: Use lighter than normal KB's and stick to the low end of the rep range when you do this...it's all about volume, not intensity.
TRIPLE NOTE: The first time you try this, go through it only 1-2 times
unless you've always been training like a maniac.
The goal is to get a lot of work done WITHOUT causing significant muscle soreness.
NG: What if I just want to lift heavy stuff and completely skip intervals and everything? What can intervals and circuits do that regular lifting can't?
CB: Some guys - even some gals - can stay lean without intervals and circuits.
But it's pretty rare. It also depends on what you mean by lifting heavy...what's heavy to me is a joke to a lot of guys...
...and we all know guys who spend an hour in the gym "lifting heavy" but don't really do that much because they spend a lot of time talking and sitting around.
If you're young, have good genetics, and are an obsessive freak about nutrition, you can probably hit 9-10% body fat without "metabolic training".
But for everyone else, doing intervals or circuits is going to burn fat, help you maintain your muscle mass, and get you closer to your lean body goals.
Honestly, I don't think anyone has the exact reason why this type of training works so well - after all, from a pure calorie burning standpoint, cardio can burn as much and often more calories per session than this type of training.
However, whether it is from increased growth hormone, increased norepinephrine, increased calorie burning AFTER (turbulence/afterburn), or some other crazy thing going on inside our bodies, this type of turbulence training works best for building the lean, athletic, beach body.
+++++
So I've Got Two Questions for You
Is Craig crazy by saying you don't need hours of cardio per week? Have you ever used non-competing metabolic circuits? Let me know in the comments!
********
If you want to learn more about Craig's workouts and get more free workouts,
you can visit his blog at TT Fat Loss and his site, Turbulence Training.
********
Posted Nov 15, 2009 by Nate Green.
This entry is filed under beach body, craig ballantyne, and interview.
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Comments for This Entry
That sounds familiar, if a lot more involved, than some of the stuff I do when I have too much energy and no direction. Pushup/renegade rows, pullup, jumps, KB stuff, delt complex, repeat. Puke as necessary. ;-)
For some reason, nobody else at the office gym ever wants to join in.
However, two quick questions (more for clarification than anything):
WTF are 1+1/2 rep Bulgarian Split Squats and Bodyweight Rows? Having a hard time figuring out where you get the half rep from, and what the motion for this row is (a pullup where your feet are elevated and you pull your chest to the bar, like a reverse pushup?)
When would you say it would be most beneficial to do this type of training? In place of what you prescribed on "Fridays" in your What Women Want workout sample? Or just generally as a "Sunday morning and the gym is always empty so I'm gonna go kick some ass" workout?
I was also wondering about the extra 1/2 rep on the bulgarian split squat.
And I think the bodyweight rows are what i know as horizontal pulls....
Thanks!
Hey guys,
Yeah the BW Rows are what you guys think. Reverse Pushup, Horiz. Pulls...All different names for the same exercise.
-Chad
Q: Is Craig crazy by saying you don't need hours of cardio per week?
A: I don't know. It'd be great if what he's saying is true!
Q: Have you ever used non-competing metabolic circuits?
A: No. I'm just starting out in this world of fitness.
However, I'm intrigued to see what I can learn from all of this dialogue.
This looks pretty fun and I think I'll try it on one of my days off. The only problem is my shitty gym doesnt have any kettlebells. I'm sure I can find a substitute though.
The 1 and 1/2 rep protocol is as follows:
Perform a full rep (from top to bottom)
Come HALFWAY back to the starting point
Go back to the bottom
Come all the way back up.
That's 1 rep.
Nothing really to add - Craig has great stuff, this is an excellent workout. Overall he and I have similar ideas for stuff like this.
Yeah Ty, my gym doesn't have any KBs either. Just use a dumbbell (assuming they will let you do
swings at all). Some DBs work better than others. You also might luck out and have the weight
plates with hand sized holes/handles near the outer edge. These work too.
I've used these metabolic circuits (at least ones very similar to what Craig is mentioning) before on myself and clients. I can say they work wonders for fat loss. I think the problem is, many people can't do them because they are extremely difficult. Nate, you are right on the money with talking about how you want to lose your lunch! I also like this type of "cardio" much better because I think it helps guys (and girls) preserve all their hard earned muscle. Traditional stuff (moderate intensity for an hour) eats away too much muscle tissue (at least that's what I've seen). But this is definitely a great post! Keep it coming!
Hey Nate,
What would you suggest for a guy who is currently trying to build mass, and just wants to do some cardio to minimize the fat gain on his off days? Routines like this tend to tire me out too much so I can't optimally train heavy the next day.
@Steve - Maybe just do one or two circuits, instead of the whole 20-30 minutes of hell?
Yep, the BW rows are exactly what Chad said, and J.R. got the 1/2 reps. You guys should check out John's stuff, the feedback he's given me on my programs helped to refine workouts like the one above.
craig
For anyone else who is thinking about trying this, one cycle through (just under 8 minutes) had me in Nate's ready-to-puke state at lunchtime today.
Glad I did this before eating, and not after, that's for sure.
I've used non-competing circuits before, that have come from Craig (Men's Health, of course). I find them a lot more enjoyable and easier to stick to rather than cardio. In fact I may use this circuit on my off days for the BFS workouts.
Minimal Overlap, Maximum Muscle Worked....can't beat that combo!
The 1 1/2 reps are very brutal.
Also, you can use this workout (or the conditioning workout from the What Women Want Workout sample) with the Built for Show program.
Thanks for the comments, guys! (And thanks to John and Craig for chiming in!)
In other news, John has a very cool article on TMUSCLE that I edited for him. Go check it out!
-Nate
That is fucking awesome... I'm doing it tomorrow... It's gonna suck... Time to cleanly Carbo-Load
ps, digging the new site nate... tried Dogfish Squal IPA... nothing too serious you're not missing much
Short, but great interview. Yes, I ditched the LSD (long slow duration) cardio and just do HIT or sprints. Much more effective and oddly, my cario endurance has improved.
I do a lot of metabolic pairing when I train myself or clients. What I like to do is pair a heavy compound movement with an explosive body weight movement like burpees. Or sometimes, I do the heavy compound movement combined with jumping rope, sprints or prowler pushes.
Training to raise your metabolism and raising your EPOC level is the way to go to get conditioned and a leaner body.
Hey guys,
Definitely did this workout today and I felt like I was going to throw up my lunch...haha. I loved the easy transitions through the exercises though. It beats the hell out of doing anything cardio-wise besides playing basketball for me. Definately give this an A+.
Great work Craig. And thank you Nate for posting this.
-Chad
Does anyone have a recommendation of a circuit I can do assuming that I have 0 equipment at all, including a pullup bar? Would that be possible?
Is Craig crazy by saying you don't need hours of cardio per week?
I seldom do cardio. And when i do, it is not for fat loss. 99% of my training is resistance training and i don't have a need to lose fat.
Have you ever used non-competing metabolic circuits?
I program my exercises differently. It is usually kb biathlon, kb long cycle or cb biathlon or cb Trial By Fire. For my metabolic training that is.
i love that circuit, i use it inplace of interval training most times, i go through it 2 times in 15 minutes, i would really like to see more circuits.
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