3 Best Dynamic Bodyweight Ab Exercises

Hey Everyone

Rafael here with a GUEST POST

 You want my best exercises?

That’s what you’re going to get in a series of new articles dedicated to the TOP moves for each body part.

We’re going to start with the 3 best dynamic bodyweight ab exercises. No weights needed. I’ve even put them all together in one circuit in my latest and greatest fat burning program (you’ll see them from 2B-2D in bold).

Here’s the workout, called “#RiseandGrind“:

Day 3 – Workout B – #riseandgrind

Start with the general bodyweight warm-up circuit.

Specific Warm-up Sets:

• Do 1A with 50% of normal weight for 8 reps.
• Do 1B and 1C for 3 reps each.

Rest only where stated.

1A) Deadlift – 20 reps (2-0-1-0)
1B) Prisoner Squat Jump – 6 reps
1C) Pike Pushup – Max Reps (2-0-1-0)

Rest 30 seconds and repeat 2 more times.

2A) Bodyweight Bulgarian Split Squat – 15 to 25 reps per side (1-0-1-0)
2B) X-Body Mountain Climber – 20 reps per side (1-0-1-0)
2C) Power Wheel Rollout or Stability Ball Rollout – 20 reps (3-0-1-0)
2D) Stability Ball Jackknife – 20 reps (1-0-1-0)

Rest 30 seconds and repeat 2 more times.

Then you’ll finish with a Metabolic Conditioning circuit (only found in the TT Grindhouse manual deal here).

Why are those the 3 best bodyweight ab exercises?

Well, first, for beginners, you still need to master the Plank, Side Plank, and Bird Dog exercises. Those are the 3 best ab moves if you are just starting out. You need to be able to hold a Plank for 2 minutes straight, and a Side Plank for 60 seconds on each side. If you can’t pass both of those tests, spend more time on the basics.

But if you are ready to hit your six-pack abs even harder, we want to go with the “Stretch & Contract” system found in my top 3 dynamic ab moves.

First, the best of the 3 is the Rollout move. You stretch your abs on the way out, and contract them hard to return to the start position. But unlike with sit-ups and crunches, you do NOT round your low back – and therefore you protect your low back from injury.

But to add a twist to this circuit, I put the Rollout second in order. We’ll pre-fatigue the abs with high-rep X-Body Mountain Climbers that work your abs in stability (like a Plank) and your obliques with the cross-body movement of your knee.

To make that move even harder, you can put your feet on a ball or in TRX straps. You might need to do fewer reps if you use the advanced version.

Finally, we close out the circuit with the Stability Ball (or TRX) Jackknife. Your abs are stretched out in the plank position, and then you contract from the lower portion of your abs to bring your knees to your chest.

Those 3 ab exercises go to together like peanut butter and jelly and ice cream (what, ice cream goes amazing with ANYTHING – okay, what “those 3 ab exercises go together like pancakes, butter, and real maple syrup <= at leastMikey Whitfield will like that one!).

The X-Body hits the obliques.

The Rollout hits the six-pack with the Stretch & Contract system.

The Jackknife works from lower abs up to the top.

Boom goes the six-pack dynamite!

You’ll love that circuit.

Get the full TT Grindhouse program here for just $9

RAFAEL MORET

The Cardio Machine that Sucks

Hey Everyone

Rafael here and I have a GUEST post for you today...enjoy and leave us your thoughts

The Cardio Machine that Sucks 
By: Craig Ballantyne, CTT
Certified Turbulence Trainer
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Recently, I was in Tampa, Florida, at a seminar. Between sessions, a physician from Georgia stopped me in the hall and said, "Hey Craig, you were right about those crosstrainer machines. I've had your program for a few months now and I'm getting better results with the bodyweight circuits."

It's always great to meet clients, and I was curious to find out how he heard of me. Turns out, he found me through Google, landing on an article I wrote about "how elliptical machines (crosstrainers) suck for fat loss".

That's right, I think those machines are almost a complete waste of time.

"I was using one of those machines for a long time and was wondering why I wasn't getting any results," the physician continued, "I'm so glad I found your program and now I'm using the bodyweight circuits from the Dumbell-Bodyweight Fusion Workout", he added.

I told him how I wasn't surprised. In fact, I've never personally known anyone to get great results with one of those crosstrainer machines. Now I've watched really lean people use them, but they didn't get lean with those machines.

I know some people will be angry with what I have to say because they like exercising on the crosstrainer, but the truth is that they just don't work as well as harder forms of interval training.

And hey, any time you are traveling or want a break from regular interval training workouts, you can use one of the 4 bodyweight circuits from the TT DB-BW Fusion Fat Loss program that you get as a bonus when you order the Turbulence Training fat burning workout routine.

Click here to get Turbulence Training

==> http://bootcamppr.turbulence.hop.clickbank.net

Let me know how it goes for you,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT
Certified Turbulence Trainer
Author, Turbulence Training

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

The TRUTH About Interval Training

The TRUTH About Interval Training

By Craig Ballantyne, CTTCertified Turbulence Trainer



For over 11 years Men's Health magazine has asked my advice on how
to lose belly fat with interval training.

My first article was published in the magazine in 2000, and
just recently I sat down with Men's Health to take an uncensored
look at the science behind interval training and the best ways
to do these fat burning workouts.

Men's Health: The story I'm working on is simple: It's about
exercises and strategies in the gym for maximum fat loss. You're
the foremost expert on intervals (CB Note: You better believe it!),
so I wanted to ask you about that, and about a few other things:

1. Why does interval training work? How do the benefits carry over?

Answer:

Interval training

a) causes different adaptations in the muscle compared to
steady-state cardio because you are using the glycolytic and
phosphate energy systems (anaerobic energy systems) at a much
higher level...therefore you use up muscle glycogen (stored carbs)
faster than you do with steady-state cardio

b) causes different hormone responses to exercise, mostly in that
you have a greater increase in growth hormone (a fat burning
hormone) and adrenaline (another fat burning hormone which also
helps suppress appetite)

2. What are the benefits of interval training?

Answer:

Interval training works for boosting fitness and fast and will also
help men and women lose belly fat.

Research has found that interval training can increase aerobic
fitness just as much as steady state cardio, AND intervals can work
even better than steady state cardio when it comes to increasing
time-trial performance.

There are two ways to increase cardiovascular fitness

a) by increasing the delivery of oxygen (heart and lungs)

b) by increasing the utilization of oxygen at the muscular level

Steady state is best for increasing the delivery of oxygen while
interval training is best for increasing the utilization of oxygen
at the muscle level -- and that's why you get fit fast with
intervals. The muscular response tends to be faster than the heart
and lungs response (i.e. you need fewer training sessions).

If you want to know how to lose belly fat with interval training,
here's what you need to know. Science hasn't uncovered the exact
reasons why it works so well, but it is likely a combo of:

- increased GH during exercise

- better blood sugar regulation after exercise

- possibly increased calorie burning after exercise

- increased adrenaline (increased fat burning and decreased
appetite)

By the way, a new research study from McMaster University was just
published and found that just two weeks of interval training done
by patients with type 2 diabetes can improve their fitness and
health. Subjects trained five days per week for two weeks, doing
ten 60-second intervals per session with 60-second rests between
intervals. These intervals were done on a stationary bike.

We're going to see more and more interval training research done
with all types of health problems. One study I found showed that
interval training even helps patients recovering from heart surgery.

NOTE: That doesn't mean you should just give intervals to everyone.
Make sure to check with their doctor first and get their approval
before giving interval training to any client with health issues.

3. What's a good way to try intervals if you're just starting out
to lose belly fat with interval training? How should you progress
from there?

Answer:

The best way is a stationary bike, and that's what is used in
almost all interval training research studies. If you use a
treadmill or run hill sprints, you're going to get sore shins if
you don't currently run or if you run on concrete or pavement
outdoors. Be conservative with your interval training method, and
always remember that the stationary bike is a proven way to get the
benefits of intervals. Almost every interval study showing health
or fat loss benefits was done using a bike.

For a beginner's conservative interval workout, when setting up
your interval program for fat loss, do a regular warmup, then work
at 20% harder than normal cardio intensity. Do that interval for
30-60 seconds and then bring the intensity down to half of normal
cardio...this is important. You want the two extremes...hard and easy.

If you don't take it down to easy during the recovery, you're not
doing anything different from a regular cardio workout, and you
won't be able to work hard during the intervals.

To progress, you will add intensity (resistance) to your intervals.
There is no best interval training workout to lose belly fat, so
don't get focused on just doing intervals one way. I recommend
changing your interval training workouts every 4 weeks, including
the method you use, if possible.

I like using 30 second intervals with 30 seconds of recovery, as
well as the Adrenaline shuttle sprints of 8 seconds on and 12
seconds off. But even the classic 45 second intervals with 45
seconds of rest, which I used back in the 90's when training
athletes, are great for losing belly fat.

4. How often should I work intervals into my training for maximum
fat loss?

Answer:

Four times per week is enough, especially if you are doing 3
strength sessions. Folks in the Turbulence Training fat loss world
often just do 3.

Remember, even most professional athletes don't train with
high-intensity programs more than four times per week, so there's
no reason you need to either. While interval training combined with
resistance training in a Metabolic Resistance Training workout
might be the closest you can get to 'out-training a bad diet', your
nutrition is probably still more important than even the best
interval workout.

5. What other exercises, besides traditional cardio methods, are
good for fat loss? What makes an exercise good for this?

Answer:

Anything that burns calories and maintains or builds muscle mass
will help you with fat loss (although not necessarily weight loss),
including bodyweight exercises and metabolic resistance training.
Both are total body hybrid workouts of strength and intervals.

The most popular workouts in the world today are metabolic
resistance training (MRT) programs using supersets, kettlebell
exercises, bodyweight circuits, traditional lifts, etc.

However, stopping two exercises, though, is still the most
important thing for fat loss...with those being two of our all-time
favorites.

a) The fork to mouth

b) The 12oz curl

6. How can I use other exercises, like bodyweight strength moves,
to perform intervals?

Answer:

We can use everything from bodyweight circuits (choose 4 upper and
4 lower body exercises and alternate between upper and lower
without rest until done a circuit, then rest 1 minute and repeat
for a total of 20-30 minutes). In the classic program, Bodyweight
Cardio 3 we use 5 rounds of 5 exercises in a similar structure.
We'll do 5 exercises for a minute each, then rest a minute and move
to 5 more exercises for a minute each, etc., until 5 groups of 5
exercises are done. You can make a real tough workout from that
set-up.

7. If a user is trying to achieve fat loss, can they do it simply
by changing their training? How important is nutrition in this case?

Answer:

A young guy might be able to pull it off, but in most cases, even
the best workout still can't overcome a lousy diet. It really
depends on how bad the diet is in the first place.

If a guy hasn't been gaining weight - or losing it - and he simply
adds this type of training, then YES he can gain muscle and lose
fat at the same time. But if he's eating too much and gaining fat,
then this will slow down the fat rate, but he won't get lean.

Intervals are great, diet is important, and these days, I'd say
Metabolic Resistance Training is the absolute best way to build
muscle, burn fat, and get lean - and possibly out-train a bad diet.
Let me know if it works for you.

If you want to know how to lose belly fat, the answer is interval
training combined with resistance training, and of course, diet.

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