Unfortunately, I have bad news…doing crunches is NOT going to get you the [...]]]> I just spent two and half hours reading through all your ab questions from last week and I must say I’m shocked. I didn’t realize how many people were still using crunches to try and get a flat stomach and six pack abs.

Unfortunately, I have bad news…doing crunches is NOT going to get you the results you want. (Although you knew this already, of course, as so many of you also wrote in with frustration that the crunches were not working.)

So I’m going to prove today what you already knew, and that’s how you NEVER need to do crunches again…here are the 7 reasons:

1. Crunches aren’t working for you now, and didn’t in the past, so why would they work in the future?

It’s time to give them up for good. You know the old saying about insanity? It’s doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Time to change it up!

2) Crunches are most dangerous when they are most effective.

When you are overweight, there can be a lot of resistance on the abs when you do crunches – and technically that is good. HOWEVER, because your ab and low back muscles are weak, that’s when you use bad form and end up with a pain-in-the-neck or low back pain from crunches. So even though crunches can work your abs as a beginner, they end up causing more harm than good.

As a beginner, you are much better off using the Beginner Turbulence Training for Abs 4-week program AND the bonus DVD, the TT Beginner Total Torso Training program.

3) Crunches get LESS effective as you get leaner and fitter, because there is less resistance on the muscle and you’re now too strong to get anything out of crunches.

Here’s a dramatic demonstration of what I mean. Take your left arm and extend it out to your side. Now clench your fist and do 20 biceps curls. Now tell me, do you really think that will “work your biceps” and make them lean and sexy? Of course not! So why would the same high-rep method of crunches work for your abs? It won’t, of course.

4) A couple of years ago, Men’s Health magazine made a big deal about a research study proving you would need to do 20,000 crunches to burn 1 pound of belly fat. Twenty thousand!

Even a “crunch fanatic” would need a few days to do 20,000 crunches. The bottom line is that ab crunches are a HUGE waste of
time when you are trying to lose belly fat.

5) Even those lean, mixed martial artist guys don’t do crunches.

On the weekend, I was reading an interview with the trainer of world champion fighter, Georges St. Pierre, and the trainer explained
how they don’t do crunches, but instead do anti-rotation and extension exercises for the abs. Not sure what those are? Don’t worry, you’ll get some of those in the TT for Abs workout DVDs.

6) Interval training works your abs harder than crunches.

Whether it’s sprints or kettlebell swings, your abs will shape up faster with interval training than they will with crunches. Guaranteed.

7) Crunches don’t make your abs “pop out”.

This was a big problem mentioned in so many of your questions. A lot of TT readers had lost the fat, but still couldn’t see their abs because they didn’t “Pop out”. Listen, crunches will never do that…but the exercises we use in the TT for Abs DVDs will, I promise.

So when you’re ready to give up crunches (like right now, right?) and use proven ab exercises and workouts, then you’re ready for the TT for Abs DVDs.

One more thing: Nutrition also beats crunches EVERY time.

That’s why I also filmed the Simple Nutrition DVD for you and you’ll get that DVD and manual as well as another bonus gift.

Say goodbye to crunches and hello to sexy abs!

Afterward I headed right back to the office and went straight to my computer to answer questions in the TT member’s area and to see how all the members were doing with their Transformation Workouts.

Then I stumbled across [...]]]> Last Wednesday I put myself through a tough interval workout in High Park near my place in Toronto.

Afterward I headed right back to the office and went straight to my computer to answer questions in the TT member’s area and to see how all the members were doing with their Transformation Workouts.

Then I stumbled across an unusual post from a fellow Canadian and new member, Mike Cheliak. He and I had been discussing off-day body Weight circuit training, and he wrote in this inspirational
story to share with you…

“I did the Total Body Ten Body Weight Circuit today as my day off ‘activity’. When I got to the gym there were a couple guys and a girl beginning their usual Eliptical routines…

…but I convinced them to join me in the Aerobics room and we gutted out 3 circuits of the Total Body Ten program. It was great!

What a perfect way to get some good intense activity in without tiring yourself out on a day off! We may all start a “club” on Wednesdays to do this. I think it was a great motivator doing it with other people. We all pushed each other and had fun doing it.

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for some fun activity. You could easily do it at home but I have to say that it was a LOT more fun doing it with a group!”

Mike’s right, and the Total Body Ten is a great workout that I included in the TT for Fat Loss manual to give the “go-getters” something to do on their off-days from TT. You can also use this circuit in place of regular interval training, if you don’t have access to a cardio machine. The general format of the circuit goes like this…

1. Easy lower body exercise for warm-up.
2. Moderate upper body pushing exercise for warm-up.
3. Single-leg exercise.
4. High-rep upper body pushing exercise.
5. High-rep Squat.
6. High-rep total body ab exercise.
7. Single-leg exercise.
8. Tough upper body pushing exercise.
9. Lower body posterior chain exercise.
10. Tough upper body pulling exercise.

“Been running for 6 months with minimal weight loss. Since starting TT, I have lost 10 lbs. in 2 months. A God Send. Thanks.” – Chris Schwartz, M.D.

“I’ve just finished my third week of Turbulence Training and I already see [...]]]> Are you stuck at a fat loss plateau with slow, boring cardio? Then read these two testimonials.

“Been running for 6 months with minimal weight loss. Since starting TT, I have lost 10 lbs. in 2 months. A God Send. Thanks.”
– Chris Schwartz, M.D.

“I’ve just finished my third week of Turbulence Training and I already see amazing results. I’ve been weight training for about five years, so I really thought I knew a thing or two.

Then I found Turbulence Training. I quickly realized what a waste of time all those isolation exercises were and how much time I had wasted doing them. After my first TT workout, I knew this was something big.

This was something that would change my life.

And in three short weeks, it already has. I now look forward going o the gym and knocking out my workout in less than an hour. I walk in with a plan, instead of walking around aimlessly trying to decide what to do next. Those days are over! My clothes are already feeling looser, and my waistline is shrinking. I didn’t even realize how much fat had slowly crept up on me, but once I started seeing such positive changes, I realized this was only the beginning. I can’t wait to see what the next few months will bring!”
– Wilhelmina Seamans

After all, she was stuck at a plateau for a long time – even though she was exercising hours and [...]]]> The other week a new TT member named “Kari” started on the TT forum, and like many folks, she was very skeptical that cutting back on her workout time would give her the results she wanted.

After all, she was stuck at a plateau for a long time – even though she was exercising hours and hours each week.

In fact, she was so skeptical that she “called me out” on the forum and told me she just didn’t think it was possible.

Here’s what she wrote after her first workout…

“So today I finally kick off my TT (buff dudes and hot chicks). I’m so used to doing traditional bodybuilding splits that this didn’t feel like I did enough work per muscle group. I lifted as heavy as I could for the amount of reps specified but I’m so used to doing isolation exercises that this was hard. Did anyone else feel this way when they started. Other then that it was a great workout and the cardio intervals kicked my butt!”

After a few TT Members re-assured her that she was doing TT right, we then got these amazing new updates every week from Kari…

“Ok, so for the past year I have been stuck at 120lbs. This was my first week on TT and I lost one pound! I know it’s not much but it’s past my plateau and this was after my carb loaded cheat meal!!!! I’m excited. Hopefully I will get to 115lbs without working out so much.”

And then the next week…

“Down another 1.5lbs this week!!!! I posted last week about doing steady state b/c I was getting the itch again that more cardio is better. Well I held to no steady state and have stuck with just doing TT on Mon, Wed, Fri and then on Tues/Thurs doing yoga. I can’t believe that I’m losing weight by working out less! My diet is the same as it was before. Thank you so much for developing this system!”

And finally, just yesterday she wrote…

“Down another pound this week. I’m now at 116! One more pound and I’ve reached my goal and I’ve done this from doing LESS! Completely blows my mind!”

*****************************
How cool is that?!

I get so excited when I hear these success stories…because I now know that another TT member has discovered the one shocking secret to success that most “Cardio folks” at the gym never learn, and
that is…

“The LESS you do, the MORE you LOSE!”

It goes against everything you were ever taught in running circles, at the gym, or in your favorite fitness rag, but it is the TRUTH!

Transforming your body is all about quality training and whole, natural food nutrition.

Plus, to keep your progress going, I want to make sure you have the same workouts and support as Kari.

And the only way to get her workouts and my help on the forums, is to take advantage of this amazing new special offer I have on the TT Member’s forum…

For only $4.95, you’ll get 5 BONUS workout gifts PLUS a 30-day test-drive of the TT Member’s area.

Here are the BONUS GIFT workouts you’ll get when you take the 30-day TT Member’s trial offer…

1. The TT Hard-to-the-Core Fat Loss Program
2. TT Booty for Life
3. TT For Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks
4. TT for Meatheads 1.0
5. TT Bodysculpting for Women

You get all five of these bonus Turbulence Training Workouts when you take the $4.95 30-day Trial of the TT Member’s Area…And they are yours to keep even if you cancel.

Click here to get your gifts and exclusive INSIDER’S ACCESS to the TT Member’s area.

That’s $119.70 of bonus workouts as my gift to you when you take the 30-day test drive of the TT Member’s area.

“Craig, I want to thank you for the continuing education I am receiving by being a TT member. I get the best workouts of my life all in a small area of my basement using the Turbulance Training manuals.”
– Gary Schenkelburg, Ohio

“Yours is truly the best product and service support on the market today. Unbelievably excellent!”
– Fred Soto

If those [...]]]> Most guys don’t give much thought to body weight workouts, but some of the toughest exercises I’ve ever done have used only my body weight. The two that come to mind immediately are the Pistol Squat and the 1-arm push-up. You have to be very strong and fit to do either of those exercises.

If those are too advanced for you, you can try 1-leg Squats (only going down half as far as the Pistol Squat) and Decline Push-ups (elevating your feet on top of a second stair of a staircase).

There are also a lot of abdominal exercises you can do with only your body weight, and I don’t just mean crunches. Better exercises include planks, side planks, mountain climbers, and cross-body mountain climbers. Those are all total body ab exercises and are not as hard on your low back as sit-ups and crunches.

You don’t need a cardio machine to burn calories. For years, my clients have been using body weight circuits for interval training. Most body weight exercises are the perfect hybrid of strength training and interval training, and unlike cardio machines, they don’t put as much repetitive stress on your joints (from doing the same thing over and over again) and they help improve your athletic mobility. Body weight exercises and workouts are a much better way to train than with machines!