Best Exercises for Fat Loss

In the 80's and 90's workout magazines that I read, recommended isolation exercises, like the leg extension machine and the chest-fly machine as being best exercises for fat loss and helping you sculpt your body. But we've come a long way since then...Today I want to show you how to choose the best exercises for fat loss, and even the right exercise order, to get the most fat loss and body-sculpting in the least amount of time.

Let's start with some simple rules on how to pick the exercises.

1. Exercises should always work multiple muscle groups.
2. Exercises should be done standing, whenever possible.
3. Exercises should be effective for fat loss even if only thebodyweight version is used (i.e. squats).
4. The hardest (most intense) exercises should always be first.
Before I explain the rules in detail, let's first cover the warm-up.

Every Turbulence Training workout starts with a general warm-up. By now, you should know that I don't like the traditional 5-minute cardio workout (excluding those who need it for injury purposes,according to their health care professional). The purpose of the warm-up is to specifically prepare your muscles for action. Walking on a treadmill for 5 minutes does little interms of preparing your body for strength training. Therefore, I start every workout with a general, total body circuit.

When putting together total-body workouts and warm-ups, I think about 4 "hot zones" on the body. And I have to address all four hot zones with exercises in the warm-up. The hot zones are:
a) Back of Legs
b) Upper Back
c) Chest
d) Abdominals

Why do I only worry about the back of legs? Because almost allmulti-joint movements that train the back of the legs will alsostress the quadriceps, even if only in a static contraction. Take for example, this general warm-up (to be used in place of thetreadmill):

A) Y-Squat (hold your hands over your head in a "Y" formation) - 15reps
B) Close-grip Pushups (kneeling or advanced) - 8 reps
C) Stick-up - 8 reps

Hopefully you can see how that hits all 4 hot zones through dynamicand static contractions. If you don't, let me know. Ok, now we are ready to move on to the meat of the workout. As stated above in the rules, we must pick our hardest, most intense exercises first, and perform them in sets of low reps.

Here's a Turbulence Training bodyweight-only, body-sculpting workout routine that I've designed to show you the correct exercise order, and the types of exercise that are best for changing your body. I'll be using this exact workout with one of my high-profile movie stars this afternoon. She needs to keep her body sculpted without bulking up. But she still needs to be strong, lean, and athletic for her fight scenes in the movie she is filming.

1A) Split Squat (8 reps) [Advanced use the Bulgarian Split Squat]
1B) Elevated Pushup (8 reps per side) [Kneeling or Advanced)
2A) Step-up (12 reps)
2B) Bodyweight Row (8 reps) (Beginner or Advanced)
3A) Stability Ball Jackknife (15 reps)
3B) Back Extension on Ball (15 reps)

Each superset (i.e. 1A & 1B) is done 3 times with no rest between exercises A and B, but with a 30 seconds rest after B, before you repeat the superset. Following the strength portion of the workout, complete the workout with Interval Training.

Each exercise uses multiple muscle groups, so that more calories will be burned during and after exercise.We also design each superset to use two intense, non-competing exercises. We use low reps where possible. We train for strength at the start of the workout when we are fresh. What do I mean by non-competing? That means, you should be able to perform the two exercises back to back with minimal fatiguing effects from the prior exercise.

You have to pair exercises that don't use the same muscle groups. The rules of exercise selection and exercise order will allow youto get lean, boost your metabolism, and to train with a high-intensity through out the entire workout. So when I put the exercises together, it is all about putting themin the right order to get you lean.

Click here to get the Turbulence Training workouts:=> TURBULENCE TRAINING

Full body workouts sculpt a better body faster,Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MSCreator, Turbulence Training

P.S. You've asked, "Can women use Turbulence Training"?

I'll let these female clients answer...

"Everywhere I go, people who I haven't seen in a long time see meand are shocked at my transformation. For a 37 yearold, married, mother of 4 to hear that she looks "hot" or"terrific" is the ultimate compliment! Your program hascompletely changed me. I have tone muscles in places I neverthought would be tone again! Thank you for your sincere dedicationto those of us who want to make a difference in our lives."Terri Stuckey, Chardon, Ohio

Click here to get your Turbulence Training workouts:=> TURBULENCE TRAINING

"Wow! I have been a Certified Personal Trainer for 7 years and I have not seen any other program that works as quickly or effectively. Within 3-4 weeks of doing the Turbulence Training program, I lost the last 8 pounds, and am now happy to be at my pre-pregnancy weight- and stronger than I was before."Annette Allen

Read Turbulence Training Review