The NEW Fat Burning Zone (the old cardio one is a JOKE!)
You’ve heard of the fat burning zone, right? It’s a joke, a bunch of useless info, but here’s how it goes down…
Well, I’ve got a few fat burning hot zone exercises I want to share with you today…But first:
Happy National Pecan Month.
Bet you didn’t know that April is Pecan Month, did ya? Well, there you go. Unfortunately, the pecan is a low-protein nut, and later on you’ll discover which is nut is top of the protein chart. More details in a bit, but now, time to start out 7-day fat burning guide.
Monday’s Top Transformation Tip
If you want to have enough “energy” to stick to your program, you need to cut the sugar, processed foods, and massive doses of caffeine from your diet. Discover the rest of my 7 tips to having more energy here:
Now let’s take a look at a better fat burning zone workout, and review this week’s TT program:
The Hot Zone Turbulence Training Workout (from August 2008)
Workout A
1A) DB Split Squat (8 reps/side)
1B) Pushup Hands on Ball (15 reps) 
2A) DB Chest-Supported Row (12 reps) – see here =>>>>
2B) X-Body M. Climber (10 reps/side)
3A) DB 1-Arm Sh. Press (8 reps/side)
3B) Ball Jackknife Plank (60 sec)
Interval Workout A
What type of intervals are best? I talk about that in this blog post:
=> Best interval workout for fat loss
Tuesday
Off-day, stay out of the gym. Enjoy life! Get outside!
Then sit back, and have a laugh at how I show you how silly personal trainers are trying to wipe out the cute lil’ bunny population with their crazy theories about “negative calorie foods” here:
=> Truth about negative calorie foods
Bunnies would die if “negative calorie foods” existed. Think about it.
Wednesday
Time for another fast TT “fat burning zone” workout.
Workout B
1A) DB Incline-Flat Press (8 reps)
1B) Underhand Inv. Row (15 reps)
2A) DB Step-up (8 reps/side)
2B) Stability Ball Rollout (10 reps)
3A) DB Incline Curl (8 reps/side)
3B) DB Triceps Extension (8 reps)
Interval Workout B
Thursday
Another sweet, glorious off-day from structured workouts. Now get outside and play! Do 30 minutes of fun activity like softball, soccer, or Frisbee.
Alright, earlier I mentioned that pecans were a low protein nut (doesn’t stop me from eating them, of course). So let’s look at who is the “King of Nuts” for protein…
Almonds are looking good at 6g of protein per ounce.
Cashews hit the scene with 4.3g of protein per ounce.
Walnuts are right there too at 4.3g…
But the winner, by a peanut, is peanuts. They have almost 7g of protein per ounce.
So having an ounce of any nut for a snack gives you a couple of grams of protein…and I have more vegetarian options in a second…you’ll be surprised…
Friday
Before we get to workout C, let’s hear from the smartest man in fitness, Bill Hartmann, about his thoughts on the one upper-body, bodyweight exercise you must NOT do in the gym…
The Bench Dip
According to Bill…
“The bench dip requires about 90 degrees of shoulder extension which exceeds normal shoulder extension by about 25 degrees. To achieve that much range of motion the scapula must tilt forward which is a pretty unstable position.
This also means that the shoulder joint is unstable and increases demands on the rotator cuff especially the subscapularis. Over time this is a lot of undesireable stress leading to impingement of the cuff. This doesn’t even consider the stress on the AC joint. It’s also a crap exercise for overload.”
Bill Hartmann, “The Smartest Man in Fitness”
Click here for Bill’s site
Alright, now it’s time for the last Hot Zone workout.
Workout C
1A) Pull-up + Knee-up (8 reps)
1B) Stability Ball Leg Curl (20 reps)
2A) DB Forward Lunge (8 reps/side)
2B) Spiderman Pushup (8 reps/side)
20-Min High Intensity Cardio
Yes, high-intensity cardio. Sometimes put it in for fun. Do not mistake this for long, slow, boring cardio (LIE cardio).
Social Support Saturday!
Get accountability and support by following me on Twitter and posting your meals and workouts there.
Click here to follow me on Twitter
Sunday
Have another fun off-day doing 30 minutes of activit, and don’t forget to plan, shop, & prepare.
And then check out my 40-grams of protein, 3 banana taco lunch. No meat, no shakes.
Lunch was…
– raw vegetables & hummus
– 3 “banana tacos” (banana + blueberries + tbspn almond-hazelnut butter wrapped in tortilla)
-500mL chocolate milk
= 40 grams protein
Alright, that’s it for this week, enjoy!
Next week!
– How to beat the belly bloat
– Another bodyweight workout
– Tips on beating high blood pressure & diabetes
Helping you lose fat while spending less time doing cardio,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS 
Click here to try the Hot Zone Turbulence Training Workout (from August 2008)