Typical Turbulence Training Workout

By: Craig Ballantyne, CTT
Certified Turbulence Trainer
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

What is Turbulence Training? So many people want to know that I've put together this article containing all the details about a typical Turbulence Training workout.

My Turbulence Training system can be adapted for any goal and any experience level. We use a bodyweight circuit to warm-up, rather than a slow, boring 5- minute walk on the treadmill. The bodyweight circuit prepares the entire body for exercise, whereas the treadmill walk obviously neglects the upper body.

In the bodyweight warm-up, we always trying to incorporate as much of the body as possible into each exercise. So for example, we would do a circuit of bodyweight prisoner squats (to include the upper back muscles), some type of pushing movement (pushups - modified to the trainee's level of difficulty), and some type of pulling movement (focusing on shoulder blade retraction).

For all exercises in the entire workout, we are training the abs - so every exericse is a "core exercise" - since we brace the abs and activate all of the core muscles while doing all exercises in the entire workout. When I say "brace the abs", I mean tighten them up as if you were preparing to get punched in the stomach.

Next, it is onto the strength training, using the Turbulence Training principle of picking the most efficient and effective exercises.

These "E&E" exercises are paired in non-competing supersets. A superset is two exercises done back to back without rest. A "NON-competing" superset uses two exercises that don't work the same muscle groups.

So in traditional bodybuilding supersets, you might do two chest exercises. However, in the Turbulence Training supersets we would use a pushing exercise (such as pushups or dumbell chest presses) and a pulling exercise (such as bodyweight rows or dumbell rows).

By using non-competing supersets, we allow one muscle group to work and one muscle group to recover. This increases the total amount of work done in the workout - also known as increasing exercise "density". Experts believe increasing exercise density helps burn more calories and helps you lose fat faster.

I prefer to stick with a lower repetition range than that normally found in traditional bodybuilding programs. Therefore, I find it very easy to make a client stronger. All you need to do is stick to the basics. Metabolic conditioning and/or fat loss intervals will follow the strength training. We will complete the session with stretching for the tight muscles only.

I take a big picture approach to training. Pick exercises and techniques that are efficient and effective. That way, people will get in and out of the gym in as little time as possible. Therefore, they can spend more time training their sport skill or more time enjoying their life. You don't have to live in the gym to get great results. You just need a great program.

Here's a sample Turbulence Training set-up:

Bodyweight Warmup (Do each for 10 repetitions; go through the circuit twice)
- Squat
- Pushup
- Stick-up

Strength Training Superset #1
1A) Lower body
1B) Upper body pushing exercise

Do 8 repetitions per set. Do not rest between 1A and 1B. Rest 1 minute after 1B before repeating the superset two more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Strength Training Superset #2
2A) Lower body
2B) Upper body pulling exercise

Do 8 repetitions per set. Do not rest between 2A and 2B. Rest 1 minute after 2B before repeating the superset two more times for a total of 3 supersets.

Finish with 20 minutes of interval training for a complete fat burning workout in only 45 minutes.