Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have some extra muscle on your body? Not a lot, but enough to look like a real athlete instead of a scrawny cyclist?

If your goal is to win the Tour de France, probably not. But if you’re just riding and racing for fun, you may have thought about packing on some muscle. I know I have.

As I started to wind down my racing career, I realized there was no longer a need for me to have a super high power-to-weight ratio and super low body weight. My best racing weight was around 152lb anyway, so it’s not like I was ever going to be a 120lb climbing specialist.

Then I found a website called FitnessBlackBook.com, written by Rusty Moore, and it was all about getting a fit, toned physique (or “the Hollywood look” as Rusty would say) rather than focusing on sheer size like so many other muscle building websites.

What really peaked my interest was the actual weights of some people with ripped physiques. The most notorious is probably Brad Pitt in Fight Club – he was totally ripped at a rumored 165lb.

That got me thinking – if you train properly, you could keep your weight low (155-170lb,) look great, and still perform well on your bike.

With that in mind, I purchased of a copy of Rusty’s training program, Visual Impact.

(I had been reading his blog for a couple years and purchased a book from him before, so I didn’t hesitate on this.)

The tag line is: “Strategic muscle gains for a visually stunning body.”

See, it’s not just a generalized plan for muscle building and fat loss. You can find that advice anywhere. What sets Visual Impact apart is the “strategic” part. Everything is carefully planned out so that you gain the least amount of muscle possible yet still achieve that stunning physique.

Basically, you are building size in certain areas of your body while minimizing size in others, and that makes you look big without you actually being big!

In my eyes, this is the perfect program for cyclists and endurance athletes who want to look good without gaining much weight.

Maybe you want an off-season weight lifting plan for November through April – this one would be a good compromise between good looks and performance.

So let’s look at the book itself…

The Visual Impact Muscle Building Course

Visual Impact comes in three parts.

First, the main ebook. This is where the whole philosophy behind the training is explained. If you’re not familiar with training methods outside the cycling world, or you’ve tried training plans from bodybuilding magazines with poor results, you’ll love this approach to training.

There are 15 chapters in the book followed by a Q&A section, so there’s a lot of information in there, but it is all easy to read and understand. There are quite a few images used for examples, and that is a big help. As a coach myself, I can usually pick out other people who would make a good coach or teacher, and Rusty Moore definitely fits the description.

The next part is the exercise demonstrations.

This is a 227 page PDF file with photo demonstrations and explanations of every exercise in the program. It would be great if this was an instructional DVD, but the photos should suffice for most people.

Lastly, Visual Impact includes printable workout charts.

These are all PDF files for each phase of the program. You can easily print these out and take them to the gym with you. They will guide your workouts and give you space to fill in your results. (You are going to keep a training log, aren’t you?!)

Complaints on Visual Impact

I only have one complaint about this program, and that has to do with the suggested exercises.

Quite a few of the exercises either require a specific machine only found at the gym, or a great variety of barbells, dumbbells, resistance bands, etc. at home. It’s not a big deal for me because I have plenty of equipment at home, and I’ve made plenty of exercise substitutions in the past, but if you don’t already have a home gym, you’ll either need to invest in some equipment or join the local gym.

The real problem is that there isn’t an “exercise substitution” section showing you home/garage variations for the machine-based exercises. Nate Green’s book has a great section on exercises and their “garage variation” for home gym users, so I wish Rusty would have done something along those lines.

Of course, if you don’t mind joining the local gym or YMCA, there’s no problem here. It’s just me being picky about where I workout!

My Visual Impact Workouts

To be completely honest here, I have a hard time sticking with weight training programs of any kind. I love sports, so if I have a chance to ride, run, ski, swim, or skate, 95% of the time I’m going to do that instead of lift weights.

But I have spent a few months over the past year testing out the Visual Impact workouts so I could write about them.

The first phase of the program was a shock to me. Since my workouts for as long as I can remember were all sports oriented, I’ve always shied away from bodybuilding stuff, which is really what this is – totally annihilating a muscle group, cumulative fatigue, etc. It’s way different from strength training.

But it was fun! The workout will probably take 45 minutes, and you are constantly moving. The rest breaks barely give you enough time to change the weights!

Each week ends up being a slightly different workout, too, so it’s not boring like doing the same thing every day.

Once you get into phases two and three, the workouts are more like strength training, so they more closely resemble sport-specific training. That’s why I recommend starting this program in the off-season – you can get the higher volume training out of the way before racing season is in full swing.

Isn’t is great how racing season corresponds with beach season? Whether you want peak race performance or a toned body for the beach, you can structure your training similarly.

My final verdict is…

The book is full of good info and laid out very well. Beginners and intermediate lifters should get a lot out of it. Even some “advanced” guys could learn a thing or two in here.

For endurance athletes looking to put on a little muscle for a better physique, I really like this program. I don’t know if Rusty has any idea that Visual Impact’s philosophy resonates so well with cyclists, but it does.

Let’s just say I like this program enough, that out of all the programs I have, this is one I am actually putting into practice myself!

Official website: www.VisualImpactMuscleBuilding.com

Don’t we all strive for six pack abs?

What kind of diet would i need if i want 6 pack abs?
NOTE: i’m 15 years old

Sincerely,
Flabby Freddy

Judging by your question Freddy, I’d say you’re much closer to having a six pack than the average person. Typically I hear, “what exercise will give me a six pack?” Unfortunately the answer is “none of them.”

That’s because “muscles are made in the gym, abs are made in the kitchen.” I’m not sure who said that first, but it’s mostly true. You still need to exercise to burn off fat, but if there is a remaining layer of fat on your belly because you eat too much, you’ll never see your abs.

You can build super strong abs, but that means virtually nothing if the goal is to see your ripped abs. That exercise/diet disconnect really shouldn’t surprise anyone though. Haven’t we all seen the skinny guys with ripped abs that never go to the gym and always eat junk food? They’re just built to be naturally skinny.

The bad news for them is that they could be extremely unhealthy (lacking in nutrients, high cholesterol, etc.) but not really see it. For someone like me (and possibly you,) we have to eat very healthy and exercise a lot to see any definition in our abs. So when we have nice abs, there’s a good chance we’re in very good health!

Anyway, let’s move on to the question about your diet. There’s no exact, “one size fits all” diet for getting six pack abs, but there are some guidelines to follow. (They’re essentially the same guidelines for anyone that wants to reduce body fat, because that’s what you have to do here.)

To start out, cut out junk food and empty calories. If you eat or drink anything like soda, milkshakes, cake, ice cream, cookies, snack crackers, potato chips, white bread, sugary cereal, etc., you need to totally remove it from your diet. Really any processed foods – cut them out of your diet!

I do like to indulge in the occasional doughnut, but if you want six pack abs, you have to make sacrifices! (I didn’t say this would be fun or easy!)

At the same time, ramp up your fruit and vegetable intake. Forget the food pyramid – those recommendations are outdated and meant for average, sedentary people. If you want to be healthy and muscular, I recommend 8-10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day!

To round out your diet, stick with natural, whole foods. This could be steel cut oats, eggs, 100% whole wheat pita bread, wild salmon, venison, nuts, legumes, etc. Just make sure you are eating as natural as possible.

But of course, you have to limit your caloric intake. The exact amount will depend on your specific needs, such as your body type, body weight, exercise volume, and workout intensity, so I can’t be any more specific.

Just make sure you eat a variety of foods so you get a well-balanced diet with plenty of carbs, fat, and protein. Good news: If you’re eating healthy, nutrient-dense foods like I mentioned above, you should be able to eat quite a bit of food without consuming too many calories.

Once you get all this straightened out, the next step is to dive into the more detailed stuff like thermogenic foods, intermittent fasting, and drying out. You still need to get the basics down first, but this is interesting stuff to explore and add in to your routine.

To summarize, you need to work hard and make sacrifices. But that is why most people don’t have six pack abs!

If you are a fan of high-intensity interval training in place of slow, boring cardio workouts, Turbulence Training is the perfect match for you (and me.) I still do plenty of long bike rides to build my endurance, but when it comes to getting in shape, high-intensity training is the name of the game.

I love short, intense workouts, especially bodyweight conditioning circuits (such as this quick ab workout), so I’ve been a fan of Turbulence Training for a while now. It’s the king of “bang for your buck” workouts – just 45 minutes a day, 3 times per week.

And now, to help me on my quest for six pack abs, Craig Ballantyne has just launched a new book, Turbulence Training for Abs. It’s everything I’ve come to know and love about this style of training, but now geared even more for building my abs and shedding fat.

Best of all, the workout does not include the crunch! It’s been referred to as “the ultimate ANTI-CRUNCH home workout program.” This program has 30 ab exercises that Craig says work better than crunches – and he has the six pack abs to prove it! (Those are his abs on the cover, and this picture of him shows them off even more.)

Here’s what you get in this new program:

1) The 4-Week Beginner Introduction to CRUNCH-FREE Ab Workout
2) The 4-Week Intermediate Level ANTI-CRUNCH Ab Workout
3) And THREE Advanced 4-Week Home Abdominal Workouts
4) The “TT Abs 300″ Workout Challenges (including one for beginners, intermediate, and advanced fitness levels)

And the three bonus ebooks that come with it:

1) The Bodyweight Abs program that you can do anytime, anywhere, without a single piece of equipment (comes with beginner and advanced versions too)
2) The Advanced Ab Nutrition Meal Plans for Men & Women
3) The 5 Motivational Secrets to STOP Cheating on Your Diet and Never Skip Another Workout Again

Turbulence Training for Abs

Hungry for a solid training program, I opened the main Turbulence Training for Abs ebook first. It’s a solid 80 pages!

The book begins logically by first answering questions about Turbulence Training, then having you do a lifestyle review, and then does goal setting – very important things to think about before beginning any workout program! Then there are workout guidelines that explain what you’ll be doing – if you’re a beginner, pay very close attention here.

Next up, the actual workout plans. As I mentioned, there are beginner, intermediate, and advanced plans. I really like this approach because you can start at the beginner plan and work your way up gradually. Even if you breeze through the intermediate and advanced plans (unlikely,) you will then have the experience necessary to build on the advanced plan to form a “super advanced plan.”

Based on the exercise sequences and the expected intensity, I’m starting with the Intermediate plan. I have learned that even if an advanced workout program looks easy, it will be much harder than expected. Plus, if you’re not used to doing the exact routine already, it will really hit your body hard! (There are tips about which plan is right for you at the beginning of the book, but you’ll either start with Beginner or Intermediate.)

Just the fact that some of these exercises are new is a great reason to do the Intermediate Plan before moving on to the Advanced Plan, even if you are already in good shape from doing other bodyweight exercises I’ve mentioned here on CoachLevi.com. Not to mention, the Beginner and Intermediate plans aren’t too intimidating, but the Advanced plan sure is! (At least in my eyes.)

Easier said than done, I always say!

As for the workouts themselves, each starts with resistance training – a good mix of bodyweight exercises and some that call for dumbbells – and follows with interval training – alternating fast and slow workouts which consist of basic interval routines (running, biking, swimming, etc.)

After you get through the plans, you’re in for a treat! Once per month, at the end of the four week program, you can perform the “TT 300 Abs Workout” (all the details are included in the ebook.) But basically it’s a killer routine where you do a ton of exercises in a row to cap off the four hard weeks.

I’m expecting results much like I get from Cyclo-Core. These Turbulence workouts are a similar idea, although there are plenty of exercises here that aren’t in Cyclo-Core, so it’s worth adding this to your repertoire. You could also mix the two together and create a hybrid workout, which I plan to do once I have completed all the Turbulence plans.

Of course, you need to know the proper form and instructions for these exercises. So the entire second half of the book is filled with pictures and instructions for doing the exercises properly.

Plus, there is a section of stretches, which you should do after each workout.

The Free Bonus Ebooks

Don’t forget, there are three bonus ebooks to check out…

Advanced Abdominal Nutrition Guidelines

This book contains some basic nutrition advice to have you eating healthy and making the most of your workouts. It is basic advice, but it works, nonetheless.

The book also contains quite a few meal plans to help you burn off belly fat. It’s no miracle diet, but the meal plans do look good. (I think the author of this book goes a little overboard on drinking expensive bottled water, but otherwise it’s all sound advice.)

It’s most useful for beginners who need a quick explanation of a healthy diet.

5 Motivational Secrets to Burn Belly Fat & Get Flat Abs Forever

Now here is a book that is absolutely essential. Getting motivated and having reason to workout is a more important factor in your life than the exercise itself. Again, this book is full of sound advice, and it’s absolutely essential for anyone that is trying to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

(I’d actually recommend reading this book before any of the others.)

TT Bodyweight Abs

If you don’t have any equipment, or if you’re always in a hotel room without access to equipment, this book full of bodyweight workout plans is just right for you. There’s not much else to say, because this training program is very similar to the main “TT for Abs” regimen, but with a focus on only the bodyweight exercises.

Just a Few Drawbacks

Being an ebook, there’s a bit of a hassle to this workout plan. To do the workout, you have to review the plan and figure out the exact workout with the exercises, supersets, trisets, and such. You can’t just pop in a DVD and follow along. If you read carefully, you can figure it all out, but just remember, you will have look things over and review the manual before jumping in.

It will also help to have these pieces of equipment available: yoga mat, stability ball, light dumbbells, standard weight bench, bicycle or exercise bike, pull-up bar, ab wheel, medicine ball, Smith machine or squat rack, aerobic step, and an incline bench.

You don’t absolutely need all of that equipment, but you definitely do need the stability ball (then you can do probably 95% of the exercises.) The other stuff comes in handy though if you want to do every single exercise listed in this book.

Special deal – Ends 7/23/08 at midnight. That’s tonight!

Craig has added THREE more 4-week programs to sweeten the deal and keep you burning fat for another 2-3 months. When you grab your copy before Wednesday, July 23rd at midnight, you’ll get:

“Hot Zone TT Fat Loss Workout”

…showing you how 4 simple exercises hit all the fat burning hot zones of the body and help you boost metabolism and burn more belly fat.

“Bikini Ready Abs”

…from America’s #1 Fat Loss expert for Moms, Holly Rigsby, giving you another “IN-HOME” fat burning abdominal workout you can do with minimal equipment.

“The Big 5 Fat Burning TT Circuit Workout”

…revealing one of the most popular and innovative fat burning workouts Craig has ever put together. If you love burning fat with circuits, you’ll love this simple 5 exercise solution to getting rid of stubborn belly fat.

But remember, these extra bonuses are only available as FREE GIFTS for a limited time. After the deadline they will be put back in the workout vault for Platinum TT members only.

So, if you want these bonuses for free, click over to www.TurbulenceTrainingForAbs.com right away.

My final verdict is…

Overall, this is a great collection of books. Turbulence Training has become a popular workout program for good reason – Craig Ballantyne knows his stuff, the workouts get results, and you don’t waste hours of your time doing stuff that doesn’t work.

The package is just $39.95, which is a bargain. That’s less than most 1-month gym memberships, and much less than it would cost for someone to put together a custom training program (which might not even work as well as this.)

For absolute beginners, you might want to consider getting someone experienced to check your form, and/or look into a DVD workout program. But TT for Abs is still something to check out!

In any case, there’s a 60 day guarantee. You don’t like the program, you can get your money back. Every single cent, since there is no dealing with shipping and handling charges.

Official website: www.TurbulenceTrainingForAbs.com