Hard on the heels of the recent Precision Nutrition transformation challenge comes the Turbulence Training 12-Week Transformation Contest! I’m pretty jazzed about participating in this one since I’ve been using the TT workouts for over a year now with great success in terms of strength increases, lean mass gains in problem areas, and overall fitness.

Sure, you could enter yet another Body-for-Life challenge, but let’s face it, your chances of winning something are pretty low given how many people enter each quarter, and you have to use those nasty, pricey EAS supplements to enter. Currently there are less than 20 people in the running for the prizes below, so the odds of winning something are around 1 in 6 right now.

The catch, alas, is that you do have to purchase the basic $39.95 Turbulence Training for Fat Loss package, but that includes 26-weeks’ worth of workouts in the main Turbulence Training for Fat Loss manual, a nutrition plan developed by Dr. Chris Mohr which very closely resembles the $99 Precision Nutrition program, and an additional 32 weeks of Turbulence Training workouts designed by Craig Ballantyne, including:

1) Turbulence Training DB-BW Fusion Fat Loss 8-Week Program
2) Turbulence Training for Women 4-Week Program
3) Turbulence Training for Muscle 8-Week Program
4) Turbulence Training Original 4-Week Bodyweight Program
5) Turbulence Training 30-Days to Advanced Fat Loss Program
6) Turbulence Training Advanced Fusion Fat Loss 4-Week Program

So technically speaking, you are getting over a year’s worth of varied, quality exercise programming for less than the average cost of a single personal training session from one of the cocky 19-year-old trainers at your gym. (Personally, if I have to shell out some bucks to enter a transformation contest, I’d much rather have the money go towards 58 weeks of fat burning, strength-building training programs and a full nutrition plan to actually get me to my goal than spend it on overpriced supplements of dubious effectiveness and revolting flavor.)

Since one of the requirements of the contest is keeping a workout journal on the TTmembers.com forums, three months of basic level access to the TTmembers.com site (usually $19.95/month) are also included.

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My week and a half off from Shapeshift workouts is biting me in the backside right now, literally. My glutes and upper back are in partial DOMS from yesterday’s workout already, and I expect to be pretty stiff by 10 pm tonight if I don’t get in some intervals and stretching before then. This is what comes from pushing for new maxes on three different exercises after slacking off for almost two weeks. Besides that 185 lb sumo squat yesterday, I also increased my weights in the seated row (112.5 lbs) and the standing cable crunch (90 lbs).

Food and workouts were dead on yesterday, but I overslept this morning (stayed up too late putting together my TT contest post!) and will have to do my planned intervals and 30 minute steady-state cardio tonight. If the weather is decent at lunch, I’ll see if I can knock out part of that cardio outside with 10 minutes of walk/sprint intervals and 6 rounds of bodyweight circuits. The 4th floor of the office complex parking garage is pretty much deserted all the time, so I like to go up there for Forza, bodyweight circuits, and sprints during my lunch hour.

UPDATE: Just got back from my walk/sprint/bodyweight circuit lunch break workout including some 10 meter uphill sprints on the way up to the fourth level of the parking garage. Altogether I got in about 30 minutes of quality intervals out in the fresh air (bonus!) and feel revved up for the second half of the work day pushing my mouse around at my desk.

(One of the perks of working in video games is that you can go to work in your gym clothes and still look more dressed up than most of your co-workers.)

I still plan to stop by the gym on the way home from work tonight to get in a 30-minute training run.

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WORKOUTS
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- Walk/Sprints (1.0 mi) + Bodyweight circuits (3 rounds) (30 min)
- Treadmill Run (30 min @ 6-8 mph)

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NUTRITION
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M1: 1 pumpkin oatmeal muffin, 30 g cereal, 1/3 c. light soy milk, 1/2 c. spinach, 3 egg whites
M2: Pineapple soy protein smoothie
M3: 3 oz. grilled chicken breast, 3/4 c. asparagus veggie mix, 1 small banana, 1 small orange
M4: 2 unsalted rice cakes, 1 T. Naturally More flax peanut butter
M5: 3 oz. chicken breast, 3/4 c. asparagus veggie mix, 1/2 oz. walnuts
M6: 1 c. light soy milk, 1/2 scoop protein powder, 1/2 oz. walnuts

Water + Green Tea: 16+ cups

Supplements: 1 multivitamin, 1 calcium 500 mg + D, 6 fish oil capsules, 1 vitamin C, 5g l-glutamine