Part 1: How to build muscle using your body weight: Upper-body workout

One of the most common misconceptions of working out is that lifting heavy weights is the only way to build muscle.  However, everyone from gymnasts to runners to breakdancers have been proving this wrong for years.

Heavy weights and machines are used to create muscle tension and while tension is needed to build lean muscle, you can lift your body weight through specific movements that maintain the tension along the full length of the muscle.

Try this upper-body workout in any London park. It has been design to build the chest, back, arms, shoulders and abdominal muscles.

  1. Wide press ups – 40 repetitions in as little sets as possible

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Wide press ups are a great way to create tension along the full length of the chest muscles. Try to complete the 40 reps in less than 4 sets, resting as little as you can in between sets.

  1. Chin ups – Four sets of five repetitions

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If this is too easy, try making the negative (downward motion of the chin up) as slow as you can.

To make it easier, try jumping up to the bar and then controlling your self down.

  1. Suspension Trainer Pike ups – Three sets of 10 repetitions

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This is a great way to build and define the abs. For variation and to train the obliques, try pulling your feet up to each side. By pulling your hips over your shoulders they will be under the perfect amount of tension to incite muscle growth.

If you are you unsure about any of the exercises, why not order a TruBe trainer to come to your local park and show you how!

 

Behind The Scenes at TruBe’s Fitness Photoshoot

At the end of April, our team spent the weekend in East London for a photoshoot, looking to capture our TruBe brand and philosophy in both photo and video form.

At a beautifully designed house, we had two days to capture what we needed from our personal trainers and models.

Our Head of Marketing & PR, Phoebe, wore multiple hats as the director, organiser, personal stylist and chief cheerleader throughout the weekend.

Gabby, Portia, Sig, Steffy and Jade were our superstar models, and even when the cameras weren’t on them they were happy and smiling!

A big shout out to the guys behind the camera which were Andrew James photography and his crew who did an amazing job! We also had Robyn work her magic with hair & makeup for our models.

TruBe’s founder Daria directed the weekend, and wanted to share these behind the scenes photos to showcase the vision.

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behind the scenes Photobehind the glass

client and trainer checking app

meet and greet

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You’ll be seeing the results of our photoshoot across the TruBe app, website and social media channels, so make sure you download the TruBe iPhone app now to experience TruBe for yourself!

P.S. Subscribe to the blog below or follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @trubeapp for more inspirational ways to reach your health and wellness goals!

group shot 1 TruBe photoshoot

Get a Spring in your Step: 5 Tips to Boost your Training this Spring

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin, inventor and American founding father

Spring has officially sprung. Yoga in the park, lunch in the sun, cocktails on the terrace. It all starts getting a little brighter and fresher – and your TruBe training sessions might start to feel the same.

But if you’re struggling to shrug of the last of the winter cold and are still straining your eyes against the bright sunlight, we’re here to help prep you for success in a way that would make Mr Franklin proud.

We’ve created a list of training tips to get the most from your TruBe training sessions!

1. Get up and go!

Start your day with 10-15 minutes of light exercise, be it gentle yoga, a nice jog or even a slow walk around the block. Waking up like this increases your oxygen levels and blood circulation, energizing your whole body. Increased circulation to your digestive system will boost your metabolism which means you will use up more calories throughout the day, making you more likely to burn fat.

This time of the morning is also extremely valuable thinking time, allowing you to review your upcoming tasks and goals and get motivated for a more productive day.

2. Exercise outside

outdoor exercise workouts

Now that the weather is improving, there are no excuses to be stuck indoors.

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient to maintain healthy bones and teeth as well as fighting against cancer, type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Vitamin D is produced by the body when the skin is exposed to mild sunlight and is difficult to obtain through a healthy diet alone.

50% of adults and children worldwide are Vitamin D deficient- don’t be one of them! Order a TruBe trainer and work out in the park!

3. Hydrate like a hero

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Staying hydrated is the number one rule for all athletes. If you’re taking part in an event and you get dehydrated, you will run out of energy very quickly. We suggest getting a good BPA free bottle and drinking regularly throughout the day.

Remember if you feel thirsty, you are at the beginning stages of dehydration. Try to drink small amounts frequently. Generally we lose around two litres of fluid a day, so must ensure we replace this.

Your performance will also be affected. As your blood thickens due to lack of water, your heart has to work harder to pump blood to the body. This means that exercise that normally feels like a five out of 10 on a exertion scale, can feel like a seven or eight out of 10.

4. High intensity = better results

You’re a busy person, we get that. That’s why TruBe is all about efficient, high intensity exercise. To make sure you’re getting the most out of your sessions, make sure you integrate high intensity activities into all forms of training.

Whether you’re a runner, cyclist or swimmer, adding high intensity sessions will help make you a stronger, faster athlete. High intensity will help you improve both the endurance (aerobic) and your speed/power (anaerobic) capacity. This is a great way to compliment any training.

You can make HIIT training specific to your goals with movements that mimic your sport or daily function.

Remember that HIIT exercises can be regressed or progressed to suit all abilities.

5. Train with a friend(s)

Small Spring Group

Small group or partner workouts are a great way to make fitness fun. With TruBe we can take you and a friend through a fun and interactive workout that also gives you that “burn”. Making your workout fun takes your mind off the training whilst using each other for motivation.

If you have that competitive streak, TruBe can get you working against each other to help you push yourself to your limits! So what are you waiting for? Book a TruBe session today with one of our amazing trainers!

What are your spring training tips? Let us know by commenting below.