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What should you do before a workout?

December 2, 2015July 22, 2017 Alex CoombesLeave a comment

The key to any successful workout is preparation. But how do you get the most out of each session? Everyone is different but here are some tips to ensure you are ready.

Energise
Sugar is the quickest way to get energy into your bloodstream and to your muscles. This doesn’t mean that you should eat a mars bar before every session. Most fruits are a great source of natural sugar, you could even make a great tasting smoothie which is quick and easy to take before a workout. Allow around half an hour before a workout and don’t eat too much. If you’re really struggling for energy try a shot of espresso.

Hydrate
Sounds simple and straightforward but it’s easy to forget to drink water through the day when your concentration is locked onto other things. You would be amazed how energising it can be for your mind as well as your body. Being hydrated isn’t just about drinking lots of water, electrolytes are just as important. Did you know that coconut water contains more electrolytes than your average sugary sports drink?! Just make sure it’s from a good natural source like Mighty Bee Coconut Water.

Easy dynamic movements
It’s more than likely that you’ve been sitting around all day using little or no muscles to move around your home or the office. Your body needs to know know what’s about to happen to it so that its doesn’t tighten up and fight against your movements, potentially causing an injury. Stay away from static stretching before a workout. Static stretches increases range of movement but without telling the body how to move through this range. This lack of joint control can lead to serious injuries. Try the dynamic movements, in the pictures below, for 45 secs each before your next workout.

Raise your heart rate
Your heart is a muscle too and it shouldn’t be expected to go from 0-100 in 5 secs. Gradually increase the intensity of your warm up over 5 minutes. You should reach the intensity intended for the workout ahead for for at least 20-30 seconds. Using your whole body will ensure that your blood is circulating everywhere it needs to be.

Find your inspiration
Probably the most important of all. If you can’t be bothered to workout then you won’t get the most out of your session, so you are probably wasting your time. You should try to motivate yourself by picturing your ideal body or watching someone you admire on youtube. If you can’t motivate yourself then you need a reliable gym buddy or a hired professional.

Download our app and try booking a session to see which of our experts are available when you are.

Do you need a gym to workout?

November 26, 2015November 1, 2018 Alex Coombes1 Comment

In this new age of fitness we find ourselves needing to rely on the gym less and less. In most cases relying on the gym to keep you fit and healthy may actually be detrimental. It makes more sense to invest in convenience, knowledge and in someone who motivates you to do something that is going to actually help.

But what if “I don’t have any workout equipment”, “I live in a small flat” and “I don’t have the time to exercise”. All of these barriers can be broken down quickly and easily.

Knowledge is power
When you only have a small amount of space to train in you need to be extremely creative with the exercises and the way you put them together. Our trainers are all taught to “rule the tool”, this means, they create the exercises around what the body can and should be able to do.

Use small pieces of equipment
Stay away from the spin lock dumbbells you were thinking of buying from Argos. They’re a nightmare to store, they don’t look cool in the corner of your bedroom and do more harm than good when you keep stubbing your toes on them.

You don’t need heavy weights all you need is equipment that can manipulate your body into positions that will help you to break a sweat. All of the equipment we use in our sessions fit into a regular sized rucksack and weighs no more than 5 kg.

Find someone/something that motivates you
You’ve heard it all before, training with a partner or trainer is more enjoyable and so on … This doesn’t have to be someone to be there with you it could be someone you admire on Instagram, an event you’ve signed up for or even to impress that special someone.

Pay an expert
There’s nothing more demotivating than when your unreliable workout buddy cancels last minute. By booking a personal training session through our app, we can guarantee that one of our highly rated trainers will be there on time ready to get the most out of your workout. In the long run this will save you a lot of time and stop you from wasted money on unused gym memberships.

Why not download our app and let one of our experts show you how to workout at home.

Part 2: How To Build Muscle Using Your Bodyweight: Lower Body-Workout

June 1, 2015November 1, 2018 Alex Coombes1 Comment

The next workout in our building muscle through bodyweight series is focused on the lower body. As we covered in part one, building muscle in the upper body places an emphasis on your chest, back, arms, shoulders and abdominal muscles. In this post, we’ll share techniques to build lower body muscle, which will help you to burn more fat whilst not exercising.

The most impactful way to build lower body muscle involves many variations of single leg exercises and powerful movements for a short period of time.

1. Pistol Squats: Three sets of six repetitions on each leg.

Simply put, the pistol squat is a one-legged squat. The aim is to get as close to the floor as you can (see picture above), holding the other leg out in front of the body.

If you are new to this exercise you may need to hold on to something, such as a suspension trainer or a wall, in order to maintain balance and alleviate body weight from the pushing leg. It is important to control the downward motion as much as possible to keep tension in all leg muscles for the whole movement.

2. One-Legged Suspension Trainer Lunges: Three sets of eight repetitions on each leg.

The goal of this exercise is to do a split squat with a suspension trainer. Add a partner to hold down your shoulders and make this exercise more challenging, or you can do a normal squat which will make it a bit easier.

3. 40-meter Sprints: Eight sets with 1 min. rest.

Sprinting with good form and powerful strides will build great quality, well-balanced muscle. When running, pull your knees to waist height to build valuable core muscle in lower abs and obliques. To ensure a powerful stride, push the floor behind you as hard as you can.

Now that you have two quick sessions to work both your upper and lower body, take advantage of the London summer weather and impress onlookers at your local park.

To build muscle, maximum effort is needed throughout the whole session, from every set to every single rep. If you struggle to do this on your own, download the TruBe app to book a personal trainer on demand in London.