functional training Archives | Page 2 of 4

NEW! You can now book TruBe in-app and online

April 21, 2017November 1, 2018 Alex CoombesLeave a comment

The TruBe team have listened to your feedback and we’re excited to reveal that we’ve just launched our website booking platform. Now you can search and book your sessions from your computer.

WHAT IS TRUBE?

For people that are new to TruBe, we offer a service that connects users with highly-qualified trainers from a range of specialist sporting backgrounds. This includes Personal Training, Boxing, Kickboxing, Pilates, Yoga and Ballet Fit. We have an extremely talented London team ready and waiting to deliver one of our signature workouts wherever and whenever you want. That means you can workout in the privacy of your own room, at the park or for the busy travellers amongst you, within an hour and a half you can arrange a personalised session in your hotel room.

With our website booking platform, we’ve made it easy and fast to make a booking, just like our app. You can search our network of expert trainers and send a request in seconds!

We’re excited about this new developments, and as always, we welcome your suggestions.

Introducing Yolanda, Personal Trainer and Professional Performer

April 5, 2017November 1, 2018 Alex CoombesLeave a comment

Yolanda is one of our newest TruBe trainers specialising in Personal Training and Ballet Fit. She holds extensive skills in calisthenics as well as TRX making her an expert in improving flexibility, strength and muscle tone. As a professional dancer she has over 10 years experience being part of world famous Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre.

Why did you sign up to be a TruBe Trainer?

I want to empower people by helping them take control of their health and fitness goals. The benefits of training are not just limited to improving your physique. The confidence gained and the mental satisfaction that clients enjoy from reaching targets and exceeding their own expectations surpasses this. TruBe provides a flexible and accessible way of allowing me to share this.

What is your biggest client success story?

A client came to me with a goal which was purely to lose weight. I shifted the focus towards skill based goals alongside her weight loss goals. This transformed her physique, but most importantly improved her mindset. She fell in love with her training and gained the knowledge and confidence to maintain that level of fitness in her lifestyle. She learned to embrace her body and feel proud of what it was capable of.

What is your greatest achievement?

Establishing a career as a performer in the west end and coming back stronger after an injury, which caused me to be on crutches for six weeks.

What is your favourite way to finish off the end of a session?

An intense core finisher followed by a relaxing deep stretch.

How do you motivate yourself and do you have a favourite motivational quote?

My favourite motivational quotes are “a comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there” and “strong body = strong mind”. Variety is the key to motivation for me. I like to do a bit of everything from ballet fit, callisthenics, strength training to yoga in my training. This keeps things fresh and challenges my body and mind. I always have a lot of goals on the go and I love to immerse myself in making them happen. If motivation wavers, discipline is my go to!

How do you find balance in your life?

As a trainer and performer, it’s so wonderful to do a job you love, but it’s important to take time out with friends and family. I also ensure I make time to train for myself, as that’s my meditation. I’m working on listening to my body, when my body tells me to rest, I know I need to before it forces me to!

How do you treat yourself?

Dinner with friends and maybe the odd purchase of some new training gear!!!

To book a session with Yolanda, download the app and find her as one of our featured trainers.

Try these 5 Yoga poses before bed time

March 9, 2017November 1, 2018 Alex CoombesLeave a comment

The importance of sleep surpasses the obvious involving lifting your mood and physically looking less tired. When you have difficulty sleeping at night, it affects your day to day life, wellbeing and even your weight. TruBe trainer Dipa Trivedi, who specialises in yoga, explains the different effects of sleep and how yoga can be a simple and effective solution to aid a peaceful night’s sleep.

I get a lot of feedback from most students saying “some days I can sleep and others I just wake up and cannot go back to sleep”… When I ask them why, the answer is ‘I am stressed or I feel hot or I don’t know why’.

Usually, having a good night’s sleep is a combination of several factors:

Physical fatigue
Mental state
Emotional wellbeing
Routine
Nutrition
Overall hormonal health

All of these factors are interconnected and getting the right balance is vital to having a continuous good night sleep.

Now it is different for everyone, so we cannot apply the same principles for all, however there is a baseline. Having a good night’s sleep is key to living a life with minimal illnesses. You might be in your 20’s or 30’s and think that it is okay to have 4 hours sleep and then catch up on sleep on weekend. However, as you are building a gap, this can be difficult to fill over time which may result in various health issues. If you observe a child, for example, they would sleep at least 10 hours a night. A working adult (from 22) should sleep an average of 7 hours a night to live long and well. Sleeping helps with memory recovery, focus, immunity and mental stability. Plus, it allows for muscle recovery and growth after sport and exercise.

There are various yoga sequences you can try to improve your general sleep.

MY 5 FAVOURITE RESTORATIVE POSES YOU CAN TRY:

1. Supta Badcharakan Asana

This works to improve the digestive system and blood circulation to the brain.

2. Supported Child Pose

This helps you let go of your day – as you are energetically turning your back to the world; as well as releasing tension from your shoulders to the lower back.

3. Legs Up the Wall

helps the circulation of both blood and lymphatic fluid.

4. Siddhasana – Simple Crossed Leg Pose

Focus on your breathing as this helps to stop the mind from wondering

5. Savasana

Lie down, start to let go of each limb and drift into relaxation

Performing these quietly, restorative poses can help calm your body and mind whilst relieving stress and anxiety.

Have a good night,

Dipa

Want more advice and fitness tips? Download the TruBe App and check out our expert trainers where you can book a session today!

Don’t forget that our TruBe trainers can come to you right in the comfort of your own home!

Burn Fat at Home in 10 Minutes

February 27, 2017November 1, 2018 Alex CoombesLeave a comment

In one of our recent blog post 5 Ways to Burn More Calories During a Workout, the more muscles you use, the more fat/sugar you will burn. Total body workouts where you choose big groups of muscles (complex exercises) are the most effective. Try these exercises that will get the whole body working:

KICK THROUGH:

Start in the box position with knees into hips. Drive the right leg out to the left, sitting back on the heel of your left leg. Return to the start position and repeat to the right.

WALK OUT:

This is great for your arms and abs! Start standing, drop hands to the floor and walk out as far as you can reach. Walk the hands back and stand. To progress add a jump or a jump and turn 180 in the air and walkout in the opposite direction.

CURTSEY LUNGES:

Great for the glutes! Squat down and bring your right leg behind the body and out to the side (8pm on the clock). Return to standing and repeat with the left leg (4pm on the clock). Again to progress, add a jump and rotate round facing the other way.

See how many reps you can do of each in a 40 second time frame. Rest for 20 seconds then repeat 5 times! Try these exercises with one of our trainers!

Post Workout Nutrition:

Always eat protein and a small amount of sugar from a natural source to help with recovery. Fruit is great source of sugar from a natural source. Also, remember to hydrate! We can lose at least 2 litres of water a day and even more when exercising. We need to replace this to keep the body functioning efficiently.

Sleep at least 7 hours a night to aid recovery. This can have a negative effect on hormones and cortisol release, which then stimulates fat storage, which we don’t want.

Don’t forget that our TruBe trainers can come to you right in the comfort of your own home! Try this workout with one of our trainers, anywhere anytime.

For more expert advice and workouts download the TruBe App today!

Functional strength training – without the gym

October 28, 2015November 1, 2018 Alex CoombesLeave a comment

What is your max deadlift/bench/squat/bicep curl….??

As a trainer and sportsman I’m often expected to meet these questions with responses of mammoth figures. Seriously, my max bicep curl?? Um I don’t know… how much does my cup of coffee weigh in the morning?

My max deadlift could completely vary from around 150-180kg, squat 120-160kg and my bench from 85-100kg all dependant on circumstances. What variation of the lift I use, my mood, daily food intake, hours of sleep and sometimes even what music I listen to.

The truth is I really don’t know and to be honest I don’t care much either.

How often in a day are you expected to push hundreds of kilos away from your chest or pick up an unnecessarily heavy weight from the floor and put it down repeatedly? I bet this happens very few times in a day, year or even a lifetime.

Now I’m not saying that conventional strength training and weight lifting isn’t beneficial at all and by no means am I saying that sportsmen should leave this out of their programming. I just want to talk about what we at TruBe believe true functional strength is.

While training with good form (neutral spine, perfect joint alignment etc) is highly important when grooving basic movement patterns, we shouldn’t ignore the fact that our bodies still have the ability to perform exercises outside of these perfect movements. They can extend, flex and rotate at many joints in many different planes and positions.

In daily life your joints will be required to leave their ‘neutral’ positions many times and also during sporting situations whilst taking in large amounts of force. This is why it is not only important to train your neutral positions but to also get comfortable performing multidirectional exercises to help you to improve your strength, power, stability and therefore overall athleticism and functional ability.

You’d be kicking yourself if you picked up an injury in a position that your body should be able to deal with, but you didn’t train it because deadlifting is much more fun and your buddies said ‘do you even lift’ when you tried to include it in your bro workout. Seriously, leave your ego way behind when it comes to training. You will find you excel much more this way.

Try this quick functional legs workout using only your bodyweight:

10 reps on each exercise on each leg, take a 1 min rest then repeat 2 more times.

Side Lunges

Split Squat

Raised Single Leg Squats

Let us know how your legs are feeling after this circuit.

Ben Howard – London Personal Trainer

Book a session with me by downloading the app.